I would be a fan of Bob Casey being given a go at 2nd row with POC. from what ive seen of him at GP level, and there are stats to back it up, his jumping in a lineout is exceptional, and when coupled with his leadership ability on the field, he'd be worth a shout. everything else you've mentioned ie your "3 faults" require solid work on the training pitch, and someone (ie whoever makes the calls, or a POC or a Casey to ask them to think again) to think clearly in a pressure situation. nothing else. a reliance on a munster line-out only allows short-cuts to be taken - the best guys for the position should be included in the team and then work on communication begins - to say that DOC and POC have a great partnership and using that as a reason for them both to play doesnt cut it for me. (appreciate you didnt say this neilf)Neil F wrote:...the trouble is that the Ireland lineout is, often, dependent on the Munster lineout. The Munster lineout hasn't been working this season, nor has the Ireland lineout. To be perfectly honest, the problems with the Ireland lineouts exist entirely amongst the players, and are, mostly, not stemming from opposition pressure ...
In the Autumn, for example, there were three main problems with the Ireland lineout; some dodgy throwing from both Best and Flannery, some mistimed jumps and lifts and some very poor calls. I just don't believe that the Ireland lineout will be significantly improved by O'Connell and O'Callaghan going up against O'Kelly or O'Driscoll instead of Caldwell, Casey, Ryan or Toner in training...
i'd disagree on this, not solely on what quinlan can achieve in winding up a younger back-row player on the training pitch, but for overall how he can help them develop on the training pitch. quinlan - as much as he creates dislike - is much more than a wind-up merchant on the field, and his all round game offers a lot (or certainly used to). guys like girve and geordan, perhaps also hayes, who maybe are beginning to play their last for ireland can still offer loads in the development of younger guys making the breakthru. how much has tom court's game improved with training alongside BJ, likewise pollock with dawson? what you can learn on a training pitch vs what you learn on a game can often be much greater, particularly from an analysis "after a game" viewpoint - how much of IHs development do we think is down to watching thru videos with big bro? also at the breakdown, its one thing to play against a mccaw and get robbed 5-6 times a game, its another to have quinlan doing it to you in training, taking you to one side and then telling you (1) how he has done it, (2) how not to get pinged for it, and (3) telling you how you can stop him doing it.Similarly, I don't believe that Ferris or Heaslip coming up against Quinlan on the training ground will teach them anything that they haven't learned from playing in the ML and HEC. When you consider the players that Ferris and Heaslip have come up against, in full contact matches, and the players that Ferris and Heaslip have got the better off in full contact matches, I think one must question the wisdom of including someone like Quinlan for the sole purpose of winding up Ferris and Heaslip in training, if this choice is as you suggest. Full contact training has its benefits but it also has limitations in what it can achieve. I, personally, don't see the benefit in what you say.
Perhaps, perhaps not - playing in A games instead of not being involved in full set-up will IMO help develop him more. there are plenty of back-rows and at present he's down the pecking order, he's plenty to learn yet.As I said, I will repeat - I think someone like Pollock would have a lot more to gain from being in the extended squad than Ferris and Heaslip would gain from Quinlan being in the squad.
Likewise IH - instead of getting a full call-up and playing the paddy wallace world cup role - ie pick splinters out of your Brennan - get him playing the few A games there are and keep a close eye on him. there is always the option of pulling him in if required, or as an alternative to ROG.
on ROG, his game this season has improved from a backline aspect, and if he carries this into the green shirt he has the potential to be one of the best players in the 6N tournament.
. So why not give court ago, he has again been on great form all season, can carry the ball and will hit rucks, whilst being capable of scrumaging. 
