• Help Support The Rugby Forum :

Ireland Squad 2018/2019

Ireland Squad (Guinness Series 2018, The Rugby Weekend 2018):

Player/Club/Province/Caps -

Forwards (24):
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 111 (Captain)
Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht) 7
Tadhg Beirne (Munster) 2
Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 9
Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 62
Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 26
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 81
Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 39
Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 6
Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 22
Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster) 10
Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 50
Jordi Murphy (Ulster) 23
Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster) 51
Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 50 (Vice-Captain)
Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 8
Quinn Roux (Galwegians/Connacht) 6
Rhys Ruddock (St Mary's College/Leinster) 19
James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 11
John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 15
Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) 9
CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 26
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 60
Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 10

Backs (18):
Will Addison (Enniskillen/Ulster) *
Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 9
Sam Arnold (Garryowen/Munster) *
Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster) *
Joey Carbery (Munster) 12
Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 7
John Cooney (Terenure College/Ulster) 2
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 70
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 36
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 86
Jordan Larmour (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 6
Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) 22
Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster) 2
Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) 6
Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 14
Sexton WENT TO Mary's
Jacob Stockdale (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 11
Darren Sweetnam (Cork Constitution/Munster) 2

@TRF_Olyy
 
Not much suprise or anything really to argue. It really picked itself.
No player left out can be too upset
 
Average ages
Backs =25.8
Forwards =27.8
Total =26.9

Average caps =25.6
10 or less caps =18



For Italy we could be looking at something like

McGrath
Herring
Porter
Roux
Henderson
Ruddock
SOB
Conan

Marmion
Carbery
Sweetnam
McCluskey
Addison
Larmour
Conway

Cronin
Kilcoyne
Ryan/Bealham
Beirne
Leavy
Byrne
Cooney
Arnold


I think it'll be a combination of second team and getting first teamer up to speed. The Italian side has already been named, bizarrely enough.
 
Murray not being ruled out of the NZ game. Although I don't know if I'd throw him in cold after such a long lay off for NZ if he doesn't play Argentina.
 
Murray not being ruled out of the NZ game. Although I don't know if I'd throw him in cold after such a long lay off for NZ if he doesn't play Argentina.
As I said few weeks ago the absence wasnt all injury related. Hes had no gsmes but has trained
 
Leavy in the Leinster squad heading to SA anyway.
He may be like our lads in a sense. We got Sammy and John over here but even their training is modified for Internationals. It is interesting actually the way Schmidt is approaching this window. Like I'd guess John Ryan might be ahead of Porter for NZ. Maybe not. But its like he has said Porter was always starting vs Italy. There is no point in Ryan coming to play 10mins. Go to South Africa play your 80mins and ye both have alot of gametime. Then we will approach the next game on basis ye both had sufficient time
 
I imagine any starters for country or province this week will be ruled out of next week's game. I don't see much point playing a full side in any game apart from NZ considering there's four games in the 6n that require our best players.
 
So... your picking a team, who do you have at 7? JVDF, Leavy or SOB?
 
Guessing the Argentina team based off this weeks teams.

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Furlong
4. Henderson
5. Ryan
6. O'Mahony
7. O'Brien
8. Stander
9. Marmion
10. Sexton
11. Stockdale
12. Henshaw
13. Ringrose
14. Earls
15. Kearney
(The subs are harder to guess but sure)
16. Cronin
17. McGrath
18. Porter/Bealham (if Porter starts this week he could well get next week off)
19. Beirne
20. Literally no idea (it's one of 5)
21. Cooney/McGrath
22. Carbery/Bynre (see Porter)
23. Larmour/Addison/Conway

The team for the biggest game against the All Blacks will presumably be finalised based on the next 2 games. I'd say that 4,7 and 9 are the shirts up for grabs (maybe 12 and 8 as well). The bench is full of questions as well.

So... your picking a team, who do you have at 7? JVDF, Leavy or SOB?

I'd probably have JvdF on current form, but then again SOB at his best is the strongest of the three (for now at least). On the back row, is anyone else a bit concerned about CJ Stander's form? He's been anonymous at best this season. There's a decent chance he's just been overplayed and that now that he's had a break he'll come good but if he doesn't show some improvement I'd see the logic in playing SOB at 8 v the ABs.
 
Ireland (possible): J Larmour; A Conway, G Ringrose, B Aki, J Stockdale; J Carbery, L McGrath; J McGrath, N Scannell, A Porter; T Beirne, Q Roux; R Ruddock, J van der Flier, J Conan.

Team for the Italy game according to the Irish Times.
 
Ireland (possible): J Larmour; A Conway, G Ringrose, B Aki, J Stockdale; J Carbery, L McGrath; J McGrath, N Scannell, A Porter; T Beirne, Q Roux; R Ruddock, J van der Flier, J Conan.

Team for the Italy game according to the Irish Times.
Just to add. There was a few articles in Addison that madr few points. Questioned why he never made it to English set up and statistically backed it up that even this year whilst exciting going forward defensively he is very poor going back. It mentioned how Rob Kearney may be a poor tackler by some but overall things like organisation etc show his worth overall. They reckon that Addison is alot further off than we think and this window is more a "work on" stage
 
Just to add. There was a few articles in Addison that madr few points. Questioned why he never made it to English set up and statistically backed it up that even this year whilst exciting going forward defensively he is very poor going back. It mentioned how Rob Kearney may be a poor tackler by some but overall things like organisation etc show his worth overall. They reckon that Addison is alot further off than we think and this window is more a "work on" stage

I don't think there's much point in starting Addison, I'd say he's the 5th best available 15 and in a toss up with a few guys in and out of the squad for third best 13* but he's a great bench option covering the back three and outside centre. I don't think Schmidt has any interest in Carbery as a 15 and knows now not to put Earls in the centre. Addison and Larmour are the only options at 23 to stop either of these things from happening. Schmidt has always loved a utility at 23 when possible and isn't afraid to pigeon hole players as one at international level, Ferg being a solid example.

*Anyone else reckon that this position has over taken 9 and 10 as the position worst affected if numero uno goes down? The added dimension Ringrose brings to attack and defence is worth a try and a couple turnovers/forced errors a game. Sexton visibly struggles without him for Ireland (and when Toulouse successfully man marked him out of the game) which highlights Murray's sole weakness of being a bit ponderous in opponents 22s more too.
 
Just to add. There was a few articles in Addison that madr few points. Questioned why he never made it to English set up and statistically backed it up that even this year whilst exciting going forward defensively he is very poor going back. It mentioned how Rob Kearney may be a poor tackler by some but overall things like organisation etc show his worth overall. They reckon that Addison is alot further off than we think and this window is more a "work on" stage

Yeah, I have to say, I have noticed him drop off quite a few tackles and have been slowly meandering to the point of questioning his tackling. Too many near misses to be comfortable.
 
*Anyone else reckon that this position has over taken 9 and 10 as the position worst affected if numero uno goes down? The added dimension Ringrose brings to attack and defence is worth a try and a couple turnovers/forced errors a game. Sexton visibly struggles without him for Ireland (and when Toulouse successfully man marked him out of the game) which highlights Murray's sole weakness of being a bit ponderous in opponents 22s more too.

If Chris Farrell is fit, then it becomes a different game plan, but one we can work around. Albeit, if Ringrose (who is clearly first choice) goes down in a game, its very unlikely Farrell will be the man on the bench to come on.

Robbie Henshaw (or Bundee Aki) just haven't done it at 13 for Ireland - they can't work the wingers/fulback into the game enough.
 

Latest posts

Top