The IRISH RUGBY thread

[ludermor]

I was thinking the same thing when i read that Horan played with his club at the weekend ( Shannon?). I wonder how many of the players he would have known? Would they much of a connection with the clubs these days.

[Dinny Breen]

Cullen - who would you have as 2 first choice back up to to the incumbents?

The odds of both being injured are very low but Donnacha Ryan, Devin Toner and Dan Touhy are the future and need to be developed. Toner will be beast, about 5/6 years away from his prime. If both incumbents were injured I would bring in Cullen for his experience alone.

Horan- While i have no problem with Healy taking over No1 i would like to have horan as back up for the next year or two.

I'll be honest be honest never a fan, I think he has a poor attitude, a poor work-rate and is an ok scrummager. Healy and Court are just better now.

Horgan - Have been very impressed with him this year, wouldnt mind him on the fringes if any injuries come up. Who would you have as back up to the wings?

He's having golden winter but he's had his time. Trimble, Hurley, Carr, Murphy all much younger and hungrier

Finally the absence of eternal failure Trimble makes a mockery of your list as he is absolute p***.

Really, have you seen him play this year?

[Celt_Man]

Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster), Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster), Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster), Ian Dowling (Shannon/Munster), John Fogarty (De La Salle Palmerston/Leinster), Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster), Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster), Shane Jennings (St.Mary's College/Leinster),  Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster) , Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)

Have had their day or just not good enough - tackle bag holders.

Right Kidney is picking on form and in fairness to Boss he is playing well (scored a great try and was MOTM on Friday)

Buckley - point taken,

Cullen is playing great stuff with Leinster week in week and has been since he came back from his stint with Leicester,

Dowling - failed to make the Heinken Cup match day squad before Christmas but he is most likely named in the 44 man squad as he is probably a cert for a start for the A's.

John Fogerty - worth his place, has been solid for Leinster all season long

Horan - in fairness to Healy he really has staked a claim for the No. 1 jersey but it's not his yet, Horan still derserves his place and will see a start in the 6 nations

Horgan - pure class and has shown that big time in the past few months, it's gonna take some big performers to stop him from making the team

Jennings - Don't forget that he was having a great start to the season before his wee "break", very experienced player useful addition to any squad

O'Driscoll - hasn't seen much time this season and would be surprised if he was the 3rd choice second row in front of Cullen but he will be seen as a big figure and leader in the A dressing room hence he is in the squad from the start rather than calling him in later on

Stringer - Don't forget that match winning break against Scotland last year... enough said

[Dinny Breen]

Realistically not one of those players should start only Horan can make a case,if any of those other players start in the 6 Nations I'll be shocked and will run around naked on the board 

[tyroneboi]

Seen a fair bit of Northampton this season and thought Roger Wilson and Neil Best would have been worth a place in the squad? Up in Ulster have been impressed with Ian Humphreys and Darren Cave and surprised they weren't named in a squad of that size.

[ludermor]

Fair enough points Dinny. Leinster have some serious talent coming thorugh in the pack alright and if Toner fulfills his potential he will be some operator.

[Bord na Mona man]

Stringer - Don't forget that match winning break against Scotland last year... enough said

Nothing unusual sure. He makes a break like that every year! 

[Donnellys Hollow]

IRELAND 'A' Squad (v England Saxons, Recreation Ground, Sunday, January 31, kick-off 2pm):

Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster)
Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster)
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Ian Dowling (Shannon/Munster)
John Fogarty (De La Salle Palmerston/Leinster)
Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
Ian Humphreys (Ballymena/Ulster)
Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Shane Jennings (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
Keith Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht)
John Muldoon (Galwegians/Connacht)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Johne Murphy (Leicester Tigers)
Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)

Strong squad. Match is live on Sky Sports 2.

Tony Buckley is a huge disappointment. He just hasn't developed.

Its a pity nobody got a hold of Buckley a few years ago and showed him how to scrummage. His size and strength would be invaluable at the ruck and he was always a fairly decent ball-carrier (remember the hand-off on Simon Shaw in Coventry a few years ago!). Being behind the Bull at Munster hasn't helped. Anytime he seemed to get a run of games it was at loose-head and he is more comfortable on the other side. Had he gone to Bath three or four years ago (like had been arranged) I've no doubt we'd have made an international prop out of him. Even if he'd been shipped off to Connacht for a season or two in his early twenties like Jerry Flannery, it would have done him the world of good. He's 29 now though and it looks like he'll never really make the impact that he could have.

Tight-head could be a big problem for Ireland if the Bull was ever to pick up an injury. Court is playing all his rugby at loose-head with BJ Botha around and Mike Ross is well down the pecking order at Leinster. For me, Timmy Ryan could well be the long-term solution. He is getting some matches at Toulon and I'm surprised he isn't in the Ireland setup yet. I think he'll go back to Munster in a year or two when the Bull decides to commit himself full time to the farming!

[INDIANA]

Rumour has - Ferris, Horan and Best all out.

ROG ahead of Sexton
Trimble ahead of Earls
Mc laughlin instead of Ferris

Ferris is defintely out along with Horan and Best. ROG and Trimble are only rumours. Mc laughlin is almost certain to start .

[A Quinn Martin Production]

From the BBC website.  "Wolfhounds" squad for match on Fri

Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster), Nigel Brady (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster), Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster), Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Ian Dowling (Shannon/Munster), Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster), Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster), Ian Humphreys (Ballymena/Ulster), Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution/Munster), Shane Jennings (St Mary's College/Leinster), Ian Keatley (Galwegians/Connacht). Keith Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht), Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Johne Murphy (Leicester Tigers), Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster), Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster) Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)

[Donnellys Hollow]

Rumour has - Ferris, Horan and Best all out.

ROG ahead of Sexton
Trimble ahead of Earls
Mc laughlin instead of Ferris

Ferris is defintely out along with Horan and Best. ROG and Trimble are only rumours. Mc laughlin is almost certain to start .

Fairly surprising if this is true. I'd have thought Sexton would have started on Saturday with ROG coming back in for Paris next weekend. Trimble/Earls was always a 50/50 call. I'd have had Earls but no complaints with Trimble. Again I'd have thought O'Brien would have been next in line in the backrow but perhaps Deccie thinks he is too similar to Wallace. McLoughlin is probably the nearest we have to Ferris with Leamy injured at the moment.

[INDIANA]

A worse one DH is Wallace covering the bench and Sexton not even on it. Hope to christ thats bollox. Pretty sure Mc laughlin is in- that comes from someone who was watching the training. The rest we'll see in 30 mins.

[GaillimhIarthair]

A worse one DH is Wallace covering the bench and Sexton not even on it. Hope to christ thats bollox. Pretty sure Mc laughlin is in- that comes from someone who was watching the training. The rest we'll see in 30 mins.

Sexton is injured apparently.  Rog to start with Wallace on the bench I would imagine.

[INDIANA]

Kevin McLaughlin is the one new cap named in the Ireland team to play Italy this Saturday in Croke Park. 
The 25 year old Leinster player will start his first international alongside David Wallace and Jamie Heaslip in the Ireland backrow in the opening game of the 2010 RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Andrew Trimble returns to the Ireland team after winning his last cap against England in Twickenham in March 2008 and he is named on the left wing.

Gordon D'Arcy renews his centre partnership with Brian O'Driscoll while Ronan O'Gara will earn his 94th cap, partnering Tomas O'Leary.

Jerry Flannery starts at hooker alongside John Hayes and Cian Healy while Rory Best is named in the replacements following his recovery from injury.

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Italy, RBS 6 Nations Championship, Croke Park, Saturday February 6th, 2:30 p.m):

15 - Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
9 - Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
3 - John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 - Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:
16 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
19 - Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 - Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
22 - Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)

Unavailable due to injury:
Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)

[Declan]

O'Gara to pull the strings

Declan Kidney has pulled a few surprises out of his managerial cap with his team selection to face Italy in the Six Nations opener at Croke Park On Saturday. The manager has opted for the experience of Ronan O'Gara at outhalf instead of Jonathan Sexton, for whom there isn't even a place on the bench.
Cover for the Munster man comes in the shape of Paddy Wallace, while the Ulster player's provincial team-mate Andrew Trimble has been preferred to Keith Earls on the left wing.

As expected, Stephen Ferris misses out through injury and it's Leinster's Kevin McLaughlin who has been called in for his first cap instead of Leinster team-mate Seán O'Brien, who makes the bench.

Why Sexton has not even made the 22, after impressing hugely in the autumn and for Leinster since, is not yet clear. Form is unlikely to be the issue, so it may be the case that the St Mary's man has picked up an injury.

In the frontrow, Cian Healy gets the nod ahead of Marcus Horan, while Jerry Flannery has edged out Rory Best for the contentious hooker berth. John Hayes joins them.

The engine room as it were, is predictably comprised of Munster duo Paul O'Connell and Donncha O'Callaghan, while McLaughlin is joined in the backrow by number eight Jamie Heaslip and openside David Wallace.

Captain Brian O'Driscoll is back in tandem with Gordon D'Arcy in the centre and Rob Kearney is named at fullback.

Ireland (v Italy): Kearney; Bowe, O'Driscoll (capt), D'Arcy, Trimble; O'Gara, O'Leary; Healy, Flannery, Hayes; O'Callaghan, O'Connell, McLaughlin, D Wallace, Heaslip. Replacements : Best, Court, Cullen, O'Brien, Reddan, Wallace, Earls.