Ulster's Chris Henry gets ready for his first full Ireland Cap.
It looks as though it might be a good match on Saturday as either by accident or design the teams have produced startlingly similar line ups.
Both sets of backs are set up to attack and though I’m a big fan of Aussie back play, particularly with Quade Cooper and Matt Giteau calling the shots, I have to say I’m more excited about Ireland’s line up with Sexton and Wallace pulling the strings to unleash O’Driscoll, Bowe and Trimble, yummy!
There will be plenty to watch at full back with both Kearney and O’Connor showing some erratic form over the last few games. Both like to counter and I reckon both will be keen to try the other out. Who will crack first?
Add into the mix the fact that both scrum half’s have been getting a bit of a slating recently and have been struggling to find form and I don’t think I’ve ever seen two such perfectly matched back lines!
So it looks as though it’s going to be the big boys up front that make the difference and here everything points towards the Aussie back row of Elsom, Pocock and Brown being the match winners.
Neither front row can scrummage and a lot of Ireland’s game will depend on;
(a) whether Healy can dispense with his usual niggling and posturing and
(b) whether Buckley will turn up for two games in a row and
(c) both of them decide to put in the work at the coal face come scrum time.
This is actually the one in ten occurrence were they are coming up against another international front row that they might actually dominate! In fact if they don’t dominate then Ireland’s scrum is in a worse mess than I ever imagined. In reality Ireland’s front five are going to have to put in a big shift if the Aussie back row aren’t going to run riot and it’s in the second row paring that I have my biggest concern as Kidney goes for experience rather than potential. I’m sorry to say that in Mick O’Driscoll’s case it’s experience of being not very good at international level. A great club player in a dominant pack but I must admit I am always happy to see him turn out for Munster when they play Ulster as it gives us someone to target. O’Donoghue can count himself unlucky as he put in the best second row performance last weekend and, in my book, showed enough to edge in front of Dan the Man. How O’Driscoll got in front of both, well, that’s anyone’s guess!
The back row picked itself, in a last man standing sort of way, so there is not really a lot you can disagree with. It’s certainly going to be a baptism of fire for Ulster’s Chris Henry but I don’t think it’ll do him any harm. Certainly it’s the sort of level he’s going to need to perform at if he’s to stand any chance of making Ulster’s back row next season (smirk)!
I’m glad to see Court on the bench and I hope it means that the dalliance with nursing Hayes and Horan through to the World Cup is over. One of the highlight’s of my viewing will be shouting, “Get Court on,” at each scrum and I’ll be genuinely intrigued to see who does eventually make way!
Tuohy should get a good run out from the bench as I don’t think O’Driscoll’s back will last the pace. However Dan’s in that strange situation were, after scoring with his first touch against the All Blacks, any sort of average performance comes across as a little disappointing. In reality, however, he just needs a solid showing to remain in contention for next September.
I hope I haven’t talked this one up too much but I really am expecting a high scoring thriller. As I said I think that the Aussie back row will make the difference with Australia edging it, but there will be plenty of thrills and spills along the way.
Australia: (15-9) James O’Connor, Drew Mitchell, Rob Horne, Matt Giteau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Quade Cooper, Luke Burgess. (1-8) Ben Daley, Saia Faingaa, Salesi Ma’afu, Dean Mumm, Nathan Sharpe, Rocky Elsom, David Pocock, Richard Brown (16-22) Huia Edmonds, James Slipper, Mark Chisholm, Matt Hodgson, Josh Valentine, Berrick Barnes, Kurtley Beale
Ireland: (15-9) Rob Kearney, Tommy Bowe, Brian O’Driscoll (C), Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble, Jonathan Sexton, Tomas O’Leary. (1-8) Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Tony Buckley, Donncha O’Callaghan, Mick O’Driscoll, Niall Ronan, Shane Jennings, Chris Henry. (16-22) Damien Varley, Tom Court, Dan Tuohy, Rhys Ruddock, Eoin Reddan, Ronan O’Gara, Geordan Murphy.
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9 Responses to “Ireland team for Australia”
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Had Mick O’Driscoll been from Ulster he would not get a look in. A fine Magners league player he does not have the physicality required for international rugby. Should be his last cap. What must our boys, Brady and Kyriacou have done? involved with the successful A team all season yet Varley comes from Munsters thirds to a place in the twenty two. More pure Munster bias from the poisoned gnome from Turnipstan.
Well done Paddy, one of the few backs in the squad who can actually give and take a pass.
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Two totally unrelated points:
1. Don’t like the new site layout of white text on a black background. I am slowly going blind.
2. Congrats to Mrs Dergman who today produced twin Dergesses – Rachel and Alex. Good job they were girls as boys may have been named Wayne and Jermaine. You know how Dergman secretly likes football more than rugby. Don’t say that I told you….
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1. Hockey boy, we all know why you are slowly going blind and it has nothing to do with this site!
2. Excellent news.
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Raven, take your point about Varley….certainly Brady should’ve got the nod, but isn’t Andi Kyriacou on honeymoon? Don’t think his new missus would be too enthralled at a late call-up!!
MOD is a journeyman – and far from a selection for the future….should’ve been Dan the Man starting imho.
As for Mr and Mrs Derg and their new arrivals – fantastic news!!
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Glynncommando
It’s my understanding that neither Brady or Kyriacou were asked. It was only Andi’s honeymoon he has the rest of his life to spend with the lovely Becky. You only get a first cap once.
(And the honeymoon destination was already half way there. Simples)
I agree MOD is not the man but I thought Big Ed was the outstanding second row when he got his chance, he obviously hasn’t told the poisoned gnome that his father was born in Cork!
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Brady has the same problem as Kyriacou !
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What’s all this with hookers getting married? Hope it doesn’t take the edge of their game!
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Didn’t take the edge of Rory, he has another wee hooker to keep him awake at night.
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well done to dergman and mrs derg on their latest additions
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