Who the flip is going to play for Ireland vs the BaBas???

Had a sneaky feeling this was going to happen.
So Ulster and Munster and Connacht are tied up until at least this weekend on Pro12 duty and posssibly the following one as well which I'm assuming pretty much rules all their frontline players out of the BaBas match on Thursday next week.
Looking at the Leinster team given the amount of injuries that are getting sorted out in advance of the world cup and taking away the NIQ guys (Gopperth, Te'o, Kirchner) our backline looks pretty thin on the ground. Even academy prospects like Garry Ringrose and Ross Byrne will be in the U20 squad so unavailable also.

Here's a stab at a potential team with a couple of Rookies to plug the gaps but they'd be well out of their depth. No idea what way Joe is thinking.

LEINSTER ONLY -
1.Jack McGrath
2.Richardt Strauss
3.Mike Ross
4.Mike McCarthy(if fit)
5.Devin Toner
6.Jordi Murphy
7.Sean O'Brien
8.Jamie Heaslip

9.Eoin Reddan
10.Ian Madigan
11.Dave Kearney
12.Noel Reid
13.Gordon D'Arcy
14.Sam Coughlan Murray*
15.Rob Kearney

16.Bryan Byrne*/James Tracy*
17.Michael Bent
18.Tadgh Furlong*
19.Jack Conan*
20.Rhys Ruddock(if fit)/Dominic Ryan
21.Isaac Boss
22.Steve Crosbie*/Cathal Marsh*
23.Collie O'Shea*/Adam Byrne*

*Uncapped (off the top of my head)

Peter Stringer?

Not a bad plan. Although he'll be tied up in the playoffs with Bath surely.

Not him too!

I can't see Connacht winning away at weekend, (as much as I would love it) so maybe a few players there thrown in.

Will Sexton be available?

Was thinking the same Notch. Presumably he would play if fit.

Joe said at the beginning of the season "Yis all can't win everything at the end of the year or be in contention to win anything because I'm going to need some of you for some f**king Anniversary Barbarian crap that we're obligated to doing."


SO???

Leinster drew the short straw at the meeting and things went downhill rapidly from there on in

It's all becoming clearer.

Would have been interesting to see what would have happened if all 4 teams were involved in the playoffs.


If any of the other 3 provinces lose this weekend surely well see some of their fringe players

Gareth Steenson would be available in the premiership right?
Depending on if any of the provinces go out this weekend players would be available there.
Also lets not forget Tom Court is available .....No never mind I'll see myself out lol

We could potentially see a team made up of our emerging Ireland boys, a good mix of connacht and Leinster lads with the one or two ulster and Munster academy boys.

Any details on the Baa Baa's team?

Racing are assured 7th, and are pushing for the playoffs so I guess that puts him out of contention.

So basically only fit, over 20yo Leinster players will be eligible...

Cyril wrote:Any details on the Baa Baa's team?

Not a full squad announced, but the Baa Baa's Twitter feed has announced a fair few

Jimmy Gopperth
Shane Jennings
Zane Kirchner
Gio Aplon
Soane Tonga'uiha
Rodrigo Capo Ortega (Castres)
Ryu Koliniasi Holani
Joe Rokocoko
Adam Jones
Alex Cuthbert
Berrick Barnes
David Smith
Rene Ranger (although I thought he was injured)

To save face, the best thing to do IS send out the Green boys. (I mean green in experience of course). If they lose, well nobody would have expected anything else against a strong looking Baa Baa side. And if they win, that's a confidence bonus.

BamBam wrote:

Cyril wrote:Any details on the Baa Baa's team?

Not a full squad announced, but the Baa Baa's Twitter feed has announced a fair few

Jimmy Gopperth
Shane Jennings
Zane Kirchner
Gio Aplon
Soane Tonga'uiha
Rodrigo Capo Ortega (Castres)
Ryu Koliniasi Holani
Joe Rokocoko
Adam Jones
Alex Cuthbert
Berrick Barnes
David Smith
Rene Ranger (although I thought he was injured)

Thanks. The Baa Baa's do seem to be chiefly SH players these days!

Cyril wrote: The Baa Baa's do seem to be chiefly SH players these days!

Only the Baa Baas?

BamBam wrote:

Cyril wrote:Any details on the Baa Baa's team?

Not a full squad announced, but the Baa Baa's Twitter feed has announced a fair few

Jimmy Gopperth
Shane Jennings
Zane Kirchner
Gio Aplon
Soane Tonga'uiha
Rodrigo Capo Ortega (Castres)
Ryu Koliniasi Holani
Joe Rokocoko
Adam Jones
Alex Cuthbert
Berrick Barnes
David Smith
Rene Ranger (although I thought he was injured)

I wonder if they'd lend us Jennings.

SecretFly wrote:To save face, the best thing to do IS send out the Green boys.  (I mean green in experience of course).  If they lose, well nobody would have expected anything else against a strong looking Baa Baa side.  And if they win, that's a confidence bonus.

I'd like to see at least the likes of Heaslip, the Kearneys, Madigan, O'Brien, Toner, McGrath, Reddan etc. They would normally be playing at this time of year anyway and with nothing to lose from giving them a late season hit-out we should give the crowd their value for money. Of course if there is any injury doubt or niggle whatsoever then it's different, but if they're fully fit get them out there.

Heaslip should be given a break.  He's forever the go-to man for both Leinster and Ireland and has taken enough flak even when virtually always available for duty.  He should be told to go off and have a sun holiday and not even think about rugby for a extended break.

If we don't have even close to an ideal Irish side - even what might be considered a 2nd choice side - then I'd much prefer Schmidt try to do a little unexpected magic with what someone earlier called an Emerging Ireland unit rather than put a handful of mainstays on to take the heat of a Loss this close to WC Warm Up games and the WC itself.

This is all now about maintaining morale, confidence and reputation.  If a genuine first team can't be collected from the Provinces that are too busy then it should be two or three of the players you mentioned - at the very most.  There is nothing to be served in a game that should never have been agreed to in the first place in a WC year.  

But we'll wait and see who is selected.  Either Munster and Ulster cough up genuine support players for the game or it should be a mostly Greenhorn one.

The good news is none of our subs played mroe than 10 mins so that means the likes of herring, allen, diack and mccloskey will all be fresh

The Ulster for the Pro12 bandwagon has crashed, but be advised the Stuart McCloskey for Ireland bandwagon is boarding now, first stop Thomond Park ON Thursday!

EHH! EHH!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=najMxMa6RaA

Have had a go at setting up a single match thread for the two BBs games:
https://www.606v2.com/t59121-ireland-england-v-barbarians-28-and-31-may

You're playing first so no need to regard this as sloppy seconds in terms of threads.
The English boys have to put up with that.

Notch wrote:The Ulster for the Pro12 bandwagon has crashed, but be advised the Stuart McCloskey for Ireland bandwagon is boarding now, first stop Thomond Park ON Thursday!

EHH! EHH!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=najMxMa6RaA

Since this this Ireland isn't it likely the Stuart McCloskey bandwagon will actually be cancelled due to technical faults and replaced with the Stuart McCloskey replacement bus service?

Presume none of the starters at the weekend will be available for this match?

I'd love to see Matt Healy get a call up. Would be a nice reward for very good season.

EDIT: Just saw the squad and no Healy.

How come Gilroy, Henry and Tuohy were included?

Fair enough they had the extra day or two rest but why are they the only Ulster players?

jackson diack herring marshall mccloskiey are all included

Sorry I meant starters. Forgot about Jackson

Cian Kelleher included too. One to keep an eye on and he should have been playing for Leinster this season.

+1

We wait too long to introduce these players. I know the old softly softly principles that the IRFU tend to fall back on for excuses but in a world full of young daredevils taking up the running, I think Ireland and Irish Provinces need to start backing the more promising juniors sooner than later. The world hasn't the patience any more to constantly wait.

It was one of MOCs failings with Leinster. He just didn't play any young players despite having no shortage. Instead he filled the Leinster squad with fairly average players.

when is the Ireland team due to be named.

..after the game.

Barbarians side:

15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Joe Rokocoko, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 David Smith, 10 James Gopperth, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Ryu Koliniasi Holani, 7 Gerhard Vosloo, 6 Shane Jennings (c), 5 Konstantin Mikautadze, 4 Rodrigo Capo Ortega, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Roberto Tejerizo.

Reserves: 16 David Ward, 17 Saimone Taumoepeau, 18 Matias Diaz, 19 George Whitelock, 20 George Smith, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Tusi Pisi, 23 Gio Aplon.

Rokocoko at 13 could be interesting