Ireland v South Africa

[coonor]

Irelands 22 is selected tomorrow mine would be:

1) Cian Healy
2) Rory Best
3) Tony Buckley
4) Donncha O'Callaghan
5) Mick O'Driscoll
6) Sean O'Brien
7) Stephen Ferris
8) Jamie Heaslip
9) Eion Reddan
10) Jonathan Sexton
11) Luke Fitzgerald
12) Brian O'Driscoll
13) Keith Earls
14) Tommy Bowe
15) Rob Kearney

16) Tom Court
17) Sean Cronin
18) Donncha Ryan
19) Denis Leamy
20) Peter Stringer
21) Ronan O'Gara
22) Paddy Wallace

Leo cullen would be in the squad instead of donncha ryan but according to Irishrugby.com he is not in the 30-man select squad. Mick O'driscoll and Rory Best have been selected as they are the best options for the lineout. I think Sean O'Brien deserves a spot due to great form and I want to test Ferris and play him a 7. Reddan providesthe best platformfor the backs and him and sexton work well together. BOD and Earls as a centre partnership I have been dying to test it could work really well considering BOD and Sexton link well and Earls adds Pace. I'd like to see them be really tested. D. Wallace is a class player and deffinatly is worthy of a starting place but I think Leamy and O'Brien are on a role and think they're be really up for this game. I wouldn't want to over play D. Wallace either. I would put P.Wallace on the bench because we need someone versitile on the bench as I want BOD and Earls to have a good length of time together without having to change their positions.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

O'Gara ahead of Sexton would be quite literally insane
As would O'Driscoll ahead of Cullen
D'Arcy's a maybe but I'd probably start Wallace (It feels like i just punched myself in the stomach).
I would genuinely be surprised if Stringer started

 

[King_D'Arcy]

Cullen's not in the 30 man squad? Oh crap!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I think Sexton will start, just for continuity (after he got all the points last time)

 

[Darwin]

This would be my Boks 22 for the game vs Ireland:

1.Tendai Mtawarira
2.Bismarck du Plessis
3.Jannie du Plessis
4.Bakkies Botha
5.Victor Matfield (captain)
6.Deon Stegmann
7.Juan Smith
8.Pierre Spies

9.Francois Hougaard
10.Morne Steyn
11.Lwazi Mvovo
12.Jean de Villiers
13.Adi Jacobs
14.Bjorn Basson
15.Frans Steyn

16.Chiliboy Ralepelle
17.Coenie Oosthuizen
18.Alistair Hargreaves
19.Willem Alberts
20.Ruan Pienaar
21.Patrick Lambie
22.Gio Aplon

BTW here is the revised Boks squad after all the injuries were sorted out:
Revised Tour Squad

It will be interesting to see how the Boks go. Just a few questions (bearing in mind I haven't very little Currie Cup action this year): Do you think they will put Stegmann straight into the starting lineup (bearing in mind he wasn't in the original squad)? Personally I would definitely include him as he is a genuine openside flanker, but I don't think PdV will start him.... I assume Keegan Daniel has been playing at 6 during the Currie Cup, so he will be an option?

I'm looking forward to watching Basson, Aplon, and Mvovo on the wings during this tour, as they could cause some real damage out wide.

 

[coonor]

Does anyone know why Cullen is not in the squad? Does Kidney plan on bringing him in we really need him. I think M. O'driscoll is critised to much. He is solid in the lineout and he works hard. I think he proved something this summer.

 

[durbutter]

Does anyone know why Cullen is not in the squad? Does Kidney plan on bringing him in we really need him. I think M. O'driscoll is critised to much. He is solid in the lineout and he works hard. I think he proved something this summer.

Micko plays for the wrong province.

 

[munstermuffin]

Cullen trained with Ireland on Monday but is deemed to not yet be ready for a return after injury.
I'd love to see BOD and Earls centre partnership but there won't be any mad switches like that as this is fine tuning for world cup so we will be sending strongest team out based on previous performances and form.
It's for that reason too I think Sean O'Brien may miss out although he deserves a chance.

 

[lynam1104]

Team i would like to see
1. Healy
2. Best
3. Buckley
4. DOC
5. MOD
6. Ferris
7. O'Brien/Wallace (I think Ireland have possible the most depth at back row then any other country right now)
8. Heslip
9. Redden
10. Sexton
11. Earls
12. D'Arcy
13. BOD (capt)
14. Bowe
15. Kearny

16. Cronin
17. Court
18. Ryan
19. Leamy
20. Stringer
21. ROG
22. Fitz

In the back row we could play a few different combination witch i want to see through out the AI's with Wallace and O'Brien inter changing and Helsip and Leamy inter changing if McLaughlin was fit i would put him in there inter change whit Ferris. At wing i'm not sure about it i want both Fitz and Earls in the squad but i don't want to move D'Arcy i think he has been playing well. Sexton could really benefit from quick ball from Stringer.

EDIT: What time will squad be announced

2nd EDIT: Ireland Team (to play South Africa, Guinness Series 2010, Aviva Stadium, November 6th, 17:30)

15 - Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) Captain
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrcok College/Leinster)
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary's College/Leinster)
9 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 - Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:

16 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
19 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 - Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
21 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 - Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)
from http://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/20686.php

 

[munstermuffin]

I'm disappointed Earls is only on bench but can't argue much with the team. I'd expect us to win this handy enough too due to been at home and them been down so many. But also because we are fresh while they are finishing season

 

[coonor]

The squad is deffinatly a strong team with alot of experience. Kidney clearly wants to a solid team to play against SA. I would have prefered BOD at 12 and Earls at 13 but I can see why Kidney has stuck with a familiar centre partnership considering BOD is just coming back from a injury and this is a the first game of the series. I hope Earls comes on at 50-60 mins and plays 13 with BOD at 12. I think O'brien should have got the spot but I think Wallace is in to secure and protect the ball as we need posession which is why I think M. O'driscoll is a good call. I think this would have been my squad for the All Blacks considering its quality in defence.

 

[munstermuffin]

Just a question on squad numbers. For World Cup we are going to have squads of 23 so why not have that now for the AI's

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

No idea.

The team has been officially announced after the earlier leak:
Ireland Team (to play South Africa, Guinness Series 2010, Aviva Stadium, November 6th, 17:30)
15 - Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) Captain
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrcok College/Leinster)
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary's College/Leinster)
9 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 - Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Replacements:
16 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
19 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 - Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
21 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 - Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster) / Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) / Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)


I'm happy enough with the starting XV. I probably would have gone for Cronin ahead of Best and O'Brien ahead of Wallace but it's no biggie. I disagree with the decision to leave O'Brien out of the XXII but Denis Leamy has been in good form. I don't think Donnacha Ryan deserves to be there ahead of Devin Toner.


As an aside, why were the replacements (and O'Brien) pulled from Magners League duty last week? I can understand the starters needing a rest but surely it would have made sense to give those not in the XV a game last weekend. Trimble and Wallace would have ignited an otherwise impotent backline for the nordies, O'Gara would have controlled things for Munster, Cronin could have been the difference between a losing bonus point and a win for Connacht and O'Brien is a far better option for Leinster than Stephen Keogh.

 

[munstermuffin]

Think the reasons behind that Snoop were numbers for training (remember Earls and BOD were injured) and well also they were kept incase anyone was injured.

 

[lynam1104]

Was that like i posted leak i got it from the IRFU website?

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Somebody put it on the IRFU website before it was due to be released and it was taken down after a few minutes. You got lucky and gave us the info a couple of hours early!

Think the reasons behind that Snoop were numbers for training (remember Earls and BOD were injured) and well also they were kept incase anyone was injured.

Sounds reasonable but there was no training on Friday, Saturday or Sunday of last week. The players I listed may not have been capable of starting for their provinces but could have been made available for bench duty. As a Leinster fan I'm not too bothered since they won but had Leinster lost by a couple of points I would have been ****** off about O'Brien being withheld from selection. I'm sure Ulster fans are none too happy about Wallace and Trimble missing last Friday night's game. That said, Ireland is more important than Magners League games.

 

[lynam1104]

The page I got that off is still up is my internet broken?

 

[munstermuffin]

Earls is on bench if fit

 

[durbutter]

i think its very tough on O Brien, and I cannot see why D. Ryan is there. And the omission of Ross is an outrage. imagine coming back to Ireland playing great stuff finally and they still pick a man who's soon to be 3rd choice TH for his province. It stinks.

Other than that i would like to have seen Cronin start

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Not selecting Ross is understandable. He's a better tighthead than Tom Court, much better in fact, but he's solely a number 3. Court can cover both sides so he gets the nod in a 22 man squad. If 23 men were in a squad I've no doubt that Mike Ross would be the backup 3 with Court covering 1.