Summer tour to Australia

[MelbourneRebel]

Aki can only play centre, i think joe wants versatility on the bench

[Flash Gordon]

Henderson and Aki not considered for selection apparently

Aki would have been under pressure anyway. He looked to be playing his own game plan last week which Joe absolutely hates! As MR said, he's not a bench player. Generally happy with the team and the tour, lads are getting game time and this team looks like a step up in quality.

With Dev, Ryan and POM in the pack, the Ozzie creaking line out will be under severe pressure!

As others have said Conway, Berine and Cooney have earned their shot!

[Leinsterimp]

What the hell has Cronin done to piss Schmidt off so much. What does he have to do to get a chance to wear the 2 jersey?

By far the best hooker in Ireland this season, surprised he’s not being given the shot to start. Wonder if there’s something behind closed doors that’s gone on between him and Joe, it seems very odd

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I'm not up in arms about Cronin not being involved, although if he's left out next week then that's when I'll think he's really unlucky. He didn't have a positive impact last week and I was worried that with the result going the way it did then we were going to play our best 23 to try and ensure a win, and then have a load of guys involved next week who hadn't played yet. This puts faith in Scannell (plus I think he's a strong scrummager) but also rewards Herring and he can come on if Scannell's darts are off like they have been recently, and he's also good at clearing up loose balls which is pretty important against Australia. I mentioned this a while ago but don't think Cronin is much of an impact sub these days. He's become better in the tight and not quite as explosive, which isn't a bad thing, but just doesn't lend himself to having the impact that he used to have.

Conway is small but very aggressive in the air, interested to see how he does. Not that it's very different to last week but I don't like how our back three doesn't have anyone with good hands, there's a huge burden on RIngrose to create for them. Conway has his moments but harder to be creative on the wing than at fullback.

[paddyor]

What the hell has Cronin done to piss Schmidt off so much. What does he have to do to get a chance to wear the 2 jersey?

He's the lightest front row we have at 101kg. If you have him Beirne and Ryan in the tight 5 you're giving up over 20kgs. Schmidt referenced his scrummaging to Kinsella, Kinsella suggested it had to do with his weight. Thinking about it we never really dominated anyone in the scrum in the Spiv Cup except maybe Galsgow. He's also not a great defender by quantity.

Also, I'm guessing his carrying in the wider channels, isn't what Schmidt wants from his hooker.

[Ruckedtobits]

What the hell has Cronin done to piss Schmidt off so much. What does he have to do to get a chance to wear the 2 jersey?

Nobody but JS knows the answer to your first question. To the second, I'd suggest one answer - get all your big plays right, line-outs, scrums and tackles in particular.

[Logorrhea]

Why is everyone running with the narrative the joe doesnt like Cronin. Hes consistently played him as a number 2. Hes seen him perform at the higest level. Why not see what Herring and Scannell can do with the first choice loose head and tight head?

All the other selsections are rotation or experimentation, Cronin doesnt play and its a huge f%~king drama!

[paddyor]

Why is everyone running with the narrative the joe doesnt like Cronin. Hes consistently played him as a number 2. Hes seen him perform at the higest level. Why not see what Herring and Scannell can do with the first choice loose head and tight head?

All the other selsections are rotation or experimentation, Cronin doesnt play and its a huge f%~king drama!

Did you read the article from Kinsella?

[Gearzbox2]

Im sorry but this whole "weight" "scrumming" issue is the biggest load of BS ive heard from joe the greats mouth maybe bar the whole I didn't know about joey carberry move etc

Cronin has performed incredibly well all year, came up against monster packs and did well (montpellier and racing to name 2)....he was done over in first test and maybe words were had, ill accept ge didn't add impact kadt week but it seems to me the biggest cop out from Schmidt using the scrum, if anything it looked like furlong got done on that 5m scrum....

Cronin earned his start and has been treated shockingly

[paddyor]

Im sorry but this whole "weight" "scrumming" issue is the biggest load of BS ive heard from joe the greats mouth maybe bar the whole I didn't know about joey carberry move etc

Cronin has performed incredibly well all year, came up against monster packs and did well (montpellier and racing to name 2)....he was done over in first test and maybe words were had, ill accept ge didn't add impact kadt week but it seems to me the biggest cop out from Schmidt using the scrum, if anything it looked like furlong got done on that 5m scrum....

Cronin earned his start and has been treated shockingly

Schmidt didn't mention his weight, Kinsella did.

[Gearzbox2]

Im sorry but this whole "weight" "scrumming" issue is the biggest load of BS ive heard from joe the greats mouth maybe bar the whole I didn't know about joey carberry move etc

Cronin has performed incredibly well all year, came up against monster packs and did well (montpellier and racing to name 2)....he was done over in first test and maybe words were had, ill accept ge didn't add impact kadt week but it seems to me the biggest cop out from Schmidt using the scrum, if anything it looked like furlong got done on that 5m scrum....

Cronin earned his start and has been treated shockingly

Schmidt didn't mention his weight, Kinsella did.

I presume it was inferred in kinsellas interview, he obviously drew that from the reasoning which again in BS
I also dont believe cronin is only 100kg, those profiles go back years....

[hugonaut]

Im sorry but this whole "weight" "scrumming" issue is the biggest load of BS ive heard from joe the greats mouth maybe bar the whole I didn't know about joey carberry move etc

Cronin has performed incredibly well all year, came up against monster packs and did well (montpellier and racing to name 2)....he was done over in first test and maybe words were had, ill accept ge didn't add impact kadt week but it seems to me the biggest cop out from Schmidt using the scrum, if anything it looked like furlong got done on that 5m scrum....

Cronin earned his start and has been treated shockingly

He did add impact - 4 carries for 19m [source: http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/playerstats ... gue=289234 ]. That's a lot more go-forward than O'Mahony's 9 carries for 7 metres or Jordi's 8 carries for 11m.

Schmidt has only given Cronin 3 starts at hooker in 5 years – against Canada in Nov 2016, against Scotland in the World Cup warm-ups in 2015 and against South Africa in November 2014. He was omitted from the panel for the 2017 November tests. There's an issue there, because he has been the stand-out hooker in Ireland this season.

[ronk]

Hard to know what's not going well for Cronin but it seems that he's slipping for Joe. Club form is solid so sometimes it's different priorities for coaches.

Sometimes it's just preference for the other guy or injuries being carried.

[fourthirtythree]

Club form doesn't come into it: his club performances are in stark contrast to Scannell's. On club form he's the no. 1 Irish booker this season. Remember we thought he might be leaving Ireland as that would explain his omission from the November squad.? On club form Herring and Scannell are lucky to be here.

Who knows what he sees on the training pitch because its in Ireland camp that he has a problem.

[wixfjord]

We all know already with Schmidt that club form is only a small part of his selection decision. I think this Cronin weight thing is being well overplayed. All Schmidt wants is a more aggressive scrum this week, we'll see a tighter game and fair enough if he thinks Scannell will be better there. The weight thing is a red herring since Cronin is heavier than Herring according to where you look.

[Dave Cahill]

Or it could simply be that Schmidt is rotating the guys in and out. Three tests, three hookers, everyone gets a start and a bench. We won't actually know until the third test. If Cronin doesn't get a start - then it might be odd.

[CiaranIrl]

Or it could simply be that Schmidt is rotating the guys in and out. Three tests, three hookers, everyone gets a start and a bench. We won't actually know until the third test. If Cronin doesn't get a start - then it might be odd.

Yeah, I think you're right. If Cronin starts the third test and Scannell benches, then there's a pattern and it's coherent. But if not, then it really will seem like he has a problem with Cronin. He's been outstanding this year and deserves a few starts. The man has 62 caps but only 11 starts. He must have some of the fewest minutes in the world for a 50+ capped international.

[backrower8]

I am a huge Dan Leavy fan but I think he is missing one thing in his armoury essential for a world-class 7 a la Pocock, Hooper, Warburton and the dirty Sam Cane...real speed (Pocock the slowest of those 3).

I think Dan is a 6.5 pace merchant who will finish his career as a 6. I also think he could gain a metre or so if he really addressed his running technique - he runs on his heels, needs to be on the balls of his feet a lot more.

Here's hoping I am wrong.

[artaneboy]

I am a huge Dan Leavy fan but I think he is missing one thing in his armoury essential for a world-class 7 a la Pocock, Hooper, Warburton and the dirty Sam Cane...real speed (Pocock the slowest of those 3).

I think Dan is a 6.5 pace merchant who will finish his career as a 6. I also think he could gain a metre or so if he really addressed his running technique - he runs on his heels, needs to be on the balls of his feet a lot more.

Here's hoping I am wrong.

That’s a very good point on running technique. I’m assuming that these days players are coached in this. But maybe not. Or maybe Dan just can’t adapt his style: some players find it impossible.


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[Peg Leg]

I am a huge Dan Leavy fan but I think he is missing one thing in his armoury essential for a world-class 7 a la Pocock, Hooper, Warburton and the dirty Sam Cane...real speed (Pocock the slowest of those 3).

I think Dan is a 6.5 pace merchant who will finish his career as a 6. I also think he could gain a metre or so if he really addressed his running technique - he runs on his heels, needs to be on the balls of his feet a lot more.

Here's hoping I am wrong.

That’s a very good point on running technique. I’m assuming that these days players are coached in this. But maybe not. Or maybe Dan just can’t adapt his style: some players find it impossible.


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Dried pea taped to the sole under the heel is how I was trained to get the heel up.