If that's the selection then we're aiming to put our foot on the throat and rack up big point difference against Wales.
That and it means that the coaches are likely backing Prendergast as the form out half and will have him running the week in training for the whole 6N. Quite the challenge for Crowley to take on.
Edit - After all the recent "tribalism" I just want to be clear that I'm happy to see either player start and want a team where we can look after our tens and tactically change in every game. Not trying to start any arguments here.
not mentioned by thornley in his article that i can see. Only glanced through it though.
Keenan injured?
THORNLEY
Osborne, Hansen, Ringrose, henshaw. Lowe, Sam, JGP, Conan, VDF, POM, beirne. JOE Mc, Clarkson, Sheehan, Porter
Bench - Boyle, Gus Mc, Bealham, Ryan, Baird, Murray, Crowley, Aki
Edit - had Clarkson and Bealham the wrong way around
IT REPORTING Sheehan is captain this weekend
At a guess, all of the Irish pubs there will be showing the rugby
Probably for the match thread when it goes up, but can anyone recommend a good pub in Amsterdam to watch the match on Saturday?
Over the rest of the year they didn't play that much. It was only inter provincials in Ireland and the five nations. I think it was eight club games in the old English system.
There was no URL or Champions cup or anything like it.
And back then the Lions tour was like a holiday. You'd hear loads of stories about players having nights out drinking and dining. They wouldn't be training much at all.
I think it has to take a far bigger toll on the body than it did in the amateur era.
Rugby in general takes a bigger toll on the body than in the amateur era.
On the other hand, this year's Lions tour has 9 matches, the last amateur tour (1993) had 13, go back to 1977 and they played 26 matches across three months.
Obviously injuries can end careers but looking at your own table, the Lions Tourists on the list didn't do too bad career wise. Is there really a case that playing on a Lions Tour will reduce your playing career?
O'Driscoll also has 8 lions caps so overall has more caps, just not for Ireland
My own personal opinion is that the Lions is an anachronism from an amateur game that no longer exists. That is not to say that the old Lions ethos doesn't bring back nostalgia. But overall its now a money making vessel and with games on Sky sports does not even do anything to being new people to the game.
I think you will see in the next couple of cycles that some players will start to skip the tour in a effort to prolong their overall career
Back then the players didn't play nearly as much as they do today.
I haven't looked at player caps, I know Healy has the most and O'Driscoll is second because I heard it during a match but I'd guess the top ten and possibly all of the top twenty are players who've played in the professional era.
I think a Lions tour should mean no autumn internationals.
We're very fortunate in that position at the moment. I was about to post the same repy as @johnh6767 that he's close to second or third best in the world in that position at the moment.
Gus is looking like a huge prospect/developer as well.
This. The Lions leave me completely cold. I get its important to the players. But this is really down to the legacy of the 50's to early 2000's teams and not in anyway related to its actual importance in the modern game.
And more than that, I think its detrimental to development of the Irsih team for Worlds cups at this stage. The summer two years out from the WC should be where we have a challenging tour to start integrating new players for the WC. Instead we are touring tier 2 nations and not answering any questions.
When all in top form the 3 best are Sheehan, Marx & Mauvaka
In the field of play yes. Lineout no.
2nd best on the planet??
Gus is exceptional and will be a massive part of Ireland in the future as he was in the Grand Slam 20’s where there is a treasure of talent now emerging to Senior levels. Kelleher is arguably the 2nd best hooker on the planet when in full form. He’s immensely powerful
I thought Gus McCarthy looked very good in the AI's so I wouldn't say Kelleher is that important.
Lions tour is over on 2nd August and the Irish players will have very little rugby in the three months leading up to the NZ game, be grand.
It's a bit of a myth that players get injured more on the Lions tour.
Yeah hopefully they learn from the previous Japan game which was also on early, and not cheap
Every time the Lions comes around it becomes increasingly less relevant than the previous tours. The volume of rugby played, evolution of club competitions, and frequency that major test nations play eachother has rendered it close to pointless for me. If the tours weren't massive revenue generators the Unions involved would be calling time on them to protect their players and build a better playing calendar.
Would love to see Izzy start at 6, the exposure and carrot of potentially being a regular in match day squads could really bring him on. For all his uniqueness, I don't think Baird is the answer at 6.
I'd also start JoeMc. He surely needs fitness, 55 mins hard work would be great for him. He should be on the bench for the France game but with the potential for him to have to come on early, he needs a blow out.
I assume we'll see a Henshaw/Ringrose midfield. Two other combinations were tried in the first two games so I assume Easterby is testing them all before settling on one for France.
Hadn't thought of that. Kinda hate the Lions tbh. Too often ruins the following season for the dominant team with wear and tear on the best players
I understand who's important, it's the length out with injury I'd like to know.
Only Doris and Kelleher matter really. We've become used to playing and winning without Furlong, Hansen is in dogsh1t form right now, and Henderson is a liability at this stage.
Doris is unreplaceable, the others we have very able replacements.
it is Wales 2025, we should beat them with 15 players.
#otb
Haven't heard much news the last few days.
Are Doris, Kelleher, Hansen, Furlong, Henderson likely to be available for the French?
Price it right & it would be a good family day out, it's been done in croker for last 16 CC games.
Leave the SA game for beers then 😉
Japan at Saturday lunch time is fairly crap.
They will really struggle to sell that one unless they make it really cheap.
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