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Italy v Ireland

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The front row is becoming more and more important as Ireland's injuries mount. With Buckle in the Wolfhounds it clears the way for Ross to start at TH, meaning we should be able to gain some sense of parity in that department, which will be crucial.

For all of our injuries we still have a very decent starting XV:

1) Healy
2) Cronin
3) Ross
4) Cullen
5) O'Connell
6) Ferris
7) Wallace
8) O'Brien

9) Stringer
10) Sexton
11) Earls
12) D'arcy
13) O'Driscoll
14) McFadden
15) Fitzgerald

There's a good mix of youth and experience in there. No doubt Ross will be looking to cement his place at 3 for the world cup and SOB will harbour similar ambitions in the backrow. Fitzgerald will be out to prove a point and no doubt the Munster boys must be suffering from hurt pride. McFadden will want to prove that he's up to this level and try and sneak his way into the WC squad. Lots for everyone to play for.
 
**** off, he's had a rake of good games in the loose.

Typical black white picture being painted, when thats not the case.

He is of value when fit. And Ross's scrummaging aside, theres not that much to separate our TH options right now (assuming Hayes is not an option :/).
 
durbutter said:
Ross's scrummaging aside, theres not that much to separate our TH options right now (assuming Hayes is not an option :/).
Click to expand...
Putting it another way, Ross is good at scrummaging. Buckle and Hayes are shite scrummagers. If you discount the fact that Ross does his job and Hayes and Buckle don't, there's little to seperate them.
 
durbutter said:
**** off, he's had a rake of good games in the loose.

Typical black white picture being painted, when thats not the case.

He is of value when fit. And Ross's scrummaging aside, theres not that much to separate our TH options right now (assuming Hayes is not an option :/).
Click to expand...

So apart from the single most important part of a tighthead's game Buckley is fine. Thanks, but no thanks.
 
The set piece is now more important than ever as teams look to play with the ball rather than kick to territory. The scrum is a big part of the game and its now a contest of strength not just a way to restart play. With Buckley at prop we not only lose the scrum but we loose possession and concede many penalties. Ireland have strong ball carriers and dangerous backs but we are not a team that plays well in a tight forwards based game. We need to get the ball out into space through the backs and get our strong backrow breaking through the defence and offloading to the supporting players. Just like Leinster do.
 
The Wolfhounds will be very important to decide who is in the back 3. By the way do Wales not have an "A" team?
 
wales disbanded the a team to save money a few years back

spence can play wing aswell
no idea about o'malley and i swear carr was training with ireland (most likley wolfhounds)
 

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