Wasps v Leinster, Jan 20th - 3:15pm

[carlow man]

Dan Leavy is not in the Ireland squad announced today so guessing he won't be facing Wasps on Sunday.

I wonder might we see SOB benching.

I really hope not! He can have his annual 6 nations training match in the Pro14, not a must win away game in Europe.

Plenty of motivation for Ross Byrne anyway. Schmidt picking guys who haven't played in months and ignoring an outhalf who calmly controlled a game against the form team in Europe.

If sob has been training well then I reckon he will be on bench instead of deegan. Handy to have coming on for last 20 mins. Fogs seemed to suggest that he's sharp in training and being considered as much as the other back rows

[TFP]

The Four Provinces Pub Coventry would like to invite all travelling Leinster fans to join us for live music after the game on Sunday. If you show your match ticket you get free shot!! We have a wide range of Irish beverages from Guinness to West Coast Coolers. Hopefully we’ll see you there on Sunday.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[desperado]

Dan Leavy is not in the Ireland squad announced today so guessing he won't be facing Wasps on Sunday.

I wonder might we see SOB benching.

I really hope not! He can have his annual 6 nations training match in the Pro14, not a must win away game in Europe.

Plenty of motivation for Ross Byrne anyway. Schmidt picking guys who haven't played in months and ignoring an outhalf who calmly controlled a game against the form team in Europe.

Very harsh comment on SOB. He's been very unfortunate with injury. He's a proven winner at the highest level with buckets of experience. If he benches he could cover all 6, 7, 8 if needed.

[paddyor]

I really hope not! He can have his annual 6 nations training match in the Pro14, not a must win away game in Europe.

Plenty of motivation for Ross Byrne anyway. Schmidt picking guys who haven't played in months and ignoring an outhalf who calmly controlled a game against the form team in Europe.

Ah, Blade-Carty>>>>>>>>>>>Blade/Byrne. He's also got the better kicking % FWIW, not much I expect.

[ronk]

Very harsh comment on SOB. He's been very unfortunate with injury. He's a proven winner at the highest level with buckets of experience. If he benches he could cover all 6, 7, 8 if needed.

SOB has a knack of getting back from injury just in time for an international window. We all love him, at this stage it's reasonable to have a foreboding sense of doom that we won't be seeing much of him.

[outcast eddie]

I really hope not! He can have his annual 6 nations training match in the Pro14, not a must win away game in Europe.

Plenty of motivation for Ross Byrne anyway. Schmidt picking guys who haven't played in months and ignoring an outhalf who calmly controlled a game against the form team in Europe.

Ah, Blade-Carty>>>>>>>>>>>Blade/Byrne. He's also got the better kicking % FWIW, not much I expect.

I'm a big RB fan but thought Carty outplayed him when Connacht came to town over Christmas.

[TrapperChamonix]

I'm a big RB fan but thought Carty outplayed him when Connacht came to town over Christmas.

Turns out the Interpros are back to having an impact on selection.

[etak252]

I also thought Jack Carty outplayed Ross Byrne in match at Christmas and have no problem with the selection. I think Carty looks a more natural footballer than Byrne and training with Joe in squad could really bring him on.
Hope Dan Leavy is ok re injuries as he has had a bad run of luck since tour in Australia last summer.

[Oldschool]

Before the start of the season the Ireland OH pecking order would have been as follows.
Sexton
Carberry
Byrne
Carty
Style wise Carberry and Carry would be similar.
Both had place kicking issues but Carberry was way out in front.
Sexton and Byrne are similar in style too but obviously Sexton is Sexton and has some things in his armoury that Byrne doesn't.
Byrne had issues with his place kicking also.
What has changed.
All three pretenders have improved their place kicking.
Of the four Sexton is the most aggressive and Byrne the least (totally subjective)
Byrne is still improving but for whatever reason Carty has suddenly gone into acceleration mode and has passed Byrne.
The big question tho' and the only one that matters is-
What type of OH is Joe looking for.
Carty and Carberry play it on the game line, the Sexton, then Byrne, is that where Joe is looking.
At the moment Ireland are the best team in the world primarily because of our pack.
That will change, teams will catch up and when that happens we are going to need another edge.
Joe is looking at OH for that edge.
He's also looking at Larmour to provide an edge.
Stockdale, despite defensive frailties is nailed on because he provides an edge.
In summary Joe is looking for an edge that he perhaps thinks Byrne can't provide.

[desperado]

The one thing he didn't do, and Connacht have failed to do on more than one occasion with him as pivot - is close out a game from a winning position. Are there gaps in his on the field game management? Is it more a gameplan and hence Coach issue? I think Ross is ahead in the game management department. Ross has very little X factor... but tonnes of solidity. It's those one or two golden moments (dink over the top regather, hook link and sinker dummies) that can stick in the memory, and can make a major difference at crucial stages in games. Carbery has that, Carty is showing more of it now. Will Ross add that to his game?

[the spoofer]

The one thing he didn't do, and Connacht have failed to do on more than one occasion with him as pivot - is close out a game from a winning position. Are there gaps in his on the field game management? Is it more a gameplan and hence Coach issue? I think Ross is ahead in the game management department. Ross has very little X factor... but tonnes of solidity. It's those one or two golden moments (dink over the top regather, hook link and sinker dummies) that can stick in the memory, and can make a major difference at crucial stages in games. Carbery has that, Carty is showing more of it now. Will Ross add that to his game?

I thought Jack Carty was brilliant for 60 minutes but the last 20 were a horror show and that was largely ignored. He had the opportunity to put the ball off the pitch on a few occasions and let his team regroup, slow down the game and suck the energy from Leinster but failed to do so and invited the Leinster runners onto Connacht.

[curates_egg]

I also thought Jack Carty outplayed Ross Byrne in match at Christmas and have no problem with the selection. I think Carty looks a more natural footballer than Byrne and training with Joe in squad could really bring him on.
Hope Dan Leavy is ok re injuries as he has had a bad run of luck since tour in Australia last summer.

I think the selection is great: it will mean that we keep Byrne, and he will be super-motivated to perform. I just imagine Byrne will be miffed, and justifiably so. It smacks of one of those classic Schmidt 'prove a point' selections. All things equal, Carty ain't going to the world cup, so it is not very logical.

For this game though (and this thread), it means we can anticipate a man on a mission to prove himself (for the umpteenth time). Gwan Rosser!

[curates_egg]

The one thing he didn't do, and Connacht have failed to do on more than one occasion with him as pivot - is close out a game from a winning position. Are there gaps in his on the field game management? Is it more a gameplan and hence Coach issue? I think Ross is ahead in the game management department. Ross has very little X factor... but tonnes of solidity. It's those one or two golden moments (dink over the top regather, hook link and sinker dummies) that can stick in the memory, and can make a major difference at crucial stages in games. Carbery has that, Carty is showing more of it now. Will Ross add that to his game?

I thought Jack Carty was brilliant for 60 minutes but the last 20 were a horror show and that was largely ignored. He had the opportunity to put the ball off the pitch on a few occasions and let his team regroup, slow down the game and suck the energy from Leinster but failed to do so and invited the Leinster runners onto Connacht.

Yep. I thought Carty helped (almost) win Connacht the game, and played a central role in them losing it by not controlling the game and not playing keep ball.
No way I want him starting over Byrne for us this weekend or last. So, if this were an Ireland forum, there is no way I would want him in the squad over Byrne.

Up and at em Ross. #SUAF

[thecomedian]

Before the start of the season the Ireland OH pecking order would have been as follows.
Sexton
Carberry
Byrne
Carty
Style wise Carberry and Carry would be similar.
Both had place kicking issues but Carberry was way out in front.
Sexton and Byrne are similar in style too but obviously Sexton is Sexton and has some things in his armoury that Byrne doesn't.
Byrne had issues with his place kicking also.
What has changed.
All three pretenders have improved their place kicking.
Of the four Sexton is the most aggressive and Byrne the least (totally subjective)
Byrne is still improving but for whatever reason Carty has suddenly gone into acceleration mode and has passed Byrne.
The big question tho' and the only one that matters is-
What type of OH is Joe looking for.
Carty and Carberry play it on the game line, the Sexton, then Byrne, is that where Joe is looking.
At the moment Ireland are the best team in the world primarily because of our pack.
That will change, teams will catch up and when that happens we are going to need another edge.
Joe is looking at OH for that edge.
He's also looking at Larmour to provide an edge.
Stockdale, despite defensive frailties is nailed on because he provides an edge.
In summary Joe is looking for an edge that he perhaps thinks Byrne can't provide.

I’d see it the same way really.
I’d only disagree with Sexton being similar to Byrne in terms of style of play. Sexton is a very flat player.

I think Joe favors that type of OH and I’ll admit I haven’t watched enough of Carty to comment on his place but it sounds like he’s a flat playing OH also.

I wouldn’t say it’s an “I told you so” to R Byrne.
He hasn’t given much fame time to Byrne either, I would have thought he would have got more if he liked him.

[mildlyinterested]

Ross should have moved province when Joe asked him to.

anyway back to the game, will be interesting to see if Healy plays, i'm doubtful. Team Ireland the priority.

[bluemagic]

Ross should have moved province when Joe asked him to.

anyway back to the game, will be interesting to see if Healy plays, i'm doubtful. Team Ireland the priority.

Absolutely this. Carbery was a good boy and Ross wasn’t.

Same reason Murphy is included at the expense of Leavy.

[wixfjord]

Ross should have moved province when Joe asked him to.

anyway back to the game, will be interesting to see if Healy plays, i'm doubtful. Team Ireland the priority.

Absolutely this. Carbery was a good boy and Ross wasn’t.

Same reason Murphy is included at the expense of Leavy.

Or, you know, it could be that Joe rates Carbery better and he's playing well.

And it could be that Jordi is playing well, playing regularly and actually fit, unlike Leavy?

But nah, JOE IS THE DEVIL!

[outcast eddie]

The Four Provinces Pub Coventry would like to invite all travelling Leinster fans to join us for live music after the game on Sunday. If you show your match ticket you get free shot!! We have a wide range of Irish beverages from Guinness to West Coast Coolers. Hopefully we’ll see you there on Sunday.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This has tickled me, 'wide range of Irish beverages'. It kinda suggests Paddy will only be tempted by familiar refreshments and will, under no circumstances, contemplate any strange foreign booze.

There's more than an ounce of truth in that sentiment.

This guy knows his market.

...also, as we are all aware, drinking Guinness anywhere outside Ireland is a risky undertaking so the Irish generally steer away from the black stuff abroad.

It's much safer to stick with familiar Irish drinks like Heineken and Kronenburg when travelling.

[curates_egg]

Or, you know, it could be that Joe rates Carbery better.

Well, he clearly does, but the comparison is with Carty.

But nah, JOE IS THE DEVIL!

Finally, you've come around.

[paddyor]

I really hope not! He can have his annual 6 nations training match in the Pro14, not a must win away game in Europe.

Plenty of motivation for Ross Byrne anyway. Schmidt picking guys who haven't played in months and ignoring an outhalf who calmly controlled a game against the form team in Europe.

Ah, Blade-Carty>>>>>>>>>>>Blade/Byrne. He's also got the better kicking % FWIW, not much I expect.

I'm a big RB fan but thought Carty outplayed him when Connacht came to town over Christmas.

He was motm.