Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread VIII - ** MOD NOTE POST #4781 **

Burkie1203

bilston wrote: »

We have backs with a total of 5 caps between them. We have a bench with lots of players learning the ropes at test level like the Ryan's, Herring, Carbery and obviously Sweetman.

Thanks an exciting selection, whether it was injury enforced or not is completely irrelevant.

I'm really looking forward to tonight. I think we will win because no matter about the rawness of the backs this is an experienced pack with only Heaslip missing. I'm a little worried about the lineout based on how Best went against Leinster, fortunately the guy who caused him problems that day is on the same side as him tonight.

Every selection is going to have a player missing through injury. Conway starts and Sweetnam gets a bench spot because earls is injured. But thats a great chance for conway and sweetnam.

Henshaw at 13 is a very smart call. Aki can debut between Sexton and Henshaw and focus on his own game. Kearney will be solid and hopefully we can get Stockdale into the game going forward.

Our backrow needs to find form. Hopefully they do.

There is potentially 55-60 players, from which 31 will go to RWC. The below aren't in the current 38 man squad. Some are long shots but included them as it shows how many changes have been made. There is also bound to be someone who comes from nowhere in the next 18 months. Whycherly or Larmour or the likes.

Scannell, Scannell, L Marshall, Cronin, Bealham, TOH, M Healy, Ringrose, Kleyn, R Marshall, McFadden Cooney, Heaslip, Adeolokun, JGP, Payne, Beirne, Jackson*, Olding*


Will be interesting to see in 2019 how many of the current AI squad make the plane to Japan.

bilston

Burkie1203 wrote: »

bilston wrote: »

We have backs with a total of 5 caps between them. We have a bench with lots of players learning the ropes at test level like the Ryan's, Herring, Carbery and obviously Sweetman.

Thanks an exciting selection, whether it was injury enforced or not is completely irrelevant.

I'm really looking forward to tonight. I think we will win because no matter about the rawness of the backs this is an experienced pack with only Heaslip missing. I'm a little worried about the lineout based on how Best went against Leinster, fortunately the guy who caused him problems that day is on the same side as him tonight.

Every selection is going to have a player missing through injury. Conway starts and Sweetnam gets a bench spot because earls is injured. But thats a great chance for conway and sweetnam.

Henshaw at 13 is a very smart call. Aki can debut between Sexton and Henshaw and focus on his own game. Kearney will be solid and hopefully we can get Stockdale into the game going forward.

Our backrow needs to find form. Hopefully they do.

There is potentially 55-60 players, from which 31 will go to RWC. The below aren't in the current 38 man squad. Some are long shots but included them as it shows how many changes have been made. There is also bound to be someone who comes from nowhere in the next 18 months. Whycherly or Larmour or the likes.

Scannell, Scannell, L Marshall, Cronin, Bealham, TOH, M Healy, Ringrose, Kleyn, R Marshall, McFadden Cooney, Heaslip, Adeolokun, JGP, Payne, Beirne, Jackson*, Olding*


Will be interesting to see in 2019 how many of the current AI squad make the plane to Japan.

Yeah we have loads of depth at the minute and as you say there are some exciting young players on the brink of a breakthrough at their province as well.

That said with no Jackson as back up we can have 150 potential test players, but if we lose Sexton we are in trouble.

jacothelad

There's an article in the Indo / Bellylaugh by Tony Ward on today's game. I hope his geography improves....He seems to have lost his navigation system...."But rugby on the Horn of Africa has lost its aura." FFS.

I doubt if Somalia and Djibouti have too many rugby pitches. I'd imagine famine is more in their thoughts than rugby.

Erik Shin

jacothelad wrote: »

There's an article in the Indo by Tony Ward on today's game. I hope his geography improves....He seems to have lost his navigation system...."But rugby on the Horn of Africa has lost its aura." FFS.

I doubt if Somalia and Djibouti have too many rugby pitches. I'd imagine famine is more in their thoughts than rugby.

How 'bout them Rhodesians!

Buer

jacothelad wrote:

There's an article in the Indo / Bellylaugh by Tony Ward on today's game. I hope his geography improves....He seems to have lost his navigation system...."But rugby on the Horn of Africa has lost its aura." FFS.

If my nightmare team is made up of 15 James Downeys coached by a team of Bernard Jackmans then there's no doubt that Tony Ward is their press officer.

He strikes an impressive balance of ignorance and dullness. Most ignorant journalists are entertaining and most dull journalists are well informed. Ward navigates his way through that tricky junction with deftness.

kuang1

Burkie1203 wrote: »

...Whycherly or Larmour or the likes...

Will be interesting to see in 2019 how many of the current AI squad make the plane to Japan.

If current player's form trajectories remained as they are now for the next 18 months, (never happens like that I know) then Larmour could be our Rob Kearney 2.0

(Albeit a different variety of knee-quivering handsomeness)

MJohnston

No match thread?

andymx11

Who is Ewan McKenna and what is his problem??

Bazzo

andymx11 wrote: »

Who is Ewan McKenna and what is his problem??

A clown.

I'm sorry but for everyone who has been saying that Aki has had it no worse than Stander or Payne in the media I'm almost certain you are wrong, it's relentless.

andymx11

Bazzo wrote: »

A clown.

I'm sorry but for everyone who has been saying that Aki has had it no worse than Stander or Payne in the media I'm almost certain you are wrong, it's relentless.

That article on top of his World Cup 2023 piece just made me sick..

wp_rathead

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Henshaw at 13 is a very smart call. Aki can debut between Sexton and Henshaw and focus on his own game.

Aye, tactical genius..

connemara man

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Henshaw at 13 is a very smart call. Aki can debut between Sexton and Henshaw and focus on his own game.

First coach to ever to play them like this

Interested Observer

andymx11 wrote: »

Who is Ewan McKenna and what is his problem??

What's he said now?

He's an Irish journalist who seems to have a genuine hatred of rugby and a very strong dislike of people who play/follow rugby.

Imagine that dope over on the RWC bid thread talking about Seanie Fitz. He's a bit like that but a little more articulate.

prawnsambo

wp_rathead wrote: »

Aye, tactical genius..

connemara man wrote: »

First coach to ever to play them like this

Jeez lads, I need to get out a tray to catch all that lovely dripping sarcasm.

andymx11

Interested Observer wrote: »

What's he said now?

He's an Irish journalist who seems to have a genuine hatred of rugby and a very strong dislike of people who play/follow rugby.

Imagine that dope over on the RWC bid thread talking about Seanie Fitz. He's a bit like that but a little more articulate.

If you want to depress yourself.. really negative.. sad to be like that.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/international-rugby/ewan-mackenna-nationhood-exchanged-for-wallet-size-use-of-project-players-is-just-a-form-of-financial-doping-36302828.html

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/world-cup/ewan-mackenna-why-irelands-rugby-world-cup-bid-failure-should-be-celebrated-36283611.html

Buer

MacKenna has taken up the mantle left vacant by Tom Humphries i.e. a hugely talented writer whose heart lies with another sport and will avail of any opportunity to denigrate or criticise rugby. Humphries was strongly vocal around the time of Croke Park being opened, condemning the bandwagon that followed and the lack of inclusivity of rugby, ironically given it was bringing together so many people at that time.

MacKenna could literally be Humphries under another name in terms of his content over the last two years. His rise to prominence coincided with Irish rugby's resurgence and he appears to fully resent its success in the last 4 years.

It's a shame as he really is a gifted writer. Some of his pieces about lesser known figures or behind the scenes reporting on minority sports is brilliant. But his writing highlights a minor yet significant and depressingly vocal element of society stemming almost exclusively from those of a round ball loving persuasion which actively detests rugby and appears to be threatened by it. The RWC 2023 thread only served to highlight this with the arrival of several unheralded posters from other forums to criticise the bid.

stephen_n

andymx11 wrote: »

If you want to depress yourself.. really negative.. sad to be like that.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/international-rugby/ewan-mackenna-nationhood-exchanged-for-wallet-size-use-of-project-players-is-just-a-form-of-financial-doping-36302828.html

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/world-cup/ewan-mackenna-why-irelands-rugby-world-cup-bid-failure-should-be-celebrated-36283611.html

I think poor Ewan must have been bullied quite badly by some rugby players in his youth. The opening line of that first piece is all you need to know about his writing, it's a bit like an "I'm not racist but...." statement.

Former Former

andymx11 wrote: »

Who is Ewan McKenna and what is his problem??

He's the Katie Hopkins of sports writing.

Former Former

Former Former wrote: »

He's the Katie Hopkins of sports writing.

He's a decent writer even if I disagree completely with him.

Katie Hopkins only talent is being a complete [don't want to get infracted but I think you can guess].

irishbucsfan

Deleted User wrote: »

He's a decent writer even if I disagree completely with him.

Katie Hopkins only talent is being a complete [don't want to get infected but I think you can guess].

Yeah, its easy for a rugby fan to miss that McKenna is actually very talented, because he hides it behind his anti-rugby twattery.

Clegg

Ewan McKenna is the best sports writer in Ireland. His pieces on Conor McGregor are fabulous. He just really, really hates rugby.

https://www.google.ie/amp/s/amp.independent.ie/sport/mcgregor-v-mayweather/ewan-mckenna-on-conor-mcgregor-a-wouldbe-workingclass-hero-who-became-a-parody-of-himself-36070726.html

prawnsambo

Deleted User wrote: »

He's a decent writer even if I disagree completely with him.

Katie Hopkins only talent is being a complete [don't want to get infected but I think you can guess].

She must be bad. :eek:

The Rape of Lucretia

andymx11 wrote: »

If you want to depress yourself.. really negative.. sad to be like that.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/international-rugby/ewan-mackenna-nationhood-exchanged-for-wallet-size-use-of-project-players-is-just-a-form-of-financial-doping-36302828.html

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/world-cup/ewan-mackenna-why-irelands-rugby-world-cup-bid-failure-should-be-celebrated-36283611.html

Ach, the one on the carpet baggers is a fair article. Some dont agree with its thrust. But many do. Not agreeing with it, and being happy with the erosion of the fundamental pillar of international rugby is not a reason to run down tge article or the man.

andymx11

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

Ach, the one on the carpet baggers is a fair article. Some dont agree with its thrust. But many do. Not agreeing with it, and being happy with the erosion of the fundamental pillar of international rugby is not a reason to run down tge article or the man.

He's negative in relation to anything rugby. That's enough for me to judge.

MadYaker

No match thread for Ire vs SA?

dublinman1990

I go onto connemara man's thread on this game & all I have seen so far is a coffee table. wtf?

Former Former

Daire O'Brien is unbearable.

ClanofLams

O'Gara just compared Zebo to Neymar in soccer. I like Zebo, he's a good player and we're losing a good option. But a dose of realism here, Zebo didn't make the Lions squad last year when 11 Irish guys did.

ClanofLams

ClanofLams wrote: »

O'Gara just compared Zebo to Neymar in soccer. I like Zebo, he's a good player and we're losing a good option. But a dose of realism here, Zebo didn't make the Lions squad last year when 11 Irish guys did.

I think someone might be playing to a certain group of viewers, plus deflecting from his role in possibly “poaching” a Munster player.

wp_rathead

dublinman1990 wrote: »

I go onto connemara man's thread on this game & all I have seen so far is a coffee table. wtf?