Ireland Team Talk X: The Long Hard Road to a Semi. MOD WARNING POSTS #1, #1474, #5707

Burkie1203

troyzer wrote: »

And turn down a huge pay day?

Might be one Op too far. Just wonder if he might decide to just get himself right and enjoy life.

Andy Dunne spoke on newstalk today about this. Each Op just takes that little bit away. LI might push for him to go over as they try to reconnect with the diaspora over there

Dunne also reckons Conan is now the best 8 we have by a distance and needs to be our 8 going into RWC. He also floated the idea of Beirne at 6

Interested Observer

Burkie1203 wrote: »

He also floated the idea of Beirne at 6

In the real world does anyone thing POM won't start against Scotland and Japan?

Faugheen

JJJackal wrote: »

I agree that Bowe, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, O'Connell and Heaslip were some of our best players ever.

However, would you prefer the younger replacements stockdale, two of henshaw, ringrose and aki, james ryan and stander or a pre-retirement yet still very good Bowe, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, O'Connell and Heaslip?

Heaslip over Stander every day of the week.

‘Pre-retirement’ Heaslip was nominated for World Player of the Year. We’ll never have a number 8 like him in our lifetime.

AbusesToilets

Faugheen wrote: »

Heaslip over Stander every day of the week.

‘Pre-retirement’ Heaslip was nominated for World Player of the Year. We’ll never have a number 8 like him in our lifetime.

Heaslip was much more.complete player, had it all. Shame that he wasn't used more with ball in hand as the years went on.

Neil3030

AbusesToilets wrote: »

Heaslip was much more.complete player, had it all. Shame that he wasn't used more with ball in hand as the years went on.

Does he make it far past 30 in his career if he carries more though?

AbusesToilets

Neil3030 wrote: »

Does he make it far past 30 in his career if he carries more though?

Dunno, I always thought he was more in mold of Keiran Read, good as a link man, as opposed to smashing it up.

It's one feature of Conan's game that I like, his footwork and effort to attack soft shoulders, instead of running into walls.

Jump_In_Jack

Wegians89 wrote: »

Healy kilcoyne McGrath
Best scannell croinin herrring
Furlong porter Ryan bealham

Ryan Henderson Toner roux dillane beirne

Pom ruddock
Vdf Murphy sob
Stander Conan deegan

Murray marmion cooney McGrath/blade
Sexton carbery carty Byrne

Ringrose bundee henshaw C Farrell T Farrell

Stockdale earls larmour Kearney Conway Addison? Sweetnam

O'Brien being out now leaves a space, and Addison won't be able to train until later in the summer so probably won't be included in a preliminary squad which would leave another space.
I think Luke McGrath would get in before Caolin Blade.
I'd add another back-row and a centre,
so, someone like Sean Reidy or Jack O'Donoghue that can cover openside flanker,
and Stuart McCloskey as another centre.
I think Roux was sick with a virus recently, so if he's not fit to train I think they could take the opportunity to bring in Jean Kleyn to have a look at him.

bilston

Stuart McCloskey has been excellent this season and must have a real chance of getting into the extended squad. I'd also throw a returned Luke Marshall and Eric O'Sullivan into the mix as possibilities, just from my own biased Ulster POV.

Jump_In_Jack

bilston wrote: »

Stuart McCloskey has been excellent this season and must have a real chance of getting into the extended squad. I'd also throw a returned Luke Marshall and Eric O'Sullivan into the mix as possibilities, just from my own biased Ulster POV.

Certainly Eric O'Sullivan is a possibility, not so sure about Luke Marshall.

Clegg

The Indo have published their top 50 rugby players in Ireland. All click bait of course, but it's still funny looking where they rank players. The top 5 is correct but the rest is a lot woolier. Beirne being in the top 10 for example is a very odd call.

Here's the top 20:

1. James Ryan
2. Cian Healy
3. Jack Conan
4. Keity Earls
5. Scott Fardy
6. Jacob Stockdale
7. Tadhg Beirne
8. Jack Carty
9. James Lowe
10. Jordan Larmour
11. Marcell Coetzee
12. CJ Stander
13. Devin Toner
14. Iain Henderson
15. Jonathan Sexton
16. Garry Ringrose
17. Sean Cronin
18. John Cooney
19. Tadhg Furlong
20. Peter O'Mahony

Exclamation Marc

Clegg wrote: »

The Indo have published their top 50 rugby players in Ireland. All click bait of course, but it's still funny looking where they rank players. The top 5 is correct but the rest is a lot woolier. Beirne being in the top 10 for example is a very odd call.

Here's the top 20:

1. James Ryan
2. Cian Healy
3. Jack Conan
4. Keity Earls
5. Scott Fardy
6. Jacob Stockdale
7. Tadhg Beirne
8. Jack Carty
9. James Lowe
10. Jordan Larmour
11. Marcell Coetzee
12. CJ Stander
13. Devin Toner
14. Iain Henderson
15. Jonathan Sexton
16. Garry Ringrose
17. Sean Cronin
18. John Cooney
19. Tadhg Furlong
20. Peter O'Mahony

The World Player of the Year is behind 14 other players in Ireland alone - That alone shows the nonsense in this.

Former Former

https://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/50-top-rugby-players-in-ireland-who-was-the-best-performer-this-season-38151290.html

Full list. It's only a bit of fun but Tadhg Beirne gets some amount of media hype that is totally unrelated to his actual performances.

Sexton at 15 is about right IMO

Can one of you joyless nerds explain this quote about James Ryan?

Joyless nerds might pummel one with stats but feeling is key; on his knees, twice; once carrying, making ground, another time tackling. Even when half the man, still some man.

He's only been on his knees twice...?

AdamD

Deleted User wrote: »

Can one of you joyless nerds explain this quote about James Ryan?



He's only been on his knees twice...?

The funny thing is joyless nerds and their stats would confirm that James Ryan is the best player in the country by a distance.

baas baa

Based purely on the past season Carty should be in the top 3.

Mr Tickle

https://www.the42.ie/connacht-trio-barbarian-squad-to-face-england-at-twickenham-4655688-May2019/

interesting that Callum Sheedy is named in the England team there. He's IQ through his parents.This is a non test match but it could be a sign of intent from England.
He's very young and would make a nice addition to one of the provinces if he could be tempted over.
That said, if he's probably on very good money at Bristol and may have no interest in representing Ireland.

Bazzo

Mr Tickle wrote: »

https://www.the42.ie/connacht-trio-barbarian-squad-to-face-england-at-twickenham-4655688-May2019/

interesting that Callum Sheedy is named in the England team there. He's IQ through his parents.This is a non test match but it could be a sign of intent from England.
He's very young and would make a nice addition to one of the provinces if he could be tempted over.
That said, if he's probably on very good money at Bristol and may have no interest in representing Ireland.

He's been on the radar of a lot of people people for a good while so you'd have to imagine that there have been unsuccessful offers from the provinces.

joseywhales

How do you not have Furlong and sexton in your top 5?!

The Lost Sheep

Mr Tickle wrote: »

https://www.the42.ie/connacht-trio-barbarian-squad-to-face-england-at-twickenham-4655688-May2019/

interesting that Callum Sheedy is named in the England team there. He's IQ through his parents.This is a non test match but it could be a sign of intent from England.
He's very young and would make a nice addition to one of the provinces if he could be tempted over.
That said, if he's probably on very good money at Bristol and may have no interest in representing Ireland.

He's came up here a lot. He is IQ and has represented Ireland at under 19. Dont see him coming here. He is not 24 until later n the year but cant see him being tempted over when he gets enough game time over there

bilston

Looks like a 12 month deal for Kearney.

It makes sense for the simple reason he is still Ireland's best full back, never mind Leinster's.

That said we need to find an alternative sooner rather than later. Be that Larmour or someone else.

troyzer

bilston wrote: »

Looks like a 12 month deal for Kearney.

It makes sense for the simple reason he is still Ireland's best full back, never mind Leinster's.

That said we need to find an alternative sooner rather than later. Be that Larmour or someone else.

I'd be interested in seeing more of Stockdale there. It'll be really tough to squeeze him and Lowe in unless Stockdale moves to fullback.

Squidgy Black

troyzer wrote: »

I'd be interested in seeing more of Stockdale there. It'll be really tough to squeeze him and Lowe in unless Stockdale moves to fullback.

Earls is 31, soon to be 32 and only contracted up until 2021.

By the time Lowe becomes IQ towards the end of 2020, there'll have been plenty of changes in the squad in terms of personnel more than likely, especially considering it'll be the 6N in 2021 before he'll first get a game as he arrived half way through the November Internationals

troyzer

Squidgy Black wrote: »

troyzer wrote: »

I'd be interested in seeing more of Stockdale there. It'll be really tough to squeeze him and Lowe in unless Stockdale moves to fullback.

Earls is 31, soon to be 32 and only contracted up until 2021.

By the time Lowe becomes IQ towards the end of 2020, there'll have been plenty of changes in the squad in terms of personnel more than likely, especially considering it'll be the 6N in 2021 before he'll first get a game as he arrived half way through the November Internationals

Lowe is a left wing though and I see Larmour on the right going forward if fullback doesn't work out.

Wegians89

troyzer wrote: »

Lowe is a left wing though and I see Larmour on the right going forward if fullback doesn't work out.

Stockdale at 15 and Lowe and larmour on the wings sounds mouth watering

troyzer

Wegians89 wrote: »

troyzer wrote: »

Lowe is a left wing though and I see Larmour on the right going forward if fullback doesn't work out.

Stockdale at 15 and Lowe and larmour on the wings sounds mouth watering

That's what I'm thinking of. That would be the best back three in world rugby with another year or two development from Stockdale and Larmour.

Utah_Saint

troyzer wrote: »

That's what I'm thinking of. That would be the best back three in world rugby with another year or two development from Stockdale and Larmour.

Not sure I fancy Stockdale at fullback...I know he's played there a few times but he's pretty much been Irelands best wing ever in a few short years. I wouldn't want to upset that to squeeze in others. Stockdale has the attributes to be a great fullback but at the moment he's a world class wing...

The Parish King

I know it’s probably well known at this stage, but the training squad is due to be announced this afternoon.

No details of squad size have been announced yet, but Nucifora did mention 45+ in an interview last week (seems slightly excessive compared to other nations’, but I’m sure it fits with Joe’s master plan!).

Former Former

Wegians89 wrote: »

Stockdale at 15 and Lowe and larmour on the wings sounds mouth watering

Well, there would be plenty of tries anyway. Problem is they'd be going in both directions.

JJJackal

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

He's came up here a lot. He is IQ and has represented Ireland at under 19. Dont see him coming here. He is not 24 until later n the year but cant see him being tempted over when he gets enough game time over there

Which province would he get game time at?

Leinster X (Sexton, Byrne)
Munster X (Carberry, Hanrahan, Bleyendaal)
Connacht X (Carty, Fitzgerald, Horwitz)
Ulster possible (Burns, Johnston, McPhillips, Curtis)

So he would offer competition to Carty at Connacht and could challenge Burns and McPhillips in Ulster (both of whom were probably in similar situations to Sheedy in terms of IQ)

Jump_In_Jack

The Parish King wrote: »

I know it’s probably well known at this stage, but the training squad is due to be announced this afternoon.

No details of squad size have been announced yet, but Nucifora did mention 45+ in an interview last week (seems slightly excessive compared to other nations’, but I’m sure it fits with Joe’s master plan!).

It was Gerry Thornley that stated it would be a preliminary squad of 45-plus.
He's usually on the ball with these things.
It makes sense to me, injuries could occur in training or in the warm-ups, and we need to have a few players on standby to come in, it's totally unpredictable what position may become a problem position, for example, not long ago we had Leavy, O'Brien, Van der Flier and Jordi Murphy all vying for the openside flanker position, then we had to put CJ Stander there in the 6 Nations.