Bit of a joke that some of you are suggesting that there is a quota for Ulster players when in reality despite having our best season in years we only have one player in starting 15. Wallace is playing far better than D’arcy (and has performed way better than him over last 8 months for Ireland) and Court could have quibbles too. I think Best is fortunate to be included but if Kidney was looking for Ulster players to put in the 22 then he wouldn’t have too much difficulty. Trimble, Spence and Faloon all could have claims. In fact former two could easily be starters. By all means people can criticise Best’s selection (and I would) but to suggest reason he is playing is because he is from Ulster is illogical.
Another poor enough selection I think, but at least it leaves room for my preferred 9-10-12 of Stringer-Sexton-Wallace to all spring from the bench and save the game. As Larry says, the talk of a quota is nonsense when you consider what Ulster players have been left out.
I’d have started Wallace at 12 with McFadden in contention but I wouldn’t have Wallace on the bench. He wasn’t brought on the last time when he was needed, why will he get game-time this time?
Picking O’Gara is a negative move too, no matter how much of a “message” it is. If Kidney is the man-manager he’s supposed to be then he shouldn’t have any problem keeping O’Gara motivated.
Nothing to do with the influx of South Africans no?
Course was a contributory factor just like the way influx of non qualified players has helped other provinces over years. Fact that Brady, Court, Spence, Humps, Tuohy, Wallace, Marshall, D’arcy, Trimble etc all had excellent campaigns didn’t do any harm either!
Touché.
Spence will have to wait, he may have a shot long term at replacing BOD but he’s nowhere near ready for a Test match, even against a midfield as barren as Scotland’s.
Faloon isn’t even the best back row in Ulster, let alone the rest of the island and has no chance of making it in the one area of the pitch where Ireland are not short of options.
Wallace on the bench restricts DK’s options greatly, and since he didn’t start this one he could justifiably retire from international rugby. D’arcy can count himself very lucky, hopefully he realises this and plays accordingly. McFadden sems to be behind Earls and Wallace for the utility back role, a decision I cannot understand.
9 and 10 is the only real area of interest as far as this selection goes. The vast majority of the errors committed against France came from this area, if ROG and Reddan can improve on their predecessors we should win this handily.
Will be particularly interested in how O’Gara uses possession and if he slavishly follows the ball-in-hand approach seen in the French match.
Overall, the selection is underwhelming. A chance to experiment and build toward a world cup that is only 6 months away wasted.
A team picked to beat Scotland and maintain our position as “best-of-the-rest”, keeping the blazers happy but ultimately sacrificing long-term objectives in favour of an inconsequential short-term gain.
When Ferris is fit, how do lads see the backrow lining out…I suppose the obvious one would be move O’Brien to 7 but he is a far more natural blindside there is a fear that we could well end up lacking a bit of balance then…
BANTER
cart before horse larry?
ye needed wannenburg, muller and pienaar to source and distribute the ball before the rest could shine.
DK will go back to the tried-and-tested of Ferris, Wallace and Heaslip
When they’re all injury free and on-form, he’d be right to do so.
Luckily for him and O’Brien (or maybe Wallace, depending on your perspective) they rarely are.
Ah Lar come on. Spense is exciting, but nowhere near it yet. Faloon you over rate.
Ya, i agree with you on keeping him motivated (but of course i think O Gara keeps himself motivated anyway), but i actually think this is a rugby move. As is mentioned alot of the breakdowns have come in or around Sexton, he is a little one dimensional yet and his decision making is still behind ROG.
Pretty much agree with all that. I’d have liked to see McFadden at 12 at least.
One possible caveat here is the starting 10, whoever he may be, is given a game plan and supposedly is given little room to play what’s in front of him. The replacement 10 is then given an updated gameplan based on the stats of the first half / 60 mins and consequently makes a disproportional impact when introduced.
I’ve heard this argument before, but can think of a few interviews where lads have mentioned they’re encouraged to play the game with their heads up, contradicting the rigid gameplan theory. Not sure what to make of it.
The other factor is in order to make a fair outhalf comparison, TOL should have been retained at 9 to see what ROG does outside a slow, hesitant scrum half with a poor kicking game and erratic delivery.
Good points Treaty. Hard to know the thinking.
I don’t think stats really change the way a team will play so much, its more the player coming on will change the way we play. Now he may be brought in because the stats show a trend, but it could also be pre determined. The latter is the way Kidney thinks in my experience and i’d say its more planned.
O’Leary is injured T_E so that’s why he wasn’t retained.
I think McFadden looks like he’ll have an international future but I don’t see him ahead of Wallace at the moment. He’s not as experienced and not an automatic first choice for Leinster yet even. Doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be considered for international selection but I think Wallace offers a bit more.
No idea why Wallace was persisted with for the bench though, that makes no sense.
The team selection and squad balance is terribly wrong.
I meant that to accurately compare one outhalf to another, they should have been infilcted with the same supplier.
This should in no way be interpreted as me suggesting TOL should be on the team.
(No offence intended Mac, just that I coldn’t possibly live down the accusation that I wanted TOL kept on the team in current form)
Very entertaining game on now, Italy well up for, as in fairness are Wales.
Parisse is a phenom!!!
Parisse is some boyo in fairness to him…Stephen Jones did well considering, one could only imagine how easily he would have gotten in if it was O’Gara in his way
Parisse is A one man wrecking ball.
Italy in with a chance here, dominating the 2nd half, destroying the scrum.