L'Equipe leaked it on Monday night, I believe. Think everyone was just copying and pasting from then.
If you mean team as in starting 15 then it definitely has, I remember a stage when Humphreys coming off the bench was Ulsters only involvement. If you mean 22/23 I do t remember it happening but would be surprised if it hasn’t
Ireland team is as Thornley predicted. Ringrose is out, McCarthy starts and a 6-2 bench split.
Looks good, lots of impact off the bench. Murray could be invaluable in the end game with Crowley and Frawley’s lack of experience at this level. Only one that gives me any concerns is Healy. Wouldn’t like to see Porter coming off early.
That's a bizarre bench with the 6/2
JDV has to play full game - no replacement 7, POM wont play 80
Who's coverering wing even centre - You can do this with Ringrose
Doris can play 7.
Frawley plays 12. Conan or Doris can switch to 7 if needed, but teams generally don't put a sub 7 on the bench.
Doris could play the entire 80. He was our back up 7 for the World Cup and will shift there if Baird and Conan come on.
JGP would maybe shift to the wing in the event of injury.
Presumably Keenan moves to the wing and Frawley goes to 15 if we need it.
And Frawley or Crowley to 12 if we need a centre.
And if it's a double injury then Gibson park ends up on the wing but that's the risk you take.
No Ulster player in the 23. Murray benches ahead of Casey. 6-2 bench.
A lot has changed since RWC.
Doris covers 7. POM at a pinch. Baird and Conan will likely replace VDF and POM. JGP can cover wing.
If needed, I presume we'd have to push Keenan to wing and put Frawley at 15.
a lot of the calls which were predicted have come through. McCarty included, Henderson dropped, Ryan benched, Nash starts. Really hurt by ringrose picking up a shoulder injury, but lets see what Robbie can do. Hopefully he has shaken off the cobwebs of a poor start to the season.
Our bench is hugh, literally, including out back cover. must be the biggest and heaviest reserve bench we've ever put out. Kelleher, Healy, Bealham, Ryan, Baird and Conan is both a massive and mobile (excluding healy) bunch.
I like the 6/2 split because this will be a war of attrition. Dante and Ficou versus Aki and Henshaw is mouth watering.
Delight for Nash, i think he may be the bolter of the tournament.
I like it, shame about Ringrose but there’s a lot to like about that team.
very strong bench to come in up front especially. Always a risk with 6-2 but it’s calculated
Henshaw hasnt shown anything since his pre WC injury to have me confident he can do anything like the job Ringrose does at 13.
Great chance for him to get back where he was and he has the best help inside him.
Gotta say im less confident now due to the inexperienced 10, the rusty 13 and the debutant winger, but its france without dupont and thats a big difference, i dont think they will go unbeaten without him
For whatever reason, I just aren't my normal self for this 6nations. Possibly due to the world cup. I really have less Interest in this than I usually do.
Ryan on the bench is a mistake, he'll not be a good impact replacement, imo. Murray shouldn't be in the 23. France are weaker so a win is attainable. Faz not committing to change for this one.
In the words of @TRC10....
I can't wait for this. We're going to win and win well.
I love rugby
In fairness to Henshaw he’s been improving with each of his last couple of Leinster games after a quiet start to the season. He was excellent in Welford Road (albeit at 12). He won’t let us down. Would be more worried if he goes down with an injury and we have to shift Aki to 13.
Not sure I’d want Casey and Frawley at 9/10 closing out a game with 10 to go at this stage of their careers. Murray is the horses for courses selection.
France have a lock who hasnt played test rugby in almost 5 years, a 13 playing on the wing and second choice half backs.
They have plenty of rust and inexperience themselves.
if we can match them up front and make their ball messy, that will severely reduces Jaliberts impact on the game, which we really need to do.
What do you mean he's not committing to change? What change did you want to see?
He's brought in Joe McCarthy into the second row, changed the shake up on the bench with a 6-2 split, and brought in Crowley and Nash for first 6N starts.
Obviously those latter two are influenced by retirement and injury, but that's the nature of it. He's never going to just shake things up for the sake of it.
Crowley was a cert to start. It was Nash or Larmour. No real choice there. My feeling is Casey should be in the squad. He's earned it, imo. I'm not wanting a shake up for shake ups sake. But Henshaw hasn't earned this start, imo. When Ringrose was scratched, I'd have Frawley at 22 and Aki at 13.
I imagine there is a reasonable chance Casey would start if JGP is out, but Murray brings an entirely different skillset to the bench.
Do we reckon it’ll be POM calling the lineout with Ryan to take over in the second half?
Aki is one of the best 12s in the world, but would get found out at a URC level at 13, never mind trying to defend against the likes of Penaud etc. He was badly exposed multiple times in the defensive line against Italy at 13 in last year's 6 Nations.
If we get Murray in form, he is exactly who should be there because of Crowley and Frawley.
Lets hope we don't get the Murray that lost us the game against exeter.
subs bench will have some impact, kelleher needs to sort out his throws, Healy should bring his knives onto the pitch.
Congrats to Nash, well deserved call up. Don't love the 6-2 split, would've preferred a 5-3 with Larmour on the bench to come on.
I was banking on McCarthy as my supersub in the fantasy league, I’ll have to completely rethink the whole team now!
No idea why Conan is there. otherwise, it's what we have.
The only backrows in the original 34 man squad and the extended training squad are Timoney and Prendergast.
Do you feel that Conan should not have been picked ahead of either of those players?
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