big mervyn wrote:In the absence of any decent coverage and based on what I've read, Copeland seems to be the most significant talent to emerge. From an Ulster perspective, Gilroy and Marshall both seem to have had good tournaments and McCloskey also managed to get himself noticed.
I doubt Copeland was actually the stand out. Simply he is Munters great new hope, and this is being bigged up by the anti Heaslip brigade
I watched all three games (as well as I could, some terrible gaps in the coverage) and obviously concentrated on the Ulstermen but Copeland did stand out for me along with Gilroy. beagle had some superb box-kicks(he has obviously worked on this), breaks and tackles but is still prone to the odd wild pass! McCloskey was very good in defence and stood out in general. Lutton was only on for the last twenty in the third game but did nothing untoward. All in all good marks all round.
From the rolling glens of Antrim through the hills of Donegal we will stand and shout for Ulster as we win both scrum and maul from the lovely lakes of Fermanagh tae the shores of ould Lough Gall we will scream and shout for Ulster as we beat them one and all!
NEVER MOVE ON. Years on, I cannot ever watch Ireland with anything but indifference, I continue to wish for the imminent death of Donal Spring, the FIRFUC's executioner of Wee Paddy & Wee Stu, and I hate the FIRFUCs with undiminished passion.
Setanta wrote:I watched all three games (as well as I could, some terrible gaps in the coverage) and obviously concentrated on the Ulstermen but Copeland did stand out for me along with Gilroy. beagle had some superb box-kicks(he has obviously worked on this), breaks and tackles but is still prone to the odd wild pass! McCloskey was very good in defence and stood out in general. Lutton was only on for the last twenty in the third game but did nothing untoward. All in all good marks all round.
Copeland is a pretty talented backrower. He's big and fast with good hands and footwork, and is a powerful carrier. Given Ireland's depth of backrow talent, they should convert him into a 12 right now. He'd be like a Jamie Roberts, only a better footballer. (I am actually reasonably serious here!)
Setanta wrote:I watched all three games (as well as I could, some terrible gaps in the coverage) and obviously concentrated on the Ulstermen but Copeland did stand out for me along with Gilroy. beagle had some superb box-kicks(he has obviously worked on this), breaks and tackles but is still prone to the odd wild pass! McCloskey was very good in defence and stood out in general. Lutton was only on for the last twenty in the third game but did nothing untoward. All in all good marks all round.
Copeland is a pretty talented backrower. He's big and fast with good hands and footwork, and is a powerful carrier. Given Ireland's depth of backrow talent, they should convert him into a 12 right now. He'd be like a Jamie Roberts, only a better footballer. (I am actually reasonably serious here!)
Great idea.
But Munter will never allow it. What's good for Ireland, if it is not good for Munter, doesn't happen
Considering the opposition in the three games played it would be a an act of folly to either highlight any performance or make a judgement as to the future advancement of any of the Irish players .
In the first game once a breach was made in the defence there was so much support available to the ball carrier anybody could have scored the trys
The second game was somewhat similar with a different back line
The Romanians went for a physical forward game in the third match and the ref let them play that game . Ireland didn't have much possession to play rugby but stood up to the physical lift and charge that the Romanians were playing.
I think the opposition possibly learnt more than Ireland did in each game.
Within this carapace of skepticism there lives an optimist
rumncoke wrote:Considering the opposition in the three games played it would be a an act of folly to either highlight any performance or make a judgement as to the future advancement of any of the Irish players .
In the first game once a breach was made in the defence there was so much support available to the ball carrier anybody could have scored the trys
The second game was somewhat similar with a different back line
The Romanians went for a physical forward game in the third match and the ref let them play that game . Ireland didn't have much possession to play rugby but stood up to the physical lift and charge that the Romanians were playing.
I think the opposition possibly learnt more than Ireland did in each game.
True. But Copeland also had a very good season for Cardiff in the Rabo, winning a few MOTM awards and standing out in a pretty duff team where it was difficult to play a lot of front foot rugby and make a mark. I think he will do well at Munster. Even now, he's probably as good (or better) a backrower than Jordi Murphy. Would not be surprised if he made the Ireland bench next year and could possibly challenge Heaslip (if Schmidt would evert think of dropping him).
Copeland was a known quantity before the competition and was recognised as a good signing for Munster because he enables PoM to switch from 8 to 6 where is restricted pace will be less obvious because he will be on the blind side at scrum time and more than likely within the back line more often at the line out and thus closer to any breakdown.
PoM is less effective as 8 . Couglan is a a one paced work horse tries hard but just makes the grade at Pro 12 and no more.
Within this carapace of skepticism there lives an optimist
big mervyn wrote:In the absence of any decent coverage and based on what I've read, Copeland seems to be the most significant talent to emerge. From an Ulster perspective, Gilroy and Marshall both seem to have had good tournaments and McCloskey also managed to get himself noticed.
I doubt Copeland was actually the stand out. Simply he is Munters great new hope, and this is being bigged up by the anti Heaslip brigade
He definitely did stand out - but tbh, given the defences he was up against, it would have been more surprising if he hadn't. It's like when kids start playing rugby at school, there's always some big tall fast boy who scores 40 tries a season up until 3rd year, but you only discover how good he actually is when tackling improves, and defences tighten up after a few years! There's no doubt he's a heck of an athlete, 6'5" and can seriously shift - as to how he'll go at Munster, for me he's more Tom Croft than Stevie Ferris, a thorougbred no doubt, but maybe a bit of a luxury?
Copeland was a known quantity before the competition and was recognised as a good signing for Munster because he enables PoM to switch from 8 to 6 where is restricted pace will be less obvious because he will be on the blind side at scrum time and more than likely within the back line more often at the line out and thus closer to any breakdown.
PoM is less effective as 8 . Couglan is a a one paced work horse tries hard but just makes the grade at Pro 12 and no more.
Has he not always played 6 for Munster? He's played 8 on a few occasions I remember but has he not always been primarily a 6 for both club and country?
I agree with the rest of the post though.
You haven't seen me at my best yet. Let's be honest, you probably never will.
Minsters options at 8 aren't great but had a number of players who could stand in at 6 thus MoP played 8 as often as 6 and on the tour against USA and Canada he was played at 8
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Within this carapace of skepticism there lives an optimist
Copeland was a known quantity before the competition and was recognised as a good signing for Munster because he enables PoM to switch from 8 to 6 where is restricted pace will be less obvious because he will be on the blind side at scrum time and more than likely within the back line more often at the line out and thus closer to any breakdown.
PoM is less effective as 8 . Couglan is a a one paced work horse tries hard but just makes the grade at Pro 12 and no more.
Cawlin is gone pal and POM never has any issues getting to a breakdown. Granted he won't set any 100m records. He's not as fast as Dave Kearney for example.
It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.