Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread

theboss80

Irish Coaching Staff Extend contracts until end of 2012/2013 season.

Deja vu

Source

wixfjord

****ing hell :rolleyes:
Not saying it's the wrong decision to appoint them again, but what a stupid time to do it.

Same as Fast Eddie.

Stupid IRFU.

Stev_o

wixfjord wrote: »

****ing hell :rolleyes:
Not saying it's the wrong decision to appoint them again, but what a stupid time to do it.

Same as Fast Eddie.

Stupid IRFU.

Who in gods name extends a contract before the biggest tournament of the past 4 years? Fair play to Deccie he's a working man your always going to take the money but honestly what were the IRFU thinking?

sock puppet

Stev_o wrote: »

Who in gods name extends a contract before the biggest tournament of the past 4 years?

It's hardly an uncommon thing to do. Lots of unions already have a head coach in place for 2012.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Anyone got any requests for a new backs coach since Gaffney is moving on

Risteard

If there was going to be an extension I would have thought it only for a year. Strange that it's done before the WC though I'm happy that Kiss has been retained. Our defence for the most part has been good under him. What gave away matches this year was poor discipline and tries that were interceptions or just a straight missed tackle.

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Anyone got any requests for a new backs coach since Gaffney is moving on

Schmidt would be a nice addition to the coaching team.

thomond2006

IRFU might be scared the coaching staff might get a better offer after RWC. Like someone else said I'm surprised it's 2 years instead of 1.

Phonehead

Déjà bloody vu:rolleyes: Ireland haven't exactly set the World alight for 2 years, IMHO every time they take a step forward they quickly take one back. The IRFU now reward the management with a further 2 years. If we bring our 6 nations form leaving aside the England game to the WC, then this was another poor decision.

If we have a great WC then it was good business but nothing from the SN suggests the IRFU should be climbing over themselves to secure contracts. The only reason I am expecting anything is due to Leinsters performances and the hope that we adopt their style of play.

Rant over:o

corny

Just a little snippet from Chief Executive Phil Browne.

"Apart from securing the Grand Slam in 2009, the team has made significant progress over the last two years in terms of results"

Have they? At least EOS had a good lead up to the WC to earn a contract extension. We should have won the 07 6N's. Kidneys team has had one good performance this year.

theboss80

To be quite honest if we don't have a decent RWC and 6nations id imagine Kidney would step down anyway.

tolosenc

/facepalm

Before the RWC? BEFORE?! Tell me that it is subject to performance, please!

Brian P

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Anyone got any requests for a new backs coach since Gaffney is moving on

Where's he off to?

LuckyGent88

Brian P wrote: »

Where's he off to?

Back to OZ.

CiaranMT

Smal and Kiss would be in high demand post World Cup, it makes sense to tie them down now.

CiaranMT

LuckyGent88 wrote: »

Back to OZ.

The IRFU have found him a nice nursing home. :pac:

phog

CiaranMT wrote: »

Smal and Kiss would be in high demand post World Cup, it makes sense to tie them down now.

If the IRFU only extended their contract what would that be saying to the Kidney and the team? I think it would have been far worse to offer some of the coaching staff an extension while letting others sweat out results in the WC and 6Ns.

David900

I didn't read any of the articles on the matter but I'd imagine the IRFU learned a lesson from last time around and put a break-clause in the contract if World Cup results are that bad. Warren Gatland has something similar in his contract extension.

theboss80

Ok so Ive been having some thoughts (dangerous I know ) and I have come to the conclusion that Felix Jones WILL travel to the world cup. Ok think about it.. what had been Deccie's "mantra" over the last two years? He wanted to develop the squad where he had every position being contested by a couple of players and in fairness he pretty much has got to that stage. There is viable options for every single position on the team except Full Back.....

My opinion...Jones travels

Why?
1) It gives Deccie an opportunity to put a bit of pressure on Kearney to preform by bringing a guy who is in the supporters thoughts and had a good finish to the season.
2) It also means Kearney can be rested for the Russia match and last 20mins of the Italian match in preparation for quarter finals.
All the while he bloods a new squad player.

MungBean

theboss80 wrote: »

Ok so Ive been having some thoughts (dangerous I know ) and I have come to the conclusion that Felix Jones WILL travel to the world cup. Ok think about it.. what had been Deccie's "mantra" over the last two years? He wanted to develop the squad where he had every position being contested by a couple of players and in fairness he pretty much has got to that stage. There is viable options for every single position on the team except Full Back.....

My opinion...Jones travels

Why?
1) It gives Deccie an opportunity to put a bit of pressure on Kearney to preform by bringing a guy who is in the supporters thoughts and had a good finish to the season.
2) It also means Kearney can be rested for the Russia match and last 20mins of the Italian match in preparation for quarter finals.
All the while he bloods a new squad player.

Earls is FB cover with Fits, Bowe and Trimble covering the wings in my opinion. I dont see how he is really needed. I'd love to see him go and get some experience in the lesser games but not at the expense of someone else who's actually needed. With Earls and Kearney we have FB covered. World cup isnt a place to blood players.

theboss80

Ya but again we go back to playing Earls out of position and that's pointless plus he can't be expected to play every group game and be fresh for qtr's. What I mean is its grand to have cover in Earls but Earls NEEDS to a winger at the RWC and not be moved around the place to accommodate Kearney in my opinion.

CatFromHue

if we go with a 17/13 split there isn't room for 2 players for every position.

we'll bring 3 scrum halves and 2 fly halves. that leaves 8 spots for outside backs.
2 centers, 2 wingers, and 1 full back leaves 3 spots for back up players.

so in those 3 spots do you bring a guy who can just cover one position like jones or guys like wallace, mcfadden, earls who can cover 2 or more spots each.

if you bring jones as back up 15 then you have only 1 guy covering the centres and 1 guy covering the wings.

then these is the probability that if fit kearney is going to play every game since he didnt play any last season.

theboss80

2 centers

D'Arcy and BOD

2 wingers

Bowe and Earls

1 full back

Kearney

3 spots for back up players.

Fitz
McFadden/Wallace
Jones

MungBean

theboss80 wrote: »

Ya but again we go back to playing Earls out of position and that's pointless plus he can't be expected to play every group game and be fresh for qtr's. What I mean is its grand to have cover in Earls but Earls NEEDS to a winger at the RWC and not be moved around the place to accommodate Kearney in my opinion.

I agree 100% that Earls should be a winger and we should have a replacement FB but I dont think we have room enough to bring him. We have Earls covering wing/FB. Trimble can cover wing/Centre, McFadden can cover wing/centre.

If Jones goes it will be at the expense of Trimble or McFadden I reckon and then your sacrificing someone covering two positions to blood a second choice FB who may or may not be as good as the cover already in the team in Earls.

As Cat says we probably wont have room for 2 players in each position so we are gonna have to work with what we have to make sure we are covered across the field.

If there was room then I wouldnt mind him going but I dont think he's particularly needed.

theboss80

theboss80 wrote: »

D'Arcy and BOD

Bowe and Earls

Kearney

Fitz
McFadden/Wallace
Jones

Trimble ahead of Fitz / McFadden / Wallace and Jones

theboss80

While I think Trimble is a great player imo Deccie is not a fan and he will not be travelling. He will start a warm up game and that's it I'd say.

Also I could not see Trimble coming into centre for any Irish match.
(Has he recently played there?i honestly don't know beside the experiment before last world cup) But I wouldn't fancy seeing a team sheet where we have Trimble as centre ahead of Darcy , I see him as purely a winger.


PS. This was just a brainfart I had this morning so just throwing it out there thats all.

GerM

Whilst I would agree that it seems DK isn't his biggest fan, I think Trimble will definitely travel. His non-selection in the 6N was baffling and incorrect. His performance against England, along with being arguably our best player last summer would make it absolutely ridiculous if he was to be omitted. Whilst he hasn't played internationally in the centre for a long time, I wouldn't have an issue with him being in the 22 as someone that could cover there in the event of an injury. 7 of his 25 starts for Ireland have come in the centre with a further 5 caps there off the bench. He played centre in the HEC as recently as last season. He's not a fantastic distributor but he's a hard hitter and can run a hard line and ask questions of the defence. I'd have no issue with him starting in the middle against Russia or the USA although it won't happen.

CatFromHue

i also think jones, as it stands before the august friendlies, isnt ready yet for international rugby. he only player 9 magners league and 2 amlin up games last season where he made a few mistakes that people have glossed over.

2 centers: bod, darcy
2 wingers: 2 from bowe, earls, trimble (there really isnt much between these guys)
1 full back: kearney (assuming the august friendlies go well)

back up players. i've been thinking and it could be a good idea to bring both mcfadden and wallace. i would like to have brought shane horgan but he's injured.

wallace: covers 10, 12, 15
mcfadden: covers 12, 13, 11, 14
1 from bowe, earls, trimble

that would leave earls and mcfadden as the the back up 15's. obviously earls would be second choice!

if jones went i could only see him getting game time if kearney gets injured. considering game time is the thing he needs most it'd best for him to stay home. then he'd get the 6 pro12 games under his belt which would put him in a far stronger position coming into the heineken cup games.

theboss80

So you would not play him next month?

CatFromHue

id give him a run out yeah.

as it stands i dont think he is ready yet. if he plays a perfect 10 in any game in august that would be a different story though.

if kearney plays better and/or looks more secure for the team i wouldnt bring jones.

i dont see room in the squad for two specialist full backs.

Teferi

Heard a rumour that Luke Fitz is pretty sick. Anyone know if he was at the Leister Open Training up in Tallaght or doing that thing in Nandos the other night?