Ireland matchday squad v Italy announced

Marcus Horan (Munster), Tony Buckley (Munster), John Hayes (Munster),
Bernard Jackman (Leinster), Rory Best (Ulster)
Mick O'Driscoll (Munster), Malcolm O'Kelly (Leinster), Donnacha O'Callaghan (Munster)
Denis Leamy (Munster), Simon Easterby (Llanelli), David Wallace (Munster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)
Peter Stringer (Munster), Eoin Reddan (Wasps)
Ronan O'Gara (Munster), Paddy Wallace (Ulster)
Girvan Dempsey (Leinster), Robert Kearney (Leinster), Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers), Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster), Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster)

Looks like Murphy will be used on the wing. Leo Cullen is a bit unlucky not to make it into the second row, he's been on good form for Leinster.

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Originally Posted by Schumi

Leo Cullen is a bit unlucky not to make it into the second row, he's been on good form for Leinster.

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I agree with yu there. But then, Jennings and Gleeson were unlucky not to make the overall squad. O'Sullivan has his favourites and that's that it seems.

Gatland showed balls to save his job all those years ago by making eight changes to the team that got hammered by England. What chance of Eddie reactingly similarly???

Christ he didn't stick Leo in ahead of O'Driscoll. I thought Eddie had finally seen sense and switched them in the pecking order.

I thought Bowe was unlucky not to have made 22.

Will Eddie ditch D'Arcy and Easterby? I think we'll miss Flannery as well.

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Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

I thought Bowe was unlucky not to have made 22.

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I think he's being punished for not re-signing with Ulster.

Starting team fairly picks itself from that squad.

Cullen unlucky to miss out but O'Driscoll surprisingly has been in outstanding form.

Bewildered how Wallace still in the squad. :eek:

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Originally Posted by pete

Bewildered how Wallace still in the squad. :eek:

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Who else is there with Sexton injured though?

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Originally Posted by Schumi

Who else is there with Sexton injured though?

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TBH I don't really care. Wallace can barely get into poor Ulster team as out half. Hows about Andy Dunne i think it is from Connacht?

BTW I feel Reddan needs to start too.

team named and Rory Best in there with Easterby. FFS. Steady Eddie strikes again.

How he can pick D'Arcy is beyond me.

Easterby isn't among the 10 best Irish back rowers never mind the top 3.

How many times does he need to play Trimble on the wing to find out he isn't a winger?

Although Italy have injury problems (Bergamasco out) I fancy them to turn us over.

Ireland v Italy 6 Nations: Dempsey, Trimble, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Murphy, O'Gara, Reddan
Horan, Best, Hayes, O'Callaghan, O'Kelly, Easterby, Wallace, Leamy.

Ireland v Argentina RWC: Murphy, Horgan, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Hickie, O'Gara, Reddan
Horan, Flannery, Hayes, O'Callaghan, O'Connell, Easterby, Wallace, Leamy.

4 changes, all due to the Argentina players being unavailable :rolleyes:. If we beat Italy, he won't change the team for the rest of the tournament probably.

as a munster fan i feel really sorry for jackman and heaslip especially they must be wondering what they have to do to get a start. it just shows how much of a tin roofer eos is, so much for picking a team on form!! leamy hasnt played number 8 in 3 months, best has played 1 game in the last while, easterby has been playing poorly in a struggling llanelli team, trimble hasn't been playing on the wing nor has murphy, d'arcy has been struggling for form also, now im not saying they should all be dropped but.......

Jackman, Heaslip and Tommy Bowe should have all started. I'd have had Trimble at 12 instead of D'Arcy as well. Round pegs into square holes springs to mind in this team. EOS is full of **** when he talks about picking form players.

Not a huge rugby follower, but keep a close enough eye on it and I'm stunned by that selection. O'Sullivan has basically handed himself his P45 if this team doesn't perform.

I don't think conservatism describes it, it's closer to necrophilia.

Things could be worse, imagine if we had to field an entire team of Ospreys!

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Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

Jackman, Heaslip and Tommy Bowe should have all started. I'd have had Trimble at 12 instead of D'Arcy as well. Round pegs into square holes springs to mind in this team. EOS is full of **** when he talks about picking form players.

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Amen to all of those changes.

Leamy could easily move to 6 and Heaslip come in at 8 and we'd have a much better back row.

When will Eddie learn a modern 6 needs to do more than make tackles :mad:

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Originally Posted by Bald Student

Things could be worse, imagine if we had to field an entire team of Ospreys!

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I had to laugh when the Wales team was read out today.

Is Eddie afraid of change right now? He couldn't get any more conservative if he tried - he's going for the tried and tested but if we lose to Italy on Saturday because he's afraid of dropping D'Arcy and Easterby then heads must roll.

When was the last time Murphy played on the wing?