humphreys in the a squad who play on the friday before, i imagine he will start that gameQuote:
Originally Posted by Schumi
Printable View
humphreys in the a squad who play on the friday before, i imagine he will start that gameQuote:
Originally Posted by Schumi
Yes, the A squad is fairly small so I expect it to draw heavily on players from the main squad that don't make the matchday team.
Anyone else missing?
anyone not considered through injury etc listed hereQuote:
Originally Posted by pete
http://www.irishrugby.ie/283_15771.php along with those on A panel
there is a couple that i would have thought would have been included in the a panel at least, the likes of niall ronan and barry murphy from munster, ian keatly from connacht and pollock from ulster but i think the latter 2 may be held back for the upcoming 7s world cup
Sexton ahead of Humphreys is a bit of a joke, to be honest. Currently 3rd choice out-half with Leinster.
We can't read much into a squad of 40, it's about half the professional rugby players in the country. The only other name I'd have is the winger from Leicester.
Hard for Sexton as he has to contend with Nacewa and Contepomi while Humphreys essentially has no competition. I think Sexton has more potential than Humphreys and the squad selection would suggest Kidney thinks likewise, especially if he has Paddy Wallace ahead of Humphreys for the 10 position.Quote:
Originally Posted by brianw82
Do we have a 7's side, we haven't been in the IRB 7's tournaments so farQuote:
Originally Posted by hula4
ya i thought the same, but i think i read it somewhere that thats why pollock and a few others may not have been included.Quote:
Originally Posted by endabob1
maybe they are starting one up
Thats some load of drivel in my opinion. Sexton has to contend with an inside centre and a utility back at Leinster. Both Contepomi and Nacewa are sub-standard out-halves and both acknowledge a preference to play in other positions. Sexton has had countless chances and failed to make a big impact in any of them.Quote:
Originally Posted by swano
Humphreys has direct competition from Niall O'Connor and to a lesser degree Paddy Wallace.
How you can say that Sexton has more potential than Humphreys baffles me. Kidney has Wallace as back up 10 because he can cover full back, centre and out-half, giving him more options in picking a matchday 22.
humphreys is not as good as he is being made out to be and lacks physicality, he is a very poor defender. i was at thomond park when leicester beat munster and while he was playing at out half on attacking ball, when leicester were defending he was on the wing.Quote:
Originally Posted by joeSoap
at international level you cant get away with that, also i suspect this was the same reason he was replaced at half time against harlequins last weekend as matt williams realised ulster would have very little ball playing into the storm and replaced him with a more physical 10.
there is no denying he is a fine offensive out half but he is a poorer defensive outhalf than o'gara which is saying something
It seem very likely that Wallace will continue in his now traditional bench position. Can't see Sexton or Humphreys pushing him off that this 6 Nations season. Maybe they will e rotated in the A games?
I don't think there was a suggestion otherwise but I can see Kidney picking his strongest available team for every game.
I'd prefer to see Wallace at 12. He's the best in the country at the moment and there'd be no need then to name any out half cover, freeing up a spot on the bench for someone who might come on.Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
I'd like to see Paddy in at 12 too, but it's likely to be Fitzgerald, despite him being all over the place position-wise this season. Maybe Deccie will surprise us?Quote:
Originally Posted by Bald Student
The Luke's a good player but he doesn't really have the skills for 12. I like Wallace's style, he brings others into space very well. There are two basic tactics a 12 can take, try to create a hole in the defence somewhere outside him for someone else to run through or try to break the defence yourself and put someone into space behind it. Paddy plays the first tactic and D'Arcy the second. Luke doesn't really play either, he'll probably move to 13 in a few years and there's no harm in Leinster giving him game time in the centre but, unless there's an emergency, he should be on the wing or the bench for Ireland.Quote:
Originally Posted by brianw82
Wheather Nacewa and Contepomi would prefer to play elsewhere is irrelevant. If Humphreys was at Leinster he would be in the very same position as Sexton is. Sexton was playing well early in the season before his injury and if you think he doesn't have potential I'd advise you to watch the impact he made when brought on at half time v Wasps in the RDS and tore them apart. Add to that the fact that Humphreys is 3 years older than Sexton and you may be less baffled as to why I believe Sexton has more potential. Either way it's unlikely either of them are going to get near the player O Gara has been.Quote:
Originally Posted by joeSoap
Wallace is primarily in the Ireland squad to cover 10 and not other positions. Bowe/Horgan/Darcy/Fitzgerald/Kearney are all better players than Wallace and can cover centres/wing/fullback between them without the need to have Wallace in the squad.
agree 100% swano sexton i think is a better player now than humphreys albeit there is not much in the difference but sexton is certainly the far better bet for the future.Quote:
Originally Posted by swano
Anyone know of any streams for todays games ?
Heineken Cup Quarter Final line-up
Cardiff Blues v Toulouse
Munster v The Ospreys
Harlequins v Leinster
Leicester v Bath
Flights to London are booked. There were substantial cheers in the Horse Show House at full time of the Bath game. While I'm sure it's a lovely town to visit, I'd say it'll be fairly dead on Easter weekend.
No red button on NTL but eventually found stream for Munster game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paddy Garcia
I think its now 3 games & no tries for Leinster which has to be worrying for Ireland given a lot of those players needed & have the same backs coach.
Munster were solid today & Montaban were no push overs. O'Leary offers a good option for breaking off the back of the scrum but takes an extra touch before each pass which is an invite for the opposition to target him. The passing by the Munster backs was very slick - Ireland could really do with a Mafi.
Delighted with Munster's display today. They have tended to switch off in the past when a Q-Final spot was guarenteed. Leinster have got a nice draw for themselves. They should be well capable of turning over Harlequins. i wonder will that game be switched to Twickenham?
Fair played to Connacht who have got into challenge cup quater-finals. Their squad rotation system seems to be working well enough - they are away to Northhampton who are 8th in the premiership. Not the worst draw in the world. On thier day they could beat a lot of teams. Disapointed to see Viadana miss out. It would be nice to see an Itialian team make the knockout stages but they lost 24-22 at home to Bayonne, conceeding an 78th minute try to miss out. Rugby needs more nations competing at euro level.
Rest of the challenge cup quarter finals.
London Irish v Bourgoin
Northampton v Connacht
Saracens v Newcastle
Worcester v Brive
Strange to see people writing off a 23 year old :rolleyes:
On the weekend, hopefully the break will do Leinster good and they will click after the 6 nations. A few years ago they would've been criticised for not battling through to get results whilst playing badly, whilst now they can front up to some degree and win a game without scoring a try.
The cheers where for the fact that Quins should be an easier team to beat than Bath. Rugby reasons not drinking ones although drinking ones are good also :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Aberdonian Stu
As for the game being in Twickenham rumors yesterday that Quins want it in their home ground but not sure if it meets requirements for quarter final in respect to min attendance. If it not in Twickenham could be interesting for tickets.
the semi-final draw for the heineken cup has drawn munster and leinster together(should they both win of course), with munster getting home advantage.
According to aertel due to competition rules munster may be forced to play their 'home' tie at the RDS. What rule would that be?doesn't really make sense to me .
http://www.rte.ie/aertel/206-02.html
The semi finals are in a neutral venue. Munster can nominate any ground in Ireland so long as it's 20,000 capacity and not Thomond. The rule have been bended in the past and probably will be again if the situation comes up.Quote:
Originally Posted by WexCar
dont think it will be RDS if need 20,000 capacity from what remember sell out in RDS is 18,500 or so but as you said rules can be bent. If Lenister keep playing as then are not very likely but there is always hopeQuote:
Originally Posted by Bald Student
its an age old argument but i really think croke park should be looked at, assuming munster get there and no matter who they play. in a "recession" the money it would generate would be massive, as has been seen in limerick on match weekends
Well if it is a Munster vs Leinster clash, or indeed even Munster vs Quins, it'll be hard to see it anywhere other than Croker. There simply isn't a non-GAA ground on the island that can cope and the GAA will only, at least in the short-term, allow Croke Park to be used for such a rental procedure. Likewise the GAA will not risk the ire of the public reaction to forcing a 'home' game for an Irish province to be moved overseas.
How would the GAA be forcing it overseas?
The GAA aren't forcing a match over to England. There's a perfectly good 26,000 capacity stadium in Limerick. ERC rules say a semi-final match must have capacity of at least 20,000 and to the best of my knowledge the Irfu will also have last say on where the match is played if it involves two Irish teams or at least the ERC will leave it to the IRFU to decide. So if they say its thomond park then its thomond park. Munster v Leinster = Thomond Park ( Bigger ground than RDS and no reason for Munster to give Leinster home advantage), Munster v Harlequins = RDS (as Quins will say Munster can't play at home). Croke Park is out of the Question i'd say, i don't like the GAA but can understand why they wouldn't open it up to Munster v Leinster, they only agreed to International Games, nothing about club matches. Trying to convince them to open up croke park could be more hassle than its worth when they have Thomond Park.
I meant to put quotation marks around forcing. The idea being that they'd be removing the sole viable option and be blamed in the public eye regardless.
Thomond won't be allowed for a semi as the ERC has become quite clear about using a pure home venue, which in the Heineken Cup it is, for semis. This will put the ball squarely in the GAA's court, albeit wholly involuntarily on the part of the GAA, and they'll allow the exception to be made as it both makes too much financial sense and would be a PR nightmare otherwise (and contrary to popular belief, there are limits to how much damaging PR the association is willing to tolerate).
the game cannot be in Thomond as Stu said the ERC are quiet clear on that is home country advantage for the semi final with venue selected by ERC.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jofspring
Hopefully the IRFU will have some say but doubt the ERC will back down allow Munster to play in Thomond.
Hopefully the IRFU can see the possible problem and start talks with the GAA about the usage of Croke Park for the semi final if munster get through as if then do then get home country advantage no matter who then play
Are people not just slightly jumping the gun over this issue?
Both teams have to win their QFs first!
Absolutely. Most will remember the great leinster v Munster final planned for lansdowne some years agoQuote:
Originally Posted by brianw82
Maybe some are slightly junping the gun on the fact that it will be a Munster Lenister semi final but if Munster win and Lenister lose their quarter final Munster still have home country advantage and no venue.Quote:
Originally Posted by brianw82
I am aware an "if" then win QF final scenaro still there but Munster have a very good chance of winning the QF.
Just read elsewhere that Munster nominated RDS as there neutral venue at start of year. Also that the capacity of RDS can be expanded to meet the attendance requirements so Munster would probably play their semi final in RDS if then beat Osperys no matter who their opposition in the semi final
there is no mention of international games only. GAA central council has been given the power to decide on the stadiums use. if its an all-ireland semi it will be in croke park. money would be too good to turn down in present circumstancesQuote:
Originally Posted by Jofspring
I think ye all jumping the gun a bit as it assumes Leinster will win.
Would the GAA turn down E1m for that potential match?
I remember the Leinster-Munster semi final a while back at Lansdowne & was one of the best rugby games I have been at.