Ireland -v- Russia Potential team

Right i have heard off a source that the team will be

court
cronin
buckley

Cullen(c)
DOC

Ryan
SOB
heislip

Boss
ROG

Wallace
earls

trimble
bowe
kearney

What do people think the team will be
what do people want to see out of the team

More or less spot on.

Id have McFadden ahead of Wallace and DOC to rest up. Leamy on and Ryan to second row.

Back 3 spot on as RK needs gametime, Bowe needs to find his mojo and Trimble, well, simply needs to start.

If we get a bonus point victory I don't feckin care who plays .

However Italy have thrown down the gauntlet so we need to do as well as they did otherwise it will give them even more belief that they can beat us.

I'd be concerned about that tight 5 particularly the front row. I'd have started with Healy and Best and maybe taken them off once we'd secured a bonus point.

The outside backs look good but again I'd have started with Reddan and Sexton and brought ROG of the bench.

It's good to see Bowe, Heaslip, SOB and Kearney retained as they all need the game time.

I would be happy with that team. Rest the forwards and give the backs some time to gel.

That team should still put 40 pts on Russia and crush them up front.

The team I'd like to see is:



01 Tom Court

02 Sean Cronin

03 Tony Buckley



04 Donncha O'Callaghan

05 Leo Cullen (c)



06 Denis Leamy

07 Shane Jennings

08 Sean O'Brien



09 Isaac Boss

10 Ronan O'Gara



11 Andrew Trimble

12 Paddy Wallace

13 Keith Earls

14 Tommy Bowe

15 Rob Kearney



16 Rory Best

17 Cian Healy

18 Donnacha Ryan

19 Stephen Ferris

20 Conor Murray

21 Jonathon Sexton

22 Fergus McFadden

Stag put Jennings in for Ferris and Ross in for Healy and you've got yourself a deal

Ireland could play a couple of potatoes and the Jedward lads and stuill struggle to lose this game. Waste of time.

I have Jennings already there. Ross needs a breather.

red_stag wrote:I have Jennings already there. Ross needs a breather.

Oops ...get SOB and Heaslip in there. Ross might need a breather but we need a tight head more

Healy- Want him to get more game time to make up fitness
Cronin- We need to see what he can do because he will have to be called upon at some point.
Court- Want to rest Ross
DOC- Want him to get more game time to improve form
Cullen- Resting POC
Leamy- Want to rest Ferris
SOB- Think he needs more time at 7 but would take him off early if possible.
Heaslip- Want him to get more game time to improve form
Reddan- Need reddan/Sexton partnership to have more time together would take both off early though if possible.
Sexton-Need reddan/Sexton partnership to have more time together and time with Wallace too would take both off early though if possible.
Trimble- Deserves a run out
Wallace- Deserves a run out and is important to see how he fares with Sexton again
Earls- Back up for BOD during this RWC needs more time incase BOD is injured further
Bowe- Still not at his sharpest could use more game time. Needs to come looking for ball more.
Kearney- Needs more game time for form and fitness.

Buckley-Best-Ryan-Jennings-Murray-Rog-McFadden/Murphy

Now you're cooking diesel Pete

Court, Cronin, Buckley

All have to be ready to step up if need be and this is their last chance of a start. I'd plan to give them all 80, so Best and Ross would be on the bench purely as injury cover.

Ryan, Cullen
Again both have to be ready to step up if there is an injury and they will be putting their bodies on the line to secure the game first and make their claim for the bench against Italy. I'd have DOC as a sub for a 20 minute cameo to let him know he's not a shoo in.

Leamy, Jennings, Heaslip
Ferris definitely needs rested for this one and Leamy and Jennings deserve a chance to impress even if they are competing against each other for the bench v Italy. I'd sub SOB for Heaslip on about the 50 minute mark.

Murray, ROG
They are obviously the back-up half-backs, so deserve to start. Probably Reddan and Sexton on the bench as insurance but wouldn't expect to see them otherwise.

Wallace Earls
Wallace needs gametime and Earls needs 13-time if he is truly BOD cover.

Trimble, Bowe, Kearney
All need a run out and Trimble should get yet another opportunity to show Kidney why he should be picked ahead of Earls and Bowe on the wing. Murphy will be the back three cover.

Boss and Varley could see themselves on the bench for this game as it will be their only opportunity barring injury, but I doubt if Kidney is sentimental that way...

Do people not think that now is a great chance for Sexton to improve on his kicking displays? It's a RWC in NZ but with a little less pressure, I think if he messes up in this game there may be something seriously wrong and if he doesn't it will give him a huge confidence boost.

I think he really has to start this game as for the reason above it could have such a huge impact on our tournament.

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:Do people not think that now is a great chance for Sexton to improve on his kicking displays? It's a RWC in NZ but with a little less pressure, I think if he messes up in this game there may be something seriously wrong and if he doesn't it will give him a huge confidence boost.

I think he really has to start this game as for the reason above it could have such a huge impact on our tournament.

I agree 100% Pete. The only thing wrong with Sextons game right now is his place kicking. I'd give him 50- 60 min of this game to see if he can build his confidence on that front.

Keeping Sexton and Reddan together is a good idea and all the top(non Irish) pundits have emphasised the importance keeping the key units together and not rotating.

The teams that have been successful in this tournament have kept pretty much the same side the whole way through, whereas the teams that tinker have tended to come unstuck in the latter stages.

I wouldn't say Sexton isn't creating much for the backs either but that is of course not totally his fault. I had ROG to start but I think you lot might be right about Sexton needing the game.

In an ideal world I'd prefer to start ROG for this but I think it will cost us unless Sexton can get his kicking back on track and now is a good opportunity to do that

This game is a forgone conclusion like Wales Vs Namibia. Ireland will wreck Russia and I have been dreading this game, it has 60-70 points written all over it.

Well it looks like the source i have is pretty good on the team

only ones wrong were court and bowe, who it seems might be rested cause of injuries

Bowe is an injury worry so I'd imagine McFadden was a late change.

You were right on Court weren't you?