Your irish 23 for the 2019 rugby world cup

Everyone was terrible the last time, really bad. Nobody picked POC, a lot of people dropped people too quickly in general.

15. JJ Hanrahan (27)
14. Rory Scholes (26)
13. Robbie Henshaw (26)
12. Stuart Olding (26)
11. Luke Fitzgerald (31)
10. Ross Byrne (24)
9. Conor Murray (30)
8. Jamie Heaslip (35)
7. Sean O'Brien (32)
6. Peter O'Mahony (29)
5. Dave Foley (31)
4. Iain Henderson (27)
3. Martin Moore (28)
2. Duncan Casey (28)
1. Cian Healy (31)

16. Bryan Byrne (25)
17. Jack McGrath (29)
18. Tadhg Furlong (26)
19. John Madigan (25)
20. Jack O'Donoghue (25)/Jake Heenan (27)/Rhys Ruddock (28)
21. Kieran Marmion (27)
22. Paddy Jackson (27)
23. Keith Earls (31)

connachta wrote: »

15. JJ Hanrahan (27)
14. Danie Poolman (30)
13. Robbie Henshaw (26)
12. Stuart Olding (26)
11. Luke Fitzgerald (31)
10. Ian Madigan (30)
9. Conor Murray (30)
8. Jordi Murphy (28)
7. Sean O'Brien (32)
6. Peter O'Mahony (29)
5. Dave Foley (31)
4. Iain Henderson (27)
3. Martin Moore (28)
2. Duncan Casey (28)
1. Cian Healy (31)

16. Dave Heffernan (28)
17. Denis Buckley (29)
18. Tadhg Furlong (26)
19. Ultan Dillane (26)
20. Jake Heenan (27)/Rhys Ruddock (28)
21. Kieran Marmion (27)
22. Paddy Jackson (27)
23. Bundee AKi (29)

I like the homogeneity, from 26 to 31 y.o could mean cohesion

Having seen how badly wrong people were 4 years ago this is a pretty difficult task. I think there are always far fewer changes than people think and then of course there are bolsters like Henshaw who are impossible to predict because they are only 16 or 17 now.

15 Stuart Olding - if he manages to stay fit I think we'll find that he may move position, he could even up at 10, but I've liked what I seen of him at FB. Kearney could easily still be in position though.
14 Luke Fitzgerald - all his injuries to date may prolong his career
13 Robbie Henshaw - safe bet, although Ringrose is a talent
12 Sam Arnold - only 19 and already has a couple of pro 12 caps under his belt and has already been promoted from the Ulster academy, I think he is quite a prospect.
11 Simon Zebo - May make the 11 jersey his own once Bowe and Trimble etc retire
10 Paddy Jackson - Sexton may still be a factor and then there are the likes of Byrne and JJ, but I think Jackson is most likely to be the 10.
9 Conor Murray - safe bet
1 Cian Healy - injury allowing a safe bet
2 Sean Cronin - next in line to Best
3 Tadgh Furlong - very promising TH, could make the position his own for 10 years
4 Devin Toner - struggling here a bit, but I think Toner could still be around, he isn't renowned for his pace and athleticism so age shouldn't dim his strengths
5 Iain Henderson - will be in the team, not sure if in the second row or back row
6 Peter O'Mahony - if he is in the team will be captain
7 Sean O'Brien - hopefully his body holds up
8 Jack O'Donoghue - very impressed by what I've seen of JOD. He could well be Heaslip's successor.

Fireball07 wrote: »

Everyone was terrible the last time, really bad. Nobody picked POC, a lot of people dropped people too quickly in general.

15. JJ Hanrahan (27)
14. Rory Scholes (26)
13. Robbie Henshaw (26)
12. Stuart Olding (26)
11. Luke Fitzgerald (31)
10. Ross Byrne (24)
9. Conor Murray (30)
8. Jamie Heaslip (35)
7. Sean O'Brien (32)
6. Peter O'Mahony (29)
5. Dave Foley (31)
4. Iain Henderson (27)
3. Martin Moore (28)
2. Duncan Casey (28)
1. Cian Healy (31)

16. Bryan Byrne (25)
17. Jack McGrath (29)
18. Tadhg Furlong (26)
19. John Madigan (25)
20. Jack O'Donoghue (25)/Jake Heenan (27)/Rhys Ruddock (28)
21. Kieran Marmion (27)
22. Paddy Jackson (27)
23. Keith Earls (31)

Can totally see Heaslip playing when hes 35, a Neanderthal, even injuries are scared to go near him.

bradders90 wrote: »

Where'd you hear that he had already been promoted, have ulster announced it or something?

Someone on the Uafc forum said he had got a development contract along with a couple of other players. Paul Jackson may have been one of the others. Would need to check the forum again.

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Considering I started the thread may as well put my own team...
I think it helps if you put age player will be in 4 years time just as guide to other posters etc

15 Rob Kearney (33)
14 Keith Earls (31)
13 Robbie Henshaw (26)
12 Luke Marshall (28)
11 Cian Kelleher (25)
10 Paddy Jackson (27)
9 Conor Murray (30)
1 Cian Healy (31)
2 Niall Scannell (27)
3 Tadhg Furlong (26)
4 Dave Foley (31)
5 Ian Henderson (27)
6 Peter O Mahony (30)
7 Sean O Brien (32)
8 Jack O Donoghue (25)
16 James Cronin (29)
17 Duncan Casey (28)
18 Martin Moore (28)
19 John Madigan (25)
20 Jordi Murphy (28)
21 Kieran Marmion (27)
22 Ross Byrne (24)
23 Stuart Olding (26)

I think Heaslip will still be there, hes been indestructible and 35 isnt that old. I would also be very surprised if Kelleher surpasses Fitzgerald in the next 4 years, I think Fitz will be the anchor and dominant force of the Leinster backline (outside Sexton) during that time

1mcgrath
2strauss
3furlong
4toner
5henderson
6pom
7sob
8heaslip
9murray
10sexton
11fitz
12Peter Robb
13henshaw
14earls
15 Dkearney
16healy
17scannell
18moore
19dave foley
20jordi Murphy
21luke McGrath
22pjackson
23zebo

Peter Robb is obviously a total wildcard as there's a big chance he may never kick on....but he has physical attributes the likes of which Ireland have never seen in a back. Surprisingly quite pacy for his size as well

total former wrote: »

I know hindsight is great and all that, but I had to laugh at the guy who picked Sykes and Nagle for our 2015 second row.

And Jamie Hagan at TH and Fionn Carr on the wing, a truly awful prediction (from me, in case anyone thinks I'm being ridiculously harsh on someone else!).

I honestly don't think I would have believed anyone if they'd told me POC would still be starting for this team, let alone captain. His longevity is impressive but also surprising given at one point there were people on this forum certain that he wasn't going to make it back from that period of sustained injury, what a legend.

My 2019 team will be 100% correct and it will be:

McGrath (29)
Strauss (33)
Furlong (26)
Toner (33)
Henderson (27)
O'Mahoney (30) - Capt
O'Donoghue (25)

Murray (30)
Sexton (34)
D Kearney (30)
Henshaw (26)
Ringrose (24)
Earls (32)
R Kearney (33)

B Byrne (26)
D Buckley (29)
M Moore (28)
James Ryan (23)
CJ Stander (29)
L McGrath (26)
P Jackson (27)
F Jones (32)

This time I've erred on the side of longevity, and thrown in a few less curveballs...

These threads are always a bit of fun, especially when you look back at after 4 years. One thing I notice from the last thread that everyone just seemed to pick the names that seemed to be making a splash at u20 level. I think it just goes to prove how hard the journey is to the top level, despite having that natural pedigree.

For me, this is how I see the team, which I reckon will be largely conservative.

Payne (33)
Earls (31)
Henshaw (26)
McCloskey (27)
Fitzgerald (31)
Sexton (34)
Murray (30)
Heaslip (35)
SOB (32)
Ruddock (28)
Toner (33)
Henderson (27)
Moore (27)
Strauss (33)
Healy (32)

Subs:
Cronin
McGrath
Furlong
Foley
Murphy
Marmion
Jackson
Zebo

irishbucsfan wrote: »

And Jamie Hagan at TH and Fionn Carr on the wing, a truly awful prediction (from me, in case anyone thinks I'm being ridiculously harsh on someone else!).

I honestly don't think I would have believed anyone if they'd told me POC would still be starting for this team, let alone captain. His longevity is impressive but also surprising given at one point there were people on this forum certain that he wasn't going to make it back from that period of sustained injury, what a legend.

My 2019 team will be 100% correct and it will be:

McGrath (29)
Strauss (33)
Furlong (26)
Toner (33)
Henderson (27)
O'Mahoney (30) - Capt
O'Donoghue (25)

Murray (30)
Sexton (34)
D Kearney (30)
Henshaw (26)
Ringrose (24)
Earls (32)
R Kearney (33)

B Byrne (26)
D Buckley (29)
M Moore (28)
James Ryan (23)
CJ Stander (29)
L McGrath (26)
P Jackson (27)
F Jones (32)

This time I've erred on the side of longevity, and thrown in a few less curveballs...

I see you are the only one in this thread accounting for the fact the openside position will cease to exist in 4 years

bilston wrote: »

I think that is a fairly realistic team. There will be a bolter or two though. That's why I went for Arnold, others will go for Ringrose, but Henshaw shows you will get the odd new guy that blasts through the system.

But it does take time, unless they are really special or if there is a specific need for a player it usually takes 4-5 years for a player to move from the U20s into a regular starting XV spot.

McCloskey for me is the up and coming guy that'll make it. I think he's already been eyed up by the management, but for me he's the best all rounder out of the up and coming centres and already has a natural ability to distribute and fix defenders, plus he's already made for international rugby.

I think Arnold will be stuck behind him at Ulster too.

The amount of people who had Luke McGrath starting or on the bench from the old thread is interesting. And if Murray was starting it was McGrath or Marmion on the bench.