First choice squads next season

[lynam1104]

Honestly i feel Gilroy should start at 11 for Ulster, in Bowe you have your bigger wing so i don't see the need for Trimble, he could be useful as an impact sub but I feel Gilroy is the way forward for Ulster.

As for Leinster I think the squad will b very close to BG8's post only change I would have is a real winger at 11 such as Conway or Carr and McFadden a 12.

 

[big ginger 8]

Honestly i feel Gilroy should start at 11 for Ulster, in Bowe you have your bigger wing so i don't see the need for Trimble, he could be useful as an impact sub but I feel Gilroy is the way forward for Ulster.

As for Leinster I think the squad will b very close to BG8's post only change I would have is a real winger at 11 such as Conway or Carr and McFadden a 12.

I agree about Gilroy it's unfortunate for Trimble but he's not as good on the left while Bowe has to be 14.

I'd prefer Conway or D. Kearney to get a chanc but I was going on how the management have worked it in the past. Despite being incredibly cocky Conway does have a lot of talent he's probably the best stepper in the squad and at least before his injuries one of the fastest. I think if he hadn't being injured for a large period of the year it would have been him and not David Kearney who made the big breakthrough.

 

[coonor]

Don't think he's going to overnight fulfil his potential like that, sexy as it would be.

Anyway, if Anscombe doesn't sort our pack reserves, Jackson could be the ginger Carter and it wouldn't matter too much...

Look at the monumental rise of other players though. POM, Murray, Zebo all pretty much propelled themselves into the international team in one season of playing. This is Jackson's second season and he must be doing something right to be able to become first choice, although I can't see it on the pitch at the moment! He has been backed by the Ulster management and that's shown by the decision to not sign any other competent fly half. If Ulster didn't think he was going to step up, why didn't they sign someone at H-Cup standard?

I think Ulsters whole squad is in a much better position than last season. They have added some world class with the likes of Bowe while keeping to a more homely feeling by bringing players back to Ulster. Fitzpatrick and McCalistar certainly good back up options with the former having had the experience at international level. Henderson has shown that he's ready for Pro 12 and if he impressive there's no reason why he couldn't step up to some H-cup games. Stevenson also provides good back up. The back up backs all look good. My worries would be hooker and Backrow.

 

[Peat]

Honestly i feel Gilroy should start at 11 for Ulster, in Bowe you have your bigger wing so i don't see the need for Trimble, he could be useful as an impact sub but I feel Gilroy is the way forward for Ulster.

As for Leinster I think the squad will b very close to BG8's post only change I would have is a real winger at 11 such as Conway or Carr and McFadden a 12.

I think I might start Gilroy as well. But Trimble is the senior man, so I'm assuming he'll play until said otherwise, and truthfully on top form I think he still edges Gilroy. That one will be a real fight though.

Look at the monumental rise of other players though. POM, Murray, Zebo all pretty much propelled themselves into the international team in one season of playing. This is Jackson's second season and he must be doing something right to be able to become first choice, although I can't see it on the pitch at the moment! He has been backed by the Ulster management and that's shown by the decision to not sign any other competent fly half. If Ulster didn't think he was going to step up, why didn't they sign someone at H-Cup standard?

I think Ulsters whole squad is in a much better position than last season. They have added some world class with the likes of Bowe while keeping to a more homely feeling by bringing players back to Ulster. Fitzpatrick and McCalistar certainly good back up options with the former having had the experience at international level. Henderson has shown that he's ready for Pro 12 and if he impressive there's no reason why he couldn't step up to some H-cup games. Stevenson also provides good back up. The back up backs all look good. My worries would be hooker and Backrow.

The Jackson thing... well, we couldn't sign anyone of H-Cup standard without going foreign, and my understanding is that is currently verboeten. It seems unlikely we'd release iHumph if we weren't confident in him but I think there's things going on I don't know about. I've been told Humph snr rates NOC and that pre-season will be a straight shoot out between NOC and Jackson, I've been told we only signed NOC to shut up Belfast Harlequins. I'm not sure he's ready - I think he has tons of talent - but I'm not sure he's ready. It would have helped if Ulster had released him more to Dungannon last season. An interesting point that Shane Logan made is that in some ways, not having Pienaar and Wallace at the start of the season will be good for Jackson, as they were doing too much for him. He was a cog in a machine, not a decision making fly-half running the game. Hopefully he'll react well to the responsibility.

Lets see what happens. I'm semi-confident.

edit:

p.s. Don't think its fair to compare him to POM/Zebo/Murray, who are all 2-3 years older than him, and frankly owe a great deal (not all mind) of their international caps to their province rather than their ability.

 

[thebiz1987]

scottish teams should look like this

GLASGOW
1 ryan grant
2 pat mcarthur
3 moray low
4 ally kellock
5 tom ryder/tim swinson
6 angus macdonald
7 john barclay
8 Viliami Ma'afu

9 Chris Cusiter
10 Duncan Weir/Ruaridh Jackson
11 Sean Lamont
12 Graeme Morrison/alex dunbar
13 DTH van der merwe
14 rory lamont
15 Stuart hogg


EDINBURGH

1 CHUNK
2 ROSS FORD
3 GEOFF CROSS/WP NEL
4 GRANT GILCHRIST
5 SEAN COX
6 DAVID DENTON
7 ROSS RENNIE
8 NATALI TALI
9 RICHIE REES
10 GREIG LAIDLAW
11 TIM VISSER
12 MATT SCOTT/BEN ATIGA
13 NICK DE LUCA
14 LEE JONES
15 TOM BROWN/GREIG TONKS

 

[danit]

Treviso official squad (in bold the new entries)

Props: Lorenzo Cittadini, Alberto De Marchi (Aironi), Pedro Di Santo, Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet, Michele Rizzo, Jacobus Stephanus "Bees" Roux (Bordeaux-Begles)
Hookers: Enrico Ceccato, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Giovanni Maistri (Calvisano), Franco Sbaraglini
Locks: Valerio Bernabò, Marco Fuser (Mogliano), Antonio Pavanello, Corniel Van Zyl
Backrow: Robert Barbieri, Dean Budd (Northland via Nec Green Rockets), Paul Derbyshire, Simone Favaro (Aironi), Francesco Minto, Manoa Vosawai, Alessandro Zanni
SH: Tobias Botes, Edoardo Gori, Fabio Semenzato
FH: James Ambrosini (Reds), Kristopher Burton, Alberto Di Bernardo
Centers:Tommaso Benvenuti, Michele Campagnaro (National Academy), Gideon "Doppies" La Grange (Lions), Luca Morisi (National Academy), Andrea Pratichetti, Alberto Sgarbi
Wingers:Angelo Esposito (National Academy), Tommaso Iannone, Christian Loamanu (Toulon), Ludovico Nitoglia, Giulio Toniolatti (Aironi)
FB: Luke McLean, Brendan Williams

the actual starting XV could be (it will depend a lot on how the youngsters will perform)
1. Rizzo
2. Ghiraldini
3. Cittadini
4. Van Zyl
5. Pavanello
6. Budd
7. Favaro
8. Zanni
9. Gori
10. Burton / Ambrosini
11. Loamanu
12. Benvenuti
13. La Grange
14. Toniolatti
15. Williams

 

[Draggs]

Eli Walker to miss the start of the season, Ross Jones to fullback, Fussell to wing?

 

[psychic duck]

Eli Walker to miss the start of the season, Ross Jones to fullback, Fussell to wing?

The Ospreys are now pretty much down to bare bones in terms of backs, so that's pretty much the only option left. Surely they must be signing somebody though with all the departures, otherwise the team will just be like an LV Cup kids team when the internationals are away. Very few rumours for signings though, unlike the Scarlets who must have gone through about a whole squad of rumoured signings this season.

Treviso official squad (in bold the new entries)

Props: Lorenzo Cittadini, Alberto De Marchi (Aironi), Pedro Di Santo, Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet, Michele Rizzo, Jacobus Stephanus "Bees" Roux (Bordeaux-Begles)
Hookers: Enrico Ceccato, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Giovanni Maistri (Calvisano), Franco Sbaraglini
Locks: Valerio Bernabò, Marco Fuser (Mogliano), Antonio Pavanello, Corniel Van Zyl
Backrow: Robert Barbieri, Dean Budd (Northland via Nec Green Rockets), Paul Derbyshire, Simone Favaro (Aironi), Francesco Minto, Manoa Vosawai, Alessandro Zanni
SH: Tobias Botes, Edoardo Gori, Fabio Semenzato
FH: James Ambrosini (Reds), Kristopher Burton, Alberto Di Bernardo
Centers:Tommaso Benvenuti, Michele Campagnaro (National Academy), Gideon "Doppies" La Grange (Lions), Luca Morisi (National Academy), Andrea Pratichetti, Alberto Sgarbi
Wingers:Angelo Esposito (National Academy), Tommaso Iannone, Christian Loamanu (Toulon), Ludovico Nitoglia, Giulio Toniolatti (Aironi)
FB: Luke McLean, Brendan Williams

the actual starting XV could be (it will depend a lot on how the youngsters will perform)
1. Rizzo
2. Ghiraldini
3. Cittadini
4. Van Zyl
5. Pavanello
6. Budd
7. Favaro
8. Zanni
9. Gori
10. Burton / Ambrosini
11. Loamanu
12. Benvenuti
13. La Grange
14. Toniolatti
15. Williams

Surely Barbieri should play 8 and Zanni should play flanker. And also maybe Williams is getting a bit old now (34) to be first choice, maybe Nitoglia will play ahead of him or Iannone will take over.

 

[Draggs]

The Ospreys have released at least five back three players, so what else does one expect.
Wonder if we will see the emergence of Luke Morgan now.

 

[Nielsch]

Does anyone know when the match schedule will be released? I'm planning a weekend trip to Belfast and would like to visit an Ulster friday night fixture.

 

[dynamicdave]

The Rabo pro 12 will like all the other Celtic league entities, be slow to announce the actual fixtures, to start only weekends will be announced.

Luke Morgan is very likely to get some starts, but IMO Ross Jones is the one I can see getting a start..........at full back, with Fussel moved onto the wing.

 

[thomond2006]

du Preez, Sherry, Botha, Ryan, POC, Stander, POM, Coughlan for Munster's pack. Murray will start at 9 and probably ROG at 10 (although I'd rather Keatley or Hanrahan). It's very hard to predict outside backs until we see where Penney plays Earls. Keith has said he wants to play 13 but Laulala is an out and out 13.

 

[dullonien]

Munster would be insane to pick Earls ahead of Laulala. Earls and Zebo on the wings, Felix at 15.

 

[big ginger 8]

They'd also be insane to play Zebo over Howeltt.

 

[dullonien]

They'd also be insane to play Zebo over Howeltt.

Of course, me completely forgetting about Howlett. Don't ask me how.

 

[Peat]

Does anyone know when the match schedule will be released? I'm planning a weekend trip to Belfast and would like to visit an Ulster friday night fixture.

Fixtures to be released tomorrow - at least in terms of which weekend which game is on.

 

[Feicarsinn]

I'll have a go at our lot. We're in a bit of trouble at Leinster with regard to injury.


[TABLE="class: grid, width: 500, align: center"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD]Leinster[/TD]
[TD]Ulster[/TD]
[TD]Connacht[/TD]
[TD]Turnips[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Rob Kearney[/TD]
[TD]Jared Payne![/TD]
[TD]Gavin Duffy[/TD]
[TD]Keith Earls[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Fergus McFadden[/TD]
[TD]Tommy Bowe[/TD]
[TD]Tiernan O'Halloran[/TD]
[TD]Doug Howlett*[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Brian O'Driscoll[/TD]
[TD]Darren Cave[/TD]
[TD]Eoin Griffin[/TD]
[TD]Casey Laulala*[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Gordon D'arcy[/TD]
[TD]Paddy Wallace[/TD]
[TD]Kyle Tonetti[/TD]
[TD]James Downey[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Isa Nacewa*[/TD]
[TD]Craig Gilroy[/TD]
[TD]Fetu'u Vainikolo*[/TD]
[TD]Simon Zebo[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Johnny Sexton[/TD]
[TD]Paddy Jackson[/TD]
[TD]Dan Parks*[/TD]
[TD]Ronan O'Gara[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Eoin Reddan[/TD]
[TD]Ruan Pienaar*[/TD]
[TD]Frank Murphy[/TD]
[TD]Conor Murray[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Jamie Heaslip[/TD]
[TD]Roger Wilson[/TD]
[TD]George Naoupu*[/TD]
[TD]Paddy Butler[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Dominic Ryan[/TD]
[TD]Chris Henry[/TD]
[TD]Willie Faloon[/TD]
[TD]CJ Stander![/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Kevin McLaughlin[/TD]
[TD]Stephen Ferris[/TD]
[TD]John Muldoon[/TD]
[TD]Peter O'Mahony[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Devin Toner[/TD]
[TD]Johann Muller*[/TD]
[TD]Dave Gannon[/TD]
[TD]Paul O'Connell[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Leo Cullen[/TD]
[TD]Dan Tuohy[/TD]
[TD]Mike McCarthy[/TD]
[TD]Donnacha Ryan[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Mike Ross[/TD]
[TD]John Afoa*[/TD]
[TD]Nathan White![/TD]
[TD]BJ Botha*[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Richardt Strauss![/TD]
[TD]Rory Best[/TD]
[TD]Adrian Flavin[/TD]
[TD]Mike Sherry[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cian Healy[/TD]
[TD]Tom Court[/TD]
[TD]Brett Wilkinson[/TD]
[TD]Wian du Preez*[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Jamie Hagan[/TD]
[TD]Declan Fitzpatrick[/TD]
[TD]Rodney Ah You*[/TD]
[TD]David Kilcoyne[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sean Cronin[/TD]
[TD]Nigel Brady[/TD]
[TD]Jay Harris-Wright[/TD]
[TD]Damien Varley[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Heinke Van Der Merwe*[/TD]
[TD]Paddy McAllister[/TD]
[TD]Ronan Loughney[/TD]
[TD]John Ryan[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Quinn Roux![/TD]
[TD]Iain Henderson[/TD]
[TD]Michael Swift[/TD]
[TD]Donncha O'Callaghan[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Shane Jennings[/TD]
[TD]Nick Williams*[/TD]
[TD]Johnny OConnor[/TD]
[TD]James Coughlan[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Isaac Boss[/TD]
[TD]Paul Marshall[/TD]
[TD]Paul O'Donohoe[/TD]
[TD]Peter Stringer[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Ian Madigan[/TD]
[TD]Andrew Trimble[/TD]
[TD]Miah Nikora*[/TD]
[TD]JJ Hanrahan[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Andrew Conway[/TD]
[TD]Nevin Spence[/TD]
[TD]Danie Poolman[/TD]
[TD]Felix Jones[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

* denotes an NIQ player
! denotes a project player

 

[Peat]

All I heard said Stander was an 8 first and foremost.

 

[Feicarsinn]

All I heard said Stander was an 8 first and foremost.

Is he? Ah bugger, I thought he was an open side. In that case, put Sander to 8, O'Mahony to 7 and bring in DOC 2.0.

 

[Peat]

Is he? Ah bugger, I thought he was an open side. In that case, put Sander to 8, O'Mahony to 7 and bring in DOC 2.0.

Personally I'd play Tommy O'Donnell, but horses to courses. Will be interesting to see what Penney does - Leinster are settled, a window licker could pick out the full strength Ulster team except a couple of calls (lot of Ulster fans have Trimble ahead, lot of non-Ulster fans have Gilroy ahead) - Munster's a complete guessing game at the moment. So much so that I'm laughing uproariously at the idea of a 20 year old in the team for them.