Irish players that would make the All Black's team/23/squad?

blackcard

Imo, no Irish player would make the first 15. Ok, it would be easy to look good if you have 14 good players alongside you. Cian Healy might have made it before his injury. Henderson would have a shot if he maintained his current form. Murray might make the match day 23. Sean O'Brien too. That is it. No one else would come close.

CatFromHue

Rory Best would get ahead of Coles

Ceadog

:pac:

The Rape of Lucretia

Probably Marmion as well.

Hansen has always spoken very highly of him.

blackcard

CatFromHue wrote: »

Rory Best would get ahead of Coles

I have great time for Rory, however his throwing in to the lineout sometimes lets him down

ken76

Boss would also walk into the team.Its just a shock joe didn't pick him originally

blackcard

ken76 wrote: »

Boss would also walk into the team.Its just a shock joe didn't pick him originally

Would Keet be far away?

Ceadog

blackcard wrote: »

I have great time for Rory, however his throwing in to the lineout sometimes lets him down

Ah now, Besty doesn't get the yips anywhere near as often as he used to. He's been pretty reliable in a green shirt for a couple of years now. Certainly the best hooker in the NH by some distance.

Glass Prison 1214

MY Combined All Blacks and Ireland team

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Franks
4. Whitlock
5. Retallick
6. Kaino
7. O'Brien
8. Read
9. Smith
10. Sexton
11. Savea
12. Nonu
13. Smith
14. Milner-Skudder
15. Smith

16. Coles 17. McGrath 18. Faumuina 19. O'Connell 20. McCaw 21. Murray 22. Barrett 23. Williams

Cronin The Destroyer

Fairly sure Keatley would make the 23.

CatFromHue

The front row and the front row subs would be in with a good shout if you ask me

wp_rathead

Well only Nathan White and Jared Payne are eligible :pac:

Bazzo

Well... it kind of occurs to me that most Irish player's style of play, Murray in particular, wouldn't gel well at all with the other all blacks... so...

bilston

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

MY Combined All Blacks and Ireland team

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Franks
4. Whitlock
5. Retallick
6. Kaino
7. O'Brien
8. Read
9. Smith
10. Sexton
11. Savea
12. Nonu
13. Smith
14. Milner-Skudder
15. Smith

16. Coles 17. McGrath 18. Faumuina 19. O'Connell 20. McCaw 21. Murray 22. Barrett 23. Williams

Not sure if you are on the wind up or not but Carter is still the best in the business for me. His performances in the second Bledisloe Cup match in the summer and then this evening against France show he is still the best in the world.

This thread is going to end well.

EoghanIRL

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

MY Combined All Blacks and Ireland team

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Franks
4. Whitlock
5. Retallick
6. Kaino
7. O'Brien
8. Read
9. Smith
10. Sexton
11. Savea
12. Nonu
13. Smith
14. Milner-Skudder
15. Smith

16. Coles 17. McGrath 18. Faumuina 19. O'Connell 20. McCaw 21. Murray 22. Barrett 23. Williams

Carter not at 10?

Tobyglen

SOB ahead of McCaw, go way outta that. ABs are better in every position.

ken76

Cronin The Destroyer wrote: »

Fairly sure Keatley would make the 23.

Goes without saying

titan18

Sexton over Barrett for the bench, and Healy at his best probably gets in there either starting or on the bench. SOB would once McCaw retires, at least on the bench since Cane ain't exactly bad.

irishbucsfan

This thread is a little bit embarrassing. Goes a long way in showing why our record against New Zealand is similarly embarrassing. That pedestal is only getting higher.

bunnyarmstrong

Ceadog wrote: »

:pac:

I'm getting sick of this ****e towards Fanning on this board to be honest. He's a professional, and it's not funny.

Pudsy33

irishbucsfan wrote: »

This thread is a little bit embarrassing. Goes a long way in showing why our record against New Zealand is similarly embarrassing. That pedestal is only getting higher.

Agreed. They're just another team. Sick of this fawning over them like mythical beasts.

bunnyarmstrong

bunnyarmstrong wrote: »

I'm getting sick of this ****e towards Fanning on this board to be honest. He's a professional, and it's not funny.

That escalated quickly.

duckysauce

bunnyarmstrong wrote: »

I'm getting sick of this ****e towards Fanning on this board to be honest. He's a professional, and it's not funny.

funny bunny

Teferi

bunnyarmstrong wrote: »

I'm getting sick of this ****e towards Fanning on this board to be honest. He's a professional, and it's not funny.

Fanning has just outed himself on boards.ie anyway...

Tim Robbins

Teferi wrote: »

Fanning has just outed himself on boards.ie anyway...

After all these years of professionalism despite all the money being in the northern hemisphere, the All Blacks are still miles ahead. I believe this is because they standard of coaching is way way way higher. This means they have way better technical skills whereas some of our players despite being physically as fit and strong, can't offload the ball, pass the ball fast and accurately, side step - something most NZ players do easily.

Our rucking has definitely got better and that is something you can work at, at an older age, but core running and evasiveness skills come at a young age.

RedemptionZ

None of the backs bar sexton who makes the 23 but doesn't start. Healy has a decent chance if he's on form, LH hasn't been a position of strength for the ABs. That's probably it. SOB and Henderson honourary mentions, but I don't think they'd fit in with a New Zealand team of ball players.

davegrohl48

How many make the team if its an attritional game of up and unders, scrums, lineouts, rucks, mauls and close in ball carrying?
I'd have more Irish than New Zealand for such a game.

pickarooney

davegrohl48 wrote: »

How many make the team if its an attritional game of up and unders, scrums, lineouts, rucks, mauls and close in ball carrying?
I'd have more Irish than New Zealand for such a game.

Why would it ever be such a game though? What teams can force NZ into that kind of battle?

I'd give SOB and Sexton an outside shot at the bench but Sexton doesn't have anything like the versatility of Barrett so it would be a bit of a waste of a bench spot as he'd only come in if Carter got injured.

davegrohl48

pickarooney wrote: »

Why would it ever be such a game though? What teams can force NZ into that kind of battle?

I'd give SOB and Sexton an outside shot at the bench but Sexton doesn't have anything like the versatility of Barrett so it would be a bit of a waste of a bench spot as he'd only come in if Carter got injured.

If they play us we can make it more of a game like that as we did when we drew with them.

sydthebeat

Tim Robbins wrote: »

After all these years of professionalism despite all the money being in the northern hemisphere, the All Blacks are still miles ahead. I believe this is because they standard of coaching is way way way higher. This means they have way better technical skills whereas some of our players despite being physically as fit and strong, can't offload the ball, pass the ball fast and accurately, side step - something most NZ players do easily.

Our rucking has definitely got better and that is something you can work at, at an older age, but core running and evasiveness skills come at a young age.

Why do you think Kilkenny are the most consistently best hurling team?

There's a zenith which comes from specialisation.