Rugby world cup

[Tankie]

I see where you are coming from turk but i dont see who else could do the job better. Also you have the problem of transition with a new manager and the Irish rugby team cannot afford to have 1 to 2 bad 6nations due to transition. This is the best irish team we have ever had and most of them only have 4 years left in them so if they aint gonna win under eddie I cant see them winning at all.

Eddie hasnt given anyone else a run , we are fucked in DOB , ROG , Hase , Strings, Dempsey, Hogan get injured and we are fucked as in we have no clue who will replace them not that we dont have anyone good enough
Thats over 1/3 of the team we have no replacement for what so ever

There is plenty of peoplr to replace tho players but they are just not of that standard. A national coach does not really have a choice but to play his top players every time, if not like a club team, its a problem every national team faces!

We played 3 friendly against Austria, South Africa and  some island and very strong team where named , Tell me this Tankie for the 6 position above tell me who replaces them and when they last played a full or near to it international excluding these warm up games ?

DOB (i take it u mean BOD?) - we have trimble, shaggy or Murphy who could slip in there (off cousre none as good as BOD as he is the best centre in the world)
ROG - Paddy Wallace is our only option
Hase - maybe Best but got no one really but thats because we have so little props in the country
Strings -  Boss has played a good got or Redden
Dempsey - Murphy could easily slip in there but just may not be as good
Hogan  - Murphy, trimble, Carney

Yoiu are getting to caught up in lack of game time, there is nothing we can do about that. it could be agrued that we are punching above our weight in rugby when you look at the playing population so we cant have back up for everyone. Of course i would have liked to see more players play in the 6nations and other test match but we gotta play our best team. also all these players on the fringes got to goto argentina when the number 1 team was left at home.

[Gnevin]

I see where you are coming from turk but i dont see who else could do the job better. Also you have the problem of transition with a new manager and the Irish rugby team cannot afford to have 1 to 2 bad 6nations due to transition. This is the best irish team we have ever had and most of them only have 4 years left in them so if they aint gonna win under eddie I cant see them winning at all.

Eddie hasnt given anyone else a run , we are fucked in DOB , ROG , Hase , Strings, Dempsey, Hogan get injured and we are fucked as in we have no clue who will replace them not that we dont have anyone good enough
Thats over 1/3 of the team we have no replacement for what so ever

There is plenty of peoplr to replace tho players but they are just not of that standard. A national coach does not really have a choice but to play his top players every time, if not like a club team, its a problem every national team faces!

We played 3 friendly against Austria, South Africa and  some island and very strong team where named , Tell me this Tankie for the 6 position above tell me who replaces them and when they last played a full or near to it international excluding these warm up games ?

DOB (i take it u mean BOD?) - we have trimble, shaggy or Murphy who could slip in there (off cousre none as good as BOD as he is the best centre in the world)
ROG - Paddy Wallace is our only option
Hase - maybe Best but got no one really but thats because we have so little props in the country
Strings -  Boss has played a good got or Redden
Dempsey - Murphy could easily slip in there but just may not be as good
Hogan  - Murphy, trimble, Carney

Yoiu are getting to caught up in lack of game time, there is nothing we can do about that. it could be agrued that we are punching above our weight in rugby when you look at the playing population so we cant have back up for everyone. Of course i would have liked to see more players play in the 6nations and other test match but we gotta play our best team. also all these players on the fringes got to goto argentina when the number 1 team was left at home.

Why play our best of meaningless tests ?

[Tankie]

I see where you are coming from turk but i dont see who else could do the job better. Also you have the problem of transition with a new manager and the Irish rugby team cannot afford to have 1 to 2 bad 6nations due to transition. This is the best irish team we have ever had and most of them only have 4 years left in them so if they aint gonna win under eddie I cant see them winning at all.

Eddie hasnt given anyone else a run , we are fucked in DOB , ROG , Hase , Strings, Dempsey, Hogan get injured and we are fucked as in we have no clue who will replace them not that we dont have anyone good enough
Thats over 1/3 of the team we have no replacement for what so ever

There is plenty of peoplr to replace tho players but they are just not of that standard. A national coach does not really have a choice but to play his top players every time, if not like a club team, its a problem every national team faces!

We played 3 friendly against Austria, South Africa and  some island and very strong team where named , Tell me this Tankie for the 6 position above tell me who replaces them and when they last played a full or near to it international excluding these warm up games ?

DOB (i take it u mean BOD?) - we have trimble, shaggy or Murphy who could slip in there (off cousre none as good as BOD as he is the best centre in the world)
ROG - Paddy Wallace is our only option
Hase - maybe Best but got no one really but thats because we have so little props in the country
Strings -  Boss has played a good got or Redden
Dempsey - Murphy could easily slip in there but just may not be as good
Hogan  - Murphy, trimble, Carney

Yoiu are getting to caught up in lack of game time, there is nothing we can do about that. it could be agrued that we are punching above our weight in rugby when you look at the playing population so we cant have back up for everyone. Of course i would have liked to see more players play in the 6nations and other test match but we gotta play our best team. also all these players on the fringes got to goto argentina when the number 1 team was left at home.

Why play our best of meaningless tests ?

Because you need to keep your players playing as a team. the all blacks created two teams so their main players would continue to get game time. unfortunatly we do not have the numbers to field two teams.

[Declan]

http://www.rugby.ie/news/story/?jp=MHCWOJQLGBKF&s=breaking&d=new

Interesting one

[anportmorforjfc]

England have not set a return date for Jonny Wilkinson after the fly-half suffered an ankle ligament sprain during training on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old has already been ruled out of England's World Cup opener against the USA in Lens on Saturday.

Wilkinson will now receive intensive treatment and England say there will be no further update until next Tuesday.

That is the day England name the team for their crunch pool game against South Africa on 14 September.

[thewobbler]

Interesting World Cup betting:

Australia are generally 12/1, which is a hell of a price for a team that always makes the semi-finals, has the best defensive line in the tournament and has most of its key players just about ready. Boyles are offering money back if your team is beat in the final, so don't even bother with e/w.

For an Irish perspective, Billy Hills have 25/1 for O'Gara to be the leading points scorer and 80/1 Hickie to be the leading try scorer. Both look like great each way value. This isn't the Ireland of old who can't score 40pts+ in a match. I'll expect 80+ pts against Namibia at the weekend and both these odds will collapse after that.

[Tankie]

The France v Argie game tomorrow night should be one of the games of the finals

[GalwayBayBoy]

Brian O'Driscoll has recovered on schedule from his fractured sinus and has been given the all clear following a scan on the injury.
Commenting on his selection, The Ireland Captain, who will be leading Ireland for the 39th time in his career, said, "I am delighted to get myself back on the field, especially to lead the team out in the first game in the tournament. The injury has healed very well over the last number of weeks and right on schedule, so myself and the rest of the squad can concentrate on this weekends game. Namibia were difficult opponents in our group in the last world cup, so we don't expect anything different this time round. As a team we will want to put in a performance to allow us to grow in confidence for the rest of our group fixtures".

O'Driscoll will be leading a strong Ireland selection for the game that includes David Wallace, who returns to the team after recovering from a niggling ankle injury that has bothered him for the last number of weeks. He will be joined by Simon Easterby and Denis Leamy in the backrow. In the backs, Andrew Trimble moves from the centre, where he played against Italy, and is named on the right wing in a back three that includes Denis Hickie and Girvan Dempsey.

Ireland Coach Eddie O'Sullivan said, "Brian has recovered well after his injury and was keen to get as many games under his belt from the start of the tournament, so it is a great boost for us to have him back and in the team. After the great reception we received on our arrival at the airport last night, the whole squad realise that we are now finally here in the Rugby World Cup and we have to hit the ground running against Namibia".

"We expect Namibia to throw everything at us and we are under no illusion that it will be a tough day at the office. It is also the first game for them and they will have targeted this for a big performance, so this will not be as easy as many people outside of the Ireland squad expect".

The Ireland team to play Namibia on Sunday, 11th September 2007 in the Stade Chaban Delmas Bordeaux at 20.00hrs (local time) is as follows:


15 – Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster)
14 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
13 – Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) Captain
12 – Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 – Denis Hickie (St.Mary's College/Leinster)
10 – Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
9 – Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
1 – Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
2 – Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
3 – John Hayes (Shannon/Munster)
4 – Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 – Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 – Simon Easterby (Llaneli)
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Replacements:
16 – Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
17 – Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
18 – Malcolm O'Kelly (St.Mary's College/Leinster)
19 – Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
20 – Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster)
21 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
22 – Geordan Murphy (Leicester)

[Uladh]

Very weak bench

[Star Spangler]

You can get a useful fixture list sorted by date and time here;

http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/fixtures/calendar.html

[Gnevin]

Ireland V nobodies and EOS names his strongest available 15 

[corn02]

I think O Sullivan is doing a great job and hope he remains in the post for years to come but Uladh is right. If the very possible scenario that Argentina advance instead of us, Rugby fans will call for his head leaving The Irish Rugby chiefs with egg on their face.

Don't take that O Gara bet, Carter will be top scorer.

[SuperSub]

Why are the BBC,UTV and Sky referring to Ireland as one of the 4 Home nations?

[Square Ball]

France v Argentina predictions anyone?

France by 8

[SuperSub]

Argentina...Maradona to score a hat trick