The Rugby Thread (Part 2)

[tallback]

@Tim_Riggins

This is just BS. He makes mistakes like any other player but consistently shows up in stats.

Whether he is captain material is another point.

Coombes stats (vs Welsh regions and URC) good

Doris stats (H Cup and internationals) bad

[BruidheanChaorthainn]

@tallback

@Tim_Riggins

This is just BS. He makes mistakes like any other player but consistently shows up in stats.

Whether he is captain material is another point.

Coombes stats (vs Welsh regions and URC) good

Doris stats (H Cup and internationals) bad

I’m not saying he’s better but he deserves a chance particularly with Conan out of the squad.

He’s a different player and maybe a break Doris could do wonders for his form.

[glasagusban]

Both have played a huge amount. These are meaningless games, I’d like to see them put out McCarthy and Ryan with Beirne on the bench.

[tallback]

@glasagusban

Both have played a huge amount. These are meaningless games, I’d like to see them put out McCarthy and Ryan with Beirne on the bench.

Losing to SA is ok. Getting smashed isn’t I’d feel.

I think he’ll go 6:2 so hopefully the likes of Timoney, Izuchukwu or Prendergast elder can get some game time with 2 back row subs. Maybe only play POM for one game but there as tour captain.

[tallback]

@BruidheanChaorthainn

@tallback

@Tim_Riggins

This is just BS. He makes mistakes like any other player but consistently shows up in stats.

Whether he is captain material is another point.

Coombes stats (vs Welsh regions and URC) good

Doris stats (H Cup and internationals) bad

I’m not saying he’s better but he deserves a chance particularly with Conan out of the squad.

He’s a different player and maybe a break Doris could do wonders for his form.

For whatever reason Farrell doesn’t seem to rate Coombes for international rugby. A couple other newbies seem to have a better chance

[glasagusban]

I wouldn’t have brought POM at all, but agree, one game at most. It’s a bad case there aren’t more younger players, it’s a pity Ahern isn’t fit, it’d be good development for him. They should stick Osbourne on the wing.

[BruidheanChaorthainn]

@tallback

@glasagusban

Both have played a huge amount. These are meaningless games, I’d like to see them put out McCarthy and Ryan with Beirne on the bench.

Losing to SA is ok. Getting smashed isn’t I’d feel.

I think he’ll go 6:2 so hopefully the likes of Timoney, Izuchukwu or Prendergast elder can get some game time with 2 back row subs. Maybe only play POM for one game but there as tour captain.

My prediction is they’ll get absolutely hammered. Murray, Healy and pom aren’t anywhere near the level.

Neither is Casey tbh. He’s a trier I guess.

I can see it getting very ugly. Hansen and Keenan are losses.

[glasagusban]

Might be good for them. Settle down the nonsense Irish rugby hype. You’d lads on here talking about world domination recently.

[BruidheanChaorthainn]

@glasagusban

Might be good for them. Settle down the nonsense Irish rugby hype. You’d lads on here talking about world domination recently.

I think we can if we’d had good managers in the provinces and a proper head coach over Ireland.

[flattythehurdler]

Id bring them just because you need a few experienced and hardy oul bastards out there.

[glasagusban]

In fairness, there’s no lack of experience in the squad. They’ve nearly all been through a few six nations and a world cup. The most of them pushing 30 if not past it too. It’s not far off dad’s army going out there.

[BruidheanChaorthainn]

Is there a trophy for that

[Ralphie]

A series win for the Boks woykd match their World Cup win, such is their respect for Faz and the guys

[Tim_Riggins]

Average age is 28 I believe, down from 30.4 from the World Cup.

That is hardly Dad’s Army, it shows the squad evolving.

Aki, Healy, O’Mahoney and Murray are the only ones who are nailed on to require replacing before the next World Cup. The average age drops to 27 when those four are excluded. That core would be 30 by the next World Cup.

Average age of a World Cup winning squad is 29/30.

There’ll be others for sure as there’s a few in that 31/32 range but that will only lower it further.

There’s some positional concerns like at scrum half and centre but that’s hardly the worst position to be in. I’d expect one of Henshaw or McCloskey to be knocking around in 2027 and you’ll get another couple coming through by then. Normal enough for any team.

If it was a lower ranked team we were touring I’d agree that it would be worthwhile to have a bit more rotation but it doesn’t make sense to put your Crowleys and Prendergasts in a scenario where they’ll be getting beaten up. There’s also the Emerging Ireland tour to come.

[StoneCold]

Top trolling

Munster’s Graham Rowntree named URC coach of the year as EPCR confirms...

[myboyblue]

Well earned. He’s doing great work down there.

[Fagan_ODowd]

@myboyblue

Well earned. He’s doing great work down there.

They love their rugby down in Munster.

[glasagusban]

@BruidheanChaorthainn

[gilgamboa]

@glasagusban

Might be good for them. Settle down the nonsense Irish rugby hype. You’d lads on here talking about world domination recently.

@kyle and his ilk get carried away when the rwc comes around all the time…the world rankings blind them

[BruidheanChaorthainn]

I see France have plucked their four best under 20 players from the World Cup and brought them with their senior squad to Argentina.

Meanwhile in Ireland you won’t be considered until your 27.