Smith O'Leary=Scapegoat

[big ginger 8]

http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2012/0705/sport/smith-kidney-exiled-oleary-199770.html

I find this pretty funny dropping him was one of the few things Kidney did right.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I disagree with a hell of a lot of what Declan Kidney has done as Ireland coach but dropping Tomas O'Leary is one decision I back him on. He should have dropped him far sooner in fact. Hopefully he recovers the form he showed in 2008/09 but it appears that that season was an aberration in an otherwise average career. Conor Murray isn't a whole lot better either.

 

[coonor]

The article doesn't even make sense. It accepts O'Leary fell out of form but then argues that his dropping is a "scapegoat"! Like most people have said, it was the right decision but like many of Kidney's choices it was far too late.

 

[Peat]

Coach talks up new player shocker.

Is pretty funny though :lol:

 

[Feicarsinn]

If O'Leary continues to show the form he displayed in the second half of the season for Munster he could have a very good time at Irish. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if he slipped into his old habits again, such is the type of game we see in the Premiership.

 

[psychic duck]

If O'Leary continues to show the form he displayed in the second half of the season for Munster he could have a very good time at Irish. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if he slipped into his old habits again, such is the type of game we see in the Premiership.

What are O'Leary's old habits?

 

[Feicarsinn]

What are O'Leary's old habits?

Slow delivery, overuse of his terrible kicking game, general idiocy. I'm not having a go at the Premiership, but it is a relatively forward based league, so there's perhaps more emphasis on the more physical aspects of a half back's game. That said, Irish generally like to play expansively, so hopefully he'll kick on with his passing, which looked a lot sharper in 2012 than in 2011.

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

I never saw why there was such an issue with O'Leary. Yes, once 08/09 passed he did become increasingly static, but he was always so much quicker and more aware than Mike Phillips, and even in poor games had some great touches. (I remember him putting a lovely grubber in past Fussell for Howlett to score from in the HC game in Thomond Park) He seems to me like the sort of player who'll thrive in the Premiership, where speed of pass means nowt.