Ireland 2018/2019

[sunshiner1]

Clear to me and anyone whose seen Aki against Scarlets and Ulster recently.

[cormac]

Clear to me and anyone whose seen Aki against Scarlets and Ulster recently.

What about those who watched him against Leinster?

[Laighin Break]

Clear to me and anyone whose seen Aki against Scarlets and Ulster recently.

What about those who watched him against Leinster?

Or Henshaw+Ringrose against Wasps

[fourthirtythree]

Yeah, I watched Aki against Scarlets and thought he was outstanding. Then I watched us notch up our play a level.

Plus he was well marshalled against Leinster. In with a shout but not a shoo-in by any stretch.

[johng]

Great to have him as back up/rotation over the course of a tournament/series. But a fully fit Henrose and Ringshaw is hard to argue with. Great that the stepdown isn't too big as it was in the days of Odriscy and Darscoll though.

[paddyor]

Apparently Niall Scannells injury keeping him out of the match tomorrow could be career ending. Jaysus Munster have no joy with hookers.

[neiliog93]

The following is an International XV of NIQ players in Ireland (where needed I shoehorned in some guys who are IQ because of the 3-year residency as an adult or the granny rule, but currently uncapped by Ireland). Also had to push Herbst to loosehead.

1.Herbst 2.Marshall 3.Robertson-McCoy

4.Fardy 5.Kleyn

6.Butler 8.Coetzee 7.Cloete

9.Mathewson 10.Bleyendaal 12.Godwin 13.Taute 14.Tomane

11.Lowe 15.Speight

16.McCartney 17.S.Van Der Merwe 18.Parker 19.Deysel 20.Fainga'a/A.Botha 21.JGP 22.Horwitz 23.Ludik

Apart from the props it's a pretty good team. If there was a proper loosehead they would beat Italy and maybe Scotland in the Six Nations.

[hugonaut]

I think that we've got to be looking at Sean Cronin starting against Argentina, and then making a decision for the No2 jersey based on his performance in that game. He's the form hooker in Ireland this season [by quite a distance]. I tend to take criticisms of his lineout throwing with a pound of salt because a] the lineout is a unit skill and b] nobody praises him when we get 90-100% success rates in that set piece.

The more salient test is as a starting scrummager – it's even more of a unit skill, and it's practically impossible to judge as a spectator. But we've had a very solid scrum with Besty at No2 and we've had strong props on either side of him for the last five years [Cian, Jack, Rossy, Tadhg]. So if you make Cronin the only variable in the tight five and start him against a renowned scrummaging side, then I think you would have a really good test of how effectively he can contribute to the scrum.

[Peg Leg]

I think that we've got to be looking at Sean Cronin starting against Argentina, and then making a decision for the No2 jersey based on his performance in that game. He's the form hooker in Ireland this season [by quite a distance]. I tend to take criticisms of his lineout throwing with a pound of salt because a] the lineout is a unit skill and b] nobody praises him when we get 90-100% success rates in that set piece.

The more salient test is as a starting scrummager – it's even more of a unit skill, and it's practically impossible to judge as a spectator. But we've had a very solid scrum with Besty at No2 and we've had strong props on either side of him for the last five years [Cian, Jack, Rossy, Tadhg]. So if you make Cronin the only variable in the tight five and start him against a renowned scrummaging side, then I think you would have a really good test of how effectively he can contribute to the scrum.

I've given up arguing about this. "His throwing is shite" is the fake news response of his critics, it doesnt matter how many FACTS you lay on the table to counter or even demonstrate that criticism as a falsehood, you come across as a fanatic who's a bit obsessed with Cronin.
But yeah +1

[Ruckedtobits]

Is the IRFU Strategic Plan available on line to read in full or do we just get puff pieces released piece-meal

[Dave Cahill]

Is the IRFU Strategic Plan available on line to read in full or do we just get puff pieces released piece-meal

http://www.irishrugby.ie/downloads/IRFU ... 8-2023.pdf

[Ruckedtobits]

I think that we've got to be looking at Sean Cronin starting against Argentina, and then making a decision for the No2 jersey based on his performance in that game. He's the form hooker in Ireland this season [by quite a distance]. I tend to take criticisms of his lineout throwing with a pound of salt because a] the lineout is a unit skill and b] nobody praises him when we get 90-100% success rates in that set piece.

The more salient test is as a starting scrummager – it's even more of a unit skill, and it's practically impossible to judge as a spectator. But we've had a very solid scrum with Besty at No2 and we've had strong props on either side of him for the last five years [Cian, Jack, Rossy, Tadhg]. So if you make Cronin the only variable in the tight five and start him against a renowned scrummaging side, then I think you would have a really good test of how effectively he can contribute to the scrum.

I've given up arguing about this. "His throwing is shite" is the fake news response of his critics, it doesnt matter how many FACTS you lay on the table to counter or even demonstrate that criticism as a falsehood, you come across as a fanatic who's a bit obsessed with Cronin.
But yeah +1

The only two technical faults you can lay the the Hooker's (thrower's) door on any given line-out are: a) Crooked in and b) An underthrow i.e. ball not reaching jumper or intercepted before it gets to him. Everything else is acombination of many factors - even an overthrow where somebody should be covering the possibility.

[Dave Cahill]

Is the IRFU Strategic Plan available on line to read in full or do we just get puff pieces released piece-meal

http://www.irishrugby.ie/downloads/IRFU ... 8-2023.pdf

Also

http://www.irishrugby.ie/downloads/IRFU ... -_2023.pdf

[Ruckedtobits]

Is the IRFU Strategic Plan available on line to read in full or do we just get puff pieces released piece-meal

http://www.irishrugby.ie/downloads/IRFU ... 8-2023.pdf

Also

http://www.irishrugby.ie/downloads/IRFU ... -_2023.pdf

Thanks Dave.

[Flash Gordon]

Is the IRFU Strategic Plan available on line to read in full or do we just get puff pieces released piece-meal

http://www.irishrugby.ie/downloads/IRFU ... 8-2023.pdf

Also

http://www.irishrugby.ie/downloads/IRFU ... -_2023.pdf

Key IRFU targets for the next five years

– Qualify for at least the semi-finals of the 2019 and 2023 World Cups

– Two or more Six Nations titles

– To be ranked consistently in the top three in the world

– Two or more Champions Cup titles

– Two or more Pro14 titles

– Qualify the Sevens teams for the Tokyo Olympic

Brown talked about the difficulty of replicating the Leinster production line elsewhere.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Van Graan has said that Murray is unlikely to make the squad for November. I have a feeling he will be in it but assuming he's out we really aren't looking too hot at nine.

I don't think Marmion has been great recently and is carrying an injury now anyway. Cooney hasn't been at his best since he got that cut on his head although I'm hoping that's just because he's been wearing a scrumcap. If Sunday was an audition then Luke certainly failed it, and despite being a fan of his I'd have no problem saying that I'd have my doubts about him at international level anyway.

My negativity is countered by the fact that players do tend to step up in Camp Joe, but it's not great on paper. I suppose we don't really need miracles from any of them, two decent performances against Argentina and NZ would be great and things would suddenly look great.

[neill_m]

Ireland Squad (Guinness Series 2018, The Rugby Weekend 2018):

Player/Club/Province/Caps -

Forwards (24):
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 111 (Captain)
Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht) 7
Tadhg Beirne (Munster) 2
Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 9
Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 62
Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 26
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 81
Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 39
Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 6
Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 22
Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster) 10
Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 50
Jordi Murphy (Ulster) 23
Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster) 51
Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 50 (Vice-Captain)
Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 8
Quinn Roux (Galwegians/Connacht) 6
Rhys Ruddock (St Mary's College/Leinster) 19
James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 11
John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 15
Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) 9
CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 26
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 60
Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 10

Backs (18):
Will Addison (Enniskillen/Ulster) *
Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 9
Sam Arnold (Garryowen/Munster) *
Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster) *
Joey Carbery (Munster) 12
Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 7
John Cooney (Terenure College/Ulster) 2
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 70
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 36
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 86
Jordan Larmour (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 6
Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) 22
Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster) 2
Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) 6
Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 14
Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 76 (Vice-Captain)
Jacob Stockdale (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 11
Darren Sweetnam (Cork Constitution/Munster) 2

[LeRouxIsPHat]

So perhaps Cronin didn't beat up the other passengers and hijack the flight home from Australia.

Good to see McCloskey back in. No other big surprises from what I can see at first glance.

[Dave Cahill]

So perhaps Cronin didn't beat up the other passengers and hijack the flight home from Australia.

[R-Dog]

31/42 have 26 caps or less with 19 10 or less. Great to see and promises alot for the future