The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Donnellys Hollow]

39-man panel for Ireland's upcoming Guinness Series of internationals against Australia, Fiji and South Africa:

Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
Neil Best (Northampton Saints)
Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)*
Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
John Fogarty (De La Salle Palmerston/Leinster)*
John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)*
Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster)*
Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster)
Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Fergus McFadden (UCD/Leinster)*
Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster)
Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)*
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary's College/Leinster)*
Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)*
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians/Connacht)*

* Denotes uncapped player


Looks like the end of the road for Quinny, Girve and Mal O'Kelly. Good to see the likes of Cronin and O'Brien involved. Unlike O'Sullivan, Kidney doesn't appear to have any hesitation about giving the younger unproven talent a chance.

How does Gavin Duffy keep getting called up to these squads though?

[Eastern_Pride]

Just looking at this squad I can see that he may throw in a good few uncapped players against the Fijians. Also interesting to see that Kevin McLaughlin didn't get in despite his fantastic form of late.
I think that Earls and Sexton(and maybe O'Brien) are also going to be thrown in at the deep end, Sexton especially if O'Gara dosen't get his act together...and yeah how is Gavin Duffy still there?

My team v Australia                                    My Team v Fiji

15. Kearney                                             15.Kearney
14. Bowe                                                14.Bowe
13. O'Driscoll                                            13.O'Driscoll
12.Fitzgerald                                            12.Earls
11.Earls                                                   11.Horgan
10. O'Gara/Sexton                                    10.Sexton         
9. O Leary                                                9.Stringer
1.Hayes                                                   8.Heaslip
2.Flannery                                                7.O'Brien
3.Healy                                                    6.Ferris
4.O'Callaghan                                            5.O'Connell
5.O'Connell                                               4.O'Callaghan
6.Ferris                                                     3.Buckley
7.Wallace                                                  2.Flannery
8.Heaslip                                                   1.Healy

[screenexile]

Surely Humphries should be in there... he's been in great form anytime I've seen him except for his ridiculous beard. He's young enough though and him and Sexton are going to have to carry us over the next 5 years at least!

[Eastern_Pride]

Surely Humphries should be in there... he's been in great form anytime I've seen him except for his ridiculous beard. He's young enough though and him and Sexton are going to have to carry us over the next 5 years at least!

True a few notable omissions...as well as one or two questionable picks...Brett Wilkinson? Ah now....

[Donnellys Hollow]

Humphreys can't defend to save his life and the rest of his all round game doesn't make up for this weakness (unlike his older bro and ROG). I'd expect ROG to start both the Aus and SA tests with Johnny Sexton coming on around the hour mark.

[mc_grens]

Duffy can play across the back line so he's good cover to have in your squad fir training purposes I'd have thought. Don't think he can realistically hope to make a matchday squad.

[Olaf]

Humphreys can't defend to save his life and the rest of his all round game doesn't make up for this weakness (unlike his older bro and ROG). I'd expect ROG to start both the Aus and SA tests with Johnny Sexton coming on around the hour mark.

ROG should not be anywhere near the Irish team . His form has been in free fall for years. Sexton looks like the pick of teh no 10s and the sooner he (and others) are given game time in this position the better.

iHumph is playing well at the moment but can be  a   tad flakey( like his brother in his younger days) but still well ahead of ROG (and that includes his "all round game"). Inability/unwillingness to tackle does not seem to have been a hindrance to ROG getting picked regularly  over the last number of years.

IHumph unlucky not to make the squad  as was Falloon. Like the look of the flanker O'Brien from Leinster.

[Bord na Mona man]

Australia and South Africa are very tough opposition to be trying out new players against.
When you need to usher in a changing of the guard at 1, 3 and 10, you'll be really throwing players in at the deep end against fairly brutish opposition.
For example, looking at how the Lions had big trouble at tighthead against a murderous South African front row, you'd have to be apprehensive over how Ireland will fare.

[Donnellys Hollow]

iHumph is playing well at the moment but can be  a   tad flakey( like his brother in his younger days) but still well ahead of ROG (and that includes his "all round game"). Inability/unwillingness to tackle does not seem to have been a hindrance to ROG getting picked regularly  over the last number of years.

O'Gara hardly has an unwillingness to tackle. He simply lacks the basic technique to take down bigger men. In fairness to the guy, it doesn't stop him putting his body on the line.

Humphreys looks a decent player at provincial level but I for one am of the belief that he'd be badly exposed at international level. He's hardly a spring chicken at this stage and he's never really looked like establishing himself as a top class stand-off. O'Gara may be past his best but he still has the experience and big-match temperament. I know who I'd want over a last minute penalty to win a test match.

Johnny Sexton is the future but you wouldn't have picked him for the women's team this time last year. He should be given time to adapt to the international stage and not thrown in at the deep end like Cipriani was for England. He'll undoubtedly be our 10 for the next RWC but we have to be patient with him. International level is a huge step up from the Heineken Cup and I'd expect Kidney to rightly give preference to the experienced men while allowing the youngsters to develop gradually.

[Olaf]

iHumph is playing well at the moment but can be  a   tad flakey( like his brother in his younger days) but still well ahead of ROG (and that includes his "all round game"). Inability/unwillingness to tackle does not seem to have been a hindrance to ROG getting picked regularly  over the last number of years.

O'Gara hardly has an unwillingness to tackle. He simply lacks the basic technique to take down bigger men. In fairness to the guy, it doesn't stop him putting his body on the line.

Humphreys looks a decent player at provincial level but I for one am of the belief that he'd be badly exposed at international level. He's hardly a spring chicken at this stage and he's never really looked like establishing himself as a top class stand-off. O'Gara may be past his best but he still has the experience and big-match temperament. I know who I'd want over a last minute penalty to win a test match.
Johnny Sexton is the future but you wouldn't have picked him for the women's team this time last year. He should be given time to adapt to the international stage and not thrown in at the deep end like Cipriani was for England. He'll undoubtedly be our 10 for the next RWC but we have to be patient with him. International level is a huge step up from the Heineken Cup and I'd expect Kidney to rightly give preference to the experienced men while allowing the youngsters to develop gradually.

Personally I would want Sexton or iHumph taking that penalty.

Ireland don't have any more time and IMO these guys should have been handed the no 10 shirt long before now. Ireland won the GS despite O'Gara not because of him. Whilst he knoceked over the drop goal his form throughout the 6 Nations  was woeful.

A breath of fresh air at half back is what Ireland have needed for a long time now.

[AFS]

What's the craic with Marcus Horan and some sort of career threatening condition?

[screenexile]

What's the craic with Marcus Horan and some sort of career threatening condition?

Sounds fairly ominous but no point jumping to conclusions without having any official word on what's wrong.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/1105/1224258097420.html

[Donnellys Hollow]

Ireland 'A' v Tonga, Friday, 13 November, Ravenhill, 7:35pm

15. Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
14. Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster) Captain
13. Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
12. Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
11. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)

10. Ian Humphreys (Ballymena/Ulster)
9. Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)

1. Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians/Connacht)
2. A.N. Other
3. Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
5. Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
6. Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
7. Neil Best (Northampton Saints)
8. Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster)

Replacements:

16. Denis Fogarty (Cork Constitution/Munster)
17. Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster)
18. Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)
19. Kevin McLaughlin (UCD/Leinster)
20. Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster)
21. Ian Keatley (Galwegians/Connacht)
22. Johne Murphy (Leicester Tigers)

[Dinny Breen]

Nice looking team, good balance between youth and experience, interesting to see how Hump Jnr gets on, he's doing a lot of work on his defence.

[thewobbler]

Can any of you Munster fans confirm or deny that ever since ROG made his Ireland debut, he has been available for every single Irish international match?

I don't recall Humphreys ever getting a clear run at it after O'Gara's emergence and the only time I can remember him not starting since Humph retired was when he was rested for The Pacific Islands many moons ago.

If I'm right, this must be some sort of record breaking achievement. How can a fly-half not pick up knocks?