SMcC played really well v SA in Nov '22 before having to go off injured.
Ringrose starting will also help the defence.
Personally I'd prefer Osborne moved to 12 and JOB at FB (if fit).
Still cant see Ireland winning. Beirne looks to be running on emptymaybe not. Sheehan's a big loss and Casey in fairness also played really well (Cheap shot by RGS).
Would also like Prendergast to bench over Frawley.
Is it a bridge too far expecting players following the WC - surely the post WC season shouldn’t have tours like this but extra players downtime?
I'd like to see Bierne go at 6. With Ryan and Mccarthy in the back row. And Baird and Pendergast on the bench for impact.
That scrum penalty try at the end was a thing of nightmares. Can't get much worse than that..
Maybe jager and o toole to bench over healy and beadhlam.. if o toole is going to be longterm option at loose head where better to test him than south Africa.
Big difference between your own put-in and defending a Scrum V. Ireland would look to get it out asap, and the SA flankers can't afford to drive as much as they need to be looking for the ball coming off the scrum on either side.
I doubt they are going to change the captain mid tour.
They might swap him to bench with such a short turn around between games to freshen up the team or more likely tell him to give one last big performance before end of season and rest. Then decide what to do next season
Hopefully this week is the end of POM, great servant but past it now and he is ruining his legacy by not retiring from international rugby, he offers nothing at 6 as baird and prendergast deserve starts
Although judging by what happened in the last scrum we probably would have coughed up a penalty on half way which they would have kicked to put us 10 behind, or if missed pinned us back in our 22 with 2 mins to go. The could also have gone to the corner and made us defend in our 22 to close out the game.
The bigger moments were the lack of reaction when Lowe kept the ball in (Kolbe was excellent) and the Lowe try being called back.
Pom.
Spilling a ball on their line in the opening minutes, losing a 5m lineout in the second half, Beirne dropping a pass on their 22, Casey getting caught by Snyman at the base (our advantage being called as over literally as he was picking the ball up) and Ryan getting turned over well inside their 22.
Five instances of where we were in scoring positions and gave them possession back. There were other errors but when you look at those five moments plus the fact that we gave them what are two absolutely gift wrapped tries, there aren't going to be wholesale changes to personnel or tactics and nor does there need to be.
Lowe doesn't have that moment of insanity and we've a scrum on halfway in a one score game, 4 minutes on the clock and they're down to 14 men.
No.
I don't really think a huge improvement is needed. That was a very close game that we were certainly in with a shout of winning but for a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes.
All that being said, with the losses I would probably expect a slight dip.
Losing Sheehan and Casey isn't ideal, at least we have cover for Sheehan, less so for Casey with JGP out too. Originally, (before JGP injury) I thought Murray needn't have travelled but now it looks like he'll start next week.
I know there are a lot of what ifs from last Saturday but I think, we'll need a huge improvement to win next week. In saying that if Aki is back to his RWC performance then we might be better in defence and attack.
Timoney is probably ahead of Prendergast due to his versatility to play anywhere in the back row. Although Farrell loves Prendergasts attributes as a player so hard to know. I still can’t understand how POM makes this team.
Replacing who??
Is a Coombes call up a possibility?
By all accounts, Osborne will be OK for next week so hopefully we'll see him get another run. I'd be surprised if Porter lets a cut on his hand keep him out.
Osborne
Nash, Ringrose, Aki/McCloskey, Lowe/JOB
Crowley, Murray
Porter, Kelleher, Furlong
McCarthy, Beirne
POM, Doris, VDF
Bench: Herring, Healy, Jager, Ryan, Baird, Blade, Frawley, JOB/McCloskey
It's still a very decent team and, with the exception of Casey, the injuries are in areas where we have good depth. I'd like to see Jager get a run off the bench, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a 6:2 split either, maybe Cian Prendergast to benefit.
yeah I’d love to see that and McCloskey deserves it. Give me Cormac Izuchukwu at 6 too please! 🙏🏻 Imagine the balance of 6. Izuchukwu 8. Doris 7. VDF, with Timoney off the bench. It’ll never happen but I’d love to see it.
Jaysus this series is a write off, play the young lads for the second test now tbh
McCloskey is ideal against the Boks, great opportunity for him if he plays next week. I thought Nash was a bit slow for the kind of pace they have out wide as we need impeccable winger defense against these guys. And I thought we missed a trick not playing more wide ball ourselves in their red zone, very hard to bish bosh through this SA team. Lots of people have pointed to how little joy Beirne got carrying but that's predictable, I guess missing JGP/Mack means we lack some of the attacking patterns that we saw during this teams peak but that's what we need now. Ireland did well given the altitude and how well prepped SA were. Very interesting how little they kicked, we looked more like the boks in the regard. I can see us taking them next week.
Sheahan, feck. That's a huge loss.
If there's any silver lining at all, atleast Tom Stewart might get some senior international action over the next nine months, which'll be good for positional depth.
Sheehan ACL is an absolute disaster
was always a risk of getting a lot of injuries at end of a huge season
Big chance for others now to show what they can do
McCloskey/Ringrose next week? Still a very good centre pairing.
Terrible news on Sheehan, but just thinking of next weekend I think Porter and Osborne are the most important. Kelleher and Herring are good replacement hookers. And then Murray for Casey, Ringrose for Henshaw, McCloskey for Aki, and Stockdale for Lowe are quality players to bring in.
We'll get to test our depth now
That’s a **** disaster- especially Sheehan’s injury. Why was he left on the field so long after he originally hurt the knee?
While a lot of these are contact issues and could theoretically happen anytime, I still think this is exactly the thing a lot of us feared about going on a tour to one of the most physical places to play rugby at the end of an effective 13 month season.
Sheehan ACL
Casey concussed
Henshaw concussed
Porter split webbing on his hand
Aki knock to shoulder
Lowe knock to thigh
Osbourne groin issue
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/2024/07/08/lengthy-injury-list-emerges-after-irelands-first-test-loss-to-south-africa/
I think Faz should switch it up next week.Beirne to blindside, Timoney at open side, Ringrose back in and Larmour on the wing. Prendergast on the bench. Baird also on the bench.
Ryan, McCarthy
Beirne, Timoney , Doris
Murray, Crowley
Lowe, Aki, Ringrose, Larmour, Osborne.
O'Toole, Herring, Jager, Baird, Prendergast, Blade, Frawley, McCloskey
Aki is a player that needs to be playing all the time
I opened the entire point with "might". Implying that we still need to see more from the player before being sure of it.
I've no idea what you find exception with.
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