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

Bridge93

The only way a try gets scored there is if Piutau misses an easy enough tackle. Nobody is quick enough to get outside him. We don't have anyone strong enough to go over him, only a handful of players worldwide might be.

Yeah_Right

Jump_In_Jack wrote: »

A winger should score that.

Absolutely correct. As long as that winger is Nadolo, Naholo, Savea or Ioane.

Erik Shin

.ak wrote: »

It's not as black and white as saying 25 feet from the line tho is it?

Or as saying he'd be smashed into the advertising hoardings .

Erik Shin

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Absolutely correct. As long as that winger is Nadolo, Naholo, Savea or Ioane.

Well..... they'd have to start their runs from 13,000 miles away...but still... they'd have plenty of time to beat Dave to the line

errlloyd

Piatau himself had a great chance in the first half off a wrap play which gave him an outside run to the corner v Gibson Park, and he stepped inside and didn't finish.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Erik Shin wrote: »

Just to be clear...I haven't uttered a word against Joe for dropping Zebo. ..I'm all for Rob being in the squad ..this isn't about provincialism...this is about a player who shouldn't be anywhere near an Irish squad being called up....
Anyone of Trimble, Zebo, Gilroy, Adeolokun, Earls and Bowe would have gone for the line, that's what you need your wingers to do....see the prize and grab it

Trimble and Bow are both way down on where they were two years ago. Its sad but true. Both have had major decline in ability. A combination of age and injury creeping up on them.

As to whether any of thr others could have made the line I doubt it.

Dave Kearney is there as the old hand that knows the calls and can fill in patterns in training. If he plays it will only be against Fiji and only because Conway got a red card.

I reckon we will see Rob, Stockdale and Earls for the big games with Carvery and Sweetnam coming in for the Fiji match.

.ak

Erik Shin wrote: »

Or as saying he'd be smashed into the advertising hoardings .

Factoring in everything that's the most likely outcome.

.ak

Anyway, sure listen arguing about something that might or might not have happened isn't going to result in anything.

I reckon for SA we're looking at:

Front row: McGrath, Best, Furlong
Second row: Toner, Hendo
Backrow: POM, SOB, Stander
Halfbacks: Murray, Sexton
Centres: Henshaw, Aki
Back Three: Earls, D. Kearney, R. Kearney

Subs: Traceigh, Healy, Ryan, Dillane, Marmion, Carbery, Stockdale

I'd prefer Stockdale to start, but I reckon we'll see a more tried and tested back three against a side like SA.

However, schmidt has been known to select novices provided they have experience around them. With Rob and Keith there it's not outside the realm of possibility for Stockdale to start.

The Rape of Lucretia

A lot of aimless discussion here at times, but even by our standards, have we ever had one micro second decision of so little consequence, that had zero influence on the result anyway, in a minor game, discussed and disected so extensively ?

Erik Shin

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

A lot of aimless discussion here at times, but even by our standards, have we ever had one micro second decision of so little consequence, that had zero influence on the result anyway, in a minor game, discussed and disected so extensively ?

Sooooooo, no change then

CIARAN_BOYLE

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

A lot of aimless discussion here at times, but even by our standards, have we ever had one micro second decision of so little consequence, that had zero influence on the result anyway, in a minor game, discussed and disected so extensively ?

yes 50 to 60 times usually involving Earls being a centre or rog being over the hill.

thomond2006

.ak wrote: »

Anyway, sure listen arguing about something that might or might not have happened isn't going to result in anything.

I reckon for SA we're looking at:

Front row: McGrath, Best, Furlong
Second row: Toner, Hendo
Backrow: POM, SOB, Stander
Halfbacks: Murray, Sexton
Centres: Henshaw, Aki
Back Three: Earls, D. Kearney, R. Kearney

Subs: Traceigh, Healy, Ryan, Dillane, Marmion, Carbery, Stockdale

I'd prefer Stockdale to start, but I reckon we'll see a more tried and tested back three against a side like SA.

However, schmidt has been known to select novices provided they have experience around them. With Rob and Keith there it's not outside the realm of possibility for Stockdale to start.

SA aren't great shakes and seem to have a lot of new players floating around the 23 so I don't see the need to go conservative with a Dave Kearney over Stockdale. Stockdale offers so much that I think he needs to get the start in this. As you say with Kearney and Earls in situ it's a good environment to start a new player. There's maybe 20 or so tests before RWC and I see Stockdale as a near banker for the RWC squad.

Interested Observer

There's no way Dave Kearney deserves to start over Stockdale. Hopefully Schmidt does the right thing.

awec

South Africa are fairly average. If we ignore the usual sporting clichés that we'll hear about these fixtures, like there's no easy test games yada yada yada, we have actually 3 fairly straightforward games that we should win handily.

Jump_In_Jack

These matches would be perfect for blooding players.
I'd select anyone that looks like being 1st choice in the next World Cup.
Healy, Tracy, Furlong
Henderson, Toner,
O'Mahony/Stander, O'Brien, Conan.
Murray, Sexton,
Stockdale, McCloskey, Aki/Henshaw, Earls,
Carbery

Herring, McGrath, Porter, Dillane, O'Mahony/Stander, McGrath, Aki/Henshaw, Sweetnam/Conway/Byrne.

prawnsambo

awec wrote: »

South Africa are fairly average. If we ignore the usual sporting clichés that we'll hear about these fixtures, like there's no easy test games yada yada yada, we have actually 3 fairly straightforward games that we should win handily.

Did you not see their last match against the ABs? They came perilously close to beating them. It was only three weeks ago and only a point in it at the end. They looked pretty damn good.

RichieRich89

I don't think it's as black and white as saying he should either pin his ears back and go for the corner or cut back inside. There are other options. I believe the truly slick finisher - Cedric Heymans, Waisake Naholo, Charles Piutau, Shane Williams, Santiago Cordero - would or could have stopped or stepped inside initially - to stop Piatau coming across - and then gone on the outside again to get in the corner. There's 10m of space to work with, but the problem is that Piutau is rapidly closing the space down, so you have to do something to stand him up before taking the outside. Isles or maybe Ioane would have had the acceleration to get clean away without first causing the covering defender to slow, but players who aren't as fast need to be a bit cuter at manipulating defenders with their own movements

Interested Observer

As usual we're at the extreme ends of the scale, the tweet itself is a bit stupid, his fans seem to be praising him for not tripping over his own shoelaces, it's a nothing incident but regardless he's done nothing to be selected for Ireland. Hopefully Stockdale is going to start with Earls on the other wing.

thomond2006

The tweet was posted to gain attention. It worked.

Former Former

Interested Observer wrote: »

As usual we're at the extreme ends of the scale, the tweet itself is a bit stupid, his fans seem to be praising him for not tripping over his own shoelaces, it's a nothing incident but regardless he's done nothing to be selected for Ireland. Hopefully Stockdale is going to start with Earls on the other wing.

This was a nothing incident but he had a good game. I'd like too see what Stockdale can do but Dave wouldn't be a bad choice. He's a good player who's well proven at this level.

Maybe his fans are a bit overly sensitive about that tweet - but it's absolutely nothing compared to how his detractors will react if he's picked.

baas baa

Tweet was stupid but my first impression was that Kearney bottled the chance as well. No winger is beating Piutau to the corner there but he doesn't need to, he just needs Piutau to over commit and try step him, there was enough of a gap between Piutau and the next defender inside to give him a good shot at making some good ground and keeping the defence stretched.

Clegg

Stockdale and Adam Byrne had a good aerial competition last night. It's a huge strength of both their games and it's somewhere we'll have an advantage over other test sides.

irishbucsfan

I’d definitely have Stockdale. Surely a far superior option if he’s seen as a 14 for Ireland long term. But Kearney is also a strong player and I’d think he projects to the right wing long term due to his physicality.

baas baa

Clegg wrote: »

Stockdale and Adam Byrne had a good aerial competition last night. It's a huge strength of both their games and it's somewhere we'll have an advantage over other test sides.

Was thinking the same myself, I hope a real effort is made to give them a chance to develop, particularly with Byrne, with Stockdale it feels like a question of when not if he becomes a fixture in the side. I imagine the tactic in the opposition 22 would be to try and win a penalty through the forwards and go for a free play cross field.

prawnsambo

And now for something completely different...

Interested Observer

baas baa wrote: »

Was thinking the same myself, I hope a real effort is made to give them a chance to develop, particularly with Byrne, with Stockdale it feels like a question of when not if he becomes a fixture in the side. I imagine the tactic in the opposition 22 would be to try and win a penalty through the forwards and go for a free play cross field.

Stockdale has the potential to win a lot of caps, which I hope he does. Possibly the most exciting prospect Ireland have in the backs.

Erik Shin

Interested Observer wrote: »

Stockdale has the potential to win a lot of caps, which I hope he does. Possibly the most exciting prospect Ireland have in the backs.

He looks like a serious unit and could be a mainstay in the team for years if he continues his current trajectory

D14Rugby

Interested Observer wrote: »

Stockdale has the potential to win a lot of caps, which I hope he does. Possibly the most exciting prospect Ireland have in the backs.

whoa whoa whoa hold on a second there there's still the messiah and the messiah to contend with for that accolade.

Interested Observer

D14Rugby wrote: »

whoa whoa whoa hold on a second there there's still the messiah and the messiah to contend with for that accolade.

Ringrose isn't a prospect anymore, he's the real deal.

Carbery is up there too along with McCloskey.

CatFromHue

awec wrote: »

The still frame is really misleading. By the time Kearney gets the ball Piutau is across and comfortably has the outside covered. He even runs across with his arms out as if to say he has this covered, inviting Kearney to try it on the outside.

DK isn't going to bounce Piutau to get out of a tackle. If it was Aaron Cairns or someone there then yes, he should have a go, but in this case he made the right decision.

Yup.

DK is standing still when he gets the ball whereas the cover is running so they're the favourite to push him into touch if he goes for the corner.

Cutting inside is the smart option.