Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread III

oneofakind32

Forwards (25)
Michael Bent (Leinster)
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)*
Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
James Cronin (Dolphin/Munster)
Robbie Diack (Malone/Ulster)
Dave Foley (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster)
Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Mike McCarthy (Leinster)
Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster)
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Rhys Ruddock (St Mary's College/Leinster)
Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Nathan White (Galwegians/Connacht)*

Backs (21)
Isaac Boss (Terenure/Leinster)
Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Craig Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster)
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster)
David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
Ian Keatley (Young Munster/Munster)
Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
Jared Payne (Ulster)
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Noel Reid (Clontarf/Leinster)
Jonathan Sexton (Racing Metro 92)
Simon Zebo (Cork Con/Munster)

*Denotes uncapped player

From IRFU FB page

Fireball07

Yeah, the link doesn't show a full list. I need to know whether I should be furious or not.

Wang King

10 Munster Players named in Ireland squad: Forwards - Cronin, Foley, O'Connell, O'Donnell, O'Mahony. Backs- Earls, Jones, Murray, Keatley, Zebo

Zzzeeeebbbbooooo
And Earls

Kanrith

Hmmmm, I would suspect that Healy and SOB will prob play some part in the wolfhounds game. Nice to see Conan get called up for his good form lately as well.

Predictable enough, but that was always going to happen as a result of all the injuries.

sydthebeat

everyone and their mother

how are supposed to get up in arms abut that!!!

Sanjuro

Isaac Boss, really? I'd much rather have seen Luke McGrath in there in stead.

Teferi

This is just a list of every Irish player who is currently not injured.

Tox56

SOB, HEALY AND EARLS! O rugby gods what have we done to be deserving of such fortune

I know its basically every fit player in Ireland buts its still some rise for J Conan, fair play to him

Interesting/disappointing Boss is there too

b.gud

This bit is interesting from the announcement.

Ireland will host three ticketed open training sessions over the course the 6 Nations with the first taking place in the Aviva Stadium on Friday 30th January and further open sessions scheduled for Galway and Belfast.

Nice to see them spreading the open session love

Teferi

Boss a bit lucky to be there and delighted for Conan. I doubt we'll see him in action but Joe gets a good look at him.

Fireball07

Hookers- Best, Cronin, Herring, Strauss
LHs- Bent, Cronin, Healy, McGrath
THs- Moore, Ross, White
Locks- Foley, Henderson, McCarthy, POC, Toner
Back Rows- Conan, Diack, Heaslip, Murphy, SOB, TOD, POM, Ruddock, Ryan

SHs- Boss, Marmion, Murray, Reddan
OHs- Keatley, Madigan, Sexton
Centres- Cave, D'Arcy, Fitzgerald, Henshaw, Payne, Reid
Wings- Bowe, Earls, Gilroy, Kearney, McFadden, Zebo
Full-Backs- Jones, Kearney

Clearlier

I guess that somebody might come along to complain that Furlong isn't there?

Even allowing for the size of the squad it's pretty remarkable that Leinster's entire 1st and 2nd choice front rows are included plus another prop.

Teferi

I missed the inclusion of Bent there. Happy for him.

Fireball07

Fireball07 wrote: »

Hookers- Best, Cronin, Herring, Strauss
LHs- Bent, Cronin, Healy, McGrath
THs- Moore, Ross, White
Locks- Foley, Henderson, McCarthy, POC, Toner
Back Rows- Conan, Diack, Heaslip, Murphy, SOB, TOD, POM, Ruddock, Ryan

SHs- Boss, Marmion, Murray, Reddan
OHs- Keatley, Madigan, Sexton
Centres- Cave, D'Arcy, Fitzgerald, Henshaw, Payne, Reid
Wings- Bowe, Earls, Gilroy, Kearney, McFadden, Zebo
Full-Backs- Jones, Kearney

So, looking at that... I think the big losers for a WH place are Denis Buckley and Duncan Casey. Thought that they might include an extra OH for the WH game although it is possible that Reid is there for that.

Conan is a big winner, good for him to be involved anyway. The fact that Henderson, SOB, Ruddock and Earls are included suggests that they will likely be utilised at some stage.

CatFromHue

No Ah You

Wang King

Sanjuro wrote: »

Isaac Boss, really? I'd much rather have seen Luke McGrath in there in stead.

Tomás O'Leary may get a shout yet!!

Fireball07

CatFromHue wrote: »

No Ah You

Or Archer. Or Buckley.

I guess Bent is there because of his ability to cover both sides, which is handy in training. I actually thought Buckley was ahead of Cronin in the pecking order.

sydthebeat

suppose copeland might feel a bit aggrieved....

.ak

Sanjuro wrote: »

Isaac Boss, really? I'd much rather have seen Luke McGrath in there in stead.

Boss is very much a break-class-incase of emergency player. McGrath is not.

Tox56

Very difficult to predict the WH team

McGrath/Cronin - Strauss - White
Foley - McCarthy
Henderson - Conan - Murphy/TOD

Marmion - Keatley
Darce - Earls
Dave K - Jones - McFadden/Gilroy

Healy + SOB on the bench??

If Henderson plays against Leicester, playing him at 6 and moving POM to 7 has to be a very serious possibility for the Italy game

Fireball07

Fireball07 wrote: »

Or Archer. Or Buckley.

I guess Bent is there because of his ability to cover both sides, which is handy in training. I actually thought Buckley was ahead of Cronin in the pecking order.

Bent is there on merit at TH I think (4th, ahead of Furlong)

Fireball07

sydthebeat wrote: »

suppose copeland might feel a bit aggrieved....

Guess he might be slightly because he was in the squad this time last year but he's not starting for Munster and has been injured in the last few weeks. Possibly should be good enough for a WH spot, but I imagine he'd have been next in line.

molloyjh

So all going well we may be in with a shout of seeing a squad like this against England or Wales:

Healy Best Ross
Toner POC
POM Heaslip SOB

Murray Sexton
Henshaw Fitzgerald
Earls R Kearney Bowe

Cronin, J McGrath, Moore, Henderson, Ruddock, Reddan/Marmion, Madigan, Payne

That could be a pretty sweet 23.

b.gud

Fireball07 wrote: »

Guess he might be slightly because he was in the squad this time last year but he's not starting for Munster and has been injured in the last few weeks. Possibly should be good enough for a WH spot, but I imagine he'd have been next in line.

Announcement said him, Trimble and I think 2 other players, were going ti continue recovery at their own province and may be called up during the 6 nations

Fireball07

Tox56 wrote: »

Very difficult to predict the WH team

McGrath/Cronin - Strauss - White
Foley - McCarthy
Henderson - Conan - Murphy/TOD

Marmion - Keatley
Darce - Earls
Dave K - Jones - McFadden/Gilroy

Healy + SOB on the bench??

If Henderson plays against Leicester, playing him at 6 and moving POM to 7 has to be a very serious possibility for the Italy game

It really depends on whether he uses it to give players gametime or to give fringe players a run. I'm not sure we'll see SOB in it, but we might see Healy. Earls might get a run... not sure about D'Arcy tbh, I'd imagine Reid will play. Presumably Bent will be in the 23 too.

.ak

Pretty interesting that SOB and Healy are there. Joe has a habit of letting the guys who are just back from injury find form with their province. Just shows how badly needed SOB and Healy are.

ArmchairQB

CatFromHue wrote: »

No Ah You

Ah Well!

Fireball07

molloyjh wrote: »

So all going well we may be in with a shout of seeing a squad like this against England or Wales:

Healy Best Ross
Toner POC
POM Heaslip SOB

Murray Sexton
Henshaw Fitzgerald
Earls R Kearney Bowe

Cronin, J McGrath, Moore, Henderson, Ruddock, Reddan/Marmion, Madigan, Payne

That could be a pretty sweet 23.

Nice.

Can't see us being that lucky tbh.

.ak

molloyjh wrote: »

So all going well we may be in with a shout of seeing a squad like this against England or Wales:

Healy Best Ross
Toner POC
POM Heaslip SOB

Murray Sexton
Henshaw Fitzgerald
Earls R Kearney Bowe

Cronin, J McGrath, Moore, Henderson, Ruddock, Reddan/Marmion, Madigan, Payne

That could be a pretty sweet 23.

I'd be seriously impressed if we got a team like that onto the field.. But rarely are we allowed such a privilege!

b.gud

b.gud wrote: »

Announcement said him, Trimble and I think 2 other players, were going ti continue recovery at their own province and may be called up during the 6 nations

This was the bit

Robin Copeland, David Kilcoyne, Luke Marshall, Donncha Ryan and Andrew Trimble will remain with their provinces to continue their recovery or to gain game time and may yet return for later 6 Nations test matches.