606v2 picks the Irish RWC squad: CENTRES

First topic message reminder :

Morning all.
Hope everyone had a good weekend.

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
O'Connell, O'Callaghan and Cullen
Heaslip, O'Brien, Ferris, Wallace, Jennings and Ryan
Reddan, Stringer and Murray
Sexton and O'Gara

Centres is another position where we have some talent. There are some players who are centre/back3 so they may get included here and on the back 3 page provided they don't make it as a centre first.

We can choose 3 centres

O'Driscoll- Captain. One of the greatest Irish players/players in the world. Slower now than he was. Great hands and reader of the game. Very intelligent and chooses good lines of running. Good defender positionally and in the tackle. Good try scoring record. Kicking can be questionable at times and gliders like Foden and Conrad Smith have started beating him on the outside in rare occassions.
Darcy- Injured currently and will get 2 warm up games max before the RWC. Crash ball centre providing different dynamic. Average distribution for a world Class centre but poor vision and offloading skills. Makes a large number of tackles per game. One dimensional.
Wallace- A very different style of 12. Good distribution skills and offload. A surprisingly good step and fend off and is good at spotting a gap. Defence has improved considerably and brings a solid kicking game. Can play outhalf and 15 at a large stretch IMO. Not a 'crash centre' which possibly our backs need unless Trimble is selected.
McFadden- Can play wing and both centres. Very good kicking from hand and floor. Good distribution and is very hard to bring down due to low centre of gravity and strong leg drive, makes a lot of metres in the tackle. Inexperienced. A balanced player regarding playing style.
Spence- Injured at the moment but Kidney has said injured players may still get selected. Strong runner and tackler. Can play 12 and wing but primarily a 13. Very inexpereienced. Crash ball style centre. Not great distribution or kicking skills. On form player.
Duffy- Mainly plays 15 but is a capable 13 also. Not very flashy but good defence and above average distribution. He also brings a kicking game. A very solid player but maybe missing a bit of pace and the ability to split a defence or beat his man.

NB: If McFadden and Duffy do not get selected as 1 of the 3 centre places they will be put into the back3 post where people can vote for them there too due to there versatility. Spence will not as he is less of a back3 player than either of the other 2 (McFadden and Duffy have international caps as back3 players).

He should not go, please god it will be trimbel or mcfadden at 12

Irish Curry wrote:He should not go, please god it will be trimble or mcfadden at 12

These five words,in these sequence, should never ever appear in a sentence again.

[quote="valjester"][quote="Irish Curry"]He should not go, [b]please god[/b] it will be [b]trimble[/b] or mcfadden [b]at 12[/b][/quote]

These five words,in these sequence, should never ever appear in a sentence again.

[/quote]
And why not?

Ive gone for Bod and Darcy but you have to wonder about the pace of the Australian back line against them both, they could be shredded apart.

Because IC Trimble is a winger. If pressed he might be called into 13, but by no means 12.

Irish Curry wrote:

valjester wrote:

Irish Curry wrote:He should not go, please god it will be trimble or mcfadden at 12

These five words,in these sequence, should never ever appear in a sentence again.

And why not?

Because I will die happy if I never have to suffer Andrew Trimble 'playing' in the centre again. He is not good enough to play there, leave him on the wing where he can cause damage and actually play rugby.

edit willy: I don't want him at 13 either, he should be way down the list of options for the centre probably just before gavin duffy.

Why cant I vote for Kevin Maggs?

valjester wrote:

Irish Curry wrote:

valjester wrote:

Irish Curry wrote:He should not go, please god it will be trimble or mcfadden at 12

These five words,in these sequence, should never ever appear in a sentence again.

And why not?

Because I will die happy if I never have to suffer Andrew Trimble 'playing' in the centre again. He is not good enough to play there, leave him on the wing where he can cause damage and actually play rugby.

edit willy: I don't want him at 13 either, he should be way down the list of options for the centre probably just before gavin duffy.

Val I'd have him third on the list out of the 30 man squad.

BOD
Earls
Trimble
Bowe

Actually I might have him below Bowe, but he's certainly in the top 4 from the 43 man squad and those likely to make the 30.

WillyGilly wrote:

valjester wrote:

Irish Curry wrote:

valjester wrote:

Irish Curry wrote:He should not go, please god it will be trimble or mcfadden at 12

These five words,in these sequence, should never ever appear in a sentence again.

And why not?

Because I will die happy if I never have to suffer Andrew Trimble 'playing' in the centre again. He is not good enough to play there, leave him on the wing where he can cause damage and actually play rugby.

edit willy: I don't want him at 13 either, he should be way down the list of options for the centre probably just before gavin duffy.

Val I'd have him third on the list out of the 30 man squad.

BOD
Earls
Trimble
Bowe

Actually I might have him below Bowe, but he's certainly in the top 4 from the 43 man squad and those likely to make the 30.

At 12 in order I'd have; D'arcy/Wallace, Mc Fadden, Bod, Bowe, Earls, Fitz and even Sexton and TOL ahead of him.
At 13 I'd have Bod, Earls, Bowe and even Fitz/Tol ahead of him.
The last thing I want is Trimble in the centre is it can be avoided it should be. Bowe has played 13 for the Lions and done okay.
Trimble is an excellent option to have on the wing and if earls plays fullback he will start on the wing but he is no a centre and
if he plays there I fear it will destroy his confidence and he may take a while to get it back.

Anyone who suggests Andrew Trimble play 12 needs to be taken outside and given a good, hard slap. Including Eddie O'Sullivan.

That's not a comment on him as a player, he's a fine winger. Good enough to play for Ireland. At a push he can do a job at 13 even if it's not his best position. But 12? Insanity.

Boyne wrote:
-Its doubtful he would make a full strenght Ulster 15

You must have missed the last three seasons of Wallace playing every major game when he's fit and available for Ulster.

I mean, everyone is entitled to their own opinions but he's clearly viewed (100% rightly imo) as indispensable for Ulster, so that's just incorrect. And as for you'd rather a player who's never played 10 at any level to a player who's played international rugby at 10... well that just doesn't make any sense to me.

It's kind of selective myopia when it gets into these interprovincial debates. I've seen Ulster fans and Munster fans bring this to the table as well. McFadden playing 2 good games on the wing in the Heineken Cup proves he's got it to slot in seamlessly at 12 at test level. Meanwhile, Wallace with his history of excellent performances at inside centre in the Heineken Cup and good performances against international sides like England, New Zealand, Australia... well that doesn't count for anything does it?

He had an inconsistent season, actually, Wallace. He had some downright poor games in the Magners League. And then he had a few very good games in some of the Heineken Cup games- he was very good against the Saints, good in the games against Aironi and Bath. The times he played well last season, he didn't get any credit. The times he played badly he's been hammered for.

McFadden certainly looked a bit shaky in Ireland colours (as you'd expect, he was out of position and just making his way into the team- let's give the guy a chance here) but it's not mentioned. Only his good games are mentioned.

I voted for D'arcy, BO'D and Wallace as well for the same obvious reasons as everyone else. I would say if a criticism is to be levelled at Kidney it is at not developing any strength in depth in the centres though. D'arcy and Wallace have both had very inconsistent seasons. However, to say McFadden should automatically get ahead of either of them by virtue of some splendid displays on the wing is a bit insane really. The only relatively high profile game I can think of that he played at inside centre for Leinster is the Magners league final, and that didn't work out very well. He has to earn that 12 jersey first and maybe he will do in the warm up's with D'arcy's injury, but I wouldn't be too optimistic. As for whoever said they'd prefer McFadden at 10 (in an international world cup game) ahead of Wallace, go get the boat and **** off. Sorry I can't say that in nicer terms but you need to be told! Just because McFadden slotted a few goals a couple of years ago for Leinster doesn't make him an international test standard fly half. And, yes, before you mention it, Wallace is.....to a certain degree anyway

In saying all of that I'd be very tempted to bring McFadden as a back three player. Right now I'm thinking Earls, Bowe, Trimble, Jones, Kearney and McFadden. I'll have a think overnight whether to sub in Murphy for Jones and Fitz for McFadden but I don't think I will....Be quite a fall from grace for Fitz if he goes from starting a Lions test to missing out on the world cup two years later but I'd say it's looking 50/50 on happening right now.

It's excitingly close between Wallace and McFadden- Wallace ahead by 6 votes; could go right down to the wire!

When do the polls close?

WillyGilly wrote:To be honest I overuse that testicles line. It's something of a conversation stopper!

It would be, yeah.

God I leave you guys alone for a few hours and suddenly Trimble is our inside centre. Lord almighty! :p

Notch I will take the results when I go to make the back3 post so about 9:30am.

Val could not agree with your interpretation of Kearney less but we can save that battle royal for tomorrow.
Oiche mhaith buachailli