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Good news for Chris Henry and Darren Cave, disappointment for others . . .
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Wow ! The raven is really raging. He has a point. ABAU has obviously been the policy for a long long time, and even with the change of management in the Ireland set-up the ‘back bench old tie brigade’ still rule and obviously pull the strings.
Now Parky, I’m surprised after your words of caution about Ulster’s current performances that you are pushing for more in the Ireland squad?
If we’re still top of the league and progressing in any European competition come January I’d say we’ll see a few more for the six nations.
“If we’re still top of the league and progressing in any European competition come January I’d say we’ll see a few more for the six nations.”
If you can read between my many lines that is what I am saying. – Early days, early days!
I was beside myself with rage when I saw the Ireland squad for the Autumn internationals as Catherine Tate would say ” What a F’ ing liberty!” We all know there are some members in the IRFU who will not be happy until there are no Ulster players in the Irish team but this is a joke. Ulster players already have to be twice as good as an opponent from another provence to get into the squad and give a man of the match performance to stay in it.
Kidney has been at Ulster’s home matches against Bath and Leinster and reportedly in Galway yet has picked players from Leinster and Connacht who were clearly second best on a head to head with their Ulster opponent. Lets start with the front row Brady and Kyriacou have been in outstanding form, Kyriacou demolishing Sean Cronin in Galway and Brady likewise with Fogarty yet the two southern hookers are in. Second row – How Denver Toner is in ahead of Caldwell , O ‘Donoghue is unbelievable he was so poor against Ulster Leinster subsituted him TWICE! Back row – Willie Faloon has been the stand out backrow player in Ireland this season yet Kindney has selected Donnacha Ryan and Sean O’Brien as two of five players competing for the blindside spot and no one to challenge Wallace at open side. Scrum half – Isaac Boss – What more can Isaac do to get back into the squad he has been the model of consistency this season played Eoin Reddan of the park and yet Reddan and Stringer are picked ahead of him. Out half – Ian Humphreys – The form number 10 in Ireland not even worth a place in the squad -what more does he have to do? (I still blame Matt Williams)
I could rant even more on Buckley , Duffy, Healy, Horgan(why not Whitten) and Wilkinson but we all know the score ABAU! Anyone but an Ulsterman.
The A Squad is due to be announced shortly and I expect Boss, Whitten Humpherys,Brady, Young, Kyriacou, O’Donoghue Caldwell and Faloon to be added. But if the rummers are to be believed Humpherys and Kyriacou have been left out …………. “What a F’ing liberty!”
Gawd only knows what you drafted in the first 3 effortsbut the 4th is very concillatory.
Difficult to see how Connaught have 3 represented to Ulster’s 6 when one team is bottom of the League and the other at the top. It is a squad however and by the time the permutations are assessed and the squad pruned you’ll probably see the usual suspects in the 22 including Ferris & Wallace. This is much in line with last years AI’s which was turned around in terms of selection come the 6N, by Kidney.
Early days, early days!
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