I have not posted as much as usual on her lately, and feel the need to let it all out of my system with a good old rant on this subject. Brace yourselves!
I think his best position is easily fullback, he is lethal on the counterattack, give him space at your peril. However, at international level, his defensive positioning isn't top notch (neither is Kearney's) and there are question marks over his ability to handle high balls.
I think you also need to bring his competition into it, since it should bring Shtove and Pretwick flying into the debate, I will us Economic terms. Ireland has scarce resources when it comes to players with the talent to excel at international level, and we need to use them efficiently so we get the maximum utility from them.
Keith Earls
Tommy Bowe
Luke Fitzgerald
Rob Kearney
Andrew Trimble
I firmly believe these 5 player will make up 11-15 (maybe not 12 though) in 2015, the question is who will play where?
Rob Kearney is unrivalled under the highball, and his left foot is a cannon, he is also hard to bring down when he runs into the line and straightens. However, he is far from a Muliana or even a Geordan Murphy when attacking, his positioning isn't perfect and he has missed a few tackles at international level, not the whole package just yet. I do think he will be our 15 though in the long run, as he has plenty of time to work on these parts of his game. Earls, Bowe and Fitz are all comfortable at fullback.
At 13, BOD will leave huge shoes to fill. Based mainly on his outstanding performance in the Lions 3rd test, and his ability to pick those outstanding lines through midfield as well as take contact and offload, Tommy Bowe is my preference here. I know moving the worlds best 14 at the moment to 13 might sounds crazy when Earls will probably be playing 13 for Munster, but I think that Tommy is out best option.
That leaves Fitz and Earls on the wings, which is great, two extremely talented player, but neither are "real" wingers, but in the modern game a winger needs to be able to kick, tackle, come off his wing and attack through midfield (which Tommy Bowe has almost perfected) and importantly drop back and deal with highballs. Earls and FItz has all these skills, as long as supreme finishing skills, and both will make outstanding wingers. A problem may arise however if Earls is playing 13 for Munster, as he probably will be.
That leaves 12, and Andrew Trimble, who is most certainly not a 12, but neither is any of the above players, and none of them are suited to it whatsoever. If i had to shoehorn one in, it would be Bowe, as he has the Bulk and soft hands to pull it off, but really I hope we can develop a top class 12 without shoehorning an outside back in here.
In the Long run.
11. Fitzgerald
12.
13. Bowe
14. Earls
15. Kearney
I think Kearney, Fitzgerald and Bowe will all end up playing there for their clubs, but Earls will either be a 13 or 15 for Munster, and will do a damn fine job there, so I am at a crossroads once more on where to vote for him in the poll. Munster just don't have the resources Ireland do. In an ideal world we would have signed Bowe and play him at 13 with Earls on the wing, but Earls is our best 13 now and will be next season too. Howlett and Murphy/Hurley on the wing and Warwick at fullback.
So my conclusion, for now is for Ireland he should be developed as a winger and for Munster as a centre. Getting nowhere
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