Summer tour to SA 2024

[volvo]

See we have 6 on the plane, Including Izzy and Stockcube
Herring
To'T
Nick
Izzy
Stu
Stockcube

Hope they dont get hurt holding tackle bags

[Neill_M]

See we have 6 on the plane, Including Izzy and Stockcube
Herring
To'T
Nick
Izzy
Stu
Stockcube

Hope they dont get hurt holding tackle bags

ToT going as 3rd LHP rather a THP it seems.

[solidarity]

Don't see any starters there but, who knows?

[Bobbievee]

Somebody somewhere still thinks Jacob is the goods?

[CIMANFOREVER]

Only 2 Ulster born players- both backs
McCann unlucky, but maybe reserve- I'm sure Hodnett etc also in the mix.
Given Back 3 injuries etc and Keenan with 7s plus some improvement in form, no surprise Stockers is going.

[Columbo]

Wouldn’t be entirely surprised to see Izzy bolt

[CIMANFOREVER]

The more I look at the forwards, I puzzle over how POM, Healy, and the likes of Prendergast got the nod. Munster can feel aggrieved Hodnett didn't make it, ditto McCann for us. Loughman is more the future than Healey.
Coombes, jury is out but I'm not sure it would've been a stretch to include him and test him against big Saffa forwards

[Columbo]

The more I look at the forwards, I puzzle over how POM, Healy, and the likes of Prendergast got the nod. Munster can feel aggrieved Hodnett didn't make it, ditto McCann for us. Loughman is more the future than Healey.
Coombes, jury is out but I'm not sure it would've been a stretch to include him and test him against big Saffa forwards

Yes a couple of odd ones - Loughman’s omission is weird, he’d actually been playing really well. The only thing I can think is that they still favour Healy in the scrum, and think that’s important if they’re going to win or draw the series. So prioritising going for a win rather than building front row options. Tbh though even if that is the thinking it’s not obvious to me that Healy is a whole lot better at this stage than Loughman in the scrum, and certainly not in the loose..

I think Coombes’s omission is obvious - it’s because he isn’t very good, and there are loads more better options! Definition of a flat track bully, great at stats-building and try scoring against Dragons and Zebre, but more often than not goes missing against decent opposition when he looks slow and lumbering - classic example being the first match against us when he literally may as well not have been on the pitch. Hodnett is a different matter I thought he had a chance, but he hasn’t had a look-in yet. Same with McCann, who I thought had a good shout - he’s actually the closest Ireland have to a young POM, great all-round back row, good lineout operator. I would have let POM retire after the 6N, I don’t think there’s any way he’s among the top half-dozen back rows in Ireland and hasn’t been for some time. I just hope his performance in the first test isn’t like the infamous Lions-captaincy debacle…

[solidarity]

No point starting another thread for this.
Watching the S Africa v Wales game. Almost impossible to know who is sponsoring the game. So hard to tell from the ads in the ground that they have to start every replay with an ad!

[for dog and ulcer]

Chris Busby is doing a good job as referee in the SA v Wales game. He has not been intimidated by the home team or crowd and has spotted a lot of illegal play. Good to see and credit where due.

[solidarity]

After the match, they showed highlights of the 2016 (?) match where Ireland won 26-20. Six Ulster starters (Best, Henderson, Jackson, Marshall, Trimble, Payne) and Gilroy on the bench.

Yes, dog, Busby did well. TMO a local lad as well.

[justinr73]

Must be saving the Ulster players for the second Test.

[Jetstream]

Must be saving the Ulster players for the second Test.

If Ireland lose they will have to blame the Ulster water boys.

[Jetstream]

46 players have been picked for the South African game and the under20's game today against Georgia.
Ulster has a total representation of 2 players
The next lowest Provincial representation is Connacht who have 6 players involved.
Something is just not right.

[shamalicious]

Ulster are held to a different standard than the other provinces, I'm convinced of it. Ulster have to be consistently outstanding to have even a handful of players involved with Ireland. As soon as performances dip, those players are dropped like stones. The same doesn't seem to apply for the other provinces.