Squad for next season during world cup

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COYBIB
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Joined: February 27th, 2013, 4:44 pm

Squad for next season during world cup

Post by COYBIB »

I just had a punt at naming an Irish world cup squad to see what we would have available for next season. I came up with: (basing ratios of positions off last WC squads)
Hooker: Best, Cronin, Strauss
Prop: Healy, McGrath, Ross, Moore, Kilcoyne
Second Row: O’Connell, Toner, Ryan, Henderson
Back-Row: Heaslip, O’Brien, O’Mahony, O’Donnell, Henry
Scrum-Half: Murray, Reddan, Marmion
Out-Half: Sexton, Jackson
Centre: Henshaw, Payne, Earls, Madigan
Back-Three: Bowe, Zebo, Trimble, Fitzgerald, R.Kearney

That's assuming everyone is fit. In a lot of positions if there's an injury, a Leinster man may be next in line to step in, but it would give a preliminary squad of:
Hooker: Byrne, Tracy
Prop: Bent, Furlong, Burke-Flynn, Byrne, Hirst
Second-Row: Douglas, Kearney, McCarthy, Denton
Back-Row: McLoughlin, Murphy, Ruddock, Ryan, Leavy, Van Der Flier, Conan
Scrum-Half: Boss, McGrath
Out-Half: Marsh
Centre: D'Arcy, O'Shea, Reid, Te'o
Back-Three: Fanning, D.Kearney, McFadden, McGrath, Nacewa (love writing that), Kirchner

Assuming that was the case, we could field a team along the lines of:
1. Bent 2. Byrne 3. Furlong 4. McCarthy 5. Douglas 6. Ruddock 7. Murphy 8. Conan
9. Boss 10. Marsh 11. D.Kearney 12. D'Arcy 13. Te'o 14. McFadden 15. Nacewa
16. Tracy 17. Byrne 18. Burke-Flynn 19. Kearney 20. McLaughlin 21. McGrath 22. Byrne 23. Kirchner

A few of those lads are grey area on whether they'll be available, one from Ruddock or Murphy may go ahead of O'Donnell, the other may be next in line if any of the back-rows are injured, McCarthy has a chance of making it if there are injuries, Boss may be prefered over Marmion (although I'd sooner have Cooney, Stringer or TOL if I was Joe), D.Kearney and McFadden in the mix although outsiders at this point also.

Still though, not a bad side to be able to field during a world cup - 9 senior internationals with another couple on the bench. Thread bare in the front row and centre though (centre not even a world cup issue, we're alarmingly short stocked there - D'Arcy may provide some temporary relief, but what about after?) and 10 will be an issue - it's either Nacewa or trust in Marsh / Byrne. Still, can't see any other position where MOC would turn to the academy and trust youth over what will be the bulk of players available.
jezzer wrote:He will never be the second coming of BOD, because the only thing their game shares is probably the appetite for work around the pitch. He'll hopefully be the first coming of Ringrose.
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