606v2 picks the Irish RWC Squad: LOCKS

Morning all.

I have seen the Welsh and English have already started these kinda articles and it did seem like a good idea to try and have them all together.
So the series will determine who will be the Irish RWC squad according to the 606v2 community.

I will try and post up the next part of the series every weekday morning so we all have plenty of time to debate each position. Obviously everyone has their own opinions but try and keep a level head and back up your points with examples or clips or something.

I am going to go for a 16/14 split between the backs and forwards.
4 props
3 hookers
3 locks
6 backrow (1 able to play lock)
3 scrumhalves
2 flyhalves
3 centres (1 able to play flyhalf)
6 back 3

This is Kidney's 43 man squad.
http://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/23313.php

So far the Squad is:
Healy, Ross, Buckley and Court
Best, Cronin and Flannery

I am leaving a little bit of room for some variations on this one,

The options are:

O'Connell- Leadership is outstanding, great in the air, solidfies the scrum somewhat. Not as good a ball carrier as once was.
O'Callaghan- Bring balance to pack, discipline is poor, great defence and rucking. Not as good at lineout as once was.
Cullen- Brings more leadership tot he pack. Very good in the air and robbing oppositon ball. Good defence.
O'Driscoll- Leadership, slow on his feat at his age, good lineout operator, tough in the tight exchanges
Tuohy- Currently injured and not in the 43 man squad. Unsure if he will make it for warm up games. Great ball carrier. Very strong with good hands

NB: Ryan, McLaughlin and McCarthy will be discussed under backrows in the next part of the series, as backrow players who can also cover lock capably. Choosing O'Driscoll or Tuohy as a fourth choice lock means that Ryan, McLaughlin and McCarthy will have less of a chance of making the RWC squad as there will only be 5 backrow spaces available instead of 6.

I have gone for O'Connell, O'Callaghan and Cullen I don't see any room in the sqad for the likes of O'Driscoll and whill I rate Tuohy highly I think Ryan would be more valuable at 6 and lock cover.

I think you have summed it up nicely Pete. I would be going with the same 3

Cheers Caoimhin,

Feel bad for Tuohy but doesn't make sense for him to go. If one of the three got injured however I'd chose him over Mick any day

Yeah bad timing with the injurey. For the record i think D Ryan will go as well as he cover 2nd row and 6

Least contentious of any of the position choices - POC, DOC and Leo are miles ahead of anybody else. Only real discussion point is whether DK takes four locks or takes a back row like Ryan or McLaughlin who can also play lock - this has to be the option.

Pete, Touhy wasn't selected for the extended squad so won't be going.

Why isn't Ryan here? 7 caps, in good form for Munster and covers lock/backrow.

I've only picked 3 locks

"NB: Ryan, McLaughlin and McCarthy will be discussed under backrows in the next part of the series, as backrow players who can also cover lock capably. Choosing O'Driscoll or Tuohy as a fourth choice lock means that Ryan, McLaughlin and McCarthy will have less of a chance of making the RWC squad as there will only be 5 backrow spaces available instead of 6."

POC, DOC and Cullen will all go for sure + a.n. other most likely Ryan or Mcgloughlin (probably the former).

Haha good lad Stag.

I wanna know who voted for the MOD and Tuohy there. Explain yourself Sir!

NB: Ryan, McLaughlin and McCarthy will be discussed under backrows in the next part of the series, as backrow players who can also cover lock capably. Choosing O'Driscoll or Tuohy as a fourth choice lock means that Ryan, McLaughlin and McCarthy will have less of a chance of making the RWC squad as there will only be 5 backrow spaces available instead of 6.

Fine for Ryan & McLaughlin, but McCarthy is a second row who covers backrow, not the otherway 'round.

Not that I'll be picking him either way. But we must have standards

Not that he would be in with a major chance of being picked, but should Toner be on the list (even just for us not to pick him)?

I would have said that Ryan was a second row who covers backrow rather than vice versa personally

thebandwagonsociety wrote:Not that he would be in with a major chance of being picked, but should Toner be on the list (even just for us not to pick him)?

Is not injured and not in the 43 man squad so no not really. Makes that one cap against Samoa look a bit silly doesn't it?

Sorry about McCarthy and Ryan I didn't know which one to put him in tbh but if they goes they will go as that lock/backrow utility player so saved them for the next article, which is gonna be a BIG one. Neither would be selected as the top 3 locks realistically.

Who votes MOD and Tuohy?! Tell me or I'll sulk

Picked POC, DOC and Cullan and will be choosing Ryan as the 6th Backrow.

Seems like most ppl are in agreement about the lock situation.

the-goon wrote:Picked POC, DOC and Cullan and will be choosing Ryan as the 6th Backrow.

Seems like most ppl are in agreement about the lock situation.

+1

roddersm wrote:POC, DOC and Cullen will all go for sure + a.n. other most likely Ryan or Mcgloughlin (probably the former).

Who?

I've gone for POC, DOC and Cullen too. I don't see why Tuohy is on the list given that he's not in the squad (I'd love if he was though because I think he's a quality player).

As for the split, I'd agree with a 3 lock / 6 backrow split with a player who can cover both positions listed among the backrows.

p.s. This thread is gonna be boring. Too much agreement.

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:
Who votes MOD

Probably SinÉ

Tuohy didn't make the 43 man squad because he was/is injured. Dk mentioned that some players may come into consideration if injuries improve quicker than expected plus I really rate him as a player.

On Sin-

No way it was him Stag, remember he was saying Tuohy could never be a secondrow cos he was only 6'5" a couple of days ago??

looks like we are all in agreement with who will go, but who should start,

I think POC and DOC will start but i would have Cullen entering the fray mid way through second half of most matchs.

I only picked 3 there as like the others i believe Ryan will (deservedly) be our 4th choice. Sad for Tuohy because he showed he has potential but his injuries have come at the worst possible time this season

Hmm I don't know Caoimhin, Cullen's form is worthy of starting to an extent.

Can't really take out DOC for the kinda work he does to balance the pack and in defence. POC is still better than Cullen though.

I reckon POC and DOC too. Any trouble with our lineout though bring on Cullen (if it's jumpers fault)

Pete i agree. I think its very close. What seals it for me is DOC defensive work. Himself and Healy look to be the two who can really hold up players and start a maul, which could at worst produce slow ball for the opposition at best give us penalties.

move on to the back row debate anyone?? I reckon 200+ posts...

The squad picks are straightforward. DOC,POC and Cullen.
I would have DOC and POC starting. DOC is perhaps one of the biggest work horses on the team and I believe he is one of the top tacklers too so he deserves to start. POC we all know about. Great leadership ability,good in the lineout,think his scrummaging could be better as could his ball carrying.

That's the second rows sorted Pete.

Now for the backrow battle

the-goon wrote:move on to the back row debate anyone?? I reckon 200+ posts...

Oh Great another debate about what Sean O'Brien's best position is, whether we need a natural 7 and what a 6.5 is, whether Ferris or Wallace should start or be on the bench, whether Jennings can deliver at International level and for good messure a bit of Dennis Leamy slating thrown in.

Will I do the backrow one today or tomorrow?

Today please.

On it.

If this was Facepalm....

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:On it.

MMC likes this.


I'll get my coat.

https://www.606v2.com/t8884-606v2-picks-the-irish-rwc-squad-backrow
here you are good Sirs

red_stag wrote:I would have said that Ryan was a second row who covers backrow rather than vice versa personally

100% agree. I'd go a bit further to say Ryan should only be considered as a lock, who could cover blindside in an emergency. The poll should have had Ryan, McCarthy and McLaughlin all included as lock contenders and you might have had a decent debate.

It would be the height of madness to go to the RWC with only three locks. That would mean they would be all involved in every game! No rotation so they will be completely knackerd by the end of the pool stages and then if there's one minor injury no-one to step in.

Sorry Pete, but it's madness including the 'hybrids' in the backrow selection, because they won't be picked as 2nd cover blindsides but rather as 1st cover locks.

For what it's worth I'd have voted POC, DOC, Cullen and Ryan, but I've decided to vote for Tuohy in protest!

Well Ausker-

You still get to vote for the 4 you'd want just on 2 different pages.
Ryan has to be somewhat ok at blindside if he managed to shift Leamy in the ML final against Leinster. Leamy is playing poorly but still Ryan obviously impressed enough at 6 to warrant inclusion.

I will be doing a series after this one on who you think our best XV our in each position after this series and I will include whoever comes out of McLaughlin, ryan and McCarthy in the second row section just for you, promise.

A best XV for each position? - we'll be down to AIL 3 soon!

I didn't think Ryan had a great game in the ML final and don't think he has regained his edge since his injury layoff last season. As a 6 he offers a third lineout option, but outside of that he is slow to the breakdown and maybe hasn't good enough hands to play the phased offloading game that Ireland are trying to develop. IMO with both SOB and Heaslip standing off rucks, someone has to get in there fast to be a link with the ball. Too often I see Ryan arriving second to make me think he could be effective at Test level there.