The Irish in South Africa - how'd they do?

buck65

Rate the Irish players in SA Lions tour. (I know there is a game to go but ..it's all over really) Here's my 2 cents.

Paul O Connell - Did OK for the most part, avoided most controversial questions admirably in interviews and let others do the **** stirring. On the field played well enough in the 2nd test but exposed in the lineout in the first. Didn't really enhance his reputation as a world class player but nonetheless solid. 6/10

Brian O Driscoll - full of running and inventiveness in the opening games and the first test. Did little attacking in the 2nd but defended well and who could forget that massive hit? 8/10

Tommy Bowe - played well in the warm up games and scored some nice tries, pretty anonymous at times in the first 2 test games. 6/10

David Wallace - Never really got into the tests as he would have liked to, certainly didn't see too much of his trademark breaks - worked hard in defence. 6/10

Jamie Heaslip - Great in the early games , first test did little , improved in the second marginally. 5/10

Rob Kearney - looked well behind Lee Byrne in the early games but steadily grew into the tour and played monumentally well when introduced in the first test and the second test . 9/10

Keith Earls - well dodgy opening game but settled a bit and scored 2 fine tries and a very assured full back performance against the Emerging Boks. 7/10

Gordon D'arcy - saw so little of the tour - looked blunt in attack when he got the ball. 5/10

Ronan O Gara - started the tour well, may have been unlucky not to get the first test spot, got his chance in the second and blew the game with a missed tackle and a bad penalty concession. One to forget for sure - 4/10

John Hayes - did well enough for an hour against the Baby boks .Not really there long enough to judge - I'll be generous 6/10.

Luke Fitzgerald - good opening to the tour - did well to earn a test spot . Solid enough , out of his depth a little in the test game - 6/10

Steven Ferris - great tour till the injury - real pity too 8/10

D O Callaghan - did well in the warm up games and when introduced in the 1st test. Thought he deserved a bench place in all tests. 6/10

Stealdo

Really not a fan of these ratings - you're rating John Hayes as having a better tour than POC, Wallace, DOC, Heaslip and ROG even though he's only played in 1 game?
What are you basing the ratings on? Contribution to the tour? to their own reputation? Just how well they played in relation to their own ability?

Size=everything

In my opinion

Excellent Tour :
Brian O'Driscoll
Rob Kearney
Ferris

Average Tour :
Heaslip
Fitzgerald
Earls
DOC
D'arcy

Poor Tour :
Wallace
Ronan O'Gara
POC

Tomtom364

size=everything

surely bowe goes into the top group there.
you left him out

Amabokke

Some of the things you rate players on are consistent form, effort, contribution, team player:

Paul O Connell - He was the wrong choice in my opinion for captain but always did the hard work that was asked of him. He doesn't like to pass the ball. Did well in the lineouts.

Brian O Driscoll - Again, under the top 3 players of the tournament. Always delivered, great breaks and attack. First test him and Roberts stepped up. Players seemed to move forward with him in charge.

Tommy Bowe - Stormer against provincial teams but average against the boks. Scored good tries but also poor attempt to stop Fourie's try.

David Wallace - Did good work in some of the tests but out of his depth in the tests. Could not compete at the breakdown and looked knackered in his last appearance.

Rob Kearney - Very good and solid performances. Good under high ball and never scared to attack and scored a good try.

Jamie Heaslip - The same guy who played in the 6N, really? Where was he? Hardly saw him running with the ball. Below average.

Keith Earls - Struggled at first (i give him benefit of doubt) but bounced back. More game time and he would've got better. Average.

Gordon D'arcy - The time he played he looked solid but not enough to say.

Ronan O Gara - Inconsistent. Played well in some and poor in others. Took few good opportunities but also gave away few silly points. Average

John Hayes - Not enough time to judge.

Luke Fitzgerald - Real talented player, took his chances and never scared to attack or defend. I think the tests were a big step and he was a bit out of place but can feel proud (apart from Burger's gouge).

Steven Ferris - Lions really missed him. Would've been a handful for the boks. Scored nice tries, tackled well and good pace.

D O Callaghan - solid enough in his performance but missing something for starting place in Lions

dan719

Bowe was the Irish player of the tour, followed by Kearney.

Feel POC had a good tour, he's not going to pop up on the wing or score an intecept try. That's not his role.

Felt BOD didn't hit his very best form. He spent a lot of time trying to force the game, and most of the second test getting involved with spats off the ball.

Wallace was very strong in the second test carrying the ball, and the breakdown was quite solid IMO.

ferris was fantastic in the warm up games, but it's hard to rate someone who got no-where near the test team.

Fitz had a good tour, and is extremely unlucky to not start the third test.


*Edit. I'll add the rest later.

bleg

they were the best of a bad tour, 1 or 2 exceptions.

remus808

To be fair to Heaslip - the management have mostly decided against using him as a ball carrier. Still though, he has been very quite by his own high standards, tackling like a demon when called upon though.

twinytwo

Size=everything wrote: »

In my opinion

Excellent Tour :
Brian O'Driscoll
Rob Kearney
Ferris

Average Tour :
Heaslip
Fitzgerald
Earls
DOC
D'arcy

Poor Tour :
Wallace
Ronan O'Gara
POC

In fairness to Earls i think he did well for his lack of international experience

buck65

Size=everything wrote: »

Poor Tour :
Wallace
Ronan O'Gara
POC

Disagree with Wallace and O Connell as poor. Both did alot of spadework I thought and only for O Gara's rash tackle these lads would have been lauded for last weeks test game.

sarah_lennon

Kearney did well in the tests he had. Ironically he didn't feature too much in the warm ups as Byrne was pencilled in from the get go.

Heaslip has done a lot of work but we haven't seen the lung busting runs I'd like to

ROG - as ever accurate with boot, as ever lacking physically. Will be forever tainted by the penalty, perhaps unfairly

Wallace - See Heaslip. Busy not spectacular.

POC - negative ground, a lot!

BOD - proper class in the first test, made Croft's tries. Combined well with Roberts. Missed badly when injured.

Ferris- would have made a huge difference.

Hayes - n/a cannot judge. Hope he gets off bench 2m

D'arcy - cannot judge. Must be wondering why he bothered.

Earls - sublime mixed with very green edges. Looks a propsect from FB. Not a centre, hands not up to it. (Yet??)

Bowe - great in the warmup, struggled in the tests. Centre tomorrow - will watch with interest (if ball gets past Flutey ;-))

Fitzgerald - unlucky to be dropped for Williams. Has to improve physicality a bit. Still one of the few bodies out there capable of something different.

DOC- Must have been close with Shaw for 2nd test. Shaw's performance made it impossible to leave out for 3rd. Unlucky not to bench

anonymous_joe

Kearney - definitely did well.

Paul O'Connell - I'd say he's not been amazing. Matfield's probably been the best second-row all tour.

O'Driscoll - as ever looked fantastic.

D'Arcy - why exactly was he called up? If he's still being punished for what happened in 05 the Lions set up is retarded.

Heaslip/Wallace/Donncha - worked hard, never let the team down, never astonished

Hayes - n/a

Fitz - looks talented, didn't astonish or let us down

Bowe - great tour, meh tests.

Ferris - what might have beens...

Earls - yikes he's inexperienced. Has the talent to be amazing, not sure in what position though...

ROG - oh dear. Not a bad tour up until the second test. That's not a great way to be remembered, and he deserves better.

up them Schteps

I can't understand how people think Kearney had a great tour. He plays unreal in one game and all of a sudden he's being polled as one of the players of the tour.
I think it will go to Tommy Bowe, imo. Solid throughout. PLayed very well against the provincial teams and stepped up when the team needed him to(Switching to center).

The Real McCoy

O gara 5? Get out of it. He cost them the series with his rubbish kick and tackle mid air. Not to mention being brushed aside like thin air for that try!! He didn't even break fouré's stride when he was going through for that try. Fouré Went through him like he wasn't there. Pathetic
Absolutley ridiculous that a "world renowned" player like himself cannot tackle!! I'd say most Gaa intercounty players today would be better tacklers than him. Can't imagine players like graham canty, paul glavin, seán óg etc being flung aside like him!

Size=everything

up them Schteps wrote: »

I can't understand how people think Kearney had a great tour. He plays unreal in one game and all of a sudden he's being polled as one of the players of the tour.
I think it will go to Tommy Bowe, imo. Solid throughout. PLayed very well against the provincial teams and stepped up when the team needed him to(Switching to center).

Kearney was unreal in 2 test games which is the standard the players should be judged on.

Peter B

The Real McCoy wrote: »

O gara 5? Get out of it. He cost them the series with his rubbish kick and tackle mid air. Not to mention being brushed aside like thin air for that try!! He didn't even break fouré's stride when he was going through for that try. Fouré Went through him like he wasn't there. Pathetic
Absolutley ridiculous that a "world renowned" player like himself cannot tackle!! I'd say most Gaa intercounty players today would be better tacklers than him. Can't imagine players like graham canty, paul glavin, seán óg etc being flung aside like him!

To be honest I think O'Gara was having a good tour until the last 10 mins of the 2nd test.

piby

Bowe and Kearney were the standouts for me although had Ferris not been injured he could been the pick of the bunch.

anonymous_joe

up them Schteps wrote: »

I can't understand how people think Kearney had a great tour. He plays unreal in one game and all of a sudden he's being polled as one of the players of the tour.
I think it will go to Tommy Bowe, imo. Solid throughout. PLayed very well against the provincial teams and stepped up when the team needed him to(Switching to center).

Kearney and O'Driscoll were the only two Irish players to play really well in the tests.

(By really well I mean noticeably so. The likes of O'Connell, Wallace, Heaslip, Bowe and Fitzgerald didn't do anything wrong at all really.

buck65

I agree Joe, the Irish can hold their heads high after this, certainly should give the Boks a run in November.

Chucky the tree

I'd have Heaslip in the poor category. He form from the 6nations and even the pre test matches completely disappeared during the tests. The standard of number 8's in the home nations is awful when him and Powell are considered the best of the bunch.

Stev_o

Chucky the tree wrote: »

I'd have Heaslip in the poor category. He form from the 6nations and even the pre test matches completely disappeared during the tests. The standard of number 8's in the home nations is awful when him and Powell are considered the best of the bunch.

He has the 3rd test to make a name for himself. With Worsley at 6 there are no more excuses of him having to do Croft's work. Add to the fact he's up against Kankowski who is imo a much better player in terms of ball carrying then Spies he has to start showing everyone what he can do with ball in hand.

The Real McCoy

(By really well I mean noticeably so. The likes of O'Connell, Wallace, Heaslip, Bowe and Fitzgerald didn't do anything wrong at all really.[/quote]

Well they certainly didn't do anything mesmerising or game breaking. Were very average let's be honest lads! I'm sure O Connell will not be happy with his tour, made look very average against the Boks and he did not play well in the 2 test matches. Lets stop the pussyfooting around here.

anonymous_joe

buck65 wrote: »

I agree Joe, the Irish can hold their heads high after this, certainly should give the Boks a run in November.

Yeah, I'd say none of them have really done anything to be ashamed of.

O'Gara had a bit of a 'mare, but that was down to bad luck to quite a large degree.

Chucky the tree wrote: »

I'd have Heaslip in the poor category. He form from the 6nations and even the pre test matches completely disappeared during the tests. The standard of number 8's in the home nations is awful when him and Powell are considered the best of the bunch.

I dunno, I think he did alright work at the breakdown, etc. And he was no worse than Spies, who a lot of people expected to be phenomenal. Myself included.

The Real McCoy wrote: »

Well they certainly didn't do anything mesmerising or game breaking. Were very average let's be honest lads! I'm sure O Connell will not be happy with his tour, made look very average against the Boks and he did not play well in the 2 test matches. Lets stop the pussyfooting around here.

O'Connell was up against the best second-rows in the world, one of whom in Bakkies Botha was really made to look poor by Simon Shaw. 'Average' at this standard is nothing to be ashamed of.

I don't see how Luke Fitzgerald was any worse than Ugo Monye or Shane Williams, mar shampla, or how the likes of David Wallace were made to look a poor second by anyone else.

redzerdrog

stooped reading after earls got 7:eek: and bowe got 6:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

sarah_lennon

Kearney and Heaslip ended their tour with a great performance. POC had his best game of the tour and Bowe did a lot right in the Centre. Well done lads

thomond2006

Paul O Connell - 7/10

Brian O Driscoll - 8.5/10

Tommy Bowe - 8/10

David Wallace - 6/10

Jamie Heaslip - 8/10

Rob Kearney - 9.5/10

Keith Earls - 6/10

Gordon D'arcy - 4/10

Ronan O Gara - 5/10

John Hayes - 6/10

Luke Fitzgerald - 6.5/10

Steven Ferris - 8.5/10

D O Callaghan - 7/10