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

Steve

Continuing on from the previous thread....

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Buer

snowflaker wrote: »

Pro 12 final 2016

Yeah but do you remember that try he scored against the Ospreys in 2007?

He has to be picked.

brinty

So can i ask what Tiarnan O'Halloran has done that he's undeserving of getting in the squad...
Surely if Zebo is gone, Joe should be looking at O'Halloran, Conway and Carbery at filling the 15 jersey
Kearney will be closer to 34 come RWC '19 and is barely staying fit at present so its time to groom a new 15

snowflaker

brinty wrote: »

So can i ask what Tiarnan O'Halloran has done that he's undeserving of getting in the squad...
Surely if Zebo is gone, Joe should be looking at O'Halloran, Conway and Carbery at filling the 15 jersey
Kearney will be closer to 34 come RWC '19 and is barely staying fit at present so its time to groom a new 15

💯

awec

The only other realistic option for full back is O'Halloran and there are two issues with this:

1. He's not even in the squad
2. If he played it would be three newbies in the back three. Never going to happen.

Kearney is not the future but he has a job to do to keep the two guys beside him right. No problem with this selection, we can worry about the transition at 15 when the transition at 11/14 is a bit more developed.

thomond2006

brinty wrote: »

So can i ask what Tiarnan O'Halloran has done that he's undeserving of getting in the squad...

And that's me done for the day.

Buer

brinty wrote: »

So can i ask what Tiarnan O'Halloran has done that he's undeserving of getting in the squad...

It has been done to death weeks ago....when the squad was named.

aloooof

brinty wrote: »

So can i ask what Tiarnan O'Halloran has done that he's undeserving of getting in the squad...
Surely if Zebo is gone, Joe should be looking at O'Halloran, Conway and Carbery at filling the 15 jersey
Kearney will be closer to 34 come RWC '19 and is barely staying fit at present so its time to groom a new 15

And Payne is likely in consideration too once back from injury. Personally, I'd have Tiernan O'Halloran in there, but Joe obviously doesn't fancy him for whatever reason.

snowflaker

Still won’t put me off Cheering him on in the Aviva Saturday

MJohnston

brinty wrote: »

So can i ask what Tiarnan O'Halloran has done that he's undeserving of getting in the squad...
Surely if Zebo is gone, Joe should be looking at O'Halloran, Conway and Carbery at filling the 15 jersey
Kearney will be closer to 34 come RWC '19 and is barely staying fit at present so its time to groom a new 15

This has been done to death, but here's the leading, most reasonable theory - we have a backline where 3 out of 5 players are if not uncapped then extremely new to Irish squads. Henshaw-Aki is also a really untested pairing (for Ireland). So it makes a lot of sense to have an experienced head in there somewhere, and Kearney is that experienced head, given the alternatives.

brinty

thomond2006 wrote: »

And that's me done for the day.

Oh i'm sorry i wasn't online checking weeks ago. :rolleyes:
Its a genuine and honest question no need for smart arse replies like this.

irishbucsfan

Right lads. Time for the BIG prediction.

How many seconds during the anthem will the cameras spend on Bundee Aki?

The anthem is about 90 seconds long. I'm going to guess 10 seconds on Aki. About 17 seconds on Aki and Stander combined.

MJohnston

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Right lads. Time for the BIG prediction.

How many seconds during the anthem will the cameras spend on Bundee Aki?

The anthem is about 90 seconds long. I'm going to guess 10 seconds on Aki. About 17 seconds on Aki and Stander combined.

Two anthems at home, double your fun. It'd be great if they could have a splitscreen showing Rory Best on one side and all the Irish-qualified players on the other.

molloyjh

Wegians89 wrote: »

Earls could be out for up to 6 weeks according to Cian Tracy

Earls really does have crappy luck. Gutted if that's true. Great and all as Stockdale has been I think Earls is the best winger in the country at the moment.

awec wrote: »

Don't think the backline is disjointed. Nobody is playing in a funny position, everyone is in their best position. A few new caps but all deserved on form.

A new 12 between the familiar half backs and Robbie with inexperienced wingers and a FB with very limited game time. I don't think it matters much how familiar Aki and Henshaw are with each other. They haven't played together in a year and a half and when they did it was on a completely different team playing a completely different way. There are some clear areas of potential weakness in the squad IMO.

awec wrote: »

The only other realistic option for full back is O'Halloran and there are two issues with this:

1. He's not even in the squad
2. If he played it would be three newbies in the back three. Never going to happen.

Kearney is not the future but he has a job to do to keep the two guys beside him right. No problem with this selection, we can worry about the transition at 15 when the transition at 11/14 is a bit more developed.

Seriously, you're just freaking me out now.

thomond2006

brinty wrote: »

Oh i'm sorry i wasn't online checking weeks ago. :rolleyes:
Its a genuine and honest question no need for smart arse replies like this.

Sorry, that wasn't directed at you at all.

Neil3030

Neil3030 wrote: »

"But but but, conservative Joe? Untrusting Uncle Joe? The Maggie Thatcher of Irish Rugby? Picking young primising players who are in form?? I'll believe it when I see it.... and then find something else to complain about."

- Irish Rugby Fans

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brinty wrote: »

so Kearney has feck all game time and still gets picked
favouritism much there Joe ???

snowflaker wrote: »

Rob Kearney??? Why not bring RoG BoD and PoC back ffs!!!

brinty wrote: »

So can i ask what Tiarnan O'Halloran has done that he's undeserving of getting in the squad...
Surely if Zebo is gone, Joe should be looking at O'Halloran, Conway and Carbery at filling the 15 jersey
Kearney will be closer to 34 come RWC '19 and is barely staying fit at present so its time to groom a new 15

Oh Internet, you hurt me but I love you so...

irishbucsfan

MJohnston wrote: »

Two anthems at home, double your fun. It'd be great if they could have a splitscreen showing Rory Best on one side and all the Irish-qualified players on the other.

Good point.

Here is another potential puzzler. Will they spend longer on Aki or Best?

brinty

MJohnston wrote: »

This has been done to death, but here's the leading, most reasonable theory - we have a backline where 3 out of 5 players are if not uncapped then extremely new to Irish squads. Henshaw-Aki is also a really untested pairing (for Ireland). So it makes a lot of sense to have an experienced head in there somewhere, and Kearney is that experienced head, given the alternatives.

Thanks MJ at least that's a reasonable explanation of things

For me i think this needing experienced players in there is ignoring the whole claim of picking players on form by Joe.

It parallels with my thinking of we don't have the infrastructure etc to get a RWC but how are we supposed to put this in place if we're not afforded that chance to host an event..

How are O'Halloran, Conway, Sweets, Stockdale etc supposed to get experience if the don't get game time. Its no good giving them games against the lesser teams as they then get thrown in at the deep end when injuries happen. Reference Carbery playing v all blacks last season after what 10-15 top level games...

MJohnston

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Good point.

Here is another potential puzzler. Will they spend longer on Aki or Best?

They'll spend no time at all on Best, it's okay if you're Irish but not Irish, but can't be not Irish and be Irish.

MJohnston

brinty wrote: »

Thanks MJ at least that's a reasonable explanation of things

For me i think this needing experienced players in there is ignoring the whole claim of picking players on form by Joe.

It parallels with my thinking of we don't have the infrastructure etc to get a RWC but how are we supposed to put this in place if we're not afforded that chance to host an event..

How are O'Halloran, Conway, Sweets, Stockdale etc supposed to get experience if the don't get game time. Its no good giving them games against the lesser teams as they then get thrown in at the deep end when injuries happen. Reference Carbery playing v all blacks last season after what 10-15 top level games...

I'm sorry, but that's a misunderstand of what I actually said was the reasoning.

We don't need a full team of experienced players, we need some experience sprinkled in among inexperience. A team full of inexperience is useless for providing really useful experience, as a tongue twister.

Conway, Stockdale, and Aki are all starting a game against South Africa with little-to-no experience. There's absolutely nothing conservative about throwing Rob Kearney's experience in there to help them learn.

Buer

brinty wrote: »

How are O'Halloran, Conway, Sweets, Stockdale etc supposed to get experience if the don't get game time.

Three of them are in the 23 for a massive game against a top tier nation. How can more be done?

irishfan9

Joe confirmed Jack McGrath dropped due to form.

Utah_Saint

With all the Discussion on TOH, you have to wonder would would he not be better served moving to France or England and making as much money as possible. He's clearly not gonna be Irelands starting 15 so he will always just be on his province Salary.

irishbucsfan

irishfan9 wrote: »

Joe confirmed Jack McGrath dropped due to form.

No. He didn't at all.

He was asked and he said that McGrath had missed training, he was just back and he specifically said that South Africa are not great opposition to come back against when you're just back into contact.

He said form also came into it. But to say he confirmed that McGrath was dropped due to form is blatantly untrue.

LostArt

irishfan9 wrote: »

Joe confirmed Jack McGrath dropped due to form.

did he? must have missed that on my stream

irishfan9

LostArt wrote: »

did he? must have missed that on my stream

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/bundee-aki-to-make-ireland-debut-against-springboks-1.3285696?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Finternational%2Fbundee-aki-to-make-ireland-debut-against-springboks-1.3285696

just going off this.

irishbucsfan

Utah_Saint wrote: »

With all the Discussion on TOH, you have to wonder would would he not be better served moving to France or England and making as much money as possible. He's clearly not gonna be Irelands starting 15 so he will always just be on his province Salary.

I actually think if he continues playing like he is at the moment he'll get decent game time in 2018.

[Deleted User]

irishbucsfan wrote: »

No. He didn't at all.

He was asked and he said that McGrath had missed training, he was just back and he specifically said that South Africa are not great opposition to come back against when you're just back into contact.

He said form also came into it. But to say he confirmed that McGrath was dropped due to form is blatantly untrue.

I think awec hit the nail on the head. Sounds like he was touch and go but Joe wanted to give him a bit of a shake up while he had the chance.

Kilcoyne was nowhere near the Lions and many think that Jack McGrath should have been starting instead of benching so I don't think he's suddenly regressed to that significant degree. May just need to get the head back down after the tour in New Zealand.

irishbucsfan

irishfan9 wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/bundee-aki-to-make-ireland-debut-against-springboks-1.3285696?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Finternational%2Fbundee-aki-to-make-ireland-debut-against-springboks-1.3285696

just going off this.

It doesn't even say that he was dropped due to form in that article

Yeah_Right

brinty wrote: »

How are O'Halloran, Conway, Sweets, Stockdale etc supposed to get experience if the don't get game time. Its no good giving them games against the lesser teams as they then get thrown in at the deep end when injuries happen. Reference Carbery playing v all blacks last season after what 10-15 top level games...

You do realise that those three are all in the 23 this Saturday? They are getting the experience you are calling for. Also that TOH has had 2 seasons in the Irish squad and obviously hasn't done enough during that time to get the starting job. I'm sure he knows what he needs to do but hasn't done it yet.

Awesomeness

Would have been good to see some young guys in the back 3. I mean of the 4 selected they have 81 caps between them. Rob has 76 of them!

Surely we should have thrown Conway to full back and Byrne on the wing. 5 caps between 4 players seems a lot more stable