The main Irish squad members if not on Lions will be at home They wont go on the ireladn tour which will be used to bring in new players similar to a EI tour
I don't think anyone will be left at home unless injured. Those not selected on the Lions will travel as the senior members of a callow squad. Admittedly the games were in Dublin due to Covid, but this was the squad last time. VdF, Ryan, Ringrose would have been the main omissions and were all in the squad. The only exception was Sexton.
i think alot of that was down to the japan game in that series and ireland having lost their previous meeting with them, had rugby league that day so i missed it but i seem to remember it being a relatively close one. next years tour will be to georgia and romania so id imagine it will have a bit more of a development makeup to it
Oh for sure. But I wouldn't be surprised if e.g. McCarthy, Crowley/Prendergast, Kelleher, Aki, Lowe for example went on that tour.
Basically, I think unless injured the core of the squad will be the Irish starters left behind.
likewise in 2017 we played USA and Japan and any front liners who weren’t on the Lions tour were picked.
So if we rest people this summer, it would be a departure
Id say it's between Ringrose and Huw Jones. Both won't go. I don't know if Henshaw will either.
Conan going from a tour to the US to starting no.8 for the Lions in 4 years is pretty good going it has to be said!
Bit mad that VdF didn't go on either tour.
At least 1 irish center will go, along with 1 wing. Keenan a cert if he's fit. Could see Frawley getting a nod ahead of Crowley, for his versatility in the 23 shirt, but I think Osborne will be ahead of him if he's healthy.
Maybe if Ringrose spends a good bit of time on the wing that might open up a chance as a more versatile squad member.
Frawley possibly going…?? Big call, very big call!!
when is the Georgia tour? Same time as Lions ? Haven’t seen anything on that
The dates haven't been confirmed bur it will be July during international test window
Tour of Georgia, Romania and possibly Portugal in July.
https://amp.rugbypass.com/news/ireland-to-play-first-ever-game-against-portugal-in-2025/
Think there's a fair bit of green tinted bias going on here, I think if you said to a rugby fan from any of the other countries that Ringrose, Penshaw and Aki were certs they'd scoff and if you suggested Frawley would travel they'd die laughing
I'd agree tbh. Of those 3 tho, I think Henshaw is a cert. His ability to cover 12 and 13 to such a high level has him in all day for me (and he has played started Lions tests at both 12 and 13 before, iirc).
With regards Frawley, you never know, but I don't really see any sequence of events where he gets in.
Henshaw has been on the last two tours and is playing great rugby right now. If the squad was announced tomorrow, he’d 100% be named. Likewise Aki would be a cert, the only concern is his age. Ringrose is good enough and playing well enough to go, but the optics of Farrell picking three of his own centres isn’t great. I’d be shocked if two of them don’t go and three wouldn’t be a surprise.
Don’t think anyone really believes Frawley will go.
Three of them going would be a surprise to me if the two Scottish centres are both fit tbh.
I mean.....our midfield wasn't great during the AIs was it?
Agree though Henshaw probably the most in form and will go, I think Aki is very much in the "needs a good 6 nations" camp.
the home coach factor is huge I think, can see any close calls falling green along with some questionable ones too
I can't see Farrell doing the sort of silly biased stuff we seen from Gatland
He seems like more of a person who wants to reward people who deserve to get rewarded and then make a huge deal because they have managed to get that honour
I see him picking the best players and thats it. No f**king around and no bringing in players because they are standing along the road in Australia
Our penalty count was the biggest issue in AI's
Most of our issues stemed from that and a probelmatic lineout
In the NZ game for instance the midfield didnt really have a chance because we couldn't string 4-5 passes together before we knocked on or gave away a penalty
Farrell is interviewing for his next job here, and if he selects non starting players for Ireland ahead of starting internationals from Scotland England and Wales then he'll have serious questions over his judgement.
I think Aki had a rough night against NZ but otherwise they all played well.
I'm pretty sure every single coach who the label of "biased" would be levelled at thought they were picking the best players at the time.
In terms of Gatland, he picked Welsh players and put them into the Lions squad and people hasn't even heard of them before.
I think Farrell will have a game plan and will pick a squad based on that and making sure he can win…..
Who are the centres in Scotland, Wales and England that are better than any of Ringrose, Aki or Henshaw?
Tuipulotu is playing well but I'd still take Aki or Henshaw at 12 ahead of him.
He’ll certainly pick the best players in his eyes, every coach will have biases built in toward the players they see regularly. It’s like here on boards where some of the ridiculous arguments are no more than bias toward the player the poster sees more of. Everyone likes to dress it up as being knowledgeable and the other guy being provincial but it’s often as simple as seeing a lot more of a particular player and liking them. as I said I think close calls will fall green and there will be a couple of odd calls that fans of other countries and even different provinces will find questionable.
We're much better than Scotland, Wales and England are our players have consistently proven that too on multiple occasions.
Fans in the other countries can scoff all they want - but the notion that, if you were picking the team today, the team that has won the last two 6N championships would make up the lions share of it surely wouldn't be that shocking.
We have been better, a lot will depend on this 6 nations and who is playing best at the end of it
Scotland seem to be building themselves up again after a good AI's, we have them away from home etc
England have been playing well but can't seem to close out games
Wales, well lets leave them
So if you review all those countries whoever comes out on top in 6 natiosn will expect to have the majority of players.
Don't know if Lowe or McCarthy will make it.
Last year I would have said McCarthy was nailed on but he's hit a bit of a flat spot which can happen to young players.
He needs to show in the 6 nations the game that got him into the Ireland team in the first place.
Lowe is a difficult one. He was never 'quick' but he looks to me that he's lost half a step in the games I've watched him this season. He has a lot of weapons that other wingers don't though. Probably needs a good 6 nations.
