danthefan wrote: » Yeah sorry, I'm too downbeat even to joke about it at this stage.
durkadurka wrote: » Mine would be Healy Fla Ross DOC POC Ferris O'Brien Heaslip Reddan Sexton Trimble McFadden BOD Bowe Kearney Bench: Court , best , Cullen , Jennings , Murray , ROG , Earls
danthefan wrote: » That's fine, I'm aware people have their views on who should start, but I'm of the view that it really doesn't matter. We are going to lose. How is this not a valid viewpoint?
maddragon wrote: » Patrick Sarsfield Brian Boru Niall of the Nine hostages St Brendan Finn McCool Hugh O'Neill Silken Thomas Wolfe Tone Robert Emmet Cathal Brugha Tom Barry Sean Lemass Jim Larkin Kelly the boy from Kilane Michael Collins I particularly like Lemass at outhalf as he had good form in changing the course of a game. Tinkered with putting in James Connolly as an impact dub from the bench but his injury record comes against him.
andrewdcs wrote: » Having thought about it all day, having ruled out all the various issues with individual and collective accountability, having watched Ireland all through the 80s 90s and 00s I am pretty certain that I have ascertained the issue, and can propose a solution. The issue: This Ireland team has a bad juju. The solution: http://www.blesstheworld.com/spiritual_remedies.html
danthefan wrote: » Don't tell other people how to post, honestly. I don't care what you think. If you're so upset hit the report button.
.ak wrote: » Leamy at 7? I know, but SOB is a world class 6, and that'll be one of our few strengths.. Also he can move about for Ferris to come on as an impact sub.
Conas wrote: » 1 Cian "Baby Elephant" Healy 2 Rory "Flipper" Best 3 Mike "Rhino" Ross 4 Leo "Long Sheep" Cullen 5 Paul "Redser" O Connell 6 Stephen "Glassman" Ferris 7 Shane "Gouge Kennedy" Jennings 8 Sean "If there's no hole, I'll make one" O'Brien 9 Eoin "Smallfry" Reddan 10 Johnny "Sex is dire, but can be on fire" Sexton 11 Andrew "hercules" Trimble 12 Fergus "Skippy" McFadden 13 Brian "Drico" O Driscoll 14 Tommy "Long Johns" Bowe 15 Geordan "Tiger Smurf" Murphy
jacothelad wrote: » I thought Murray was average to dross during the game. I watched it again this afternoon - masochism really - and I have to say he was pretty awful. Poor options, bad passes, slow getting the ball away, knocking on, slow getting to rucks. His main ploy is simply to look for POC and shovel the ball to him even when he is in totally the wrong place. He may become a good player but he isn't one yet. Instead of playing Murray with ROG and Sexton with Reddan or Boss he does neither.
.ak wrote: » Hrmm, good thread tho.. I think the majority of us are in agreement with the who we'd like to see starting, there's some slight differences in everyones posts, but the funny thing is we'll see some unusual picks come saturday, because that's how Kidney does... :P My 2c...Healy Best Ross DOC POC SOB Leamy Heaslip Reddan Sexton Trimble McFadden BOD Bowe Kearney Court Flannery Cullen Ferris Murray ROG Earls Couple of things: The SH/FH pairing is so important from the kick off... I'm not wearing blue-tinted shades here, I honestly think Sexton and Reddan on their best days will compete with the best. Also communication is key.. if Kidney decides to start ROG, that's fine, that's understandable.. but he must start a familiar SH with him: Murray. No more of this mixing at the pivot...Leamy at 7? I know, but SOB is a world class 6, and that'll be one of our few strengths.. Also he can move about for Ferris to come on as an impact sub. Earls as replacement? Well if dreams come through and Kidney drops Darce for McFadden we'll need someone that can double up as FB if Kearney takes a blow.. Earls had a great game at FB in march, and is looking less like a finisher these days.. he'd be ideal at FB cover, or just a general 22. More than likely Wallace will get this role.
BERBA wrote: » and you'll be ireland number 1 fan if they win next sat eh?:rolleyes:
Reloc8 wrote: » Not going to happen but here is my team :- 1. Cian Healy (presume fit) 2. Rory Best 3. Mike Ross 4. Stephen Ferris 5. Paul O'Connell 6. Sean O'Brien (presume fit) 7. Shane Jennings 8. Jamie Heaslip 9. Eoin Reddan 10. Jonathon Sexton 11 Andrew Trimble 12. Tommy Bowe 13. Brian O'Driscoll (c) 14. Keith Earls 15. Rob Kearney 16. Tom Court 17. Jerry Flannery 17. Tony Buckley (pewk but what can you do) 18. Denis Leamy 19. Donncha O'Callaghan 20. Ronan O'Gara 21. Issac Boss 22. Fergus McFadden
corny wrote: » The time has come and gone for experimentation though and the tried and trusted, at least DK's idea of the tried and trusted, will take the field on Saturday.
theboss80 wrote: » Mine would be Healy Best Ross DOC POC Ferris O'Brien Heaslip Reddan ROG Trimble McFadden BOD Bowe Kearney Bench: Court , Flannery , Cullen , Jennings , Murray , Sexton , Earls
Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: » The biggest selection issues for the AUS match surround the backrow and 12 jersey imo. Houdini (Yup, I'm starting to call him that now) is in terrible form and is living off his reputation and D'Arcy isn't the first cousin of an international centre any more. Houdini deserves to be dropped but, without Wallace we don't have many options in the backrow. As good as Jennings can be for Leinster, he doesn't have the physicality for international rugby. Leamy has had a poor enough season and was anonymous yesterday, but he can match anyone in physcality stakes. Ryan isn't anything but an emergency option off the bench. If Leamy can watch his penalty count, I wouldn't mind seeing him at 7 provided he is just told to hit rucks all day, so SOB can concentrate on his carrying (from 8). Kidney's refusal to consider Wilson or Coughlan is really harming us since Wallace's injury. A backrow of 6. Ferris, 7. Leamy, 8. SOB, would be incredibly abbrasive. Our only way to beat Australia, is to beat them up front but, the above backrow would probably too big of a risk. I'd love if the above backrow was picked and it worked out. Dropping Heaslip would be the best way of making him realise that he isn't untouchable and that he needs to up his game. D'Arcy has to be dropped. He has offered nothing on the international scene for quite a while (Indian Summer last August aside). The question now surrounds who we will (hopefully) replace him with - do we choose Wallace, McFadden or Sexton? McFadden seems the obvious choice for the 12 jersey, as he brings a similar skillset to the team but, he appears to be pretty far down the pecking order. Believe it or not but, I actually am a fan of Wallace's game but, he is not used to his strengths by Ireland. We use him as the world's smallest crashball merchant and it is a waste of a talented and skillful 12. The more I think of it though, Sexton could offer so much more than Wallace at 12. I was originally against playing him in the centre, but he might just thrive with someone else managing the game at 10. He is solid in defense and has a decent running game (better than D'Arcy or Wallace anyway). I know that Kidney said that playing him at 12 against France was a once-off but, it wouldn't be unimagineable for Kidney to make a big call like that. So, here's the team I would currently choose: 1. Healy 2. Best - It would be wrong to drop him after today's performance. 3. Ross 4. DOC 5. POC 6. Ferris 7. Leamy - I would have no problem starting Houdini if he could up his game but, as I see it we are unlikely to win the game so we might as well try and get him up to pace by the Italy game. Dropping him is the best way imo. 8. SOB 9. Murray - He showed enough when he wasn't getting swarmed by the opposition forwards to earn a start. And as all the Leinster posters always say, we should keep the provincial pairings together :P . 10. ROG 11. Trimble 12. Sexton 13. BOD 14. Bowe 15. Kearney - I haven't actually decided if we should go for the safe option or go for the more dangerous Earls, as he is unlikely to be tested under the highball. Earls hasn't played 15 this season though, so its likely Kearney will get the nod.
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