Your Ireland 23 for Nov. 9th versus Samoa

JagerScout

Assuming no injuries, apart from Ferris who likely wont be back in time.

1. Cian Healy
2. Richardt Strauss
3. Mike Ross
4. Donnacha Ryan
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Sean O'Brien
7. Chris Henry
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Conor Murray
10. Jonathan Sexton
11. Simon Zebo
12. Luke Marshall
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Rob Kearney
16. Rory Best
17. Dave Kilcoyne
18. Jamie Hagan
19. Iain Henderson
20. Peter O'Mahony
21. Kieran Marmion
22. Ian Madigan
23. Keith Earls

KevinK

1. Cian Healy
2. Rory Best
3. Mike Ross
4. Donnacha Ryan
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Peter O'Mahony
7. Sean O'Brien
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Conor Murray
10. Jonathan Sexton
11. Simon Zebo
12. Stuart Olding
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Rob Kearney
16. Richard Strauss
17. Dave Kilcoyne
18. Jamie Hagan
19. Mike McCarthy
20. Chris Henry
21. Kieran Marmion
22. Ian Madigan
23. Keith Earls

Tox56

It's fairly predictable 15 even at this stage barring injuries of course. The only places really up for grabs would be maybe 2, 6/7, 12 and 11, and all those positions have clear favourites in Best, POM, Marshall and Zebo. I will be most interested in the 2nd flanker to partner SOB, the back-up 10 and the 23.

Neil3030

1. Cian Healy
2. Rory Best
3. Mike Ross
4. Donnacha Ryan
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Iain Henderson
7. Sean O'Brien
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Conor Murray
10. Jonathan Sexton
11. Simon Zebo
12. Luke Marshall
13. Darren Cave
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Rob Kearney
16. Richardt Strauss
17. Dave Kilcoyne
18. Jamie Hagan
19. Mike McCarthy
20. Peter O'Mahony
21. Kieran Marmion
22. Ian Madigan
23. Fergus McFadden

Main thinking here is to give Henderson and Cave coming-of-age test experience against some Pacific Island units, while keeping BOD fresh for the Aussies and ABs. Also keen to ensure there's real impact from the bench.

bilston

Too much effort to pick a full side at this time of night but I'd be tempted to give the likes of Madigan and Olding (at 13) starts in the Samoa game and hold Sexton and BOD back for Samoa, likewise up front it may be a chance for Kilcoyne and either Fitzpatrick or Hagan. I wouldn't move away too much from the first team but maybe go with 10 first teamers and 5 squad players. It would be risky because Samoa are a good side, indeed they are ranked above us, but I still think we should beat them with a handful of changes.

Unfortunately injuries will play their part.

subfreq

1. Cian Healy
2. Richardt Strauss
3. Mike Ross
4. Donnacha Ryan
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Stephen Ferris
7. Sean O'Brien
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Conor Murray
10. Jonathan Sexton
11. Simon Zebo
12. Tommy Bowe
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Craig Gilroy
15. Rob Kearney

16. Rory Best
17. Dave Kilcoyne
18. Jamie Hagan
19. Iain Henderson
20. Peter O'Mahony
21. Paul Marshall
22. Ian Madigan
23. Keith Earls

RogerThis

Will sexton be released for all internationals?

tolosenc

1. Cian Healy
2. Richardt Strauss
3. Mike Ross
4. Donnacha Ryan
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Stephen Ferris
7. Sean O'Brien
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Conor Murray
10. Jonathan Sexton
11. Simon Zebo
12. Luke Marshall
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Rob Kearney

16. Rory Best
17. Dave Kilcoyne
18. Jamie Hagan
19. Mike McCarthy
20. Chris Henry
21. Kieran Marmion
22. Ian Madigan
23. Craig Gilroy

phog

I really hope BOD has no part in this game, he's gone after the 6Ns and we need to find a replacement, this is one of the games where Joe can look at his replacement.

There might be some argument in having O'Driscoll play against the ABs in the hope we beat them and giving O'Driscoll his moment in the sun should we do it, however, I love to see his possible replacement get the three AIs and use Brian for the 6Ns.

irishbucsfan

It'll be the full team imo, get the lads playing schmidtball before the big games.

If it was Kidney there'd be an absolute conniption if Ross started!

Teferi

RogerThis wrote: »

Will sexton be released for all internationals?

Yup, club teams can't refuse to release players during the international window. Pretty sure he has negotiated some time to be released outside the international window too for the various meetups the Irish squad have outside the window.

JagerScout

Teferi wrote: »

Yup, club teams can't refuse to release players during the international window. Pretty sure he has negotiated some time to be released outside the international window too for the various meetups the Irish squad have outside the window.

yeah sacrificed some money to do it aswell

JagerScout

phog wrote: »

I really hope BOD has no part in this game, he's gone after the 6Ns and we need to find a replacement, this is one of the games where Joe can look at his replacement.

Disagree, we aren't going to find a replacement in those 3 games.
Joe will want to start strong, which means BOD will start.

Deal with replacing BOD when the times comes.

TheKeenMachine

With all due respect to Samoa, and I know they've obviously hugely improved of late, I think the quality of player at our disposal, coupled with Joe's approach to the game should mean that we can win without playing a full strength team. With that in mind, along with the games vs Australia and NZ, where we'll need our big guns to be fresh, I'd go with a 23 of:
1. Healy
2. Strauss
3. Hagan
4. Henderson
5. Ryan
6. McLaughlin
7. SOB
8. Heaslip (c)

9. Murray
10. Mads
11. Zebo
12. D'Arcy
13. Cave
14. Trimble
15. Kearney

16. Best
17. Killer
18. Fitzpatrick
19. McCarthy
20. POM
21. Marmion
22. Jackson
23. Gilroy

That 23 should be good enough to beat Samoa in my opinion. It should give likes of Henderson (I know he's not played much in the row at pro level, but I'm convinced that's where his future lies), Locky and Cave the chance to perform in a fairly full strength side.
D'Arcy is in ahead of Marshall and Olding for that reason, i.e so Cave can have a run out in an established international 3/4 line. Also Darce should provide a perfect gel in between Darren and Madigan, where I don't think we'd learn as much with the less experienced Ulster duo.
Hagan and McLaughlin (a Schmidt favourite remember, who can bring a Lydiate aspect to the game) would both have real chances to lay down a marker to start in bigger games, and I'd expect both to perform very well.

Obviously we'd then have a (comparitively) fresh Best, Ross, POC, Sexton, BOD and Bowe (essentially the spine of the team) coming into two big matches, giving us a better shot at taking a big scalp.
Just my 2c.

JagerScout

TheKeenMachine wrote: »

That 23 should be good enough to beat Samoa in my opinion.

you obviously haven't seen a lot of Samoa lately.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

JagerScout wrote: »

you obviously haven't seen a lot of Samoa lately.

We still have a team more than capable of beating samoa at home

They've improved but they still have massive frailties in their set piece and defense

I'd expect a Schmidt coached Ireland to beat them by 10+

matthew8

Samoa are ranked a spot ahead of us and beat Wales last year. To put out a weakened side is absurd. We wouldn't be thinking of putting out a weakened team against Scotland/Argentina, both of whom are ranked below Samoa. Samoa comfortably took care of Scotland and absolutely hammered Italy this Summer. They went off the boil massively against SA but that's only one game out of 3. This without their best player, Fotuali'i.

TheKeenMachine

JagerScout wrote: »

you obviously haven't seen a lot of Samoa lately.

Well I did watch every game in that Quad Nations Tournament so I have seen a fair bit of them.
And as I've explained above, I know they have seriously improved of late but to be honest we have the players to be in the top 4 teams in the world and I think we should be regularly beating teams like Samoa (and Italy and Scotland) with relative ease.
I'm interested to know where you think that side lacks the ability to beat Samoa? There's plenty of international of experience there.
Don't be fooled by our ranking (largely down to the previous coaching team): we shouldn't need the likes of BOD and POC to beat lower level countries, particularly with bigger matches approaching.

ScissorPaperRock

I think we'd really need to be playing something close to our strongest team for this match. With a new coach and new systems it would be important to have a trial run before subsequently facing the Wallabies and All Blacks.

JagerScout

we are a lower level country until we start to beat them regularly,it will be schmidt's first game in charge and nothing can be taken for granted. Putting out a team like you suggest would only result in an "upset" well not that it is an upset because Samoa are higher ranked than us. That team would be a very arrogant selection and thankfully is not a realistic option.

TheKeenMachine

JagerScout wrote: »

we are a lower level country until we start to beat them regularly,it will be schmidt's first game in charge and nothing can be taken for granted. Putting out a team like you suggest would only result in an "upset" well not that it is an upset because Samoa are higher ranked than us. That team would be a very arrogant selection.

So based on your logic, you would expect Samoa to beat us even at full strength?
I don't think it would be an arrogant selection at all, all of those guys (bar maybe Hagan) are definitely international standard.
I can understand wanting to get a first team out to adapt to a Schmidt game plan, but the guys left out are all hugely experienced and talented and would have little trouble adapting to Joe's style of play.
I reckon a lot of posters on this board seriously underestimate the ability of our players.

JagerScout

I'd expect Samoa to give us a good game at full strength, would expect us to win but not by a lot based on their recent form.

Putting out a team such as that would be asking for a loss to start the schmidt era.

Hagz

1. Cian Healy
2. Richardt Strauss
3. Mike Ross
4. Donnacha Ryan
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Stephen Ferris (fingers crossed)
7. Sean O'Brien
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Conor Murray
10. Jonathan Sexton
11. Simon Zebo
12. Luke Marshall
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Rob Kearney

16. Rory Best
17. David Kilcoyne
18. Jamie Hagan
19. Mike McCarthy
20. Peter O'Mahony
21. Any one of the 3 depending on how things play out
22. Ian Madigan
23. Fergus McFadden

ScissorPaperRock

Hagz wrote: »

6. Stephen Ferris (fingers crossed)

Apparently Ferris is expected to miss the first four months of the season at least, so that's, unfortunately, pretty unlikely.

CIARAN_BOYLE

I reckon the team we put out for Samoa will be a little off the full team. We will probably see a full front row for 50 minutes, Healy, Strauss/Best, Ross changing with 30 minutes to go. POC and one of McCarthy Ryan in the second row. SOB and Heaslip together with one POM Henry McLaughlin and TOD in the backrow.

Full half back pairing Murray Sexton. Marshall/Olding with BOD in the centres. Kearney at 15 and two from Fitz Bowe Zebo Gilroy Trimble on the wings.

McFadden wearing 23.

Hagz

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

Apparently Ferris is expected to miss the first four months of the season at least, so that's, unfortunately, pretty unlikely.

Oh really:(? I though I read on his twitter that he's starting pre-season and he's off the crutches...

EDIT: He said "hopefully you'll see me play for Ulster in a few months. He seems very optimistic. But then again he usually is.

molloyjh

We all saw with Leinster that it took some time for the lads to get up to speed with what Schmidt wanted from them. He's going to have even less time with Ireland than he did with Leinster so this issue will be somewhat amplified. Obviously the Leinster lads will be in a far better position having been coached by him the last few years. As a result we'll probably see as close to a full strength team for all 3 games as possible.

The big call will need to be made at hooker I think. Best has suffered a dip in form but neither himself nor Strauss have looked that hot come line-out time. Strauss is familiar with Schmidt and how he plays the game so he may just about have the edge unless Best can rediscover his form at the start of the season.

Another tough call is the replacement scrum-half. Will Schmidt look to someone like Marmion? I doubt it tbh. Talent for the future, but is he ready for international rugby right now? It'll be interesting to see if Marshall gets a shot too, or does Schmidt stick with one of the Leinster lads in Reddan or Boss? I don't have a sub SH below because honestly I have no idea!

1. Healy
2. Strauss/Best
3. Ross
4. Ryan
5. POC
6. POM
7. SOB
8. Heaslip

9. Murray
10. Sexton
11. Zebo
12. Marshall/Olding
13. BOD
14. Bowe
15. Kearney

16. Best/Strauss
17. Kilcoyne
18. Hagan
19. McCarthy
20. Henry
21.
22. Madigan
23. McFadden

ScissorPaperRock

Hagz wrote: »

Oh really:(? I though I read on his twitter that he's starting pre-season and he's off the crutches...

EDIT: He said "hopefully you'll see me play for Ulster in a few months. He seems very optimistic. But then again he usually is.

Hopefully you and he are right! I was going by what I read in an indo article (http://www.independent.ie/sport/stephen-ferris-signs-sixmonth-ulster-deal-ending-talk-of-japan-move-29375303.html), so it should be taken with a grain of salt!

GiftofGab

JagerScout wrote: »

you obviously haven't seen a lot of Samoa lately.

Crazy to think that Samoa are ranked 7th in the world - just below Wales and ahead of us - with a population of under 200,000 people.

How many of those 200,000 people are registered players? Phenomenal achievement. I remember England playing Samoa a few years ago in Twickenham and there was 80,000 people at the stadium. That's over 40% the population of all of Samoa. Samoa only lost by a few points.

[Jackass]

I'd love to see us go with a fringe first 15.

1. Kilcoyne
2. Strauss
3. Hagan
4. Ryan
5. Toner
6. Ruddock
7. Henry
8. O'Mahony

9. P Marshall
10. Madigan
11. Fitzgerald
12. L Marshall
13. Cave
14. Gilroy
15. Henshaw

16. Cronin, 17. McGrath, 18. Fitzpatrick, 19. Henderson, 20. McLoughlin, 21. Marmion, 22. Keatley, 23. D. Kearney

I know Samoa are good, but it's not like that's a bad team, just one of many untested players at this level, most of whom I'm confident would step up.

danthefan

Jackass, that team would lose. Possibly heavily.