Greatest Irish XV of the Professional Era?

[MunsterMan]

The talk of Keith Wood in the Ireland/England thread got me thinking, what do you think is the greatest Irish XV of the professional era?

 

[gingergenius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Feb 19 2009, 01:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

The talk of Keith Wood in the Ireland/England thread got me thinking, what do you think is the greatest Irish XV of the professional era?[/b]

Clohessy
Wood
Hayes
O'Kelly
O'Connell
Miller
Wallace
Foley
Stringer
O'Gara
Geoghan
D'arcy
O'Driscoll
Horgan
Mason

 

[An Tarbh]

Right have done this without looking at the other posts so here goes,

15. Kearney, 14. Geoghegan, 13. O'Driscoll, 12. D'Arcy, 11. Hickie, 10. O'Gara, 9. Stringer, 1. Clohessy, 2. Wood, 3. Hayes, 4. Galwey, 5. O'Connell, 6. Miller, 7. Gleeson, 8. Foley.

Easy to say that Kearney is still to prove himself but in terms of talent, skill, pace he has the edge on the other contenders.

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (gingergenius @ Feb 19 2009, 03:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Feb 19 2009, 01:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The talk of Keith Wood in the Ireland/England thread got me thinking, what do you think is the greatest Irish XV of the professional era?[/b]

Clohessy
Wood
Hayes
O'Kelly
O'Connell
Miller
Wallace
Foley
Stringer
O'Gara
Geoghan
D'arcy
O'Driscoll
Horgan
Mason
[/b][/quote]

3 caps makes Mason the greatest Irish full back of the professional era, I know he did well with Ulster when they won the Heineken Cup but let's not lose the run of ourselves here.

 

[MunsterMan]

I'm not questioning Geoghan's place on any Irish rugby XV but did he ever play for Ireland as a Pro? Woody for captain I presume? Who would be the coach?

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Feb 19 2009, 04:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I'm not questioning Geoghan's place on any Irish rugby XV but did he ever play for Ireland as a Pro? Woody for captain I presume? Who would be the coach?[/b]

he played in 1996 so just about eligible.

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Feb 19 2009, 04:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I'm not questioning Geoghan's place on any Irish rugby XV but did he ever play for Ireland as a Pro? Woody for captain I presume? Who would be the coach?[/b]

Gatland or EOS?

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

15. Girvan Dempsey (in time, Kearney will have this spot)
14. Shane Horgan (couldn't pick Geoghegan since he only played about 5 times as a pro for Ireland)
13. Brian O'Driscoll
12. Gordon D'arcy
11. Denis Hickie
10. Ronan O'Gara
9. Peter Stringer
1. Nick Popplewell (outstanding prop who played in an era when Ireland were sh*te)
2. Keith Wood
3. John Hayes
4. Jeremy Davidson (gets in ahead of O'Kelly due to Lions starting spot)
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Victor Costello (no outstanding contenders but his time at 6 coincided with a good run of results)
7. David Wallace
8. Anthony Foley (in time Heaslip will be)

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (snoopy snoopy dog dog @ Feb 19 2009, 05:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

15. Girvan Dempsey (in time, Kearney will have this spot)
14. Shane Horgan (couldn't pick Geoghegan since he only played about 5 times as a pro for Ireland)
13. Brian O'Driscoll
12. Gordon D'arcy
11. Denis Hickie
10. Ronan O'Gara
9. Peter Stringer
1. Nick Popplewell (outstanding prop who played in an era when Ireland were sh*te)
2. Keith Wood
3. John Hayes
4. Jeremy Davidson (gets in ahead of O'Kelly due to Lions starting spot)
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Victor Costello (no outstanding contenders but his time at 6 coincided with a good run of results)
7. David Wallace
8. Anthony Foley (in time Heaslip will be)[/b]

can't believe I forgot Popplewell, suppose his outstanding moment was on the Lions tour of 1993, you just don't think of him as having played much in the professional era.

 

[gingergenius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Feb 19 2009, 02:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (gingergenius @ Feb 19 2009, 03:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Feb 19 2009, 01:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The talk of Keith Wood in the Ireland/England thread got me thinking, what do you think is the greatest Irish XV of the professional era?[/b]

Clohessy
Wood
Hayes
O'Kelly
O'Connell
Miller
Wallace
Foley
Stringer
O'Gara
Geoghan
D'arcy
O'Driscoll
Horgan
Mason
[/b][/quote]

3 caps makes Mason the greatest Irish full back of the professional era, I know he did well with Ulster when they won the Heineken Cup but let's not lose the run of ourselves here.
[/b][/quote]

i kno, I used to love him in his richmond days so i put him in... realistically it would be dempsey be he's nothing special...

 

[JohnBE]

Girv definitely gets the 15 shirt, 85 odd caps?.. solid as a rock... Infact I never saw him play badly at the end .. he hasn't been on the pitch in awhile but he didn't put in any bad performances.

it's funny..a lot of the best 15 come from ireland's "golden generation"..which eddie did such a fabulous job with:S

 

[MunsterMan]

Caps are not the be all and end all. Surely to get into the best Irish XV of the last 13 or so years you would have to be more than 'solid'. Neither Gatland or Eddie did a very good job, would having Kidney as coach be putting the mockers on him Tarbh? Keith Wood is captain.

 

[JohnBE]

gatland wasn't given sufficient time

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JohnBE @ Feb 20 2009, 09:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

gatland wasn't given sufficient time[/b]

he took over in 1998, went at the end of 2001, he had plenty of time, but he didn't have the support of the players prior to the 6N in 2002, so he had to go. Whether it was media spin or not a lot of the credit to the upsurge in the Irish team was attributed to EOS rather than Gatland. I don't think Gatland would be the coach he is today if he didn't have that experience with Ireland.

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Feb 20 2009, 02:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Caps are not the be all and end all. Surely to get into the best Irish XV of the last 13 or so years you would have to be more than 'solid'. Neither Gatland or Eddie did a very good job, would having Kidney as coach be putting the mockers on him Tarbh? Keith Wood is captain.[/b]

there's no doubt that Kidney is the best Irish coach of the professional era but if we're solely judging on Ireland coaches than it has to be EOS.

 

[Cymro]

I cannot believe that no one has picked Paddy Wallace at Prop!