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

sydthebeat

oh and we play the all blacks this november and argentina and a tier 2 (though not fully confirmed IIRC)

Former Former

awec wrote: »

I don't think we'll see any new caps this 6N. There is nobody knocking on the door who hasn't already been capped.

Considering we capped so many people between the summer and Autumn, the only potentials are:
- Larmour - it would only take one or two injuries and he's in the mix
- Ross Byrne - one injury and it's a choice between Byrne and Keatley - and given how fragile Sexton and Carbery are, it's more likely than not.

Can't think of anyone else likely to feature.

awec

Assuming Zebo is omitted from the initial squad I would imagine he'd be the first call up if injuries demanded it.

prawnsambo

awec wrote: »

Assuming Zebo is omitted from the initial squad I would imagine he'd be the first call up if injuries demanded it.

I'd be 50/50 on Zebo being called up. As in that's how I'd rate his chances.

sydthebeat

awec wrote: »

Assuming Zebo is omitted from the initial squad I would imagine he'd be the first call up if injuries demanded it.

i would be flabbergasted if he was the first call up to be honest.

3rd or 4th maybe, but not first

awec

sydthebeat wrote: »

i would be flabbergasted if he was the first call up to be honest.

3rd or 4th maybe, but not first

I suppose it depends on how we are doing. If we've won all our games to that point and are on course for a slam or a championship I'd expect him to be selected over a new cap.

Former Former

I think the back three will be Earls, Stockdale, Kearney with Conway at 23.

Would expect maybe two of Sweetnam, McFadden, Adam Byrne or Larmour in the wider squad. Then you still have Dave Kearney and TOH as guys who've been capped in the last 12 months as emergency cover.

I think at this point only an injury crisis of biblical proportions will bring Zebo back into the fold.

Kenny B

Can't see Zebo being involved, he is playing only OK and there are many alternatives already.

Stockdale has missed too many tackles recently without looking as dangerous, maybe in the Irish team he could be better, neither Sweetnam or Adam Byrne know how to defend either and need huge improvements, 2 of the softest caps doled out in recent years.

Earls and Conway are my 2 wingers, lob in Tiernan and that's a fine back 3, Bundee and Henshaw to murderise all, down the middle.

awec

Kenny B wrote: »

Can't see Zebo being involved, he is playing only OK and there are many alternatives already.

Stockdale has missed too many tackles recently without looking as dangerous, maybe in the Irish team he could be better, neither Sweetnam or Adam Byrne know how to defend either and need huge improvements, 2 of the softest caps doled out in recent years.

Earls and Conway are my 2 wingers, lob in Tiernan and that's a fine back 3, Bundee and Henshaw to murderise all, down the middle.

The Ireland players from Ulster often look rubbish playing for Ulster and then look good playing for Ireland.

awec

awec wrote: »

The Ireland players from Ulster often look rubbish playing for Ulster and then look good playing for Ireland.

And more to the point if you look at the tackles that Stockdale missed or fell off against Leinster, the major lapses happened already and he was stuck with a 1 v 1.

For the same reason as I would defend the likes of Rob Kearney in 1 v 1 situations I'll also defend Stockdale, the attacker has the advantage especially if they are a 20 stone prop moving at pace or an international winger at full tilt.

prawnsambo

Deleted User wrote: »

And more to the point if you look at the tackles that Stockdale missed or fell off against Leinster, the major lapses happened already and he was stuck with a 1 v 1.

For the same reason as I would defend the likes of Rob Kearney in 1 v 1 situations I'll also defend Stockdale, the attacker has the advantage especially if they are a 20 stone prop moving at pace or an international winger at full tilt.

Yeah. If you're the winger in that case and you get tackled like that, it's all on you. The best the defender can do is try and herd you towards the touchline or slow you down a bit.

Jump_In_Jack

Jump_In_Jack wrote: »

Prediction for 6N squad, the players likely to be cut after the first week are marked with ( - )
1. Healy/McGrath/ - Kilcoyne
2. Best/Cronin/*McCartney
3. Furlong/Archer/Porter
4. Henderson/Dillane/ - Holland
5. Toner/J Ryan/ - Roux
6. O'Mahony/Leavy/ - O'Donoghue
7. O'Brien/Van der Flier/ - Reidy
8. Stander/Conan/ - Deegan
9. Murray/Cooney/Marmion
10. Sexton/Keatley/ - Byrne
11. Stockdale/Earls/ - Healy
12. Aki/McCloskey/ - T Farrell
13. Henshaw/C Farrell/ - Ringrose
14. Conway/McFadden/ - Gilroy
15. Kearney/O'Halloran/ - Larmour

*Wishful thinking, probably Herring or Tracy.

Garry Ringrose at centre with a six week ankle injury means out for start of 6N, possibility for Darren Cave or Rory O'Loughlin to get a call up to wider squad,
and James Tracy with an elbow injury, looking like out for medium term same as Niall Scannell, so possibility of Herring or McCartney filling that position.
Still a few weeks to go before selection though so anything could happen yet.

Wegians89

Jump_In_Jack wrote: »

Garry Ringrose at centre with a six week ankle injury means out for start of 6N, possibility for Darren Cave or Rory O'Loughlin to get a call up to wider squad,
and James Tracy with an elbow injury, looking like out for medium term same as Niall Scannell, so possibility of Herring or McCartney filling that position.
Still a few weeks to go before selection though so anything could happen yet.

Don’t think you’d see cave or o loughlin called up, more likely see the same centres picked as November.

Can’t see McCartney ever being capped.

prawnsambo

Jump_In_Jack wrote: »

Garry Ringrose at centre with a six week ankle injury means out for start of 6N, possibility for Darren Cave or Rory O'Loughlin to get a call up to wider squad,
and James Tracy with an elbow injury, looking like out for medium term same as Niall Scannell, so possibility of Herring or McCartney filling that position.
Still a few weeks to go before selection though so anything could happen yet.

I'd say snowballs in hell are looking down at Cave's chances for selection.

Jump_In_Jack

Not assuming McCartney or Cave, or O'Loughlin will get capped at all, only as wider squad member, get some time in camp, learn the calls, only if a few injuries came along would even have a remote chance of being on the bench, let alone getting a cap.
Isn't it the norm that a wider squad of about 45 get called in for a few days before whittling it down to about 33 for the 6N competition?

Former Former

Jump_In_Jack wrote: »

Not assuming McCartney or Cave, or O'Loughlin will get capped at all, only as wider squad member, get some time in camp, learn the calls, only if a few injuries came along would even have a remote chance of being on the bench, let alone getting a cap.
Isn't it the norm that a wider squad of about 45 get called in for a few days before whittling it down to about 33 for the 6N competition?

We called up 40 players last year. If we do likewise this year, I'd say it will be:

Best, Scannell, Cronin (assuming Tracy injured)
Healy, McGrath, Kilcoyne, Furlong, Ryan, Porter
Toner, Hendo, Dillane, Ryan, Treadwell
POM, SOB, Stander, Leavy, VDF, Conan, Murphy
Murray, Marmion, McGrath (possibly Cooney ahead of McGrath)
Sexton, Carbery
Henshaw, Aki, Farrell, McCloskey (possibly Scannell ahead of McCloskey)
Earls, Kearney, Stockdale, Conway, Sweetnam, McFadden

That's 36 - a few more to come in depending on where the injury concerns are.

Darren Cave will never play for Ireland again. I'd say Joe would tog out himself before he'd pick Cave.

MattD

Former Former wrote: »

We called up 40 players last year. If we do likewise this year, I'd say it will be:

Best, Scannell, Cronin (assuming Tracy injured)
Healy, McGrath, Kilcoyne, Furlong, Ryan, Porter
Toner, Hendo, Dillane, Ryan, Treadwell
POM, SOB, Stander, Leavy, VDF, Conan, Murphy
Murray, Marmion, McGrath (possibly Cooney ahead of McGrath)
Sexton, Carbery
Henshaw, Aki, Farrell, McCloskey (possibly Scannell ahead of McCloskey)
Earls, Kearney, Stockdale, Conway, Sweetnam, McFadden

That's 36 - a few more to come in depending on where the injury concerns are.

Darren Cave will never play for Ireland again. I'd say Joe would tog out himself before he'd pick Cave.

Fully agree with that squad, but I do think that Keatley will be called up to the wider squad as well. A.Byrne hasn't gotten fit again, so looks like he'll miss out on Europe for Leinster and so too probably on at least the first couple matches in the 6N.

Squidgy Black

Leinster stated that Adam Byrne's knee has flared up again and he has to see a specialist, so there's a good chance he'll be out for a bit longer. Without gametime since November, I'd be surprised to see him called up.

Yeah_Right

I think Larmour will be called up to the 6 Nations squad and be used in the same as MacKensie and Ioane were with the ABs and Ringrose was with Ireland (if memory serves me correctly). He will spend time in camp, the coaches will tell him what he needs to work on, he will be given a ton of homework but no game time. Basically he will be there to learn not to play.

prawnsambo

Yeah_Right wrote: »

I think Larmour will be called up to the 6 Nations squad and be used in the same as MacKensie and Ioane were with the ABs and Ringrose was with Ireland (if memory serves me correctly). He will spend time in camp, the coaches will tell him what he needs to work on, he will be given a ton of homework but no game time. Basically he will be there to learn not to play.

Afaik, he's already done that. Not sure when, but I assume during the AIs.

Jump_In_Jack

Former Former wrote: »

We called up 40 players last year. If we do likewise this year, I'd say it will be:

Best, Scannell, Cronin (assuming Tracy injured)
Healy, McGrath, Kilcoyne, Furlong, Ryan, Porter
Toner, Hendo, Dillane, Ryan, Treadwell
POM, SOB, Stander, Leavy, VDF, Conan, Murphy
Murray, Marmion, McGrath (possibly Cooney ahead of McGrath)
Sexton, Carbery
Henshaw, Aki, Farrell, McCloskey (possibly Scannell ahead of McCloskey)
Earls, Kearney, Stockdale, Conway, Sweetnam, McFadden

That's 36 - a few more to come in depending on where the injury concerns are.

Darren Cave will never play for Ireland again. I'd say Joe would tog out himself before he'd pick Cave.

Niall Scannell (hooker) has a rib injury, will be out for 4 to 6 weeks, similar situation as Tracy.
Who would you replace him with if both he and Tracy are out for at least the first match or two?

jack01986

Does Strauss feature at all?

Jump_In_Jack

jack01986 wrote: »

Does Strauss feature at all?

He has been injured a lot recently, virtually rules him out IMO.

jack01986

Jump_In_Jack wrote: »

He has been injured a lot recently, virtually rules him out IMO.

That is true, never really been the same since his heart op.

Best played quite well on the weekend I thought so himself and Cronin better stay fit.

budhabob

Former Former wrote: »

We called up 40 players last year. If we do likewise this year, I'd say it will be:

Best, Scannell, Cronin (assuming Tracy injured)
Healy, McGrath, Kilcoyne, Furlong, Ryan, Porter
Toner, Hendo, Dillane, Ryan, Treadwell
POM, SOB, Stander, Leavy, VDF, Conan, Murphy
Murray, Marmion, McGrath (possibly Cooney ahead of McGrath)
Sexton, Carbery
Henshaw, Aki, Farrell, McCloskey (possibly Scannell ahead of McCloskey)
Earls, Kearney, Stockdale, Conway, Sweetnam, McFadden

That's 36 - a few more to come in depending on where the injury concerns are.

Darren Cave will never play for Ireland again. I'd say Joe would tog out himself before he'd pick Cave.

I think Keatley will be in the squad, and I think Rory Scannell deserves to be in the squad - he also provides something different from other centre options.

Hooker is a bit of quandary with all the injuries.

Faugheen

Am I the only one that fails to understand why Cooney would be called up in front of McGrath apart from his goal-kicking?

As an all-round 9, McGrath is better and is having a better season in a much better team.

stephen_n

Faugheen wrote: »

Am I the only one that fails to understand why Cooney would be called up in front of McGrath apart from his goal-kicking?

As an all-round 9, McGrath is better and is having a better season in a much better team.

Playing really well behind a beat up pack in a poor team is a positive not a negative.

Faugheen

stephen_n wrote: »

Playing really well behind a beat up pack in a poor team is a positive not a negative.

Granted, but absolutely warrants little discussion on being called up ahead of McGrath imo. He's been the standout SH this season (including Murray).

awec

I agree. Leave Cooney with Ulster please.

awec

awec wrote: »

I agree. Leave Cooney with Ulster please.

I thought Ross Byrne was deserving of a call up in the Autumn but I was somewhat glad he was left with Leinster and I wondered if that was partially at the request of the province being down 2 out halves already.

Ulster would be in a similar situation with Cooney, you want to see your guys involved at the top level but at a certain point the loss of player(s) becomes seriously problematic.