Ireland's best ever uncapped player?

Glass Prison 1214

Seeing James Coughlan play for Munster the other night against Glasgow reminded me of what a fantastic player he is, and it got me thinking how he is unfortunate never to be capped and I can't think of a better Irish player who has never been capped. So I was wondering what other good players have failed to get capped by Ireland. Thoughts?

.ak

Clint Newland.

Glass Prison 1214

.ak wrote: »

Clint Newland.

Very funny Oh but wait, he is neither Irish nor a good player, damn I thought you were onto something there :rolleyes:

irishbucsfan

Shane Geraghty

.ak

Dave Kearney off the top of my head. Should've featured in the 6N imo... He didn't get off the bench that time did he, I mean he's still capless right?

Fireball07

I think Kearney is still capless alright.


Hard to compare different positions, but I would rate Coughlan slightly ahead of Kearney atm. And Kearney will probably get a cap in the near-enough future.

Ireland haven't always had the biggest pool of players so anyone halfway decent tends to get capped unless they were very unlucky with injuries or something.

Glass Prison 1214

Fireball07 wrote: »

I think Kearney is still capless alright.


Hard to compare different positions, but I would rate Coughlan slightly ahead of Kearney atm. And Kearney will probably get a cap in the near-enough future.

Ireland haven't always had the biggest pool of players so anyone halfway decent tends to get capped unless they were very unlucky with injuries or something.

After reading what ak wrote I was going to write exactly this but you beat me to it (shakes fist)

totallegend

Back in the amateur era, it was much more common for good players to go uncapped. If we were still only playing 4 or 5 games per year, a lot of guys who've been capped in recent years would not have been.

So basically, I don't know, but it's not Coughlan.

bilston

No idea who it is but I don't believe for a second it's Coughlan(good as he is)

[Jackass]

Of current crop, probably Madigan.

Historically, maybe Kieran Bracken? (Went to play for England instead, the little shyte!)

It's tough to say, as it seems any good player at top club or provincial level gets capped at some stage (and even some not so good players).

What players were capped but never got international recognition they deserved? The list is endless, Jennings and Cullen of current crop, historically Peter McKenna - unfortunately there was no European or World player of the year back then, but he'd have more bling than Messi if there was

Gary Brown was never capped either, he was pretty good.

jacothelad

Ger Earls.
Alan Irwin - brother of David. Fabulous player had to give up due to a head injury.
Michael Grimshaw.... back in the 1960s/70s. Awesome back. Very similar to Mike Gibson. Played at the same time.

Benny Cake

Another vote for Ger Earls... Criminal that he was never capped...

maroondog

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Shane Geraghty

He choose to be capped by England. I know he was Irish qualified but that was his decision to go with England.

thomond2006

Niall O'Connor, there's still time left. :pac:

Never got off the bench in the US/Canada tests in 09, robbed I tell ya...

durkadurka

Kevin Potts.

Glass Prison 1214

thomond2006 wrote: »

Niall O'Connor, there's still time left. :pac:

Never got off the bench in the US/Canada tests in 09, robbed I tell ya...

Its amazing that he came even within a whisker of getting capped

thomond2006

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

Seeing James Coughlan play for Munster the other night against Glasgow reminded me of what a fantastic player he is, and it got me thinking how he is unfortunate never to be capped and I can't think of a better Irish player who has never been capped. So I was wondering what other good players have failed to get capped by Ireland. Thoughts?

Coughlan only became a first choice Munster player when he was 29/30, if he came through earlier he might have been within a shout of a cap or two. There's too many players better and younger than him.

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

Its amazing that he came even within a whisker of getting capped

Well IIRC NOC was first choice Ulster flyhalf towards the end of that season, for some reason Humphreys was dropped. ROG was gone on the Lions and Sexton was unavailable because Leinster were in the Heineken Cup Final.

Glass Prison 1214

thomond2006 wrote: »

Coughlan only became a first choice Munster player when he was 29/30, if he came through earlier he might have been within a shout of a cap or two. There's too many players better and younger than him.

I know he developed late but considering how easily some players have been capped in this country along with him being very consistent for Munster since he broke into the team I really feel he deserves to have been capped. Unless he gets included in the summer I don't see it ever happening for him now though...

phog

Amateur era - Ger Earls

Current crop of players - Ian Madigan

Heroditas

[Jackass] wrote: »

Gary Brown was never capped either, he was pretty good.

Gary Brown couldn't tackle. That was quite a big problem for someone who was initially a centre.
Then he got saved out onto the win where occasionally he made James Norton and Fionn Carr look like Brian Lima when it came to tackling.
Bit of a pity because he certainly knew where the try line was. I think he looks good when compared to some of the other Leinster squad players of that era though.

bilston

Was Ciaran Scally ever capped? I know he was on the same tour to Australia were BOD made his debut but I don't think he was capped? We'll never know how good he would have been but the evidence suggests he'd have been one hell of a player.

clsmooth

He definitely got a few games. I can remember him playing against Scotland once. Was James Norton ever much use? Where did Gary Brown end up?

CIARAN_BOYLE

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

I know he developed late but considering how easily some players have been capped in this country along with him being very consistent for Munster since he broke into the team I really feel he deserves to have been capped. Unless he gets included in the summer I don't see it ever happening for him now though...

If he was fit in Summer 2010 he would have been capped due to the injury crisis we had in the backrow that year.

He might pick up a cap this summer if Heaslip/SOB/Ferris are all injured or involved in the Lions.

Ciaran-Irl

.ak wrote: »

Dave Kearney off the top of my head. Should've featured in the 6N imo... He didn't get off the bench that time did he, I mean he's still capless right?

Just as a random comment that is slightly off topic - the rule is that being on the bench means that he has represented Ireland. It came up on another site, and I thought it was interesting. If Bent had never come off the bench for Ireland, he would still have been counted officially as having represented Ireland. I know that is different from a 'cap' though.

8.3 For the purposes of this Regulation, a Player is deemed to have played for
the senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team or the next senior
fifteen-a-side National Representative Team of a Union if:
(a) He is selected for such team to play in an International Match against
the senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team or the next
senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team of another Union
(or in a fifteen-a-side international Match against another Union’s
senior or next senior Touring Squad during an IRB approved
International Tour) and is present at the Match played by that team
either as a replacement, substitute or a playing member of that team
and has, at the time of the Match, reached the age of majority; or
(b) He is selected to represent a Union’s senior Touring Squad on an
International Tour which includes an International Match or Matches
approved by the IRB and is present at any fifteen-a-side Match
played on that International Tour either as a replacement, substitute
or a playing member of a team selected from the Union’s senior
Touring Squad and has, at the time of the Match, reached the age of
majority;

blindsider

jacothelad wrote: »

Ger Earls.
Alan Irwin - brother of David. Fabulous player had to give up due to a head injury.
Michael Grimshaw.... back in the 1960s/70s. Awesome back. Very similar to Mike Gibson. Played at the same time.

In spades!!!!

leakyboots

Anyone older than me maintains Ger Earls was one of the finest rugby players of his generation in Limerick. I was too young to remember him properly.

Coughlan is a good shout, he was relatively unlucky in that he had the likes of Foley and Wallace ahead of him for most of his career, model pro and always gives 100%. Love seeing him calling the first kick off, always sets the tone for Munster with his carries

siltirocker

I'm going to say one of the most hard working and professional Irish players over the past 13 years never capped:

Michael Swift

Yea, he's maybe not on the same level as the O's in the 2nd row and maybe not the BEST uncapped ever but he has been playing senior rugby week in week out with consistency and dedication for his province since June 2000.

The only other Irish players doing that are ROG, Stringer (loans aside), Drico, Darce, Flavin (Albeit Exiles & Connacht), Horan, & DOC.

CatFromHue

It's funny looking back at how few games Ireland used to play

90/91 we played 7 games (4 x 5N games, Arg in Oct, and a two test series away to Namibia in June)
91/92 we played 10 games (4 RWC games, 4 x 5N games, and a two test series away to NZ in June)
92/93 we played 5 games (Oz in Oct and 4 x 5N games)
93/94 we played 7 games (Romania in Oct, 4 x 5N games, and a two test series away to Oz in June)

In the 80's it wouldn't have been unusual for Ireland to play only 4 or 5 games a season.

shaungil

seeing as Kyran Bracken was mentioned another Skerries goat that was close but never got a full cap was Connacht hooker Billy Mulcahy. some shockers capped at that time just before the pro era. The kwi accent often worked wonders on the selectors (of course it was the day of the committee of selectors too)

tyuis

Bressie.

durkadurka

CatFromHue wrote: »

It's funny looking back at how few games Ireland used to play

90/91 we played 7 games (4 x 5N games, Arg in Oct, and a two test series away to Namibia in June)
91/92 we played 10 games (4 RWC games, 4 x 5N games, and a two test series away to NZ in June)
92/93 we played 5 games (Oz in Oct and 4 x 5N games)
93/94 we played 7 games (Romania in Oct, 4 x 5N games, and a two test series away to Oz in June)

In the 80's it wouldn't have been unusual for Ireland to play only 4 or 5 games a season.

When you factor in that you couldn't really use subs back in the day, it was much harder to get caps then.

Also, a lot of guys retired earlier when they needed to focus on their careers.

bamboozle

bilston wrote: »

Was Ciaran Scally ever capped? I know he was on the same tour to Australia were BOD made his debut but I don't think he was capped? We'll never know how good he would have been but the evidence suggests he'd have been one hell of a player.

yeah he got a few caps as a 19 year old with a huge future ahead of him.

I cant go back tot far but dare i say Barry Gibney had a huge career as a future irish captain ruined by 20 through injury. Same with David Pollock & Cormac Dowling.

Hype710

Who knows how good Ian McKinley could have become.

Reloc8

bilston wrote: »

Was Ciaran Scally ever capped? I know he was on the same tour to Australia were BOD made his debut but I don't think he was capped? We'll never know how good he would have been but the evidence suggests he'd have been one hell of a player.

3 or 4 caps (Georgia/Romania in RWC qualifying and 6N v Scotland & Italy ?)