Would agree with you on Heaslip. He thrived when he was Ireland and Leinsters main carrier but since O’Brien has come into his own Heaslip has regressed. He had a golden opportunity on Sunday but didn’t take it. Same as Murphy. Thought he did ok but a simple dropped ball near the touchline will be what most people remember. Wouldn’t surprise me to see Kidney bringing Healy and SOB in and leaving the rest the same.
You could argue that Sexton got culled earlier than planned for his poor kicking but you’re right, Kidney is never ruthless enough.
Kev do you not have a slightly hypocritical stance here in professing to know quite a bit about rugby despite having never played it to any sort of high level, if at all? I thought you had dismissed certain posters opinions on GAA in the past because they had never played hurling or football?
Outstanding post. Would agree with all of it. I still think Cooper is there to be got at though, shut him down and lets see what happens. I think Kidney has painted himself into a corner with Darcy, has given McFadden no game at 12 and throwing him in now is just not Kidneys style, Id still do it though, think I am on the record here for 6 months + on the point really.
Good point about the Welsh back row, savage balance in there and three outstanding performances as a result. Hugely agressive and all knew there jobs. I would fear that we are going to waste our best ball carrier in there. Would even consider throwing Heaslip in at 7 and SOB at 8 as Heaslip cannot be less anonymous than he was on Sunday. Would at least pt SOB in his best position (IMO) as I think he is even better at 8 than 6.
ROG puts himself in the way all the time. Just not big enough to stop fellas three stone heavier than him coming at pace. Has always been the case. Guts and willingness to make the hit never in question for me in all the years Im watching him.
I think thats unfair. He has the track record to completely blow this out of the water.
Its far from ideal that we dont know our best team but I think until a month ago he knew his 9 & 10, but TOL couldnt be picked (think he is bolloxed with a back injury by the way) on form and he is now scratching for anyone of them to put there hand up. Ditto with the 10, Sexton was a dead cert but again has played his way out, so has Darcy. Kearney and Flannery have been injured. Wallace got a late injury. Otherwise I think your looking at a v settled team, most of those are comopletely outside his control.
WOuld agree though his reputation is severely damaged if this WC goes the way of 07.
Was gonna post on this recently when someone was being critical of o gara’s defence, i think over the past 18 months or so he has improved greatly in this area, not that his tackling is better, more so that he has become braver and stands up better to the inevitable hits. he still gets pummeled but now he generally holds on to and stops his man.
But the lack of backups is at least partly his fault dan. At 12 for instance McFadden or Spence (who is playing well for Ulster yet again and has been the form Irish centre for a good year now) could have been considered there long ago. Likewise problems at 9 aren’t new ones. Kidney left it very late to try Murray and he only got picked because of TOL’s ineptitude.
Last time we really got at Australia was when we had 10, 12 of Sexton and Wallace. Creative force at 12 helped us then but I can’t see Kidney going for Paddy and fact he put D’arcy out to speak to media today probably indicates that again he will start. All in all pretty depressing state of affairs. Too many players looking to find form as opposed to hitting the ground running.
Spence was injured during the summer and wasnt in the extended squad for this reason. He has brought Murray to the WC after 8 starts for Munster, not sure your right about those two. I just think so many players have played themselves out of form it is ridiculous, Fitz, Sexton, Reddan, TOL etc, has not helped. As I said think he has made a rod for his back on the 12 issue, but once again Lar, PW is not the answer!!! Either is Darcy though.
Anyone got an opinion on the Scotland Georgia match tomorrow morning from a betting point of view? Georgia would be stronger than Romania and Scotland are making 11 or so changes from their previous game. Georgia ran Ireland to 1 point in 2007 and I’d imagine will try to bash the shite out of Scotland up front and keep it a very tight game. Scotland should win obviously but I think there’s a bit of value in the Georgia handicap at 18 or 19 points.
Nope as I said earlier I wouldn’t play PW as I think we need running threat from 12 this time. I’d sure have him ahead of D’arcy though. Spence played rugby before both Ferris and Kearney this season so Kidney could have included him and really should have. McLaughlin commented about his omission only last week. Also think that while Fitz had horrible season 10/11 he was in decent form in last few games.
I agree with you Mac good value in backing Georgia.Georgia will want to keep this tight, and Scotland don’t seem to have an expansive game at the moment and find tries very hard t come by… Its on in Invercargill as well, where you can be sure the weather will be bad.
If McFadden had been able to displace D’arcy at provincial level it would have made the decision a no brainer. But he didn’t. As Dan said if Spence had been available at the start of the summer he would have been a chance to push for a squad place.
