Fuzzy; I can't comment on the Fiji game, as I didn't see it. And I'll hold my hands up and say that McCarthy was outstanding in both the South Africa and Argentina games, whilst Ryan was fantastic today but comparatively poor against South Africa. O'Callaghan was poor in his cameos in both games, although I admit that his experience and the leadership that implies was much needed in this series. That said, these are performances in international games, not provincial performances. In terms of what these guys have done for their provinces last season and this, Tuohy is Ireland's standout lock. He hasn't done a lot at international level, I admit but his chances have been infrequent and inconsistent. It would be interesting to see what he could do at that level if the coach placed the trust in Tuohy that he has in the likes of Healy et al.fuzzylogic wrote:I would have currently Touhy ranked 4th behind Ryan, McCarthy and DOC. All three have been excellent over the past 3 games, Touhy was rather poor by comparison against Fiji.
Not many players in Ireland are so exceptionally talented that they will make an immediate impact at international level. Some take time to get used to the pace, intensity and requirements. I think Henry is the perfect example of this - his performance today was excellent and he really grew into the game and got better the longer it went on, yet he was absolutely woeful the first time he played. I fear Kidney's selection policies are, in part, responsible here, however. I think, today, Henry proved the doubters wrong and showed he can mix it at international level; if his first cap was anything to go by, he'd never have been selected again. The concern is that if there is a perception that only certain players can play international rugby, there is a policy of patience for some (Healy, Murray, Earls - all of which have paid off) and of no patience for others. I fear that Tuohy is a good example of one who is the "victim" of this attitude. He's not considered, definitely, to be of international standard and so, his international capability is judged on performances against weak teams, in weak teams and in small-part cameos.
