Ireland RWC 11 Thread

[munstermuffin]

Marcus started the semi final too and is in decent form but it bad news if he is in World Cup squad.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Horan's time is passed. A good loosehead and packed a decent punch around the park. He has had a tough 2 or 3 years and it would be very difficult for him to get ahead of either Court or Healy in the pecking order. LH prop is one of the positions where DK has his selections down imo.

 

[Jockstap]

Who'd you reckon would win

15 Murphy
14 Horgan
13 O'Driscoll
12 D'Arcy
11 Hickie
10 O'Gara
9 Stringer
8 Leamy
7 Wallace
6 Easterby
5 O'Connell
4 O'Callaghan
3 Hayes
2 Flannery
1 Horan

or

15 Earls
14 Bowe
13 BOD
12 D'Arcy
11 Trimble
10 Sexton
9 Reddan
8 Heaslip
7 Wallace
6 O'Brien
5 O'Connell
4 O'Callaghan
3 Ross
2 Best
1 Healy

Personally I think today's gen are better in the Front and Back rows and better halfbacks, the older gen have better locks and centres .

 

[kovana]

Hmm.. Im gonna come right out and say it,

I hope Ireland reaches the RWC final.. Im a big fan of Ireland..

Hopefully they have learned from the last RWC.

 

[Jockstap]

Well that's that then, season's over and we now have to wait until August for the next Irish rugby fix. Not a bad season for Irish rugby, Leinster win the Heiny, Munster take the Magners, Ulster reached the playoffs of both competitions for the first time in ages and Connacht didn't finish last(Woo-Hoo) with HC rugby waiting for them next season(we're gonna get dicked). So taking the last few games into account what's everybody's form Irish team.

15 Felix Jones
14 Tommy Bowe
13 Brian O'Driscoll
12 Fergus McFadden
11 Keith Earls
10 Johnny Sexton
9 Conor Murray
8 Jamie Heaslip
7 David Wallace
6 Sean O'Brien
5 Paul O'Connell
4 Leo Cullen
3 Mike Ross
2 Rory Best
1 Cian Healy

16 Sean Cronin
17 Tom Court
18 Donncha O'Callaghan
19 Stephen Ferris
20 Eoin Reddan
21 Ronan O'Gara
22 Luke Fitzgerald

Leinster 10
Munster 7
Ulster 4
Connacht 1

 

[dangandan]

Well that's that then, season's over and we now have to wait until August for the next Irish rugby fix. Not a bad season for Irish rugby, Leinster win the Heiny, Munster take the Magners, Ulster reached the playoffs of both competitions for the first time in ages and Connacht didn't finish last(Woo-Hoo) with HC rugby waiting for them next season(we're gonna get dicked). So taking the last few games into account what's everybody's form Irish team.

15 Felix Jones
14 Tommy Bowe
13 Brian O'Driscoll
12 Fergus McFadden
11 Keith Earls
10 Johnny Sexton
9 Conor Murray
8 Jamie Heaslip
7 David Wallace
6 Sean O'Brien
5 Paul O'Connell
4 Leo Cullen
3 Mike Ross
2 Rory Best
1 Cian Healy

16 Sean Cronin
17 Tom Court
18 Donncha O'Callaghan
19 Stephen Ferris
20 Eoin Reddan
21 Ronan O'Gara
22 Luke Fitzgerald

Leinster 10
Munster 7
Ulster 4
Connacht 1

Yeah that seems to be the form 22. Wish we had someone else other than Rory Best though. Can't believe we can have a guy like Ferris on the bench, hope he's fit for the world cup!

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Unfortunatly Fitzgerald has to be in the 22 he's been playing awful this year, if only Kidney would pick Horgan, He was the best Wing in the Hcup this season IMO. He is playing as good now as he ever has.

 

[munstermuffin]

Yeah that seems to be the form 22. Wish we had someone else other than Rory Best though. Can't believe we can have a guy like Ferris on the bench, hope he's fit for the world cup!

Really think if this was a year or 2 later, Strauss and Sherry would be our best options.
Ferris on bench is reality but it's great to have those options.
And best 9's at moment are Murray and Boss.

 

[dangandan]

I think Horgan is no more than HC calibre these days. He'd get smoked against the top wingers on the international stage.

 

[dangandan]

Really think if this was a year or 2 later, Strauss and Sherry would be our best options.
Ferris on bench is reality but it's great to have those options.
And best 9's at moment are Murray and Boss.

Yeah, i'm still hopeful about Cronin so we could even have 3 decent options.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

I'd be surprised if Uber conservative Kidney brings Murray and Jones to the world cup. It's a shame really because in my eyes there's no doubt that Murray is our best scrum half. I think TOL is still Kidney's favourite scrum half. The thought makes me sick!

 

[lynam1104]

All logic will be deified if TOL gets on the plane.

 

[theonlychubbychild]

I would rather see Trimble ahead of Fitzgerald. I think that Trimble has a great work rate in the game, were as all Fitzgerald does is knock the ball forward in his endless attempts to catch it. I think he would be better suited to football.

 

[theonlychubbychild]

But,it's blatant that Earls and Bowe are Ireland's two best wingers without a doubt.

 

[lucky number 7]

I would rather see Trimble ahead of Fitzgerald. I think that Trimble has a great work rate in the game, were as all Fitzgerald does is knock the ball forward in his endless attempts to catch it. I think he would be better suited to football.[/Q

His tackling is wonderful....ask Doug Howlett.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I thought that Fitz had a good game yesterday - best in a while anyhow

Remember a lovely run by him late on in the game to take play into the Munster 22 - beat several defenders on the way

 

[superprop]

Fitzgerald's defence has been excellent. As has for some reason his rucking note him and Nacewa counter-rucking Tonga'uiha and hartely with Fitzy on Tong'uiha. There is no question about his ability it's just that wing more than any other position like striker is about form. He's running all the right line and through him either overrunning or the person not being able to offload he just hasn't got the tries. If about even a half of them had gone to hand he'd be one of the top try scorers in the Heiniken and Magners. I'd have him at least on the bench because he has that magic touch.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

What magic touch. He hasn't shown anything since last year. Also he is in good positions alot but always overruns them e.g Leicester dropped it on the line, Ulster dropped pass from Strauss, which isn't good enough at this level. His defence is good but so is Earls', Bowe's, Trimble's and Horgan's. He is the worst performing winger who is certain to make the Irish squad(Bowe, Earl, Trimble) wheras Shane Horgan is playing some of the best rugby of his career. the back 3 I'd like to see is:
15. Kearney/Jones, preferably Kearney
14. Bowe
11. Earls
with Horgan or Trimble on the bench.(we all know Horgan won't get it)
Unless Fitzgerald gets back in form he should only play Russia and the U.S, even if he does get back on form Earls has the 11. jersey nailed down IMO.

 

[munstermuffin]

Agreed cmac hard to see aanyone but Earls and Bowe on wings as (been fair) Fitzgearld has been average at best but Earls (since 6Nations) has been in superb form and Bowe is World Class.
Our only issue in back 3 is the 15 jersey in my eyes and I hope Earls isn't put there because he is a good 15 but a superb winger.

 

[superprop]

What magic touch. He hasn't shown anything since last year. Also he is in good positions alot but always overruns them e.g Leicester dropped it on the line, Ulster dropped pass from Strauss, which isn't good enough at this level. His defence is good but so is Earls', Bowe's, Trimble's and Horgan's. He is the worst performing winger who is certain to make the Irish squad(Bowe, Earl, Trimble) wheras Shane Horgan is playing some of the best rugby of his career. the back 3 I'd like to see is:
15. Kearney/Jones, preferably Kearney
14. Bowe
11. Earls
with Horgan or Trimble on the bench.(we all know Horgan won't get it)
Unless Fitzgerald gets back in form he should only play Russia and the U.S, even if he does get back on form Earls has the 11. jersey nailed down IMO.

Just like to point out you had Fitzgerald on the team you'd like to see at the start of this thread.