[2013 EOYT] Ireland

[Tony Manx]

Loving The Rugby Club onn Sky with Horgan, Sanderson and Greenwood..................what a great threesome of guys who know what they are talking about!

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

The question of Isaac Boss' involvement is an interesting one. Personally I think he's a better player at this stage of his career than Reddan, but does he bring anything to the table that Murray doesn't? Perhaps Marmion on that basis alone would have been a better call.

Between Gopperth and Mads and Boss and Reddan us two have a very different opinion on Leinster's halfbacks.

Loving The Rugby Club onn Sky with Horgan, Sanderson and Greenwood..................what a great threesome of guys who know what they are talking about!

*Sniggers*

 

[profitius]

Keith Earls has injured a tendon in his knee which means he might miss out on the AIs.

 

[Feicarsinn]

****. He was going very well too.

 

[Tony Manx]

Keith Earls has injured a tendon in his knee which means he might miss out on the AIs.

Ah the Irish Mike Brown.............competent and clever but also liable to blow like a volcano!!

 

[big ginger 8]

Need Fitzy to show it now. That is a blow Earls was going very good.

 

[lynam1104]

Is Gilroy fit? if so it's a between him and Fitzy for that open spot and i'm not sure who I'd rather.

 

[Groundhog]

Danny Barnes for Ireland.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

From twitter:
‏<s>@</s>MichaelC_RTE <small class="time"> 33m </small> Andrew Trimble, Donncha O'Callaghan, Martin Moore and Roger Wilson added to <s>@</s>irfurugby squad <s>#</s>rterugby

 

[Feicarsinn]

Only one that is in any way questionable is O'Callaghan. Is one of the other locks carrying a knock? To be honest, while he is playing well his day is surely done for Ireland.

Here's some worrying news anyway:

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/conor-murray-munster-elbow-citing-1150346-Oct2013/

MUNSTER SCRUMHALF CONOR MURRAY has been cited for striking Glasgow Warriors player during his side's 13 — 6 win on Friday.

The citing is for 'striking with the elbow' and Murray will have to face an independent RaboDirect Pro12 disciplinary commission later this week to explain, or defend, himself. If he is found guilty, Murray could miss between two to five weeks of rugby.

This would be a pretty big blow. He had a fantastic Lions tour and forms half of what I reckon must be the best half back pairing in European rugby. Did anyone see the incident in question?

 

[Peat]

O'Callaghan has been called up because O'Connell is an injury doubt.

Any chance of provinces getting players back for Saturday?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Only one that is in any way questionable is O'Callaghan. Is one of the other locks carrying a knock? To be honest, while he is playing well his day is surely done for Ireland.

Here's some worrying news anyway:

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/conor-murray-munster-elbow-citing-1150346-Oct2013/




This would be a pretty big blow. He had a fantastic Lions tour and forms half of what I reckon must be the best half back pairing in European rugby. Did anyone see the incident in question?

I saw that he swung an elbow at Matawalu after Matawalu jumped on Murray's back with his elbows after Murray had touched the ball down in his own in goal area, a sighting would be harsh and anything more than two weeks would be ridiculous.

 

[psychic duck]

Only one that is in any way questionable is O'Callaghan. Is one of the other locks carrying a knock? To be honest, while he is playing well his day is surely done for Ireland.

Here's some worrying news anyway:

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/conor-murray-munster-elbow-citing-1150346-Oct2013/




This would be a pretty big blow. He had a fantastic Lions tour and forms half of what I reckon must be the best half back pairing in European rugby. Did anyone see the incident in question?

Sexton played more consistently and fluidly in the Leinster blue jersey alongside the sharper Eoin Reddan than the more ponderous Murray. Sadly for Reddan, it seems some of peak years were during the Kidney regime who didn't like him too much. He's now 33 and had a bad injury recently, but I wonder whether Schmidt will give him more of a chance given his better knowledge of his game plan.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Sexton played more consistently and fluidly in the Leinster blue jersey alongside the sharper Eoin Reddan than the more ponderous Murray. Sadly for Reddan, it seems some of peak years were during the Kidney regime who didn't like him too much. He's now 33 and had a bad injury recently, but I wonder whether Schmidt will give him more of a chance given his better knowledge of his game plan.

I agree completely, Murray and Sexton have never consistently been good together, here and there with Ireland and the second Lions test was it. Whereas you look at Sexton and Reddan between 2010-2013 with Leinster and they ruled their team and the other team like nothing I've ever seen before. Hopefully it was Joe Schmidt and hopefully he implements between Sexton and Murray with Ireland but I think it had something more to do with Reddan supplying quicker and more accurate ball than Murray.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Sexton played more consistently and fluidly in the Leinster blue jersey alongside the sharper Eoin Reddan than the more ponderous Murray. Sadly for Reddan, it seems some of peak years were during the Kidney regime who didn't like him too much. He's now 33 and had a bad injury recently, but I wonder whether Schmidt will give him more of a chance given his better knowledge of his game plan.

To be fair to Murray, he's a much better player than he was two years ago. He was really very good on the Lions tour and perhaps should have gotten at least one test start. While he's never be an outstanding distributor that aspect of his game has improved no end. He's comfortably the best scrum half in the country.

Reddan doesn't seem to be the preferred choice at Leinster at the moment. I had a feeling that he wouldn't age quite as well as Boss just due to their styles and so it would appear to be panning out. What Reddan offers is very prompt and crisp service, but you get no running threat and at least one brainfart per game. Boss is slower, but he's much more physical and a better marshal of the pack.

Who would I pick? At the moment probably Boss. Against Samoa we're going to need to front up physically in pretty much every position. Similarly against Australia our best chance at victory is to have a go at their forwards. Boss will keep the back rows a little bit more honest than Reddan and Sexton is a good enough player to deal with slightly slower ball.

 

[profitius]

I must say, I've never seen less enthusiasm for watching Ireland play! The EOS and then Kidney years has killed all of the enthusiasm people had. Then Schmidt picks a squad which hasn't exactly got pulses racing either.

 

[lynam1104]

Murray has been cleared which is a pretty big relief as I don't think Boss or Reddan are really up to this level.

 

[Peat]

To be fair to Murray, he's a much better player than he was two years ago. He was really very good on the Lions tour and perhaps should have gotten at least one test start. While he's never be an outstanding distributor that aspect of his game has improved no end. He's comfortably the best scrum half in the country.

He had a fantastic Lions tour, but I think Irish fans have been too quick to proclaim that as his true and definite level, rather than a peak in form which he now has to sustain. It really was not that long ago that Murray's form in an Ireland shirt had people howling Munster bias and calling for Reddan to take his place.

 

[Feicarsinn]

True enough, but in fairness to him he also had a pretty good 6 nations. While I'm aware that we don't want to fall into a Ben Youngs kind of situation, his game does appear to be much more rounded than 18 months ago. This shouldn't be overly surprising considering his age. He is, of course, no where near the finished article.

 

[profitius]

He had a fantastic Lions tour, but I think Irish fans have been too quick to proclaim that as his true and definite level, rather than a peak in form which he now has to sustain. It really was not that long ago that Murray's form in an Ireland shirt had people howling Munster bias and calling for Reddan to take his place.

Yes indeed! He played one or two good games for the Lions and suddenly hes the best 9 in Europe! lol