That's fair enough but who's Joe's preference for a big game if Kearney goes down? Larmour?
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Ireland World Cup 2019 Thread aka "Quarter Final 4"
- Thread starter Leonormous Boozer
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I'd be amazed if that was being strongly considered. Compare Henshaw's game v England to literally any game Larmour has played (even on the wing) in 2019 and no one could believe Henshaw is the better option there, add that he never plays and presumably never trains there with Ster and it'd take a real window licker make that move.
4 back three players to bring in an extra back row is something I could live with and Henshaw would be fine at 15 v a minnow (as would Aki or Ringrose on the wing) but if Kearney gets injured I want Larmour at 15 in the big games.
4 back three players to bring in an extra back row is something I could live with and Henshaw would be fine at 15 v a minnow (as would Aki or Ringrose on the wing) but if Kearney gets injured I want Larmour at 15 in the big games.
100%. I'm fine with four back three players but Larmour has to be ahead of Henshaw at fullback, only player in the squad other than Kearney or Haley who's played regularly there this year.
No but in a game against a tier 2 Henshaw will be fine there I'd guess. If Kearney got serious injury you can fly out a replacement and well Joey or Larmour can deputise. This is more probably along the thinking of managing the squad in lesser battles.
Realistically there is no really awful game in the pools and is a calculated risk.
For the big games then there is options plus I can't see Henshaw being moved from the centre for big games.
Conway has played a few games there too and will also be on stand by I'd guess (presuming Kearney, Earls, Stockdale and Larmour are the 4).
Also Beirne was namechecked as a guy that is comfortable playing lock, 6 and 8.
Is that a hint in thinking.
If I recall correctly every time he's been given a chance he didn't take it. Maybe Schmidt reckons he doesn't have the head for it.
Only 3 caps I think so probably harsh to judge him, but to be fair he was poor against the USA in November.
FB was Henshaw's best position at Connacht, he was pigeon holed to Centre in wake of BODs retirement. He just needs a few games there during the warm ups. That England game was his first time there in years, that's asking too much of anyone but it demonstrates Joes opinion of him.
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He needs to completely change his body composition if he wants to be a 15 again, no chance he has the vertical leap or endurance for the position as big as he is right now. He clearly wasn't up to the amount of running required v England, his three mistakes in the lead up to their first try was an example of that very early in the game.
Maybe but Robbie wasnt much smaller if you look back and didn't Schmidt mention he ran so much because he was also covering for Earls when he got injured. Poor defensive positioning due to being rusty didn't help. You may be right but I would trust Robbie over any back we have to pull it off.
He's been brilliant for four games straight against difficult opposition for Leinster playing at 12, whatever about five years ago it's easily his best position now.
Even if he does manage to get his positional sense back and get more used to him playing fullback I don't see any reason why he's going to be better than Larmour there, and even if he was the loss at centre is too much to justify doing it in anything other than a squad rotation game.
Even if he does manage to get his positional sense back and get more used to him playing fullback I don't see any reason why he's going to be better than Larmour there, and even if he was the loss at centre is too much to justify doing it in anything other than a squad rotation game.
Larmour at FB for a big game is a terrifying thought. I know you're a fan and I absolutely think he's getting better with each game but right now I just don't trust him.
I know what you mean, but he's played a lot of big games there for Leinster this season and he's never really looked out of place. He's got a lot more top level experience there than Henshaw, despite their relative ages.
I thought he did an admirable job being chucked into Twickenham on his debut.
But was dropped immediately afterward.
He did very well on his debut, away to eventual Grand Slam winners as well. Surprising that it took him so long to get another game. He was very underwhelming against Fiji/USA when he played that though. If you're unlucky enough to be in the 1 cap per year bracket you need to take the chances when they come.
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His performance v England is remembered through rose tinted glasses in my opinion, he had a shocker in defence.
Lads Larmour hasn't been anywhere near special in a 15 jersey for Leinster in big games. Has been very poor positionally alot of time I've seen him there. However it's terrifying if RK isn't there as Larmour has a few faults but so does the rest. And all are untested really
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How about his performance at 15 here?
Sorry, you said big games. I guess you're right!
I'd like to see Jacob Stockdale get a shot at 15. That said, I'd have no qualms picking Jordan Larmour at 15 in a big international if needed. He's played plenty of big games for Leinster in that shirt.
Special no, competent yes. His positioning isn't perfect but 'very poor' is overdoing it by mile. Like I said, he's played there loads for Leinster, including over half the Heineken Cup campaign and the Pro14 and was never really properly exposed. And he did very well there against France, even if they offered no resistance whatsoever. He's not perfect at all and he's better on the wing but you don't play every minute of a European Cup campaign by being terrible defensively, and he isn't.
And either way he's miles better than Henshaw there, in pretty much every aspect of the game.
Yes. He was very good in that game attacking but that game would show exactly what I mean in terms of poor positionally. And he missed a few tackles that game.
