We will agree to disagree so but just so I straight. You thought that Arg team last Nov was tier 1 and South Africa team? A team without all their starters ba see abroad and other in middle of meltdown?
But guess it like saying with Talent available Schmidt is hailed a world class coach but has failed to win a slam and only has 2 Championships. Earls was A centre for a lot of those caps too so his strike rate as a winger is a lot higher than McFadden.
But as I say if you disagree then fair enough. As it shows in a way why a lot down this end a) Don't rate Schmidt as high as in Dublin b) Don't have much interest in Ireland anymore or c) think there is bias.
Also for what it's worth Earls strike rate as a winger the last 3 years is 14 tries in 23 games which is 60%. But as I say you will pick and change to suit your way and I probably do same. Fact is Earls has proven for Munster and Ireland he's a finisher. If you disagree that is fair enough but well I suppose facts are there to interpret as suits.
Also in his Super Rugby apps at least a few of those caps were only a few minutes.
He's proven it for Munster yeah. In 30 caps v England, France and the RC sides (Let's not forget 2016 when you and other posters were calling for Schmidt's head because he could only beat Scotland and Italy and draw to Wales, so this is far from arbitrary) he has scored two tries. That's the same ad McFadden, SOB, POC David Wallace, Girv the Swerve, Stander and Henshaw against those teams and less than Hickie, Bowe, Trimble, Horgan, Sexton, BOD, Murray, Kearney, Heaslip, Zebo, Stockdale etc... Against world class opposition Earls is far from the company of proven world class finishers in Hickie, Bowe, BOD and Murray, behind some guys who you wouldn't call proven in Trimble, Kearney and a forward in Heaslip and in the company of some downright average international try scorers.
Downplaying Schmidt's achievements (and conveniently leaving out historic wins against NZ and SA and his sustained high world ranking position) is irrelevant and doesn't magically make Earls world class, he's been a magnificent club player so far in his career and it has not translated to being anything more than an average international wing. He has the potential to change that in the next two years but he sure as hell must make it count because Conway, Larmour and even McFadden if he keeps up his strong form are good enough to displace him. If you must bring provincial biases into the equation the man is obviously revered in Munster as he epitomises the club but in the other provinces he's not seen as any great shake and less so outside of Ireland where he can be seen as a bit of a joke and as of now he's not going down as an Irish great nor is he even in the conversation of best Irish wingers of the pro era quite some distance behind Hickie and Bowe. Personally I like Earls, I was hugely critical back in 2011 when Ferg was in better form and not getting picked but otherwise I've never begrudged his selection as a wing but a good strike rate v Wales, Italy and a bunch of tier 2 sides does not make a world class wing, he has ample chance to fix it in the next two seasons though. Back to the original point, thinking Stockdale is the biggest scoring threat in this side is more than reasonable because his club form is as good as Earls' and he couldn't have done more in his international career to date to prove himself which can't be said of Earls.
I fail to see munstermuffin's trepidation regarding Schmidt, certainly not to the point of losing interest in seeing Ireland play anyways. Out of 4 6Ns he has won two, finished 3rd, then 2nd. First victory over the All Blacks. Highest win percentage of any Irish coach. Near immaculate home record.
I also don't really understand why the game plan isn't working. I mean what else are Ireland meant to do? For me Schmidt is totally playing to our strengths - powerful forward game, solid defense and good set piece mixed with a tight kicking/aerial game. These are the talents we have available. I hope, and I think Schmidt does too, that with our newer generation of younger, flashier athletes that we can start to embrace a more fluid game, and hopefully we can open up our back line a bit more. But regarding the last 2 years I can't really see what else we would've adapted, hardly were gonna go to Cardiff throwing the ball around like Scotland.
I am genuinely curious to understand the lack of interest in Ireland and Schmidt; I also disagree that he's highly rated "in Dublin", I'm born and bred Munster but rate him very highly, as does pretty much every rugby fan I know in Clare, and to be honest, any Irish rugby fan I've ever spoken to, really.
It's a weird defence of Earls, muff loves a go at the "D4s" when a Munster great is in the slightest way criticised like here where no one has called Earls anything worse than not a world class finisher. Having no interest in Ireland when Munster are healthily and appropriately represented and the team appears to be the strongest and most settled they've ever been would be ridiculous, as would not rating the only Irish coach to win multiple Championships in the pro era, beat NZ, beat SA in SA, obtain a first seed for an RWC and promote youth in order to build a strong squad with depth that can shrug it's shoulders at losing a world class 7, 8 and 13, and an international class 13, 6, lock and back three player to injury or foreign clubs. I don't think he believes it and the point is usually an attempt to make it look like I, or another Leinster poster, can't see anything outside of the "D4" echo chamber while implying the same can't be said of some Munster fans!
