Ireland Squad Announcement

[Feicarsinn]

He'd be even more likely to recommend Dominic though

Jasus. Far too many D.Ryans floating round at the moment for me :lol:

If you refer to provincial form you're badly wrong and won't find an Ulster fan who'll agree with you.

I thought he was muck against Biarritz. Also, when has he ever done it for Ireland? It's four years since I remember him having a good game in green. Give Fergie a shot and see what he can do.

 

[Conal]

trimble had a class game against trevisio didnt get many chances vrs birratz everyone goes on and on about how trimble should never be in ireland and how he dosnt preform
well has no one noticed that he rarely ever strings any caps together, trimble always warrnts his call up with ulster form but never deleivers so is dropped usally after one game eg last year 6nations.
i agree he probaly shouldnt be given this many chances but for a while he was the only guy to give chances to

 

[coonor]

I think Trimble and McFadden should both be in the team but I rate McFadden far more he can play 11,12,13,14 and can spot kick if needed he will be a future Ireland started. DOC is playing very poorly atm and I hope POC can change that but I agree that Tuohy should be in but I don't think he should replace DOC. I also agree with feic in that Jennings is a cracking 7 that offers something completely different he is a great asset to the team.

 

[Peat]

Trimble in Green is an argument I won't be having again for the time being as I'd be repeating myself.

Trimble in White is different, he's not hit the heights this season (apart from the one half whipping of Treviso) but he's been doing his job well and has been one of our better backs. He deserves his place in the squad.

Although, admittedly, not as much as Fergus McFadden deserves a place. McFadden's probably the unluckiest Irishman outside the main squad.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

McFadden woulda been in my starting team. I would've put him at 11 ahead of Luke or, I dare say, maybe even at 12 ahead of his majesty. I think he's a great player

 

[coonor]

Tickets for Ireland's RBS 6 Nations matches against France and England went on sale to Supporters Club members this morning and sold out in under two minutes.

http://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/21844.php

Just thought i'd put that up as its great to know our home games will be packed out and not like the disaster in the Autumn Internationals.

 

[lucky number 7]

maybe even at 12 ahead of his majesty.

Oh good god say it aint so !!!

 

[Jockstap]

You could make a fairly decent team out of that wolfhound squad, something along the lines of

15 Johne Murphy
14 Dennis Hurley
13 Eoin O'Malley
12 Fergus McFadden
11 Err Keith Matthews? I'm guessing the AN Other spot will be a winger/Centre
10 Ian Humphries
9 Tomas O'Leary
8 Chris Henry
7 Dominic Ryan
6 Kevin McLaughlin
5 Dan Touhy
4 Devin Toner
3 Jamie Hagan
2 Damien Varley
1 Brett Wilkinson

Seriously, what the hell is Keith Matthews doing in the Wolfhounds(and I'm a Connacht fan) also Hagan should be in the senior squad ahead of Hayes, he's arguably been our best player this season.

 

[munstermuffin]

That's a nice Wolfhounds team

 

[Jockstap]

I threw this up over on 606, makes for encouraging reading, now if I could only show it to Declan Kidney

23 year old Sean O'Brien is the best ball carrier in the HC so far this season with 73 carries to his name,

Players Team Matches Carries
1 Sean O'Brien Leinster 5 73
2 Thomas Waldrom Leicester 5 68
3 Sione Lauaki Clermont 5 64
3 Pedrie Wannen Ulster 5 64
5 Xavier Rush Cardiff Blues 4 63
6 Phil Dowson Northampton 5 55
7 Denis Leamy Munster 5 49
8 Maama Molitika Cardiff Blues 5 47
8 Bradley Barritt Saracens 5 47
8 Josh Turnbull Scarlets 5 47

Surprisingly, no other Irish backrower made the list, I would've thought Ferris would've been up there.

O'Brien's also 2nd on the "defender's beaten" rankings and 4th on the "tackles made" ranking.

I honestly think he's easily Ireland's best player at the minute and I can't wait to see him destroy teams in the Six Nations.

I got all my stats from the telegraphs HC stat thing.

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...

 

[Peat]

Ferris has only played 3 HC matches - 34 carries.

Also, most carries does not equal best carrier. A better (if still very crude) determinant of that would be metres made per carry. It just makes O'Brien Leinster's go to man and to be fair, there's a reason for that. Will be interesting to see how he gets on.

 

[Jockstap]

Ferris has only played 3 HC matches - 34 carries.

Also, most carries does not equal best carrier. A better (if still very crude) determinant of that would be metres made per carry. It just makes O'Brien Leinster's go to man and to be fair, there's a reason for that. Will be interesting to see how he gets on.

Ok Peat just for you

Player, Carries, Meters Carried
1 Sean O'Brien 73 247
2 Thomas Waldrom 68 242
3 Sione Lauaki 64 167
3 Pedrie Wannen 64 151
5 Xavier Rush 63 183
6 Phil Dowson 55 82
7 Denis Leamy 49 80
8 Maama Molitika 47 64
8 Bradley Barritt 47 138
8 Josh Turnbull 47 91

 

[Peat]

Much obliged sir.

That would suggest Waldrom's been a slightly better carrier than SOB, and maybe Barritt too (although metres run always favours backs with their run-ups)... O'Brien's still been bloody impressive. Better metres per run than Ferris, who racks up 105 (using scrum.com here) - still shames a lot of the boys on that list!

As said, very interested in how he gets on... a lot of youngsters find international rugby not entirely smooth going, plus I think its a lot easier to play at Leinster than Ireland, as Leinster have been playing a better style of rugby. Interesting to see how the backs go, it will be essentially the Leinster boys plus on or two hangers-on in the back 3, if they can bring the same style of rugby things look better.

 

[Jockstap]

Still O'Brien is only 23 years old, most of the other guys on that list have about 5 or 6 years on him. He's destroying teams on his own at the moment at 6 or 8, not sure what will happen if he's picked at 7 for the Six Nations.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

The problem is he isn't really a 7... But nor is Wallace. So if we're gonna play one of them at 7 O'Brien is clearly the better choice. If we're looking to start and out-and-out number 7 we'll play Jennings.

 

[Logorrhea]

Its a 50+ squad announcement. I dont see why anyone is trying to read anything into it other then that.

However, its more fun to guess so ........... the way I see it, Rys Ruddock and Mike McCarthy missed out on the wolfhounds squad, thats where they probably need to be. Now the likes of Dominic Ryan and Toner will get gametime while those two carry the tackle bags (along with the likes of Jennings, Paddy Wallace, Ross and Cullen). The Wolfhounds is where a lot of the same old tired faces will be given even more opportunities to prove they are the best option.

Buckley will be given another chance, and will be promoted having performed miserably (Hagan will be ignored). Varley still wont be able to hit a lineout but he'll be promoted, as will O'Leary regardless of his Bergamasco-esque passing ability.

Touhy, McFadden, O'Malley, Boss, Humphreys could all play out of their skin but it wont be enough to replace Kidneys favourites.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Buckley will be given another chance, and will be promoted having performed miserably (Hagan will be ignored).

Sadly I agree with this. I also think Mike Ross will be ignored again. Ross was named in the November squad yet got as many minutes for the national team then as I did. Nada. Mike Ross, Jamie Hagan and Tom Court in that order should be Ireland's tightheads. Tony Buckley, Tom Court and John Hayes in that order is who Declan Kidney will pick.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

Kidney would have to be mentally unstable not to start Ross

 

[Peat]

Kidney would have to be mentally unstable not to start Ross

Yes. Yes he would.

But I don't think you should take the nuthouse's number off of speed dial anytime soon.

 

[Conal]

i still rate ferris over sob
however i would play sob over wallace he may not be a 7 but he is such a good backk row shouldnt really matter