Ireland Squad v All Blacks

[joeSoap]

Ireland squad:

Forwards: Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Shane Byrne (Saracens), Simon Easterby (Llanelli), Anthony Foley (Shannon/Munster), John Hayes (Bruff/Munster), Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster), Matt McCullough (Ballymena/Ulster), Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster), Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Johnny O'Connor (Wasps), Malcolm O'Kelly (St.Mary's College/Leinster).

Backs: Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Kieran Campbell (Dungannon/Ulster), Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster), Anthony Horgan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Shane Horgan (Lansdowne/Leinster), David Humphreys (Dungannon/Ulster), Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution), Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster).

He's chosen the three Best boys,although they sadly don't live up to their names, in this squad. No Jerry Flannery, after his powerful display against Castres last week. Munster bias on my behalf, maybe, but God help us if the Bests are the best out there....excuse the pun.

[finlma]

Irish rugby is on a serious decline. Thats a very poor squad. I was at the Munster game on Saturday and Flannery should be in the squad even if only for that 1 performance.

[joeSoap]

---------------Murphy----------------

--Dempsey, D'Arcy, S Horgan, Bowe---

------O'Gara-------------------------
-----------------Stringer-------------

-----Horan-----Byrne----Hayes-------

---O'Callaghan-------O'Kelly----------

--Leamy-------Foley------O'Connor--

[pete]

First 15 is ok but will still lose to All Blacks. Almost nothing on the bench.

This is the problem with basically only 3 teams/provinces to choose team from & also have to exclude foreigners from those teams.

[Galwayexile]

U cant discount us.Remember a certain johny o connor came from their setup and there is also a few players playing for wasps, quins and northampton in england from the provence too.We dont get the support like the other provinces do in both financial and player terms.

They are doing quite alright at the moment and another semi final of the shield beckons.If we had half the resources of Munster or Leinster there would be a few more pleysr in the squad.

Oh and dont forget eddie o sullivan lives in Galway too.

[pete]

Connaught are basement fodder in Celtic League. I think Connaught are badly treated by the IRFU as not given same subsidy & when IRFU running dry of funds it Connaught that dumped on first.

[joeSoap]

---------------Murphy----------------

--Dempsey, D'Arcy, S Horgan, Bowe---

------O'Gara-------------------------
-----------------Stringer-------------

-----Horan-----Byrne----Hayes-------

---O'Callaghan-------O'Kelly----------

--Leamy-------Foley------O'Connor--

Team is:
--------------------Murphy-------------------

--Bowe, D'Arcy, Shane Horgan, Anthony Horgan---

------------ROG----------------------------------
---------------------Stringer---------------------

--Horan------------Byrne---------------Hayes----

--------O'Callaghan, --------O'Kelly---------------

Easterby(c)----------Leamy--------O'Connor------.

Looks like its a sad end to the International career of Anthony Foley. It had to happen sooner or later I suppose. A true modern day legend of Irish rugby.Playing Anthony Horgan slightly baffles me. I don't think he's up to this standard at all, but I hope I'm wrong.

I predict a 20+ points beating on Saturday.

[finlma]

Its a shame to see Foley left out but the back row is the form back row at the moment. I don't understand Horgan being in either - he's not international class.
I'm going up to the game for my troubles and I'd agree with a minimum of a 20 point loss.

[Dublin12]

I'd say Ireland will be lucky if they escape their worst defeat ever in the sport ,I'll go for Ireland 18 New Zealand 75

[joeSoap]

I'd say Ireland will be lucky if they escape their worst defeat ever in the sport ,I'll go for Ireland 18 New Zealand 75

Nah..never in a million years. Our defence wont be that bad as all 7backs are decent tacklers. Our real problems lie up front, where basically, we could get murdered. Ours is a weak front 5 from a scrummaging point of view, and this will have us on the back foot all day. I predict somewhere in the region of 35-12.

[pete]

Horgan probably picked as no other option. Can tell lack of depth in irish squad when almost full bench of Ulster players.

[Soko]

We're going to get battered. I've got a ticket but I'm only interested in the Haka and watching some awesome All Blacks play although I'm ****ed off they're messing around with their squad and not playing some stars for rest.

[Dublin12]

We're going to get battered. I've got a ticket but I'm only interested in the Haka and watching some awesome All Blacks play although I'm ****ed off they're messing around with their squad and not playing some stars for rest.

You sound just like one of those that get tickets for world cup qualifers through their job or from uncle Tommy's brother's cousin who works in the bank.

[finlma]

We're going to get battered. I've got a ticket but I'm only interested in the Haka and watching some awesome All Blacks play although I'm ****ed off they're messing around with their squad and not playing some stars for rest.

What a waste of a ticket - why don't you give it to someone who cares. I know plenty of real rugby supporters looking for tickets.

[Lim till i die]

What a waste of a ticket - why don't you give it to someone who cares. I know plenty of real rugby supporters looking for tickets.

If the man wants to go up and watch the Haka and the brilliance that is the All Blacks in full flight surely it's his own business.

Anyway, would these "real" rugby fans be the same fans who pack AIL grounds every week

[finlma]

If the man wants to go up and watch the Haka and the brilliance that is the All Blacks in full flight surely it's his own business.

Anyway, would these "real" rugby fans be the same fans who pack AIL grounds every week

Surely he should be going to watch his own country play rugby, no???

Those real fans support their own club on a weekly basis and the club is junior trying to win the Leinster league. We don't get a big enough allocation. Any more comments?

[pete]

Surely this is like a friendly so managers can try out different players?

Some rugby clubs sell their allocations to companies for corporate packages & the IRFU never sanction them - is that right?

[Lim till i die]

Surely he should be going to watch his own country play rugby, no???

Am no, not really, an accident of birth shouldn't dictate his preferences, surely he should be allowed to support whoever he sees fit

Personally, I would be far more worried about the corporates and the Nescafe set bandwgon jumpers taking up blocks of tickets than ordinary people who are going for the entertainment value of the sport

[Macy]

Some rugby clubs sell their allocations to companies for corporate packages & the IRFU never sanction them - is that right?

Yeah, because it pays for the professional players at AIL level. That's why it's easy enough to get tickets for these games (they were available on the irfu website only a few weeks ago - I was going to get them, but then decided Town v UCD was more important ). For the 6 nations the clubs sell their allocations to touts (aka "agencies") as there are so many away fans - not near as much demand for the autumn test series.

[thejollyrodger]

i think the all blacks are going to humilate us after making a mockery of their hoku