It's a public vote and normally a Scot gets in, how many 6 nations player of the championship did Hogg win?
True, but Hogg contributed more.
Scots supporters I know are not all fans of Russell.
Too many Welsh @sydthebeat
They're public votes so you'll always see some strange selections. I like that Thomas Ramos was voted as the best 15 despite paying the majority of the championship at 10. Aki is at 13 despite never playing there either.
Russell played well in the Championship. It's not immediately clear who was better.
Fair to say that Russell's contributions over 5 matches merits his inclusion. Earl played really well in 2 matches and yet was nominated for Player of the Tournament.
VdM is a joke selection. He's so one dimensional
Earl was excellent throughout. His stats in every department are through the rough. Should be POTY.
Van der Merwe scored 5 tries. Of course he's getting picked, even if in the wrong position.
Penaud is an infinitely better winger. Any team of the year without him in it is irrelevant.
He did **** all for most of the tournament. The TOTY is based on how players actually perform in the 6N, not just how good they generally are.
VdM did **** all against teams not wearing white. Is scoring the only metric to judge a player off of, because he certainly did **** all defending, passing, kicking etc
He tied up lots of defenders, carried 41 times for 350 metres, 3 offloads, 6 like breaks.
I was harsh on Penaud who actually contributed a lot of assists, carried, line breaks and a huge number of offloads. Just 0 tries for a winger won't get them picked.
Picking a 40-man squad for the South Africa Tour:
Loose head: Porter, Loughman, O’Toole-(O’Toole converts to loose head)
Hooker: Sheehan, Herring, Keheller
Tight head: Furlong, Bealham, Jager
Second Row: Ryan, McCarthy, Beirne, Baird, Ahern, Henderson
Back Row: Conan, Doris, VDF, Timoney, Penny, Prendergast, Connors
Scrumhalf: JGP, Casey, Murray
Flyhalf: Crowley, H. Byrne, Frawley, Prendergast
Centre: Ringrose, Henshaw, Bundee, McCloskey
Wing: Lowe, Hansen, Nash, Larmour
Utility: Osbourne, J. O’Brien, Keenan
Worried by the lack of a real break the Leinster forwards and Tadgh Beirne have gotten and are going to get 2023-2025.
Ireland have played 13 Tests since the start of this season:
Porter - Ireland; Played 11 (603 minutes) / Province; Played 8 (517) Total = 1,120 minutes
Sheehan - 9 (400) / 11 (572) Total = 972 minutes
Furlong 11 (545) / 7 (322) Total = 867 minutes
Joe McCarthy 9 (504) / 11 (784) Total = 1,288 minutes
Beirne 12 (782) / 10 (790) Total = 1,572 minutes
vdF 12 (694) / 9 (540) Total = 1,234 minutes
Doris 13 (838) / 9 (610) Total = 1,448 minutes
Kelleher 10 (266) / 10 (357) Total = 623 minutes
Baird 9 (329) / 10 (740) Total = 1,069 minutes
Conan 8 (229) / 8 (320) Total = 549 minutes
Doris played every minute of 6N, and also started all of Ireland’s 5 WC games.
Leinster hopefully have 3 more games in Europe, 6 more games in URC (Plus 3 more playoffs games finishing on the 22nd June), SA tour 6th & 13th July, 8th Nov v NZ, Arg, Fiji & Aus 30th Nov. Plus 2024/25 URC & Europe season start
Taking a conservative figure of 8 more Leinster games for the remainder of the calendar year and 4 Ireland games = 960mins
Worst/Best Case is 12 more Leinster games this calendar year and 5 Ireland games = 1,360 mins
e.g. From start of this season to end of 2024 Doris could play 2,408 minutes or 2,808 minutes if Leinster make both Finals.
Then the 2025 fixtures: 6N, Europe, URC, Aus Tour, Nov Int……..
I'm all in favour of resting all the Irish forwards that are In Bold v SA.
It wont happen of course.
40 would be a lot of players for just two games. Gatland used to take 37/38 on Lions tours.
Maybe it would be more like a RWC squad size travelling party. Maybe max 35 if he wanted to have a look at a few players.
Farrell took 40 to the New Zealand tour.
That involved 5 matches though.
Playing South Africa two weekends in a row surely would only need a squad size of around 30-35.
6 props, 3 hookers, 4 second rows, 6 back rows, 3 scrum-halves, 2 out-halves, 4 centres, 5 back threes, and one utility player. So maybe 34?
My guess is:
if Ryan injured I think Ahern would go.
Baird would go as a 6.
Penny and Connors wouldn’t be selected, Timoney probably would, or maybe Hodnett instead.
Sam Prendergast won’t be selected.
I think there’s a good chance Larmour won’t go unless O’Brien will still be injured by then.
Osborne won’t be selected.
Frawley will go as the utility back.
Is it just the two games in and out, no A games or warm ups?
The provinces name a 30 man squad for their tours to SA for the URC. I assume Farrell would have bring a larger squad as they wouldn't be like a provincial squad training together, week in, week out.
Hookers sheahan kelleher and Stewart
As great as herring is, he has two younger starters ahead of him. Time to move on
I think so, South Africa have a busy schedule with Wales June 22nd, Ireland July 6th & 13th, and Portugal July 20th, a few weeks off and then into the Rugby Championship away against Australia August 10th.
I think they wanted to keep it as a mini-tour as their players needed some bit of a break after the World Cup campaign.
Although they could nearly field two completely separate teams I suppose for the Wales and Portugal matches compared to the Irish matches.
Will Connors is a 6ft5 grappler and a chop tackler, who can play 6 and 7. He has been capped for Ireland before and has started in two important Heineken cup games this year (including this weekend vs LAR). In my books he is way ahead of Hodnett on the Irish squad. Penny young URC player of the year and has high try scoring stats, he is also ahead of Hodnett. Osbourne goes if Jimmy O’Brien is injured, he is the most talented hybrid player in Ireland (capable of playing winger, fullback, 12, 13).
I’d say back row is going to be:
6) Baird and Prendergast
7) Van der Flier and 1 more
8) Doris and Conan
The second 7 could be Timoney, Connors, Penny or Hodnett.
I’d go with Timoney.
Of the other 3 I’d say Hodnett is the outside bet, as he hasn’t had a chance yet.
I don’t have any strong opinions between Connors or Penny, both would do a good job if called upon. For the outside backs I'd say Osborne may be behind Larmour if O'Brien were injured, but Osborne would be a suitable injury replacement for any of the centres. I don't really see him as anything other than a centre personally, he could be a great 12, better creator/distributor than Henshaw, not sure he has the pace you'd want for an outside centre or back three at international level.
If we're only playing two matches, I'd bet that the second 7 will be Doris. I assume you're omitting POM for retirement reasons but if he stays another year, he'll travel ahead of Prendergast.
I hope we get some sort of Wolfhounds game organised.
I hope an Emerging Ireland side is selected. Imagine how triggered the Saffers would be.
Couldn't care less in the the greater scheme of things if we win or loose those games.
It’ll be a disgrace if POM travels. It’s a slap in the face to Baird, Ahern, Prendergast who are all better modern 6’s. I’ve always seen Timoney as more of an 8, but I guess he could play 7 too. We’ve insane depth at open side, its hard to believe.
If he goes another year and isn't injured - they will hardly leave the captain at home?
Another year at Munster for POM
is this an IRFU dual contract?
It doesn't say , but I think that in itself suggests that it's a Provincial contract only.
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