The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Hoof Hearted]

The Ireland team to play France in the first RBS 6 Nations Championship game at Aviva Stadium has been named.

Share Ireland Coach Declan Kidney has made one change to the team that started against Italy last Saturday with Jamie Heaslip named at Number 8.
Sean O'Brien moves to blindside and Denis Leamy is named in the replacements in place of Shane Jennings. David Wallace completes the back row.


IRELAND Team & Replacements (v France, 2011 RBS 6 Nations Championship, Aviva Stadium, Sunday, February 13, kick-off 3..00pm):

15 - Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
14 - Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
9 - Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 - Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 - Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:
16 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
19 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 - Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)

[AZOffaly]

Disappointed Cronin isn't starting.

[muppet]

Disappointed Cronin isn't starting.

O'Leary? Ffs.

Jebus Kidney is even more conservative than O'Sullivan. We should be thankful Leamy got a yellow last week otherwise O'Brien probably wouldn't have made it.

[screenexile]

I'm actually fearful about what could happen to us on Sunday!

[AZOffaly]

Disappointed Cronin isn't starting.

O'Leary? Ffs.

Jebus Kidney is even more conservative than O'Sullivan. We should be thankful Leamy got a yellow last week otherwise O'Brien probably wouldn't have made it.

Is O'Brien not more of a 7? I'm disappointed it's not Leamy, O'Brien and Heaslip. I don't think Wally is able for the french back rows any more. Oh yeah, and of course I'm disappointed that Stringer isn't playing, as I think our forwards are going to be going backwards anyway, and whatever chance Stringer has of getting the ball away, O'Leary will have none.

[magpie seanie]

I'm not a man that watches rugby an awful lot but its as plain as the nose on your face that we can not get the ball wide to our dangerous backs unless Stringer is at scrum half - no matter who is at 10. If he persists with picking o'Leary we should just stick Leamy and a few more back rows in the team and leave out the wingers.

[muppet]

I'm not a man that watches rugby an awful lot but its as plain as the nose on your face that we can not get the ball wide to our dangerous backs unless Stringer is at scrum half - no matter who is at 10. If he persists with picking o'Leary we should just stick Leamy and a few more back rows in the team and leave out the wingers.

The argument of having a physical number 9 like O'Leary is weakened by the presence of a 10 who can tackle backrows, like Sexton. If O'Gara started there would be some excuse. I agree with Seanie and think that Sexton would seriously benefit from the Stringer delivery.

[Dinny Breen]

The retention of D'Arcy is a blow to the morale of the squad imho, it gives a clear message no matter how poor the incumbents play they will be selected, similar with the selection of O'Leary and Wallace. I think Leamy also should be ahead of Wallace with SOB moving to 7.

Also I see nothing wrong with ROGs comments he was brought on to close out the game and he acknowledges he had the experience to win it but it would have been a pattern they would have deployed over and over in training so credit to the whole team for execution.

But the optimist in me thinks we can still win it.

[muppet]

But the optimist in me thinks we can still win it.

That is the beauty of sport.

[lynchbhoy]

The retention of D'Arcy is a blow to the morale of the squad imho, it gives a clear message no matter how poor the incumbents play they will be selected, similar with the selection of O'Leary and Wallace. I think Leamy also should be ahead of Wallace with SOB moving to 7.

Also I see nothing wrong with ROGs comments he was brought on to close out the game and he acknowledges he had the experience to win it but it would have been a pattern they would have deployed over and over in training so credit to the whole team for execution.

But the optimist in me thinks we can still win it.

fully agree - apart from the last line - though Ireland will up their game against better teams like france.

darcy 
oleary and wallace

Ireland seem to have the same malaise as England. Great players but a coach that is picking lesser players.
though kidney is better than that fool johnson - he will cost england the six nations. only the natural talent of the england side won them through last weekend. playing well below the level of what they are capable of.

[Bord na Mona man]

Re: Darcy.
The French like to use big physical centres who tend to prefer to go through players rather than around them.
I think the likes of Traille, Jauzion, Rougerie are all about 6 foot 4.
Remember yer man Bastareaud who trampled O'Driscoll for sport last year was about 18 stone.

The French are brilliant at inventing things from the chaos that these crash runs cause.
Paddy Wallace would end up bandaged up like a mummy after 80 minutes of trying to tackle their centres.
Darcy dropped a few balls in attack the last day, but is a better tackler.

The O'Leary one is harder to explain, but maybe he has more in the tank.

[GalwayBayBoy]

The retention of D'Arcy is a blow to the morale of the squad imho, it gives a clear message no matter how poor the incumbents play they will be selected, similar with the selection of O'Leary and Wallace.

D'Arcy was dreadful last weekend but in general he has played very well this season so deserves a chance to show that the Italy game was just an aberration.

O'Leary on the other hand was almost as bad and doesn't even have any decent form this season to speak of either for Ireland or Munster. I know Reddan is equally as flaky but at least he is not playing quite as badly as O'Leary has been and while you know what you will get with Stringer at least he moves the ball quickly and doesn't constantly get caught at the back of the ruck by tacklers like O'Leary did against Italy.

[trileacman]

The retention of D'Arcy is a blow to the morale of the squad imho, it gives a clear message no matter how poor the incumbents play they will be selected, similar with the selection of O'Leary and Wallace. I think Leamy also should be ahead of Wallace with SOB moving to 7.

Also I see nothing wrong with ROGs comments he was brought on to close out the game and he acknowledges he had the experience to win it but it would have been a pattern they would have deployed over and over in training so credit to the whole team for execution.

But the optimist in me thinks we can still win it.

Agree with all of that bar the first and last remark. O'Leary's selection put an end to any hope of success. D'Arcy played poorly the last day and in our current injury crisis I don't think we have many viable options and he was on form prior to Italy so maybe we should give him a chance.

O'Leary however, I mean, Kidney what the f**k? He's just back from injury, he's slow and his physical presence is not required in a 6-10 axis including O'Brien, Heaslip and Sexton. Stringer is the best option, and should have been tried to open up one of the best 10-13 axis in the HC.

I held out some belief for us, even with our injuries, but this team is the last nail in the coffin. I though Kidney was smart/man enough to see the problems at Scrum half. I haven't even mentioned our problems at tighthead, hooker and lock.

Kidney sat and watched Ireland nearly get defeated by Italy and his solution to one of the worst Irish performances of recent times was to send basically the same team out to face the defending champions, France. Where is the logic to that?

France meanwhile took a winning team and made it stronger with the addition of the best attacking FB around.

[Hoof Hearted]

http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/22194.php

should keep a few boys happy !

[Capt Pat]

That was some kick by byrne into the face of southwell.. Now a high tackle by byrne???