Ireland v All Blacks/Australia

[thebandit]

We had no option but play a limited sort of game given that Wallace was at 12

[slow corner back]

Not sure of the merits of these games and the sooner the northern and southern hemisphere seasons are parralleled the better.

Its a bit hard to parallel seasons in two different hemispheres. Rugby is a winter sport so unless the northern hemisphere is going to play from March through to October this wil never happen. Think of all the injuries on hard ground?

[magpie seanie]

Heard a (Kiwi) buck previewing it on Newstalk on Friday evening and he said it was going to piss rain. PP were offering Ireland +14 at evens so even though I woudn't know a lot about rugger I had to have a nibble.

[Fishbat]

how cold would it be there this time of year??  BOD giving interview there after match, big coat on him and looked absolutly freezing.

McCaw said it was the coldest he has ever been playing rugby, that stadium is right on the seafront

[Hoof Hearted]

Peter Stringer gets the nod to start his first game for Ireland since the Georgia game in the Rugby World Cup last September.
Stringer, who will be extending his record as the most-capped Ireland scrum half by making his 84th appearance, was a replacement last time out against New Zealand and came on during the second half for Eoin Reddan.

Another replacement who saw game-time in the New Zealand game is also promoted to the starting line-up with hooker Rory Best selected to win his 24th cap.

IRELAND TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v Australia, Saturday, June 14, Telstra Stadium, Melbourne, kick-off 7.30pm local time/10.30am Irish time):

Player / Club / Caps

15 - Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 7
14 - Shane Horgan  (Boyne/Leinster) 62
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) 84 (capt)
12 - Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster) 9
11 - Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 14
10 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster) 83
9 - Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster) 83
   
1 - Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster) 57
2 - Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 23
3 - John Hayes (Bruff/Munster) 85
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 46
5 - Paul O'Connell  (Young Munster/Munster) 53
6 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster) 33
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster) 47
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Clontarf/Leinster) 9

Replacements:

16 - Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster) 22
17 - Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster) 8
18 - Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster) 15
19 - Shane Jennings (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 2
20 - Eoin Reddan (Wasps) 11
21 - Geordan Murphy (Leicester) 57
22 - Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster) 80

[Hound]

Makes the team weaker in my opinion.

I think its a poor decision to drop Reddan.

I'm disappointed Buckley has not been given a chance ahead of Horan.

Flannery is better than Best, but he was muck, so can't really have any complaints about being dropped.

[Uladh]

Is there noone other than paddy wallace to play centre? is trimble injured?

[Hoof Hearted]

Jennings in for injured Wallace 
AUSTRALIA v IRELAND
Venue: Telstra Dome, Melbourne Date: Saturday, 14 June Kick-off: 1100 BST Coverage: Live updates on BBC Sport website
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Shane Jennings comes into the team at open-side flanker
Flanker Shane Jennings has been called into the Ireland team for Saturday's Test against Australia in Melbourne.

Jennings replaces David Wallace, who failed a fitness test on a calf strain injury on Friday morning.

Leinster player Jennings is promoted from the bench, with Ulster's Stephen Ferris joining the replacements.

Veteran scrum-half Peter Stringer has been recalled by interim coach Michael Bradley, with Ulster hooker Rory Best also promoted from the bench.

Stringer takes over from Eoin Reddan following the 21-11 defeat by New Zealand.

Best's promotion sees Jerry Flannery, like Reddan, dropping to the bench.

Ferris was a late call-up to the squad because of an injury to Alan Quinlan.

Both Quinlan and Luke Fitzgerald were again not considered because of injury.

Bradley said the promotion of Stringer and Best was warranted and felt he has selected the best side possible to defeat the Wallabies.

606: DEBATE
Give your thoughts on the Ireland team

Both players were introduced as replacements during Saturday's defeat in Wellington.

"We went through every position and weighed up the pros and cons of the lads who are in the starting team and those that haven't participated in a game," Bradley said.

"Rory deserves a chance at the Test starting spot and Peter showed what he can do in the period of time against New Zealand."

Prop John Hayes and lock Donnacha O'Callaghan did not train with the rest of the squad on Tuesday, but the duo are expected to line up against the Wallabies.

Saturday's match will be the first game in charge for new Australia coach Robbie Deans and Bradley is expecting extremely difficult opposition.

"A new coach brings a fresh look so you would think there would be a new look to the Australian side," Bradley said.

Bearing in mind that it is the end of the season, we have curtailed the training for the last couple of weeks

Interim Ireland coach Michael Bradley

"I am extremely wary of Australia when they get into their stride, so it's going to be a very difficult challenge for us this weekend."

With the Telstra Dome roof set to be closed for Saturday's match, Bradley is predicting a free-flowing game with plenty of tries.

And despite the fact that his players are coming to the end of their season, Bradley is not expecting fatigue to be a factor in the final stages of the match.

"Bearing in mind that it is the end of the season, we have curtailed the training for the last couple of weeks," Bradley said.

"Training sessions have been reasonably short and we have been checking for response from the lads on a daily basis as to how they are feeling.

"They are feeling as fresh as we think we can have them at this part of the season."

[Hound]

Is there noone other than paddy wallace to play centre? is trimble injured?

With Trimble, Fitzgerald and D'Arcy all injured, I am happy that Wallace is the next best option. He deserves his chance.

The other Wallace was excellent v the All Blacks, but its a silver lining that Jennings will get an opportunity to make his case.

[magpie seanie]

How much are we likely to lose this game by?

[screenexile]

How much are we likely to lose this game by?

Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!!! Come on seanie show a bit of Friday cheer... we at least have a chance of winning this game tomorrow!

[Dinny Breen]

How much are we likely to lose this game by?

15 -20

[screenexile]

Ah for god's sake Dinny it can't be that bad! We didn't even get beat by the All Blacks by that much, or are you blaming the weather for keeping us in it for longer than we should have been?

[Dinny Breen]

Ah for god's sake Dinny it can't be that bad! We didn't even get beat by the All Blacks by that much, or are you blaming the weather for keeping us in it for longer than we should have been?

Number of factors, yes the weather kept us in it in NZ, poor team selection, new Aussie boss who the OZ players will be keen to impress plus he's a top top coach, the attitude of the Irish players (it's week 53, it's a long year) beaten before we even kicked a ball.....

I could be wrong and I hope I am but Bradley is just another O'Sullivan clone....

[screenexile]

Yeah actually I don't know a lot about Bradley but I was at a coaching seminar and somebody asked big Willie Anderson who he would like to see as next Ireland coach and he said he hoped Bradley would get it not this time but probably the next time. Anderson rates him very highly and said he has experience of every level of rugby and would be the perfect man for the job.

Will Bradley even get the Munster job now? Seems like the Munster Branch aren't keen on him and he may have to sit at Connacht for the next while. I feel he won't get the Ireland job until he does well in a big appointment. England or Wales may be the place for him to go.