First choice squads next season

[psychic duck]

Declan Fitzpatrick holds his own at scrum time in his first international caps and then can't even make the bench at his province. I wonder which of Munster and Ulster will have to get rid of their NIQ tighthead when the incoming foreign player cut down comes in.

Miah Nikora is Irish qualified by the way as well
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0512/1224315981649.html

 

[Feicarsinn]

Declan Fitzpatrick holds his own at scrum time in his first international caps and then can't even make the bench at his province. I wonder which of Munster and Ulster will have to get rid of their NIQ tighthead when the incoming foreign player cut down comes in.

Miah Nikora is Irish qualified by the way as well
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0512/1224315981649.html

Don't know what you're on about mate, Fitzpatrick is certainly Ulster's second choice.

Fair enough on Nikora, not that it's all that important as they fall outside the current NIQ rules. Also, he's useless.

 

[psychic duck]

Don't know what you're on about mate, Fitzpatrick is certainly Ulster's second choice.

Fair enough on Nikora, not that it's all that important as they fall outside the current NIQ rules. Also, he's useless.

My mistake, I looked through the squads quickly and didn't see Fitzpatrick on the bench.

 

[big ginger 8]

Stander is primarily an eight but can play across the backrow. Though he's IMO better at blindside than openside.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

No Scots to comment on this threat then? I was really interested as i didn't realy know what they'd look like.

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

I'd imagine Glasgow'd look something like this-

1. Jon Welsh
2. Dougie Hall
3. Ed Kalman
4. Tom Ryder
5. Alistair Kellock (C)
6. Rob Harley
7. Chris Fussaro
8. John Barclay

9. Chris Cusitor
10. Duncan Weir
11. Sean Lamont
12. Alex Dunbar
13. Stuart Hogg
14. DTH van der Mervwe
15. Rory Lamont

16. Pat MacArthur
17. Moray Low
18. Ryan Grant
19. Nick Campbell/Tim Swinson
20. Ryan Wilson
21. Colin Gregor
22. Ruaridh Jackson
23. Graham Morrison

It's actually quite a strong backline.

 

[Feicarsinn]

I've been musing on how screwed we are for the first three games of the season. The answer? Very!

15) Nacewa
14) Conway
13) Macken
12) Goodman
11) Carr
10) Madigan
9) Boss
8) Auva'a
7) Jennings
6) Ryan
5) Toner
4) Cullen
3) Hagan
2) Strauss
1) Van Der Merwe

16) McGrath
17) Dundon
18) Moore?
19) Browne
20) Jordi Murphy
21) Cooney
22) Reid
23) O'Shea?

That's a very young team. The starting line up is fine, but we have very little to bring off the bench in terms of experience.

 

[psychic duck]

I've been musing on how screwed we are for the first three games of the season. The answer? Very!

15) Nacewa
14) Conway
13) Macken
12) Goodman
11) Carr
10) Madigan
9) Boss
8) Auva'a
7) Jennings
6) Ryan
5) Toner
4) Cullen
3) Hagan
2) Strauss
1) Van Der Merwe

16) McGrath
17) Dundon
18) Moore?
19) Browne
20) Jordi Murphy
21) Cooney
22) Reid
23) O'Shea?

That's a very young team. The starting line up is fine, but we have very little to bring off the bench in terms of experience.

Why are so many players unavailable?

 

[Feicarsinn]

Why are so many players unavailable?

IRFU player welfare rules stipulate that the lads who toured have a delayed pre season and are brought back later. We might get Eoin Reddan and Gordon D'arcy back sooner, considering they played less, but the odds are we'll be without a sizeable chunk of the starting squad. Add to that injuries to Dave Kearney and Rhys Ruddock, who'd definitely be in this team and you can see the problem. It's essentially for this period and the internationals that Goodman was brought in.

 

[big ginger 8]

I've been musing on how screwed we are for the first three games of the season. The answer? Very!

15) Nacewa
14) Conway
13) Macken
12) Goodman
11) Carr
10) Madigan
9) Boss
8) Auva'a
7) Jennings
6) Ryan
5) Toner
4) Cullen
3) Hagan
2) Strauss
1) Van Der Merwe

16) McGrath
17) Dundon
18) Moore?
19) Browne
20) Jordi Murphy
21) Cooney
22) Reid
23) O'Shea?

That's a very young team. The starting line up is fine, but we have very little to bring off the bench in terms of experience.

I doubt O'Shea and Reid would be on the bench together as they pretty much cover the same positions. Darren Hudson would be more likely.

 

[Peat]

Quit your whinging! We'll end up missing St Ruan for HEC games.

We'll probably look like

15. Payne 14. Bowe 13. Spence 12. Marshall 11. Gilroy 10. Jackson 9. Heaney/McIlroy; 1. Court 2. Brady 3. Afoa 4. Muller 5. Stevenson 6. Ferris 7. Doyle/Birch 8. Wilson

16. Annett/Herring 17. MacAllister 18. Macklin 19. McComb 20. Williams/Diack 21. McIlroy/Heaney 22. NOC NOC 23. D'Arcy

Utter lack of depth betrayed again. Thank gods for 3 very timely injuries, or we'd be in deep doo-dah... hopefully they'll be kind over the players who toured but barely played.

 

[Draggs]

Based on the updated Blues squad featured on their website, no Tyrell!
Regrettably, Campese Mofo arrived this week.
Om nom nom... Let's hope he and Dickie Hibbs never enter the same Nando's. Thankfully there is no chance of the Caiser being involved with those two now.

 

[porterbelly]

Connacht:

1. Brett Wilkinson
2. Ethienne Reyneke
3. Nathan White
4. Andrew Browne
5. Mike McCarthy
6. John Muldoon
7. Johnny O' Connor
8. George Naoupu
9. Frank Murphy
10. Dan Parks
11. Tiernan O Halloran
12. Kyle Tonetti
13. Eoin Griffin
14. Danie Poolman
15. Gavin Duffy

16. Jason Harris Wright
17. Denis Buckley
18. Ronan Loughney
19. Michael Swift
20. Willie Faloon
21. Kieran Marmion
22. Miah Nikora
23. Dave McSharry/Fetu'u Vainikolo

 

[Feicarsinn]

Connacht:

1. Brett Wilkinson
2. Ethienne Reyneke
3. Nathan White
4. Andrew Browne
5. Mike McCarthy
6. John Muldoon
7. Johnny O' Connor
8. George Naoupu
9. Frank Murphy
10. Dan Parks
11. Tiernan O Halloran
12. Kyle Tonetti
13. Eoin Griffin
14. Danie Poolman
15. Gavin Duffy

16. Jason Harris Wright
17. Denis Buckley
18. Ronan Loughney
19. Michael Swift
20. Willie Faloon
21. Kieran Marmion
22. Miah Nikora
23. Dave McSharry/Fetu'u Vainikolo

Is Reyneke any use? I would have had him third choice behind JHW and Adrian Flavin. Also, while I like the look of Marmion, do you think he's at the stage where he's good enough to get past O'Donoghue yet? I've always had a soft spot for POD...

 

[porterbelly]

Is Reyneke any use? I would have had him third choice behind JHW and Adrian Flavin. Also, while I like the look of Marmion, do you think he's at the stage where he's good enough to get past O'Donoghue yet? I've always had a soft spot for POD...

POD can't pass so that hinders him playing 9

Reyneke is good, very game and tough, pretty dynamic as well.

Flavin isn't much good. Have hopes that Harris Wright can challenge Reyneke