I do think that starting for your province should be the benchmark for international call ups! My point with HB is, he is only selected purely on potential and the fact that none of the others have shown they can be the future 10.
I hope Doak gets to train with the squad, Prendergast too! These lads are ones for the future.
Someone made a great point about rushing kids through the system. Instead of learning their trade at a slower pace and picking up experience. Their focus switches from learning to surviving the rigors of international and club rugby. In effect, they stop learning and become limited.
The England games showed progress that can hopefully be continued. The strike move for Earls was class. We showed really good patience on phase play, good examples of changing the point of attack (Aki with some really nice passing, which you wouldn't necessarily associate with him), variation (Earls stepping in at first receiver) and and some off the cuff stuff too.
We even had Conan scoring on penalty advantage. That Sexton didn't kick away. Which he apparently does every single time.
But I don't know how you expect anyone to take you seriously when you roll out the "car park, underage AIL side" auld shite.
Prendergast picked up a nasty looking injury at the weekend.
Doak though should be involved I think. Farrell hasn’t been slow in bringing guys in. Harry Byrne being a perfect example. I’d be confident he’ll be there, even just to be in the set-up and training with the squad.
Would rather we didn't persist with McCloskey in the squad. He's never gonna be good enough. Plays a veey similar role to Aki as well. Could've been a good chance to have a look at Frawley.
Why does Munster have him down as 1.93m (which isn't 6'4 incidentally) on their own site? https://www.munsterrugby.ie/player?PlayGuid=FW155642
He simply isn't big enough to play in the row.
Player stats are notoriously inaccurate when picked off the internet. They aren’t really worth bothering with.
1.93 is 6.4
It is for the most part, but ultimately coaches will both evaluate players differently and have different requirements. Once the player is getting decent gametime at the province it doesn't really matter if 1st choice or 2nd choice.
Mike Ross anchored the Ireland scrum for the entirety of the 2015 6N despite not even making the Leinster 23 for the European games as he was behind Moore and Furlong.
I honestly think if McCloskey was given a run of matches you'd see a totally different player in green. But that's a luxury that international coaches can ill afford to give. It's a pity as he could be a weapon at test level in terms of getting Ireland over the gain line.
Jaysis we are goosed if our future is the likes of Prendergast. He simply isn't good enough. 105kg lock with 11 starts for Connacht. Same with Fineen. Neither should be in the squad. Solid young pros, miles away from being proper internationals. They are Billy Hollands mark ii, a million miles away from some of our best locks even in the darkest amateur days.
I think at this stage i'd be massivley worried for the NZ game, and Irish rugby in general.
Doak looks class just get him involved.
It isn't actually. It's 6.332021 ft to be exact. So I'd call that 6'3. Photos of two lads hugging are also notoriously inexact and not worth bothering with. Either way, he's just not tall enough. Like Soroka, he'll hopefully be an excellent flanker, but he won't ever be a top level second row.
It's 76 inches which is 6'4" or 6.34 feet
Haha definitely logged on to see the “Is 1.93m equal to 6 foot 3 or 6 foot 4 debate.”
So much better than the Sexton v O’Gara debate..
Anyoen else blame the new site update?
Do you watch rugby games or just read player profiles? Prendergast is a blindside, and if you have seen him play you should know that he's more than physical enough for the position. Anyway, he's injured so it's a moot point.
Prendergast has lined out exclusively at 6 for the Connacht senior team
yeah thats fair he's a number 6 exclusively i am wrong. I thought he was a lock playing 6. he's played well this season, stats wise. but he's nowhere near the squad at present.
So you haven't watched him but he's nowhere near the squad☺️ this place cheers me up everytime.
The guy is literally 21 with only 11 (genuinely promising) starts and you're writing him off ever being an international. This thread lads...
Sorry wasn’t trying to get into a pedantic argument but it’s about the thickness of a finger nail off 6.4, it’s about 1mm less than 6.4. Anyone that height would certainly say they were 6.4.
1.93m = 75.984251968503 inches.
Backs (18)
Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 31 caps
Robert Baloucoune (Ulster/Enniskillen) 1 cap
Harry Byrne (Leinster/Lansdowne) 1 cap
Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 24 caps
Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 3 caps
Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen) 25 caps
Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster) 93 caps
Ciaran Frawley (Leinster/UCD)*
Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 10 caps
James Hume (Ulster/Banbridge) 1 cap
Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 13 caps
Jordan Larmour (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 30 caps
James Lowe (Leinster) 6 caps
Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 5 caps
Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 89 caps
Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 34 caps
Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 99 caps CAPTAIN
Simon Zebo (Munster/Cork Constitution) 35 caps
Forwards (20)
Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University) 5 caps
Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 16 caps
Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 22 caps
Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 20 caps
Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster) 2 caps
Ultan Dillane (Connacht/Corinthians) 19 caps
Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 9 caps
Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 49 caps
Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 109 caps
Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 63 caps
Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 22 caps
Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 13 caps
Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 45 caps
Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 76 caps
Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 1 cap
Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 37 caps
James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 37 caps
Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne)*
Nick Timoney (Ulster/Banbridge) 1 cap
Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 32 caps
*denotes uncapped player
Thomas Ahern (Munster/Shannon)
Jamie Osborne (Leinster/Naas)
I'm so mad I could spit
Now, have to check the squad.
Read that as Zebo being captain for a second..
I notice Henshaw isn't there. I haven't been paying any attention to rugby media recently so might have missed an injury, but not good. On the other hand, it is a big change for Frawley at Leinster at least. Good to see Frawley in the squad even if he doesn't get gametime, the game against Scarlets shows what having someone with his skillset can do for us at 12.
Other than that it's just a big list of everyone who is fit.
Good squad. Plenty of youngsters.
Interesting that Henshaw is omitted but is rehabbing with Ireland rather than Leinster so they must be hoping he'll be available.
Stockdale is out.. injured?
My only fault with the team is the 3rd choice scrum half so happy enough
Remember this day when the World Cup arrives in 2 years
Teams are starting their 2 year cycle now, while Ireland pander to the central contacts and aging players
England are already in World Cup mode while Ireland seem to have forgotten bout it
Surprised Doak wasn't brought in as a development player. Not much to get too upset about in that squad though I think. Looks like both Burns and Carty are out of the picture though and they are going with Carbery and HByrne. Risky given their form and injury profiles.
Yeah, very few, if any, notable omissions. Billy Burns is about it. Would have been good to see Ben Healy in the development group but can understand why he isn’t there.
EDIT: Doak too I suppose.
Thomas Aherne and Jamie Osborne as development players is unreal for their development,
Frawley is another great inclusion - assuming the man can stay fit.
ZEBO! ZEBO!
From what little I've seen of Sheahan this season, his throwing hasn't been as much of an issue as last year - so happy to see him there if that's the case.
Only negative in my opinion is Dillane; who had a terrible Summer series and is a known quantity at this stage. Don't think Whycherly and Moloney were the answers mind, and I know this place would've erupted if Kleyn had been chosen; but I think Dillane is another player that doesn't offer a whole lot at international level - and we'd've been better of choosing another option.
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