Full back options for 6 nations?

durkadurka

With Kearney and Murphy injured and fitz looking out of sorts, what are our options for fb?

Earls, bowe, Duffy, fitz, j Murphy?

I'm worried.

Burgo

Isn't Duffy out injured too?

P_1

I'd have a back 3 of 11. Trimble 14. Horgan 15. Bowe

Trimble and Horgan are both in the form of their lives at the moment and Bowe has played at 15 for the Ospreys.

ambid

durkadurka wrote: »

With Kearney and Murphy injured and fitz looking out of sorts, what are our options for fb?

Earls, bowe, Duffy, fitz, j Murphy?

I'm worried.

Johne Murphy is a good call. He's been overlooked in the speculation so far. Adam Darcy is another option. I think Duffy is injured. Are there any exiles playing fullback in England or Europe?

I'd say it all depends on when Fitz recaptures form, and he'll maybe have a couple of games to get the magic back (incl. the Wolfhounds game).

Earls at 15 might work, with McFadden, Trimble, Johne Murphy or Horgan on the wing. Earls hasn't played 15 for a while though.

There is still tome for Fitz to find his mojo, class is permanent and all that.

It is a worry though alright.

CIARAN_BOYLE

carr played 15 tonight for Connacht, anyone got any idea how well he did??

heybaby

ambid wrote: »

Earls at 15 might work, with McFadden, Trimble, Johne Murphy or Horgan on the wing. Earls hasn't played 15 for a while though.

While i admire munster rugby i fail to see peoples fascination with earls , yes he's fast but thats about it, much hype over very little for me.

Superbus

heybaby wrote: »

While i admire munster rugby i fail to see peoples fascination with earls , yes he's fast but thats about it, much hype over very little for me.

OK, but with other options seemingly injured or catastrophically out of form he'd be alright.

tolosenc

heybaby wrote: »

While i admire munster rugby i fail to see peoples fascination with earls , yes he's fast but thats about it, much hype over very little for me.

+1

Now, if he were to SERIOUSLY beef up (à la Basteraud), I'd have him playing any day. He's a big lad, another couple of stone would really turn him into something useful.

[Jackass]

pithater1 wrote: »

I'd have a back 3 of 11. Trimble 14. Horgan 15. Bowe

Trimble and Horgan are both in the form of their lives at the moment and Bowe has played at 15 for the Ospreys.

Not a bad suggestion at all. I could never see a way of Horgan coming back into the Irish side, and unless he's starting, his lack of versatility doesn't make him much of a squad player, but Horgan at 14 and Bowe at 15 is definitely worth a shot against Italy.

Not sure about Trimble though, would still bee considering Earls, Fitz and even McFadden and Carr at the moment..

CouchSmart

Can't see Deccie picking anyone but Fitz. Personally I'd go with Bowe at full back with Shaggy replacing him on the wing.

ambid

CouchSmart wrote: »

Can't see Deccie picking anyone but Fitz. Personally I'd go with Bowe at full back with Shaggy replacing him on the wing.

That makes sense actually.

heybaby

CouchSmart wrote: »

Can't see Deccie picking anyone but Fitz. Personally I'd go with Bowe at full back with Shaggy replacing him on the wing.

See the very fact that kidney would overlook form players like horgan who for me should be our 15, is an indictment of kideys conservatism, the same trait Eddie o sullivan was crucified for. Horgan is the stand out contender at 15 as hes been playing a blinder lately and is twice the size of earls!!

CouchSmart

heybaby wrote: »

See the very fact that kidney would overlook form players like horgan who for me should be our 15, is an indictment of kideys conservatism, the same trait Eddie o sullivan was crucified for. Horgan is the stand out contender at 15 as hes been playing a blinder lately and is twice the size of earls!!

Has Shaggy ever played 15? Might be risky playing him there, for the first time ever, during a 6N game!

durkadurka

Is bowe good at fb? I haven't seen him

profitius

Earls is a class player who can play in many positions. Unfortunatly its ment he's been switched around all the time. He's a class player, young, good attitude and has a good try scoring record.

trackguy

Hadn't thought of Johne Murphy (He's outside The Pale after all!)

He has form and gametime in the position. Nobody else does!

CatFromHue

i dont think horgan has played 15. he used to be a 12 and he cant kick to save his life!!

i think darcy from ulster isnt at international level. this is his first season in ireland and he is still unproven at european level.

if duffy is still injured we're looking at playing someone who doesnt play 15. id probably go with earls at 15 of all the options. he at least has the most experience there.

heybaby

CouchSmart wrote: »

Has Shaggy ever played 15? Might be risky playing him there, for the first time ever, during a 6N game!

Possibly not but we know he is just as good under the high ball as kearney, and to be honest id have horgan in at 15 before a one dimensional fully fit kearney who seems to walk onto the irish side these days.

CouchSmart

durkadurka wrote: »

Is bowe good at fb? I haven't seen him

Played well there a few times for Ospreys. I probably wouldn't want him there generally but with the injuries we have now there's little other choice. Bowe moving to FB also allows the in-form Horgan regain a starting berth.

heybaby

CatFromHue wrote: »

i dont think horgan has played 15. he used to be a 12 and he cant kick to save his life!!

The momentum in the game these days though is towards ball retention so kicking out of hand by the 15 should be secondary to running with ball in hand.

CouchSmart

heybaby wrote: »

Possibly not but we know he is just as good under the high ball as kearney, and to be honest id have horgan in at 15 before a one dimensional fully fit kearney who seems to walk onto the irish side these days.

I wouldn't think Horgan has the all around ability for Fullback; kicking, positioning etc.

Kearney was, until he got injured, our best full back. He was very deserving of his place. No point getting into that though, he won't be back for a while yet.

durkadurka

If bowe is ok at fb then it's shaggy and earls on the wings for me

trackguy

heybaby wrote: »

The momentum in the game these days though is towards ball retention so kicking out of hand by the 15 should be secondary to running with ball in hand.

Still Horgan shouldn't be thrown into 15 with little experience in the position. At least Bowe has played there is good in the air and is a strong carrier.

Also, as was mentioned above, Horgan can come into 14.

LeeroyJones

Bowe has been brilliant for us on the wing and I think it would be silly to start tinkering with what works already.
For me, Earls' strengths lie in his acceleration and destructive runs in the broken play. I would have reservations over his aerial and kicking game. For these reasons, I would prefer to him to stick to the wing on the international scene.
Fitzgerald, while poor today I would put it down to rustiness. We've seen enough of him before to give him the benefit of the doubt today. Given our injuries going into this 6 Nations, I would go for Fitzgerald at 15.

CouchSmart

LeeroyJones wrote: »

Bowe has been brilliant for us on the wing and I think it would be silly to start tinkering with what works already.
For me, Earls' strengths lie in his acceleration and destructive runs in the broken play. I would have reservations over his aerial and kicking game. For these reasons, I would prefer to him to stick to the wing on the international scene.
Fitzgerald, while poor today I would put it down to rustiness. We've seen enough of him before to give him the benefit of the doubt today. Given our injuries going into this 6 Nations, I would go for Fitzgerald at 15.

Good points. Fitzgerald definitely has a lot to prove next week.

trackguy

CouchSmart wrote: »

Good points. Fitzgerald definitely has a lot to prove next week.

I'd love to see him show it at full-back. Would be a huge thing for Ireland

Jemo

It's a back three of Trimble and Shaggy on the wings and Bowe at fullback for me. Bowes best plays tend to occur when he hits the line where he isn't expected, something he has ample opportunity to do a fullback. He's good under the high ball, positionally pretty good and fast enough to make up for any lack of practice.

The main reason I would suggest this though is Horgan, he is what the Irish backline is missing. His relationship with Sexton is so good, at restarts he actually competes and often gets a tap back, an area where Ireland have been pretty abysmal of late. He also tends to get outside his man off long Sexton passes and is an excellent defender.And I just would love to see Bowe hitting the line off him, it would be a nice pairing!

As for Trimble, I think he adds something which the others don't, he can break tackles and do the unexpected, plus hits the line at amazing pace. Earls for the bench, or if he starts then on the wing. For me when he plays centre, he just plays like a winger standing in at centre anyway. McFadden should be pushing him for his spot though, (and maybe Fitz if he gets some match fitness), with Earls shading it on the fact he can cover fullback.

freyners

duffy is due back next week

freyners

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

carr played 15 tonight for Connacht, anyone got any idea how well he did??

he had a very good game, scored an intercept try at the end and the penalty try connacht got was from carr being taken out when he was about to gather a chip through. had a good defensive effort too

yimrsg

McFadden maybe?

Has a good kicking game from hand, seems to never look out of sorts positionally (or not exposed from the time I've seen him play), is in better form than that other players mentioned, and is a very good tackler.

He has a few question marks hanging over him (how good is he under a high ball, when to join the line, how good of a kick returner is he, broken field runner etc.) but surely he has deserves at least a mention.

His versatility alone should mean he's close to the 22.

Zzippy

Fitz or Duffy are the only viable options IMO. While both are coming back from injury, and Fitz was admittedly awful on Saturday, both have plenty of experience in the position and are generally solid under the high ball. Duffy has been in outstanding form this year until he got injured, he's due back from injury next week, and if he maintains his form he should start, he's the form Irish fullback this season. That won't happen though, Fitz or Earls will get the nod from Kidney.