All Blacks Vs Ireland Take III

[Rooster]

Agreed but they get a free sojourn in NZ and to show their faces. Wouldn't be too sorry for them!

Ah but it's even colder over there than it is here

[Shan]

The only surprising thing in this selection is the absence of Heaslip...unless he has an injury I haven't heard about.

As I expected Wallace is straight in because we saw the value last week of having the centres in their proper positions.

Trimble is deselected on the back of an ineffectual performance last week while McFadden, who was possibly even worse the week before or at least as poor, retains his place after a decent outing last week. This is a strange area really as it does appear to suggest DK always planned to play McFadden for all three tests no matter what. It doesn't even seem to be because of McFadden's ability to play in the centre as DK doesn't seem to acknowledge he can do this.

Earls back in and back at 11 where he hopefully can be most effective.

Big challenge for POM at 8 but at least that is probably his best position. He wasn't good in the first game and needs a big improvement here.

[rumncoke]

what is evident is a complete reapprisal by DK

Both McFadden and Earls are fit both have played in the centre for Ireland and both playing on the wings and Paddy jetted into play in the centre .

Why play Mcfadden on the wing where he has yet to convince he actual knows what he has to do? and there are two wings available Zebo and Trimble if he does not have the confidence to play McFadden in the centre how can he justify his selection on the wing ?

[TheWonDon]

I'm rather happy with this. People are quick enough to have a go at Kidney, myself included, but I'll give him some credit here. He's made the call to bring in Paddy and start him at 12 despite not having him in the original party. It's obvious that BOD at 12 is a waste, and on the back of the season Paddy's had he deserves the chance.

I'm a big fan of O'Mahony and even if he's not a world beater at this stage, this kind of exposure to test rugby will stand him well in the future. I've said it before, I can see him being a future Ireland captain for considerable years, I suppose the question is just at which position.

While the AB's may hav a new 9/10 axis I'm not sure how weak overal it makes them. Obviously from Carter, anything else is of a lesser worth, but Cruden has been on fire in S15 this season. I heard talk of Carter being moved to 12 in the future to accomodate him at 10, though that's obviously a fair way off. Smith's in the same boat and is a classy operator. Having said all that I'd still like our back row (and it's auxiliary in Best & Healy) to get a fair rattle at them early on, just in case . . .

With McCaw at 8 they lose a ball carrying threat. Cane is in the same mould as his skipper so what they lose in physicality, you'd expect them to make up for at the breakdown. Makes it even more interestig considering how well Ireland have done there in the series so far.

The All Blacks could react to last week and hand us a pasting. I can't see them performing as erratically this week which is bad news for us. At least though we've learned that they are human and we can compete, at least on some level.

*Sighs* Here we go again.

[OneMore]

The only surprising thing in this selection is the absence of Heaslip...unless he has an injury I haven't heard about.

I think they mentioned a broken finger on the radio this morning.

[Shan]

what is evident is a complete reapprisal by DK

Both McFadden and Earls are fit both have played in the centre for Ireland and both playing on the wings and Paddy jetted into play in the centre .

Why play Mcfadden on the wing where he has yet to convince he actual knows what he has to do? and there are two wings available Zebo and Trimble if he does not have the confidence to play McFadden in the centre how can he justify his selection on the wing ?

I think what is clear here is that DK sees a real chance of grabbing a victory in the third test. Our backline did not function in the first test partly because of the centre issues with two 13's playing together. We saw a massive improvement at centre last week mostly because Darcy came in, is a real 12 and played very well. I think DK sees McFadden as a 13 and not a particularly brilliant one which is how I see him. A guy who cannot get ahead of Darcy at provincial level. What business has he starting at 12 for Ireland. Cave is better than he is as is Earls at centre.

I think DK learned a lesson from the first test and has now called in Wallace because his only international level(Specially for D/L) 12 in the original squad is injured. I don't see anything wrong with that. It would be far worse just to accept we'll go with two 13's and concede the game before we start. I have questioned Wallace because of his physicality and I'll hold my hand up on that but in DK's position I'd have done the same thing here. Wallace has played well v NZ before so it is worth giving him a chance to do so again as we attempt to build on last week's performance.

[Shan]

The only surprising thing in this selection is the absence of Heaslip...unless he has an injury I haven't heard about.

I think they mentioned a broken finger on the radio this morning.

Thanks OneMore. This is a pity as Heaslip played really well last week. I hope POM can step up on Saturday.

[Setanta]

Shan, I would still question McFadden over Trimble on the wing; Earls no, McFadden yes.

[Bart S]

Thought Trimble was pretty poor last week. Earls offers a decent alteernative on the wing but not convinced we have any other alternatives at 12, other than Paddy W. Sexton probably the best with ROG at 10 but tbh Sexton should be starting at 10 for the longer term.

Cave,beagle and Henry will all benefit from being part of the Ireland experience. Longest time they've ever spent with an Ireland squad. Will come back disappointed not to have played more but hopefully hungrier to be more involved next time. It's been a step up for all of them and whilst they may be disappointed, should not be disillusioned.

[Shan]

Shan, I would still question McFadden over Trimble on the wing; Earls no, McFadden yes.

Yeah I'm not saying I wouldn't have the same questions. It is a hard one as Trimble's form tailed off during the season a bit and didn't do anything last week to scream out for inclusion this week...though the exact same could be said for McFadden the week before. Really no matter which of them was selected we'd have concerns.

I wish Tommy Bowe was there as there would be no need for the McFadden v Trimble argument....except for bench duties.

[Snipe Watson]

Agreed but they get a free sojourn in NZ and to show their faces. Wouldn't be too sorry for them!

That would be all fine and dandy if Small Paul didn't need his elbow sorted.

[rumncoke]

Shan don't see it that way

Dk is not the sort to go on tour with only one 12 and five 13s -- BoD Earls Mcfadden Cave and Trimble (granted its some time since Trimble played 13 for Ireland but he has done so) and 4 wings Trimble Earls Zebo and Mcfadden.

My take is he wanted to play BoD at 12 ( D'Arcy having shown in the previous 6Ns he is starting to lose pace) and Earls at 13 .

The 6Ns and the first test confirmed that Earls defence at 13 leaves much to be desired in fact he is a defensive liability because he lacks disipline and BoD like D'Arcy is losing pace to cover the mistakes and gaps left by Earls. At 13 BoD can act as the defensive general and maintain a disiplined drift defence he couldn't do it at 12. Cave is strictly a 13 and provided Earls and BoD were injury free-- was never going to feature on the team on this tour.

Thus I believe the options at 12 as they went on the plane were seen as D'Arcy and BoD ,BoD being 1 choice .

McFadden is not considered a centre by DK and really hasn't played wing sufficently to be considered an International

If only Trimble LOOKEDmore secure in defence, I honestly don't believe Mcfaddens is any better playing on the wing but it looks it. because on his game in attack Trimble is without doubt one of the most intelligent backs in Ireland.

[TinPig]

Things we should take from this team selection by Kidney:
The Earls/O'Driscoll axis is now a thing of the past, it was a mistake from the outset and should never ever be an issue going forward.
The two best available wings in Ireland are actually provincial club centres with McFadden the best available wing in Ireland meriting all 3 test starts.
Flying Duffy out a stroke of genius.
Darren Cave gets the last 10mins in a rout and so that's enough, he had his chance to prove himself and did'nt make the most of the opportunity.
Injury to team mates is the only way to progress to an Ireland cap as with McLaughlin, Tuohy and to a lesser extent Ryan (he's 28 what a disgrace 20 caps).

I can see the ultimate insult coming on Saturday and that will be McLaughlin going off and Ryan moving to 6. Henry getting 10 minutes at the end (like Cave) if the game is beyond a result.

[bazzaj]

Carter is out - hamstring.

Team: I Dagg; B Smith, C Smith, S B Williams, H Gear; A Cruden, A Smith; T Woodcock, A Hore, O Franks, L Romano, S Whitelock, L Messam. S Cane, R McCaw (capt).

Replacements: K Mealamu, B Franks, B Retallick, A Thomson, P Weepu, B Barrett, T Ellison.
UKPA

There is no such thing as a weak All Blacks side but I honestly feel this team is the weakest they have put out in years by their standards.
Six of their players are comparative test novices and with McCaw out of position their back row, does not seem the fiercesome unit it usually does without Kaino or Reed.

I am gutted Heaslip is not playing as with him in the team playing like he did last week, I would have fancied our chances.
POM needs a massive performance as I think the balance of the Leinster back row last week made all the difference.
SOB gave Carter a real tough time last week and a lesser man may have crumpled.
Lets hope Cruden does and SOB gets to subject him to the same type of physicality.

Glad DK was not tempted to go with ROG at 10 and Sexton at 12 as Sexton has really established himself as one of the best international 10s on this tour and is at last allowed to fulfil his true potential.
We need to back up last weeks performance or if we humped it will simply look like we caught them on the hop for a game.
I dont think we will get too many better chances though.

[darkside lightside]

This attempt to find a grand, unifying strategy in DK's selections is amusing There isn't one of course - he appears to have, formally or otherwise, selected his squad shortly after the 6 Nations. There's no other justification I can think of for the selection of Zebo, or the inclusion of ROG and DOC for example, in the light of what happened in the rest of the club season. And even though his rationale lacked coherency - 'you don't experiment in NZ, except you do with Zebo, except you don't with ROG, except you do with Fitzpatrick... etc' - he knew that by including Zebo and POM Farrelly & Co would be breathless with excitement at the 'freshness' and 'daring' of the selection.

So: the most in-form Irish 12 doesn't make the squad as one of 5 centres; the guy picked as first choice in the centre in the first game, fit again for the third game, is stuck on the wing, while the guy who didn't make the squad parachutes into the starting team at 12; Zebo is first choice on the wing for the first game, he has now disappeared from view.

Meanwhile: Henry, one of the most consistent Irish back row performers has yet to be seen, while POM, woeful in the first game, is the go-to guy when Heaslip gets injured; Murray, one of the biggest impediments to Ireland playing more progressive, front-foot rugby is untouchable; DOC, the man who puts the 'unseen' into 'work', is the guy we spring from the bench when we need to step things up; and on 55 minutes, come rain or shine, regardless of what's happening in the match, ROG comes on.

It's very clear that we're dealing with a guy who doesn't have a clear vision or strategy for Ireland, so it's fruitless to try to impute one...