Ireland v South Africa AI 2017.

[Oldschool]

JS wants to win all three AIs.
So tried and trusted.
R. Kearney
Stockdale
Aki
Henshaw
Earls
Sexton
Murray
Stander
Ruddock/POM
SOB
Toner
Henderson
Furlong
Best
McGrath.
Bench
Tracey Healy Ryan Dillane Ruddock/POM Marmion Carberry Conway
Edited.
Stockdale replaces Bowe (not in squad).
Conway comes in for ANOther at 23.

[neill_m]

Bowe not in the squad. Stockdale/D Kearney to start on the wing I reckon


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[neiliog93]

He'll almost certainly pick POM, SOB and Stander in the back row (hope I'm wrong). He'll probably go with R.Kearney at fullback, but I don't think he'll pick Dave (IMO he shouldn't pick either). He's talked about bringing through younger players after learning from our RWC 2015 disaster against Argentina, so I think he might actually with a back three of 15.Rob 14.Stockdale 11.Earls. I think he'll (rightly) put Aki at 12 and Henshaw at 13.

[Dave Cahill]

Healy, Best, Furlong, Henderson, Toner, Stander, O'Brien, Conan, Murray, Sexton, Earls, Henshaw, Aki, Stockdale, Carbery.

McGrath, Tracey, Porter, Dillane, POM, Marmion, Keatley, D Kearney




I think that Joe will go for Ryan over Porter and Rob over Dave

Edit: Or Conway over either Kearney - ht to Ronk

[ronk]

Stockdale and Aki come into the team. Bit more variation on the bench.

That’ll be enough building for this game, all other selections to be incumbents.

[ronk]

Some interesting calls at subs. 5 caps between the other hookers. Dillane at 23 and 10 caps is experienced lock cover. Backrow has options. Conway was well positioned due to his versatility, Zebo is a loss.

[CiaranIrl]

Decisions are at 1, 6, 8, 12, 14 & 15. Rest of the team is cast in stone I'd say.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Can't remember if I'm repeating myself but apologies if I am. None of our back rowers are in great form really IMO so I'm interested to see who gets picked. The only guy in really top form was Josh and obviously he's injured. Ruddock and Conan are in good form alright but don't think it's near their very best, and SOB was excellent on Saturday but that's only one game after a long enough lay off. All of which makes it harder to drop the Munster lads even though they're also in poor enough form, especially POM. Given that Joe has been willing to overlook POM in the past though, I think he'll do so again, with Ruddock at six. No matter who starts there's a serious fight for the bench, very curious to see who gets the nod there.

I'll be disappointed if Joey isn't at fullback. It's the perfect time to experiment and we need to develop options in the back three (and Joey's skill set is exactly what we've been lacking) so sticking with Rob would be a real backwards step IMO. Again the make up of the bench will be interesting if that happens. Rob would probably be nailed on, but would we then go with Keatley or a centre? I don't see any debate about the wings, it has to be Earls n the right and Stockdale on the left IMO. Assuming that happens I'll feel bad for Earls because he's much better on the left and in great form there (I'm including last season when I say that) but don't see any other way around it.

Six and fifteen are the only starting positions that I think are up for grabs (well I'm certain Stander will start and reckon it'll be at 8 but perhaps he'll move across). I wonder if the uncertainty about Heaslip will impact the make up of the back row.

[sunshiner1]

I think Joe will go with POM as a line-out option to try and disrupt the S.A. set-pieces. Ruddock will be on the bench.

[CiaranIrl]

After thinking it over, it's gotta be one of: Stander, O'Brien, Conan, or Ruddock, O'Brien, Stander for me.

I think Stander has had a slow start, but he has a lot of credit in the bank after last season. He'll up his game massively against the country of his birth. He just has to play.

On the flip side, South Africa will pick a massive pack. They have a monstrous tight 5, and a 6'6 back rower. O'Mahony is just not suited to these games. He's also not playing well.

[simonokeeffe]

Conan didnt maintain his form in the Munster/European games so dont think hes done enough to dethrone Stander

Starting RK would be retrograde

Ronk could be on to something

[Dave Cahill]

I don't think Joe can drop POM after not picking Zebo.

[Oldschool]

Conan didnt maintain his form in the Munster/European games so dont think hes done enough to dethrone Stander

Starting RK would be retrograde

Ronk could be on to something

433 got it right about RK.
His presence in the team severely limits the kicking options for the opposition and Carberry isn't there yet in that facet of his play.
Personally I wouldn't have POM in the 23 at the moment.
But it's Joe who has to make the tough calls.
He will prioritise winning over development for the SA imho.

[Oldschool]

I don't think Joe can drop POM after not picking Zebo.

Well he can but apart from his flak jacket he'd need an armoured vehicle capable of withstanding armour piercing turnips.

[sunshiner1]

By all the sounds coming out of the camp it looks like Stockdale is going to be given the nod for the South Africa game.

[simonokeeffe]

Conan didnt maintain his form in the Munster/European games so dont think hes done enough to dethrone Stander

Starting RK would be retrograde

Ronk could be on to something

433 got it right about RK.
His presence in the team severely limits the kicking options for the opposition and Carberry isn't there yet in that facet of his play.
Personally I wouldn't have POM in the 23 at the moment.
But it's Joe who has to make the tough calls.
He will prioritise winning over development for the SA imho.

If Carberry doesnt start our next best option for a 2nd distributor is Devin Toner

[LeRouxIsPHat]

It's a pity Larmour isn't involved, have a feeling he would have been if the squad was named this week. Given that he can cover the back three and outside centre he would have been handy to have around and his last two games makes me think he could be a real option in the 6N. I don't think Joe will actually bring him in for it because we're already developing young guys out wide and I'm sure he'll be more conservative in the spring, but I do think he'll be good enough as long as his game time doesn't fall off a cliff with Lowe's arrival and Kearney and Ringrose returning.

Also wonder if there's any chance James Ryan makes the bench this weekend. A lack of games counts against him but he really stepped up against Montpellier and it's the type of game that might require his style more than Dillane's. I don't think Dillane has been in great form either.

[simonokeeffe]

It's a pity Larmour isn't involved, have a feeling he would have been if the squad was named this week. Given that he can cover the back three and outside centre he would have been handy to have around and his last two games makes me think he could be a real option in the 6N. I don't think Joe will actually bring him in for it because we're already developing young guys out wide and I'm sure he'll be more conservative in the spring, but I do think he'll be good enough as long as his game time doesn't fall off a cliff with Lowe's arrival and Kearney and Ringrose returning.

Also wonder if there's any chance James Ryan makes the bench this weekend. A lack of games counts against him but he really stepped up against Montpellier and it's the type of game that might require his style more than Dillane's. I don't think Dillane has been in great form either.

I think he should play Byrne and Ryan just to really salinate their tears in Munster

I think you're right about Ryan though, and I get the sense he is being/has been annointed

[fourthirtythree]

Toner is the best passing scrumhalf in Leinster. FACT.

I'm not sure SA are currently set up to expose Carberry's poor field position at FB and I don't really want to see RK playing to be honest. I just don't think it's mad that Schmidt likes playing him, it's eminently sensible. But I'm a supporter, not a coach.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

It's sensible in isolation, but not when you consider how blunt our attack has been at times, Rob's injury record, Zebo's ostracisation, and that these matches aren't that important in the grand scheme of things. If we fast forward to playing England in Twickenham and we either struggle to create anything out wide, or have to throw Carbery in for his first start at fullback for Ireland, then starting Rob this Autumn would be seen as stupid IMO. That's no criticism of Rob, but given that he hasn't played much and the back three is really the only area we really need to develop players then I don't see why we wouldn't take the opportunity to do it.

So it's not that Rob shouldn't be picked as such, more that I think there's a need to develop another option and we have one raring to go.