The IRISH RUGBY thread

[screenexile]

The smooth was in 2006, its now 2012, time to say thanks to ROG and D'Arcy and let the replacements find their own way even if we do pick up the odd tanking on the way.

This time last year I thought D'Arcy was finished. He did put in the odd big performances during the season, but mostly he was mediocre.

This season though he's started really well for Leinster. And he was clearly Ireland's best centre on Saturday.

[Declan]

Provincial rivlary boils over!!

LEINSTER rugby star John Cooney has decided against pressing charges after he was the victim of a nightclub assault.

The scrum-half was punched in the face by a provincial rival during a fracas.

However, he has decided not to make any complaint to gardai about the alleged incident which occurred last Sunday.

Cooney (22) required medical treatment after he was hit by a "random punch" in a southside Dublin club.

The alleged assailant is a current Connacht rugby star.

Cooney was part of the Leinster squad that travelled to Swansea to take on the Ospreys on November 4, before the international break, where they lost.

The players not involved in Declan Kidney's plans were given the week off and Cooney and a few friends went socialising in south Dublin.

"It wasn't even a row, he was punched. Thankfully he's fine," a Leinster spokesperson said.

"It occurred nine days ago after the Ospreys game, the squad who weren't involved in international duty had the week off and it's obviously one of these things that happens. It's unfortunate but the most important thing is that he's fine and he reported for training with the rest of them yesterday.

"It's not very nice when it happens. It wasn't a row, fisticuffs, guards anything like that. It was just a random punch and he was just the poor unfortunate at the end of it.

"There are no criminal charges going to be pressed."

Connacht rugby chief executive Tom Sears admitted that he was aware of the alleged incident but had not received any complaints.

[Capt Pat]

Who threw the punch?

[trileacman]

Interesting team named for the Fiji match but it's all too little to late. As a long time defender of Kidney I have to admit he is just seeing out his contract as Dinny suggests. The national side are a team bereft of original ideas and in the face of poor organisation they are descending into a mob. O'Gara, Trimble and D'Arcy are long since past their best. To see us push a 10 to centre whilst numerous younger men sit at home in the provinces is disappointing. We should be looking to develop Madigan, McFadden, Jackson, Cave amongst others to fill these rolls, even at the risk of some poor performances. Particularly discouraging is the use of McFadden as a winger instead of attempting to make a player of him in the centre, a role he has to skill set, and more importantly the physique, to fill.

[INDIANA]

Interesting team named for the Fiji match but it's all too little to late. As a long time defender of Kidney I have to admit he is just seeing out his contract as Dinny suggests. The national side are a team bereft of original ideas and in the face of poor organisation they are descending into a mob. O'Gara, Trimble and D'Arcy are long since past their best. To see us push a 10 to centre whilst numerous younger men sit at home in the provinces is disappointing. We should be looking to develop Madigan, McFadden, Jackson, Cave amongst others to fill these rolls, even at the risk of some poor performances. Particularly discouraging is the use of McFadden as a winger instead of attempting to make a player of him in the centre, a role he has to skill set, and more importantly the physique, to fill.

Why does Schimdt never pick Mc Fadden in preference to Darcy at 12?

Some very lazy analysis here.  I'm not a fan of Kidney but you cant blame him for that one. You cant just start at inside level at international unless you play there on a regualr basis at club level.

You could also question why Luke Marshall is playing as he rarely starts at provincial level. Except that he is a natural centre.

Mark Anscombe started Trimble ahead of Gilroy? Again how can Kidney pick a guy who is benching at provincial level.

Madigan is suffering from the fact he's a 10 who will never play ahead of Sexton bar injury. He's probably got the Lions 10 at outhalf. An impossible task for a kid.

[CornerBackNo2]

Ulster's Chris Farrell is a promising young centre coming through. He is only 19 and made his senior debut last season. Starred for Ireland u20s in World Cup. Unfortunately he tore the ACL during pre-season/the start of the season and will be out for the majority of the year. If he can regain full fitness and push on from where he left off he can be one for the future. A beast of a man too - approx 6'5 and strong

[DuffleKing]

Had O'Driscoll, Kearney, O'Connell, Ferris and O'Brien been fit, Kidney would no doubt have picked them all and served up the same old reheated dish. Ireland would have won by a handful of points instead of losing by a handful.

At least the injuries forced him to give other fellas a run. The occasional urgency about ranking points aside, the Autumn fixtures are nothing but challenge matches anyway. They should be treated as such in terms of trying out players. Obviously nobody official is going to admit as much, as stadiums need to be sold out to fill up the salary war chest.

Good to see young lads like 30 year old Mike McCarthy show promise!

If we go into the 3rd seeded pot for 2015. We can stay at home.

If Scotland beat SA and we lose to the Argies we are in serious shit. Scotland beat SA in 2010 in Murrayfield.

We are no closer to replacing BOD or POC then we were 10 years ago

You are a little ray of sunshine to every thread you post in

[trileacman]

Interesting team named for the Fiji match but it's all too little to late. As a long time defender of Kidney I have to admit he is just seeing out his contract as Dinny suggests. The national side are a team bereft of original ideas and in the face of poor organisation they are descending into a mob. O'Gara, Trimble and D'Arcy are long since past their best. To see us push a 10 to centre whilst numerous younger men sit at home in the provinces is disappointing. We should be looking to develop Madigan, McFadden, Jackson, Cave amongst others to fill these rolls, even at the risk of some poor performances. Particularly discouraging is the use of McFadden as a winger instead of attempting to make a player of him in the centre, a role he has to skill set, and more importantly the physique, to fill.

Why does Schimdt never pick Mc Fadden in preference to Darcy at 12?

Some very lazy analysis here.  I'm not a fan of Kidney but you cant blame him for that one. You cant just start at inside level at international unless you play there on a regualr basis at club level.

You could also question why Luke Marshall is playing as he rarely starts at provincial level. Except that he is a natural centre.

Mark Anscombe started Trimble ahead of Gilroy? Again how can Kidney pick a guy who is benching at provincial level.

Madigan is suffering from the fact he's a 10 who will never play ahead of Sexton bar injury. He's probably got the Lions 10 at outhalf. An impossible task for a kid.

Your second sting centres + McFadden are doing very well. Ref is riding Fiji out of it though.

[thewobbler]

Ulster are giving Fiji an awful hiding here.

Wonder how they'd fare against the Argies?

[screenexile]

Surely Gilroys performance today places him ahead of Trimble for next week!!!

[thewobbler]

Surely Gilroys performance today places him ahead of Trimble for next week!!!

I don't think I've ever seen Bowe or Gilroy play left wing. Though I'm usually wrong about such things. To my never-having-played-the-game eyes, it shouldn't be any different, but there must be a fee reasons why players tend to end up specialising on one side.

[whitegoodman]

Gilroy played left wing all of last season with Trimble on the right.

[thewobbler]

Gilroy played left wing all of last season with Trimble on the right.

... must pay more attention.

The signing if Bowe was most odd if a full Irish international, in his prime, is already playing that position.

[Dubh driocht]

As my fellow Down men are on here, you might already know that Gilroy ( from a non-GAA Tradition!) joined St Pauls Holywood at the age of 15 because he had some mates who played and he wanted to improve his ball-handling skills. He duly helped them to an East Down B championship final win over Bredagh AET. I actually think bringing back Tommy was a statement of intent; as this week has shown, Ulster need cover all over the field (narrow victory today maintains the 100%).
Delighted to see so many Ulster men playing for Ireland.Important to remain in the second tier for seeding purposes.

[screenexile]

bbc.co.uk


Craig Gilroy wins place in Ireland team to face Argentina
AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL - IRELAND V ARGENTINA

    Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
    Date: Saturday, 24 November
    Kick-off: 1400 GMT

Coverage: Live on BBC Two/HD and Online, commentary on Radio Ulster, text commentary on BBC Sport website.

Craig Gilroy will win his first full cap after being chosen ahead of Ulster team-mate Andrew Trimble for Ireland's important Test match against Argentina.

Gilroy has been rewarded with the left-wing berth after his dazzling three-try performance in last weekend's uncapped international against Fiji.

It is the only change from Ireland's 16-12 defeat by South Africa at the Aviva Stadium on 10 November.

Jonathan Sexton has been passed fit to take his place at fly-half.

The Leinster number 10 was a late withdrawal from Ireland's replacements for the Fiji game in Limerick because of slight groin problem.

However, Irish management said that had merely been a precaution.

The game with Argentina has added significance as the winners will secure a place in the top eight of the IRB rankings which are used to determine the seedings for the 2015 World Cup.

The losers will slip into the third tier of seeds for the 3 December draw and face the possibility of being selected in a pool containing two major nations.

Ireland: S Zebo; T Bowe, K Earls, G D'Arcy, C Gilroy; J Sexton, C Murray; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross; D Ryan, M McCarthy; P O'Mahony, C Henry, J Heaslip (capt).

Replacements: S Cronin, D Kilcoyne, M Bent, D O'Callaghan, I Henderson, E Reddan, R O'Gara , F McFadden.

Jesus does anyone who wants to break into the team have to score a hat trick of tries??

At the minute I think it's 50/50 for the weekend.