Ireland v Argentina

[ColinM]

Team not to be named until Friday, but I'm hearing Brady has eaned a callup to the squad for Rory - well done to him

[cables]

Have found no 'official' statement that Brady has been called up.

Cronin and Varley are in the training camp and we would, I believe, normally have three hookers at this stage of the week.

Additional to that, it would appear that Varley was restricted to "modified non-contact work" today.

Ulster are flying out of Dublin Airport on Thursday evening.

[ColinM]

Possibly down for training and getting picked up on the way to Treviso then. Expect AK to start if thats the case

Not sure where Ulster's second Hooker would come from if he's required in the Ireland squad.

[Rooster]

Have found no 'official' statement that Brady has been called up.

Cronin and Varley are in the training camp and we would, I believe, normally have three hookers at this stage of the week.

Additional to that, it would appear that Varley was restricted to "modified non-contact work" today.

Ulster are flying out of Dublin Airport on Thursday evening.

BJ has the Brady news on Twitter, I heard it this evening as well from a passing dog near Brady's home territory.
Varley is crocked.
Perhaps Tommy Bowe could fly him over on Friday or he could get a lift in our tractor

[cables]

Possibly down for training and getting picked up on the way to Treviso then. Expect AK to start if thats the case

Not sure where Ulster's second Hooker would come from if he's required in the Ireland squad.

It would be a big ask for Niall Annett from the Ulster academy - perhaps Ryan Fisher?

[backawaygoonahead]

Varley missed Munster game last weekend so assume Brady is there to cover him.

Would love to see him get a cap but suspect he would be better employed in Treviso.

[bootlaced]

Is Kidneys hand being forced[he is an employee after all], and is there more to the selection than meets the eye,by this I mean is the Irish team being selected on a commercial basis as opposed to one where those with injuries are rested and the best players are selected,and sod the players interest we'll select a team that can put bums on seats, obviously I am becoming more cynical,to the extent that I expect the sponsors to start selecting the team.

[Dublin4]

Interesting take on BOD and Earls in this morning's Independent:


Jason Holland believes Keith Earls should be wearing the Ireland No 13 shirt. Photo: Sportsfile


Friday November 26 2010

MUNSTER assistant coach Jason Holland believes Keith Earls should be wearing the Ireland No 13 shirt -- and not Brian O'Driscoll.

The 38-year-old Kiwi -- who was a regular fixture in Declan Kidney's Munster midfield during his tenure in charge -- reckons the Irish captain is not as sharp as he used to be and would be more effective in the No 12 position, with Earls one place outside him at second centre.

The pair have played together in midfield just once before, against Wales last March when Earls scored two tries after he switched from the wing to centre following Gordon D'Arcy's injury-enforced departure.

D'Arcy and O'Driscoll have been the preferred centre paring since then, however, and while O'Driscoll has started and finished each of Ireland's three games this autumn, Earls has amassed just 38 minutes as a substitute winger.

starts

O'Driscoll is set to win his 107th cap for Ireland against Argentina on Sunday and, for all his 105 starts, he has worn the No 13 jersey.

His one replacement appearance came in a World Cup qualifier win over Romania in 1999, when Jonathan Bell started at 13.

With Kidney set to name his starting XV at lunchtime today, Holland believes it's high time Ireland's most successful player moved over in order to make room for the younger man.

"There are a couple of things I'm very surprised about," said Holland, "but hopefully Earlsy will start to get a run of games now.

"I know we stick up for our own (Munster) boys, but I can say, hand on heart, that if I were picking the side, I'd have Earlsy in my starting XV.

"I would be tempted to push Drico in one and play Earlsy at 13. I just think he gives a sharp acceleration at 13.

"With all the skills he's got, O'Driscoll maybe isn't quite as sharp as he used to be, but I reckon he could put Earls in some real space."

The Kiwi also believes Ronan O'Gara is worth a place in the starting XV and Johne Murphy too

He freely accepts that his vision may be slightly impaired by his red-tinted glasses, but even allowing for his provincial bias, he thinks Murphy, a huge success since he joined Munster from the Leicester Tigers, is too good to be overlooked.

"I can't speak highly enough of what he's done in terms of attitude and what he does on the field," he said. "Every week that goes by my respect for Johne grows and I just wish that some of the national selectors could be around him day in, day out so that they could see what he's got to offer.

"I think he's very close to being involved in the national side and he would be if I was picking the side.

"But it's easy to sit back and pick someone else's team," he added. "I know that from other people picking the Munster team."

- Ian Bransfield

[ColinM]

Was reading that thinking its hard to argue with until he got to the bit about OGara and more particularly Murphy.

Yes ROG may have shown this november to be the man with the cool head and experience at vital moments, but if he were starting every game we'd all be moaning that we weren't blooding a replacement, ROG can't go on forever etc.

Murphy though still needs to prove himself for my money, no douby he's not far from the squad but hasnt warranted a mention in an article such as this.

[SparkyClarky]

Team Out
Big Mushy back (Crap) Poor Tom but AT hopefully can build on last weeks performance and get some confidence going. Will need his physical defence for this one! Will be interesting to see Stringer working with sexton and what sort of game Murphy brings (kicking / or running counter )


15 - Geordan Murphy (Leicester)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) Captain
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary's College/Leinster)
9 - Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
3 - Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:
16 - Damien Varley (Garryowen/Munster)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
19 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster
21 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 - Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)

[Ardglass2]

That front five will get mauled - Argentian are exceptionally srong there at the moment.

A case could be made from a scrum and linout perspective for only picking one of them - O'Callaghan. The rest all have glaring weaknesses at one or both set pieces

[ColinM]

Court has proven this November to be Irelands only credible option at THP for the RWC next year. (in so far as we dont know any more about the likes of Ross, Andress etc). So what happens? he picks thon big useless permatan lump again. Do the coaches not watch the scrums? I was seething last week when he brought Court off for Hayes whenever Healy was folding up like a wet cardboard box.

I think Earls also needs to play 13, BOD needs to move in.

After a good Ulster selection i was kind of expecting the same from Kidney, not sure why just forgot myself.

[Jackie Brown]

DOubt I'll even watch it to be honest. can't wait to sit down in front of the telly tonight for the main event!

[Setanta]

Rough on Court and Leamy but to be expected - good to see the Stringer Sexton combination being given a go.
I think we'll turn up and hope that front-row give them a surprise?
Ireland Team (to play Argentina, Guinness Series 2010, Aviva Stadium, November 28th, 14:30)

15 - Geordan Murphy (Leicester)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) Captain
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary's College/Leinster)
9 - Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
3 - Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:
16 - Damien Varley (Garryowen/Munster)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
19 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster
21 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 - Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)

[Binman]

Tough call on Tom Court but perhaps a blessing in disguise; an Ireland front row including Cronin and Healy will get destroyed by the Argies. I would like to think that Buckley being dismantled again will force Kidney into picking Tom for the 6 nations.