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Not managing but I guarantee he will have some input
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Ireland Squad for North American Tour
- Thread starter big ginger 8
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I'm sure he will doesn't really change what I'm saying.
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Yes like he won't be there or training but if he wants to see a player and says it im sure player will play. And it a chance for all to impress
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Again if Cave at 13 there no problem still an attacking team. Is Luke jus still battered or what is story? And I'd like to hope Henderson is stuck in 1 position and left there, he's in a situation Courtney Lawes was before and I think between that and an injury Lawes has went back a long way. Henderson is a superb player but eventually the versatility will be a bad thing and I hope he's just left in 1 spot and well he'll take care of rest
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Henderson's a pretty different case to Lawes I think. Both Ryan and McCarthy spent a lot of time at 6 before more permanent switches to lock.
Also while Cave isn't as good an individual runner as Earls overall he's a better attacker and adds more to the backline.
9 Marshall, 10 Madigan, 12 Marshall would be an entertaining inside back trio. I like Madigan, he has a bit about him. Is he better at first or second five? I really think he and Sexton could have made a good five eighths pairing, offering a relief on the first receiver (always like the inside backs like this: Jones/Hook-Henson; Wilkinson-Catt; Carter-McAlister; Larkham-Giteau). Allows for a flair player and a reliable player if needed, depending on the situation.
Don't know the story about Marshall, but three concussions in four weeks is very alarming, and until I hear otherwise I'm assuming he shouldn't play until next season. If that. If he wasn't to play next season I wouldn't blink an eyelid, I'd rather we took care of him now than have an early retirement. Olding's a shooting star, so play him at 12, or play Jackson there, take the weight off him, tell him to have a cut and see what happens. Or I suppose you could even play a non-Ulster player at 12, but I don't really approve of that 
As for the Manchild... Lawes is a bit thick and very injury prone. He's lost his place to Launchbury, a guy who has switched regularly between lock and blindside to no ill-effect, so the situation can work. I think it wouldn't hurt Henderson short term to switch back and forth. Realistically though, I just don't see another option for now, so I might be speaking more in hope than truth. If Tuohy doesn't recover form, Henderson is probably the next best Irish lock, and the only guy who might crack and improve the tight five - which I think is very weak for Ireland when you factor in depth - yet for Ulster, with the Fez situation unresolved and always an injury away at the best, he's our next best blindside flanker for now... although also probably next best lock too. Hard call. Sticking him at lock for the summer and seeing what happens might be the best call.
As for the Manchild... Lawes is a bit thick and very injury prone. He's lost his place to Launchbury, a guy who has switched regularly between lock and blindside to no ill-effect, so the situation can work. I think it wouldn't hurt Henderson short term to switch back and forth. Realistically though, I just don't see another option for now, so I might be speaking more in hope than truth. If Tuohy doesn't recover form, Henderson is probably the next best Irish lock, and the only guy who might crack and improve the tight five - which I think is very weak for Ireland when you factor in depth - yet for Ulster, with the Fez situation unresolved and always an injury away at the best, he's our next best blindside flanker for now... although also probably next best lock too. Hard call. Sticking him at lock for the summer and seeing what happens might be the best call.
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I'd accept that Cave is the better overall centre and I think Earls proved in HEC semi final that even at 60% he played well on wing and that is his best spot.
Yes Ryan played alot at 6 but was kept there and switched to lock maybe for 10/15 mins in games. But I don't like Henderson starting week 1 at 6 and week 2 at 4 and so on. I know he's young but where do Ulster see him and I think he could be in the mould of a Donnacha Ryan/McCarthy type of enforcer. In fact as I've said before I see a bit of Nathan Hines in him but just would rather he settle in 1 spot although I understand some locks are left at 6 to develop but is that how Ulster see it.
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I wonder if Jack McGrath has played his way onto the plane to North America. He has acquitted himself well this season and while one performance doesn't make or break a player, he scrummaged well against Adam Jones yesterday (just how interested Jones was is another matter).
I don't think McGrath is on the same level as Tom Court. Neither is Dave Kilcoyne for that matter. What McGrath and Kilcoyne have going for them is a much more preferable age profile than the underrated Ulster player.
Would Court benefit more from a summer off or from touring North America? How about McGrath and Kilcoyne? I think Court deserves a summer off to recharge his batteries. McGrath and Kilcoyne deserve 80 minutes each over the USA and Canada tests. It'll do their confidence the world of good.
I don't think McGrath is on the same level as Tom Court. Neither is Dave Kilcoyne for that matter. What McGrath and Kilcoyne have going for them is a much more preferable age profile than the underrated Ulster player.
Would Court benefit more from a summer off or from touring North America? How about McGrath and Kilcoyne? I think Court deserves a summer off to recharge his batteries. McGrath and Kilcoyne deserve 80 minutes each over the USA and Canada tests. It'll do their confidence the world of good.
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Without a doubt Snoop. I think himself and Kilcoyne are the 2 as Tom Court seems to be exiled by Irish setup. Court does deserve a summer off but also havs been rode by Irish setup over years and everyone realizes now he isn't a TH but a good LH. Kilcoyne has already overtaken him and on tour I can possibly see Killer playing 55-60 in both tests with McGrath for remainder. However IF numbers are tight then McGrath will be sent as a starter with Emerging squad and Court will be man off bench in 2 tests
Well Kilcoyne hasn't overtaken him properly, as he didn't get the start, and that was all in the mind of Deccie and god knows what happens next. However, much as I hate saying this, Kilcoyne and McGrath should be pushed and Court forgotten. Ireland have an issue with tight five athleticism and need to promote that more than they need to play the best prop.
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I think that was due to Kilcoyne inexperience though Peat and at the time gamble was too big. But as I said I think Court is being forgotten about and I'm not saying he poor or anything as I think he did get raw deal
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Oh God yes.
I wanted to stick him in my intial squad but felt he hadn't had enough time. Court could use a rest and as I've said we won't learn anything from him in America while we could with Jack. Also Jack will be getting even more gametime next season as of course HVDM will be gone and Healy will be phased back in after the Lions while ther's also rumours he needs shoulder surgery.
I think Schmidt could actually end up putting someone like Court/Jack as the sub loosehead. An argument can be mad for Kilcoyne making a big carrying impact but he's a very similar player to Healy and Schmidt got a lot out of having a more scrummaging loosehead on the bench.
Agreed, but until the gamble is no longer too big and someone starts him ahead of Court in an important match, he hasn't properly overtaken him. Being the better impact sub =/= being the better player. Schmidt should be aiming at pushing one of McGrath/Kilcoyne being that better player asap.
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Court being from Ulster played a big part, they had quite a raw deal under Kidney.
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What players do you think should have got more games?
psychic duck
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Ulstermen had an equally raw deal under Eddie O'Sullivan too. Some players forced their way in, but it always seemed that the close decisions Flannery/Best, Easterby/Best or Ferris, Horgan/Bowe or Trimble the close decisions always went in favour of Munster/Leinster under Eddie. Ireland only started picking Bowe after he went to the Ospreys, Brian Carney made the RWC squad ahead of him.
Similar under Kidney. I know some Ulster fans were confused as to even when their team became much better than Munster they still got a far less ratio of players. Again the likes of Tuohy, Henry, Cave and even Gilroy for a while (ignored for summer tour 2012) always seem to come second on decisions between them and Munster/Leinster players for a spot in the Ireland squad.
Earls would always get decision over Cave. O'Mahony over Henry or Henderson. Toner over Tuohy.
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