Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread

Clegg

Why were you sending me PMs about Peter Stringer when we had that debate weeks ago?

Stringer is nowhere near the best Irish scrumhalf anymore. One match doesn't change that. You are so blind in your love for all things Munster that you cannot accept that Stringer is yesterdays man.

tolosenc

Clegg wrote: »

But we should also try out Paul Marshall at 9 for Ireland.

He should be ahead of Murray, anyway. Think Reddan is still a better option though. Marshall looks like being a class act. Trying to dislodge Ruan Pienaar won't be easy though!

Clegg

jm08 wrote: »

You'll have to ask Cleggy about that. He watches all strings games.

I watched a few of Stringers games at Saracens and he was nothing but average. Other posters said he was average but you just went ahead with banging the "Stringer is great" drum.

Then you PM'd me out of the blue notifying me of one-off game where he played well.

You are a complete nutjob.

jm08

Clegg wrote: »

Why were you sending me PMs about Peter Stringer when we had that debate weeks ago?

Stringer is nowhere near the best Irish scrumhalf anymore. One match doesn't change that. You are so blind in your love for all things Munster that you cannot accept that Stringer is yesterdays man.

I don't know why "I" was sending you any pms. Maybe you could enlighten me (or send them back to me) as to what "I" put in them then I might be able to explain how/why "I" was sending you PMs instead of posting them for all to see.

Only argument i had with you is that you claimed he was playing rubbish for Sarries and they couldn't wait to get rid of him and that the fans didn't think much of him which is downright lies. Both clubs think he was a great signing and saries would have liked for him to remain for the rest of the season.

Clegg

jm08 wrote: »

I don't know why "I" was sending you any pms. Maybe you could enlighten me (or send them back to me) as to what "I" put in them then I might be able to explain how/why "I" was sending you PMs instead of posting them for all to see.

Only argument i had with you is that you claimed he was playing rubbish for Sarries and they couldn't wait to get rid of him and that the fans didn't think much of him which is downright lies. Both clubs think he was a great signing and saries would have liked for him to remain for the rest of the season.

My God you really are a nutjob. I never said that Sarries and the fans hated him. I said that he wasn't good enough for them, which is the truth.

You are making up a fictictious account of me deriding Stringer when all I said was that he was average at Saracens. Your love for Stringer has made you deluded. I'd kindly ask you to not contact me any further with your nonsense. You are quite possibly the most one eyed fan I've ever had contact with.

andrewdcs

I reckon ANY scrum half who comes on as a sub has a better game than they guy they replaced, I can't think of an exception even where scrum halves are stand out stars like genia.

Reddan and Boss are /both/ way better as subs than I ever see them start, as they are chasing slower pack etc. I'd say same about murray and (jebus) TOL.

Marshall has really impressed over last few months, defo should tour with murray and redser.

jm08

Clegg wrote: »

My God you really are a nutjob. I never said that Sarries and the fans hated him. I said that he wasn't good enough for them, which is the truth.

You are making up a fictictious account of me deriding Stringer when all I said was that he was average at Saracens. Your love for Stringer has made you deluded. I'd kindly ask you to not contact me any further with your nonsense. You are quite possibly the most one eyed fan I've ever had contact with.

Never claimed that you said the sarries fans hated him:D. I aint the nutjob around here.

Forget it, I've made my point which was that Peter Stringer was a big success for the two English clubs he is played/is playing for.

TomLamp

jm08 wrote: »

Never claimed that you said the sarries fans hated him:D. I aint the nutjob around here.

Forget it, I've made my point which was that Peter Stringer was a big success for the two English clubs he is played/is playing for.

Do you have to derail every single thread with Munster-loving propaganda?

I don't think 'nutjob' is too far off the mark.

Clegg

jm08 wrote: »

Never claimed that you said the sarries fans hated him:D. I aint the nutjob around here.

Forget it, I've made my point which was that Peter Stringer was a big success for the two English clubs he is played/is playing for.

But you've made absolutely no point. All you're doing is making up your mind that Stringer is playing well, despite people on this board telling you that hes been nothing but average.

Your pro-Munster bias is blatant and rather nauseating.

sock puppet

andrewdcs wrote: »

I reckon ANY scrum half who comes on as a sub has a better game than they guy they replaced, I can't think of an exception even where scrum halves are stand out stars like genia.

Reddan and Boss are /both/ way better as subs than I ever see them start, as they are chasing slower pack etc. I'd say same about murray and (jebus) TOL.

Yeah even average scrumhalfs can look pretty good when brought on for the final 20. Ben Youngs in the Six Nations would be a good exception though! He was truly terrible whenever he came on.

Podge_irl

Ignoring the oddly begun tangent into scrumhalves...

I'd rank the 10s currently as

Sexton
Madigan
ROG
Keatley
Jackson

(I think Jackson is better but hasn't really played anywhere near enough to properly judge). I'm not even gonna bother putting Humphreys on the list, he's terrible. That said, Madigan certainly hasn't been tested in a number of ways in high intensity/high risk games. He also, more often then not, plays with a dominant pack.

Still, the time to give him a shot at a higher level is now imo. I can't see ROG not travelling, but hopefully Kidney brings 3 outhalves and the third is Madigan. Alas, even if he brings him I can't see Kidney doing anything but having ROG on the bench (and probably, god help us, starting one of the tests).

bilston

TomLamp wrote: »

Heres my rankings on Irish outhalfs on current form

Sexton
Madigan
Jackson
Humphreys
O'Gara
Keatley

You know there is the real prospect that Ireland for the first time in as long as I can remember are going to have THREE quality out halfs to pick from over the next 5-6 years in Sexton, Madigan and Jackson. That's pretty exciting. Plus who knows what will happen with Keatley if he starts getting regular games at Munster. It will be a far cry from 2007 when we had ROG and nobody else at all even close. In fact do you remember during the '07 WC Neil Francis called on BOD to move to 10 such was our desperation.

Clegg

Podge_irl wrote: »

Ignoring the oddly begun tangent into scrumhalves...

I'd rank the 10s currently as

Sexton
Madigan
ROG
Keatley
Jackson

(I think Jackson is better but hasn't really played anywhere near enough to properly judge). I'm not even gonna bother putting Humphreys on the list, he's terrible. That said, Madigan certainly hasn't been tested in a number of ways in high intensity/high risk games. He also, more often then not, plays with a dominant pack.

Still, the time to give him a shot at a higher level is now imo. I can't see ROG not travelling, but hopefully Kidney brings 3 outhalves and the third is Madigan. Alas, even if he brings him I can't see Kidney doing anything but having ROG on the bench (and probably, god help us, starting one of the tests).

I agree with this. But I also think that Jackson has the potential to be even better than Madigan.

Jackson needs to start more matches next season and gradually phase iHumph out of the Ulster team.

We won't be seeing an Ireland without ROG until 2013 though.

jacothelad

danthefan wrote: »

Marshall? Luke Marshall? He's not a 10.

Or was it a typo?

Actually, he is.....and a very good one indeed.

irishbucsfan

Did anyone read Thornley today?

Supposedly the performances of Leinster and Munster heightens the pressure on Kidney to take a more left field approach to his squad in New Zealand. I'd love to know what pressure that is because himself and his journo mates have been doing everything possible not to rock the boat over the past 18 months.

totallegend

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Did anyone read Thornley today?

Supposedly the performances of Leinster and Munster heightens the pressure on Kidney to take a more left field approach to his squad in New Zealand. I'd love to know what pressure that is because himself and his journo mates have been doing everything possible not to rock the boat over the past 18 months.

I think Gerry is more coming at it from the point of view that Leinster and Ulster will be in the HC final on May 19th and it's a fair bet that either Leinster or Munster (or maybe both) will be in the Rabo final a week later.

This means that we'll struggle to field a meaningful side against the Barbarians (three days after the Rabo final) and they'll all be knackered by the time they get to NZ.

As much as Thornley is a Kidney fan, I don't think even he expects left-field selections on a purely rugby basis.

Edit: Was the scheduling of this Barbarians game not pure madness?

irishbucsfan

Yep you're right, that is what he meant.

Hippo

totallegend wrote: »

.

Edit: Was the scheduling of this Barbarians game not pure madness?

Absolutely. I've no idea what they were smoking at the time.

thomond2006

It will be more of an Ireland A side that faces the BaaBaas at this rate.

thomond2006

thomond2006 wrote: »

It will be more of an Ireland A side that faces the BaaBaas at this rate.

Which is an absolutely perfect time to get some fringe players gametime. If this was what the game was intended for, then I'm pretty happy with the scheduling.

Hype710

Would be great if the likes of O' Malley and Dave Kearney could be released if they don't make the 23 for the Rabo Final, assuming Leinster get there. It's the ideal game for Madigan, but he'll be in the 23.

chancer12

Hippo wrote: »

Absolutely. I've no idea what they were smoking at the time.

Shows how out of touch the IRFU are with whats happening in the provinces

Podge_irl

thomond2006 wrote: »

It will be more of an Ireland A side that faces the BaaBaas at this rate.

It will be more of an Ulster side.

Mr.Applepie

My guess for the experimental team for the BaaBaa's. It's a little drastic in comparison to the last few years but I'd say Kidney thinks a shake up is needed at this point.

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Ross
4. Ryan
5. POC
6. Ferris/SOB (if Ferris is injured)
7. SOB/POM
8. Heaslip
9. Murray
10. Sexton
11. Earls
12. D'Arcy
13. BOD
14. Trimble
15. Kearney

shaungil

That's a good guess on the team but Ryan might struggle to get ahead of DOC.

Banbridgeman

Mr.Applepie wrote: »

My guess for the experimental team for the BaaBaa's. It's a little drastic in comparison to the last few years but I'd say Kidney thinks a shake up is needed at this point.

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Ross
4. Ryan
5. POC
6. Ferris/SOB (if Ferris is injured)
7. SOB/POM
8. Heaslip
9. Murray
10. Sexton
11. Earls
12. D'Arcy
13. BOD
14. Trimble
15. Kearney

How does anyone think POM is ahead of Henry if the 7 shirt becomes available????? Murray shouldn't even be in the 22 either. Also Giroy over Earls at 11. Gilroy has been class all season on the wing whereas Earls has been playing decent at 13. I think Gilroy deserves his chance

bilston

Banbridgeman wrote: »

How does anyone think POM is ahead of Henry if the 7 shirt becomes available????? Murray shouldn't even be in the 22 either. Also Giroy over Earls at 11. Gilroy has been class all season on the wing whereas Earls has been playing decent at 13. I think Gilroy deserves his chance

I think you might have missed the rather large dose of sarcasm in the post!

Podge_irl

Banbridgeman wrote: »

How does anyone think POM is ahead of Henry if the 7 shirt becomes available????? Murray shouldn't even be in the 22 either. Also Giroy over Earls at 11. Gilroy has been class all season on the wing whereas Earls has been playing decent at 13. I think Gilroy deserves his chance

I believe Mr. Applepie is being mildly facetious.

Ulster players will get plenty of chances for the Babas game as it is quite likely only themselves and Connacht/exile players will be available. Of course whether that makes any difference to the touring squad is an entirely different question.

Tox56

As long as the likes of Tuohy/Henry/Cave get their fair chance to at least travel, they helped bring their team to a HEC Final, surely they cannot be ignored.

Mr.Applepie

shaungil wrote: »

That's a good guess on the team but Ryan might struggle to get ahead of DOC.

Indeed, I've heard that DOC is going very well in training