Some did, but Porter played 70 odd minutes last weekend and if Furlong doesn't make it back may need to start.curates_egg wrote:As far as I remember, subs and fringe squad players used to be released to get game time, in these "rest weeks".wixfjord wrote:No chance we were getting Porter back for this one given Furlong is carrying a knock and how much he played against Italy.
Rightly so too.
I'd say we did pretty well with Ireland callbacks yesterday in key areas.
I accept that, from an IRFU perspective, their sole interest is in Ireland at the 6 Nations but they have totally cannibalised us this year.
Despite all the blather about our depth, we have 4 props, 1 hooker, 2 second rows, 3 back rows, 1 scrum half, 1 outhalf, 1 Joey Carbery and 3 back three players with Ireland - we got 4 of them back; coupled with injuries to 1 hooker, 4 back rows, 3 centres (now 4)...and now McGrath.
It is hugely disruptive. I think the IRFU could do more to balance the scales.
I know that, in the circumstances, we were not going to get Porter back for this one but, assuming Furlong is ok, I hope we get Porter back for the next one. As we will have to pick between Lowe and Fardy, to accommodate JGP, we definitely need an international replacement for them.
Carbery was the only one that you could really say is contentious.