It’s going to hurt for awhile - Ireland 2024

[munstermuffin]

Regards Dan Kelly. I think ousting Nankivell will be harder than ousting McCloskey.

On Ireland. Big rumours James Ryan looking at bench in Marseille and McCarthy starts with Beirne.

 

[big ginger 8]

Cian Prendergast called in while Ahern recovers.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Keenan out for the Wales game. Frawley to 15 or Crowley with HB to 10 are the only legitimate options. I’d probably go for the latter, Frawley’s pace has been exposed back there at URC level never mind international.

Might be being generous to Wales there now.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Not Larmour? I remember him being the next big thing when he burst onto the scene, snapping everyone's ankles with his stepping

Edit: just realised, after looking at AllRugby, he's barely played fullback since 2019 season, so makes sense

 

[munstermuffin]

Keenan out for the Wales game. Frawley to 15 or Crowley with HB to 10 are the only legitimate options. I'd probably go for the latter, Frawley's pace has been exposed back there at URC level never mind international.

Might be being generous to Wales there now.

Torn here, I think Jack needs to be left at 10 to continue. But agree that option is better than the first.
But I think so much is invested in Frawley that he starts. If he is 15 this weekend for Leinster it nearly a certainty.

Options are really as you mentioned or someone like Stockdale or Nash going there but again Nash needs to be left where he is.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Torn here, I think Jack needs to be left at 10 to continue. But agree that option is better than the first.
But I think so much is invested in Frawley that he starts. If he is 15 this weekend for Leinster it nearly a certainty.

Options are really as you mentioned or someone like Stockdale or Nash going there but again Nash needs to be left where he is.

I think it’ll probably be Frawley, which I don’t like.

Don’t think development plays a role though, team needs are more important than individual needs here in the short term and playing other positions doesn’t really stunt development either. Crowley should get back in at 10 for the last two rounds and has a trip to SA and match v NZ on the horizon. If he avoids injury this year he’ll more or less have all the experience you want from a young 10.

 

[munstermuffin]

I think it'll probably be Frawley, which I don't like.

Don't think development plays a role though, team needs are more important than individual needs here in the short term and playing other positions doesn't really stunt development either. Crowley should get back in at 10 for the last two rounds and has a trip to SA and match v NZ on the horizon. If he avoids injury this year he'll more or less have all the experience you want from a young 10.

True but like that Crowley has very little experience as 15. Frawley the more experienced there. I just feel they will leave him at 10. I'm not disagreeing as I believe playing 15 helps develop game just thinking from their POV.
Harry Byrne I don't think is as highly rated by management at the moment. (And by this I don't mean a bad player)
If Ross was fit he'd probably have been 22.

 

[Groundhog]

Re: Fullback - by god that's Mike Haley's music! Genuinely if he'd come back a month earlier and playing to last season's form he'd surely have a great shout as one of the few specialist 15s around.

 

[munstermuffin]

Frawley did majority of reps as 15 yesterday for Ireland. Also fact he trained with Ireland yesterday shows they want him at 15 seemingly as not sure on his status for Leinster but fact they pulled him away from Leinster session says it really.

Gary Ringrose did the session too.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Thought that’s how we’d go but I don’t love it at all. It should be enough for Wales in Dublin but for England in Twickenham we’ll need Keenan back.

Billy Burns exposed the **** out of Frawley’s lack of pace back there. Ford could do damage.

 

[munstermuffin]

Thought that's how we'd go but I don't love it at all. It should be enough for Wales in Dublin but for England in Twickenham we'll need Keenan back.

Billy Burns exposed the **** out of Frawley's lack of pace back there. Ford could do damage.

Interestingly from reports I have heard.

Ringrose has done alot more work on the wing too.

But other than that no other real surprises. Have heard Oli J may get a cap vs Wales again in rotation. Maybe Bealham will be given day off with newborn just arrived.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Thought that's how we'd go but I don't love it at all. It should be enough for Wales in Dublin but for England in Twickenham we'll need Keenan back.

Billy Burns exposed the **** out of Frawley's lack of pace back there. Ford could do damage.

Very kind of you to put the “should” in there when in all reality the sentence could’ve just said “it will be enough for Wales” don’t go all BOD on me bud.

 

[Groundhog]

Jager officially in the squad and Ahern holding some tackle bags, happy for him to get some time in front of Farrell

 

[Welsh Exile]

Why the F haven’t one of you lazy ******** started a match thread yet.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Jager officially in the squad and Ahern holding some tackle bags, happy for him to get some time in front of Farrell

Ahern is in as a real man as per announcement.

No apprentice players by the look of it, they dropped the precursor to the next Johnny Sexton.

 

[Groundhog]

Ahern is in as a real man as per announcement.

No apprentice players by the look of it, they dropped the precursor to the next Johnny Sexton.

Yeah fair. Think he will be released back if Henderson passes fit.

 

[munstermuffin]

Yeah fair. Think he will be released back if Henderson passes fit.

Hard to tell as seen a few go out of their way to state they in squad and uncapped. I have a sneaky feeling 1 of them gets capped.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Gonna let the English lads enjoy the match thread. Don’t think anyone here ever thought we were best in the world etc… and England exposed a lot of issues today that we knew we had.

Huge lack of leadership today, could not impose our energy on the game.

Murray’s done, send him to Munster tomorrow.

Sheehans throwing is a huge huge issue, Kelleher has to be considered until he fixes it.

POM close to the end, need to manage him coming out of the starting XV in the 5-10 matches.

Need a 7 to match VDFs energy if we’re going to use this 6/2, missed him bigly.

A few lads like Crowley and Big Joe aren’t the finished articles yet.

Another day without James Ryan that ends in a loss…..

 

[munstermuffin]

Gonna let the English lads enjoy the match thread. Don't think anyone here ever thought we were best in the world etc… and England exposed a lot of issues today that we knew we had.

Huge lack of leadership today, could not impose our energy on the game.

Murray's done, send him to Munster tomorrow.

Sheehans throwing is a huge huge issue, Kelleher has to be considered until he fixes it.

POM close to the end, need to manage him coming out of the starting XV in the 5-10 matches.

Need a 7 to match VDFs energy if we're going to use this 6/2, missed him bigly.

A few lads like Crowley and Big Joe aren't the finished articles yet.

Another day without James Ryan that ends in a loss…..

We have a 7 in Hodnett who is as close to VDF and agreed on Crowley and McCarthy but both did well today.

Murray is near end and doesn't match this game style and agreed is near end.

POM is on last legs too but someone needs to wrestle that jersey away. There is plenty of potential candidates but we need someone to do it. Conan isn't a 6, Baird is athletic and good enough but seems to be preferred as impact.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

We have a 7 in Hodnett who is as close to VDF and agreed on Crowley and McCarthy but both did well today.

Murray is near end and doesn't match this game style and agreed is near end.

POM is on last legs too but someone needs to wrestle that jersey away. There is plenty of potential candidates but we need someone to do it. Conan isn't a 6, Baird is athletic and good enough but seems to be preferred as impact.

I was thinking more along the lines of Timoney to be honest. Hodnett, and Penny similarly, have ceilings below international level where raw size and athleticism needed, which is unfortunate because both are elite in many areas and probably p4p better than Timoney. A lot of good forwards coming through 20s too so the archetype needed can be brought through.

Yeah, Casey plays 30mins there and I think we scrape a win and I’m not exactly his biggest fan.

Come South Africa I’d be playing Big Joe, Ryan and Beirne with Baird, POM and Conan on the bench if we stick to the 6/2 (need Ringrose for a 6/2 mind).

I don’t think Big Joe or Crowled did well, certainly not good enough. Even with how good England played we still had the tools to win that game and win it comfortably, those two didn’t bring there points of difference (along with others). But that’s the game, treat today as a school day and learn, get them back next Feb.

Ringrose and Casey come in next week if I couple pick the team. A few jerseys up for grabs in July.