Summer Tour to New Zealand and Australia

[Mac]

@myboyblue

An Ireland squad of 33 players, including three uncapped players, has been announced for the 2010 summer tour to New Zealand and Australia.
The Ireland squad includes three uncapped players with forwards Chris Henry and Dan Tuohy making the tour party as competition in the back row and second row respectively.
The other uncapped player is Fergus McFadden who, along with Tuohy, will be making their first senior tour for Ireland.
Ireland will begin the tour with a game against the Barbarians in Thomond Park on Friday 4 June before flying out for a meeting with New Zealand in New Plymouth on 12 June.
The New Zealand Maoris team is the next opposition for Ireland in Rotorua on 18 June as part of the Maoris centenary celebrations. The final game of the tour will see Ireland playing their Rugby World Cup Pool C opponents Australia in Brisbane on 26 June.
Ireland squad for their 2010 summer tour to New Zealand and Australia: Rory Best, Tommy Bowe, Tony Buckley, Tom Court,
Sean Cronin, Gordon D’Arcy, Keith Earls, Jerry Flannery,
John Hayes, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, Chris Henry, Marcus Horan,
Shane Horgan, Shane Jennings, Robert Kearney, Fergus McFadden, Kevin McLaughlin, John Muldoon, Geordan Murphy, Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Mick O’Driscoll, Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Tomas O’Leary, Eoin Reddan, Jonathan Sexton, Peter Stringer, Andrew Trimble, Dan Tuohy, David Wallace, Paddy Wallace

KIDNEY OUT

[Rocko]

@caoimhaoin

I’d totally agree with you in normal circumstances, but i don’t think these are “normal” for a number of irish players. POC, BOD, Wallace, Hayes etc have been going since around August 2008 more or less non stop. I know they get physical rest throughout the season, but i think the travelling alone and the mental fatigue will do much more damage than good. I’d rather look after our best players and find out what some others are made of than bring all the old guys, burn them out and restrict the younger players in the process. Now i realise it may mean we are less competitive than we’d like, but England did it, albeit a year earlier.

We are going back there next season before WC aren’t we? For friendlies?

It’ll be too late to blood people this time next year - I expect that’s when the resting will take place. You can expect a different type of fitness regime to last time anyway!

I guess there are issues around replacements this year too - there’s not a load of lads who’ll be overly disappointed to miss out on selection. If Hayes or Wallace can’t do 80 minutes any longer then it’s better to find out now (although we probably already know it in Hayes’ case). I’d say BOD remains the exception in that he’s proven class and doesn’t have anything to prove formwise. Unfortuately most of the other older guys aren’t in great form so they’re playing to keep their places as much as anything. They don’t have the luxury of missing a couple of test matches and being automatic recalls.

[caoimhaoin]

@Rocko

It’ll be too late to blood people this time next year - I expect that’s when the resting will take place. You can expect a different type of fitness regime to last time anyway!

I guess there are issues around replacements this year too - there’s not a load of lads who’ll be overly disappointed to miss out on selection. If Hayes or Wallace can’t do 80 minutes any longer then it’s better to find out now (although we probably already know it in Hayes’ case). I’d say BOD remains the exception in that he’s proven class and doesn’t have anything to prove formwise. Unfortuately most of the other older guys aren’t in great form so they’re playing to keep their places as much as anything. They don’t have the luxury of missing a couple of test matches and being automatic recalls.

Digressing here now but…
Think the game as it is now is killing players like BOD. The last 2 times i’ve seen Leinster he’s been really restricted. Centers like him are being more and more bottle up all the time, its really becoming more like rugby league all the time.

Maybe now its just the nature of Munster and Leinster games, but while the intensity is good, the excitement and quality running and breaks are down.

[caoimhaoin]

By the way, i think Hayes should retire right now. And what i hear is slightly surprising, its seems he’s almost staying on against his will, which isn’t great really.

[anon95599269]

@caoimhaoin

By the way, i think Hayes should retire right now. And what i hear is slightly surprising, its seems he’s almost staying on against his will, which isn’t great really.

:rolleyes:

[myboyblue]

Neil Ronan in the Irish squad replacing Kevin McLaoughlin. Fogarty has already replaced Best, with Damien Varley now on standby.

[Bandage]

Is this the second cruciate McLaughlin’s done?

Time to bring back Rocky next season for good.

[Georgy_Comerford]

@Bandage

Is this the second cruciate McLaughlin’s done?

Time to bring back Rocky next season for good.

All this talk about who should or should not be rested is horseshit, the IRFU are making cash from this tour and have to show up with their first team.

[myboyblue]

@Bandage

Is this the second cruciate McLaughlin’s done?

Time to bring back Rocky next season for good.

No idea about McLaughlin Bandage, not in his professional career anyway, you would know better about his schools career though.

Rocky wont be back anytime soon, maybe in November for a jog around*

*I have no idea where Australia are touring in Nov.

[Bandage]

I’m pretty sure McLaughlin did his cruciate before - I’ll have to check with my reliable sources.

[myboyblue]

Kidney names four debutants to play Barbarians

The Ireland team to play the Barbarians this Friday night in Thomond Park for the Mastercard Trophy contains four uncapped players.

Second rows Ed O’Donoghue and Dan Touhy will make their first senior appearance for Ireland in the uncapped match as will centre Fergus McFadden and No.8 Chris Henry.

In addition to these fresh faces coming into the side, the team is fastened with a backbone of experience with Ronan O’Gara, who will captain the side, and Peter Stringer the halfback partnership.

Marcus Horan will start alongside Sean Cronin and Tony Buckley in the front row with Rob Kearney, Shane Horgan and Andrew Trimble selected in the back three.

Gavin Duffy comes into the squad and is selected at outside centre to partner the uncapped McFadden in midfield.

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll is among those rested ahead of the tour to New Zealand and Australia, which departs on Saturday.

On the bench are Ireland regulars and Munster favourites Jerry Flannery, David Wallace and Tomas O’Leary.

Ireland face the All Blacks – who they have never beaten – in New Plymouth on June 12 and meet the New Zealand Maori the following Friday before closing the tour against Australia in Brisbane on June 26.

They head down under without the injured Paul O’Connell, Stephen Ferris, Denis Leamy and Luke Fitzgerald.

Ireland XV (V Barbarians, Mastercard Challenge, Friday June 4, Thomond Park):

15 - Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 - Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster)
13 - Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
12 - Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)*
11 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 - Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster) Captain
9 - Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
1 - Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
2 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
3 - Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
4 - Ed O’Donoghue (Ballynahinch/Ulster)*
5 - Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)*
6 - John Muldoon (Galwegians/Connacht)
7 - Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster)
8 - Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster)*

Replacements:

16 - Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
19 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
20 - Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
21 - Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
22 - Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)

[KIB_man]

@Bandage

Time to bring back Rocky next season for good.

Rocky V11 - please god

[caoimhaoin]

@myboyblue

No idea about McLaughlin Bandage, not in his professional career anyway, you would know better about his schools career though.

Rocky wont be back anytime soon, maybe in November for a jog around*

*I have no idea where Australia are touring in Nov.

He is considering offers, but not from just Leinster.

[The_Puke]

@Bandage

I’m pretty sure McLaughlin did his cruciate before - I’ll have to check with my reliable sources.

Yet again when it comes to rugby football you are completely on the money bando…read it in an interview with him a few months ago

@caoimhaoin

He is considering offers, but not from just Leinster.

hard to see him coming back to Europe with a WC on the horizon

[caoimhaoin]

Well thats what i heard. he could be moving elsewhere in Oz as well, and could possibly stay where he is. He has talked to clubs other than his own though.

[Mac]

Whats the point in playing Horgan and Horan - we’d be better blooding David Kearney and one of the Munster Academy props or something. Both are well past it at this stage. Kidney should be looking for younger players rather than going with players at the end of the career. Good to see McFadden, the 3 Ulster lads, and Muldoon and Cronin getting a start though.

[caoimhaoin]

@Mac

Whats the point in playing Horgan and Horan - we’d be better blooding David Kearney and one of the Munster Academy props or something. Both are well past it at this stage. Kidney should be looking for younger players rather than going with players at the end of the career. Good to see McFadden, the 3 Ulster lads, and Muldoon and Cronin getting a start though.

Couldn’t agree more Mac. Joke shop in my opinion. NZ are blooding a good few i believe when we’re down there (i know this is for Ba Ba’s). Horgan is good for experience maybe in the back 3, but Horan? WTF.

[anon95599269]

@caoimhaoin

Well thats what i heard. he could be moving elsewhere in Oz as well, and could possibly stay where he is. He has talked to clubs other than his own though.

cutting analysis kev- he could move elsewhere or he may stay where he is

[caoimhaoin]

Well it was taken as red he was staying where he was when he came back to Oz, but this has changed. This is a major surprise to people interested in Rugby Union. But you are not, so why waste your time?

Your pretty stupid.

[anon95599269]

@caoimhaoin

Well it was taken as red he was staying where he was when he came back to Oz, but this has changed. This is a major surprise to people interested in Rugby Union. But you are not, so why waste your time?

Your pretty stupid.

you’re pretty stupid