Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread IV

Bridge93

wittycynic wrote: »

Very much scratching my head at the Keatley decision.

So, if Madigan is going to be 10 for Italy, I get playing him there in the WH match to give him more time in the position. I would also understand not playing at all in the WH game to protect him from possible injury.

With Keatley, I don't really understand the non-inclusion. Are we to assume that he is lower in the pecking order than Reid, who is picked ahead of him for the WH? If so, why bother call him up to the squad at all. Or are we to assume that he is actually the first choice pick for the Italy game and is, therefore, not being risked?

Maybe Reid is more versatile? Would allow Joe to move people around more and see more players in different spots. Or maybe he has doubts about Darcy for whatever reason.

Swiwi.

total former wrote: »

Rumour starts here: Keatley omitted because Sexton has had an early assessment and has been passed to play in Rome.

I could actually buy that. If it's medically plausible.

Bridge93

Bridge93 wrote: »

Maybe Reid is more versatile? Would allow Joe to move people around more and see more players in different spots. Or maybe he has doubts about Darcy for whatever reason.

Is he?

Keatley's played 10/12/15 at HEC level many times.

Sanjuro

mr. pleasant wrote: »

you're all missing the main thing:

Jaysus. Just reminds me how much I've missed his ludicrous talent.

wittycynic

aimee1 wrote: »

How is it nonsense? Bent has played 5/6 european games for leinster on both sides of the scrum this season and played quite well.

I dont read too much into the selection with a view to next week

Delighted to see Bent's inclusion. This is something of an international rehabilitation for him after being unjustly pilloried for a couple. On the tighthead side he stood up to a good South African scrum on his first cap and is a quality player. Bringing him back into the fold can only be good for Ireland.

case885

SOB steamrolling Burgess would be quite funny, ill have a front row view if he does

Big Nelly

Swiwi. wrote: »

I could actually buy that. If it's medically plausible.

No it's not. Sexton was on one of the podcasts discussing it. Because he has had 3-4 concussions he has to take a mandatory break. He cannot come back and play before that....even if he feels ok....end of story

Big Nelly

mr. pleasant wrote: »

you're all missing the main thing:

Bring's a tear to the eye

Still think his best bit of work was his tweet after the RWC final, he had missed it because he was running after cattle that had broke out!!

Swiwi.

wittycynic wrote: »

Delighted to see Bent's inclusion. This is something of an international rehabilitation for him after being unjustly pilloried for a couple. On the tighthead side he stood up to a good South African scrum on his first cap and is a quality player. Bringing him back into the fold can only be good for Ireland.

IMO Bent is a pretty decent LH, I would be somewhat anxious about him at TH at international level.

He is not as destructive round the field as Healy & McGrath, but scrums, carries and cleans out well, with the Kiwi panache for knowing how to catch, pass and draw a man, so he wouldn't discredit an Irish LH starting or bench spot IMO, and in an emergency could cover TH.

Bridge93

O' Briens left arm in that picture before you enter the video looks like something you'd see from Mr Tickle. Seems to go on longer than it should

CatFromHue

Swiwi. wrote: »

IMO Bent is a pretty decent LH, I would be somewhat anxious about him at TH at international level.

He is not as destructive round the field as Healy & McGrath, but scrums, carries and cleans out well, with the Kiwi panache for knowing how to catch, pass and draw a man, so he wouldn't discredit an Irish LH starting or bench spot IMO, and in an emergency could cover TH.

Paul Wallace was saying how well Bent was doing at LH on The Last Word the other night but that he wasn't up to it at TH.

Got a little dig in against George Hook too in that he was saying that some commentators saw him not doing well at TH and then just completely wrote him off as a prop altogether even though he's doing well at LH. He called those people lazy.....

Actually Horgan had a little dig at Hook too on An Irishman Abroad for commentators giving lazy analysis that is borderline bullying.

Neil3030

I think Earls at 13, Luke at 11 makes perfect sense for reasons previously offered - Joe has seen plenty of Luke at 13, time to give him a run at 11, and hasn't seen much of Earls at 13.

Looks likely that Payne and Henshaw will start next week, with Luke and Earls duking it out for the 23 shirt. But at the same time, I would not at all be surprised if either plays their way into contention for a starting spot. I think the days of a Wolfhounds selection precluding you from senior selection are over.

Also, considering the strength of the team, and that only one player (mike ross) would be considered a starter (if even), it just shows the incredible depth we have right now.

accidentprone1

The reason for the absence of Keatley is quite obvious, IMO, really.

Schmidt is playing Madigan at 10 to get him much-needed game time. He's not risking Keatley by placing him in the 23, as injury to both of them would leave us with Noel Reid as our starting outhalf, with feck-all on the bench.

Madigan will start against Italy, with Keatley on the bench.

aimee1

Buer wrote: »

I think we can stick a fork in Ian Keatley's international career now. It's done.

Round 5 in march, last minute, 10m line, sexton gone off with hamstring strain, Keatley, drop goal, grand slam at stake, ryle nugent creaming himself ........

Neil3030

Something like this for Italia then?

McGrath
Cronin
Moore
Toner
POC
POM
Murphy/TOD
Heaslip
Marmion
Madigan
Zebo
Henshaw
Payne
Bowe
Kearney

Strauss
Kilcoyne
Ross
Henderson
SOB
Boss
Keatley
Luke/Earls

dastardly00

aimee1 wrote: »

Round 5 in march, last minute, 10m line, sexton gone off with hamstring strain, Keatley, drop goal, grand slam at stake, ryle nugent creaming himself ........

........ Keatley messes up the drop-goal and the ball falls to Tommy Boooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeee to score a try? :pac:

BoardsMember

Good to see its on the telly, and not in a funny language either.

total former

BoardsMember wrote: »

Good to see its on the telly, and not in a funny language either.

Yeah, I'm sick of the BT coverage too. Can't understand any of Austin Healy's "banter".

errlloyd

BoardsMember wrote: »

Good to see its on the telly, and not in a funny language either.

Really

Cough
Though
Rough
Plough

Don't even come close to rhyming. It's a very funny language we speak, just no in the way you were suggesting.

aimee1

Neil3030 wrote: »

Something like this for Italia then?

McGrath
Cronin
Moore
Toner
POC
POM
Murphy/TOD
Heaslip
Marmion
Madigan
Zebo
Henshaw
Payne
Bowe
Kearney

Strauss
Kilcoyne
Ross
Henderson
SOB
Boss
Keatley
Luke/Earls

WH selection is to give lads some game time ahead of next week, Ross showed in November he can go full games and has had 3 weeks off, like McGrath.

I think Jordi did enough in euro games to get 7 next week.

I am praying Murray is good to go and Madigan is still in one piece come saturday morning


Backline could be about 9 different variations. Will see if Earls lasts 80 tomorrow or if he has to go off as a precaution. I dont see him being a starter next week if he compromises the bench that way. I think Fitz only got the 11 shirt because DK is out.

case885

Neil3030 wrote: »

Something like this for Italia then?

McGrath
Cronin
Moore
Toner
POC
POM
Murphy/TOD
Heaslip
Marmion
Madigan
Zebo
Henshaw
Payne
Bowe
Kearney

Strauss
Kilcoyne
Ross
Henderson
SOB
Boss
Keatley
Luke/Earls

Best to start surely.

Clearlier

Neil3030 wrote: »

Also, considering the strength of the team, and that only one player (mike ross) would be considered a starter (if even), it just shows the incredible depth we have right now.

Think Seanie might have the 7 jersey too.

Think it's a great selection for a wolfhounds team but there's a bigger gap than many recognise between this team and our first choice. Halfbacks are obvious but both centres would be a concern if selected for Ireland. Bowe is by far our best option on the wing. POC remains streets clear of the pretenders in the 2nd row. POM is on a different planet to Ryan. Plenty of these guys can do a job but all of them in would require a miracle that might even be beyond Joe! We've better depth than ever before but we're some way off having two essentially interchangeable players for every position.

Neil3030

case885 wrote: »

Best to start surely.

Completely forgot about him!!

Neil3030

Clearlier wrote: »

Think Seanie might have the 7 jersey too.

He would if he were fit, yeah. I meant of the cohort who would start for the senior side tomorrow. You could argue Earls would also have slot somewhere if 100% fit.

errlloyd

I wonder how an Ireland a team would do against Australia, Wales etc. France, England, Nz and Sa have ridiculous depth

Peregrine

Neil3030 wrote: »

Something like this for Italia then?

McGrath
Cronin
Moore
Toner
POC
POM
Murphy/TOD
Heaslip
Marmion
Madigan
Zebo
Henshaw
Payne
Bowe
Kearney

Strauss
Kilcoyne
Ross
Henderson
SOB
Boss
Keatley
Luke/Earls

Murray and/or Reddan?

Richie Murphy said they're expected to be fit.

MJohnston

errlloyd wrote: »

I wonder how an Ireland a team would do against Australia, Wales etc. France, England, Nz and Sa have ridiculous depth

Why are you wondering? November wasn't that long ago!

Edit: oops, missed the "a" in Ireland a team

George Hook

Can't wait for the combined destructive force of Henderson and O'Brien!

Timothy Bryce

George Hook wrote: »

Can't wait for the combined destructive force of Henderson and O'Brien!

vs The Awesome Power of Sam Burgess™

Teferi

Deleted User wrote: »

Please detail 5 changes you'd like from the 23. Thank you

Nearly an hour and a half since this was asked and I don't think there was a reply.