Good grief: Ireland Team for Samoa.

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You’ve got to wonder who is picking the Ireland team these days, Kidney or the marketing men? I have to say I’ve serious doubts as to whether it’s Kidney after he comes out with the following statement:

“We’ve tried to mix experience and youth in the right team to face the type of challenge that Samoa present”

and then produces one of the oldest and most experienced starting XV’s in the history of Irish rugby only throwing in Cronin, Toner and O’Brien just to bring the average number of caps to below 50 and the average age below 35.

Cronin and O’Brien may well have an international future but I’m still to be convinced by Toner who was comfortably outplayed by O’Donoghue at Ravers last season. Now, I am always keen to give youth a chance, certainly keener than Kidney by the looks of it, but this decision smacks of a knee jerk reaction after MO’D and Best made a balls of the line outs. (Don’t know who was at fault . . .

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7 responses to “Good grief: Ireland Team for Samoa.”

  1. the mote

    Toner was always going to start this game his height being his only redeeming feature since he adds little about the park other than the lineout ( he suffers from the Harrison disease his centre of gravity is too high)

    I am a little surprised at Hayes selection since I doubt if he has played an 80 minute game for Munster.

    While Paddy W has accumulated anumber of caps he has actual played very few 80 minute games

    The Springer -O Gara partnership must seen as second string with Springer as 3rd choice scrum half but if Ireland have a 9 point lead early in the second half I expect both to be substituted to expose a Boss /Sexton partnership my own view being Redden will carry the can for last week

  2. Ballpark

    ‘Once again it appears we’ll be going into the world cup with the hopes of many resting on the hamstrings of a few.’

    Never in the field of rugby union has so much rested on so little!

  3. Raging Raven

    No.

  4. Johnny King

    Kidney will select his safe squad of thirtysomethings, emphasise to them that it’s the last chance for the “golden generation” to achieve something major in the WC and then he will shuffle aside. My lingering emotion during the Springbok game was how fortunate I have been to watch Brian O’Driscoll. In attack and defence he remains peerless. Can he ever be replaced?

  5. I certainily expect the above team to beat Samoa quite convincingly however I would like to think that we could have produced 15 fringe players that could beat Samoa.

    The lack of player development is a major concern going into the world cup year and really the autumn internationals, being no more than sponsored run outs, would have been the ideal time to give some of the fringe players a good workout over a series of games.

    Once again it appears we’ll be going into the world cup with the hopes of many resting on the hamstrings of a few.

  6. Johnny King

    Hmm. I take your point regarding the age etc. but if you were to pick a team on current form I don’t think you should be spraying your Buckfast over your monitor quite so quickly. The backs selection has a good balance and I think there’s enough grunt in the forwards to see off a Samoa team which was rather lacklustre against the Westies tonight.

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