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Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread IV

RoundBox11

Pairing Luke Marshall with Cave in the centre and Payne at fullback could be really good for the wolfhounds backline. They should know each other inside out. Then Gilroy could be on one wing.

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connachta

kingtiger wrote: »

Right lads, I have this from a very reliable source that has never steered me wrong

Healy is out of the WC!!!

Hope your source is wrong for once:(

kingtiger

Right lads, I have this from a very reliable source that has never steered me wrong

Healy is out of the WC!!!

Here is all the players cut from the provisional squad

Healy / Tuohy / Conan

Boss / Marmion / Gilroy / Reid / Felix Jones / Darcy / Cave

only bringing two Scrum Halves (Madigan in as cover)

molloyjh

The squad selection is quite tough when you start to look at it. Let's assume that Healy and Moore are fit but Trimble isn't. Our first choice 23 could be:

Healy Best Ross
POC Toner
POM Heaslip SOB

Murray Sexton
Henshaw Payne
Fitz Kearney Bowe

Cronin, McGrath, Moore, Henderson, Henry, Reddan, Madigan, Zebo

Assuming we're bringing Bent as 5th prop, Strauss as 3rd hooker, Ryan as 4th lock and Henry & Murphy as the back rows that's 28 players in total and only 3 spots left to cover additional 9 and 11-15 shirts.

How we fill those depends on how we line-up against Canada and Romania. Based on the above we could see (with a slight reshuffle in certain areas between games):

McGrath Strauss Moore
Ryan Henderson
Murphy Heaslip Henry

Reddan Jackson
??? Earls
??? Zebo ???

Cronin, Healy, Bent, Toner, SOB, ???, ???, ???

I think a big question here is who covers 12 in those games. Will Joe start Jackson and Madigan together? I have my doubts tbh. We've seen in the past that Joe isn't too keen on having 2 10s on together when it can be helped. Which suggests Cave may well be in with a shot of travelling as the back-up 12. If he is and we bring a 3rd scrum-half then we only have 1 place left for the outside backs. You'd have to assume Madigans versatility would have him in the squad, but if it does then that's it. We would only have Zebo as back 3 cover.

Something like this seems more likely I think:

McGrath Strauss Moore
Ryan Henderson
Murphy Heaslip Henry

Reddan Jackson
Cave Earls
Fitz Zebo DKearney

Cronin, Healy, Bent, Toner, SOB, Boss, Madigan, Bowe

This would leave no room for a third SH though. Giving a squad of:

LH: Healy, McGrath
HK: Best, Cronin, Strauss
TH: Ross, Moore, Bent
LK: POC, Toner, Henderson, Ryan
BS: POM, Murphy
OS: SOB, Henry
N8: Heaslip

SH: Murray, Reddan
OH: Sexton, Jackson, Madigan
IC: Henshaw, Cave
OC: Payne, Earls
WG: Fitz, Bowe, D Kearney
FB: R Kearney, Zebo

I'm not sure the big issue is the back 3 at all, I think it's whether or not Cave travels. If he does then we need to lose Boss, if he doesn't then we need to have both back-up 10s on the pitch at once for 2 games. The only other possibility is that Madigan doesn't travel, but I think that's pretty much an impossibility.

total former

aimee1 wrote: »

And the question was??

... hopelessly flawed.

You could "pick" all of them if you wanted, or you could "drop" all of them.

I'd expect more from the esteemed rugby journalists of the Irish Mirror website, frankly.

connachta

sydthebeat wrote: »

silly exercise as none of knows the extent of injury and rehab to healy, moore and trimble.

Interesting one for the backline, less for the forwards, as POM is in the list, White isn't

sydthebeat

connachta wrote: »

http://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/rugby-union/irelands-rugby-world-cup-squad-6301399

Do your own choices, it's funnier:P

PS : this classication is perfect IMO

silly exercise as none of knows the extent of injury and rehab to healy, moore and trimble.

connachta

Deleted User wrote: »

Who are the 3% dropping Murray and Sexton

Crazy fans of Madigan and Reddan I guess

[Deleted User]

connachta wrote: »

http://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/rugby-union/irelands-rugby-world-cup-squad-6301399

Do your own choices, it's funnier:P

PS : this classication is perfect IMO

Who are the 3% dropping Murray and Sexton

connachta

aimee1 wrote: »

And the question was??

http://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/rugby-union/irelands-rugby-world-cup-squad-6301399

Do your own choices, it's funnier:P

PS : this classication is perfect IMO

aimee1

connachta wrote: »

I know it's just a informal poll on the Irish mirror website, but here's the most popular picks for the backs (Robbie Henshaw 1st:eek::D)

Henshaw
96.8%
Sexton
96.7%
Murray
96.7%
R Kearney
91.4%
Bowe
90.6%
Payne
88.0%
Trimble
83.3%
Earls
81.7%
Zebo
80.9%
Reddan
80.0%
Madigan
79.1%
Fitzgerald
62.4%
D Kearney
53.8%
Jackson
41.9%
Jones
40.9%
Cave
40.9%
Marmion
33.0%
Boss
31.9%
McFadden
23.1%
Gilroy
19.1%
D'Arcy
16.0%

And the question was??

connachta

I know it's just a informal poll on the Irish mirror website, but here's the most popular picks for the backs (Robbie Henshaw 1st:eek::D)

Henshaw
96.8%
Sexton
96.7%
Murray
96.7%
R Kearney
91.4%
Bowe
90.6%
Payne
88.0%
Trimble
83.3%
Earls
81.7%
Zebo
80.9%
Reddan
80.0%
Madigan
79.1%
Fitzgerald
62.4%
D Kearney
53.8%
Jackson
41.9%
Jones
40.9%
Cave
40.9%
Marmion
33.0%
Boss
31.9%
McFadden
23.1%
Gilroy
19.1%
D'Arcy
16.0%

DrFloppy

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Saw Darragh Fanning yesterday.

He was on the water and his friends were all on pints. Suggests he's in Joe's plans imo.

Maybe he's pregnant.

gamma001

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/world-cup/comment/joe-schmidt-keeps-punters-guessing-on-world-cup-gamble-31470706.html

[Deleted User]

Saw Darragh Fanning yesterday.

He was on the water and his friends were all on pints. Suggests he's in Joe's plans imo.

molloyjh

Wang King wrote: »

O'Reilly suggesting otherwise?

Fez seemed to think he was out for a few weeks too.

total former

Wang King wrote: »

O'Reilly suggesting otherwise?

Yeah, O'Reilly says Trimble won't be fit enough to be included against Wales. If that happens, it's curtains for him.

Wang King

Buer wrote: »

Really? Brendan Fanning wrote that he's expected back in full training tomorrow.

O'Reilly suggesting otherwise?

Buer

ongarite wrote: »

Suggestions in the paper this morning that Trimble is out, still bothered by foot injury.

Really? Brendan Fanning wrote that he's expected back in full training tomorrow.

[Deleted User]

Nothing contentious in Quinlan's selection there really. I don't have time to read the article, does he presume Moore is injured? Because Moore is obviously going if he's fit.

ongarite

Suggestions in the paper this morning that Trimble is out, still bothered by foot injury.

Yeah_Right

.ak wrote: »

Quinny's 31

That's exactly who I'd be going with myself.

However if Moore can prove his fitness he'd go ahead of White, and Dave Kearney if Trimble isn't fit.

Spot on.

.ak

Quinny's 31

The Men To Answer Ireland's Call
FORWARDS (17)
Michael Bent (Leinster)
Rory Best (Ulster)
Sean Cronin (Leinster)
Cian Healy (Leinster)
Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)
Iain Henderson (Ulster)
Chris Henry (Ulster)
Jack McGrath (Leinster)
Nathan White (Connacht)
Jordi Murphy (Leinster)
Sean O’Brien (Leinster)
Paul O’Connell (Toulon)
Peter O’Mahony (Munster)
Mike Ross (Leinster)
Donnacha Ryan (Munster)
Richardt Strauss (Leinster)
Devin Toner (Leinster)
BACKS (14):
Isaac Boss (Leinster)
Tommy Bowe (Ulster)
Keith Earls (Munster)
Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster)
Robbie Henshaw (Connacht)
Paddy Jackson (Ulster)
Rob Kearney (Leinster)
Ian Madigan (Leinster)
Conor Murray (Munster)
Jared Payne (Ulster)
Eoin Reddan (Leinster)
Jonathan Sexton (Leinster)
Andrew Trimble (Ulster)
Simon Zebo (Munster)

That's exactly who I'd be going with myself.

However if Moore can prove his fitness he'd go ahead of White, and Dave Kearney if Trimble isn't fit.

connachta

you're right the other thread should be used

Zzippy

OK, a dedicated thread has been set up for Marmion v Boss debates. Connachta and Lucretia, and anyone else who's bothered, please keep it over there and we'll keep this thread for more general team talk. And keep it civilised, if you don't respect a poster's opinion move along, no need for sarcasm or condescending remarks. Thanks

The Rape of Lucretia

connachta wrote: »

Low grade. CJ Stander, James Cronin, Mike Sherry and Dave Foley are low grade. All right.

There were a lot more low grade players than just those four playing.
However, all in all, probably more in Marmy's league than international world cup grade.

connachta

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

Nevertheless, it is games of consequence from the last 12 months that have determined this squad. Not last minute practice semi-games against scratch low grade opposition. The Marmot has lost out due to those games.

Low grade. CJ Stander, James Cronin, Mike Sherry and Dave Foley are low grade. All right.
And please don't say they are far from ready, Pro12 k-o is in 13 days, we're not in July anymore (sadly)

The Rape of Lucretia

connachta wrote: »

Pre-world cup games, not 6 months, or 1 year ago:rolleyes:

Nevertheless, it is games of consequence from the last 12 months that have determined this squad. Not last minute practice semi-games against scratch low grade opposition. The Marmot has lost out due to those games.

The Rape of Lucretia

For those of you too young to remember it, this debate takes me right back to the Ward-Campbell war.
You probably heard about it, but now can experience something as divisive, where two all-time greats of Irish rugby battle for one spot, the squad and hopes of a nation depending on them. You can tell your grandchildren in years to come how the country was split in the great Boss-Marmion war of 2015.

connachta

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Cheers for confirming that. I was pretty sure about it but thought maybe it was a different year.

I think that performance and what is happening in trainings will have a bigger influence on the selectors than how Marmion performs in a couple of meaningless pre-season friendlies against weak opposition.

Pre-world cup games, not 6 months, or 1 year ago:rolleyes:

Yeah_Right

Flipper22 wrote: »

Yeah that basically happened. Some people managed to see otherwise however, whether deliberately ignoring what was actually happening or seeing what they wanted to see, who knows

Cheers for confirming that. I was pretty sure about it but thought maybe it was a different year.

I think that performance and what is happening in trainings will have a bigger influence on the selectors than how Marmion performs in a couple of meaningless pre-season friendlies against weak opposition.