Only Two Full Internationals for Ireland in Autumn

conf101

According to the IRFU.

http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/26275.php

Test matches against South Africa and Argentina and a Wolfhounds game against Fiji in Thomond.

Wonder why we're only playing two?

leftleg

Everyone else is booked up maybe?? Justin might have some inside knowledge

GerM

One would have to wonder were they reluctant to give an island nation a shot at the senior team in case there was a massive upset and serious damage to the rankings ahead of the cut off point for the 2015 seedings. Unfortunately, I think this might see a lot of promising players having to wait a little longer to gain a cap. A senior international against a second tier nation would have been a fairly ideal scenario to give time to an outhalf, an inside centre and perhaps a front row player with the more senior players around them.

thomond2006

Not exactly an exciting lineup.

totallegend

GerM wrote: »

One would have to wonder were they reluctant to give an island nation a shot at the senior team in case there was a massive upset and serious damage to the rankings ahead of the cut off point for the 2015 seedings.

That is all very possible, plus afaik the IRFU are contractually obliged to play all home senior internationals at Aviva so to hold a game in Limerick, it had to be a Wolfhounds match.

Clegg

What are the chances of Deccie picking any in form players like Tuohy, Gilroy, Cave?

[Jackass]

I'm calling the starting Irish team for both games a few months in advance...

1. Healy 2. Best 3. Ross 4. O'Callaghan 5. O'Connell 6. Ferris 7. O'Brien 8. Heaslip 9. Murray 10. Sexton 11. Earls 12. D'Arcy 13. O'Driscoll 14. Bowe 15. Kearney 16. Cronin 17. Court 18. Ryan 19. O'Mahony 20. Reddan 21. O'Gara 22. Trimble

CIARAN_BOYLE

[Jackass] wrote: »

I'm calling the starting Irish team for both games a few months in advance...

1. Healy 2. Best 3. Ross 4. O'Callaghan 5. O'Connell 6. Ferris 7. O'Brien 8. Heaslip 9. Murray 10. Sexton 11. Earls 12. D'Arcy 13. O'Driscoll 14. Bowe 15. Kearney 16. Cronin 17. Court 18. Ryan 19. O'Mahony 20. Reddan 21. O'Gara 22. Trimble

Not quiet Trimble can only cover so many positions, McFadden at 22. Then there is always the chance of a few injuries.

I'm a little disappointed that there is only two tests, from a financial point of view for the union as much as anything else. I understand why the wolfhounds are playing Fiji, its because they want a game in Limerick and full internationals have to be in the Aviva.

jm08

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Not quiet Trimble can only cover so many positions, McFadden at 22. Then there is always the chance of a few injuries.

I'm a little disappointed that there is only two tests, from a financial point of view for the union as much as anything else. I understand why the wolfhounds are playing Fiji, its because they want a game in Limerick and full internationals have to be in the Aviva.

Probably don't think they can fill the Aviva against Fiji (recession). Leinster have a better chance of filling it playing munster. Thomond Park is an irfu /rugby stadium and even the FAI have had an international soccer match in Thomond.

Who made the rule about full internationals having to be in the Aviva?

ray jay

I thought these matches were after the cut off date that determines world cup seedings.

[Jackass] wrote: »

I'm calling the starting Irish team for both games a few months in advance...

1. Healy 2. Best 3. Ross 4. O'Callaghan 5. O'Connell 6. Ferris 7. O'Brien 8. Heaslip 9. Murray 10. Sexton 11. Earls 12. D'Arcy 13. O'Driscoll 14. Bowe 15. Kearney 16. Cronin 17. Court 18. Ryan 19. O'Mahony 20. Reddan 21. O'Gara 22. Trimble

While we've come to expect conservative selections from Kidney, I would be amazed if Ryan didn't start. Strauss will get a bench position for one of the matches so he can be played for a few minutes to lock him down for Ireland. I'd say Fitzgerald will get the nod at 22 ahead of Trimble/McFadden.

CIARAN_BOYLE

jm08 wrote: »

Who made the rule about full internationals having to be in the Aviva?

The IRFU made the commitment not play home internationals away from the aviva as part of their contract with Aviva when they sold naming rights of the stadium.

ray jay wrote: »

While we've come to expect conservative selections from Kidney, I would be amazed if Ryan didn't start. Strauss will get a bench position for one of the matches so he can be played for a few minutes to lock him down for Ireland. I'd say Fitzgerald will get the nod at 22 ahead of Trimble/McFadden.

An A international against a full international team would lock Strauss down for Ireland.

JustinDee

totallegend wrote: »

That is all very possible, plus afaik the IRFU are contractually obliged to play all home senior internationals at Aviva so to hold a game in Limerick, it had to be a Wolfhounds match.

More or less.
Barely got a full RDS the last time Fiji travelled here.

Winters

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

The IRFU made the commitment not play home internationals away from the aviva as part of their contract with Aviva when they sold naming rights of the stadium.

Its in the contract between the IRFU and LRSDC and then between LRSDC and Aviva and the stadium suppliers and venders.

armchaircoach

JustinDee wrote: »

More or less.
Barely got a full RDS the last time Fiji travelled here.

Thats true, but I seem to remember it being a very wet and cold night as well, which might have had something to do with it.

But i'd agree the aviva would be pretty empty for that match

Teferi

Clegg wrote: »

What are the chances of Deccie picking any in form players like Tuohy, Gilroy, Cave?

Funniest joke in this thread

Seriously though, I think Deccie will use these to give a few lads some token caps so he can make claim to building a squad but they won't be in any serious contention for the following 6N.

irishbucsfan

As a 10 year ticket holder im extremely disappointed but ill live with it.

irishbucsfan

[Quote=[Jackass];78110286]I'm calling the starting Irish team for both games a few months in advance...

1. Healy 2. Best 3. Ross 4. O'Callaghan 5. O'Connell 6. Ferris 7. O'Brien 8. Heaslip 9. Murray 10. Sexton 11. Earls 12. D'Arcy 13. O'Driscoll 14. Bowe 15. Kearney 16. Cronin 17. Court 18. Ryan 19. O'Mahony 20. Reddan 21. O'Gara 22. Trimble[/Quote]
Team for the Wolfhounds game as well I'd say.

CatFromHue

The other games on the weekend of 16/17 are:

Scotland v SA
England v Australia
Wales v Samoa
France v Arg
Italy v New Zealand

So all the big names are tied up, and have been for quite a while.

It's not a very exciting line up as we play Argentina it seems almost every year! (2003, 04, 07 three times, 08, and 2010)

bilston

We're probably not as attractive opposition as we were a couple of years ago for the SH given our recent 6Ns form.

Looking at the next five tests, three in New Zealand and then South Africa at home and then a crucial rankings match with Argentina I'd be surprised if more than 2-3 players win their first cap before the end of 2012. Then we come to the 6Ns so it will be June 2013 before any decent development will take place...genius stuff...

CatFromHue

Regarding the rankings as we are so far behind NZ losing all three tests by 15+ points doesn't affect us, we end up on the same points.

What could effect us is if Samoa or Tonga win all their games in the Pacific Rim Cup and then win a game in the AI's. Samoa play Wales and France in the AI's. Tonga play Scotland.

Due to the points difference between ourselves and Tonga, approx 3 points, and Samoa, approx 4 points, that if neither of them do as above we can still lose both our AI games and still stay in the top 8.

What should also be noted is that if we were to win the last test in NZ and then beat SA and Arg there is a chance we could get into the top 4 on the rankings. For example if we were to assume that come Nov SA and Arg were to have the same ranking points and we SA and then beat Arg by 15+ that would put us on around 83.46. Eng are currently in fourth on 83.62 but they have a very hard AI series.

ScrubsfanChris

Doesn't seem like enough games to blood the new Head Coach

padraig.od

Clegg wrote: »

What are the chances of Deccie picking any in form players like Tuohy, Gilroy, Cave?

Can you use your crystal ball to tell me that weekends lotto numbers too?

padser

JustinDee wrote: »

More or less.
Barely got a full RDS the last time Fiji travelled here.

So making it a wolfhounds game wasn't an effort to prevent it impacting ranking points pre WC seeding?

I'd be pretty surprised if that wasn't the reason TBH given that Fiji was a full international when they came two years ago.

Digifriendly

padser wrote: »

So making it a wolfhounds game wasn't an effort to prevent it impacting ranking points pre WC seeding?

I'd be pretty surprised if that wasn't the reason TBH given that Figi was a full international when they came two years ago.

Maybe this is a new team the Wolfhounds will be playing!:)

irishbucsfan

padser wrote: »

So making it a wolfhounds game wasn't an effort to prevent it impacting ranking points pre WC seeding?

I'd be pretty surprised if that wasn't the reason TBH given that Fiji was a full international when they came two years ago.

We beat them by 35 points last time!

If it was Ireland - Fiji they'd have to play in front of a half full Aviva stadium. The idea we're scared of playing Fiji at home is bonkers.

JustinDee

padser wrote: »

So making it a wolfhounds game wasn't an effort to prevent it impacting ranking points pre WC seeding?

No. It wasn't.