Ireland: 2014 Six Nations

[Peat]

You're right there. Schmidt's a fool for not picking Afoa, Muller, Pienaar and Payne.

Nice Farrelly impression

Every Ulster matchday squad has at least 18 guys who can pull on the green and a few more beyond that there or thereabouts too. Not being a first team start with everyone fit should be and is not a bar to Ireland selection - we've seen that often enough. Concentrating on the handful of Ulster players who can't, particularly when two of them are increasingly of lesser importance, does annoy me a little I must say.

To my mind there's currently 15 IQ players at Ulster who should genuinely be in with a shout at this stage of selection everytime. Of which 5 are injured/lacking match fitness, 1 blew his chance through ill form, 1 signed his retirement along with his LI contract and the other 8 are there. Zero to complain about for Ulster fans about Ulster players at this moment in time.

 

[Groundhog]

NO! Schmidt is a great tactician and knows the game far more intricately than Kidney. I agree with your first point but Deccie and Schmidt are incomparable.

So you are guaranteeing 100 percent that Schmidt will be a success. Absolutely certain in that are you?

 

[munstermuffin]

...but he's not creating an issue, he's selecting what he thinks is the best squad. If anyone is creating an issue it's you by bringing petty provincial rivalries into it!

But well if it's not an issue why has every media outlet reported on it?
In Daily Mail today it's even mentioned about provincial issues. If he thinks that's the best squad fair enough but why off fitness story about 2 and then reverse whole thing for McFadden? Hell if all 3 were from 1 province I'd have same question. Like can you or anyone just answer that 1 question.

 

[big ginger 8]

McFadden has been running and was injured for a horter period then Zebo which may go some way to explaining it, though I don't think it works fantastically well.

Also the Daily Mail are hardly the renowned for their balance.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

So you are guaranteeing 100 percent that Schmidt will be a success. Absolutely certain in that are you?

Gawd you're dumb!

If you read my post correctly sir you would have realised that I said I agree with you on that front but simply stated that Schmidt and Kidney are incomparable, Kidney can coach one brand of rugby that's it Schmidt can coach countless brands of rugby and he is very unpredictable and a better coach than Deccie!

 

[munstermuffin]

McFadden has been running and was injured for a horter period then Zebo which may go some way to explaining it, though I don't think it works fantastically well.

Also the Daily Mail are hardly the renowned for their balance.

Well if that's reason, fine why not just say that. As I said it's just the clarity that's wanted.

Regards Mail I enjoy it as it's probably best with Examiner for Rugby coverage.
But no paper is known for balance at all here.

@Cmac to be honest Schmidt only used 1 way in big matches but agree he is more expansive than Kidney. However he has to strike the fine balance in 2 as international and club coaching are completely 2 different beasts. Will Schmidt be a good international coach - time will tell as well as will he work. But my point being it's possible his style won't suit international rugby. Not saying it will or won't just there is some that can master International and not club and vice versa

 

[Amiga500]

Nice Farrelly impression

Every Ulster matchday squad has at least 18 guys who can pull on the green and a few more beyond that there or thereabouts too. Not being a first team start with everyone fit should be and is not a bar to Ireland selection - we've seen that often enough.

Ahh I don't think thats his point though my fellow Nordie friend... (well, more my fellow London-NornIron-Nordie friend)...


Our key players the past few years are (in no particular order)
-Afoa
-Best
-Muller
-Henry
-Pienaar
-Jackson
-Payne
-Cave

Without the aforementioned, our team is disproportionately weakened. Only 3 are IQ with Gearoid Payne to follow shortly.

If they were all IQ and the Irish selection had largely ignored Ulstermen outside of Bowe and Best, then yes, everyone outside of Limerick would have been calling for Deccie's head in a noose!

But they aren't, so its hard to rail on the coaches for not picking our best players when they cannot.

 

[big ginger 8]

Well if that's reason, fine why not just say that. As I said it's just the clarity that's wanted.

Regards Mail I enjoy it as it's probably best with Examiner for Rugby coverage.
But no paper is known for balance at all here.

Liam Heagney is decent but those two wouldn't be at the top of my list for rugby. The rugby media here are in general terrible for rugby with a load of **** stirrers among them. They love an controversy and that's why Zebo will be reported on for the moment. Then the 23 will be the focus though there won't be much outcry on the probable lack of Ulster men because of the target market and if we're lucky Saturday, Sunday and Monday will have some actual match focus.

 

[Peat]

I prefer the term Fauxdie Well, I'm not sure I do, I just made it up, not sure if it works...

I get his point (I think) but its outdated. I feel a lot of our players have moved on up over the last couple of years and shown that in a strong environment, they have just as much to offer. Also, simply namechecking the best players as if they're the only guys in contention, well, that's not the way of it. Between injuries and scratchy depth, there's a fair few tidy but non-mind blowing players in there. I'm not going to say Toner or Kearney Og or Jones should not be in contention because they're not SOB or Kearney or Murray, a real star of the show, and in the same way there's some do a job players from Ulster who should be in contention - and in fairness, are. But talking about Pienaar and Afoa misses that point and does the team a discredit. Tuohy may not be Muller, but he should still be well in the mix for Ireland, and to be honest I think is now a better player. Not a better leader, mind, so less essential in some ways, but a better player.

Oh, and for the record, I think you're being harsh on good Marshall.

edit:

a) Agree with MM in that clarity from Schmidt on the issue would be great.

b) Schmidt's Clermont side was more dependent on power runners in the backline than the Leinster side as he had them there. His wingers for Leinster weren't finishers as he didn't have finishers. I think he will, like all good coaches, adapt what he does to what he has... up to a point. There are several issues of technique and work rate on which he won't budge.

 

[munstermuffin]

@BG8 I agree reporters are generally poor and most are bias in some way. But when you say about Zebo issue taking away from focus my point will be IF as some reports say Reddan is going to be ahead of Murray or Madigan is put ahead of Jackson that this could cause same thing. If it happens I'm not arguing with Schmidt but more saying the higher you go then the decisions are watched even more so. That's my initial argument like Schmidtshould just say everything clear and not say injuries stop a and b but same rule doesn't apply to c. I knowMcFadden may have been running etc but the reason it's called match fitness is simply in the name "match". Like running is fine but you need to be playing matches or actively training for brain to be sharp on defensive lines,breakdowns etc. but that's venturing off basically it's clarity I think should be given

@Peat regards Leinsters away win in Clermont it was brute strength that won that day. If I remember right Brad Thorn saved day big time with strength of a robot near the end to stop a try.

 

[Big Ewis]

So Ireland start off strong. Good first weekend.
Now things only get tougher:
- hosting Wales, this will be an enormous clash.
- Twickenham: probably as resounding.
- hosting Italy: they can't drop their guard though.
- Paris.

Can they get at least 3 out of 4 there ?

 

[siochain]

So Ireland start off strong. Good first weekend.
Now things only get tougher:
- hosting Wales, this will be an enormous clash.
- Twickenham: probably as resounding.
- hosting Italy: they can't drop their guard though.
- Paris.

Can they get at least 3 out of 4 there ?

I reckon they will lose in Twickenham and win the rest.

 

[munstermuffin]

So Ireland start off strong. Good first weekend.
Now things only get tougher:
- hosting Wales, this will be an enormous clash.
- Twickenham: probably as resounding.
- hosting Italy: they can't drop their guard though.
- Paris.

Can they get at least 3 out of 4 there ?

Dare I say if we do win next 2 games I'd fancy us in Paris with momentum

 

[Big Ewis]

I actually have had the thought of an Irish Grand Slam in mind for a couple of weeks now. I feel with nobody expecting it, and yet they have real quality throughout the roster and a good coach, people wouldn't see it coming and BAM they get the GS, and then ppl start looking back and start admitting, well they did have good players and we should've seen it comin etc...
just a possible scenario....of course it's not going to happen because France win the tournament this year, and you know it. That ridiculous post-Lions Tour argument, the fact France always wins on the new coach's 3rd year...but anyways.

I dunno. Wales, England and France will be very tough, and even the one home game they've got left is tough as hell: Wales. I feel Ireland might lose a couple out of the 4 remaining. Can't wait for next week...

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Time for kneejerk reactions! What changes if any would you make for next week?

I'd start Martin Moore to give him a taste of starting in the 6 Nations. I'd also change both wingers to Simon Zebo and Fergus McFadden. Perhaps freshen up the backrow by starting one of Iain Henderson, Tommy O'Donnell or Jordi Murphy. It won't be a case of dropping players, merely rotating them with the aim of building a squad.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Time for kneejerk reactions! What changes if any would you make for next week?

I'd start Martin Moore to give him a taste of starting in the 6 Nations. I'd also change both wingers to Simon Zebo and Fergus McFadden. Perhaps freshen up the backrow by starting one of Iain Henderson, Tommy O'Donnell or Jordi Murphy. It won't be a case of dropping players, merely rotating them with the aim of building a squad.

Pretty much this but I wouldn't consider Murphy and I'd probably have Luke Fitz ahead of McFadden.

 

[profitius]

For starters Sexton should be dropped after that performance.
I would freshen up the pack, add in a few backs too like Henshaw, Fitz, Reddan and Marshall.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

For starters Sexton should be dropped after that performance.
I would freshen up the pack, add in a few backs too like Henshaw, Fitz, Reddan and Marshall.

I'd love to see Luke Fitzgerald involved but he was very rusty on Thursday. His injury came at precisely the wrong time. I'd have him in the 23 but it's take a Herculean effort from it to put him in the team if I was selecting it.

My team:
Rob Kearney, Fergus McFadden, Brian O'Driscoll, Luke Marshall, Simon Zebo, Jonny Sexton, Conor Murray; Cian Healy, Rory Best, Martin Moore, Paul O'Connell, Devin Toner, Iain Henderson, Peter O'Mahony, Jamie Heaslip. Bench: Sean Cronin, Jack McGrath, Mike Ross, Tommy O'Donnell, Jordi Murphy, Eoin Reddan, Paddy Jackson, Luke Fitzgerald.

Chris Henry is out of the 23 but back in for France. Removing him is just to give other backrowers a shot. Andrew Trimble is out of the 23 because other wingers are available again. I don't think Simon Zebo will start but I'd love if he did. If Brian O'Driscoll isn't fit, I'd start Robbie Henshaw alongside Gordon D'arcy in the centre and give Luke Marshall all the starts on the summer tour to Argentina.

 

[Feicarsinn]

I'd have BOD out before D'arcy on current form.

 

[Rumpi]

For starters Sexton should be dropped after that performance.
I would freshen up the pack, add in a few backs too like Henshaw, Fitz, Reddan and Marshall.

Drop sexton. Um. For who?