Ireland 6N 2022

[munstermuffin]

I was using speech to text under water.

I went from thinking this is a game that we'd be better off winning but one that doesn't matter a huge amount in the long run to it being an absolutely must win game after getting tickets (the Twickenham ticket app is absolutely shite as an aside).

I don't want to be in Twickenham, drunk off my ***s and having abused Marcus Smith for about three hours straight and lose. I couldn't handle

Is the you Franno.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Is the you Franno.

I never said racist. It'll be purely on his rugby ability and hair.

Maybe a few "who's your daddy, that's right, Johnny's your daddy"

 

[big ginger 8]

Sexton signs a central contract until the end of the WC.

Think that's pretty clear as to his intentions.

 

[Which Tyler]

Sexton signs a central contract until the end of the WC.

Think that's pretty clear as to his intentions.

Stay on as a pundit for the last 2 weeks?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Up Johnny, you're a ride

 

[big ginger 8]

Weird tournament to reflect on, Triple Crown, second place, with the most tries scored, a TBP in every game we won and a very close loss away in Paris without our key player. but the last few round just felt...a bit flat? Feels very nitpicky to be giving out about that though.

Pros:

• We now have two really mobile hookers who have shown they can mix it with the best. Huge asset and a big change from where we were last year. Herring is still playing well enough and is far more palpable as 3rd choice than first.
• Our style of play is bedded in, we can definitely be sloppy but we're looking to go from anywhere if it's on and everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet.
• Along with Sheehan, Hansen has also been bedded in as someone no one will worry about starting.
• Not enough for a lot of internet commenters but the likes of Lowry and Hume were given some very useful minutes.
• Keenan has again stepped up and cemented himself as one of the top 15's around.
• Overall the amount of players who could be considered to have had a poor tournament is only about two or three.

Cons:

• As we had all kind of guessed at, while our starting props are world class their backups are pretty far from that standard. At loosehead Healy and Kilcoyne aren't going to get any better. They're almost fine for most games but we have to be looking to upgrade. Dooley, Byrne and EOS seem to have rightfully been discarded as not up to it. McGrath is still completely out of the picture and I don't think Loughman is the answer either. Hopefully getting this run of starts will stand to JWhych and he might make a push. He's really the only one I could see developing into a top backup by the WC. Reid isn't fully trusted at Ulster and Boyle would have to take to senior rugby like basically no other prop has.
• Minor gripe but from my point of view on the couch the lack of integration for Baloucoune and Coombes is disappointing. Not at all like the starters are doing a poor job but they both have unique physical tools that we seem to miss at times and would appear to be suited to our style of play but I do bow to the coaches superior knowledge here.
• Again a small one here but how will we adapt to physical teams flooding our rucks. I do think we're a lot better at it than last year but we need to keep improving given we have to go through at least SA and probably France at the WC.

I'm probably forgetting something but most other things are much more in between than a straight pro or con.

I think this upcoming tour to NZ is going to be absolutely massive. There's to be three tests and a rumoured two midweek games, probably against the Maori. There should definitely be rotation for them at least and a 40 man squad is apparently expected. There's obviously going to be injuries between now and then but already some guys like McCarthy and Whycherly would appear to be in good spots to make a case as a bolter.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Weird tournament to reflect on, Triple Crown, second place, with the most tries scored, a TBP in every game we won and a very close loss away in Paris without our key player. but the last few round just felt...a bit flat? Feels very nitpicky to be giving out about that though.

Pros:

• We now have two really mobile hookers who have shown they can mix it with the best. Huge asset and a big change from where we were last year. Herring is still playing well enough and is far more palpable as 3rd choice than first.
• Our style of play is bedded in, we can definitely be sloppy but we're looking to go from anywhere if it's on and everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet.
• Along with Sheehan, Hansen has also been bedded in as someone no one will worry about starting.
• Not enough for a lot of internet commenters but the likes of Lowry and Hume were given some very useful minutes.
• Keenan has again stepped up and cemented himself as one of the top 15's around.
• Overall the amount of players who could be considered to have had a poor tournament is only about two or three.

Cons:

• As we had all kind of guessed at, while our starting props are world class their backups are pretty far from that standard. At loosehead Healy and Kilcoyne aren't going to get any better. They're almost fine for most games but we have to be looking to upgrade. Dooley, Byrne and EOS seem to have rightfully been discarded as not up to it. McGrath is still completely out of the picture and I don't think Loughman is the answer either. Hopefully getting this run of starts will stand to JWhych and he might make a push. He's really the only one I could see developing into a top backup by the WC. Reid isn't fully trusted at Ulster and Boyle would have to take to senior rugby like basically no other prop has.
• Minor gripe but from my point of view on the couch the lack of integration for Baloucoune and Coombes is disappointing. Not at all like the starters are doing a poor job but they both have unique physical tools that we seem to miss at times and would appear to be suited to our style of play but I do bow to the coaches superior knowledge here.
• Again a small one here but how will we adapt to physical teams flooding our rucks. I do think we're a lot better at it than last year but we need to keep improving given we have to go through at least SA and probably France at the WC.

I'm probably forgetting something but most other things are much more in between than a straight pro or con.

I think this upcoming tour to NZ is going to be absolutely massive. There's to be three tests and a rumoured two midweek games, probably against the Maori. There should definitely be rotation for them at least and a 40 man squad is apparently expected. There's obviously going to be injuries between now and then but already some guys like McCarthy and Whycherly would appear to be in good spots to make a case as a bolter.

Good post. Yeah, in a way I'm happy to have stumbled over the line a bit after a very positive opening two games. Storming through the tournament and losing is a bad place to be whereas the players can chalk this down as a small failure with a lot of workons, all the while knowing we're a top 4 team.

I like how Faz is building a gameplan that gives us a shot no matter how the game is going. We know how to score tries and they can start from anywhere on the pitch. It's exactly how we should set up given the horrendous world cup draw.

This team is nowhere near as strong as the 2018 side, nor does it have the same amount of world class players but I think we're far less vulnerable to a sharp downwards turn given how we're playing the game.

As you say, get a few more gamebreakers up to the pace and we could be dark horses in 18 months.

 

[Craigo]

Ireland aren't darkhorses. They are the 2nd best side in the World.

 

[munstermuffin]

Weird tournament to reflect on, Triple Crown, second place, with the most tries scored, a TBP in every game we won and a very close loss away in Paris without our key player. but the last few round just felt...a bit flat? Feels very nitpicky to be giving out about that though.

Pros:

• We now have two really mobile hookers who have shown they can mix it with the best. Huge asset and a big change from where we were last year. Herring is still playing well enough and is far more palpable as 3rd choice than first.
• Our style of play is bedded in, we can definitely be sloppy but we're looking to go from anywhere if it's on and everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet.
• Along with Sheehan, Hansen has also been bedded in as someone no one will worry about starting.
• Not enough for a lot of internet commenters but the likes of Lowry and Hume were given some very useful minutes.
• Keenan has again stepped up and cemented himself as one of the top 15's around.
• Overall the amount of players who could be considered to have had a poor tournament is only about two or three.

Cons:

• As we had all kind of guessed at, while our starting props are world class their backups are pretty far from that standard. At loosehead Healy and Kilcoyne aren't going to get any better. They're almost fine for most games but we have to be looking to upgrade. Dooley, Byrne and EOS seem to have rightfully been discarded as not up to it. McGrath is still completely out of the picture and I don't think Loughman is the answer either. Hopefully getting this run of starts will stand to JWhych and he might make a push. He's really the only one I could see developing into a top backup by the WC. Reid isn't fully trusted at Ulster and Boyle would have to take to senior rugby like basically no other prop has.
• Minor gripe but from my point of view on the couch the lack of integration for Baloucoune and Coombes is disappointing. Not at all like the starters are doing a poor job but they both have unique physical tools that we seem to miss at times and would appear to be suited to our style of play but I do bow to the coaches superior knowledge here.
• Again a small one here but how will we adapt to physical teams flooding our rucks. I do think we're a lot better at it than last year but we need to keep improving given we have to go through at least SA and probably France at the WC.

I'm probably forgetting something but most other things are much more in between than a straight pro or con.

I think this upcoming tour to NZ is going to be absolutely massive. There's to be three tests and a rumoured two midweek games, probably against the Maori. There should definitely be rotation for them at least and a 40 man squad is apparently expected. There's obviously going to be injuries between now and then but already some guys like McCarthy and Wycherley would appear to be in good spots to make a case as a bolter.

Good post.
On the points.
1. Agree 100% on hookers
2-4. Agreed on style. Don't think it all necessarily sloppy more it so high risk it inevitably will break down more often but I suppose the conversion % is good so we can be happy. Agree on likes of Ulster lads. Got minutes and experience of tournament style camps. That will count.
5. Keenan has hugely developed in to a worldclass 15
6. Out of curiosity who'd you think had bad tornament. Genuinely on the overall can't think of any. Even lads on bench all played positive parts.

On cons.
Agree Josh will be a bolter for RWC. I can't see Healy getting there unfortunately.
GavCoombes is not rated there. Have said it in past and will again now. That from many in camp.

 

[big ginger 8]

Good post.
On the points.
1. Agree 100% on hookers
2-4. Agreed on style. Don't think it all necessarily sloppy more it so high risk it inevitably will break down more often but I suppose the conversion % is good so we can be happy. Agree on likes of Ulster lads. Got minutes and experience of tournament style camps. That will count.
5. Keenan has hugely developed in to a worldclass 15
6. Out of curiosity who'd you think had bad tornament. Genuinely on the overall can't think of any. Even lads on bench all played positive parts.

On cons.
Agree Josh will be a bolter for RWC. I can't see Healy getting there unfortunately.
GavCoombes is not rated there. Have said it in past and will again now. That from many in camp.

Well I'd say Henderson had a poor tournament with how bad the Emgland game was and only playing OK vs Scotland. Then it's a but more murky but I'd say Healy's standing has gone down a bit, fairly or unfairly.

Re Coombes, it definitely appears he's not rated in the first 4 backrowers but after that it's a bit more murky. He's been picked in all the squads this year so there's obviously some hope for him. I would imagine Farrell isn't too impressed with his missed tackle count though.

 

[munstermuffin]

Well I'd say Henderson had a poor tournament with how bad the Emgland game was and only playing OK vs Scotland. Then it's a but more murky but I'd say Healy's standing has gone down a bit, fairly or unfairly.

Re Coombes, it definitely appears he's not rated in the first 4 backrowers but after that it's a bit more murky. He's been picked in all the squads this year so there's obviously some hope for him. I would imagine Farrell isn't too impressed with his missed tackle count though.

On Henderson I suppose it fair to say but I give him pass as Covid played part too. Healy has declined but well still stood up. His wear and tear is coming through now though and as I said I struggle to see him making France due to mileage.

On Coombes not sure the exaxct reason but he even says himself he gets the feeling he is a bit of an outsider.

 

[Amiga500]

This team is nowhere near as strong as the 2018 side, nor does it have the same amount of world class players but I think we're far less vulnerable to a sharp downwards turn given how we're playing the game.

We're in real danger if (when?) J10 gets injured

j10 [wee j for wee joey] just isn't good enough if he cannot string a rake of games together without getting injured AND can play to the gainline without fear of contact injuring him.

With Jack Carty's face appearing not to fit, could Ben Healy be good enough? As an individual he might be - but Munster have developed a bad track record of taking good creative players and turning them into predictable automatons.