What do lads reckon the team will be for the November internationals…presume that Buckley, Healy and Sexton will all get meaningful game time with the likes of Sean O’Brien, Donnacha Ryan and Niall Ronan possibly also pushing hard…
I think props will be interesting anyway.
Court is the third prop in the line at the moment but Buckley and Healy will expect game time too. Not sure how they’ll manage to share the workload and if there’s any change to the order.
Other than last season’s 6 Nations players I suppose you’re looking at Sexton and Earls in the backs and probably O’Brien alright. Ryan might make a cap but not sure whether that’ll be in back row or second row.
Would much prefer Ryan as a second row…Had high hopes for young Caldwell above in Ulster 18 months ago but he seems to have gone off the boil a bit…
That’s the only place where he’ll make it as a top international I think but much of his development has been elsewhere recently. Still that’s probably an easier area to break into the Irish side so expect that’s where he’ll find a home.
Wonder will the likes of Cave get a run at all.
[quote=“Rocko”]That’s the only place where he’ll make it as a top international I think but much of his development has been elsewhere recently. Still that’s probably an easier area to break into the Irish side so expect that’s where he’ll find a home.
Wonder will the likes of Cave get a run at all.[/quote]
Maybe in the game against Fiji but I would say that he would be behind BOD, D’Arcy, Wallace and Earls in the pecking order…
here are the fixtures
[FONT=“Comic Sans MS”]Sun 15th Nov 09 15:00 Ireland v Australia Croke Park
Sat 21st Nov 09 17:15 Ireland v Fiji Royal Dublin Society
Sat 28th Nov 09 14:30 Ireland v South Africa Croke Park [/FONT]
Winning against Oz while trying one or two new guys is a must, as is beating Fiji.
Hard to see us beating the Boks, if NZ can’t do it at home then i’d worry for us. Staying close would be an achievement.
Ryan is suffering in the same way Donncha did by having to play 6 at times, the only thing that helped Donncha was that Galwey was coming near the end of his time, Ryan will have to wait a while to crack the 2nd row in Munster.
I cant see it happening for Buckley to be honest. He’ll need to take his chance in a big way in the Nov internationals, if he doesn’t he could be in bother.
Whats the deal with Ross these days?
[quote=“myboyblue”]Ryan is suffering in the same way Donncha did by having to play 6 at times, the only thing that helped Donncha was that Galwey was coming near the end of his time, Ryan will have to wait a while to crack the 2nd row in Munster.
I cant see it happening for Buckley to be honest. He’ll need to take his chance in a big way in the Nov internationals, if he doesn’t he could be in bother.
Whats the deal with Ross these days?[/quote]
The people in the know say Buckley is way off the required standard for International rugby, and struggles to scrummage even at ML level.
I would like to see a"if they are good enough they are old enough policy", much like the SH has. Any irish guy performing well in HEC should be given a shot, no matter what age he is.
[quote=“caoimhaoin”]The people in the know say Buckley is way off the required standard for International rugby, and struggles to scrummage even at ML level.
[/quote]
Its patently obvious to anyone watch ML that Buckley cant scrummage. He’s nigh on 30 years of age, he should have learnt by now you’d have thought. The year out perhaps did him no favours, but it still doesn’t excuse it.
I forgot you played in the front row all your life, should have asked you first.
Where did you hear that?
Everytime Buckley plays for the Munster front-row its a field day for an opposition. Shouldn’t be anywhere near the Ireland team. Sexton to start at 10 for the big games, ROG can fuck off. D’Arcy/BOD for the centers, Earls/Bowe on the wings with Kearney at 15. TOL at 9 naturally.
We’ll beat Fiji, and do well to keep OZ and the Saffas within 10 and 20 points respectively.
[quote=“Turenne”]Everytime Buckley plays for the Munster front-row its a field day for an opposition. Shouldn’t be anywhere near the Ireland team. Sexton to start at 10 for the big games, ROG can fuck off. D’Arcy/BOD for the centers, Earls/Bowe on the wings with Kearney at 15. TOL at 9 naturally.
We’ll beat Fiji, and do well to keep OZ and the Saffas within 10 and 20 points respectively.[/quote]
What happens if Jonathan gets injured?
Australia are on an awful run at the moment, taking them at home should be the least of our expectations, depending on experimentation of course.
OZ had a poor enough Tri-Nations, but at least they have been playing competitive top class rugby over the past few months, whereas Ireland are going in cold as a team. This fact makes me favour OZ, if they take thinks seriously.
If Sexton gets injured, lets put Tomas at 10 and Reddan at 9. 
[quote=“Turenne”]OZ had a poor enough Tri-Nations, but at least they have been playing competitive top class rugby over the past few months, whereas Ireland are going in cold as a team. This fact makes me favour OZ, if they take thinks seriously.
[/quote]
Well at least you’ve got something to back it up. I still fancy Ireland though, Oz at end of a long season, will be coming off a game at Twickenham, Ireland will be cold, but I’d still fancy them. Dans mate will probably be at full back and looks a lil haunted lately.
If Sexton gets injured, lets put Tomas at 10 and Reddan at 9.
TOL kicked 2 from 2 at the weekend, there may be merit in it.
Rehashing bar stool talk yet again, but at least you’re probably correct in this instance unlike the O’Driscoll debacle last January. As an aside, do you have an opinion on it yourself, Kevin?
Cave and Whitten are the form Irish centers though I can only see Cave figuiring out of the two of them. He is the most exciting prospect in Irish rugby at present and I expect him to shine once more. Reddan had a good game the other night and is probably a little ahead of others now though he isn’t man in position. I’d like to see O’Donoghue featuring too.
is o’donoghue irish-qualified?
thought he only came from Oz 2 seasons ago, can’t be on residency grounds?
I have to admit, as i always have said, that i still struggle to understand all of front row play. I like many people was delighted when he first came on the scene and made those barrelling runs.
I can see when a guy gets destroyed and where he keeps going down giving penalties, but i’ve been watching games with guys who played there or have played the game all their lives and he seems to be coming out even enough to me, yet they explain he’s getting hammered. I’ve thought i’ve had it figured out and then the ref would give a penalty against the front rower i thought was in the right. Now of course that could be shite refereeing:D, but i doubt it.
I’m always picking up bits and pieces, but its still a grey area for me to be honest.
[quote=“treaty_exile”]is o’donoghue irish-qualified?
thought he only came from Oz 2 seasons ago, can’t be on residency grounds?[/quote]
he is indeed. parents are irish.