Does the fact that Luke has apparently lost the ability to pass the rugby ball not concern you Lar?
Rocko has it right anyway, farcial that both are in this situation and an indictment of the provincial and international set ups.
Disappointing use of text speak by larryduff. A permanent disappointment as a poster in truth.
Mbb fitzgerald is far from the complete player but he is a better developed player than earls and certainly in better form.if we our picking our backline on passing ability then earls and D’Arcy aren’t in with in a hope.
Bandage I have recently acquired an iPhone.my sincere apologies if this is affecting my posting style.I am disappointed that you consider me a disappointmen and I’ll do everything I can to improve.after going thru a rocky period I thought we were getting on very well of late.
TOL and MOD omitted, Mac will be giddy 
Can you post that up there MBB. Site is blocked for some reason
By a distance the biggest call of Declan Kidney’s World Cup squad, to be announced at lunchtime today, is the omission of Tomas O’Leary. Shane Jennings also came up short with his late run to get onto the back row ticket, and John Hayes knew he wouldn’t be included either. But O’Leary?
Kidney gave huge credit to O’Leary’s role in Munster’s second Heineken Cup success, in 2008, and a few months later promptly gave him his first cap in what was Kidney’s second game in charge of Ireland– against New Zealand, in November of that year.
Since then Kidney has rated O’Leary above all others, and went miles out of his way to allow him play his way back to form after injury last season – by picking him in the Six Nations when he had no form to warrant selection in the first place. So Tomas played against Italy and France, and played poorly, and were it not for a freak training ground accident I suspect he would have seen out the Championship.
Then he was back in for this warm-up series and again it hasn’t gone according to plan. Why? Because he has never recaptured the form that brought the Lions selectors to his door in 2009. The combination of missing that tour through injury, and now missing a World Cup on selection, will be horrendous for him, but it was the right call for Kidney to make.
The coach was in a no-win here: if he stuck with O’Leary, whose poor basics outweigh the positives of his athleticism and bravery, then he would have got it in the neck when the poor form continued, and further undermined a team that is clearly struggling; and he will still get some flak for having invested so much time in a player only to leave him in the lurch at the last minute.
Better late than never, however. Personally I feared he would turf Isaac Boss over the side – at Boss’s stage in life Kidney would never have to come across him again, so an easy selection to make – and bring Conor Murray in his place, presenting it as a brave call to go for one so inexperienced. Instead he has made the most painful call of all – separating himself from the player he most wanted to bring, but couldn’t.
The package of Reddan, Boss and Murray will serve us well enough in NZ. Now all Kidney has to do is turn the rest of the wooden-looking structure into something shiny and dynamic.
Disappointed Hayes doesn’t go(if thats the case), Buckley proved again against Conaught that he can’t scrummage. Jennings should be brought as a proper 7 cover if anything else. He had a bad day Saturday, but could be invaluable agaunst the SH teams. I presume if TOL is out, Murray is in which is great news. Straight into the team against England he should be put. Still not convienced about Reddan, it could have been a mistake not to try Stringer out, at least he can do the number one job of a 9, pass a ball fast and accurate. Jones would have made the cut only for his injury. I hope Kidney goes back on his word and brings Murphy as a 2nd fullback.
I still can’t see the fascination of Fitzgerald, he played well in the last 15 min, when it was clear France had taken the foot of the gas.
He is only a winger and behind, Trimble, Bowe and Earls. He has proved he can’t play fullback so why bring him. In fairness to Earls he proved it throughout the six nations that he is a top player. Fitz proved it 2 years ago and a cameo in the last 15 against a team that had the match one, doesn’t prove much. (cue Kidney to name him now in the team)
I heard some commentator/pundit say on the radio yesterday that Tony Buckley has “enourmous potential”.
The man is 31 :lol:
Fitz not on the plane
Larry Fitz has been shit for Ireland for quite a while, if he doesn’t make it then saturday wouldn’t have been enough, and it should never be about one game.Tribles form has been good, but he doesn’t have the overall talent reserves of Earls who will hopefully show them down SH. To say he’s streets ahead is ridiculous and as blinkered as you have been.
"SetantaSports: No Luke Fitzgerald or Tomás O’Leary in Ireland World Cup squad. Fergus McFadden, Conor Murray & Geordan Murphy all included.
Buckley, Ross, Healy, Court
Cronin, Best, Fla
DOC, POC, Leo, D. Ryan
Leamy, O’Brien, Wallace, Heaslip, Ferris
Reddan, Boss, Murray
Sexton, ROG
D’arcy, BOD, Wallace, McFadden
Bowe, Trimble, Earls
Kearney, Murphy
Happy enough with the squad. Hayes for Buckley and Jennings for Leamy would be my only changes. Feel sorry for Jones as he was on the plane, the Fitz thing now can be put to bed, not in the squad and rightly so, we can move on now. On to England now a match we have to win.
None of them are on the plane.
But they will be on the plane to NZ, while Fitz will be on an aer lingus flight to Wales to play Scarlets and Ospreys.
So he will be on the plane?
So he will be on the plane?
Not on the right plane.
I’m sure he’d much prefer to be going to NZ. At least he is first choice utility back, so I’m sure he will be on the plane to NZ at some stage,
Hayes’ service deserved a better send off than a nothing game against Connacht on a Thursday night in Donnybrook. A pity how it turned out but thats sport I guess.
I suppose it shows how much I’ve lost touch with rugby in ways but how is Donnacha Ryan in that squad? Does he even start for munster?