Ireland Squad 2017/18

[Leonormous Boozer]

Wrong Byrne, where the Barry Daly at?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

The Alpha Bro's changes that would ruin Lord and Savior Schmidt's squad.

Byrne for Carbery
Carbery for DK
Daly for Byrne, I'm amazed he's picked Byrne despite him being the least "Schmidt" player I've ever seen! Signs of a new approach to back three play?
I still think RK is a better test option than TO'H who avoids criticism for a lit of mistakes because he's usually in a back three where the wings are mistakes (No offence Mr & Mrs Healy, Kelleher and Adeolokun) but with one not playing in a few weeks, albeit having started the season well, he's taking a risk picking RK especially if he starts.
The pack is an improvement on what I had picked, RIP JVdF and to nerds shouting favouritism (None on TRF J'pense) I'll kindly point you to Tommy O'Donnell's selection over Jordi Murphy.

I could see Schmidt being a total mad LAD and starting Henderson and Ryan in the row.

Edit: Scannell for Farrell too, not too impressed by Farrell's passing tbh.

 

[Jockstap]

Do Dave and Rob have a dad or an uncle in the IRFU blazers?

 

[Groundhog]

Edit: Scannell for Farrell too, not too impressed by Farrell's passing tbh.

Hard for Schmidt to turn his nose up at a guy with huge power and speed, who's defensively a beasht, that a good coach like Schmidt is more than capable of turning into the weapon he should be. I'm glad as a Munster fan that Farrell is going to be told in no uncertain terms he needs to fix his skills to get caps and a wider camp is the start of that.
Also don't see the merit in bringing messers Kearney along, but whatever. One is injured, the other not good enough these days. Agree that dropping Zebo is correct though. Whatever about a 6 Nations, these tests are for future planning and fine tuning. Zebo has no place in that future. Surely O'Halloran has done enough. Constantly makes up for the players around him's shortcomings.

 

[Bluemoon]

I don't want Zebo involved. Our quality won't dip much with him gone and I'd like Munster to get the best out of him while he's here. You move you lose your right to play. Unless we have serious injury crisis, you shouldn't be picked and players understand that.

Not to come off topic too much - but this is the attitude I'm guessing Wales are going to have to adopt over the next few years. Particularly admire the fact that Ireland can trust that the younger talent coming through can step up.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Position by position:
Looseheads: Cian Healy (Leinster), Dave Kilcoyne (Munster), Jack McGrath (Leinster)
Hookers: Rory Best (Ulster, captain), Rob Herring (Ulster), James Tracy (Leinster)
Tightheads: Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Andrew Porter (Leinster), John Ryan (Munster)
Second Rows: Ultan Dillane (Connacht), Iain Henderson (Ulster), James Ryan (Leinster), Devin Toner (Leinster), Kieran Treadwell (Ulster)
Flankers: Dan Leavy (Leinster), Sean O'Brien (Leinster), Tommy O'Donnell (Munster), Peter O'Mahony (Munster), Rhys Ruddock (Leinster)
No 8s: Jack Conan (Leinster), CJ Stander (Munster)
Scrumhalves: Kieran Marmion (Connacht), Luke McGrath (Leinster), Conor Murray (Munster)
Flyhalves: Joey Carbery (Leinster), Ian Keatley (Munster), Johnny Sexton (Leinster)
Centres: Bundee Aki (Connacht), Chris Farrell (Munster), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster)
Wings: Adam Byrne (Leinster), Andrew Conway (Munster), Keith Earls (Munster), Dave Kearney (Leinster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster), Darren Sweetnam (Munster)
Fullback: Rob Kearney (Leinster)

Biggest winners from the squad are Rob Herring, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Tommy O'Donnell, Ian Keatley, Adam Byrne and Darren Sweetnam. All others would have expected to be named.

Biggest losers are Sean Cronin, Finlay Bealham, Jordi Murphy, John Cooney, Luke Marshall, Simon Zebo and Tiernan O'Halloran.

Others to have been capped last season and not be named in the squad for various reasons are Craig Gilroy, Matt Healy, Niyi Adeolokun, Billy Holland, Paddy Jackson, Jared Payne, Garry Ringrose, Donnacha Ryan, Jamie Heaslip, Josh van der Flier, Sean Reidy, Andrew Trimble, Dave Heffernan, Niall Scannell, Rory Scannell, Quinn Roux, Jack O'Donoghue, Tommy Bowe and Rory O'Loughlin.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I'd be inclined to pick something like this:

Carbery, Earls, Henshaw, McCloskey, Stockdale, Sexton, Murray; Healy, Best, Furlong, Henderson, Toner, Ruddock, O'Brien, Stander

 

[munstermuffin]

How the Kearneys are in I will never know. Tiernan O'Halloran must be actually wondering. Rest is understandable. No point slamming Schmidt for not picking for RWC and then dropping Zebo. He's not in plans for RWC so isn't worth being looked at.

 

[munstermuffin]

Position by position:
Looseheads: Cian Healy (Leinster), Dave Kilcoyne (Munster), Jack McGrath (Leinster)
Hookers: Rory Best (Ulster, captain), Rob Herring (Ulster), James Tracy (Leinster)
Tightheads: Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Andrew Porter (Leinster), John Ryan (Munster)
Second Rows: Ultan Dillane (Connacht), Iain Henderson (Ulster), James Ryan (Leinster), Devin Toner (Leinster), Kieran Treadwell (Ulster)
Flankers: Dan Leavy (Leinster), Sean O'Brien (Leinster), Tommy O'Donnell (Munster), Peter O'Mahony (Munster), Rhys Ruddock (Leinster)
No 8s: Jack Conan (Leinster), CJ Stander (Munster)
Scrumhalves: Kieran Marmion (Connacht), Luke McGrath (Leinster), Conor Murray (Munster)
Flyhalves: Joey Carbery (Leinster), Ian Keatley (Munster), Johnny Sexton (Leinster)
Centres: Bundee Aki (Connacht), Chris Farrell (Munster), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster)
Wings: Adam Byrne (Leinster), Andrew Conway (Munster), Keith Earls (Munster), Dave Kearney (Leinster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster), Darren Sweetnam (Munster)
Fullback: Rob Kearney (Leinster)

Biggest winners from the squad are Rob Herring, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Tommy O'Donnell, Ian Keatley, Adam Byrne and Darren Sweetnam. All others would have expected to be named.

Biggest losers are Sean Cronin, Finlay Bealham, Jordi Murphy, John Cooney, Luke Marshall, Simon Zebo and Tiernan O'Halloran.

Others to have been capped last season and not be named in the squad for various reasons are Craig Gilroy, Matt Healy, Niyi Adeolokun, Billy Holland, Paddy Jackson, Jared Payne, Garry Ringrose, Donnacha Ryan, Jamie Heaslip, Josh van der Flier, Sean Reidy, Andrew Trimble, Dave Heffernan, Niall Scannell, Rory Scannell, Quinn Roux, Jack O'Donoghue, Tommy Bowe and Rory O'Loughlin.

I'm not his biggest fan but is Jordi Murphy injured too. He was going well in bits I seen. Some competition in that back row.

Most winners earned their spots. Sweetnam has been on form Keatley has started season brilliantly Herring too. James Ryan I'm a huge fan. The only 2 I'd question is
1. Porter just I haven't seen enough maybe someone can let me know how he's went?
2. Byrne. Is his defence very suspect at this level?

On Munster omissions
Rory Scannell just not selected
Same with Billy And Jack O Donoghue

Niall Scannell is injured.

 

[munstermuffin]

The Alpha Bro's changes that would ruin Lord and Savior Schmidt's squad.

Byrne for Carbery
Carbery for DK
Daly for Byrne, I'm amazed he's picked Byrne despite him being the least "Schmidt" player I've ever seen! Signs of a new approach to back three play?
I still think RK is a better test option than TO'H who avoids criticism for a lit of mistakes because he's usually in a back three where the wings are mistakes (No offence Mr & Mrs Healy, Kelleher and Adeolokun) but with one not playing in a few weeks, albeit having started the season well, he's taking a risk picking RK especially if he starts.
The pack is an improvement on what I had picked, RIP JVdF and to nerds shouting favouritism (None on TRF J'pense) I'll kindly point you to Tommy O'Donnell's selection over Jordi Murphy.

I could see Schmidt being a total mad LAD and starting Henderson and Ryan in the row.

Edit: Scannell for Farrell too, not too impressed by Farrell's passing tbh.

I hugely disagree on Rob but even so he has no rugby played and doesn't deserve it. On rest of you moving said agree. Think Tommy deserved it over Jordi but surprised as I thought he was playing well.

On last bit Scannell has been our best centre but I'm not surprised as I've said on here for months. Joe Schmidt personally had a lot of involvement in bringing Farrell home.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

1. Porter just I haven't seen enough maybe someone can let me know how he's went?
2. Byrne. Is his defence very suspect at this level?

Andrew Porter has been very effective in loose play but had his struggles in the scrum. Presumably Tadhg Furlong will start against South Africa and Argentina with John Ryan on the bench. Porter will likely get his chance against Fiji. He's worth persevering with due to his natural talent but right now I'd have both Michael Bent and Finlay Bealham ahead of him. I'm not sure Porter will be at a high enough level come 2019 but it's clear that he's being fast tracked to reach that point. Hopefully he turns out better than Tony Buckley, the last big project at 3.

Adam Byrne can be suspect positionally. He missed a few tackles against Montpellier but he was marking Nemani Nadolo and frequently slowed him enough for other defenders to take him down. What he's lacking in positional sense, he more than makes up for in attacking ability. Always gets over the gainline. He's a project much like Andrew Porter but is a lot further along the development curve in my view.

 

[munstermuffin]

Andrew Porter has been very effective in loose play but had his struggles in the scrum. Presumably Tadhg Furlong will start against South Africa and Argentina with John Ryan on the bench. Porter will likely get his chance against Fiji. He's worth persevering with due to his natural talent but right now I'd have both Michael Bent and Finlay Bealham ahead of him. I'm not sure Porter will be at a high enough level come 2019 but it's clear that he's being fast tracked to reach that point. Hopefully he turns out better than Tony Buckley, the last big project at 3.

Adam Byrne can be suspect positionally. He missed a few tackles against Montpellier but he was marking Nemani Nadolo and frequently slowed him enough for other defenders to take him down. What he's lacking in positional sense, he more than makes up for in attacking ability. Always gets over the gainline. He's a project much like Andrew Porter but is a lot further along the development curve in my view.

If that is case regarding Porter then fair enough. He's young and best candidate for 3rd choice.
On Byrne. It is something noted big time in alot of games is his positioning. But again he's playing but I'd have thought Daly was the better man. But again no big deal.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I hugely disagree on Rob but even so he has no rugby played and doesn't deserve it. On rest of you moving said agree. Think Tommy deserved it over Jordi but surprised as I thought he was playing well.

On last bit Scannell has been our best centre but I'm not surprised as I've said on here for months. Joe Schmidt personally had a lot of involvement in bringing Farrell home.

Kearney has the go ahead from the medical team and is the best 15 in that squad if Carbery is to be considered a 10 in my opinion. He also started the season well and it took JC about three games to get to his game to a level where RK wasn't missed. If you think he doesn't deserve it because he's a worse player that's fair and we'll disagree as I see no evidence to believe TO'H is a better test option than RK, the injury that's kept him out is irrelevant in my opinion if he's passed fitness protocols considering he's proven to be consistent throughout his career.

Have read that Daly is injured, Leinster are going to struggle during the rounds affected by these tests.

 

[munstermuffin]

Kearney has the go ahead from the medical team and is the best 15 in that squad if Carbery is to be considered a 10 in my opinion. He also started the season well and it took JC about three games to get to his game to a level where RK wasn't missed. If you think he doesn't deserve it because he's a worse player that's fair and we'll disagree as I see no evidence to believe TO'H is a better test option than RK, the injury that's kept him out is irrelevant in my opinion if he's passed fitness protocols considering he's proven to be consistent throughout his career.

Have read that Daly is injured, Leinster are going to struggle during the rounds affected by these tests.

Oh I know he is cleared just has not played enough in past few months and well frankly has been shite. I'd have a list of lads ahead of him. Conway, Carbery, Stockdale, O'Halloran, Hanrahan and even Earls ahead of him. (Not in any order)

And if it's planning for RWC then again he shouldn't be there. Again it is a thing we will agree to disagree on as being honest it depends on where you are but probably half of Leinster fans and a majority of rest of Ireland would see it same as me. Not saying that is right just that is the balance of view

 

[Groundhog]

Just matched with a girl on Tinder who had a picture with Rob Kearney. Reported and unmatched. First of all she was clearly playing the 'stand next to a hotter friend/ pro two time Lion rugby player to make yourself look better' technique, and also she basically is spitting on Tiernan O'Halloran personally.

 

[munstermuffin]

Just matched with a girl on Tinder who had a picture with Rob Kearney. Reported and unmatched. First of all she was clearly playing the 'stand next to a hotter friend/ pro two time Lion rugby player to make yourself look better' technique, and also she basically is spitting on Tiernan O'Halloran personally.

Lol was it her or you who had the lucky escape

 

[Groundhog]

Lol was it her or you who had the lucky escape

Well she messaged me saying "why no butt stuff on the first date?", which to be fair has something to do with my bio, but she could easily lock down a scrum at tighthead I'd say.

 

[Jockstap]

I'd be inclined to pick something like this:

Carbery, Earls, Henshaw, McCloskey, Stockdale, Sexton, Murray; Healy, Best, Furlong, Henderson, Toner, Ruddock, O'Brien, Stander

Need POM in there for lineouts, forgetting we had the worst lineout in the Six Nations until he was introduced. We literally lost the championship because of it.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Oh I know he is cleared just has not played enough in past few months and well frankly has been shite. I'd have a list of lads ahead of him. Conway, Carbery, Stockdale, O'Halloran, Hanrahan and even Earls ahead of him. (Not in any order)

And if it's planning for RWC then again he shouldn't be there. Again it is a thing we will agree to disagree on as being honest it depends on where you are but probably half of Leinster fans and a majority of rest of Ireland would see it same as me. Not saying that is right just that is the balance of view

Shite... Yeah... If you're saying that about him and rating him behind Keith Earls you're wrong, I'm usually happy to agree to disagree but that's just outrageous. He started this season as one of Leinster's best players prior to injury and between the 6 nations and last year's AI's had established himself as Ireland's starting 15 through consistent good form and being the best back three player for Ireland v NZ x2, Scotland and France at the very least. Payne was an improvement coming back from injury but he's not available.

I'm actually seeing very little outrage about RK too, DK is a different story altogether and simply shouldn't be in the squad because he has regressed in the last two years in a position that Ireland have got a lot stronger in.

Looking at the 15 options you've got RK, Carbery, TO'H and Conway (Stockdale hasn't really played there professionally and the less said about Keith Earls as a 15 the better...) Conway and Kearney are very similar 15's as are TO'H and Carbery and there's not a lot between them in terms of overall value to this team. Two flair options who are fantastic going forward but can be naive without the ball with JC bringing a better kicking and tackling game while having a better sense of position, two solid options who aren't going to beat too many players one on one at test level but are strong under the high ball, position themselves well in defence, are great options for the kick chase and have a strong kicking game, I'm backing Kearney as better than Conway in all these facets of play, Conway is a marginally better runner, a marginally better tackler and a marginally better passer but no way near enough to the point where you can say without doubt he's a better 15 than RK who beats him in the more essential aspects of 15 play and the ones that Schmidt has always used in his game plans. Out of these four options he has decided to pick three (potentially two) 15 options, two solid Schmidt players and the better flair player. Leaving TO'H out and RK in is completely and utterly justifiable especially considering three of the five wing options (essentially four with DK being dead weight) being almost completely inexperienced and RK having the ability to organise his defence and cover the backfield almost single handedly, taking so much pressure off any wings he plays with. I think we need to bring something new to the back three and unless Schmidt sees DK or Conway as his 14 he obviously does too but where we might end up differing is that I think a really great passer is needed at 15 (Payne or JC being the only ones in the country) whereas I think he thinks Stockdale's playmaking ability might be enough, either way TO'H isn't making it past RK for me and I reckon if Daly or RO'L were available we'd see them in DK's stead too. So yeah, any word of Rob Kearney not being good enough or TO'H being objectively better is #FAKENEWS RK has never let Ireland down and won't if picked.

 

[munstermuffin]

Shite... Yeah... If you're saying that about him and rating him behind Keith Earls you're wrong, I'm usually happy to agree to disagree but that's just outrageous. He started this season as one of Leinster's best players prior to injury and between the 6 nations and last year's AI's had established himself as Ireland's starting 15 through consistent good form and being the best back three player for Ireland v NZ x2, Scotland and France at the very least. Payne was an improvement coming back from injury but he's not available.

I'm actually seeing very little outrage about RK too, DK is a different story altogether and simply shouldn't be in the squad because he has regressed in the last two years in a position that Ireland have got a lot stronger in.

Looking at the 15 options you've got RK, Carbery, TO'H and Conway (Stockdale hasn't really played there professionally and the less said about Keith Earls as a 15 the better...) Conway and Kearney are very similar 15's as are TO'H and Carbery and there's not a lot between them in terms of overall value to this team. Two flair options who are fantastic going forward but can be naive without the ball with JC bringing a better kicking and tackling game while having a better sense of position, two solid options who aren't going to beat too many players one on one at test level but are strong under the high ball, position themselves well in defence, are great options for the kick chase and have a strong kicking game, I'm backing Kearney as better than Conway in all these facets of play, Conway is a marginally better runner, a marginally better tackler and a marginally better passer but no way near enough to the point where you can say without doubt he's a better 15 than RK who beats him in the more essential aspects of 15 play and the ones that Schmidt has always used in his game plans. Out of these four options he has decided to pick three (potentially two) 15 options, two solid Schmidt players and the better flair player. Leaving TO'H out and RK in is completely and utterly justifiable especially considering three of the five wing options (essentially four with DK being dead weight) being almost completely inexperienced and RK having the ability to organise his defence and cover the backfield almost single handedly, taking so much pressure off any wings he plays with. I think we need to bring something new to the back three and unless Schmidt sees DK or Conway as his 14 he obviously does too but where we might end up differing is that I think a really great passer is needed at 15 (Payne or JC being the only ones in the country) whereas I think he thinks Stockdale's playmaking ability might be enough, either way TO'H isn't making it past RK for me and I reckon if Daly or RO'L were available we'd see them in DK's stead too. So yeah, any word of Rob Kearney not being good enough or TO'H being objectively better is #FAKENEWS RK has in I never let Ireland down and won't if picked.

Again I accept you will disagree but that is facts. Alot here in Munster and in Connacht are shocked the 2 Kearneys are in. And they are the butt of alot of jokes. Now rightly or wrongly the majority of people outside Dublin do see it like me. It may be wrong but not many rate RK as highly as you. And my point on Earls as a 15 wasn't that he was t but more how little I want RK there.
You may call it fake news but facts are not many believe RK deserves s spot. That is the truth and even some Leinster fans agree. Not saying it correct but it just what it is. He may start and have a blinder but the view is what it is