Rugby Union 2009

**hula4** · 21/01/2009, 2:18 PM

Originally Posted by Schumi

Squad announced. No Humphreys!

Backs:
Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
Darren Cave (Ulster)*
Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster)
Girvan Dempsey (Leinster)
Ian Dowling (Munster)*
Keith Earls (Munster)
Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster)
Shane Horgan (Leinster)
Robert Kearney (Leinster)
Geordan Murphy (Leicester)
Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster)
Ronan O'Gara (Munster)
Tomas O'Leary (Munster)
Eoin Reddan (Wasps)
Jonathan Sexton (Leinster)*
Peter Stringer (Munster)
Andrew Trimble (Ulster)
Paddy Wallace (Ulster)

Forwards:
Rory Best (Ulster)
Ryan Caldwell (Ulster)*
Bob Casey (London Irish)
Tom Court (Ulster)*
Stephen Ferris (Ulster)
Jerry Flannery (Munster)
John Hayes (Munster)
Cian Healy (Leinster)*
Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)
Marcus Horan (Munster)
Bernard Jackman (Leinster)
Shane Jennings (Leinster)
Denis Leamy (Munster)
Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster)
Paul O'Connell (Munster)
Mick O'Driscoll (Munster)
Malcolm O’Kelly (Leinster)
Alan Quinlan (Munster)
Mike Ross (Harlequins)*
Donnacha Ryan (Munster)
David Wallace (Munster)

humphreys in the a squad who play on the friday before, i imagine he will start that game

**Aberdonian Stu** · 21/01/2009, 2:22 PM

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.

**pete** · 21/01/2009, 4:35 PM

Anyone else missing?

**Youths4Ever** · 22/01/2009, 2:13 PM

Originally Posted by pete

Anyone else missing?

anyone not considered through injury etc listed here
http://www.irishrugby.ie/283_15771.php along with those on A panel

**hula4** · 22/01/2009, 3:44 PM

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

**brianw82** · 22/01/2009, 7:41 PM

Sexton ahead of Humphreys is a bit of a joke, to be honest. Currently 3rd choice out-half with Leinster.

**Bald Student** · 22/01/2009, 8:17 PM

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.

**swano** · 23/01/2009, 6:07 AM

Originally Posted by brianw82

Sexton ahead of Humphreys is a bit of a joke, to be honest. Currently 3rd choice out-half with Leinster.

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.

**endabob1** · 23/01/2009, 7:21 AM

Originally Posted by hula4

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

Do we have a 7's side, we haven't been in the IRB 7's tournaments so far

**hula4** · 23/01/2009, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by endabob1

Do we have a 7's side, we haven't been in the IRB 7's tournaments so far

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.

maybe they are starting one up

**joeSoap** · 23/01/2009, 1:28 PM

Originally Posted by swano

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.

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.

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.

**hula4** · 23/01/2009, 1:50 PM

Originally Posted by joeSoap

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.

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.

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

**pete** · 23/01/2009, 2:30 PM

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.

**Bald Student** · 23/01/2009, 3:57 PM

Originally Posted by pete

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.

**brianw82** · 23/01/2009, 9:38 PM

Originally Posted by Bald Student

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.

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?

**Bald Student** · 24/01/2009, 12:43 AM

Originally Posted by brianw82

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?

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.

**swano** · 24/01/2009, 8:17 AM

Originally Posted by joeSoap

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.

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.

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.

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.

**hula4** · 24/01/2009, 3:25 PM

Originally Posted by swano

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.

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.