Joey Carbery returning from injury relatively quickly. Begorrah.
If VDF is out, I wonder will we see POM at 7 against SA?
Like Cooney, this would only be an option if he's no longer at Leinster. He'd be contractually obliged to be available for Ireland if needed.
Not sure if quite the right thread for this, but I'd previously heard of Cooney's eligibility for Scotland, but interesting to hear of Luke McGrath's eligibility for Canada also. I wonder if it's an option he'll choose to exercise, with the RWC coming up.
I guess we could see Doris/POM/Conan? Henderson is out so I think that stops Beirne moving to the backrow, Coombes might be another option, or else Nick Timoney has been playing out of his skin for Ulster for a good while. I would guess POM, Doris, Conan though to start.
Sounds like VDF will miss the South Africa game. Great opportunity for someone else to have a go, but overall disastrous for Ireland for. He's currently one of the best players in the world. No matter who steps in it'll be a downgrade.
Also, Will Connors would be his natural replacement but he's injured too.
Injury news.
The actual rules are here.
https://www.world.rugby/organisation/governance/regulations/reg-8
Section 8.6 governs transfer but it allows transfer only if you would eligible under 8.1a or 8.1b (birth or grandparent birth). If you are eligible for a country under 8.1c (residency) you are not allowed transfer.
Sorry. I read on the 42 earlier that he could qualify to play for ireland in 2024. It was garry doyle's article so more fool me for taking it as gospel. :)
You are only allowed transfer union after being tied (which he was through Australia 7s) if you have a birth connection with the country you wish to transfer to.
How? Playing 7s for a country ties you to that country in 15s too. And the 'play for a second country' rule after a standdown period of three years is only open to players born in the second country or with a parent/grandparent from there.
He can qualify after 5 years. So in 2024 I believe.
Am I right that Andy Friend is incorrect here and that John Porch cannot qualify to play for Ireland?
https://www.rte.ie/sport/united-rugby-championship/2022/1023/1330920-friend-amazed-wallabies-have-not-come-calling-for-porch/
If carberry is injured I doubt they will release frawley to play for Leinster.
Why risk him getting another knock on the shoulder?
It will also be interesting to see who ireland bring up to bench v NZ A if Carberry is ruled out
i wouldnt say he was excellent in fairness, he was pretty decent but i think him playing 15 was more of a needs must situation. i think hes a fantastic 12 who can cover 10 if needed but i wouldnt personally be pinning everything on him developing into the neext great OH for leinster and ireland, much as i hope im wrong.
Frawley took a bang to the shoulder against Munster, so hopefully he's ok for the November Internationals. He's an excellent footballer and has performed well at 10/12/15 for Leinster. But he might still need more time at 10 before throwing him into the 23 against South Africa.
Leinster have a game next week against Scarlets. Could be useful to give him 50 minutes at flyhalf. Then again they may want to keep him in the Ireland camp to bed in his familiarity with their structures.
Doesn't sound like Carbery is going to be fit for the SA game. Could be an enormous chance for Frawley and now Crowley is in pole position to start against NZA.
Interesting times.
There's some good talent in the 2nd row. Certainly, Murray is very impressive and I would like to see him in camp. Izzy up in Ulster could be very useful too! Then there's Joe McCarthy and Ahern. Very good place to be.
Thornbury is more tighthead and murray could play loosehead or 6 even if you went big. Thats my impression.
If hypothetically one was required to play an important game for Ireland I would go Thornbury all day. A very good player in his prime who has admittedly not played a whole pile of rugby since an extremely long time out of the game due to injuries which began when he was in career best form.
Murray is a more natural athlete and I think he will probably surpass Thornbury if he stays injury free as he continues to develop physically.
Dowling is a grafter but probably lacks the athleticism and size to play international rugby, at second row anyway. He's fit and could be a good 6 but probably won't be called upon with Prendergast and Murphy in situ.
I don’t see a huge amount of Connacht so interested to hear who ye think would be too of that queue? My impression would be Thornbury if we needed someone in immediately or Murray will a view to the future?
Would add Thornbury into that too
Himself and Dowling have both been great actually.
He was fantastic against leinster i thought.
I'd like to see N. Murray get a bit of time in camp if Beirne is out. He has been excellent for the past few seasons and is still very young.
Will be interesting to see how the injury’s and illness Over the weekend effect the squad. Believe they were due to meet up tomorrow, wonder if there will be additions
I wouldn't be too concerned with Bealham. He's playing very well. I think getting O'Toole minutes is key this autumn. The lad is currently in pole position as a possible future Irelanf starter. I'd give him one start this autumn. Cian Healy is spent! I hope Loughman gets capped. Getting minutes will improve his game. He's a good carrier and a good scrummager. He's got serious power. Healy makes no ground and gets stopped dead more times than not.
If Beirne isn't ready for SA, I would play Treadwell. It's certainly a drop off from Henderson and Beirne but, he's next up. McCarthy and Ahearn are not too far away. I would expect one of them to play v Fiji and the other to play v Oz.
Missing Henderson is a loss though. He's probably the most powerful 2nd row we have. I can't wait to see the 1st fixture.
To be fair “relying on him” is a bit strong. He played 27 mins in the 3 Tests in NZ for example.
We’re absolutely relying on Porter tho. I don’t think our depth at LH is great. I think the drop from Porter is fairly significant.
Probably more so than from Furlong to Bealham? In any case they’re both super important to us.
Healy will be fine as he always is in green. No need to be so pessimistic.
Looking forward to seeing Frawley play for Ireland in the upcoming series. He was excellent tonight at 15. Used as an extra distributor in the back line and got the ball into the wide channels where we made a lot of metres.
He took a knock to the shoulder hence the substitution. Hopefully he's ok.
Loughman? I feel loosehead depth is the worst for any position.
Healy needs to be sent to the glue factory. It's blindingly obvious. The guy get's knocked back in nearly every collision and his skills (which were never great) are atrocious. I fear to think what he'll be like in a years time. And if we're still relying on him at that stage, we may as well not even enter the World Cup, because we're f*cked.
He's our best ever loosehead and an Irish rugby legend, but he's done. Time to move on.
Plenty of very good young looseheads in the country. Time to give them a chance. But after our latest failure to move him on, I fear it's too late and there's too many eggs in the Healy basket at this stage.
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