Dowling is a class act.
Worth a shot at international level soon.
[quote=“MAFI”]Dowling is a class act.
Worth a shot at international level soon.[/QUOTE]
Welcome to TFK.
Fair play to you for posting first up when you were drunk and/or stoned.
Of course it’s not the only problem - but then you wouldn’t be able to understand that
That’s terrible news. I’m sure he’s just being rested ahead of the 6 nations or something.
[quote=“MAFI”]Dowling is a class act.
Worth a shot at international level soon.[/QUOTE]
Given you’ve named yourself after a fella who can’t make it into the Munster team at the moment, you’ll forgive me for choosing not to take anything you say seriously.
Says the man who based his username on Fergus McFadden.
from rte.ie
Stephen Ferris is Ireland’s chief injury concern ahead of the announcement of the Ireland team to face Italy in the RBS 6 Nations opener at Croke Park on Saturday.
The Ulsterman was not with the Ireland camp last week having picked up a knee injury that required home rest.
Speaking after training on Monday, Ireland team manager Paul McNaughton said: 'Stephen picked up his injury in Ulster’s win over Bath, so he wasn’t in camp last week. The advice was to keep him off his feet completely last week, which we did.
‘He’s in camp this week, he didn’t train today. So, calls will be made in the next couple of days. We think that he’s still available for selection.’
Ferris could still be named in the team to face Italy but Sean O’Brien could yet be called in to replace him should the Ulster man not be deemed fit enough to take part.
Donncha O’Callaghan and Brian O’Driscoll only took a minor part in training.
McNaughton said: 'Donncha (O’Callaghan) took a limited part in training. There’s some concern about Brian and Donncha, but they aren’t major worries. The guy we’re more concerned about is Stephen.
‘Brian has a small quad strain. We expect him to train tomorrow (Tuesday). Donncha and Stephen have knee issues.’
Marcus Horan will not feature in the Ireland team to face Italy after being named in the A squad to play Scotland on the same weekend.
However, Rory Best and Jerry Flannery are both in contention to play at hooker.
Commenting on Best’s half of rugby against England Saxons, Ireland backs coach Alan Gaffney said: 'We thought Rory went well, considering what he’s come back from. He’s battled back from a pretty serious neck injury.
'To get through the 40 minutes he did on Sunday, in a fairly tough game against a young but experienced Saxons side, he did pretty well.
'He could have played on but the advice was to take him off after 40, and we did. We were delighted with his (lineout) throwing, all aspects of his game."
Both Best and Flannery are in contention to play and Gaffney added: 'In reality, both of them are very good players, very experienced players and they’ve been around the block a number of times.
‘And I think both of them would carry themselves very well in a Six Nations game right at this moment.’
To keep Pukey happy.
I find myself agreeing with Charlie Mulqueen on the selection for saturday.
R. Kearney; T. Bowe, B. O’Driscoll, capt, G. D’Arcy, K. Earls; J. Sexton, T. O’Leary; C. Healy, J. Flannery, J. Hayes, P. O’Connell, D. O’Callaghan, S. Ferris, D. Wallace, J. Heaslip.
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On another related point, i read with interest Gert Smal talk about the Irish scrum. He believed we don’t attack at scrum time enough. Its something thats been coming into my head recently, and was magnified by the scrum that saved the Northamton match for Munster. Its clearly a confidence and mental approach thing, because looking at the shape of players, we can definitely produce the players for the front row. Hopefully his coaching will shine through in years to come, as i believe he has been brought around the country doing a bit here and there. It seems Ireland go out to “hold their own” in the scrum, but that was the limit of their ambitions. If we sort out the scrum for next year i’d put us in top 3 or 4 favourites for the WC. Because we clearly have the backs.
You on your period that day Mac?
Ha ha ha, what a funny guy you are. Only took nearly 10 days to come back with that witty response.
I take it you were then, or at least having sympathy pains of some sort. Apologies for not getting back sooner, this post slipped by me. I’ll try me more attentive in future to your posts. What is the best before date for replying to you posts, just so this doesn’t happen again?
O’Gara to start as Sexton injury revealed
Tuesday, 2 February 2010 13:52
http://dynimg.rte.ie/00021c2f-421r.jpg
Grand Slam winning out-half Ronan O’Gara will start for Ireland against Italy Ireland coach Declan Kidney today named Ronan O’Gara, Kevin McLaughlin, Andrew Trimble and Jerry Flannery in the Ireland XV to face Italy in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener.
The selection of O’Gara came as something of a surprise and Kidney revealed that Jonathan Sexton, the Corkman’s rival for the 10 jersey, had not been considered for selection having pulled up with a dead leg at training yesterday afternoon.
The St Mary’s and Leinster out-half had a scan on the injury yesterday.
Ulster back-rower Stephen Ferris will also not feature in the match with Leinster’s McLaughlin set to win his first cap at blindside wing-forward.
Ferris misses out due to a knee injury picked up during Ulster’s Heineken Cup pool win over Bath. The blindside wing forward missed a week’s training due to the injury and has apparently not recovered sufficiently to take part.
At hooker, Flannery’s selection comes after a two-month injury absence caused by an Achilles tendon injury. Rory Best, also on the comeback trail after a long absence, will fill the bench spot after an impressive 40 minute turn in Ireland’s 17-13 defeat against England Saxons on Sunday.
Trimble was the final selection surprise but having shown excellent form for Ulster of late he has been included ahead of Shane Horgan and Keith Earls.
Elsewhere in the backline Kidney has opted to start Gordon D’Arcy at alongside O’Driscoll at inside centre while Tomás O’Leary will continue at scrum-half. Rob Kearney will start at full-back with Tommy Bowe retaining his place on the right wing.
Paddy Wallace, Ireland’s starting 12 in November, is selected on the bench where he will provide cover for O’Gara as well.
In the pack, Donncha O’Callaghan and Paul O’Connell will start in the second row while Jamie Heaslip will be at number eight with David Wallace at openside.
With Marcus Horan set to play for the Ireland Wolfhounds (A team) against Scotland, Cian Healy will start at loosehead prop while John Hayes continues as the starting tight-head.
IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Italy, RBS 6 Nations Championship, Croke Park, Saturday February 6th, 2:30 p.m):
15 - Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 - Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 - Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
9 - Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
3 - John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
4 - Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 - Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Replacements:
16 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
19 - Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 - Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
22 - Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
Unavailable due to injury:
Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
Straight shoot out between Earls and Trimble with the right man getting the nod. Poor ol Paddy goes back to being cover for 10, which is why he started there Sunday I imagine. Big chance for McLaughlin.
Leo Cullen has been the best second row in “Ireland” over the past 12 months - Its a disgrace he is continually left out of the “Ireland” team.
Utter bullshit.
KIDNEY OUT 
I can’t see Johnny getting the 10 jersey back for Paris now. This is an outrage.
The lads are ready, gwan ta fook.
Whats an outrage, his injury? Give the lad a break.
He’s injured ya dope.
There wouldn’t be much in it on form anyway.
Fair play to Trimble, he deserves his chance, wouldn’t complain about his selection, McLoughlin is a surprise, but again i can see the thinking and could be a masterstroke.
Hope Earls comes on in the centre at some stage.
Its bull. He has a bloody dead leg. Its all a ruse to get darling boy ROG cemented into the team after he kicks us to victory over the mighty Dagos.
Sexto was in possession, if he doesn’t get the nod for Paris regardless of how ROG plays this wknd its all been a sham imo.
:mad:
http://forums.mg-rover.org/images/smilies/hysteria.gif I must have missed the point where you lead one team to two H Cups and another to a Grand Slam. Shur when you come back with evidence of those sort of achievements we’ll carry on this aul conversation.
Lovely.
Let’s get it straight-O’Gara did not LEAD us to a Grand Slam. He happened to score the winner v Wales.
People still, quite unbelievably, forget that he almost cost us the Grand Slam in the other games-England especially.
The man is finished for quite a while now-sad to see and a complete and utter balls to see him back again wearing the number 10 shirt.