EOYT: Ireland XV v Fiji, 17/11/2012

[psychic duck]

Ireland XV vs Fiji

Ireland XV: 15 Denis Hurley, 14 Fergus McFadden, 13 Darren Cave, 12 Luke Marshall, 11 Craig Gilroy, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Conor Murray; 1 Dave Kilcoyne, 2 Sean Cronin, 3 Mike Ross, 4 Donncha O’Callaghan, 5 Dan Tuohy, 6 Iain Henderson, 7 John Muldoon, 8 Jamie Heaslip (captain).
Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Michael Bent, 19 Donnacha Ryan, 20 Chris Henry, 21 Paul Marshall, 22 Johnny Sexton, 23 Simon Zebo.

Fiji: TBA

 

[irelandfan123]

Well thats not a bad wee selection, would have liked to have seen Baby Kearney and Felix Jones, I know they were not in the squad but still woulda liked to see them with the rest of the future. Hopefully Jackson will have a great game and be promoted to the bench for the next game. Also Fergus McFadden getting some game time indicates he will be benching again against Argentina. Woulda also liked to see Roger Wilson start after heaslips lackluster game against the Saffers. I mean what was the point of calling him up to the training squad to hold bags...

 

[monkeypigeon]

Well thats not a bad wee selection, would have liked to have seen Baby Kearney and Felix Jones, I know they were not in the squad but still woulda liked to see them with the rest of the future. Hopefully Jackson will have a great game and be promoted to the bench for the next game. Also Fergus McFadden getting some game time indicates he will be benching again against Argentina. Woulda also liked to see Roger Wilson start after heaslips lackluster game against the Saffers. I mean what was the point of calling him up to the training squad to hold bags...

1. I will lol in a mix of disbelief and delight if he Deccie promotes Jackson to the bench.

2. Well if Roger Wison wasn't there holding the bags then there'd be no pointing having those 'spensive bags. Waste of a good bag.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Ireland XV:
15 Denis Hurley - Honest player, but never more than a provincial full back.
14 Fergus McFadden - Our form 12, playing wing for the A's. Meh, fair enough. He's not an international winger, but I'm not opposed to seeing him there considering
13 Darren Cave - Good player. Pick for Argentina please.
12 Luke Marshall - Good player, probably a bit worse than McFadden. Should do well.
11 Craig Gilroy - Should be ahead of Trimble for Ulster wouldn't be a bad bench option for Ireland.
10 Paddy Jackson - Performing well at the moment. Bright future ahead of him. Hope he plays well, but unfotunately....
9 Conor Murray - He's got this mug inside him! This selection baffles me. If Murray is our established scrum half (ugh) why does he need this game? Pick Marshall Kidney you half senile ****tard.
1 Dave Kilcoyne - Promising loose head. Never likely to be as dynamic as Healy, but could be a decent guy to spring of the bench. More game time can do no harm.
2 Sean Cronin - Fair.
3 Mike Ross - We'll have the upper hand in the scrum that's for sure. Would have been the perfect game for Hagan, but there you are.
4 Donncha O'Callaghan - Don't get this one. He's not going to be an option, so why pick him for the A's. Give Toner a look in, he's a player you might use going forward.
5 Dan Tuohy - Good call. After being left out last week he deserves to be included.
6 Iain Henderson - Nice to see more of him. Big future.
7 John Muldoon - Considering our back row woes Muldoon is a good player to bring in. Nice to include the Connacht lads too.
8 Jamie Heaslip - Fair enough, give him another shot at the arm band and a chance for redemption.

Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Michael Bent, 19 Donnacha Ryan, 20 Chris Henry, 21 Paul Marshall, 22 Johnny Sexton, 23 Simon Zebo. - Safe bench. If his experiments go badly he's got experience to call upon. Conservative enough move, but I'm not complaining. Hopefully we'll see Marshall after 40 or 50 and at least there's no bloody ROG.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Ireland XV:
15 Denis Hurley - Honest player, but never more than a provincial full back.
14 Fergus McFadden - Our form 12, playing wing for the A's. Meh, fair enough. He's not an international winger, but I'm not opposed to seeing him there considering
13 Darren Cave - Good player. Pick for Argentina please.
12 Luke Marshall - Good player, probably a bit worse than McFadden. Should do well.
11 Craig Gilroy - Should be ahead of Trimble for Ulster wouldn't be a bad bench option for Ireland.
10 Paddy Jackson - Performing well at the moment. Bright future ahead of him. Hope he plays well, but unfotunately....
9 Conor Murray - He's got this mug inside him! This selection baffles me. If Murray is our established scrum half (ugh) why does he need this game? Pick Marshall Kidney you half senile ****tard.
1 Dave Kilcoyne - Promising loose head. Never likely to be as dynamic as Healy, but could be a decent guy to spring of the bench. More game time can do no harm.
2 Sean Cronin - Fair.
3 Mike Ross - We'll have the upper hand in the scrum that's for sure. Would have been the perfect game for Hagan, but there you are.
4 Donncha O’Callaghan - Don't get this one. He's not going to be an option, so why pick him for the A's. Give Toner a look in, he's a player you might use going forward.
5 Dan Tuohy - Good call. After being left out last week he deserves to be included.
6 Iain Henderson - Nice to see more of him. Big future.
7 John Muldoon - Considering our back row woes Muldoon is a good player to bring in. Nice to include the Connacht lads too.
8 Jamie Heaslip - Fair enough, give him another shot at the arm band and a chance for redemption.

Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Michael Bent, 19 Donnacha Ryan, 20 Chris Henry, 21 Paul Marshall, 22 Johnny Sexton, 23 Simon Zebo. - Safe bench. If his experiments go badly he's got experience to call upon. Conservative enough move, but I'm not complaining. Hopefully we'll see Marshall after 40 or 50 and at least there's no bloody ROG.

I think Donnocha is there for the bit of extra experience. Plus Toner just isn't that good.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

I don't get it - we saw Zebo was actually half decent at fullback, why not give him more experience? Might aswell for times when Kearney is out.
Don't see the point in having Ross playing - we shouldn't risk him getting injured, and we could get Bent more time with the team.
Baffled at DOC & Murray and agree with all what you said really Feic.

 

[Feicarsinn]

I think Donnocha is there for the bit of extra experience. Plus Toner just isn't that good.

In Muldoon, Heaslip, Ross, Cronin, Tuohy & Cave you have plenty of experience. We'll never know if Dev is good enough if we don't give him a shot. I heard similar complaints about Leo a few years ago when Donncha was injured and he was excellent before Kidney inexplicably dropped him again. Can do no harm, this is a pointless tie.

 

[big ginger 8]

Delighted to see Gilroy if it's loose he could really rip it up. Don't understand Ross' involvement. Fiji don't have a good scrum no point risking him better to try someone new against them. Don't think they're lineout us great either and with 3 secondrows we could and should take them apart there. Also what was the point calling Toner up this week? Hope for an exciting game with us putting up a good score, some young guys putting there hands up and no injuries (except maybe Murray). Chances of that happening?

Interesting to see the backline has an average age of 23.

 

[Amiga500]

I think Donnocha is there for the bit of extra experience. Plus Toner just isn't that good.

Indeed - I'd rather have Lewis Stevenson or McComb in there than big Dev (although Stevenson is injured and McComb is Ulster's only lock for the Zebre game).

Big Dev can win (and steal) lineout ball... but he is seriously underpowered (and to be fair to him, he has put a savage amount of effort into improving that facet of his game - but it is still weak).

 

[coonor]

I would have liked to have seen Zebo at fullback. If he is considered as a real option there, then surely he needs more fame time. Ross is far too important to play in this game given the context of the series. We need more tightheads and Bent needs a start. The selection of Murray is ludicrous, he doesn't need anymore chances... I've seen enough!

Great to see Gilroy, Jackson and Henderson.... They could be the future of Irish rugby.

Cave and McFadden are playing for jerseys next week and I would love to see big games from them.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Indeed - I'd rather have Lewis Stevenson or McComb in there than big Dev (although Stevenson is injured and McComb is Ulster's only lock for the Zebre game).

Big Dev can win (and steal) lineout ball... but he is seriously underpowered (and to be fair to him, he has put a savage amount of effort into improving that facet of his game - but it is still weak).

McComb is not better than Toner lol.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I don't get it. Simon Zebo is clearly considered the best option at fullback yet he lacks experience in the position. Why not pick him there against Fiji? Why continue with Mike Ross at tighthead in a glorified A game when Ireland desperately need more tighthead options. This is a perfect opportunity to test Michael Bent and Jamie Hagan. I presume Declan Fitzpatrick is injured.

 

[irelandfan123]

1. I will lol in a mix of disbelief and delight if he Deccie promotes Jackson to the bench.

2. Well if Roger Wison wasn't there holding the bags then there'd be no pointing having those 'spensive bags. Waste of a good bag.

Its sooo clear why did I not think about that!

I'd rather have Lewis Stevenson or McComb in there than big Dev (although Stevenson is injured and McComb is Ulster's only lock for the Zebre game).

Diack will be a second row for Ulster and I agree McComb was great in his last game there much more effective than Toner in the lose, Toner is just a big man. He's tall but he is no Richie Gray!

 

[Muzzy]

Fiji Team:

1. Jerry Yanuyanutawa, 2, Viliame Veikoso, 3. Deacon Manu, 4. Leone Nakarawa, 5. Api Naikatini, 6. Iliesa Ratuva, 7. Malakai Ravulo, 8. Nemani Nagusa, 9. Nicola Matawalu, 10. Jonetani Ralulu, 11. Watisoni Votu, 12. Josh Matavesi, 13. Vereniki Goneva, 14. Simeli Koniferedi, 15. Metuisela Talebula, 16. Tuapati Talemaitoga, 17. Manasa Saulo, 18. Setefano Somoca, 19. Apisai Ratuniyarawa, 20. Jovili Domolailai, 21. Kelemedi Bola, 22. Saula Radidi, 23. Ravai Fatiaki, 24. Timoci Matanavou.

I'm so glad they've brought in Yanuyanutawa, they desperatley need him in their scrums. I think the French Rugby Federation banning Qovu during the tours has pressured these clubs into releasing these players, before Matanavou and Yanuyanutawa weren't in the team because of 'personal reasons'. I think out of the 3 games this is the best Fiji team fielded so far, glad they've put Koniferedi on the wing this time, he was great for Fiji against Tonga and he's been on fire for King Country in NZ, he was on loan to them from some other team

btw here's highlights from the Fiji vs Gloucester match this week, they never showed it on tv, not sure if they showed it on tv at all, gloucester just beat them in the last few mins after fiji got two yellow cards and two penalty tries against them

 

[coonor]

I don't get it. Simon Zebo is clearly considered the best option at fullback yet he lacks experience in the position. Why not pick him there against Fiji? Why continue with Mike Ross at tighthead in a glorified A game when Ireland desperately need more tighthead options. This is a perfect opportunity to test Michael Bent and Jamie Hagan. I presume Declan Fitzpatrick is injured.

I agree with you on Bent and Zebo but it's very difficult for Kidney to play Hagan with his situation at Leinster. Rightly or wrongly, Hagan is not trusted in Heineken Cup games and Schmidt has been reluctant to replace Ross with him in any big game. I personally think Hagan is quite good and far better than Archer but with such little responsibility at Leinster it doesn't look great. If I was Kidney, seeing as Fitzpatrick has been released back to Ulster medical staff and should be playing on Sunday, I would have chosen Macklin for the bench spot. He has had sufficient game time and has been consistently good for the last year.

 

[Peat]

I'm already on record expressing my belief that national team coaches should not feel constrained by club coaches' pecking orders - and given that Luke Marshall is playing ahead of Mincer and McSharry, clearly Kidney doesn't either. So it's not difficult for him to bring Hagan in at all.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Does anyone know why Vuidravuwalu hasn't been called up? He's been tearing it up for Stade Français.
[video=dailymotion;xu0anc]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xu0anc_les-temps-forts-de-asm-clermont-stade-francais-paris_sport#.UKYGIIe_GuI[/video]

 

[coonor]

I'm already on record expressing my belief that national team coaches should not feel constrained by club coaches' pecking orders - and given that Luke Marshall is playing ahead of Mincer and McSharry, clearly Kidney doesn't either. So it's not difficult for him to bring Hagan in at all.

Im not arguing that he shouldn't be picked because he is down the pecking order. My problem is that in all of Leinster's big games this year, Hagan has not been trusted to even come on as a replacement. If he isn't deemed suitable to replace Ross in these matches, and considering that Schmidt is a believer in prop rotation then is he really ready for international rugby? Why should he be ahead of Macklin, who has played against much tougher opposition?

 

[big ginger 8]

Ryan out through injury McCarthy on the bench instead.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Just if anyone is interested - Ireland move up to 7th, Argentina to 6th and Wales to 8th.