Ireland Squad 2017/18

[Leonormous Boozer]

Ireland Squad (Summer Tour 2018, Australia)

FORWARDS (18)
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) Captain 111 caps
Tadhg Beirne (Scarlets) uncapped
Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 7 caps
Sean Cronin (St Mary's College/Leinster) 61 caps
Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 23 caps
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 78 caps
Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 38 caps
Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 3 caps
Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster) 9 caps
Jack McGrath (St Mary's College/Leinster) 47 caps
Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster) 20 caps
Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 47 caps
Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 7 caps
Quinn Roux (Galwegians/Connacht) 5 caps
James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 8 caps
John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 13 caps
CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 23 caps
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 58 caps

BACKS (14)
Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 7 caps
Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster) uncapped
Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Leinster) 10 caps
Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 6 caps
John Cooney (Terenure College RFC/Ulster) 1 cap
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 67 caps
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 33 caps
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 83 caps
Jordan Larmour (St Mary's College/Leinster) 3 caps
Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) 21 caps
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 64 caps
Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 13 caps
Johnny Sexton (St Mary's College/Leinster) 73 caps
Jacob Stockdale (Ballynahnch/Ulster) 9 caps


Beirne baby Byrne

 

[Leinster Fan]

Seems fair enough. I'd take McGrath over Marmion but other than that it seems reasnoble. Herring over Scannell is the correct move based on form. Ruddock seems like an odd ommision as well. The fact the there are five second rows and the same number of backrows could mean that Hendo/Beirne at 6 is seen as an option.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I doubt McGarth is fit for it, he's been dodgy enough the last couple weeks.

 

[Groundhog]

Disagree Herring over Scannell tbh. Herring has fallen off a bit from what I've seen, and while riddled with injury this year Scannell is still the real deal. Minor gripe though, who cares, hope we tear it up this tour. Schmidt out though obviously.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Reckon it's a good mix ~50% Absolute Leinster superstars working with the best coaching team that doesn't include Joe the world has ever seen week in week out and ~50% decent players working with disgruntled coaching set ups, scrubs or both.

3 zip, green!

 

[munstermuffin]

McGrath being dropped is correct. Has been injured and not special form. Him and Marmion are roughly same level but can see Cooney overtaking them to 2nd choice.
Byrne deserves to be there. And well Carbery is now at a dangerous junction as only 1 game at 10 all season for Leinster has hurt him.
Jack McGrath I think is lucky. James Cronin flying it but more so McGrath form has gone off a cliff and probably needs rest.
Ruddock has been a victim of injury and well is well down the order now given the strength and depth there.
Interesting that it's similar size to RWC and I think they'll try replicate that schedule in a way.
3 centres seems very light though considering Henshaw a doubt.
Niall Scannell lost bit of form so can't really complain. Schmidt always liked Herring and well Scannell lost his way a bit

 

[Leinster Fan]

McGrath, Scannell and Ruddock are all coming off injuries and haven't played their way back into form so I'd say it's fair enough.

It's funny how predictable the back three has become after a fair few years of uncertainty.

On the centres the only player anywhere near the level of the three picked is Farrell who's injured. Earls and Larmour can play there anyway. (In the loosest sense of the word 'play').

 

[TobesHodges]

Knowing Chieka he'll pick a standard Aus team maybe very few new admissions, probably something like this..
1. Sio
2. Paenga-Amosa (new)
3. Kepu
4. Simmons
5. Carter
6. Hooper
7. Pocock
8. Higginbotham

9. Genia
10. Foley
11. Maddocks (new)
12. Beale
13. Kerevi
14. Folou
15. Haylett-petty

It will be a light team especially in the tight five, as my personal opinion is that Ireland will outplay them in most if not all aspects - the only way Aus have a chance is to offload and simple try to run them ragged but even then I think Ireland are defensively sound enough to do a job..

 

[Amiga500]

Disagree Herring over Scannell tbh. Herring has fallen off a bit from what I've seen

He's bounced back a bit from his form nadir last year.

A couple of years back, I would have preferred him to Best. Then as you say, his form went off a cliff (maybe injured an arm/elbow) - to the extent he was probably behind Andrew in the pecking order!

But that has largely resolved itself this season. Our 2nd best forward for much of the season after Reidy (the occasional showings from Best and Henderson meaning they are omitted). Timoney would prob be 3rd best.

 

[big ginger 8]

Best is out, Scannell in and PO'M and Sexton are co-vice captains.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Opportunity of a lifetime for Sean Cronin now. He's in career form at the moment and has shown this season at Leinster that he has the ability when trusted as a starter as opposed to as an impact sub. If he goes well in Australia it could be hard for Best to get back in. Lifeline thrown to Scannell as well.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Best is out, Scannell in and PO'M and Sexton are co-vice captains.

I hope Munster are given special dispensation for Scannell being called up. Maybe they can sign another Leinster player to cope?

 

[munstermuffin]

I hope Munster are given special dispensation for Scannell being called up. Maybe they can sign another Leinster player to cope?

Ye have a Munster hooker
Maybe if we got the financial clout as other provinces get continuously.
And before you say the loan on Thomond it actually equals the differences in amount of savings per year others make on budgets from national contracts as Ulster pointed out.

However back to Joe Schmidt. He is obviously is rectifying mistakes of last RWC. The 10 issue, the 2nd row issues and more interestingly Ireland now don't have a set 15 that is impossible to break in to and there is healthy competition.