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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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gamma001

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

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.

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%

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

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

[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

Deleted User wrote: »

Who are the 3% dropping Murray and Sexton

Crazy fans of Madigan and Reddan I guess

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

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

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.

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.

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)

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:(

Noopti

kingtiger wrote: »

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)

You could guess all of that to be fair. And the Madigan thing has been mooted a few times now, so wouldn't be overly surprising.

kingtiger

connachta wrote: »

Hope your source is wrong for once:(

so do I

but he is definite on this one

Noopti wrote: »

You could guess all of that to be fair. And the Madigan thing has been mooted a few times now, so wouldn't be overly surprising.

don't shoot the messenger, and it's not a guess

connachta

kingtiger wrote: »

so do I

but he is definite on this one

France will overwhelm us at scrumtime:mad:
Please Joe, bring back Denis Buckley

Podge_irl

Noopti wrote: »

And the Madigan thing has been mooted a few times now, so wouldn't be overly surprising.

I would still find it incredibly surprising and still think it would be incredibly risky and fairly stupid.

kuang1

connachta wrote: »

France will overwhelm us at scrumtime:mad:
Please Joe, bring back Denis Buckley

Millenium stadium will be more like a home game for us. I'm expecting at least 50,000 irish at it. Crowd noise will get to the French and we end up winning every scrum from 20 minute on, as their minds ain't right!

Buer

I think it's unlikely and very risky but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't something that part of me wants to see. I don't think either Boss or Marmion is up to standard of test rugby. If we somehow get away with only two scrum halves, great, but it's a massive risk and rather foolhardy, to my mind.

We have plenty of flexibility in our backs so we really shouldn't need to sacrifice a specialist position to bring another utility player.

RoundBox11

kingtiger wrote: »

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)

I dont believe this tbh.

Even if Joe was bringing 2 SH, there's no way he'd be bringing another winger in their place (Kearney). If he was dropping boss and marmion it would be to bring more centre cover instead i.e Cave

kingtiger

RoundBox11 wrote: »

I dont believe this tbh.

I will put 50 quid on it, want to take the bet?

all barring injuries v Wales

connachta

If Healy out, Moore in, Madigan as SH cover, Bent ambidextrous situation is to reconsider

6 props, no need for him to cover both sides
Then, is he ahead of Killcoyne and Buckley for LH, behind McGrath? Not sure
Is he ahead of White and Moore for TH behind Ross? Even less

This injury+SH poker should send him out of the 31 TBF

shuffol

Why bring 2 scrumhalves and still bring no extra center cover?

Noopti

kingtiger wrote: »

so do I

but he is definite on this one

don't shoot the messenger, and it's not a guess

Not shooting the messenger, just saying there is nothing hugely surprising in there so 90% of people on this forum could have guessed it. There is obvious stuff like Conan, Gilroy & Reid not making the squad, combined with less obvious stuff like Madigan covering 9 - but that has been mooted by several journalists already. And Healy not making the squad wouldn't be a massive surprise considering we have heard nothing about him playing or progressing and we have one warm up left before the squad is announced.

connachta

shuffol wrote: »

Why bring 2 scrumhalves and still bring no extra center cover?

Because 6th prop is more needed that centre IMO with Earls, Bowe, Madigan, Fitz all able to slot in

[Deleted User]

Any idea when the Irish squad will actually be announced? A lot of the other squads have been

total former

connachta wrote: »

If Healy out, Moore in, Madigan as SH cover, Bent ambidextrous situation is to reconsider

6 props, no need for him to cover both sides
Then, is he ahead of Killcoyne and Buckley for LH, behind McGrath? Not sure
Is he ahead of White and Moore for TH behind Ross? Even less

This injury+SH poker should send him out of the 31 TBF

Your logic is all over the place. If Healy is gone, then the case for Bent is stronger, not weaker.

If Healy is uncertain but still in the squad, then there is an argument for bringing six props.

If Healy is out and we're bringing two fully fit looseheads, then it is utterly pointless bringing Buckley.

.ak

Deleted User wrote: »

Any idea when the Irish squad will actually be announced? A lot of the other squads have been

My guess is sometime this week or next monday morning. Cut off his the 31st.

aimee1

Going by what kingtiger posted

Mcgrath, Kilcoyne, Ross, Moore, Bent,
Cronin, Best, Strauss
Ryan, POC, Toner, Henderson
Murphy, Henry, POM, Heaslip, SOB
Murray, Reddan, Sexton, Jackson, Madigan
Henshaw, Payne, R Kearney, Zebo, Bowe, Earls, Fitz, D Kearney

Above is 30 and then either Trimble/McFadden

connachta

total former wrote: »

Your logic is all over the place. If Healy is gone, then the case for Bent is stronger, not weaker.

If Healy is uncertain but still in the squad, then there is an argument for bringing six props.

If Healy is out and we're bringing two fully fit looseheads, then it is utterly pointless bringing Buckley.

Who's the 3rd LH for you in the 1st option? Bent?:rolleyes:

If I do understand your logic 6 props with Healy, 5 without him. I don't think this opinion is better than mine. If we lose our main element in the front-row, you're going with only 4 props and one ambidextrous? Will be costly..So costly