Irish World Cup 30

First topic message reminder :

Declan Kidney announced the Ireland Rugby Squad for the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand today.


The squad will be captained by Brian O'Driscoll.

Forwards (16) Caps in Brackets

Props (4)
Tony Buckley (Sale Sharks)(23)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)(20)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)(20)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)(9)

Hookers (3)

Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)(49)
Sean Cronin (not assigned club yet/Leinster)(13)
Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)(39)

Second Rows (4)

Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)(31)
Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)(74)
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)(77)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)(9)

Backrows (5)

Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)(25)
Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)(37)
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)(52)
Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)(11)
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)(72)

Backs (14)

Scrumhalves (3)

Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster)(14)
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)(1)
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(31)

Outhalves (2)

Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)(110)
Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)(18)

Centres (3)

Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)(58)
Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) captain(113)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)(28)

Outside Backs (6)

Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)(39)
Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)(20)
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)(29)
Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers)(69)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(4)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)(35)

Provincial Breakdown; Leinster 13, Munster 9, Ulster 5, Overseas 3

And the county breakdown. There are 12 counties and 2 overseas countries represented in the squad. For players born oversea but who grew up in Ireland, I put them down in the county they grew up and regard themselves as being from.

Limerick (7); Cronin, Flannery, Poc, D. Wallace, Reddan, Murray, Earls
Cork (4); Buckley, Ross, Doc, Rog
Dublin (3); Bod, Healy, Sexton
Kildare (3); Heaslip, G. Murphy, McFadden
Tipperary (2); Leamy, Ryan
Antrim (1); Ferris
Down (1); P.Wallace
Carlow (1); O'Brien
Armagh (1); Best
Wicklow (1); Cullen
Wexford (1); D'arcy
Louth (1); Kearney
Monaghan (1); Bowe
Derry/Londonderry/Whatever you want yourself (1); Trimble
Brisbane (1); Court
Tokoroa (1); Boss

That breaks down as;
Munster 13
Leinster 10
Ulster 5
Abroad/Poaches 2

Only people from outside Munster think Kidney is conservative. McFadden is the wrong call. Is the squad the same as the one this morning?

OLeary didnt deserve it at all. Got worse and worse game by game.

Fitz had a shocking year but at least he turned it around a little in the last few matches. Probably right he didn't make it.

Delighted for McFadden. He is a better option than Fitz anyway. Hope Earls really comes out of his shell and has a cracking WC.

Boss needs gametime this weekend wou would think but i would like to see Murray aswell and reddan and sexton need time together. Its the right squad imo. Maybe an argument for Fitz over McFadden but other than that Kidney deserves credit.

ballroomhero wrote:Good squad. Happy with that. I guess Boss must be due a start on Saturday, then? Who starts at 11 for Aus (assuming Bowe is 14) - Earls v Trimble. Trimble gets it I think.

Right now I think Trimble deserves it, but obviously a lot can change in three weeks.

Standulstermen wrote:Boss needs gametime this weekend wou would think but i would like to see Murray aswell and reddan and sexton need time together. Its the right squad imo. Maybe an argument for Fitz over McFadden but other than that Kidney deserves credit.

+1

Trimble should get it. I am really disappointed with the McFdden call though. Fitz has looked decent the past few games while he my have had a poor year,if McFadden was better he would have started.

MBTGOG wrote:I still would have gone with Fitzgerald over McFadden but can't complain about anything else. I think it's a good squad.

I agree. Shame for Luke. But he can't really complain. McFadden is a bit lucky, but he won't complain. Fair play to Kidney, some ballsie calls.

Thomond wrote:Only people from outside Munster think Kidney is conservative. McFadden is the wrong call. Is the squad the same as the one this morning?

You mean unbiased people?

McFadden will never let you down, unlike Fitz. Sensible call.

Happy with the squad as I think it's the best available 30 to take.
Now that's out of the way maybe the Kidney knockers on here and the conspiracy theorists will get behind Ireland and leave the provincial b******t behind.

You know who you are fellas.

Good squad, I hope Bowe, McFadden, Flannery, Wallace & Ferris all start this Sat.
Will be sweating on Healy & Ross if they start. Terrified of one of them getting injured before the WC.
Hopefully O'Leary & Fitz rediscover some form with their provinces.

There seems to be way too much agreement here.

People from Leinster were calling Deccie conservative when he really isn't? McFadden is decent but Luke can give you something out of the blue. I also though Fitz has been solid defensively this year.

Good selection, better than I expted.

McFadden is going because he provides another option in a problem position, 12, Fitz doesn't.

Got the tough call at 9 right too

Thomond wrote: I also though Fitz has been solid defensively this year.

Not in the games I watched

I dont think McFadden or Fitz would have made the 22 for the bigger games. If McFadden gets a start against Russia or the US he does offer one thing that Fitz cant. Top end pace. Racking up a score against the minnows may be important and we still have a conundrum in the centre. I can see the logic for it.

We will see who Kidney regards as his top two 9's this weekend. I suspect Healy will be rested with Court getting a game and Ross/Buckley a half each.

I'm so happy he made the right call to leave O'Leary at home, happy for boss to go deserves it on the year he had


Mcfadden over Fitzgerald is a big call

MBTGOG wrote:There seems to be way too much agreement here.

Well I pershonally am disgusted at the Southern bias on display... five proud Shons of Ulster go forth but where, pray tell, is Ian Whitten?

Geoff,I never saw anyone really cutting through him,in the latter half of the season he performed better.

To be honest i think this selection bodes well post RWC as well. He is taking emerging guys and as has been mentioned leaving two Lions at home. The evolution of this team will need to continue post RWC and his selections here suggest he is the man to make those calls.

ps. excellent moment when he couldnt remember the sponsors name for the celtic league

Trimble has been our most creative, Incisive back. Delighted he has made it. Deserves it.

I'd say Fitz is feeling pretty rubbish at the moment. Just shows you how sport can contain such highs (Lions 1st XV) and lows (omitted from 30 man squad).
Give him a break now lads.

Tomas O'Leary should be going.

That's the exact same squad I would have picked so I'm obviously delighted. Shocked he left out Tómas but he really did have a shocker on Saturday. I can see the arguments for Fitz being harshly done by but he's been a complete liability for the last year and we don't need someone like that at the world cup. McFadden is solid and won't let us down if called upon so i approve. I hope Fitz does a Tommy Bowe and proves everyone wrong though. It shows the strength in depth we've accumulated under Deccie when we're leaving TOL and Fitz out of our squad (selected for the Lions two years ago!) Every person in that squad is a decent player though - it's so unlike four years ago when Gavin Duffy and Brian Carney were travelling. Although, in saying that,..... Buckley

my team for england would now be

court
flannery
ross

DOC
POC

Ferris
wallace
Heislip

Boss
ROG

bowe
darcy
BOD
mcfadden
Murphy

Interesting who will start fullback v England. Kearney I presume but both need game time. Murphy must be delighted having been told he wasn't going.

For me Buckley is the luckiest guy on the plane.

What options do we have besides Buckley?

For me we still need to win the England game. First team needed with maybe a rest for Healy.

Delighted for Boss and with the squad - well done Mr Kidney.

None Thomond, and that's why Buckley is lucky. He was destroyed in the scrum against France and Connacht in his last two games. Therefore he is lucky there is no one else good enough. I'm not saying I disagree with his selection he's the best we've got but I'll be praying that Court is on the bench and not him when the big matches come a calling.

Thomond wrote:Tomas O'Leary should be going.

He might actually still get to go as I bet there will be at least one injury prior to NZ plus I believe that a small group of non selected players will be brought in case there are injuries. However, he should not be going. Mauro Bergamasco has a better pass than TOL.

Thomond wrote:What options do we have besides Buckley?

None that's why he is very lucky. He is a real weak link.

I don't want him going I was joking. Buckley is a bit lucky but I imagine(hope) he won't see significant game time against the big teams.

I wonder what else luke could have done to get selected on saturday

The problem with the England game is that we now have a team we MUST pick.

Murphy
Bowe
BOD
Darcy
Earls
ROG
Murray/Boss
Heaslip
Wallace
Ferris
POC
Cullen/DOC
Ross
Fla
Court/Healy

Not our strongest team on paper, and you'd like to reintroduce some players coming back from injury bit by bit rather than throwing them all in at once. Still though, it's England, we'll win.

I know Paul O'Connel is good Mickado,but could he really play twice?

I think the omission of Fitzgerald is a little surprising. I thought he was sharp in the warm-ups in which he was involved, although obviously wouldn't have started the pre-WC training as a form pick. I guess McFadden gets the nod on versatility - able to cover both centre positions.

TOL's omission is clearly a product of his errors against France. That intercept pass alone shows his head isn't really in the right place. You'll need more focus than that. Given his injury record this season and recent form, it's a bold but fair move from Kidney.

It's a good squad, not a lot to quibble with really.

D24tress wrote:I wonder what else luke could have done to get selected on saturday

He blew it before Saturday.

As I say the big picture is Kidney wants more cover at 12 hence McFadden is in.
Fitzgerald is weaker than him in that postion
Fitzgerald is behind Bowe, Trimble and Earls on the wing and behind Kearney, Murphy, Earls as a 15.

I dont think we must pick them Mick.

Kearney
Bowe
BOD
D'arce
Earls
Sexton (1 half)
Reddan
Heaslip
Wallace
Ferris
POC
DOC
Ross
Flannery
Court

Best
Buckley
Cullen
SOB
Murray/Boss (whoever kidney views as 2nd choice)
ROG (gets at least 30mins)
Murphy (gets at least 30 mins)

leinsterbaby wrote:

Thomond wrote:Tomas O'Leary should be going.

He might actually still get to go as I bet there will be at least one injury prior to NZ plus I believe that a small group of non selected players will be brought in case there are injuries. However, he should not be going. Mauro Bergamasco has a better pass than TOL.

It's against the rules to bring extra cover to the plane with you. If you call up a replacement its 48 hours from them being called up before they can be played anyway. The other guys who don't travel will stay in Ireland and play for their provinces. If there are injuries before the start of the tournament they may well be called in, yes.

Murphy needs a full game. The backline pretty much picks itself.

Murphy
Bowe
BOD
D'Arcy
Earls
ROG
Murray/Boss


Heaslip
Wally
1F
POC
DOC
Ross
De Fla
Court( Healy needs to rest)


Would like to see 10-20 minutes of Rog/Sexton . Kado,you really hurt my feelings

I don't feel sorry for Fitz at all. He was rubbish for Leinster and Ireland all year. He was given plenty of chances but failed every time. He didn't deserve it, I know it, Leinster fans know it, the rest of Ireland knows it, Kidney just realised it. Maybe it's the kick in the hole he needs and he will come back a better player.

I just added this to the op, might be of interest to some.

Provincial Breakdown; Leinster 13, Munster 9, Ulster 5, Overseas 3

And the county breakdown. There are 12 counties and 2 overseas countries represented in the squad. For players born oversea but who grew up in Ireland, I put them down in the county they grew up and regard themselves as being from.

Limerick (8); Cronin, Flannery, Poc, Ryan, D. Wallace, Reddan, Murray, Earls
Cork (4); Buckley, Ross, Doc, Rog
Dublin (3); Bod, Healy, Sexton
Kildare (3); Heaslip, G. Murphy, McFadden
Antrim (2); Ferris, Wallace
Carlow (1); O'Brien
Armagh (1); Best
Wicklow (1); Cullen
Tipperary (1); Leamy
Wexford (1); D'arcy
Louth (1); Kearney
Monaghan (1); Bowe
Derry/Londonderry/Whatever you want yourself (1); Trimble
Brisbane (1); Court
Tokoroa (1); Boss

That breaks down as;
Munster 13
Leinster 10
Ulster 5
Abroad/Poaches 2

Notch.

Exactly. People's opinions of him belied the truth, Ask Axel Foley and Shaun Payne in 2008 about Kidney's 'conservative' streak.

He has made the right calls imho and would have had Jones for Murphy if Felix hadn't once again been super unlucky with injuries.

Looking forward to it now.

Re the MdFadden/Fitzy call. !0 good mins (with one howler all the same) did not make up for the poor rugby he played in the other warm up matches or the 6 months prior to that. Mcfadden, while not setting the world alight either in these games, was coming off the back of consistant form and he others more versatility too.

Delighted that Murray is getting his chance. Im tipping himn for the 9 shirt for the 6N defo and who knows about the RWC.

That is very interesting Val- never realised so many hailed form Limerick!

Ps Word is Sob is injured and unavailable this weekend.

Kidney is not selecting conservatively now
But we have lost 3 on the trot, trying o play a new game plan when we should have started it in the 6nations when he was conservative

I think must people mean style of play when they say conservative

happy with the squad named, can't have any complaints.

But lets not forget how poor we have been playing in the warm ups (and teh past 2 years), we haven't kicked on from the England game and its looking like more and more of a blip from our usual standard.

Still plenty of concern and a lot of work ahead for the squad if we are to even dream about beat Oz or SA (Wales are looking in better nick right now... George North is a monster!!)

Actually Val, Paddy Wallace is from the East side of the City- actually Dundonald which has sort of been absorbed into East Belfast. Which is in County Down. Belfast is a funny town, because it is the County town of Antrim; but the border between Antrim and Down is the river which runs through the city. So a large part of the city is in County Down. Nobody quite knows how much...

Limerick (8); Cronin, Flannery, Poc, Ryan, D. Wallace, Reddan, Murray, Earls
Cork (4); Buckley, Ross, Doc, Rog
Dublin (3); Bod, Healy, Sexton
Kildare (3); Heaslip, G. Murphy, McFadden
Antrim (1); Ferris
Down (1); P. Wallace
Carlow (1); O'Brien
Armagh (1); Best
Wicklow (1); Cullen
Tipperary (1); Leamy
Wexford (1); D'arcy
Louth (1); Kearney
Monaghan (1); Bowe
Derry/Londonderry (1); Trimble
Brisbane (1); Court
Tokoroa (1); Boss

Feagh McHugh wrote:That is very interesting Val- never realised so many hailed form Limerick!

Ps Word is Sob is injured and unavailable this weekend.

I thought there would be more from cork and dublin to be honest but the amount from limerick isn't really surprising its probably the only county in rural Ireland where rugby is the number one sport over gaa.

Sob probably wouldn't have started this weekend anyway as wally and ferris need gametime, but he would have got some gametime.

[quote="valjester"]

Feagh McHugh wrote:Limerick is probably the only county in rural Ireland where rugby is the number one sport over gaa.

Limerick City?? Rural Ireland?

My only complaint is the inclusion of leamy. Dont know what he did in the warm ups to deserve his place and he was very poor last season for Munster