World Cup Training Squad named

[simonokeeffe]

Trimble and Moore will be given every chance to go/prove fitness

At least if McGrath covers TH rather than Bent he will contribute way more around the field (and not just in citings)

Ruddocks injury has made the back row very simple, 3 starters, Henry 20, Murphy as no 8 cover (as well as 6 & 7)

Dont think Cave will go, never stood out in Irish shirt, Earls would get 13 (Caves best position) ahead of him, Henshaw covers 13 excellently, his face doesnt fit; a 3rd specialist centre goes IMO it will be a 12

[Golf Man]

On Moore, Trimble, McGrath and Backrow I agree with you

On the centres its not clearcut - given BODs retirement and Darcy being dropped we have had a lot of turnover in the centres, so knowing Schmidts position on all of this is difficult

Madigan - is he a viable option at 12 in case of injury, or is he just a injury option
Fitz - is he a potential back up to Payne
Earls - hasn't featured at all due to injury is he considered an option at 13

Does he want a like for like replacement if one of Henshaw or Payne get injured

I think you ar ea little bit harsh on Cave - he has 7 starts for Ireland and won them all - admittedly Argentina is the highest level he has played - he hasn't had many chances

Its a delicate balance - you are essentially picking someone who hopefully will not be involved in the WC very much, but in the case of injury could have a huge role

Cave has the advantage of playing 13 most of his career and recently swuitching to 12 (opartnering Payne which I think is important) he has been very good this season -= it would be a huge step
Darcy has all the experience in the world, but is nowhere near the player he was - he is nowhere near the standard of the starters - but he won't be overawaed and would probably be key cog in setting the defensive system if starting

Its going to be one of thos down to the wire ones - if he sees Earls as an viable option at 13 and or is happy enough to move Henshaw out to 13 if Paynbe goes down - its obviously far more likely he will take Darcy.
Options are

Payne injured -> Madigan/Henshaw or Henshaw/Earls or Henshaw/Cave or Darcy/Henshaw
Henshaw injured -> Cave/Payne or Darcy/Payne or Madigan/Payne

Goes to show how important Henshaw has become more than anything else

[simonokeeffe]

I reckon Darcy but Joe (according to relevant players repeating this) has said he doesnt see Luke or Madigan as an international centre

Trimble returns to form I think then Jones doesnt make 31 as he he doesnt make the 23, thus making Earls more valuable

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Good squad. The bit that none of us knows is the game plan or plans that Joe has in his book of magic. I think the game plan will have a significant influence on the squad with different approaches needing different types of player.

This is going to be really interesting. If you take the NZ game as the starting point we offloaded the ball whenever it was on, then tightened up and played fairly simple multi phase stuff in the 6N, then kicked and chased from the start of last autumn until the England game, and then ran it as much as possible against Wales and Scotland. Who knows what way we'll play in the World Cup? Hopefully it'll make us very hard to analyse.

Think you are slightly overstating exactly how much we offloaded v NZ, we had no choice but to run and go for it v Scotland , and the Wales game is unlikley to be used as a template for our gameplan. We've won 2 6Ns in a row playing a conservative kick/chase gameplan, with a real focus on the maul. I'd lik eto think we would add a bit more in attack but I think its likely to be more set moves than anything else. We have France and Italy in our group - this approach has seen us beat both of these teams in the last two seasons - not sure why we would change it?

I don't think we are difficult to analyse, but difficult to play against

My concern leading into it is injuries - there will undoubtedly be some - we obviously have a couple of players whose absence change sthe whole team

So we played the same way...except for when we didn't because we had to?

Don't know how you can compare the French and Italian games and say they were similar this year. We were much narrower this year against Italy and held on to the ball several times when there was space out wide, total contrast to Bod's last home game. French game was a slog this year, compare that to the pace of the game in Paris and the trys we scored that night, not the same at all.

[Golf Man]

Fair point on the Italy games - had kind of forgotten the 2014 game

Note sure that the France game in 2014 was quite as open as you say - and the tries were pretty standard (apart from TRimbles break for Sextons second)

Eitther way I don't expect us to cut loose in any way shape or form - its likely to be very structured, big emphasis on kick/chase, set moves identified for that opposition, with players given scope to go for it when its on - essentially that France game in 2014 actually

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I never suggested we'd cut loose, just that we have different ways of playing.

[Dave Cahill]

Ireland WC referees: v Canada, Glen Jackson (NZ); v Romania, Craig Joubert (SA); v Italy, Jerome Garces (Fra); v France, Nigel Owens (Wal)

[jezzer]

Nigel for the big one is good news. He lets a bit of dark arts go in the offensive breakdown, which will suit us.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Happy with that. Wouldn't have wanted Joubert for the French game and no Barnes or Pollock. I know I'm in a minority in being a fan of Garces but I really do think he's great. Owens might let France away with a lot but at least it'll be both ways and he's a good communicator. The open game he generally oversees should suit us better.

So presumably we'll need to wait until a knockout game for Barnes to screw us over.

[simonokeeffe]

Happy with that. Wouldn't have wanted Joubert for the French game and no Barnes or Pollock. I know I'm in a minority in being a fan of Garces but I really do think he's great. Owens might let France away with a lot but at least it'll be both ways and he's a good communicator. The open game he generally oversees should suit us better.

So presumably we'll need to wait until a knockout game for Barnes to screw us over.

we could get Barnes for us against All Blacks and he wont know who to screw over

ref assignments are good news for

England (French refs for Wales and Australia)
Samoa (SH ref for Scotland quarter final decider)
Australia (SH ref for Wales quarter final decider)
Ireland

bad news for Wales, Scotland and Lacey will probably send off half the Fiji team in their Wales game, Clancy to take the fun out of a couple of minnows v minnows games

[hugonaut]

Ireland WC referees: v Canada, Glen Jackson (NZ); v Romania, Craig Joubert (SA); v Italy, Jerome Garces (Fra); v France, Nigel Owens (Wal)

Three good 'uns and Glen Jackson, who is a complete and utter turkey of a ref.

[simonokeeffe]

Ireland WC referees: v Canada, Glen Jackson (NZ); v Romania, Craig Joubert (SA); v Italy, Jerome Garces (Fra); v France, Nigel Owens (Wal)

Three good 'uns and Glen Jackson, who is a complete and utter turkey of a ref.

he's a strange one as despite being a former elite level player he doesnt have much sympathy for the game but mainly seems to be overly concerned with refereeing policies and edicts from Paddy O'Brien

[IanD]

http://www.the42.ie/tommy-odonnell-worl ... 8-Aug2015/

''The Munster flanker was stretchered off the pitch during Ireland’s 35-21 win over Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday and after an anxious wait on the prognosis, scans show O’Donnell suffered a hip dislocation.
“Investigations at University Hospital Wales yesterday afternoon confirmed that Tommy suffered a hip dislocation in the game against Wales,” an IRFU statement this afternoon confirmed.
“He will be limited to non-weight bearing activity for at least 6 weeks and has unfortunately been ruled out of participating in RWC15.”

Feel really sorry for him. Had a good game on Saturday and IMO could well have made the full squad.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Ireland WC referees: v Canada, Glen Jackson (NZ); v Romania, Craig Joubert (SA); v Italy, Jerome Garces (Fra); v France, Nigel Owens (Wal)

Three good 'uns and Glen Jackson, who is a complete and utter turkey of a ref.

he's a strange one as despite being a former elite level player he doesnt have much sympathy for the game but mainly seems to be overly concerned with refereeing policies and edicts from Paddy O'Brien

He's the rugby equivalent of Pierluigi Collina in comparison to Poite. Never rated Poite but he took it to new levels on Saturday. So inept that there should be a rethink about his participation in the World Cup.

[leinster4life13]

I like watching Poite, so long as I have no stake in the game, he's just inept in a hapless french sort of a way, which is more than you can say for the likes of Barnes or Clancy, who are equally as inept, but with none of the bumbling frenchman act to deserve any sympathy.

[olaf the fat]

I like watching Poite, so long as I have no stake in the game, he's just inept in a hapless french sort of a way, which is more than you can say for the likes of Barnes or Clancy, who are equally as inept, but with none of the bumbling frenchman act to deserve any sympathy.

Brings to mind Inspector Clouseau, Johnny English and Mattie Dwyer.

[Morf]

Was impressed with Barnes in OZ v NZ.

His communication and tone of language is far less patronising and dismissive to the players.

Was actually referencing previous "excellent scrums" before an 'engagement' too.

[Peg Leg]

Was impressed with Barnes in OZ v NZ.

His communication and tone of language is far less patronising and dismissive to the players.

Was actually referencing previous "excellent scrums" before an 'engagement' too.

Am I missing something here or do not you know what patronising means?

[simonokeeffe]

only learnt recently he was ref when BOD got his broken cheekbone in Bayonne before that world cup

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Was impressed with Barnes in OZ v NZ.

His communication and tone of language is far less patronising and dismissive to the players.

Was actually referencing previous "excellent scrums" before an 'engagement' too.

That's actually a fair point about improving his demeanour, thought he was dreadful though tbh. The wounds from Cardiff are still raw and he let both sides away with the stuff that he destroyed us over. Coming in from the side was particularly blatant. I've said it before that Nigel Owens lets attacking sides come in from the side and it's a bit ridiculous but at least he's fairly consistent and it aids the flow of the game. Barnes doesn't have that knack though and is too inconsistent.