Ireland Training Squad Named For Two Day Camp

red_stag wrote:Not happy with this squad.

- There is no place for Paddy Jackson, Ian Madigan or Ian Keatley in the squad.

- Really don't see the point of Mike McCarthy in there at all

- Craig Gilroy is not included

rodders wrote:The real question here is will Trimble and Hurley be rooming together?

SecretFly wrote:

rodders wrote:The real question here is will Trimble and Hurley be rooming together?

Well the word on that is that yes, they will be. Better to confront your demons, says Deccie. IRFU will pick up the bill for smashed TV and sundries....

rodders wrote:I thought ROG roomed with Deccie......

rodders wrote:I thought ROG roomed with Deccie......

Rava wrote:

rodders wrote:I thought ROG roomed with Deccie......

I thought Deccie provided the room service for ROG ........

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:No room for Paddy Wallace? I was outraged.

Then I read that Wallace has explained to Kidney that he will be on holiday in the south of France but has an open ticket to come back with short notice.

JmD wrote:Disappointing that O'Gara is in there ahead of all the better, younger 10s available.

Also no place for Gilroy, the player with easily the best feet in Ireland. But then again, what more could be expected?

Well done to the uncapped players for making the squad. Not sure about Luke Marshall's inclusion, he hasn't been in great form this season, but I suppose being a young player in a position of need works highly in his favour.

Sin é wrote:Yea, its outrageous that Downey hasn't been included
What has he to do to get included

JmD wrote:Also no place for Gilroy, the player with easily the best feet in Ireland.

Rava wrote:

JmD wrote:Disappointing that O'Gara is in there ahead of all the better, younger 10s available.

Also no place for Gilroy, the player with easily the best feet in Ireland. But then again, what more could be expected?

Well done to the uncapped players for making the squad. Not sure about Luke Marshall's inclusion, he hasn't been in great form this season, but I suppose being a young player in a position of need works highly in his favour.

First controversial statement. Don't know where you have been hiding mate but I've seen him four times live and he has been excellent each time. And that was even playing with Niall O'Connor!!

red_stag wrote:

JmD wrote:Also no place for Gilroy, the player with easily the best feet in Ireland.

A foot fetish will get you nowhere

Ulster have lost so much with Spence's passing

Would the young centre have given Ulster the cutting edge they lacked on Friday night, asks LIAM TOLAND

NO DAY goes by where I’m not amazed with the wonderment of miracles bestowed upon me. Consequently not a morning goes by where I don’t thank the stars above for all the good fortune that has been relentlessly heaped upon me. Who am I thanking? Truth be told I’m not entirely sure but what I do know is there’s no point in being lucky if you don’t know you’re lucky. I and so many of our rugby community this morning are certainly that; lucky. I know it and I’m eternally thankful for it.

What our brothers and sisters in Ulster must be feeling this morning doesn’t bear thinking and I struggle to stay on rugby with such tragedy in our midst. I watched Ulster defeat Munster at Ravenhill last Friday night and experienced the well-deserved jubilation of the players, staff and supporters. I too have tasted defeat in Ravenhill and it’s a tough place to expect a win.

Both sides are in a transition of sorts and neither really deserved to lose but that said, a better team would have beaten Munster much more convincingly than by the narrowest of margins, one point. It was a cracker of a match and Ulster did brilliantly to win, especially after being down by seven at half-time, but this is early days for them and there is much work to be completed.

Munster’s strengths have long been bountiful but their backrows over the past 30 years could match any team in the world; look what Shannon alone have produced, such as a six, seven and eight of Colm Tucker, Eddie Halvey and Anthony Foley. I can’t wait to watch every Munster game unfold as the new-look Munster backrow claw at the severe challenge their forefathers have laid before them.

Last Friday night, Munster’s 10, 12 and 13 proved they all can tackle, with the very impressive covering of Ian Keatley an added bonus. Although still rusty, they are also growing into an attacking unit. If I were playing in that Munster backrow packing down on the flank a question I’d be asking myself and my colleagues is how can we reap the rewards of this 10/12/13 combination and their continued brilliant offloads?

Although Munster’s new policy of running out of their 22 generates errors, check the shirt numbers on the clear-out that covers them up, where 12, 13, 15, etc, are all piling in to limit the damage, which is a great work ethic!

Beyond this strong work ethic there is skill, which is the crucial ingredient Keith Earls brought on his arrival. With a very early season touch on 37 minutes, Earls, in midfield, with a blanket Ulster defence in front of him, simply ran at Luke Marshall, checking him, and then swung open towards Darren Cave, who came in, freeing up Earls’ support runner, secondrow Billy Holland, into a hole.

This was a poor effort from Cave, resulting in a great score for Earls as the ball swung back to the right-hand side from an inside take off Denis Hurley. His wonderful pass to Casey Laulala set them off but his earlier inside-out play fixing Cave was very Brian O’Driscoll.

Regarding Ulster, I liked their lineout and especially the technique of their beanpole, Lewis Stevenson, at the front. Watch him next time out to see him get into the air.

Time is at a premium at two and the old school number four would bounce up from the hunched position in that he would dip first to generate a spring and then as the lifters hit him he would seamlessly propel up to full height as the timing of a very fast entry from the hooker would hit him.

Time has moved on and time being very precious, he doesn’t have the luxury of dipping before jumping. Last Friday night Stevenson took up the traditional stance but skipped the dip and simply backed himself to spring directly upwards, placing much greater emphasis on his explosion and the immediate hit from his lifters. This method requires huge power from the jumper to get up to the same height but the time saved can be hugely advantageous, whereby the hooker will have a clean white jersey to hit; less traffic!

With 18 lineouts, Ulster managed much variation, including a one-man lift on Stephen Ferris at the tail. Johann Muller continues to be the go-to athlete in the middle, with beautiful balance and hands to get the Ulster backline moving from the perfection of their timing.

The Ulster backline is where issues arose. Clearly huge positives abound, particularly in Andrew Trimble’s defence and physicality, Patrick Jackson’s growing experience and Jared Payne’s beautiful balance and busting runs akin to Earls, on top of which he has the habit of placing major indecision in defenders’ minds through his gliding runs. His first-half line break, bursting outside backs and outside James Coughlan and inside Keatley, nearly gave Paul Marshall a five-pointer but for the offload from Trimble.

As pretty as Ulster’s play looked, outside of Payne, it almost never fixed a Munster defender. For all the obvious ambition in their play they struggled to unlock the Munster defence out wide. In scoring on 51 minutes they didn’t achieve an overlap where their brilliantly created and deserved Payne touchdown came from bursting outside James Downey, with Earls marking his man on the touchline. There was continued pressure from Ulster but how inventive was it with a lot of double and triple switches going nowhere as they turned the ball over far too easily after building possession, especially in the final third? – very costly.

Is this a concern? Not so much at this stage with three victories from three in the Pro 12 but time and again Munster, under major possession stakes pressure, coped easily out wide where they generally had more defenders than Ulster attackers. In the 10 minutes where Munster’s Seán Dougall was sitting down taking a rest, Ulster failed to touch down; in fact it was Munster who got three points. With possession at 50 per cent each but up a man it was intriguing.

Exciting times ahead for Ulster no doubt but one wonders would Nevin Spence have added the abrasive go-forward edge so many encounters will require this season.

Indeed I am so lucky and I hope and pray as the season unfolds our friends in Ravenhill get their slice of luck they so richly deserve, “Stand up and fight”; Ní maith liom bhur dtrioblóid.

JmD wrote:

Rava wrote:

JmD wrote:Disappointing that O'Gara is in there ahead of all the better, younger 10s available.

Also no place for Gilroy, the player with easily the best feet in Ireland. But then again, what more could be expected?

Well done to the uncapped players for making the squad. Not sure about Luke Marshall's inclusion, he hasn't been in great form this season, but I suppose being a young player in a position of need works highly in his favour.

First controversial statement. Don't know where you have been hiding mate but I've seen him four times live and he has been excellent each time. And that was even playing with Niall O'Connor!!

He's been solid, but excellent is a big stretch. He has a great pass and is a very good defender with a lot of potential. I just think there are players in better form who have been left out, but due to him being a 12, a position where Ireland don't have much depth, he has been included while they haven't.

Stephen Ireland's wig! wrote:Downey is the man im most dissapointed about... He's twice the player D'arcy is.

Rava wrote:

Stephen Ireland's wig! wrote:Downey is the man im most dissapointed about... He's twice the player D'arcy is.

You are of course joking. This is the guy who couldn't make an extended Ireland squad in the past four or five years. Jeebus just signing for Munster doesn't give a right to an Ireland place

clivemcl wrote:Also, anyone else a little uncomfortable with a man talking about how a player's death might weaken a sports team's chances when theres are two wives without their husbands, a mother without two sons and two children without a father.

clivemcl wrote:Liam Toland's analysis of earls try is so wrong its a joke. Seriously you have to wonder if these guys just write up fromtheir memory of a split second event or if they actually watch the incident back.

I watched it back. There was a mismatch. Afoa and another forward were defending out wide. The pace wasnt there and Cave rightfully came in. The action was on the 22 and the inexperienced Allen was on the tryline, and failed to come forward when the ball was being passed out. This left space for the player (can't remember) to get around Cave and have time for the inside pass.

Seriously, ffs, if you are paid to do a job, the least you can do is watch an incident in replay and actually LOOK at whats happening.

Good try. Cave hadnt much choice. Allen could have made it more difficult.

Also, anyone else a little uncomfortable with a man talking about how a player's death might weaken a sports team's chances when theres are two wives without their husbands, a mother without two sons and two children without a father.

Sin é wrote:Out/Injured after the weekend: D'Arcy, O'Gara, Reddan, Dec Fitzpatrick, Mick McCarthy, Zebo

In: Downey, Madigan, P. Marshall, Loghney, Toner & Gilroy.

---

from IRFU:

Following the weekend action involving the Irish provinces in the RaboDirect Pro12, there have been several additions to the Ireland training squad meeting up in Carton house this week.
Gordon D'Arcy took a knock to his ribs and is unable to train, with uncapped Munster centre James Downey called up to replace him.

Outhalf Ronan O'Gara has a dead leg and is also unable to train, so the uncapped Leinster back Ian Madigan joins the squad.

Scrumhalf Paul Marshall comes into the squad in place of Eoin Reddan who was unable to play at the weekend due to a leg injury.

Prop Ronan Loughney comes into the squad in place of Declan Fitzpatrick, who is continuing rehab on a knee injury in Ulster.

Second row Mike McCarthy picked up a calf knock and is replaced by Leinster second row Devin Toner.

The final change is Simon Zebo, who turned an ankle and is unable to train. Craig Gilroy replaces him in the training squad.