RWC2019 31-man squad

[Xanthippe]

Squad back training today and Irish Rugby social media at pains to tell us that Addison, Murphy and Marmion were asked to stay on to help out and they ‘put the team before their personal disappointment’. No mention and no sign of Dev.

[Ruckedtobits]

Feel really sorry for Toner.
Tough call by JS on a couple of other selections too.
However things are getting out of hand.
It's one thing for the local press and the local punters to express an opinion.
Throw in even the foreign press too, given it's the RWC.
However Pichot needs a kick up the hole.
Ireland and JS would be well advised to ignore him and not give him any oxygen.
Ireland and JS would also be best advised to not get involved in redirection.
The dye is cast, it's almost time to move on and get behind Joe, our coaches and our squad.
Thank god we have a match at the weekend.
The distraction will be welcome.
C'mon Ireland.

+1
Let him worry about his team and mind his own business (I would prefer to be more graphic, but it's before the watershed)

[Ruckedtobits]

It was mentioned to me tonight that all three Leinster "departees" of last year could miss the World Cup -two through selection and one through injury. It's a funny old world.

[TMC]

Matt Williams in today's IT going full bore into JS. Most of it is blah blah but the standout claim he makes is that Toners cards were marked from last January - he was out, and now he is out out.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.4005455

Don’t post often but think its pretty reprehensible / self-serving clickbait from Matt Williams. He is using the situation with Dev for his own ends. Its like the way he invents nicknames for players he doesn’t know from Adam when commentating to give an impression he is still in the know. He has become a complete arse since going into the meeja full time. The last thing the squad needs now is a press frenzy around Dev’s omission on the basis of some BS MW claims to have been told. If it gets legs its potentially very damaging for squad morale. Drico’s response much more nuanced & measured. Personally think Dev should be travelling, also think Donnacha Ryan and Quinn Roux offer more than Kleyn but there you go. Unfortunately Dev has not been given the same latitude to recover from injury that others have been afforded, given his service over the years that’s a kick in the teeth but it’s a harsh but fair coaching call on the form shown in the warm up games.

The squad has been picked - my greatest concern would be Kilcoyne’s inclusion after starring against the Welsh thirds - but it’s the Irish squad, they should be supported 1-31, including the coach who is far closer to the players on a daily basis. We have to trust that the coaches are not going out of their way to sabotage themselves & the squad and they have made their decision for solid rugby reasons and ignore BS like this kind of drivel

[FLIP]

I have no doubt in my mind that Kidney did not sabotage the Irish team post 2009. But he was utterly useless and completely wrong a lot of the time.

Just because I think well of the coaches doesn't mean I don't think they've made a huge mistake.

[Ruckedtobits]

+1.

re @TMC comment. As with Pichot, Williams should butt out.

[paddyor]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone wax lyrical about Marmion's passing. It might be better than Luke's, but it's marginal and he's hardly Aaron Smith. There were times last season when Blade had legitimate claims to be first choice at Connacht, Marmion simply isn't so good that he couldn't be left out.

And I repeat, I'd have picked Marmion, but it's the notion that his omission is a catastrophic mistake that baffles me. You'd swear we were leaving a world class player behind.

I don't think there's awhole lot between them but it is still a surprising call IMO. I don't think either has done anything over the past few years to change the pecking order.

[Leinsterimp]

Think we’ll regret not having Addison and Zebo there who offer more of an attacking threat than Kearney. Think Addison also showed more against Wales than Larmour has of late who I’ve been fairly underwhelmed by in 2019, seems to slow down and get stopped by the first man when running into contact

[The Doc]

Think we’ll regret not having Addison and Zebo there who offer more of an attacking threat than Kearney. Think Addison also showed more against Wales than Larmour has of late who I’ve been fairly underwhelmed by in 2019, seems to slow down and get stopped by the first man when running into contact

Zebo would over a very credible threat to the "all you can eat sushi bar" - he wouldn't, however, last a full game at WC level

[Ruckedtobits]

Big Misserouters in order

Toner
Marmion
Murphy
Addisson
McGrath
Byrne

As the news from yesterday sinks in about the players returning to their Provinces, just a reminder of the six names that were omitted from our 2019 Squad by having their names leaked in the week before our Squad was formally announced.

Dev, Jordi Murphy and Marmion were the biggest surprises.

[Dave Cahill]

Is that an accurate comparison though? Surely the announcement that Dillane and Scannell were returning to their provinces would be more in line with yesterday's news.

Also, it was after all, a leak.