• Help Support The Rugby Forum :

[November Tests 2016 EOYT] Ireland vs. Australia (26/11/2016)

He's nowhere near the force he was last year, but he was Number 8 then too so I don't think it's got much to do with that.

He has had an injury plagued season though; he didn't play in all the tests against England, and he had a horrific hand injury that kept him out of the last two games of the rugby championship
 
He has had an injury plagued season though; he didn't play in all the tests against England, and he had a horrific hand injury that kept him out of the last two games of the rugby championship

Oh yeah, I'm not questioning his ability or potential, but as it is he's hardly the world beater he was last year. If he can get a decent string of games together then a man of his motivation will surely get back to his best, but ATM he's just not there.
 
Oh yeah, I'm not questioning his ability or potential, but as it is he's hardly the world beater he was last year. If he can get a decent string of games together then a man of his motivation will surely get back to his best, but ATM he's just not there.

Yeah, I get your point ... I haven't seen any of the Wallabies Northern tour games, but if your forward pack loses the set piece/ scrum battle, it's hard to have a dominant game.

Possibly there's an element of the other teams figuring out and countering the Hooper/Pocock combination too
 
Here is the 42.ie's "possible Ireland team".
15. Kearney
14. Trimble
13. Payne
12. Olding
11. Zebo
10. Jackson
9. Murray
1. McGrath
2. Best
3. Furlong
4. Donnacha Ryan
5. Toner
6. Stander
7. SOB
8 Heasip

16. Cronin
17. Healy
18. Bealham
19. Henderson/Dillane
20. VDF
21. Carbery
22. Marmion
23. Ringrose
 
Yeah but he'll know himself he isn't fully fit yet. Its great for Ireland though. I also think Dan Leavy is another big talent.

Oh he's fit and I'm delighted as he will be rampaging in Leicester games. Dan Leavy is a fine player but won't be with Ireland either Saturday. Fact is simply competition in backrow for Ireland is scary now
 
my irish brothers, if you're lucky the wallabies will play hooper at 7 and pocock at 8, and there's every chance they will
if however common sense prevails (unlikely) they would play pocock in his natural position and that would make for a helluva battle
would love to see a wallaby backrow of pocock, timani, fardy against SOB, Heaslip, Stander or VDF!
 
WALLABIES TEAM TO FACE IRELAND:

(15-1): Israel Folau, Dane Haylett-Petty, Tevita Kuridrani, Reece Hodge, Henry Speight, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Dean Mumm, Rob Simmons, Rory Arnold, Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore (capt), Scott Sio.

Res: Tolu Latu, James Slipper, Allan Alaalatoa, Kane Douglas, Lopeti Timani, Sean McMahon, Nick Phipps, Quade Cooper, Sefanaia Naivalu (one to be omitted).


Read more at http://wwos.nine.com.au/2016/11/24/23/01/wallabies-go-big-to-take-down-ireland#dZPU4q6DShB4kbPg.99
 
Sean O'Brien is pretty much the most entertaining forward in the world right now.
I love watching him rampage about like a wildebeest.
 
RELAND
15. Rob Kearney
14. Andrew Trimble
13. Jared Payne
12. Garry Ringrose
11. Keith Earls
10. Paddy Jackson
9. Conor Murray

1. Jack McGrath
2. Rory Best (c)
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. Devin Toner
5. Iain Henderson
6. CJ Stander
7. Sean O'Brien
8. Jamie Heaslip

Replacements: S Cronin, Healy, Bealham, Dillane, van der Flier, Marmion, Carbery, Zebo.
 
Ireland predictable.

McGrath
Best
Furlong
Henderson
Toner
Stander
SOB
Heaslip
Murray
Jackson
Earls
Ringrose
Payne
Trimble
Kearney

Cronin
Healy
Bealham
Dillane
VDF
Carbery
Marmion
Zebo


The Australian defence coach don't have to be a genius to know whats coming.
 
Three huge carrying threats up front which is great. We'll see how Jackson does with an inexperienced 12 outside him, but I'm excited for this
 
Hmmm, is it a fitness thing that Zebos on the bench? Provided fitness is not an issue I would've chosen him over Earls - I like Earls, but recently Zebo has impressed me a lot more. Overall, pretty solid selection, nothing out of the ordinary. I'm glad to see RR as opposed to Olding or Marshall, even though I know they have experience with PJ - I just think Ringrose is better, despite his inexperience at international level and playing out of position... (though that I said I haven't watched enough Ulster rugby in a good while)

I honestly can't wait to see the combined strength of SOB, Stander and Heaslip, hopefully early injuries won't be an issue this time. It'll be a force to be reckoned with. Then VDF comes in 50-60 mins in... excellent.

What type of game plan does everyone see Schmidt executing? How can we beat this Ozzie side?

Also, would've been nice to TOH get a bit of game time, but I guess this match is relatively important if we want to cap this as a good year so perhaps not worth the risk, if things are on a knife edge in the last quarter. Hopefully he gets some minutes in against Italy/Scotland
 
Last edited:
I didn't even cop that. What to do if RR or Payne get injured :huh:
 
Earls is centre cover. Carberry can play 12 too.
Possibly Ireland's beat bench for impact in years
 

Latest posts

Top