[EOYT] Ireland vs. Samoa 09/11/13

[Feicarsinn]

What's refreshing is the state of the bench. Under Kidney (and O'Sullivan before him) the Irish bench had become little more than a bunch of replacements if someone had to go off, as opposed to an active weapon. At his time at Leinster Schmidt was always very proactive with his substitutes, being able to spring the likes of Kevin McLaughlin or Shane Jennings, Eoin Reddan or Isaac Boss and Heinke Van Der Merwe or Cian Healy. With a bench for Saturday containing Healy, Cronin, O'Connell, O'Brien, etc. we should see this trend continue, with a big impact on the game being made in the second half.

 

[profitius]

Thats a decent team. Maybe its by accident or design, the bench will provide a big impact to the match. Talk about Samoan physicality, they won't like watching the likes of SOB, POC, Heal and Cronin come on especially as they're starting to tire.


The team itself isn't too bad either. Toner is a bit underrated because he is very lanky looking but he has good hands, makes his tackles and a good rugby brain. He also is heavier than he looks. McGrath deserves to start too as does Chris Henry who has been playing well.


I'm looking forward to seeing how the non Leinster players slot in. I'm not expecting it to be 100% fluid in the first game but I am expecting some invention.

Ach, don't leave a comment like that hanging in the air! Sure name some names and we can all start bickering over it in our clannish ways! :lol:

Olding, Marmion, Cave, Kilcoyne to name a few. Fire away!

 

[big ginger 8]

Olding, Marmion, Cave, Kilcoyne to name a few. Fire away!

I'll go first. Olding on talent should be there yep but he hasn't really got much of chance this season to show his talent.

Marmion and Cave yeah I'd have had both in the squad and think it may have been a mistake. Neither would have started though and only Marmion would have been in with a shout for the bench. Still I'd have had both in the squad.

Kilcoyne for me has been terribly unimpressive this season, especially compared to last season. Ii wouldn't even start him for Mmunster at the moment.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Eh, whatever. Joe is a very technical coach, and that takes a lot of time. Makes sense to build your side around the players who already know your game and add in new guys as people get settled.

Anyway, there's a large part of the rugby following public that just likes change for the sake of it. Would any of those guys really make a difference if included? Unlikely.

 

[Peat]

Snoopy - Is the conference on the Irish rugby site?

Re Toner - I don't think anyone's complaining about him. Ireland need a number 5 and with the injuries, it was him or Tuohy. Tuohy can play 5 but he needs a jumping 4, him and McCarthy would be suicide. He's been playing well, he's got a lot going for him. Whether he'll impress at the next level up is open, but for a third choice jumper lock, reckon there's plenty with worse.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Snoopy - Is the conference on the Irish rugby site?

I watched it here:
http://www.rte.ie/sport/player/816/485252/

I don't know if that link works outside Ireland.

 

[psychic duck]

Samoa suffering some injuries. Cencus Johnston, David Lemi, Maurie Fa'asavalu, Daniel Leo and captain Paul Williams all out.

Samoa: 15 Faatoina Autagavaia, 14 Alapati Leuia, 13 George Pisi, 12 Johnny Leota, 11 Brando Vaaulu, 10 Tusi Pisi, 9 Kahn Fotuali'i, 8 Taiasina Tuifua, 7 Jack Lam, 6 Ofisa Treviranus, 5 Teofilo Paulo, 4 Faatiga Lemalu, 3 Logovi'i Mulipola, 2 Ole Avei, 1 Sakaria Taulafo.
Replacements: 16 Tii Paulo, 17 Viliamu Afatia, 18 James Johnston, 19 Joe Tekori, 20 Alafoti Faosilivia, 21 Jeremy Sua, 22 Isaia Tuifua, 23 Fautua Otto.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Samoa suffering some injuries. Cencus Johnston, David Lemi, Maurie Fa'asavalu, Daniel Leo and captain Paul Williams all out.

Samoa: 15 Faatoina Autagavaia, 14 Alapati Leuia, 13 George Pisi, 12 Johnny Leota, 11 Brando Vaaulu, 10 Tusi Pisi, 9 Kahn Fotuali'i, 8 Taiasina Tuifua, 7 Jack Lam, 6 Ofisa Treviranus, 5 Teofilo Paulo, 4 Faatiga Lemalu, 3 Logovi'i Mulipola, 2 Ole Avei, 1 Sakaria Taulafo.
Replacements: 16 Tii Paulo, 17 Viliamu Afatia, 18 James Johnston, 19 Joe Tekori, 20 Alafoti Faosilivia, 21 Jeremy Sua, 22 Isaia Tuifua, 23 Fautua Otto.

Bugger that's frustrating, Johnston and Williams are huge losses for this team. Surprised Levave isn't in there somewhere.

Looking at the Irish lineup, I can't see Samoa winning this. Should be a solid 10-15 point win.

 

[psychic duck]

Bugger that's frustrating, Johnston and Williams are huge losses for this team. Surprised Levave isn't in the team.

Cencus is probably their MVP. Their tighthead is an out of position loosehead now.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Well, that should even out on us missing Johnny then, eh?

The plan should be to stick with the Samoans for about 50 minutes then unleash the bench on them. Reddan and Madigan to speed play up, Healy, O'Brien and O'Connell to punch holes through the forwards. Cronin to run round like a mad pacey *******.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Well, that should even out on us missing Johnny then, eh?

The plan should be to stick with the Samoans for about 50 minutes then unleash the bench on them. Reddan and Madigan to speed play up, Healy, O'Brien and O'Connell to punch holes through the forwards. Cronin to run round like a mad pacey *******.

I dunno, the 'second best fllyhalf in the world' compared with a prop...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Cencus is probably their MVP. Their tighthead is an out of position loosehead now.

Yeah, that is strange that they'd shift LM across instead of starting Johnstone the younger.
I know LM has played some tighthead for Tigers, but surely a full on tighthead would be better?

Those injuries are certainly crappy, but it's showing the depth that Samoa are building that they can put out a strong side without names like those.

 

[profitius]

With all the fuss surrounding the Ireland selection it should be noted that (according to my calculations) the Ireland pack weigh in at 925kgs which is a good example of Schmidt's 'horses for courses' type of selection. Also he has a strong bench and keeping important players fresh at the same time.

 

[Peat]

You'd have thought a horses for courses selection would have a bigger backline though.

edit: That said, not a big Samoan backline. Bowe will be the biggest back on the pitch.

 

[profitius]

You'd have thought a horses for courses selection would have a bigger backline though.

Being good ball players is the main thing. Either way its an average sized backline, maybe slightly undersized compared to most international sides but the last thing I'd like to see is Schmidt sacrificing talent for size in the backs.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

edit: That said, not a big Samoan backline. Bowe will be the biggest back on the pitch.

Height wise, perhaps, but Sale has Leota at 1kg heavier and 8cm shorter, so he'd be...stouter?

 

[Feicarsinn]

You'd have thought a horses for courses selection would have a bigger backline though.

edit: That said, not a big Samoan backline. Bowe will be the biggest back on the pitch.

Who do you put in though? Trimble simply doesn't have the skill set to play the rugby Joe wants all of our other backs of consideration are also midgets (Oh, there's Downey, but he's ****.)

 

[Peat]

Who do you put in though? Trimble simply doesn't have the skill set to play the rugby Joe wants all of our other backs of consideration are also midgets (Oh, there's Downey, but he's ****.)

Madigan's a bit bigger than Jackson. Probably not enough to be worth mentioning in fairness. The big ones though are Luke Marshall and Robbie Henshaw, both of whom are large gentlemen and love to let people know about it. Not sure where you put Henshaw in that backline in fairness - shame he's not played wing - as he's not replacing O'Driscoll. If he'd picked Marshall over D'Arcy though, then Marshall would have brought over an extra stone of bulk to the party. I suppose you could make aspersions about the handling of both players.

edit: Wiki has Leota as being about 10kg lighter than that! That's what I'd been going off. Yes, that would make Leota bigger by most definitions.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Hmm, fair point. Although part of me thinks that it'd be a bit foolish to try and beat the Samoans at their own game. Instead of trying to outmuscle them we need to turn them around and play around them imo. Match them up front and go around them in the backs. We're not going to be able to dominate them physically in the back line regardless of who we play, so there's no point playing into their hands imo.

 

[Sam Owen]

IRELAND!! prepare...

Close your windows, lock the doors. Samoa is here..

Thats actually what they say at the start of the haka.