The problem with your post is that those of us you quoted are separate people with different opinions.
"This place sometimes" implies we shouldn't have or express diverse opinions at all - on a discussion forum.
Rather than sniping at others could you maybe offer your own or just scroll past.
He was dropped to give Farrell time to invest in a player who really hasn't progressed from what we all saw as his potential.
Schroedingers Farrell.
He's both too conservative and never changes the selection, whilst at the same time drops players on a whim in favour of the next shiny object.
This place sometimes......
None of the Irish backs 3 covered themselves in glory.
a very average trio.
The really are reaching here. I'll leave you to it.
Oh and bye the way I know about concussion. My wife was badly concussed in a riding accident nearly 30 years ago and we are still living with the consequences.
Crowley got an entire Nov series, 6 Nations and summer tour as a starter, you can't fault Farrell for not backing him. He was dropped for not performing well enough, as Prendergast has been.
I really don’t think many understand concussion
That is the problem in rugby
Remembering we are talking about a player who had to rule himself out of matches just this summer.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2021/aug/06/rugbys-problems-run-much-deeper-than-concussion-from-the-odd-big-hit
Yes That is his game and people only really started to understand that those’ % doesn’t work’ actually were a percentage decision where cover was available.
What he actually did was not a percentage decision, he just blasted out of the line into no man’s land.
Now he does shoot out to blitz more than ever under Nienaber, but that was not a blitz, it was someone who had just rattled his brain and was running into space.
Was about to log in to post exactly this.
Sexton and O Gara were both dropped by ireland numerous times when they were in their early 20s and had to battle for the jersey and it made them better players.
In hindsight and looking back (and I was critical of Crowley's non selection) that Farrell has giving Sam time to try and claim the jersey, the fact that neither have is a concern. Id have loved to see Crowley take that game by the scruff of the neck last night, he didn't some of it his fault some were the fault if his teammates.
You could argue that if Crowley got the run of games that Prendergast got that he might be a better option but it is what it is now.
I wouldn't write either of them off yet but one of them has to pull clear of the other or even better would be that both improve their weaknesses
Any cap we give Frawley at 10 is a waste of an opportunity for someone else. There’s no two ways about it. He’s a decent player but in terms of Leinster and Ireland squads, his best number is 24
Frawley was given the chance at 10 for Leinster and never nailed it down. He showed flaws in his passing game that meant it wasn't worth persisting with. Lancaster and Cullen had every chance to persist, but decided Ross and Harry Byrne were better options.
I like Frawley as a player. He's a good passing and kicking option from 12 and a decent sized athlete. But people need to stop acting like he's never been given a shot at flyhalf. He got one and it was quickly decided he was better elsewhere.
I understand why Farrell likes him. He's a 'messy' kind of player. It's the same reason why I and many other Leinster fans rate him. He takes risks and isn't afraid of making the big play. But his control or the game isn't good enough to make him a provincial 10, let alone a test one.
Osborne could be a good 12 at international level, but I really dislike him at 15. He got rave reviews for his performances in SA last summer but I wasn’t onboard that hype train. People got very carried away with the fact that he’s good in the air and can kick the ball a long way, but he offers nothing in attack from that position and doesn’t have much pace.
Harry Byrne is a definite option. I genuinely think he has a strong chance to take the 10 jersey for Leinster this season. He's playing well, has a more complete game than Prendergast currently, and can tackle.
Crowley was brilliant in the Leinster game and deserved his shot, but he was less than ordinary at international level in the past and also yesterday, but Prendergast is also not a shoe in, I wish they (Leinster and Ireland) would give Frawley a bit more time at 10 so that he can either prove himself or be relegated to the bench as has been the case since that disaterous game after his heroics in South Africa. There just doesn't seem to be any other prospects at 10, and both Crowley and Prendergast are not up to it at this stage.
The question many will ask is why should he be selected in the centre by Ireland if Leinster don’t select him there?
Because he is likely to be Ireland's best 12 come WC27... He may be our best 12 right now, the only thing is McCloskey is still playing very well but he's likely to decline a fair bit over the next two years. Also worth noting that Osborne isn't Leinster's first choice 15 either.
It should be even more clear cut at Leinster, Osborne is not only a better 12 then Henshaw now, the gap seems to be growing every month. Osborne should be Leinster's undisputed first choice 12, that he isn't is another question mark hanging over Cullen (I think everyone agrees that Leinster's deficiencies are carrying over to Ireland but LC and AF are acting like it is still 2018). Osborne's future isn't at 15, playing him there is wasting time which could be used to develop him as a top class 12.
This series should have been about transitioning to the players who you expect to be playing in the WC27. Give them the next two 6Ns to develop, not flogging guys who are already past it.
It’s hardly nonsense though is it? Why would you drop a player if he was doing the business for you week in week out? There isn’t a conspiracy. Crowley has started the last two meaningful games for Ireland (Italy in the 6N and NZ) and hasn’t shot the lights out.
I'm desperate for Osborne to get time at 12, but McCloskey has earned that jersey. I'd play him at 13, if Farrell isn't going to try Gavin or Farrell.
There's a fundamental issue with our back 3. Farrell built around Lowe and Hansen, trading their lack of speed for playmaking, while foregoing incision in the centres. Due to injury and decline, they aren't as effective at that anymore, and we're left in a poor spot. Age and injury profiles mean we have to look at a big shake up in personnel, and with it playing style. Back players in form, with speed and an ability to create breaks.
Goodman is a failure, he just needs to go. I thought Catt was useless too, until this point in the last cycle, when we blew everyone away in Nov 21. The team somehow looks even worse than last year.
That is some nonsense.
He got dropped because the next shiny thing attracted Farrell et al.
It was a big setback in the development of a young 10.
Im all for giving young options gametime INCLUDING Prendergast. But the way the 6 nations was divided was not clever or helpful to either player.
Do people think our 10s are some kind of delicate petals that need to be caressed and treated like babies.
Crowley got dropped cause he was playing poorly. If you can't handle that you don't deserve to be a professional sportsperson.
I don't think we can lay the blame at the players feet, just about all of the leinster players hadn't even played a full 80 minutes this season. They team looked totally under cooked, against a battle hardened All Blacks team. Dan Sheehan had played 35 minutes going into this game, and it showed.
Why would furlong need a rest. He has played about 10-12 games this year.
I would play Tom Farrell. I would also play crowley and tell him that he is No.1 for all the November internationals giving him game time with JGP ( if you are playing the latter which I am unsure about) . I would agree about giving Furlong a rest
I think Osborne is a fine player. The question many will ask is why should he be selected in the centre by Ireland if Leinster don’t select him there? I don’t think the current set up in Leinster is helping Ireland nor the elite and highly talented Irish qualified players in the Ireland squad.
I really don't think you understand concussion.
Thing is that it is like him. He does shoot out from the line quite a bit and a fair % doesnt work.
I fear that you're likely correct. The lack of creativity in the centres is the major issue but I don't see any changes there. Worse still, Aki could end up starting this next game
Well ok. I do think he was. Look back at that hit. There is no way he didn’t shake his own brain. It’s just different levels of concussion.
He was absolutely miles off when shooting out later. That’s really not like him
It’s ok lads. Andy will pick the same team again next week. We’ll be told he’s “giving them a chance to redeem themselves” like we always are. They’ll manage to beat Japan and it’ll be same again for SA and Aus.
Honestly though anyone with a brain has seen this coming. The downward trend in performance has been clear for over a year now and it’s now starting to translate into a downward trend in results. But the problems have been there for a lot longer. This November and upcoming 6N is going to be extremely rough for us. But it could have been avoided if Farrell actually evolved the team steadily post the World Cup. Also POC should have been got rid of after the World Cup when our lineout was a complete disaster then. 2 years later and nothing has changed there. You reap what you sow. Goodman has also been a complete disaster since taking over the attack.
'I reckon' part.
It’s not that the Leinster players are passed their peak it’s more that they are poorly coached at Leinster.
I also have reservations about Goodman and unfortunately POC
