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

Wegians89

Shefwedfan wrote: »

T Farrell is not going to be in the WC squad. Why would they bench him?


They have loads of players who will be in WC squad and need time on pitch.

While there’s for obvious clear front running centers, 3 of them have already been hit with injuries in the six nations alone. The World Cup squad might be 31 players but you will need more than that. Few injuries in key positions could mean the likes of roux, carty, Tom Farrell, Ross Byrne, Adam Byrne, sweetnam etc could be included in a quarter final match day 23.

Some of them have already got capped and all of them have spent time with squads and are probably working with Schmidt but I’d rather a player got his first cap against a pretty poor Italian side than in a World Cup game with a huge amount riding on it.

Mr Tickle

Shefwedfan wrote: »

T Farrell is not going to be in the WC squad. Why would they bench him?


They have loads of players who will be in WC squad and need time on pitch.

Isn't he? all of our centres bar himself and Aki either are currently or have in the last month been injured.
even if we put him as the 6th choice (Aki, Chris, Henshaw, Addison, Ringrose in no particular order) and we travel with three then he's very much in the mix.

sydthebeat

Shefwedfan wrote: »

The 6 nations is the money generator for the IRFU..

whats the revenue difference between finishing 2nd and 5th?

Shefwedfan wrote: »

They are giving lots of minutes to players....Carberry/Roux etc have all got good time on pitch.

nah, there literally hasnt been ONE selection yet that wasnt injury enforced.

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Throwing in random players who won't even make the WC squad is pointless

but selecting reserves players who absolutely WILL be in the RWC squad and WILL be required at significant periods is absolutely not pointless.... which is what i at least am calling for.

Shefwedfan

case885 wrote: »

What's the difference out of interest?

This is from a few years ago, the pot is now 15 million but I think 1 million is kept in resere for a Grand slam and if no Grand Slam the 1 mil gets spilt up between all the unions





Grand Slam: £5.5m
1st: £4.5m
2nd: £3.3m
3rd: £2.3m
4th: £1.8m
5th: £1.3m
6th: £800,000


2 million is a few quid

thegreycity

Shefwedfan wrote: »

This is from a few years ago, the pot is now 15 million but I think 1 million is kept in resere for a Grand slam and if no Grand Slam the 1 mil gets spilt up between all the unions

I didn't realise there was a financial incentive to teams stopping a GS.

troyzer

Shefwedfan wrote: »

This is from a few years ago, the pot is now 15 million but I think 1 million is kept in resere for a Grand slam and if no Grand Slam the 1 mil gets spilt up between all the unions





Grand Slam: £5.5m
1st: £4.5m
2nd: £3.3m
3rd: £2.3m
4th: £1.8m
5th: £1.3m
6th: £800,000


2 million is a few quid

2 million is enough to pay for several of Munster's 487 South African imports.

RugbyLover123

Former Former wrote: »

Deserving a cap is an odd one because it's a zero sum game. T Farrell playing means two from C Farrell, Henshaw and Aki do not. I'm not sure he's earned that. Likewise Carty has been playing well but every minute he plays is a minute Carbery does not.

I honestly don’t see what C Farrell brings to the game that T Farrell can’t. Bar the cap V Wales last year TF has completely outperformed CF for a season and a half. So to say he hasn’t earned it is ridiculous.

Former Former

RugbyLover123 wrote: »

I honestly don’t see what C Farrell brings to the game that T Farrell can’t. Bar the cap V Wales last year TF has completely outperformed CF for a season and a half. So to say he hasn’t earned it is ridiculous.

Considering C Farrell got injured against Wales and missed nine months, I'd be concerned if T Farrell hadn't outperformed him.

I'm not saying TF is a bad player but that's what some people seem to be reading. It would be great if all good performers could be rewarded with caps but that's not how it works. You play well for your province, you get called up to the squad. That's what TF deserves and it's what he got. Some players move up to the next level, some don't. We'll have to see what happens with TF.

If he deserves to actually break into the team ahead of CF and Aki/Henshaw, then he'll get that too.

Shefwedfan

RugbyLover123 wrote: »

I honestly don’t see what C Farrell brings to the game that T Farrell can’t. Bar the cap V Wales last year TF has completely outperformed CF for a season and a half. So to say he hasn’t earned it is ridiculous.

The problem all the Connacht players have is the quality of opposition isn’t great to be compared to what the other 3 are playing against

Leinster have played the kids the majority of the Pro14 and are miles ahead of everyone else

It will great if they can get into heneiken cup next year and show what they can do

bilston

Any journos tweeting rumoured teams yet?

Usually at this stage in the tournament the team is more or less written in stone, but this selection could go anyway.

stephen_n

bilston wrote: »

Any journos tweeting rumoured teams yet?

Usually at this stage in the tournament the team is more or less written in stone, but this selection could go anyway.

Funny they’re so quiet, usually plenty of (accurate) guesses from Journalists in the last year or two.

troyzer

The only persistent rumour is that Sexton seems to be a dead cert to start.

Shefwedfan

troyzer wrote: »

The only persistent rumour is that Sexton seems to be a dead cert to start.

At the start of the tournament most of the jornalist on the podcast would have called Sexton to start in Italy.....with th eloss to Italy and the lack of game time against scotland I would say he is a cert

bilston

stephen_n wrote: »

Funny they’re so quiet, usually plenty of (accurate) guesses from Journalists in the last year or two.

Murray Kinsella usually makes a decent stab at it the night before the announcement.

stephen_n

bilston wrote: »

Murray Kinsella usually makes a decent stab at it the night before the announcement.

Nothing from him yet.

Former Former

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/seán-cronin-in-line-for-long-awaited-first-six-nations-start-in-rome-1.3802059

Wow. Didn't expect a team like that.

IRELAND (possible v Italy): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray; David Kilcoyne, Seán Cronin, Tadhg Furlong; Quinn Roux, Ultan Dillane; Peter O’Mahony (capt), Seán O’Brien, Jordi Murphy.

Replacements: Rory Best, Jack McGrath, John Ryan, Iain Henderson, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Jack Carty, Andrew Conway.

salmocab

Former Former wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/seán-cronin-in-line-for-long-awaited-first-six-nations-start-in-rome-1.3802059

Wow. Didn't expect a team like that.

IRELAND (possible v Italy): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray; David Kilcoyne, Seán Cronin, Tadhg Furlong; Quinn Roux, Ultan Dillane; Peter O’Mahony (capt), Seán O’Brien, Jordi Murphy.

Replacements: Rory Best, Jack McGrath, John Ryan, Iain Henderson, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Jack Carty, Andrew Conway.

Nice

awec

I genuinely do not understand why he'd pick Carty unless Carbery is injured.

thomond2006

Delighted for Carty, all other things aside.

Former Former

Biggest surprise is both Roux and Dillane starting together. Not that either isn't up to it but I don't think any of us thought we'd see that combo.

thomond2006

The pack gets an almost entire rotation while the backs are full strength. Interesting.

Andrew Conway gets in after a great showing last Friday.

Former Former

awec wrote: »

I genuinely do not understand why he'd pick Carty unless Carbery is injured.

Carbery is injured.

b.gud

awec wrote: »

I genuinely do not understand why he'd pick Carty unless Carbery is injured.

Tbh I'm more surprised at Dillane starting ahead of Henderson. We all know what Henderson is capable of but he hasn't played much rugby in a while so I would have thought he would want to start him and give him 60 minutes to get back up to speed with the plan being that he would come back in to partner Ryan in the France match.

It makes sense to have Carty on the bench. Schmidt might be planning on bringing 3 outhalves to the RWC and so he needs to decide if Carty or Byrne is his 3rd choice. He's had Byrne in camp and he's gotten a cap so he has an idea of what he's capable of. He's now had Carty in camp and thinks there's enough there to see how he give him a shot at doing it in the real thing.

Diabhal Beag

If Carty is truly benching it means he'll get 10 minutes. Carberry already showed what he can do against Scotland and if he keeps fit is guaranteed second choice OH.

Carty has played beyond anybody's wildest expectations in the last 18 months and absolute deserves a cap. My fear is that his first cap will be in August.

baas baa

If Conan is fit I'd be disappointed to see him miss out. He's the next best 8 we have, is still showing improvement and needs games at this level. Murphy is a good player but is a flanker and rarely starts at the back of the scrum. Conan has quiet days but he also has the ability to be a good no.8 at this level, considering he's the only no.8 of this type we've produced in over 10 years I think he'd be worth persevering with.

Jewelers

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

If Carty is truly benching it means he'll get 10 minutes. Carberry already showed what he can do against Scotland and if he keeps fit is guaranteed second choice OH.

Carty has played beyond anybody's wildest expectations in the last 18 months and absolute deserves a cap. My fear is that his first cap will be in August.

why 10 mins ? , sexton will go off at 55 or get injured

Utopia Parkway

Shefwedfan wrote: »

The problem all the Connacht players have is the quality of opposition isn’t great to be compared to what the other 3 are playing against

Connacht had Sale and Bordeaux Begles in their pool in the Challenge Cup. Sale have pretty much been mid table in England all season. Bordeaux Begles are 5th in the Top 14. There are worse English and French teams in the Champions Cup this season than those two.

stephen_n

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

If Carty is truly benching it means he'll get 10 minutes. Carberry already showed what he can do against Scotland and if he keeps fit is guaranteed second choice OH.

Carty has played beyond anybody's wildest expectations in the last 18 months and absolute deserves a cap. My fear is that his first cap will be in August.

If he only gets 10 mins that would mean we are struggling, which I can’t see happening. If the game is wrapped up by 50 mins he’ll be on then.

Wegians89

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Connacht had Sale and Bordeaux Begles in their pool in the Challenge Cup. Sale have pretty much been mid table in England all season. Bordeaux Begles are 5th in the Top 14. There are worse English and French teams in the Champions Cup this season than those two.

But in fairness Connacht could rotate for those matches. Simple fact is challenge cup isn’t the same level as champions cup and any team in it will be at a disadvantage in getting players selected for international squads.

Saying that though the likes of Tom farrrell, carty and roux have been selected for Ireland, do the provincial side of the argument should fall away. It’s up the the players now to show what they’re worth in train

Buer

Really interesting selection if it comes to pass which has some curious suggestions for the RWC 31 man squad. I don't think Thornley will have it 100%. He often has one or two mistakes/changes and with this number of changes, it would be likely.

I don't know why we wouldn't start John Ryan here. He needs the start much more than Furlong and is an able deputy. On the other side, Kilcoyne deserves his start hugely. Interesting that Cronin gets the nod to start finally (unbelievable that this is his first ever 6N start). There was a line of thinking that Scannell would come into the starting line up if Best was out as Cronin was better off the bench but this disrupts that thinking.

By far the most interesting selection is the second row. They both handsomely deserve their starts but I think most will be very surprised given that both Henderson and Beirne are available. It really puts the cat amongst the pigeons for that 4th lock spot for the RWC squad. Beirne is clear frontrunnner given his flexibility but this selection suggests nothing is in concrete yet.

The back row appears very much a selection with the RWC in mind if Murphy gets the nod. He hasn't played 8 this season and Conan has been selected ahead of him for Ireland multiple times in the past 12 months. But Murphy offers that extra level of flexibility and, if he shows he can still deliver at 8, Conan's already slim chances of making the RWC will disappear.

The back line is much of a muchness. I expected Henshaw to be in there somewhere, potentially at 23 but it appears he's on the outside at this point. If we actually take injuries into account, the bench is very unexciting and appears to be pretty much as strong as they could go with outside of Cian Healy. Carty, Conway and Cooney are all present because of injuries/recovery for others, it seems.