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.
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.
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.
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
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/
He can qualify after 5 years. So in 2024 I believe.
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.
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.
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. :)
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.
Injury news.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Joey Carbery returning from injury relatively quickly. Begorrah.
If VDF is out, I wonder will we see POM at 7 against SA?
Has McGrath not been capped? Continually amazed at his passing being so poor. In every other respect he's a very good rugby player.
The idea is that you can re-declare for your country of birth or parentage after 3 years. Fekitoa, Piutau and Folau have recently lined out for Tonga.
If he wants to play in the RWC, I'd advise he thinks long and hard before declaring for Canada....
Remember the Welsh qualified hooker who spent most of a year on the Ulster sidelines because he chose to play for Wales recently.
He could play for Canada but he would be released at the end of his contract.
Of course Canada aren't in rugby world cup 2023.
RWC 2027 (he says trying to cover his tracks... can make that 2 things I hadn't realised til today).
I’d like to see mccarthy, ryan, beirne, doris, POM
I wonder if Farrell was to go with that backrow, would Treadwell be more likely? Went well in the summer.
It's a potential opportunity for someone off the bench tho, would like to see it go to Timoney or Gav Coombes.
I would go coombes over conan just for added heft vs south africa but they havent really done that.
You could go Ryan, Treadwell, beirne, doris, POM.
That seems light to me. McCarthy is the true tighthead lock. Seems like the type of game for a true THL.
Can't see Mccarthy getting the nod, wouldn't be a bad shout though. I'd be surprised if Farrell doesn't go with Beirne, Ryan, Dorris, POM, Conan.
Conan's looking powerful this season and looking dominant in the tackle which we'll need against SA.
I'd like to see Farrell use Australia to get big match experience for the lower cap players- Timoney, Coombes, Prendergast, Loughman, Mccarthy, O'Toole. Its an ideal game to see what they can do against a tier 1 nation. I recon he'll go full strength and just use the Fiji game to mix it up though
id like to see a few changes sprinkled into the aus game - change 1 in the back 3, centres, half backs, back second and front rows. means the newer players could have a much more realistic game than just a completely different team a la the fiji game
I personally think that pack make up is too light to take on South Africa.
Whatever pack we put out will be too light. Better to play our game than worry about theirs. We need discipline and aggressive tackling in defense and a high skill level in attack.
If we can force the pace we can win. If its a slow arm wrestle then they have the advantage.
It's a pity Connors is injured. This would be the ideal match to have him in.
I mean how big the pack is does matter in the scrum and the maul.
I also think that conan and POM are too much alike to be in the same pack. I’d rather have one of them and coombes . Or one of them and timoney. Depending on if you want heavy ball carrying or a tackling machine.
If you want someone to contest their lineout POM, if you want the better ball carrier out wide, Conan.
But we still won't match them in the scrum. We can put out the heaviest pack we have and still struggle. Maul fair enough but Porter, Furlong and Ryan are excellent here.
I'd disagree that POM and Conan are too much alike. They're as different as players as you get. Conan is a powerful carrier and gives front foot ball and has high workrate in defense. POMs strength are in the line out and over the ball.
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