All Blacks nil wrote:Another quote from Mike Ross in an Q & A interview with Joe.ie last season.
Q. Who are the other record holders in the squad?
A...............Peter O'Mahony has the best vertical jump [CMJ - counter-movement jump]. He can reach about 63 centimetres from a standing start. That is what makes him such a great line-out jumper. My best vertical jump is 49cm.
POM's ability to steal lineout ball at the front of the lineout is always crucial and sometimes game changing.
With POM at the front and Toner in the middle serious pressure is applied on the opposition lineout.
If Scotland's lineout doesn't function, Ireland will win in a canter. No other backrow option has that ability. Despite most of the back row contenders being in serious form, for that reason I can't see POM out of the MD23
has its merits. I do think that POM offers a really good balance when at 6 and as you said has a lineout presence than none of the others offer, but very hard to see Stander dropped - that said POM/SOB/Heaslip with Stander to come on for impact looks pretty strong in all areas
All depends on No.7 I think - SOB if fit almost certainly starts (maybe needs to be managed and not play Italy game) - is Schmidt happy for POM to cover 7 from the bench - if he is then I could see him being picked - probably be JVDF though
wixfjord wrote:EOS makes a good point about POM and his lineout prowess. By a good distance the best defensive lineout player we have.
I don't think that's enough reason to start him though. I think we'll see Stander, VDF, Heaslip.
We simply don't attack opposition lineout ball in a way that would maximise POM. I remember when Toulouse had Nyanga they used to fling him up at two on pretty much every opposition throw in.
Absolutely no chance Stander doesn't start. If SOB is fit, I'd start him and Sexton on Saturday with a view to resting both of them for Italy away. We have decent back ups in virtually every position (9 is a problem). We should become more comfortable making a small number of changes through the tournament. If Sexton and SOB play through Scotland, they have a 3 week gap to France at home, it could be huge for our chances.
wixfjord wrote:EOS makes a good point about POM and his lineout prowess. By a good distance the best defensive lineout player we have.
I don't think that's enough reason to start him though. I think we'll see Stander, VDF, Heaslip.
We simply don't attack opposition lineout ball in a way that would maximise POM. I remember when Toulouse had Nyanga they used to fling him up at two on pretty much every opposition throw in.
Sounds crucial and possibly game changing!
Ruddock's tackle stats consistently too low for me to be taken seriously as a Six Nations blindside..... Ruddock's defensive stats don't stack up. - All Blacks Nil, Jan 15th, 2014
England A 8 - 14 Ireland A, 25th Jan 2014 Ruddock(c) 19/2 Tackles
Hendersons ball carrying is very important, plus his destructive work in defence. Ryan is a very good player too so am not wailing on him, just dont think he should be picked to start over Henderson or will be
Has Joe ever picked Ryan ahead of a fully fit Henderson to start? Open to correction but dont think so
Moment Henderson was fully fit in the AIs Ryan was dropped (from 23)
And we struggled to get go forward ball/over gainline the home test to NZ
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simonokeeffe wrote:Hendersons ball carrying is very important, plus his destructive work in defence. Ryan is a very good player too so am not wailing on him, just dont think he should be picked to start over Henderson or will be
Has Joe ever picked Ryan ahead of a fully fit Henderson to start? Open to correction but dont think so
Moment Henderson was fully fit in the AIs Ryan was dropped (from 23)
And we struggled to get go forward ball/over gainline the home test to NZ
He has yeah. He's picked Tuohy ahead of Henderson IIRC. Henderson only has 2 6N starts to his name according to one of the latest pieces from the demented mole
Between his significant injury problems and shuttling between two positions, Henderson has failed to nail down a starting place in the Irish pack, despite being perhaps the most physically gifted back-five forward in Ireland. It’s a surprising reality. Indeed, he’s only started one Six Nations game since making his test debut more than four years ago.
Don't think Hendersons carrying is as important when we've a starting backrow of Stander Heaslip and SOB. It'd be nice to have but not at the expense of the set piece.
We lost Stander and Henshaw early on in the home game vs the All Brands, but tbh I didn't think we struggled all that much. We made a good few chances but generally didn't make them count due to errors.
Ruddock's tackle stats consistently too low for me to be taken seriously as a Six Nations blindside..... Ruddock's defensive stats don't stack up. - All Blacks Nil, Jan 15th, 2014
England A 8 - 14 Ireland A, 25th Jan 2014 Ruddock(c) 19/2 Tackles
Tuohy? How long ago was that
Ive a feeling people are subconsciously judging Ryan and Henderson too much on current provincial team success/form rather than individually
Last edited by simonokeeffe on January 31st, 2017, 1:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Dave Cahill wrote:Henderson's carrying prowess is seen more often in the written word than on the rugby pitch.
This x100. Can anyone name a game where Henderson's put in a big carrying performance since his injury at the World Cup? It's like people have decided he's a big ball carrier and ignore the fact there's very little evidence to support this, any games I watch his carrying stats usually read something like 10 carries for 14m.
Dave Cahill wrote:Henderson's carrying prowess is seen more often in the written word than on the rugby pitch.
This x100. Can anyone name a game where Henderson's put in a big carrying performance since his injury at the World Cup? It's like people have decided he's a big ball carrier and ignore the fact there's very little evidence to support this, any games I watch his carrying stats usually read something like 10 carries for 14m.
Only JVDF carried for more m v Aus than any other forward. Hes not going for Cronin esque gallops down the field. Tis a cliche but his carrying strength is making hard yards when hes no right to make any
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Dave Cahill wrote:Henderson's carrying prowess is seen more often in the written word than on the rugby pitch.
This x100. Can anyone name a game where Henderson's put in a big carrying performance since his injury at the World Cup? It's like people have decided he's a big ball carrier and ignore the fact there's very little evidence to support this, any games I watch his carrying stats usually read something like 10 carries for 14m.
He scored against Australia. I know he was put clean through but most second rows would probably not have made it to the line.
When playing for Ulster every man and the dogs on the street know that they'll use Henderson to carry the ball as much as possible. In a way he is a victim of his own success.
Having said that, it might be better to spring him from the bench when Scotland start to tire.
Henderson has an incredible ability to tie in a few tacklers and spin free to gain a couple of yards in order to give a pass. Ulster's pack is extremely average at the moment so tough for him to pretty much carry it on his own. He was great when he played in the autumn and that was coming off an injury.
So Sexton's rest didn't work then. I can see this kind of scenario repeating itself all season so that he can try and make the Lions, but after this season (and I don't see how the Lions could pick him when his injury record is so so poor) he should take a break for as long he needs to try and get himself right. If that's 6 months, a whole year, so be it, perfect time to do it.
Scannell and Keatly vying for the 22 jersey. Scannell for me especially as his ability to cover 12 allows for a the 23 jersey to be covered by a specialist back 3 player.
POM's absence probably means SOB or VDF/CJ/JH with SOB/VDF on the bench.
Last edited by All Blacks nil on January 31st, 2017, 2:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Simon - Ryan was picked ahead of Henderson for the AB at home - Dillane was dropped for Henderson. For Australia Henderson started with Dillane on the bench. In the AIs, I think that Henderson was injured for the first game but
Toner - 3 starts
Ryan - 2 starts, 1 sub
Dillane- 1 start, 2 sub
Henderson - 1 start, 1 sub
Holland - 1 start
I think Ryan and Henderson are in a battle to start, but could very well be based on the opposition
Dillane is a little bit behind these two atm (even allowing for injury)
With POM out wouldn't be surprised to see Henderson bench - just to give a bit of extra cover at 6
Scannell and Keatly vying for the 22 jersey. Scannell for me especially as his ability to cover 12 allows for a the 23 jersey to be covered by a specialist back 3 player.
POM's absence probably means SOB or VDF/CJ/JH with SOB/VDF on the bench.
Hmmmmm - Keatley obviously hasn't really featured this year for Munster in the big games - he has played maybe 40/50 minutes in the ECC. Huge call if Scannell is covering 10 - obviously he is in form and is capable of playing there - but think he has started maybe 2 pro games at out half - I'd be happy to trust him but its major pressure (unfair pressure?)on him if anything happens to Jackson
If they were both at their best I don't think Henderson just walks in, as it is Ryan is playing the best rugby of his career and Henderson definitely is not.
We have a pack full of carriers McGrath/Healy, Furlong, Stander, Heaslip, SOB/VDF. Another grunt man causing havoc at rucks like Ryan is exactly what we need. On form and our current needs it has to be Ryan for me.
"Horrocks went one way, Taylor the other and I was left holding the bloody hyphen!"
Golf: Henderson was injured for the start of the AIs (shoulder v Exeter), thats why he wasnt in the 23 for Chicago or v Canada. Benching v NZ in Dublin was his first game for a month
Hendersons counter rucking, ball stripping, and choke tackling are top class too, hes not a one trick pony like say Picamoles
Have to agree with LRIP, hes Ulsters only fearsome carrier in the pack
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