World cup 2027. Were do Ireland go?

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121246488#Comment_121246488

Lowe should stay for the short term. But he's really not as good as Hanson, imo. I doubt he makes the next world cup.

bilston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121246751#Comment_121246751

Back in 2020 2021 Ireland weren't getting great results in the 6Ns and plenty of people were calling for Farrell's head. All the while the players were saying "don't panic we know what we're doing"...it turns out they did know what they were doing, they were blooding players and most importantly coming up with a new style of game.

The point being if many had had their way Farrell and Catt etc would have been sscked half way through that process amd who knows where we would be now.

So it's easy to say "don't worry about winning this game or that" but the reality coaches can't think like that.

As for all that matters to the SH is winning the WC, I'd disagree, SA very much care about beating NZ and NZ very much care about the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup, that's why the win it virtually every year.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121246630#Comment_121246630

Ulster: postlethwaite; McNabney, Wilson, Sheridan and McLoughlin.

Connacht: Gavin; Matt Devine, Kilgallan.

Munster : Quinn, Gleeson, Campbell, Hadden, Evan O'Connell..

Leinster: Boyle, Culhane, King, Sam P, Mangan, Brownlee.

There are more. These lads are mostly year 2 or have been signed.

bilston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121246873#Comment_121246873

Whatever happened to Patrick Campbell at Munster? Was he injured last season?

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121246873#Comment_121246873

sorry should have been clearer, I was talking in regards to potential Lowe replacements.

Id add in John Devine, Chay Mullins and Fiachna Barrett talking overall prospects for Connacht

jmayo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121242237#Comment_121242237

Guess it is up to Connacht to go fine some class players down under again.

One thing noticed in threads around here is how quick people are to dump Aki for next 6Ns.

Probably our player of the tournament and it is shag off for yourself, whereas some of the overrated are of course included for another season.

Maybe it has something to do with where they play.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121246924#Comment_121246924

As far as Lowe goes, I do not know. He's a good player, but not anywhere world class. He does have a good left boot and he's big. Stockdale is an option, I don't rate him. Very poor defensively. There's nobody on the horizon right now in my opinion. Mad as it might sound, Keenan could be sensational on the wing. No sense in moving a great fb though.

It's a problem for us. Conway is getting too old. Lowe is the best option right now.

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121246957#Comment_121246957

JOB could be an option on the left. Would keep the left boot option. If Jamie Osbourne or Cathal Forde push on they could be left boots from midfield.

I think Mack is more dangerous starting on the left wing so could see that happen

Dubinusa

If only Larmour didn't have mares with garryowens, we'd be flying.

Our backline is fairly slow. Henshaw has no real pace, McCloskey either. Lowe is slow and Sexton has lost a couple of yards, age being a factor.

This 6 nations is too soon to be changing up too much but, Keenan and Ringrose are locked in, Hanson too, imo. There's scope to look at a 12 and other wings over the next couple of years.

Dick phelan

4 years is a long time in sport. Probably someone at the next WC nobody is even thinking about now. Didn't France have a 20 year old on the wing last night for example.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121247051#Comment_121247051

True! The mindset and squad changes coming down the pike will be interesting.

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121247047#Comment_121247047

I think Bundee will be nailed on for the 6 nations given his form. There’s a tour to South Africa in the summer, so don’t expect too much change until the lions tour summer

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121247068#Comment_121247068

Yes. But he'll be done fairly soon. 33 already. There's no chance he's holding the jersey for this entire cycle.

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121247075#Comment_121247075

I’d expect him to give the lions tour a go tbh and then call it a day.

I have a bad feeling that Henshaw could be quicker to go. The injuries are constant

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121246950#Comment_121246950

Aki is only contracted to the end of the season, right? How many games did he play for Connaucht last season and how many will he play this season? Given his age and miles on the clock, I don't think he should get another contract. Let him go out on a high instead of potentially over-staying and fizzling out. Connacht would be better off longterm backing Forde as first choice 12.

Sorry but saying maybe it has something to do with where he plays just sounds like self pity. At top level international rugby, there is no room for sentimentality, particularly immediately after another WC disappointment. There are certain guys who wont make the next WC due to age but can be transitioned out over the next two years. We have good options at centre and need to be trying out guys, can't afford to be giving gametime to a guy in his mid 30s. Same applies to POM, great player but we need to be looking forward, not back.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121247092#Comment_121247092

Henshaw has a poor injury history. But so does Ringrose. Time will tell.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121247117#Comment_121247117

I agree. POM has accomplished all he can. Time to try another player. Aki will be kept in for the 6nations.

This next Lions tour is a joke. It should be scrapped. Oz are dreadful.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121247160#Comment_121247160

We need Aki for our 6N opener in the SdF but somebody else should be getting a run out the following week against Italy. Rebuilding starts then.

johnnyskeleton

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121242125#Comment_121242125

Just for fun, you understand:

1. Josh Wycherely
2. Dan Sheehan
3. Andrew Porter
4. Ryan Baird
5. James Ryan
6. Gavin Coombes
7. Cian Prendergast
8. Caelan Doris
9. Nathan Doake
10. Sam Prendergast
11. Robert Balacoune
12. Jamie Osbourne
13. Gary Ringrose
14. Mack Hansen
15. Hugo Keenan

I think of the current squad, Sheehan, Porter, Ryan, Doris, Ringrose and Keenan are almost certainly tacked on for the next world cup. Furlong, Beirne, O'Mahony, Conan, JGP, Sexton, Lowe and Aki are almost certainly going to be replaced. Josh Van Der Flier and Hansen I'm not so sure about. But definitely new blood is required, and I think the first step is to introduce them in the next 6 nations, and not just for the weaker matches, but also against France.

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121241263#Comment_121241263

This has been a big issue since it was clear JS would stay on through this World Cup. He was NEVER going to last every game of the entire tournament and him starting even against SA, Scotland and then knockouts was always massively risky. Seeing him stay on the other night while he stood static and shipped ball to pods like it was 2013 was a major indictment of our prep. No one is a better 10 is an answer to a different question than the real question which is, has his deputy had the preparation he needs? Obviously not is the answer.

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121247286#Comment_121247286

Would it be risky moving Porter back to tight head at this stage? Could see the benefits to it with a lack of top class tight head prospects coming through.

Think Joe McCarthy will be starting and Paddy would be a higher prospect than Wycherley.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121247286#Comment_121247286

Cannot see Wycherly getting capped. He's not very good. Boyle may get there or Milne.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121247286#Comment_121247286

Gavin Coombes likely won't make it. Quinn and Gleeson are coming in fairly quickly. Then there's Soroka. Coombes will be lucky to make it to double digit caps.

Dubinusa

For a laugh

1. Boyle

2. Kelleher

3. Wilson

4. Ryan

5. McCarthy

6. Prendergast

7. Hodnett

8. Gleeson

9. Devine

10. Crowley

11. King

12. Postlethwaite

13. Ringrose

14. Hanson

15. Keenan

Subs, Sheehan, Porter, O'Toole, Niall Murray, Culhane, Doak, Hb, Osbourne.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121246887#Comment_121246887

yep injured alot over the last while unfortunately

Podge_irl

Ireland's problem was not squad depth, this is a completely stupid argument. I refuse to believe that anyone here would have suggested the 23 that took to the field on Saturday was not the correct one.

We were a held up try away from winning. This is nothing like previous QF exits - it was a high level game that we came out the wrong side of. If anything I would argue that our issue was clearly our defence of short kicks in midfield that was obviously something highlighted and focused in on by NZ. That and the try off first phase from the lineout which frankly are all absolute staple Joe Schmidt moves.

Sexton's backups got plenty of gametime in the warm ups (spoiler alert, they weren't great). Could Crowley have come on earlier? Yeah maybe, but Farrell can't magic him having a couple more years experience. It was already AF that picked him out from the depth charts to start against Aus in Nov.

The issue out there on Saturday was execution - primarily in defence. We were then chasing the game. At half time I would have sworn we were going to win, but the Jordan try killed us. Again, that was an issue at lineout time in defence that was clearly spotted. These are small margins.

You'd swear being world number 1 for a year and going 17 tests unbeaten was an objectively bad thing reading here sometimes. Also everyone is just hitting their favourite talkpoints about the team, no idea what on earth any of it has to do with the actual match we lost by 4 points. If you wanted to be really harsh you'd say the main issue was POC's coaching (I don't think it was, we played at 90% when we needed 91%) but instead we're inundated with comments about rotating more during 6N and discussions about squad depth.

I am absolutely heartbroken, but none of this has anything to do with the actual reasons we lost.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121247591#Comment_121247591

stop making perfect and rational sense, this thread is clearly for hyperbolic nonsense and nothing else

i would disagree that ireland were at 90% though, i do think they were at about 70% compared to recent results - which goes to show just how high the standards are now since they still played relatively well

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121247708#Comment_121247708

I think the margins are too high at international level for that to have been 70%, but sure it's all semantics. We were definitely off our top form, and we have definitely won games in the last year playing at that level. It was just **** opposition to hit with that happening, and we were still super, super close.

I think what is being missed is that I know that teams in the past would have absolutely let that game go. We were well off our best and had the win in our hands at the final whistle.