Irish AI Squad

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Russ
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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by Russ »

jean valjean wrote:
Shan wrote:
Shan wrote: We are at rock bottom really in the backs. We have just two decent wingers, Earls and Stockdale. The rest are either not good enough and / or over the hill.

For the first time in a while I cannot see too many positives in Irish rugby.

Even in the backrow we have guys who are underperforming. Same in front row. We have just about a starting second row. One 9, one 10 and a weakish starting backline with FA in reserve.
Well now. Today has not changed my view that there is little there beyond our first team. At an absolute push you could argue some kind of a case for Conway and Conan. The rest of the starting team today didn't do much of positive note.
Schmidt did today what we lambast kiss for, i.e. make wholesale changes against a supposedly inferior team then expect them to perform. All of those playing today (bar daverage) are decent players many of whom will have an international future. It just shows the value of training and working together over a period time.

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Joe and the d4 meedya ended a number of careers today

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Shan
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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by Shan »

jean valjean wrote:
All of those playing today (bar daverage) are decent players many of whom will have an international future.
I fear your last 8 words is correct.
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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by rumncoke »

I actually believe the so called 1st XV would have come off the pitch about 10 points and struggled for much of the game .

That was a big physical Fijian side who being mostly 7s players will always score points if given time and space .

Thus for an inexperienced combination of players the result maybe considered reasonable remembering that Dave the Knave gifted 7 and the ref allowed Fiji away with a lot at the breakdown-- they frequently came in the side over the ball

Carberry made the mistake of making their back row look stupid too early and their 8 give him an assurance that his card was marked soon after - with a body cruncher tackle which affected his game thereafter .

The Irish half backs never looked assured and the wings were unconvincing as well.

I never expected Joe to make 13 changes in the starting line up and I don't expect him to field such an inexperienced combination very often .

Before writing anyone off I think it would be fair to assess them
playing with a better half backs and as part of the full Irish side .

Just too many green men on the pitch at one time .



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BaggyTrousers
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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by BaggyTrousers »

Shan wrote:
jean valjean wrote:
All of those playing today (bar daverage) are decent players many of whom will have an international future.
I fear your last 8 words is correct.
Yes indeed Shan, great news. :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Those who are very clearly not good enough for international rugby:

Dave Kearney
Big Stu - not that he was anywhere near the worst
Thon big lump now masquerading at Munster as a centre, looks like a very poor 6 to me, Munster is welcome.
Sweetnam, jury out, I've seen him do nice things but I'll take a lot of convincing.
Wee Joey, yes the lad has great feet but they are feck all use to kick with, you cannot have a 10 with a poor kicking game, Lealiifano is a better 10 :duh: :duh: :duh:
Marmion, a very poor game for a decent player
Jack McGrath ?????? has he a useless twin brother FFFS, on current form he is reminding me that some Irish players come back from Lions tours and their best is behind them. He is obviously an exception to the "not good enough" label but at present, he qualifies.
Rob Herring, barely noticed Rob today, either he was doing Pete O'Mahony's job (Formerly DOC's job)or was MIA
Porter - stout but on that display, he'll struggle at that level.
Dillane, looked incredibly underpowered, not progressing on that display
Ruddock, king of the kids is about his level, solid and mo more
Geordie, crap, just crap barring I think 1 decent turnover.

Conan and Conway may be good enough, jury out, especially Conway.

The experienced heads brought nothing when they came on barring Healy who looked like a lad playing for his jumper having seen McGrath be shyte.
NEVER MOVE ON. Years on, I cannot ever watch Ireland with anything but indifference, I continue to wish for the imminent death of Donal Spring, the FIRFUC's executioner of Wee Paddy & Wee Stu, and I hate the FIRFUCs with undiminished passion.
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Shan
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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by Shan »

BaggyTrousers wrote: Yes indeed Shan, great news. :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Those who are very clearly not good enough for international rugby:

Dave Kearney
Big Stu - not that he was anywhere near the worst
Thon big lump now masquerading at Munster as a centre, looks like a very poor 6 to me, Munster is welcome.
Sweetnam, jury out, I've seen him do nice things but I'll take a lot of convincing.
Wee Joey, yes the lad has great feet but they are feck all use to kick with, you cannot have a 10 with a poor kicking game, Lealiifano is a better 10 :duh: :duh: :duh:
Marmion, a very poor game for a decent player
Jack McGrath ?????? has he a useless twin brother FFFS, on current form he is reminding me that some Irish players come back from Lions tours and their best is behind them. He is obviously an exception to the "not good enough" label but at present, he qualifies.
Rob Herring, barely noticed Rob today, either he was doing Pete O'Mahony's job (Formerly DOC's job)or was MIA
Porter - stout but on that display, he'll struggle at that level.
Dillane, looked incredibly underpowered, not progressing on that display
Ruddock, king of the kids is about his level, solid and mo more
Geordie, crap, just crap barring I think 1 decent turnover.

Conan and Conway may be good enough, jury out, especially Conway.

The experienced heads brought nothing when they came on barring Healy who looked like a lad playing for his jumper having seen McGrath be shyte.
I agree with everything except the idea that this is good news and your contention that Marmion is a decent player.

Oh and nice one on Porter. Yer still a good one Baggy. :D
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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by Cap'n Grumpy »

rumncoke wrote:I actually believe the so called 1st XV would have come off the pitch about 10 points and struggled for much of the game .

That was a big physical Fijian side who being mostly 7s players will always score points if given time and space .
I stopped reading after that.
You see Rumn, any half decent team wouldn't have given those big physical Fijians time and space too often, and whether some around here like to admit it or not, the so called Ireland 1st XV are better than a half-decent team.

Of course the so called Ireland 1st XV might still occasionally have Daverage Kearney making up the numbers so they could still get thrown an occasional intercept, but the so called 1st XV would otherwise have strangled the life out of that Fijian team 99 times out of 100 - with or without Daverage.
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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by rumncoke »

Front Row against a heavy pack held their own but failed to approach good in the loose .

Toner was Toner and Dillane remained unseen which is either a sign of good or bad second row but given the performance of the pack as a whole I opt for the later assessment

Back row failed to recognise the necessity and benefit of lift and go after Conan scored .

Marmion had a game to forget to slow to the breakdown to often tried to be the star attempting breaks round the ruck and inside feeds and his kicking frequently gifted possession to Fijians in space ( big mistake)

Carberry as already stated suffered because he exposed his hand too early and became the target for the day - and played as if he knew it .

centres hard to assess due to the performance of the half backs got very little good ball although there were some pleasing aspects to McCloskey's game if
you realised what to look for .

Wings Dave is a known who mixes good with bad and has gathered caps on the hope he gets better - a false hope

Sweetnam ( his ancestors couldn't spell ) like many players coming from a different sport has mastered some aspects but you soon realise there are other parts to game which are worryingly poor .

Conway the only back on the pitch who played to his potential mainly because he had been given the freedom to join the attack as often as possible .

Threadwell was an improvement in the second row when he came on but had the advantage of playing with senior replacements

Conclusion too many changes in the pack to dominate the Fijians and a half back combination which failed to control the game .





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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by Cockatrice »

BaggyTrousers wrote:
Shan wrote:
jean valjean wrote:
All of those playing today (bar daverage) are decent players many of whom will have an international future.
I fear your last 8 words is correct.
Yes indeed Shan, great news. :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Those who are very clearly not good enough for international rugby:

Dave Kearney
Big Stu - not that he was anywhere near the worst
Thon big lump now masquerading at Munster as a centre, looks like a very poor 6 to me, Munster is welcome.
Sweetnam, jury out, I've seen him do nice things but I'll take a lot of convincing.
Wee Joey, yes the lad has great feet but they are feck all use to kick with, you cannot have a 10 with a poor kicking game, Lealiifano is a better 10 :duh: :duh: :duh:
Marmion, a very poor game for a decent player
Jack McGrath ?????? has he a useless twin brother FFFS, on current form he is reminding me that some Irish players come back from Lions tours and their best is behind them. He is obviously an exception to the "not good enough" label but at present, he qualifies.
Rob Herring, barely noticed Rob today, either he was doing Pete O'Mahony's job (Formerly DOC's job)or was MIA
Porter - stout but on that display, he'll struggle at that level.
Dillane, looked incredibly underpowered, not progressing on that display
Ruddock, king of the kids is about his level, solid and mo more
Geordie, crap, just crap barring I think 1 decent turnover.

Conan and Conway may be good enough, jury out, especially Conway.

The experienced heads brought nothing when they came on barring Healy who looked like a lad playing for his jumper having seen McGrath be shyte.
baggy... was away watching a decent team play against Glasgow Plus and missed the match although read some reviews... I got impression from the Irish press that the back three were on top of their game and indeed that Porter looked the part. Stu on the other hand was lambasted for his comments on TV that Joe would be OK with the performance and indeed he was the worse of the backs doing nothing but was one point better than Farrell.

btw.. I think Scotland will give some a hard time on the pitch..
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BaggyTrousers
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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by BaggyTrousers »

rumncoke wrote: Sweetnam ( his ancestors couldn't spell )
Thanks for that Ron'n, reminds me of an old friend.

In the mid 70s I worked in Carrickfergus with a guy called Sweetnam, Herbie was a great fella, many thought him as mad as a bag of weasels but I liked him immensely. Herbie bought a house in Whitehead and on a summer's morning, he would sail to work & tie his boat up in Carrick for the day. That's not mad, that my friends is called living your life to your tune, not everyone else's.

Thinking of Herbie makes me smile, like me he was a bit of a socialist, he went a step further than me and named his son Che. What a great name Che Sweetnam, I hope he's half the man his Da was/is - hopefully.
NEVER MOVE ON. Years on, I cannot ever watch Ireland with anything but indifference, I continue to wish for the imminent death of Donal Spring, the FIRFUC's executioner of Wee Paddy & Wee Stu, and I hate the FIRFUCs with undiminished passion.
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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by BaggyTrousers »

They are the Anti-Ulster team Cockers, we are back peddling, they are making progress. For years they hadn't a back worth a damn, now they have several with pace to burn & a fair bit of guile.

I hold an outside hope that they may beat the Lionels at Murrayfield in the spring.

Just for HWM, it is now Day 256,914.
NEVER MOVE ON. Years on, I cannot ever watch Ireland with anything but indifference, I continue to wish for the imminent death of Donal Spring, the FIRFUC's executioner of Wee Paddy & Wee Stu, and I hate the FIRFUCs with undiminished passion.
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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by rumncoke »

Baggy

Let me alter my observation slightly the Ireland xv of the previous week with 4 changes would have struggled -

The four changes being The half backs and wings . Why do I say that firstly Marmion took too many wrong options, Carberry would have had his card marked and the back line would have wasted the same amount of possession without any muscle on the wing Rob Kearney wouldn't have joined the attack as frequently and tellingly due his willingness to run in to contact.

Forwards win matches and Backs define the margin.

Secondly the failure of the referee to referee coming in from the side and over by Fiji would have had exactly the same effect.The pack in other words would have had the same difficulty in dominating the Fiji pack in the loose and saturdays pack held their own in the set pieces it was in the loose than they failed to gain the upper hand.

In other words what Joe Learnt from Saturday is exactly what everybody realises

Without Murray and Sexton and Paddy Jackson Ireland could struggle and The options for the back 3,with Payne injured and Trimble and Bowe past their' sell buy', at present are limited and rest on development of some currently young and inexperienced players.
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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by rumncoke »

For the next match I expect Joe to select the same team as South Africa ,with Treadwell for Ryan , Keatley for Carberry (injury ) and Byrne for Sweetnam, on the bench
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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by Dave »

I think Dillane will be on the bench. Although he isn't on top form.
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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by rumncoke »

Dave Dillane played the full game on Saturday and Treadwell could be fresher

although the answer could be known by Wednesday
as Ulster have a game on Friday


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Re: Irish AI Squad

Post by Rooster »

rumncoke wrote:Dave Dillane played the full game on Saturday and Treadwell could be fresher

although the answer could be known by Wednesday
as Ulster have a game on Friday


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