RWC 2019

[Oldschool]

Let's just bin what happened in the 6Ns and select our starting 23 based on form.
15 Kearney
14 Earls
13 Ringrose
12 Henshaw
11 Stockdale
10 Carbery
9 Cooney
8 Conan
7 Leavy
6 Stander
5 Ryan
4 Toner
3 Furlong
2 Cronin
1 Healy
16 Don't Know
17 Jack McGrath form?
18 Porter
19 Henderson
20 Ruddock
21 Marmion
22 Byrne
23 Larmour
Over to yo.

[neiliog93]

Purely on form (or anticipated form in the case of players who've been out a long time):

1.Kilcoyne 2.S.Cronin 3.Furlong (not exactly in form but still better than alternatives)

4.Toner 5.Ja.Ryan

6.Stander 8.Conan 7.Leavy

9.Cooney 10.Carbery 12.C.Farrell 13.Ringrose 14.Earls

11.Stockdale 15.R.Kearney

16.N.Scannell 17.Healy 18.Porter (same as for Furlong) 19.Henderson 20.VDF 21.Marmion 22.Carty 23.Larmour


Just to clarify that I wouldn't select this team, but it is a hypothetical 'form only' selection.

[Oldschool]

Purely on form (or anticipated form in the case of players who've been out a long time):

1.Kilcoyne 2.S.Cronin 3.Furlong (not exactly in form but still better than alternatives)

4.Toner 5.Ja.Ryan

6.Stander 8.Conan 7.Leavy

9.Cooney 10.Carbery 12.C.Farrell 13.Ringrose 14.Earls

11.Stockdale 15.R.Kearney

16.N.Scannell 17.Healy 18.Porter (same as for Furlong) 19.Henderson 20.VDF 21.Marmion 22.Carty 23.Larmour


Just to clarify that I wouldn't select this team, but it is a hypothetical 'form only' selection.

Take a little wriggle room.
Pick first 15 on form but bench to indicate who you would pick.

[neiliog93]

Ok, here it goes, the team for September:

1.Kilcoyne 2.Best 3.Furlong

4.Toner 5.Ja.Ryan

6.Stander/Beirne 8.Conan 7.Leavy

9.Cooney 10.Sexton (ready to be replaced if he doesn't come good in first game) 12.Henshaw 13.Ringrose 14.Earls

11.Stockdale 15.R.Kearney

16.S.Cronin 17.Healy 18.Porter 19.Henderson 20.Stander/Beirne/VDF 21.Murray 22.Carbery 23.Larmour

[Oldschool]

Ok, here it goes, the team for September:

1.Kilcoyne 2.Best 3.Furlong

4.Toner 5.Ja.Ryan

6.Stander/Beirne 8.Conan 7.Leavy

9.Cooney 10.Sexton (ready to be replaced if he doesn't come good in first game) 12.Henshaw 13.Ringrose 14.Earls

11.Stockdale 15.R.Kearney

16.S.Cronin 17.Healy 18.Porter 19.Henderson 20.Stander/Beirne/VDF 21.Murray 22.Carbery 23.Larmour

Decent enough team tbh

[ronk]

I wouldnt think much of form right now. RWC is still far away.

I don’t think our recent issues are team selection ones.

[blaker]

I’m a wee bit surprised about the consensus on Healy. He had a poorish game yesterday and Kilcoyne has been very good in most of his cameos and is now well ahead of Jack but I thought Healy he had a decent tournament overall and would remain the man in possession.

I think the squad is pretty much set now bar marginal arguements over bench/Tier 2 game spots.

In the team there are questions though.
- does Larmour warrant a spot over Kearney or earl’s? I think both have played OK/well but does Larmour givebyou more?
- centre has to be henshaw / ringer but has Aki been made look a bit off by his halfbacks or does he have an issue with passing?
- second row has to be Toner / Ryan
- I think the back row is problematic. I think Beirne needs to play. I think SOB doesn’t travel if he keeps his current form
Level. Is stander now worth looking beyond? Does a Leavy Conan Beirne alignment give you more?
- thenhalfbacks are a massive problem if they stay like this. Marmion beat England and NZ in last 12 months - Murray more at risk because of that level of comfort in the next man but Sexton shouldn’t be set in stone of Carberry is fit and playing well while JS stays like this. Big few months

[ribs]

I thought Healy had taken his opposite number to the cleaners but got Nothing from the ref. Kilcoyne had one big scrum, but otherwise let wales play the collapse and reset game (running down the clock)

[CiaranIrl]

Form at this moment in time is a pointless exercise really. The world cup is miles away, and lads like Henshaw and Leavy can't be said to have form because they're injured. The team I'd love to see though:

Healy, Cronin, Furlong, Toner, Ryan, Beirne, Leavy, Conan, Murray, Sexton, Stockdale, Henshaw, Ringrose, Earls, Conway
With Best, Kilcoyne, Ryan, Henderson, VDF, McGrath, Carvery, Larmour on the bench

[Oldschool]

With the 6Ns done and dusted it's perhaps time for everyone, especially Joe et al to take a step back and reconsider.
Joe, being Joe, has without a doubt a plan for the RWC.
Because we don't know the plan is we don't know if there is a problem with the plan.
However, even Joe can't turn back the clock.
He may have to face the fact that Best may not be able to cut it at RWC time.
The point being who should then be his match day captain.
There is only one candidate, James Ryan.
Why, because only two or three of the starting pack really stood up. Healy (Yeah I haven't forgotten the peno but Healy kept plugging away), Stander (No I haven't forgotten the tap peno) but he kept banging away too.
And James Ryan.
The captaincy needs to skip a generation.
We don't want another situation like the Best situation.
A RWC involves the lads being together a long time.
Given the comments about the players needing a bit of blowout suggests that there might be a minor issue here.
Joe himself needs a sanity check, mainly because he seemed, understandably so, taken aback at some of the criticism levelled.
He needs to talk to someone who knows nothing about rugby but a lot about the Irish Rugby player's sporting psyche.
(I'm available )
Gattie, for example, knows exactly how to get at us.
The biggest obstacle to Ireland winning the RWC is ourselves.
Wales didn't play well in all their 6Ns games but they were hugely up for it in their two toughest games and won them relatively comfortably.
That's exactly what is going to be required during the RWC. An ability to get your team to peak for the big games.

[backrower8]

Kilcoyne was, is and always will be a sub-standard and illegal scrummager and we will be ruined if he is in our 23.

The scrums Porter is on for for either Ireland or Leinster have not been stable since the turn of the year, 2019.

Conan is a baller of an 8 who offers much, much more than Stander.

[Dave Cahill]

So, we know the third nailed on RWC squad selection.


This is like watching Battlestar Galactica as the 'Final Five' are revealed.

[Flash Gordon]

So, we know the third nailed on RWC squad selection.


This is like watching Battlestar Galactica as the 'Final Five' are revealed.

Dunno about that. Is Jack going to actually get much rugby between now and then with ulster?

[Dave Cahill]

Good boys get sweets

[The Doc]

Good boys get sweets

I was going to say you're getting cynical in your old age Dave - however the use of the present participle is probably incorrect. Past participle would be more accurate

[Dave Cahill]

I've been cynical ever since Aonghus McAnally turned up in Wanderly Wagon coz I knew his Dad wasn't a postman.

[Fan with smartphone]

Damian McKenzie out of rwc. Pity, as he has looked particularly brilliant of late.
Already quite a few top drawer players across the world, including some of our own, not going to be at the big dance.

[Oldschool]

Joe Schmidt has some serious problems coming into the RWC.
SOB, Best, Murray and Sexton now have serious question marks hanging over them.
If it's not a case of biting bullets it's certainly a case of having the best possible plan B both in place and a preparedness to be deployed.

[sunshiner1]

Stockdale playing 15 again. I wonder is it to late to try him at the Irish 15 shirt before the RWC? He could be our version of Folau at the back. If not I'd love to see it next year. With him at 15 and Earls and Lowe on either wing that's an exciting back three.

[ronk]

Stockdale playing 15 again. I wonder is it to late to try him at the Irish 15 shirt before the RWC? He could be our version of Folau at the back. If not I'd love to see it next year. With him at 15 and Earls and Lowe on either wing that's an exciting back three.

I'd say it's more about covering Kearney and/or options for rotating.

RWC squads are tight for specialists in the outside backs.

Do we bring a fullback like Addison or a winger like Conway.