Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread III

Mahatma Geansai

Surprised that we don't have a 4th 10 in the squad. Schmidt has selected four players in other specialist positions.

Podge_irl

total former wrote: »

Marmion??

Whoops. Completely forgot he existed.

Never mind so. Still think Boss is a waste of a squad space but 4th choice scrum half is not that big a deal.

molloyjh

total former wrote: »

Bent has been playing really well. He got the better of one of the best tight-heads in the world only 5 days ago.

But sure look, if the third/fourth/fifth choice loosehead is what people are most angry about, then we're doing OK.

With McGrath fit and Cronin and Healy both coming back from injury it'll take a lot for Bent to be involved. He's a great guy to have in camp though because he's only down the road and can play on either side of the scrum. What's the point in dragging Buckley all the way up for the same thing? They are both behind the other 3 so it just makes more sense to call up the guy who is already closer and can fulfil more than 1 role.

Plus Bent has been a bloody rock all season and deserves a bit of positive recognition for a change.

.ak

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

Surprised that we don't have a 4th 10 in the squad. Schmidt has selected four players in other specialist positions.

Suppose Murray is our 4th choice 10?

Fireball07

bilston wrote: »

Not much to be debated really. The interesting inclusions are Healy, Henderson, O'Brien and Earls. We could have a pretty strong Wolfhounds squad on show next weekend.

One thing though which is rarely mentioned is that I think we are missing a trick with not even considerng Steenson. Not that I ever thought it was going to happen but if Madigan or Keatley gets injured this weekend we are snookered.

If I was Joe, I'd have wrapped the two lads in cotton wool until Sexton is back and wouldn't even let them near the WH team and thrown JJ or someone in there.

total former

Fireball07 wrote: »

If I was Joe, I'd have wrapped the two lads in cotton wool until Sexton is back and wouldn't even let them near the WH team and thrown JJ or someone in there.

The Wolfhounds bench will be interesting, but most likely no specialist OH named and Reid will provide emergency cover.

thomond2006

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

I can't understand why they don't announce squad in this way. Alphabetical order doesn't make any sense.

There isn't much to be read into this really. I'm disappointed for Casey but his form had dipped since October. I would have thought he would play the Wolfhounds match as it's a pointless exercise for Best/Cronin/Strauss. Likewise at 9 is there any point playing someone like Boss in an A fixture? Perhaps some players will be added for the Wolfhounds

My Wolfhounds team:
Healy, Strauss, White, Henderson, Foley, Conan, Ryan, Murphy;
Marmion, Keatley, Gilroy, Reid, Earls, D Kearney, Jones

Edit: I think the likes of Casey, JJ and perhaps a 9 like Caolin Blade might be added to the WH squad?

dregin

its_phil wrote: »

WTF is Bent doing there and Buckley still not selected!

Being amazeyballs!

S12b

CatFromHue wrote: »

No Ah You

ArmchairQB wrote: »

Ah Well!

Ah Here!! :D



Few thoughts:

1) Furlong must be disappointed, not even involved with the Wolfhounds but his time will come.

2) Even as a Connacht fan, I have no issues with Bent over Buckley. Denis was brilliant for us at the start of the season but his form has been average for the past while. Plus I still think he's a bit too small to compete at the very highest level. Bent is a very solid operator who never lets Leinster down and he deserves his spot, even if he is 4th choice.

3) What in the name of jaysus is Boss doing in that squad? He's old and disimproving at a steady rate. McGrath, on the other hand, is young and steadily improving. I'd expect Marmion to get 60 minutes for the Wolfhounds, what's to be gained by bringing Boss on for the last 20????

4) Surprised there isn't a fourth 10 in the squad. Both Madigan and Keatley have played a lot of rugby this season and with the injury crisis at 10, I didn't expect either to be risked in the Wolfhounds game. My guess would have been JJ to start with Keatley on bench as emergency cover

Morf

thomond2006 wrote: »

I can't understand why they don't announce squad in this way. Alphabetical order doesn't make any sense.

Less hassle when Luke F is selected as a wing/centre/FB for example afterwards.

Or Henderson is lock or 6 etc.

case885

Players that have missed out that i would have liked to have seen line in the WH game would be Buckley, Casey, Furlong and JJ. I was nearly sure Furlong and JJ would make the squad.
Its great to see Healy, SOB, Henderson and Earls.
Very disappointed Olding is injured, he would of had a great shout to be in the 23.

Fireball07

If everyone was fit, we could name 3 starting teams along the lines of:

Healy Best Moore
POC Toner
POM Heaslip SOB
Murray Sexton
Henshaw Fitzgerald
Earls Kearney Bowe

McGrath Cronin Ross
Henderson Foley
Ruddock Murphy TOD
Reddan Madigan
D'Arcy Cave
Zebo Payne McFadden

Cronin Strauss White
McCarthy Holland
Diack Conan Ryan
Marmion Keatley
Reid Sheridan
Gilroy Jones Kearney



Considering the players we are missing through injury, it shows the depth we have built up over the years, because that 3rd team still has plenty of players who have international experience and you'd have no qualms with throwing in.

Riskymove

Fireball07 wrote: »

Considering the players we are missing through injury, it shows the depth we have built up over the years, because that 3rd team still has plenty of players who have international experience and you'd have no qualms with throwing in.

yes I was just thinking that only 2 uncapped players in a squad of 46 players is pretty good going, especially given who is also out injured

Fireball07

.ak wrote: »

Suppose Murray is our 4th choice 10?

He might be, but with him injured as well, it just makes me slightly uneasy.

total former wrote: »

The Wolfhounds bench will be interesting, but most likely no specialist OH named and Reid will provide emergency cover.

I'd probably agree with that. But it means that Keatley will have to go through 80 mins. We'd have to be dreadfully dreadfully unlucky for them both to get injured, but we have been dreadfully dreadfully unlucky with injuries in recent years.

thomond2006 wrote: »

Edit: I think the likes of Casey, JJ and perhaps a 9 like Caolin Blade might be added to the WH squad?

This includes the Wolfhounds squad though, so I don't see anyone else getting added. And Blade is a bit of an "out there" inclusion, surely McGrath and Hart would be chosen ahead of him now. And with Boss there, he's surely going to be included on the bench there, same with Strauss probably.

shuffol

Herring's an interesting one. Schmidt must really like the look of him as it's a much harder selection to argue for than Casey's. He is a bit of a wildcard, carries the ball well, is very mobile and excellent at the breakdown, quite like Strauss really. Struggles occasionally with his throwing but is generally solid enough.

Nothing of note other than that except that the sight of Boss in any squad list is depressing these days not least an Irish one.

vienne86

Teferi wrote: »

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

Me too!

Hagz

Better for Luke McGrath to remain in the Leinster environment. He's more likely to start during the international games if he's remained with the Leinster squad.

Yeah_Right

Just looking at the the list on the IRFU site. Does anyone know why Bent, McCarthy and Payne only have their province next to their name? All the other players have a club and province.

S12b

*disclaimer - not trying to start any provincial nonsense*

Breakdown of squad is - Leinster (24), Munster (10), Ulster (8), Connacht (3) + Monsieur Sexton......fairly staggering statistic!!

ssaye2

S12b wrote: »

*disclaimer - not trying to start any provincial nonsense*

Breakdown of squad is - Leinster (24), Munster (10), Ulster (8), Connacht (3) + Monsieur Sexton......fairly staggering statistic!!

Leinsters strength in depth is fairly staggering, to be able to compete when down so many.

.ak

ssaye2 wrote: »

Leinsters strength in depth is fairly staggering, to be able to compete when down so many.

Well, I'd hope some of them will be released.

ssaye2

.ak wrote: »

Well, I'd hope some of them will be released.

They will, some

Zzippy

.ak wrote: »

Well, I'd hope some of them will be released.

You can have Boss back

vienne86

No big surprise in that squad. Boss hanging inn somehow. Thought jj would be included.

.ak

Zzippy wrote: »

You can have Boss back

... Thanks.

Fireball07

S12b wrote: »

*disclaimer - not trying to start any provincial nonsense*

Breakdown of squad is - Leinster (24), Munster (10), Ulster (8), Connacht (3) + Monsieur Sexton......fairly staggering statistic!!

And players ruled out through injury:

Leinster- ?
Munster- Sherry, Varley, Kilcoyne, Ryan, Copeland
Ulster- Tuohy, Henry, Jackson, Olding, Marshall, McCloskey, Trimble
Connacht- ?

vienne86

Not many left in clonskeagh!

molloyjh

Fireball07 wrote: »

And players ruled out through injury:

Leinster- ?
Munster- Sherry, Varley, Kilcoyne, Ryan, Copeland
Ulster- Tuohy, Henry, Jackson, Olding, Marshall, McCloskey, Trimble
Connacht- ?

Yeah that's a fair point. We've gotten a lot of our injured players back recently (or will be in the next week or two) but Munster and Leinster haven't been so lucky. Although which of those would make the squad? Killer ahead of Cronin maybe? Tuohy would be ahead of McCarthy anyway. Henry ahead of Murphy/TOD, Jackson ahead of Keatley, Olding or Marshall might get ahead of Reid and Trimble ahead of Gilroy. Not sure the overall nukbers would change that much....

Dravokivich

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Just looking at the the list on the IRFU site. Does anyone know why Bent, McCarthy and Payne only have their province next to their name? All the other players have a club and province.

Something came up a short while back with players from abroad not registering with clubs. Is only a recent thing.

Fireball07

molloyjh wrote: »

Yeah that's a fair point. We've gotten a lot of our injured players back recently (or will be in the next week or two) but Munster and Leinster haven't been so lucky. Although which of those would make the squad? Killer ahead of Cronin maybe? Tuohy would be ahead of McCarthy anyway. Henry ahead of Murphy/TOD, Jackson ahead of Keatley, Olding or Marshall might get ahead of Reid and Trimble ahead of Gilroy. Not sure the overall nukbers would change that much....

Killer would make it ahead of Bent, I'd imagine. Or Cronin.
Hard to know with Varley, he was mentioned in the update, but I don't think he's as good as Casey.
Both Tuohy & Ryan would probably be ahead of McCarthy & Foley.
Henry would surely be ahead of Ryan or Diack first?
Jackson would possibly be in there as well as those named.
Olding would definitely have been there ahead of Reid/Cave, hard to know about Marshall or McCloskey.
Trimble would probably be there for Gilroy.


Not saying the numbers would have changed much... but it does show badly Ulster are currently hit. And Leinster are actually approaching a stage where they possibility have no internationals injured... which considering their horrible luck recently is amazing :eek: