Ireland v Scotland -Aviva Stadium - Saturday 10th March 5pm

HappyBalance

Why does Kidney have O'Gara in the squad? He has maybe 1-2 yrs max left in him. If he is only going to play 10 mins per match at most surely we should be trying a new guy for this position for WC 2015.

mfceiling

JRant wrote: »

Who's gonna take the oppositions restarts with SOB out? Don't think he gets enough credt for this part of his game.

Has to be heaslip...then he can run the entire length of the pitch while handing off every Scottish player to score under the posts because sexton would be very incapable of kicking said conversion from anywhere else...at least that is what should happen because that's what happens in a rugby match....or is it...

Fishooks12

HappyBalance wrote: »

Why does Kidney have O'Gara in the squad? He has maybe 1-2 yrs max left in him. If he is only going to play 10 mins per match at most surely we should be trying a new guy for this position for WC 2015.

Because O Gara is still one of the best 10's in the NH

Plus Madigan isn't ready yet

HappyBalance

Fishooks12 wrote: »

Because O Gara is still one of the best 10's in the NH

Plus Madigan isn't ready yet

I agree but he is not really contributing to the team in any meaningful way. It would have been better if Madigan had come on for say the last 20 mins against Italy. ROG won't be around for WC 2015 and we have nothing to play for in the last 2 games.

Tox56

HappyBalance wrote: »

I agree but he is not really contributing to the team in any meaningful way. It would have been better if Madigan had come on for say the last 20 mins against Italy. ROG won't be around for WC 2015 and we have nothing to play for in the last 2 games.

Madigan is way, way too raw to put into an international. He doesn't have anywhere near enough of a complete game, although he does have bucketloads of potential.

Also, playing 80 minutes in the Leinster game the week of the Italy game was certainly more important and beneficial for his developement.

yimrsg

HappyBalance wrote: »

I agree but he is not really contributing to the team in any meaningful way. It would have been better if Madigan had come on for say the last 20 mins against Italy. ROG won't be around for WC 2015 and we have nothing to play for in the last 2 games.

ROG is the perfect man to bring on in for a tight finish, jettisoning all his accumulated experience for a guy who most Leinster fans are reluctant to start in the HC with 2015 in mind is pointless. It's even more baffling when you consider the IRB ranking for the 2015 WC is based on performances this season which is what we're playing for in the last 2 games. ROG like all players in the squad currently, have a (small) deciding factor for 2015.

HappyBalance

yimrsg wrote: »

ROG is the perfect man to bring on in for a tight finish, jettisoning all his accumulated experience for a guy who most Leinster fans are reluctant to start in the HC with 2015 in mind is pointless. It's even more baffling when you consider the IRB ranking for the 2015 WC is based on performances this season which is what we're playing for in the last 2 games. ROG like all players in the squad currently, have a (small) deciding factor for 2015.

Fair Point. Would like to see ROG get more game time for IRE but yes you are correct.

mannequinhands

any streams

HappyBalance

mannequinhands wrote: »

any streams

on rte player

joshrogan

Very well done introduction to the show.

sting60

HappyBalance wrote: »

Why does Kidney have O'Gara in the squad? He has maybe 1-2 yrs max left in him. If he is only going to play 10 mins per match at most surely we should be trying a new guy for this position for WC 2015.

Jazus ,spot on.Have made this point on 5 live recently.

bleg

HappyBalance wrote: »

I agree but he is not really contributing to the team in any meaningful way.

Didn't know you were part of the squad.

sting60

Happy Balance is correct it is no reflection on ROG but we have to look in a forward direction.It is a hugh problem with Kidney.Keep ROG in the background to help the kids.

bleg

sting60 wrote: »

Happy Balance is correct it is no reflection on ROG but we have to look in a forward direction.It is a hugh problem with Kidney.Keep ROG in the background to help the kids.

Nah he's completely wrong. We need to have the 2nd best out half in the country on the bench. Imagine Sexton gets injured in minute 1 and Madigan/Keatley has to come on.

Podge_irl

bleg wrote: »

Nah he's completely wrong. We need to have the 2nd best out half in the country on the bench. Imagine Sexton gets injured in minute 1 and Madigan/Keatley has to come on.

I agree. None of the other options would fill me with much confidence in that scenario.

They should stop pointlessy bringing him on and shifting Sexton to centre though.

sting60

bleg wrote: »

Nah he's completely wrong. We need to have the 2nd best out half in the country on the bench. Imagine Sexton gets injured in minute 1 and Madigan/Keatley has to come on.

What are we playing for ,you are totally wrong.So what if we dont win ,so f...ing what.

bleg

sting60 wrote: »

What are we playing for ,you are totally wrong.So what if we dont win ,so f...ing what.

Well the 6 nations is the major revenue generating exercise for the IRFU. If revenues fall say goodbye to quality imports and attractive pay packets keeping our best players here.

Also if we lose we shift a huge amount of IRB ranking points seeing as we're at home and Scotland are ranked so far below us.


I'd prefer to beat the Scots today than blood a player that may or may not make it at international level. The contrary view is crazy in my opinion.

yimrsg

No point focusing of developing players in 2012 for 2015 when we've lost POC and BOD and we need as much experience in there as possible, the guys coming in need a safety net in case they have a mare. Keatley and Madigan have been barely tested at HC level and posters want them to sub ahead of ROG who hasn't done nothing wrong to warrant his exclusion from the matchday squad.

Lose to Scotland (by 10 or 15?) and our 2nd seed ranking for 2015 is at stake.

sting60

bleg wrote: »

Well the 6 nations is the major revenue generating exercise for the IRFU. If revenues fall say goodbye to quality imports and attractive pay packets keeping our best players here.

Also if we lose we shift a huge amount of IRB ranking points seeing as we're at home and Scotland are ranked so far below us.


I'd prefer to beat the Scots today than blood a player that may or may not make it at international level. The contrary view is crazy in my opinion.

I know all that but my point is ,give the young lads a chance no matter what position.We kept the same old guard to win when Kidney took over yet France and Wales were building for the world cup.Where did we finish and alot of threads here were wondering how we did not progress.

Deano7788

sting60 wrote: »

I know all that but my point is ,give the young lads a chance no matter what position.We kept the same old guard to win when Kidney took over yet France and Wales were building for the world cup.Where did we finish and alot of threads here were wondering how we did not progress.

First of all, I wouldn't exactly say Wales were building for the World Cup the 6 Nations after the 2007 one. They won the Grand Slam that year. Of the team that faced Ireland in the World Cup ,Lydiate, Warburton, Faletau, Priestland, Davies and North only emerged in the previous two seasons (or in Priestland's case, the World Cup warm up games really), and while Charteris was around longer, he had only recently broken into the team.

Secondly, there is a time and a place for experimentation, and a game that could potentially cost a lot of ranking points when the rankings at the end of the year determine the seedings for the next world cup, while missing our 2 main leaders and primary ball carrier, is certainly not it.

Leinster7

Wales are rubbish and will win the GS. If we had a coach we would walk this 6n. Quite a poor advert for NH rugby this competition so far.

.ak

sting60 wrote: »

I know all that but my point is ,give the young lads a chance no matter what position.We kept the same old guard to win when Kidney took over yet France and Wales were building for the world cup.Where did we finish and alot of threads here were wondering how we did not progress.

There's no mystery why we have not progressed. Coaching staff and lack of a gameplan that's distinct in this era of rugby. Nothing to do with what players are picked to be honest. We have an embarassment of riches in half-backs tbh.

ongarite

Newstalk mentioned there are some injury concerns among the starting 15.

Benny Cake

ongarite wrote: »

Newstalk mentioned there are some injury concerns among the starting 15.

Earls, Ferris & Best (and 1 or 2 more I think) all sat out sessions during the week.

Grimebox

Does anyone know full name of the cover song of "With or without you" that just played on RTE2?

MickySticks

I expect us to beat the Scots by 15-20 points today with another couple of tries from T.Bowe

Deano7788

De Luca's out with Evans coming in

Niall09

Grimebox wrote: »

Does anyone know full name of the cover song of "With or without you" that just played on RTE2?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4vj-QAldGw&hd=1

Fishooks12

De Luca out. Massive blow for Scotland, whole backline will be disrupted now

Tox56

BBC saying Bowe could be moving to the centre when he goes to Ulster, and Wood was encouraging it, is this new information or have I missed something?

Why do we keep moving players out of position, not least one of our best players? It's as if there are no up-and-coming centres in Ireland at the moment.