‘Emerging’ Ireland LiteAce Tour '22 v Griquas Sep30 12:45, v Pumas Oct5 4pm, v Cheetahs Oct9 12pm KO

ionadnapokot

Game 1: Griquas v Emerging Ireland

Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, Friday Sep 30th (kick-off 1.45pm local time/12.45pm Irish time)

Ref: TBC

Game 2: Pumas v Emerging Ireland

Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, Wednesday, October 5 (kick-off 5pm local time/4pm Irish time)

Ref: TBC

Game 3: Cheetahs v Emerging Ireland

Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, Sunday, October 9 (1pm local time/12pm Irish time)

Ref: TBC

"It is hoped that all three Emerging Ireland fixtures will be available via a livestream on IrishRugby.ie – details to follow."

https://www.irishrugby.ie/2022/09/25/emerging-ireland-squad-departs-for-bloemfontein/

The 35-34 man panel includes four 3 Test-capped players

Coached by the national defence coach Simon Easterby. With Paul O’Connell, Mike Catt and John Fogarty

Backs (15) –

Robert Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster) *

Caolin Blade (Galwegians/Connacht) *

Ben Murphy (Leinster/Clontarf)

Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Shane Daly (Cork Constitution/Munster) *

Nathan Doak (Banbridge/Ulster)

Jake Flannery (Ballynahinch/Ulster)

Antoine Frisch (Munster)

Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)

Cathal Forde (Connacht/Corinthians)

Michael McDonald (Ulster)

Ethan McIlroy (Ballynahinch/Ulster)

Stewart Moore (Malone/Ulster)

Chay Mullins (Connacht/IQ Rugby)

Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)

Jamie Osbourne (Naas/Leinster)

Andrew Smith (Clontarf/Leinster)

Forwards (20) (19) –

Tom Ahern (Shannon/Munster)

Diarmuid Barron (Garryowen/Munster)

Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster)

James Culhane (UCD/Leinster)

Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster) *

Brian Deeny (Clontarf/Leinster)

John Hodnett (UCC/Munster)

Sam Illo (Buccaneers/Connacht)

Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch/Ulster)

Alex Kendellen (UCC/Munster)

Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)

Michael Milne (UCD/Leinster)

Scott Penny (UCD/Leinster)

Cian Prendergast (Connacht)

Callum Reid (Banbridge/Ulster)

Roman Salonoa (Shannon/Munster)

Alex Soroka (Clontarf/Leinster)

David McCann (Ulster/Banbridge)

Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster)

Dylan Tierney-Martin (Galway Corinthians/Connacht)

Josh Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster)

* Capped for Ireland

Dubinusa

It's looking ill already! Great idea, poorly executed. We'll not learn too much about anyone in this tour.

phog

I hope the IRU don't crap on Connacht now by calling up players that went to SA for their URC games and keep some there as replacements for the emerging Ireland tour.

ionadnapokot

https://www.irishrugby.ie/2022/09/26/emerging-ireland-squad-meet-the-players/

I see Daly is listed as a centre and Osborne as a back three player. I dont think he's ever played wing or fb for Leinster. Would be interesting to see him there.

Potential backline: Osbourne, Baloucoune, Daly, Moore, McIlroy, Crowley, Doak

Two left footed kicking options with Osborne and Moore. Daly is decent enough with boot.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666771#Comment_119666771

Leinster have definitely pushed Osborne back to 15 a few times (as recently as the Zebre game a fortnight ago), but I don't know if he's started a senior game there for Leinster. He obviously played a lot of his underage rugby and U20 rugby there though.

The logical thinking would be to pick Shane Daly there (what looks his best position) and pick Osborne at thirteen though you'd think?

Zeugnis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666771#Comment_119666771

Osborne has started at FB against Edinburgh early this year, and may have been put in there off the bench on other occasions.

KBurke85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666734#Comment_119666734

The way Connacht are playing let them call up as many players as they like. Might help improve them

ionadnapokot

Confirmed that games will be streamed on irfu website

https://www.irishrugby.ie/2022/09/27/emerging-ireland-matches-to-be-streamed-on-irishrugby-ie/

ionadnapokot

Team named this afternoon.

https://www.irishrugby.ie/gallery/emerging-ireland-squad-get-down-to-business-in-bloemfontein/

My guess

Backs (15) –

14.Robert Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster) *

Caolin Blade (Galwegians/Connacht) *

Ben Murphy (Leinster/Clontarf)

10.Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)

13.Shane Daly (Cork Constitution/Munster) *

9.Nathan Doak (Banbridge/Ulster)

22.Jake Flannery (Ballynahinch/Ulster)

Antoine Frisch (Munster)

Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)

Cathal Forde (Connacht/Corinthians)

21.Michael McDonald (Ulster)

11.Ethan McIlroy (Ballynahinch/Ulster)

12.Stewart Moore (Malone/Ulster)

Chay Mullins (Connacht/IQ Rugby)

23.Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)

15.Jamie Osbourne (Naas/Leinster)

Andrew Smith (Clontarf/Leinster)

Forwards (20) (19) –

4.Tom Ahern (Shannon/Munster)

2.Diarmuid Barron (Garryowen/Munster)

Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster)

James Culhane (UCD/Leinster)

8.Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster) *

Brian Deeny (Clontarf/Leinster)

20.John Hodnett (UCC/Munster)

18.Sam Illo (Buccaneers/Connacht)

19.Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch/Ulster)

Alex Kendellen (UCC/Munster)

5.Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)

Michael Milne (UCD/Leinster)

7.Scott Penny (UCD/Leinster)

6.Cian Prendergast (Connacht)

17.Callum Reid (Banbridge/Ulster)

3.Roman Salonoa (Shannon/Munster)

Alex Soroka (Clontarf/Leinster)

David McCann (Ulster/Banbridge)

16.Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster)

Dylan Tierney-Martin (Galway Corinthians/Connacht)

1.Josh Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster)

* Capped for Ireland

Paul Smeenus

Griquas have named seven debutantes in their team. It's a Griquas "B" team.

Griquas – 15 Malcolm Jaer, 14 Raegan Oranje, 13 Jay-Cee Nel, 12 Tertius Kruger, 11 Luther Obi, 10 Eddie Fouché, 9 Bobby Alexander, 8 Janco Venter, 7 Werner Gouws, 6 Niel Otto, 5 Albert Liebenberg, 4 Johan Retief, 3 Justin Forwood, 2 Simon Westraadt, 1 Kudzwai Dube.

Replacements – 16 Janco Uys, 17 Melusi Mthabela, 18 Janu Botha, 19 Godfrey Muzanargwo, 20 Michael Amiras, 21 Johan Mulder, 22 George Whitehead, 23 Ashlon Davids, 24 Francois Staples, 25 Thabo Ndimande, 26 Vaughen Isaacs.

Paul Smeenus

Team.

pickarooney

That TH prop when the hardware shop sales assistant if he needs any help: I'm Justin Forwood

TRC10

So the Griquas are fielding a B team. Just when you thought this tour couldn't become even more of a farce.

But yeah, we'll learn way more about Baloucoune, Doak and Stewart from playing in this, than we would from them playing against Leinster.

RichieRich_89

What does Baloucoune on the left wing rather than the right mean for his Ireland chances?

Are they happy with Hansen and Conway as right wing options, and unsure of Lowe's and Stockdale's likelihood of being uninjured?

shoutman

Is Alex Soroka injured or whats the story with him down as a scratch?

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119681334#Comment_119681334

From a South African article on the tour that I read a few weeks ago. Emerging Ireland vs Griquas and Pumas are friendlies while the game v Cheetahs is a challenge game with significant prize money to the winner paid by the sponsor (probably significant to Cheetahs rather than significant to the IRFU).

bilston

End of the day there'll be some decent rugby to watch on a Friday lunchtime. Nice way to enter the weekend I guess.

Also a lot of these guys are going to be Ireland players post 2023 so it's a look into the future

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119681334#Comment_119681334

Doak and Stewart would be on the bench tomorrow so I think we actually will learn more about them.

As for Baloucoune, he's exactly where he needs to be.

Dubinusa

Who'd have thought Max Deegan would be involved in this? After 2016, I thought he'd be a fairly regular international.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119681334#Comment_119681334

And instead of having Tom ahern and hodnett in wales last we forced POM and Beirne back into action this early in the season.

I cant see this tour doing anything for the players that have travelled except maybe Jack Crowley but lets be honest he is behind a long list of players and standout performances here wont change anything.

Farce is being polite.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119682533#Comment_119682533

20 mins against the best team in the world in a competitive fixture or 60 minutes against the Second string players of a shite team in a friendly with a patchwork team?

Sure we will learn plenty alright.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119683139#Comment_119683139

I guess it depends who "we" is.

If you're talking about yourself as a randomer who thinks international selection depends only on the 80 minutes you see on a Friday night, then no, "we" won't learn much.

If you're talking about the people who actually pick the team and want to see as much of these players as possible, then "we" will learn loads for seeing them day in, day out for two weeks.

Deramore

Except the person who picks the team hasn’t bothered going to South Africa

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119683285#Comment_119683285

Do you think that if Simon Easterby and Paul O'Connell come back from SA absolutely raving about a young forward, Farrell is just going to shrug and say he wasn't there?

phog

Just a pity that Andy Farrell couldn't/wouldn't go to see these lads perform day in, day out for the two weeks.

Former Former Former

Some people will only see the negative in absolutely everything

That doesn't mean it won't be valuable.

Why didn't Andy Farrell travel? What else could he be possibly doing? I do wonder what do national coaches do for most of the year

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119683325#Comment_119683325

There are two interpros this week and next. Maybe he'll be watching those.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119683336#Comment_119683336

Is that because maybe the interpros are more important than a sham tour?

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119683308#Comment_119683308

Value is relative.

It might be valuable to some third and fourth choice players who might only be playing AIL this week, but its certainly not valuable to the clubs that had to make significant changes last week or to the players that would be in the matchday 23 for interpros this week and next week.

ionadnapokot

Sooo...Anyone know much about Brian Deeney? Is he more of a tight 5 player or can he play a bit?

Intrigued to know more about Frich. With his appearance on this tour I am assuming Farrell must have had some say in him coming to Munster.