Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread

Cpt_Blackbeard

danthefan wrote: »

Kaino is out for the summer tour, he's one of the best players in the world so that will hurt NZ. They've some depth though in the backrow.

Disappointed with that. Would have liked to see Ferris and Kaino go head to head.

funky penguin

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0313/1224313204087.html

So, we're 7th at the moment, and safe enough in the 2nd tier. England blast into the top tier 4th spot after Sunday.

So....and I'm not great at this stuff, but does that mean we could potentially gain a lot of points by beating them in Twickers next week?

EDIT: The reason I'm asking this is because I've been hesitant to criticise Kidney's conservatism in this seedings year for 2015. However, if we gain a little wiggle room, surely there will be more scope to blood a few new squad members?

Reloc8

Per today FM this morning, Best & Ryan to take only a limited part in training this week but 'expected to be fit' for the weekend.

snow mad

So....and I'm not great at this stuff, but does that mean we could potentially gain a lot of points by beating them in Twickers next week?


i think if we beat england and france beat wales it would move us to 4th or 5th

rrpc

funky penguin wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0313/1224313204087.html

So, we're 7th at the moment, and safe enough in the 2nd tier. England blast into the top tier 4th spot after Sunday.

So....and I'm not great at this stuff, but does that mean we could potentially gain a lot of points by beating them in Twickers next week?

EDIT: The reason I'm asking this is because I've been hesitant to criticise Kidney's conservatism in this seedings year for 2015. However, if we gain a little wiggle room, surely there will be more scope to blood a few new squad members?

Potentially by my calculations (E&OE ) we would gain about 1.5 ranking points and England would lose the same amount if we beat them by less than 15 points. If the gap is more than 15 points (unlikely) the change would be around 2.25 ranking points.

Wales and France have almost identical points, so whichever way that match goes, one of them will be above us, so we would be in 5th place at best if we beat England.

If we're beaten by England we lose about a half ranking point and finish in eighth place. The Scotland and Italy match will have no bearing either way, both being too far below us.

CIARAN_BOYLE

snow mad wrote: »

So....and I'm not great at this stuff, but does that mean we could potentially gain a lot of points by beating them in Twickers next week?


i think if we beat england and france beat wales it would move us to 4th or 5th

If we lose by 15+ we los3 about .7 ranking points,
If we lose by less then 15 we lose about .5 ranking points
If we draw we gain about .5 ranking points
If we win by less than 15 we gain about 1.5 ranking points
If we win by 15+ we gain about 2.3 ranking points

There is currently nearly a 4 point gap between us and 9th place

Tox56

Still is a bit embarrassing to be fighting over 7th place in the World Rankings.

leftleg

Warning; Danger; Farrelly alert

"For Saturday, there will be minimal changes although it would be fascinating to see how Ronan O'Gara and Jonathan Sexton went together from the start because their partnership is looking increasingly impressive."

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/comment-analysis/hugh-farrelly-better-homework-and-focus-gives-ireland-a-chance-of-passing-english-test-with-honours-3047471.html

:mad:

.ak

leftleg wrote: »

Warning; Danger; Farrelly alert

"For Saturday, there will be minimal changes although it would be fascinating to see how Ronan O'Gara and Jonathan Sexton went together from the start because their partnership is looking increasingly impressive."

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/comment-analysis/hugh-farrelly-better-homework-and-focus-gives-ireland-a-chance-of-passing-english-test-with-honours-3047471.html

:mad:

ROFLCOPTER.

Otacon

leftleg wrote: »

Warning; Danger; Farrelly alert

"For Saturday, there will be minimal changes although it would be fascinating to see how Ronan O'Gara and Jonathan Sexton went together from the start because their partnership is looking increasingly impressive."

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/comment-analysis/hugh-farrelly-better-homework-and-focus-gives-ireland-a-chance-of-passing-english-test-with-honours-3047471.html

:mad:

Besides the paragraph you quoted, I mostly agree with the article.

thomond2006

Clearly Farrelly has a more in depth understanding of the game, he can see stuff we can't.

irishbucsfan

You actually have to wonder how Farrelly managed to get his job.

leftleg

Otacon wrote: »

Besides the paragraph you quoted, I mostly agree with the article.

yeah but the rest of it is just typical soundbite media waffle; that little snippet i posted is his own evil work; everything else is just copy and paste from other articles after the game;

GerM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

You actually have to wonder how Farrelly managed to get his job.

As he works for the Independent, I imagine it was some sort of "collect ten crisp packets and become a journo" promotion.

leftleg

GerM wrote: »

As he works for the Independent, I imagine it was some sort of "collect ten crisp packets and become a journo" promotion.

Or his dad works there and got him a job as junior CEO of Independent News PLC

Podge_irl

Reloc8 wrote: »

Per today FM this morning, Best & Ryan to take only a limited part in training this week but 'expected to be fit' for the weekend.

Sigh..cue ROG coming on at 50 minutes again so.

Farrelly wrote:

"For Saturday, there will be minimal changes although it would be fascinating to see how Ronan O'Gara and Jonathan Sexton went together from the start because their partnership is looking increasingly impressive."

What on Earth are people seeing in this that I, and apparently nearly everyone else, are not?

leftleg

Podge_irl wrote: »

What on Earth are people seeing in this that I, and apparently nearly everyone else, are not?

More caps

touts

Podge_irl wrote: »

What on Earth are people seeing in this that I, and apparently nearly everyone else, are not?

Feck all options at Centre is the problem.

.ak

touts wrote: »

Feck all options at Centre is the problem.

Really? We have no one else that could do a better job at 12 than Sexton, in the country?

McFadden, Fitzgerald, Whitten, Spence, hell I'd even put young JJ down as a better 12 than Sexton. The only thing Sexton is good at 12 is defense and the ability to pop a pass in the tackle. Which is much more suited to having a center looping around him when he does it... Playing him out of position is just Kidney being paranoid about defense.

rrpc

leftleg wrote: »

More caps

Seriously though, it's more than an insult to the other players on the bench to see this kind of thing going on. McFadden must be tearing his hair out in frustration and then when he does go on, it's not in his preferred position and only for a few minutes. Mind you, he did make the most of those minutes.

jm08

.ak wrote: »

Really? We have no one else that could do a better job at 12 than Sexton, in the country?

McFadden, Fitzgerald, Whitten, Spence, hell I'd even put young JJ down as a better 12 than Sexton. The only thing Sexton is good at 12 is defense and the ability to pop a pass in the tackle. Which is much more suited to having a center looping around him when he does it... Playing him out of position is just Kidney being paranoid about defense.

shane horgan said after the match on sat that he thought it was working very well having sexton at 12 and ogara at 10. thought in the start that it was just a back-up option, but it is very effective.

tony ward reckons that its d'arcy or sexton at 12, but that kidney would be too conservative to go with sexton at 12.

irishbucsfan

jm08 wrote: »

.ak wrote: »

Really? We have no one else that could do a better job at 12 than Sexton, in the country?

McFadden, Fitzgerald, Whitten, Spence, hell I'd even put young JJ down as a better 12 than Sexton. The only thing Sexton is good at 12 is defense and the ability to pop a pass in the tackle. Which is much more suited to having a center looping around him when he does it... Playing him out of position is just Kidney being paranoid about defense.

shane horgan said after the match on sat that he thought it was working very well having sexton at 12 and ogara at 10. thought in the start that it was just a back-up option, but it is very effective.

tony ward reckons that its d'arcy or sexton at 12, but that kidney would be too conservative to go with sexton at 12.

Tony Ward said Paddy Wallace was one of the favourites to start at 13 against Wales!

.ak

That's beside the point. It works, wahey... But we have better options at 12 than Sexton.

jm08

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Tony Ward said Paddy Wallace was one of the favourites to start at 13 against Wales!

have you a link for that ?

.ak

jm08 wrote: »

have you a link for that ?

_______

GerM wrote: »

I'm unsure as to whether Ward's article today is deluded or terrifying.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/tony-ward-earls-can-become-centre-of-attention-2983593.html

Earls isn't a natural winger, Wallace is one of the three players in the mix for the 13 jersey (ahead of EOM, Cave and Griffin), Buckley needs to maintain his consistency as back up tighthead. Good God.

It was discussed here previously.

jm08

.ak wrote: »

_______



It was discussed here previously.

Dismissed as soon as his name was mentioned.

Assuming Gordon D'Arcy is fit and firing, his presence will be crucial in helping whoever is picked at No 13. The debate centres around Fergus McFadden, Keith Earls and Paddy Wallace.


Wallace, for all his versatility, has still to impose himself at this level and is happier at No 12. That would leave it between McFadden and Earls.

leftleg

jm08 wrote: »

have you a link for that ?

"Assuming Gordon D'Arcy is fit and firing, his presence will be crucial in helping whoever is picked at No 13. The debate centres around Fergus McFadden, Keith Earls and Paddy Wallace"

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/tony-ward-earls-can-become-centre-of-attention-2983593.html

Absolute Lunacy and anyone who thinks that Sexton at 12 is a viable solution to anything other than rog getting extra caps for no reason is as mad as Tony Ward.

Of course Horgan will say that after the Scotland game.

a) he is very very close to Sexton
b) he will never say a bad word about any Leinster player including d'arcy

Podge_irl

jm08 wrote: »

tony ward reckons that its d'arcy or sexton at 12, but that kidney would be too conservative to go with sexton at 12.

Not starting Sexton at 12 isn't conservative, it's common sense. He has started ZERO games there in his career.

leftleg

Podge_irl wrote: »

Not starting Sexton at 12 isn't conservative, it's common sense. He has started ZERO games there in his career.

wrong he played a few outside conters; afaik against wasps in the RDS in 09; Cheika dropped it quickly though as it didn't work

irishbucsfan

The debate over the 13 jersey never had anything to do with Paddy Wallace. Ever.

It was a fantastic example of just how out of touch.Ward has become.

Im not hugely bothered by Sexton at 12 though. It's typically short sighted by Kidney, and the only players at 12 for Ireland should be McFadden, D'Arcy or Wallace but its not going to lead to a problem.