As a player I think Baird is better atm but I still think O'Mahony influence and experience combined by still being in good form (not his best form but good enough) would be enough for him to start in SA. I would like Baird to start 1 test though and I do feel from next season on Baird should be the starting 6 but for now I would maybe start O'Mahony in 1 test and Baird in the other.
He might well be and if he is Baird should get a run in the next test but for now Baird needs to earn his chance and if POM underperforms Baird should get his chance to stake a claim in the 2nd test.
Players like O'Mahony didnt have a great end to the 6N so I would use the 1st test as a means of giving players like POM a chance to redeem themselves but if he still underperforms I think Baird should come in.
And funny enough if they lose while experimenting you'll be the first one to stick the boot
No I won't. When they lost to England in the 6N, I literally said I didn't care
We beat SA (World Champions) when it mattered, this tour is an opportunity to try different players but we seem to be going into it as if it's a pool game for some competition.
whatever happened to the promising scrum half from Connacht? He would have been perfect for a tour like this.
when did it matter?u talking about a pool game that Sa didn’t need to win but Ireland had to win
Devine? Injured vs Munster (I think)
It didn't matter a damn in the end.
Baird wont wrestle it off him unless he gets injured
We are blooding new players.
Is there a horde of talented youngsters being left at home despite being ready for test rugby, if only the decrepit auld fellas would get out of the way?
Like f**k there is.
Do people think the Irish coaches are unaware of how old Healy is? I doubt anyone spends more time stressing about it than Farrell, POC and Fogarty. And still the best alternative seems to be converting a tight head and hoping it pans out. So what's the answer like?
There is no alternative for Murray. None. Anyone saying we shouldn't have brought him is living in complete denial.
So that (maybe) leaves POM. Yeah, maybe we could have started the process of moving him out to pasture, but the guys in the squad who can play 6 are 26, 24, 24 and 24 years of age, and POM never plays 80 minutes any more. Young guys are going to get game time one way or the other.
This is a squad that is very well balanced between youth and experience, that is likely going to lose the series. Would we learn much from sending out a bunch of total novices and getting hammered?
People just keep rolling out the same moans, regardless of the actual facts.
With all due respect that's nonsense. Throughout Farrell's reign he's shown that he's willing to drop a big name when he feels the lesser light has earned the right. It's clear that Baird hasn't done enough in Farrell's eyes to start ahead of POM but I believe he is close and come the end of this year he'll be the starting 6 and I believe in the end it will be worth the wait and we'll be saying "Farrell was right once again".
You are commenting as if I havent been following you're comments for years ;) wise up.
Sure we will see
and we all know ur comments for years,Clueless
This doesn't even make any sense. We needed to win it about as much as South Africa did.
That's nonsense Former. There are a solid 4 or 5 options that would be better than Murray, it's an incredible regressive step to have selected him again. He wouldn't start for any province, to include Munster. Likewise POM is maybe the 3rd best player at his position, if he's having a good day. Farrell made a mistake naming him as captain when it's patently obvious that there are better lads than him available, to include at his own club.
If the squad is lacking in leadership, entrusting it to washed up players isn't going to do anything to benefit the team down the line when they inevitably retire. Better to use the opportunity to explore some new options to step up into those roles. Can't be very edifying for lads to see guys that are plainly past it getting picked for "leadership" reasons. Having an angry face doesn't count for much if one isn't putting in the necessary shift.
Who? We've selected Blade, who is still worse than Murray. You are talking about Cooney and (god help us) McGrath next.
I am not remotely a fan of POM being still the captain and first choice, but considering how bereft of leadership Leinster have consistently looked it is a valid concern.
no that’s not correct,u had Scotland after Sa came which wasn’t a guaranteed win for u so u needed to win against sa and Scotland,Sa had easy game after Ireland
The problem with this is that it's pretty much been your take on O'Mahony for about 5 seasons now…
Probably not but at the time it mattered, winning a friendly during summer means feck all
Ah so SA just didn't really care. No one believes that.
There was still a scenario going into the Ireland game where SA would not have qualified had they lost without a BP though going into such detail is pointless. SA wanted to win and failed. I doubt they cared after winning the tournament but the hilarious explaining away of the loss is just silly.
We've already seen it with Joe McCarthy displacing James Ryan when he was proven to be good enough, we'll see the same with Baird when he proves it.
There's no such thing as friendlies in rugby GAAhead.
They stopped being friendlies because of sponsorship or TV rights but other than that they're really not a competition as we know the 6Ns, RWC, etc
They were literally never referred to as friendlies. The RWC is the new fangled thing that exists because of sponsorship and TV rights, not test series.
In GAA they're called "league games"
Farrell already has dropped POM due to poor form, what makes you think he won't again?
we don't have players better than Murray. I would question if Casey is even better than him
Blade is not, the young lad who got a few games at end of season looks good but not really an option
Doak is a potential but didn't have a good season and Murray would be better, Cooney is not better
McGrath in Leinster has fallen off a cliff, the other young players have not shown anything
Fact is 9 is a problem position for Ireland and need to hope young players progress, my hope was Doak and still is, the coach in Ulster will hopefully suit him
Casey is better than Murray, that's why he starts ahead of him for Munster.
Not sure about that, Munster are taking a long term view and probably right because Murray will retire soon. It makes more sense.
If you look back over the Murray v Casey performances for Ireland, I think you will find Murray has performed better. The kick in England game as many pointed out was a team decision, blaming Murray was pointless.
His games last year in the 6 nations when JGP was great performances.
Casey v Italy this year was iffy
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