Tom Court wonders when he's going to get a start? Picture by Darren Kidd|Presseye.
Ireland have announced the team for their opening RBS Six Nations fixture against Italy in Stadio Flaminio on Saturday, 5 February. KO 1430.
It’s going to be an exciting match for all the wrong reasons. I’ll certainly be running a book on how many of the starting forwards actually finish the game as I think the injury rate with the patched together pack is going to be pretty heavy.
Italy will be sniffing more than a glimmer of a chance, particularly if they can keep things tight, and if they can impose themselves up front I don’t really see a lot coming off the bench to change things around.
Ireland’s main chance comes in getting the ball to their backs though whether the combative O’Leary is the man to do that is a question yet to be answered.
Interesting times!
Ireland: L Fitzgerald (Leinster), F McFadden (Leinster), B O’Driscoll (Leinster, captain), G D’Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster), J Sexton (Leinster), T O’Leary (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster), M Ross (Leinster), D O’Callaghan (Munster), P O’Connell (Munster), D Leamy (Munster), D Wallace (Munster), S O’Brien (Leinster).
Replacements: S Cronin (Connacht), T Court (Ulster), L Cullen (Leinster), S Jennings (Leinster), E Reddan (Leinster), R O’Gara (Munster), P Wallace (Ulster)
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4 Responses to “Ireland selection mystery continues!”
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Given the the names in the fit squad it looks about right
With Courts ability to play either side he is a natural bench man
My question mark is Cullen . A fine magners league player but never an International second row . Even in the magners league the leinster set scrum is frequently going backwards due to Cullen in the second row . A line out player yes but scrummager ??
I thought Duffy might have got the call at full back with Fitzgerald and Earls on the wing
Mcfadden on the wing could be a gamble to far
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Mote – I tend to agree with you especially on the fullback / wing issue. Tom Court was always going to be on the bench because of his superb ability to play either side of the scrum.
However I think that with the current injurieswithin the Ireland setup Decky should have looked at other options.
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Its only when you look at this Irish team and the Wolfhounds team ( which I expect to lose to the Saxons ) that you realise the extent that Ireland relie on a few Key players
who when injured expose the limited resources available to DK in certain positions.
The loss of both Heaslip and Ferris exposes a serious lack of experienced cover and there are question marks against Wallace being the force he was.
Likewise Kearney Murphy Trimble and Bowe and despite the Hype neither Earls or Fitzgerald inspire me try scoring confidence or of a sound defence if BoD were to get injured.
He (BoD) makes the trys and marshalls the defence making what I believe are slightly better than ordinary players appear more talented and McFadden. could well be another who owes his selection to the BoD Leinster factor.
My other feeling from DK selections is that he prefers his second rows to be lineout players rather than scrummagers and mobile ball carriers by the selection of players like cullen and Toner the unfortunate reliance on these players in the line out only makes the line out easier to predict and put pressure on both the player throwing the ball in and on the jumper.
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Admission I got the wolfhounds wrong
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