Roberts named HSBC player of the series

[gfo]

but some of the lads on the Rock team that won this year looked fairly handy, there was one called Conway and another lad whose name I don't recall, a winger/centre and full-back if I recall.

Brendan Macken? He looked great this year anyway. But considering these lads will be 20 by the time the world cup rolls around, i doubt they'll be at senior squad level.

[ronk]

but some of the lads on the Rock team that won this year looked fairly handy, there was one called Conway and another lad whose name I don't recall, a winger/centre and full-back if I recall.

Brendan Macken? He looked great this year anyway. But considering these lads will be 20 by the time the world cup rolls around, i doubt they'll be at senior squad level.

So that would be a year younger than Earls, Fitzgerald and the age Ferris was at the last world cup. And Healy is now. It would be the same age as Halfpenny was when he made the Lions tour. If the tour was a year ago I think Luke would have been picked too.

[gfo]

So that would be a year younger than Earls, Fitzgerald and the age Ferris was at the last world cup.

So they'd be younger than a player who hasn't made the international squad, and the same age as Ferris was when he never even managed to make it to the bench for the world cup. i'll give you that luke came through very early.
but in reality, unless our new players come through in time for the 2010 six nations, they wont be in with a chance for the RWC, Kidney won't be experimenting with unblooded players in 2011 six nations. and considering none of them are even on provincial teams yet, they aren't going to make it

[ronk]

So that would be a year younger than Earls, Fitzgerald and the age Ferris was at the last world cup.

So they'd be younger than a player who hasn't made the international squad, and the same age as Ferris was when he never even managed to make it to the bench for the world cup. i'll give you that luke came through very early.
but in reality, unless our new players come through in time for the 2010 six nations, they wont be in with a chance for the RWC, Kidney won't be experimenting with unblooded players in 2011 six nations. and considering none of them are even on provincial teams yet, they aren't going to make it

I was just showing that it was possible, and not even that rare. I could use other examples too, like Healy (who'd surely make our World Cup squad if it were this year), but you'd probably just stretch logic further.

The bigger reason why it's unlikely to happen is just that there's going to be a lot of competition for places. Last time we were able to take passengers like Duffy and Carney (no disrespect intended) even though we left Kearney, Bowe and Fitzgerald at home. Barring injuries we'll have a full backline of Lions and even a sub Lion. Behind them there are some talented young players pushing hard for a place, they're just very unlikely to get the nod, even at provincial level.

[gfo]

i know what you mean, it does happen, but i guess what i'm trying to say is that if there was an absolute superstar in the schools system who *could* make the WC team at 20, we'd be all singing his praises now.
still fingers crossed, the more the merrier

[ronk]

i know what you mean, it does happen, but i guess what i'm trying to say is that if there was an absolute superstar in the schools system who *could* make the WC team at 20, we'd be all singing his praises now.
still fingers crossed, the more the merrier

True. By the same token if ever there was a year for someone to slip through the radar largely unnoticed it would have been this one.

[dipper]

This thread has gone seriously off topic. It's called "Roberts named HSBC player of the series" but is now a debate about who might make the Irish squad for RWC 2011!

[ronk]

This thread has gone seriously off topic. It's called "Roberts named HSBC player of the series" but is now a debate about who might make the Irish squad for RWC 2011!

And there's a lengthy 2011 squad thread currently debating Mick O'Driscoll. Didn't really stay on topic long before the original hijack.


Roberts really does seem to be the opposite to Henson at the moment.