lucky number 7
International
Lads who do you think will take up the 7 jersey once wally steps down from his throne? I reckon Sean o Brien is the best bet...same mould of a player as Wallace...serious talent
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It'll probably be SOB, but being only mildly biased here - I'd like to see Faloon get a chance. I know that in modern forward terms he's a streak of **** physically speaking, but he tackles hard, gets everywhere and forces turnovers. He'll never carry like SOB, but think he's better as an actual 7.
i almost completely agree with u i have a couple of ****les tho when you say massive pack for the italians do you mean size or ability as the england pack is the biggest by a fair margin mainly because of there huge back row of 17 stone+ ers and
then there is the old 126 KG 6'8 simon shaw also steve thompson is quite big for a hooker.
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Derbyshire is Italian born and bred, despite the name. You're probably thinking of Josh Sole, who's fairly class it must be said. I'd still want to find room for Mauro Bergemasco in there as well.
Being as he's still potentially never going to play again, I doubt this one.
durbutter
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Bullshit, thats just a rumor. Acooding to interviews, that nasty infection is on its way out, and he'll be back training soon. Saw him around Limerick yday and he still fit and ******* massive!
Here's the article anyway;
From the Limerick Post ...
“I am the kind of player who feels best playing games”
MUNSTER Captain Paul O Connell, speaks to Postsport this week about his current injury which has seen the lock forward on the sidelines since February 20 last.
The injury, an infection in the pubic symphysis, has seen the Irish international sidelined since the last Six Nations game of the season against Scotland.
Indeed, the former Lions captain has not pulled on the red of Munster since January of last year, when Northampton came to town in the Heineken Cup pool stages. A lay off which has been a little frustrating for the proud new father.
“I have never really injured myself to be honest, so it is frustrating in that way. If you get a break or a bang in a match you can kind of accept that, but this is an infection, so that was harder to get over really. Once I got a handle on it in the pubic symphysis, it was easier to get over the injury. There is minimal blood flow to that area, so it was taking longer than normal to heal. I will be on oral antibiotics until the end of this week. I am back doing a decent bit of training over the last three weeks. So I am on the mend. I think it is still going to be a slow process from here, but I am definitely on the mend.”
With such an important season ahead, what with Heineken Cup, Magners League, Six Nations and a World Cup, the Limerick giant, who turns 31 in October sees the season as being separate periods, ones in which he wants to play in.
“Well I hope that once I am back and available to play, I will play out the rest of the season with Munster and Ireland wherever possible. I am the kind of player who feels best playing games. Getting to play a lot of games and not too much rest in between is what suits me, to be honest. It is something that didn’t happen for me last season you know. I would love to get five games in a row and maybe then a week off and then five games again. I would like to do that until the end of the season and then look at World Cups and stuff like that. The World Cup is in September so we will get a good break in the summer anyway so. I can’t really see anyone else being different than that really.”
First things first for Paul and Munster fans alike. The return date for the talisman is still unknown, more out of experience than severity of injury.
“I don’t really have a return date in mind to be honest. Since the week after I got this injury, I have been looking for return dates. It has been a bit hit and miss at times and it has frustrated me and the physios too, so this time I am not looking at any one date or match week for a return. Right now, I am just taking it week by week and doing different things at training. It has been a case of doing one thing in training and if I do not react to it, I move on to the other. The progress is the getting steadier over the last few weeks so I am happy enough at the moment”.
One thing O Connell has been able to do is run the eye over what is coming up behind him in the Munster set up. Some players are making an impression and causing a little bit of pressure.
“I am based in Limerick, so Dave Foley would be one that would catch my eye. Peter O Mahony, Dave Ryan, Ian Nagle, Mike Sherry, Scott Deasy and Danny Barnes are serious operators also. We need those young lads to come through to the team and become leaders. We need those lads to come forward and drive Munster on. I think those lads gained great confidence and experience from the B&I cup last season so they now need to be putting pressure on the older lads in the squad. They are killing themselves in pre-season and they have been at it now for three weeks so they are really taking their opportunities. I think by week six we will see the benefits and they will be making competition for places”
With the Heineken group of death to look forward to, competition for places is going to be vital.
“We have an unbelievably tough group to be honest, but that can be a good thing. It focuses the mind and we all know what to expect from sides such as Toulon, Ospreys and London Irish. They are three very tough teams with big budgets and big ambitions. So they are going to be really tough games. That makes for good rugby and great spectacles for the fans, so we just have to focus now and be ready when the time comes”.
One thing is for sure, when the time comes, O Connell will be back, fit, willing and able.
Of course he's going to say that stuff. As he will do for the next 12 months before he finally decides "**** it" after the world cup is done & dusted.
Nay matter, O'Connel is over-rated anyway. About time Ireland had a 2nd row with the talent to match the reputation.
Nay matter, O'Connel is over-rated anyway. About time Ireland had a 2nd row with the talent to match the reputation.
"pubic symphysis"
Does that mean he has herpes
Does that mean he has herpes
Two of our starting back-row are under 17 stone.
I'm also going to disagree with Bullitt about POC... and even if he was right, he's still head and shoulders above Ireland's out second row options.
Leo Cullen is as good as POC, if not better (might just be a coincidence, but the scrum was much more stable when Cullen was in there), imo
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Doubtful. For me, DOC is the man who allows POC to shine by doing all the dirty work. Look how poor Paulie was in the LIons tour when not paired with his Munster buddy. Leo Cullen is probably the most underrated player in Irish rugby. The guy is immense. A second Row of Leo and Donners would be very, very good.
He was decent, but wouldn't have made the test squad if he wasn't Captain (maybe on the bench, DOC and AWJ outshone him imo, and Shaw and Hines weren't bad either)
O'Connell didn't have the greatest Lions tour, but it was decent. AWJ arguably outshone him before the Tests, and Shaw during them, but there's no great shame in that. The vagaries of form and all that. He did a monumental job on SA in Ireland the following Autumn.
DOC's a very good player but he's neither the lineout jumper O'Connell is or as effective at the breakdown for my liking. Cullen is a very fine player but possibly a little underpowered physically for the test arena. Head and shoulders above? I might have overstated that, but I do think O'Connell is one of the first names on the team sheet for Ireland for a reason.
That said, the point about the scrum is a fair one. It's clearly not an important area of the game either with Ireland or with Munster and I've heard a lot of people say that the aerial view shows that POC and DOC are miles apart in the scrum. Leinster have taken it a fair bit more seriously, and I wouldn't be surprised if Cullen gives a better push.
DOC's a very good player but he's neither the lineout jumper O'Connell is or as effective at the breakdown for my liking. Cullen is a very fine player but possibly a little underpowered physically for the test arena. Head and shoulders above? I might have overstated that, but I do think O'Connell is one of the first names on the team sheet for Ireland for a reason.
That said, the point about the scrum is a fair one. It's clearly not an important area of the game either with Ireland or with Munster and I've heard a lot of people say that the aerial view shows that POC and DOC are miles apart in the scrum. Leinster have taken it a fair bit more seriously, and I wouldn't be surprised if Cullen gives a better push.
Amobokoboko
Waikato Junglist
A bit off topic, but how much is the average price of a ticket?
Would like to catch some games in London and Paris.
Would like to catch some games in London and Paris.
cyRil
First XV
I thought he was **** during the Lions tour.
i dont know but im paying 225 per ticket to watch England SA in the AI's
..
fogot about croft he hasnt played for so long... if haskell is playing over croft than our back row average 17 stone 4 pounds .. i'm not saying haskell is better than croft cause he's not
