you would have gone down with Casey, Blade and Cooney as the 9s?
Good value for money bringing Cooney.
Pay for a scrumhalf, get a sports psychologist for free. 2 for 1.
Really not keen on Frawley being listed as a 10. He's a better 12/15.
Delighted for Sam Prendergast. Going to be invaluable experience for him.
All three in the twilight of their careers with limited days left in the green shirt, I'd say you'd have to fight them away from the plane. Their experienced heads will be needed on this tour regardless.
No problem with Izuchukwu.
I'm just listing the team again for this page.
Forwards: Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster) 20
Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht) 40
Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster) 50
Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 41
Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 76
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 129
Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 39
Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster/Ballynahinch)*
Oli Jager (Munster) 1
Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster) 31
Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster) 10
Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)(captain) 105
Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 13
Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 64
Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht) 3
James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 62
Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster) 26
Nick Timoney (Banbridge/Ulster) 3
Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 62Backs: Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 56
Caolin Blade (Galwegians/Connacht) 2
Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster) 14
Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster) 14
Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster) 4
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 72
Jordan Larmour (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 32
James Lowe (Leinster) 31
Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster) 17
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 116
Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster) 6
Jimmy O’Brien (Naas/Leinster) 8
Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)*
Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)*
Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 58
Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 37
* denotes uncapped playerUnavailable: Jamison Gibson-Park (hamstring injury) and Jack Conan (personal reasons).
To be totally honest, I don't think we can infer anything on Frawley based on where he's selected by Leinster.
It is clear that the Ireland coaches do not agree with the Leinster coaches, and the Ireland coaches are paying no attention to who Leinster have picked where. Ross Byrne, who Leinster select in all their big games, can't even get near a 35 man Ireland squad.
Delighted with that selection. Some old guard of course and plenty of new. 2 tests against the Boks will challenge our squad depth. Then a good lay off until next season.
I think that is Kinsella's breakdown, not the Irish management's.
Regardless, I'd be shocked if we see anything other than a 6-2 with Frawley covering 10. (I'll be thrilled if I'm wrong and Sam is on the bench)
I know it's not the longest period of time but HB hasn't been Leinster 2nd choice in at least 4 weeks
it seems pretty clear that Frawley is ahead of H Byrne at Leinster now, and possibly Prendergast is too.
Ross Byrne being left out is a surprise, I don’t think he’s been fully fit going back to the NH game so it might be injury related, but even if it’s not it’s great to get a look at someone else.
Not surprised by the Byrne call at all to be honest. Crowley and Frawley were always likely to be the 10s in the matchday squad with a 6/2. Provided they don't get injured that won't change from game 1 to game 2. Might be viewed as harsh because he's Leinster's first choice at present but I doubt Farrell saw much value in bringing Ross along.
Just wish Farrell had selected Doak instead of Murray/Blade. There's a good player in there and I think time with the national squad would help him a lot (similar to JGP), he is worth investing in. It's a position we need new blood in and he is quite suited to playing against a team like the Boks. His goal kicking could also be a useful asset to have.
JGP is Ireland's most important player alongside Porter. The drop down to the next best is massive.
Murray is probably going to start, but I hope Casey is given an opportunity to impress. We need something to look at for the future.
Don't disagree, but I think Murray's performances for Munster's wins in South Africa against the Bulls and Lions recently might have had a big bearing. He was outstanding in both those games. To be honest, I'd be shocked if Murray doesn't start the first game in LV at altitude, will suit him down to the ground with his kicking game.
Thinking that JOB will be 14, Frawley 15, with Prendergast on the bench. Osborne well deserving his call up, been the form 12 this season. Happy for Izzy too, in great form. POM and Murray shouldn't be there at all, cut sling already. Not even top 3 in their positions
Initially looks light on 2nd rows, but presumably Baird and Izuchukwu covering. Ahern will feel like it's an opportunity missed with his injury, but Izzy's been excellent in recent weeks in fairness.
Was critical of Casey at the weekend, but would love to see him get some good minutes. He's the closest analog we have to JGP, and I still maintain he has the best pass on the island.
I'd be very surprised if it's not 14. Nash 15. JOB.
And on POM, you'll eventually be right. Not quite yet tho. ;)
As usual Tom Ahern, injured at the key moments.
So I guess RB being omitted is the only real surprise, and maybe Loughman losing out to either Bealham or TOT as emergency LH.
After that, it’s mostly as predicted. I wouldn’t have brought Blade but I doubt he’ll see minutes on the field. Presume Coombes will be the big talking point but slipping to the bench / finishers/bomb squad at Munster won’t have helped.
Otherwise, a good squad that shouldn’t fear SA too much.
Well given the murmurs of TOT moving to LH I assume it is him. The more interesting question will be whether it is him or Healy on the bench (TOT bedding into LH would be bold down in SA!)
Healy, POM and Murray going on a summer tour at the beginning of a WC cycle is so Irish rugby
Cause Loughman and Cooney going would be so much more forward thinking 🙄
Eh, taking Loughman would absolutely be more forward thinking. Don't agree on Cooney but I never argued for his conclusion.
Anyway, I'm not the least bit surprised. Ireland don't give guys a go unless the incumbent retires or gets injured. That's just how it is and anyone who expected that to change is silly. So before anyone says I'm whinging. I'm not. I'm just acknowledging how things are.
Loughman is 28 and shown no signs of ever being good enough. Taking TOT to see if he can cover LH is clearly more forward thinking.
If not Cooney then who exactly is it you think should go?
There are three uncapped players in the squad and multiple low capped players. You are acknowledging how things are in your own head, but that's about it.
Eben Etzebeth is about to play a match with more caps than the entire opposing forward pack.
I wonder what it is that Loughman lacks in Farrell's eyes. He looks good to me; strong scrummager, and useful in the loose. I was looking forward to seeing him on early so Porter only had to play 60 minutes. Does Farrell think he doesn't have the right mentality?
I don't really see the point in including Larmour. He's topped out below higher end international rugby, and is too suspect defensively on the right edge. I suppose there aren't a whole lot of other options unless you included more of a development player who wouldn't actually be expected to play (Kilgallen, maybe). Shane Daly is more of a left wing/fullback, and Baloucoune hasn't played for quite a while as far as I'm aware. Could they have had a look at Stewart Moore as a playmaker winger? Farrell likes creatine wingers.
Jesus Christ can we not do this again
Other than the loss of JGP I'm pretty happy with the squad, the introduction of Prendergast at this stage is why I love Andy Farrell as our head coach. Any other Irish coach and he'd be waiting until the autumn at an absolute minimum.
i'm not convinced on any of these leinster 10s including prendergast. I feel like he should have expanded that contest to guys like healy and another chance to burns years ago. Prendergast should be on the EI tour and spending all this summer adding muscle. He's shown nothing in any game that was in actual danger of being lost.
Crowley will, rightly, play 150 minutes barring injury so whoever is going alongside him is emergency cover getting experience with the national team.
There might be a couple of surprise inclusions in the match day 23 but it'll mostly be business as usual.
My own stab at a 23 from that squad, however my selection looks very out there compared to the usual selection:
Porter, Sheehan, Bealham Beirne, McCarthy O’Mahony, Doris, Van der FlierMurray, CrowleyStockdale, Henshaw, Ringrose, Nash O’Brien. Bench: Herring, O’Toole, Jager, Ryan, Prendergast, Casey, Frawley, Larmour. To explain some of my reasoning; I think Furlong is in a rut, really don’t think he’s shown anything above average lately, and Bealham deserves a shot. I’d even prefer Jager as impact sub as he just brings a more powerful size into it with 20 to go. I think Murray is still better starting than Casey. Lowe has been up and down lately, Stockdale is due a shot. I’d also favour Larmour on the bench to cover wing/fullback for his pace and flexibility. I prefer Herring to Kelleher, just an all-round better hooker, better pace, better throws and has a better nose for the try line. It’d be a huge call to put O’Toole in ahead of Healy, but no better opportunity to test him. I really like Prendergast and would love to see him get an opportunity, he has been consistently outstanding for Connacht, and love his work rate. Izuchukwu and Baird are probably better locks than back rows, but Prendergast is definitely a better back row than either of them in my opinion.
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