yeah i dont think that was true, i think they just cant join the squad for 48 hours
Loughman is surprisingly missing. Vastly better than Kilcoyne.
Delighted for Crowley! Funny how well Munster did with a proper 10 and a good coaching ticket. Carberry isn't as good as Crowley.
Overall, the squad is mostly as expected. Some lads lucky to be involved. Some guys unlucky.
It's critical to remember, we have a rest weekend between the South Africa and Scotland games. No one should have to play more than two games in two weeks unless/until we get to the semi-finals.
Fair, I think it's trauma from 2015 for me personally.
Our group schedule is about as good as it's ever going to get, 2 handy games to start and then a break between the 2 big games.
Tiredness cannot possibly be a factor come quarter final time.
I feel for Jordan Larmour a bit. Was having a great season up to the Six Nations and was called up to the Ireland squad. I think he was playing some of his best ever rugby. Wasn't over running like he used to and was very powerful in contact.
But got a niggle in camp that kept him out for a few weeks and never recovered form. His season petered out in April. Hope he rediscovers his best as he could be lethal for Leinster and Ireland.
Can’t argue with this. We regressed this year.
I’d also say if you are playing off nine as much as ulster are and you only get this many guys from your pack selected… you are playing the wrong system.
Only three centers with the ridiculously injury prone Henshaw?
Just waiting for the Jimmy o brien is cover as he can play every position better than the first choice as well as Stand in physio 🤣
in fairness, he and VDF are the only 7s in the squad
Any Ulster opinions on Stockdale rather than Baloucoune? Is Stockdale a surprise inclusion?
They’ve played Doris at 7 too
O’Brien, Osborne, Frawley can all play centre
Leinster started Doris at 7 against Leicester in the European Cup QF, but in that game he moved to 6 after 22 minutes as Ryan Baird got hurt, Scott Penny came in and he moved to openside. Other than that, I don't think he's played a game there.
It's a bizarre scenario though too if your second choice 7 is your first choice 6 (POM) and your third choice 7 is your first choice 8.
It must be something stylistically in Hodnett's game that they aren't seeing from him, because he's played really well this season and hasn't gotten a look in.
And Crowley, and Ross Byrne even
Thought Balacoune was the only Ulster player who looked dangerous against Leinster in the QF. Mad he's not being given a spot
Jesus christ, the thoughts of Ross Byrne playing in the centre against Tonga would be terrifying! Whatever about their ability to shelter his lack of pace at 10, I'd be petrified of a back three with Israel Folau and Charles Piutau trying to isolate him in the centre.
Comfortably second best 8 for me with the proviso that ‘best’ doesn't include fit.
I think ireland should have given him more caps because he would be useful (not as a direct replacement) to provide power and work rate if guys like porter, ryan, furlong go down.
Whatever about Prendergast, he's not on the level of Doris or Conan
I know people don’t want to hear it but unless you are a role match for someone or already proven that you fit the system by playing for leinster, or have something that leinster don’t have in their squad (arguably this is POM) then you aren’t realistically getting into the team.
Hodnett isn’t a role match for VdF on offense at all, so you would need to move roles around. POM would be one guy affected on that as well. So, i get why he isn’t included.
Level at what compared to Conan? Power, yes way more power. Demands double tackles. Draws in defenders. Goes through an absolute mountain of work.
He’s not better in the air or in wide channels.
Doris yea, he’s not as good as Doris. Doris is good at everything.
I've never watched a match with Coombes and thought that's the best player on the pitch, regardless of the level of opposition. Doris and Conan regularly have games like that. All the things you fete Coombes for doing , they do and better. Conan was arguably the best backrow in the final, and certainly was for Leinster.
There is no universe where Conan is as good a power carrier as Coombes. That is the wildest statement i’ve ever heard.
Conan is an additive player. If you already have an enough power he can thrive. He isn’t foundational.
i know, i wasnt actually suggesting jimmy o brien is covering the backline and also openside flanker
I don't think it's fair to suggest there's a Leinster bias in this selection.
To me, if you look at the handful of selections here where there is some debate around inclusion, it's not really a Leinster player who got the nod:
-LHP - Munster's Dave Kilcoyne is the surprising inclusion, ahead of Munster's Jeremy Loughman
-Second Row - for me, Ulster's Kieran Treadwell is the one who's lucky to get there, but I guess you could argue Joe McCarthy is fortunate too (but I think McCarthy's ceiling is way higher than Treadwell's, and think the coaching team do too).
-Wings - Jacob Stockdale and Keith Earls probably lucky to be included, ahead of Robert Baloucoune, Shane Daly or Jordan Larmour.
Ciaran Frawley is a unique kind of player because he's started games (and played well) for Leinster this year at 10, 12, 13 and 15, and the only guy with a comparable level of versatility is Jack Crowley (who's in the squad).
The last arguably contentious call is Jamie Osborne over Antoine Frisch - but once again, they've picked a guy who's started games at 11, 12, 13 and 15 (and played at a really high level in those games - he was on the original longlist for Player of the Year in Europe) over a guy who is predominantly just a thirteen. Osborne is also the bigger and more athletic guy (which seems to count for a lot with Farrell), as well as being 6 years younger.
I agree with those who said he hasn't necessarily selected this based on provincial form, but I don't think anyone can claim any kind of Leinster bias in the selection.
In fairness it's easier to look good playing for Leinster than for almost every other team.
If Coombes was in that Leinster squad he might look every bit as good as Conan.
Doris is on a different level to any of them.
There is a bias but there is a good reason for it. Most of the elite players play for leinster, the system is similar, so therefore it makes sense to find players who fit that system. Leinster players are like already vetted to some degree in that sense.
As long as the absolute elite players continue to be from leinster, its not a crazy way to pick a team.
I mean in simple teams if Hodnett played for Leinster you’d already know how he fits in VdF’s role. There is no mystery.
Which selections are the result of bias then, and who would you have taken in their stead?
Yes and no. The standard of play is higher in Leinster, but there's also way more competition for places. Conan is pushing Doris to 6, and keeping Deegan out of the 23, who's I'd argue is international standard in his own right. Coombes doesn't have near that level of competition.
I think what is surprising is that there are players who have sat on the bench or in the treatment room this season, who are not starting players and have very little field time are being preferred to battled hardened trophy winning players.
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