Irish Rugby - The Party Years

[munstermuffin]

He possibly would. Seeing his rapid development as a 3, I'd leave him there and let him keep growing as a player. Furlong is better around the field and moving him to the slightly less physically pressurized propping position might free him up to make an even greater impact.

True and more a mini trivia. Wouldn't disagree either more just a theory of who is better to move like Tadgh was best in world as a 3.

 

[Groundhog]

Weird flip in recent years. We were so devoted towards developing tightheads after some rough years in that area and now we're very well stocked while the looseheads side is looking a bit fallow. Tough to see who the next top class 1 is. O'Sullivan, Byrne, O'Connor? I'm not so sure. Then at youth level someone else can help me with this but the likely lads are Milne, French and Wycherley maybe?
I can certainly see the argument for Furlong to be moved over, but seeing as he's one of the first names in a team sheet I don't know if it's realistic.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I can certainly see the argument for Furlong to be moved over, but seeing as he's one of the first names in a team sheet I don't know if it's realistic.

It's probably more of a long term thing. Cian Healy isn't going anywhere for a couple of years. The connundrum is how do you keep both Furlong and Porter happy? Moving one to the other side of the scrum should do that.

Loosehead does look short on long term options. Perhaps the failure at the World Cup should make Ireland look to the immediate future and not plan too far ahead. Who knows what the situation will be like in 2023?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

****** rip Rob Kearney, it's Dave's time.

Also @TRF_Olyy please get the Billy Burns insults in quickly and then leave politely.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Nice looking Barbarians side, when's the Ireland one being announced?

 

[big ginger 8]

Interesting squad, looks like a bad sign for some veterans. A lot of young lads getting a deserved chance, O'Toole and Connors obviously rated highly given what their club situations are.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Interesting omissions:
Jordi (haven't kept track of his form but always a useful guy to have around, playing all three backrow positions is very handy)
A third LH prop
John Ryan (not that interesting but a change in the previous order)
Marmion (he's been injured but five other players named in his position can hardly be a good sign)
Carty (completely deserved on form though)
Marshall (not interesting at all actually but had though he might get a look in, especially with only two other dedicated 13s)
Rob (probably the right time to move on though)
Cronin (hasn't played at all in fairness but also entirely possible wouldn't have been involved anyway)
Beirne? (pretty sure he's just injured though)

Interesting/noticeable inclusions:
Heffernan (can't say I was expecting that, hasn't even been playing that much at Connacht from what I can tell)
Kelleher (had to be in)
Both Ulster tightheads
Roux (thought he might have been on the way out)
Both Leinster 8s (Doris was expected, exposing Deegan is good as well)
Connors (second best 7 in the country on form for me)
Every half-decent scrumhalf in the country except Marmion, and also Conor Murray
Burns (easy target but has actually been good and brought on his game this year)
McCloskey+Scannell (have my doubts about both but deserved on form)
Dev is back!
Dave (again playing well)

Obviously not definitive but some interesting calls. Great news for the 8(?) uncalled players and the guys like Heffernan and Moore who haven't been around for years though. The three consecutive interpros (and also probably injuries) could change the picture dramatically.

 

[Groundhog]

View attachment 7948

****** rip Rob Kearney, it's Dave's time.

Also @TRF_Olyy please get the Billy Burns insults in quickly and then leave politely.

The cheating Quins beating, Bath yeeting, number 8s at the gainline meeting World Rugby player of the year Billy 'Brit gone bad' Burns you mean?

 

[munstermuffin]

To be fair any absentee is based on form and inclusions are on form too.

Rob K hasn't been great either in games he's played and well it was expected.
Jordi hasn't been top of his game and well Leinster lads like Dorris and Deegan got a chance and took it as has Kelliher.
John Ryan isn't in form and well Furlong Moore and Porter are in good form.

@Leinster Fan I believe Tadgh was invited and was still asked after omission which was only due to injury but surgery means he will be out for 6Nations and summer tour possibly.

As for LHP scenario I think Porter may be used again as LHP but isn't the 3 in squad in Kilcoyne, Healy and Tom O'Toole will fill Porters 3 spot while he goes 1

 

[profitius]

Article with Dave Kearney. He said the camp is more relaxed and less intense and the style of play is going to be more expansive.


From what he could glean in the brief pitch session, the broad brushstrokes of Ireland's attacking patterns will be tweaked to make them more expansive. "I think so, I'd say so, yeah. It's probably similar to the way that we play here [in Leinster] I guess.

"We play that expansive game, everyone likes to get their hands on the ball, we get the ball to the edges, wingers working off their wings, 15s playing in that first receiver role too, 12 and 13 working around the corner as well. I think for backs we will probably be able to express ourselves a bit more, get their hands on the ball a bit more."

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Are there any Munster players who are actually the best in their position in the country at the moment, Conway is the only one with a shout I think, no one else is close.

Scannell as well actually. Struggling to think of a Munster player I'd have in the 23 for the Six Nations beyond those two and Kilcoyne on the bench though, which says it all.

The 'new style' is an easy target to take cheap shots at, but right now it does look like they're trying to play a wider game by simply it passing it wide with the skills to do it or bothering to lay a platform up front first.

Stander is probably keeping his nose in front of Doris to be honest, he's being asked to do everything and not looking bad, a bit like the world cup. I'd low key say Dave is playing better than Conway at the moment too but it's much of a muchness and you'd hope both won't have international careers beyond the 2021 tournament anyway.

I'd like to see this in the 6n:
Healy, Scannell, Furlong, Henderson, Ryan (c), Conners/CJ, VdF, Doris/CJ, Cooney, Sexton, Stockdale, Henshaw/Aki/McCloskey, Ringrose, someone to keep Lowe's jersey warm, Larmour.

Kilcoyne, Herring, Porter, Toner, Doris/Conners, all the other 9s are even enough, Byrne, Addison

I can't see Big Faz going quite that young, even though he has a golden opportunity with two home games, at least one of which being easy, to do so but it's the best players in the country right now.

I'd be very annoyed if there weren't debuts for Doris, Connors and Kelleher over the course of the tournament too.

Elsewhere on the net everyone seems to think we're in for a shite tournament, I think a tournament win is plausible and a slam is possible. International form is fickle, chances are England won't be as good as their world cup and we won't be as bad. Ulster's and Leinster's players will be full of confidence and the Munster and Connacht lads will be experienced guys who'll feed off it.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Stander is probably keeping his nose in front of Doris to be honest, he's being asked to do everything and not looking bad, a bit like the world cup. I'd low key say Dave is playing better than Conway at the moment too but it's much of a muchness and you'd hope both won't have international careers beyond the 2021 tournament anyway.

I'd like to see this in the 6n:
Healy, Scannell, Furlong, Henderson, Ryan (c), Conners/CJ, VdF, Doris/CJ, Cooney, Sexton, Stockdale, Henshaw/Aki/McCloskey, Ringrose, someone to keep Lowe's jersey warm, Larmour.

Kilcoyne, Herring, Porter, Toner, Doris/Conners, all the other 9s are even enough, Byrne, Addison

I can't see Big Faz going quite that young, even though he has a golden opportunity with two home games, at least one of which being easy, to do so but it's the best players in the country right now.

I'd be very annoyed if there weren't debuts for Doris, Connors and Kelleher over the course of the tournament too.

Elsewhere on the net everyone seems to think we're in for a shite tournament, I think a tournament win is plausible and a slam is possible. International form is fickle, chances are England won't be as good as their world cup and we won't be as bad. Ulster's and Leinster's players will be full of confidence and the Munster and Connacht lads will be experienced guys who'll feed off it.

I'd be rating Doris and Stander roughly equal, Doris has been very good but still has moments where he shows his age, Stander I think has been doing a decent job. My ideal backrow would be 6. Stander 7. Van Der Flier 8. Doris with Ruddock on the bench.

 

[Amiga500]

Probably should start including Rob Balacoune in any conversations for the 14 jersey now I'd think.

Solid in the air, good tackler and got great gas - a real point of difference for us. Still filling out, but in a year or two James Lowe and Jacob Stockdale may not be the shoe-ins we all expect they'll be.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Probably should start including Rob Balacoune in any conversations for the 14 jersey now I'd think.

Solid in the air, good tackler and got great gas - a real point of difference for us. Still filling out, but in a year or two James Lowe and Jacob Stockdale may not be the shoe-ins we all expect they'll be.

Yup, definitely worth getting him in squads considering Dave Kearney and Andrew Conway are probably the form wings right now and they're not exactly spring chickens.

 

[Amiga500]

Yup, definitely worth getting him in squads considering Dave Kearney and Andrew Conway are probably the form wings right now and they're not exactly spring chickens.

The thing for me is his speed has made a couple of tries for us this year that we simply wouldn't have scored otherwise.

Its relatively easy being a winger and flopping over the line off someone else's hard work - but adding something extra - which Stockdale and Lowe do - is what you need at international level. DaveK and AndyC don't really to the same extent.

 

[Leinster Fan]

So the squad is named tomorrow, can't imagine there'll be many surprises but presumably this is when we get the captaincy announcement? Be interesting to see which scrumhalves get cut (Blade has done himself no favours the last few weeks so you'd imagine it's Cooney, Murray and one of the Leinster pair) but beyond that the 23 against Scotland will tell us much more than this.

So long as Kelleher, Connors, Doris and Deegan are in I'll be happy. Would prefer if POM isn't captain as well, nothing against him personally but don't think he should be in the team right now.

 

[big ginger 8]

Thornley and a few others are suggesting Sexton will be captain.

Doesn't get announced until 4 either so looks like Farrell takes an even later lunch than Schmidt.

 

[Amiga500]

Doesn't get announced until 4 either so looks like Farrell takes an even later lunch than Schmidt.

Being a proper Northerner, he takes a few pints of Smithwicks after his lunch just to wash it down.

 

[big ginger 8]

Ireland 2020 Guinness Six Nations Squad:
Forwards (19):

Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster) 0 caps
Caelan Doris (UCD/Leinster) 0 caps
Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht) 14 caps
Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 41 caps
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 95 caps
Dave Heffernan (Buccaneers/Connacht) 1 cap
Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster) 53 caps
Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 8 caps
Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster) 0 caps
Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 36 caps
Jack McGrath (St Mary's College/Ulster) 56 caps
Jack O'Donoghue (UL Bohemians/Munster) 2 caps
Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 64 caps
Tom O'Toole (Banbridge/Ulster) 0 caps
Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 23 caps
James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 23 caps
CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 38 caps
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 67 caps
Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 23 caps

Backs (16):

Will Addison (Enniskillen/Ulster) 4 caps
Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 23 caps
Billy Burns (Ulster) 0 caps
Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster) 3 caps
Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 18 caps
John Cooney (Terenure College/Ulster) 8 caps
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 82 caps
Chris Farrell (Young Munster/Munster) 9 caps
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 40 caps
Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) 19 caps
Jordan Larmour (St Mary's College/Leinster) 21 caps
Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) 19 caps
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 78 caps
Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 28 caps
Jonathan Sexton (St Marys College/Leinster) 88 caps CAPTAIN
Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 25 caps

Development Players:

Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)
Robert Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster)
Harry Byrne (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Will Connors (UCD/Leinster).

 

[Leinster Fan]

So, by position that's

LH: Healy, Kilcoyne, McGrath, Furlong, Porter, O'Toole
Hooker: Herring, Kelleher, Heffernan
Lock: Ryan, Toner, Henderson, Dillanne (Baird)
Back row: Deegan, Doris, O'Donoghue, O'Mahony, Stander, Van Der Flier (Connors)
Scrumhalf: Cooney, Murray, McGrath
Outhalf: Sexton, Byrne, Burns (Byrne Jr)
Centres: Aki, Henshaw, Ringrose, Farrell
Back Three: Stockdale, Dave Kearney, Earls, Conway, Larmour, Addison (Baloucoune)

No Ruddock, Scannell, McCloskey, Moore (injury related?), Kleyn (again injuries) the standouts.