Connaught is used as "a development province" (or am I reading your post incorrectly?)Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
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Connaught is used as "a development province" (or am I reading your post incorrectly?)Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
its not really though, connaught sign up all the castaways and retiring players from other provinces and England, plus a few token europeans/world. I am suggesting loaning out players on the fringes, be them young up and coming promising players or those just outside of the 22.
I hope he takes a risk and opts for Fitzgerald today. Horgan is not a centre.
I'd also seriously consider bringing Stringer back. Reddan was driving me nuts at the weekend - S L O W and his box kicks could be read from a mile off.
No surprises in the team. Playing one of the worst passers in the team (Horgan) in a pivotal position that has NEVER worked before. Kearney being rewarded for being our standout player on Saturday by being shunted onto the wing again.....
In addition to O'Sullivan, Philip Browne should also head for the door. He has masterminded us into a situation that will take years to emerge from in relation to Eddie's contract and if O'Sullivan is correct is his assertion that he has been effectively left no option to experiment, then we face almost a whole team retiring at the same time.
The IRFU are fast becoming the new FAI......
Luke Fitzgerald: Tommy Bowe, Andrew Trimble, Felix Jones, Keith Earls: Ian Humphries, Frank Murphy; Cian Healy, Jerry Flannery, Tony Buckley: Donncha Ryan, Trevor Hogan: Stephen Keogh, Shane Jennings, Jamie Heaslip.Quote:
Originally Posted by OneRedArmy
Jerry Flannery at 27 would be the oldest of that side. They are all up and coming players. We are playing England in a dead rubber, only important to Eddie because it is his l;ast chance of saving his own neck. Every one of that 15 has years ahead of them, and all promising futures, yet bar Flannery, Bowe, Trimble and Heaslip, Eddie doesn't want to blood any of them.
There is no being correct in that assertion Eddie. You're just a lily livered , self preservationalist bottler. England to hockey us....and God forgive me, part of me hopes they do if it means the end of the road for the talking horse.
I'm disgusted at the selection. We played ****e all game and he only makes one change because of an injury to BOD. Horgan is not a CENTRE - how can he not see this? This crap about only losing by one score is also infuriating. Defeatist attitudes like that ensure our nation does not succeed at the top tiers of sport. If we lose to England EOS is gone but I hope that he's shown the door even with another victory at Twickenham. The team is stale - change is a necessity to ensure the shambles of RW2007 and this 6N campaign is not repeated.
I can see the point you're making but I don't agree with this. One disagreement I'd have with Eddie is that he plays each game with either a first or second XV, making 15 changes between games in the autumn internationals and sending second string squads on the various tours.Quote:
Originally Posted by joeSoap
I think he's improved this year bringing players in one and two at a time, even if that was forced on him by injury. I wouldn't like to see him play a second XV against England, especially if it means players line Earls and Healy, who aren't ready for this level, have to start.
The most revealing comment of the championship in my mind came from the Leinster coach when he announced his team for the Mangers League game against Cardiff. D'Arcy was injured and Cheika said that he'd received no information from Eddie about who he'd like to see get game time in the centre instead. So, in the absence of any information, he fielded his strongest team and played a foreign player.
I'm not suggesting he picks an alternative xv against England, but merely pointing out that there are patent alternatives open to him should he choose to use them.
If I was picking a side against England I would go with:
Geordan Murphy; Tommy Bowe, Luke Fitzgerald, Andrew Trimble, Rob Kearney; ROG, Eoin Reddan; Marcus Horan, Rory Best, Tony Buckley; Donncha Ryan, Paul O'Connell; Alan Quinlan, Keith Gleeson, Jamie Heaslip.
They must be meeting over Lansdowne & other issue too often that Delaney rubbing off on them. I am not of course criticising the FAI as have to be careful what I say.Quote:
Originally Posted by OneRedArmy
12 months since last good performance (last years 6 Nations) shows that this is not a blip in form. Injuries are no excuse as it is not as if missing some one like O'Gara with no replacement.
Leave Kidney at Munster as they need him.
I don't know if Kidney would leave Munster. New stadium, still in the Heineken Cup, possibility of testing himself against the All Blacks in the Autumn.Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
Based on games so far I would say O'Callaghan is more entitled to keep his plae than O'Connell, I still don't think Best is up to the job at international levelQuote:
Originally Posted by joeSoap
O'Connells just coming back from injury and is a far more proven big game player than Donncha. Thats why I would have picked him.Quote:
Originally Posted by endabob1
I agree with you about Best-however, Flannerys injured, Jackmans crap and Frankie Sheahan can't get a sniff with Munster. Who else are you going to pick??
He's also stupid. That mindless peno he gave away against Wales was one of the most crass actions I have ever seen by a sportsman and as they are standing under the posts waiting for Wales to convert the peno he has the nerve to clap his hands to attempt to gee up the rest of the players, having just by his action confirmed Ireland would lose the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by joeSoap
Well in fairness he had to do something to try and make himself feel better/rectify the situation. He has lost any chance of playing for Ireland again after that. He really is a terrible player, I do NOT understand how a player can continuously throw badly, especially given his age, surely its something that can be perfected from rigorous training and little skill. Seriouslly.Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
The worst thing about that stupid peno was that he basically came on and undid anything his team-mates did for the 75 mins previouslly, I cannot see how any of them looked anyway favourably on him after that nor will they.
I'm surprised this hasn't been made more of an issue amongst fans/the press. We were only a point behind at that stage with a few minutes remaining and with Reddan in possession of the ball. What an idiot.Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
Flannery is 29Quote:
Originally Posted by joeSoap
Trimble couldn't tackle my mum.
That has to be the end of Eddie. Fingers crossed we get someone decent in who can do something with this bunch of players - something needs to be done urgently to banish the demons of the World Cup and this 6N campaign.
Kearney once again impressed and Fitzgerald showed in glimpses he is also a player of the future so it shouldn't be all doom and gloom.
England 33 Ireland 10. Conceded 33 uncontested points after leading 0-10. :(
12 months since an Ireland team performed. No subs made i think until about 65 minutes excluding Leamy injury. Wallace coming off he bench on 77 minutes tells a lot about O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan is stifling the team too much by changing tactics so dramatically between games - just look how differently they played against Wales & England. Trimble & Horgan were destroyed & after so many years in charge O'Sullivan should not be so badly stuck for 3rd & 4th choice centres. Restricting himself to Irish teams offers little choices when there are injuries & cannot be sustained
I did not see the Scotland game but highlights definitely Heaslip & Kearney, Kearney has been particularly impressive but would he have played if not for injuries. Still bizarre Heaslip not deemed good enough for the World Cup squad 6 months ago.
It was because he's not from Munster.Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
Admittedly I don't know an awful lot about rugby, but I am aware of this point with regards to selection. What I don't understand is why is Easterby regularily picked despite playing for Llanelli, yet the likes of Leo Cullen, Jennings, didn't get picked while at Leicester, likewise Bob Casey at London Irish.Quote:
Originally Posted by pete