Ireland And O2 Ireland Wolfhounds Squads Announced

[irelandfan123]

Well I feel that Kidney has dressed me up in a pink dress and f*cked me .......

Out of all the Ulster men he could have picked he choose Wallace, now don't get me wrong I do rate him for ulster but holy **** a dead horse would be a better choice in an Ireland shirt.
Why oh why is Touhy not ahead of DOC.
I don't like repeating what everyones just said but I mean what the hell its a squad of pensioners

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Brian McLaughlin isn't too impressed with it either:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/16621252.stm

 

[killer08]

either ireland win the six nations and kidney gets the lions job so we have a coach who will mix things up next six nations or ireland do awful and kidney gets booted
id prefer the 1st....

 

[Feicarsinn]

Listen, as far as squad selections go this is the most selfish one I've seen in a very long time. If Kidney cared about the state of the Irish team in 4 years he'd be blooding youth. As is he's looking to cash in on the relative inexperience of the other teams about and try to sneak a championship and damn the long term consequences. Looks great for him, but buggers us up for 2015.

 

[fede_front_row]

i'm partially surprised about these names! of course there are a lot of Ulster players that deserve a chance, maybe in future they might have a call! for the rest i'll wait the beginning of the six nations for understand a bit well what this squad need!

 

[Seaton]

Can I laugh?

 

[m0rris]

Feel free... I have been all day. Kidney just trolled Irish rugby.

 

[coonor]

If the wolfhounds are drafted in properly it won't be to bad but looking at the squad it doesn't seem that that is to likely in some positions for example we already have 4 locks in the squad and therefore unless one is dropped why would Toner or Touhy be picked? This still does not justify how Marshall is not ahead of O'Leary, surely even Kidney could not be able to explain this and he can't really think he is playing better....

 

[irelandfan123]

Brian McLaughlin isn't too impressed with it either:

Maybe we should give him the job , at least he bloods players

 

[big ginger 8]

Rather Joe Schmidt bloods and plays brilliant rugby probably wouldn't do it though. Conor O'Shea most realistic good choice.

 

[irelandfan123]

O'Shea is very sucked into the quins job , I think it would take at least a few more seasons to convince him to come and by that time it would be too late

 

[Peat]

O'Halloran has been the young winger of the year I think. There are areas he needs to be more consistent in but himself and Griffin have been superb for Connacht. So he deserves his place.

Conway could be Irelands answer to Vincent Clerc so I don't mind seeing him there. I don't know what Zebo is doing there. He has only played a few games for Munster and hasn't performed as well as Gilroy for Ulster. I also don't know what Denis Hurley is doing there. Decent player but not international class. Dave Kearney has had a decent season though.

Whatever Conway may do, it doesn't change the fact that Gilroy has established himself in the Ulster team. Conway may have more potential but Gilroy's ready now. As for O'Halloran, its hard to judge him in that backline and I don't watch too much of him, but given some of Gilroy's performances, that's a big call. Mindyou, if I were O'Halloran, I'd be pretty ****** off by Dave Kearney and Denis Hurley too.

Almost as ****** off as Hagan watching Loughney and Archer.

The 10 situation is an interesting one tbh and not one I'm overly angry about. Some would call for Ian Humphreys but I have absolutely no faith in him. Sublime at times, but prone to the odd massive brainfart. Keatley can't get into the Munster team, Niall O'Connor out in Connacht is useless and Ian Madigan is still a bit raw. It's quite conceivable that ROG will go to the next WC, considering he has no physical side to his game that could deteriorate in the next 4 years.

I'd say Madigan or Paddy Jackson will be Ireland's second 10 come 2015, but they're both at least two years away from being ready for international rugby. Madigan may have to move in order to find starting rugby, but that shouldn't be a problem considering he has the best distribution game of any Irish outhalf. Jackson is younger than me, which is very annoying. I have no doubt he'll take over from iHumph in the next 2 or 3 seasons. Quality players both of them.

Unless Marshall does it via Pienaar first... honestly, I want Jackson starting now. His game isn't perfect, but then neither is iHumph's, and I'm backing Jackson to learn. Can play 12 too, hopefully that'll get him more game time.

I did think about kvetching about Humphreys and then of course reality kicked in. Then I looked at all the other old farts who just don't really have it who got in ahead of other players and I kinda want to change my mind. I mean, he shouldn't be there, but by Deccie logic he should...

 

[Tadginator]

Kidney is a piece of s**t. I actually hate his smug amused smile during press conferences and when people just told him a joke. F#*#*#*#*ck him

 

[lucky number 7]

What the **** is this....

 

[lucky number 7]

I don't dislike Kidney he just makes **** decisions with that big ol' red heart sometimes..... I really think he should get Schmidt in to coach the backs however.

 

[Jayatron]

Not impressed with sticking with some of the older guys.

2015 starts now. If we keep the old guys through the 6N, we're already a step behind the rest.

Hear hear!

 

[jovialjonny]

God there is some amount of madness being spewed in here.

Bit of balance shall we?

Front row - limited options, no brainer
Second row - POC and D Ryan are the form two
back row - Ferris, heaslip and SOB have it locked down
9 - Murray and Reddan are the 2 best form
10 - Sexton and ROG are both in flying form.
Centres - fair gripes, would like to see some young blood in there
wings - trimble surely has earned the shirt now, bowe arguably still deserves his.
full back - no brainer on kearney in flying form.

The first 15 pretty much picks itself, centres are the only really justifiable source of contention.

There is no point throwing too many young guys in at that level and having them cack themselves. Yes DK is conservative, yes Ulster deserve more squad players but international is another level up and a few good games for a province does not an international class player make.

The wolfhounds has been changed into a proper feeder team under Kidney, there are 7 slots up for grabs for the best players versus the saxons, seems fair game to me.

 

[Saintjay]

So how ill Ireland go in the 6N's. Does the team selection change anyones opinion about how well Ireland will do?.

I note they are still 2nd favorites along with Wales in the poll. Most of the voting was done prior to the teams release.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

There is no point throwing too many young guys in at that level and having them cack themselves. Yes DK is conservative, yes Ulster deserve more squad players but international is another level up and a few good games for a province does not an international class player make.

That is true but equally, Kidney has failed to acknowledge a bunch of players are in serious decline. Gordon D'arcy, Leo Cullen and Donncha O'Callaghan are spent forces at international level. Paddy Wallace is neither a first team member nor is he the future. Shane Jennings has never fully grasped his opportunities at full international level and isn't playing as well as younger tyros. People are right for criticising those selections. I can understand picking D'arcy because Ireland will need experience in the centre (with O'Driscoll out) but the other picks are off the wall.

Kidney is making the same mistakes that Eddie O'Sullivan made after the failed 2007 World Cup campaign- he's backing old warhorses to show a return to form when all evidence suggests he's wrong.

 

[Jockstap]

That is true but equally, Kidney has failed to acknowledge a bunch of players are in serious decline. Gordon D'arcy, Leo Cullen and Donncha O'Callaghan are spent forces at international level. Paddy Wallace is neither a first team member nor is he the future. Shane Jennings has never fully grasped his opportunities at full international level and isn't playing as well as younger tyros. People are right for criticising those selections. I can understand picking D'arcy because Ireland will need experience in the centre (with O'Driscoll out) but the other picks are off the wall.

Kidney is making the same mistakes that Eddie O'Sullivan made after the failed 2007 World Cup campaign- he's backing old warhorses to show a return to form when all evidence suggests he's wrong.

Also leaving Fitzgerald out seems a bit daft.