Autumn Nations Cup aka 8 Nations

[Snipe Watson]

Byrne and Bealham will get found out against England in the scrums, not sure what the crack is with McGrath but would have thought McGrath or Moore would offer better scrummaging options for Ireland.

Moore is having a renascence this season. Excellent in tight and loose.

[Dharper]

May well be the case Gents. However, would either be around WC time....no chance. Maybe Ire are simply investing in future. Would TOT be deputising for Porter on the bench if fit?....personally I’d say so. MM is top class for us, but if Ire don’t see him as a viable TH going forward why waste gametime experience on him? MM hasn’t played for Ire in 5 yrs? Bealham is at least in and around squads. There is definitely an issue at LH re Healy’s successor. EOS could be a real viable proposition - but he needs to be starting ahead of McGrath for us to ram the point home. To be fair he’s only just hit the 50 cap mark, both him & TOT are pups. I’d like to see him given a go.....1 things for certain re EOS - with McGrath, Moore, TOT, and McFarland coaching....plus regular gametime & Euro cup there probably isn’t a better club to be at to develop.

[big mervyn]

May well be the case Gents. However, would either be around WC time....no chance. Maybe Ire are simply investing in future. Would TOT be deputising for Porter on the bench if fit?....personally I’d say so. MM is top class for us, but if Ire don’t see him as a viable TH going forward why waste gametime experience on him? MM hasn’t played for Ire in 5 yrs? Bealham is at least in and around squads. There is definitely an issue at LH re Healy’s successor. EOS could be a real viable proposition - but he needs to be starting ahead of McGrath for us to ram the point home. To be fair he’s only just hit the 50 cap mark, both him & TOT are pups. I’d like to see him given a go.....1 things for certain re EOS - with McGrath, Moore, TOT, and McFarland coaching....plus regular gametime & Euro cup there probably isn’t a better club to be at to develop.

Moore is 29, similar age to Bealham and James Cronin and young enough (for a TH) to play past the next RWC. Based on form he should be part of the conversation.

[justinr73]

Take Cooney out of the equation and MM is easily Ulster’s best signing in the last few years.

Leave Cooney in and he could still be the best.

He should be in the Ireland squad and we’d not find it straightforward to cope without him.

[Aird]

The 42 stating that neither Sexton nor Henshaw will be fir to start against England. They are touting Aki and Farrellbut why not start two Ulster men in the centre. With McCluskey and Farrell and turn the power play against England for a change. I also think McCluskey has more subtlety in his game than Aki.

[Off the Top]

That would be my pick as well Aird, but I don't see it happening, especially with Sexton being out of the game.

I can see Ireland getting hammered in this one.

[Jetstream]

Stockdale remains injured. It would be a good game to miss.

[big mervyn]

Stockdale remains injured. It would be a good game to miss.

Aye. McCloskey got rather unfairly hung out to dry against Engerland in his only meaningful outing on a green shirt to date.

[kUD]

If Burns gets a start at 10, then there's a case to be made for McCloskey at 12 on the basis of provincial partnerships and familiarity.

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[justinr73]

Fair comment.

The Leinster B team option of JGP and Byrne is an alternative.

[Jackie Brown]

If Burns gets a start at 10 there's a case to be made for forfeiting the game.

Burns, Aki, Gibson Park, Lowe, Herring, Stander, Roux... Really a team of mercenaries. I'm a big Herring fan btw, but it's a joke any of them can claim to be Irish and play for the national team. The residency rule is a joke.

[justinr73]

Out of interest, where do you draw the line?

Green blood?

Born in Ireland (which would have shafted Heaslip, Murphy, Rob Henderson, Geoghegan and others)?

[Jackie Brown]

The residency rule mainly. However, I wonder did Burns dream as a young boy playing rugby for his local club that he'd someday pull on the green shirt of Ireland.

[big mervyn]

Out of interest, where do you draw the line?

Green blood?

Born in Ireland (which would have shafted Heaslip, Murphy, Rob Henderson, Geoghegan and others)?

ROG would also have been excluded.

There should at least be a feckin line. One Irish parent as an absolute minimum requirement. Sole exception for anybody who has lived here from the age of say 12.

Maybe there should be an interview?

Can I... play for Ireland?

No. pi$h off.

I didn't want to talk like this. It's only an accent. I hate the English as much as anybody.

Shhhh. Shhhh. Shhh. Shh. Shhhh.

Stumm.

Are you sure?

Oh, dead sure. I hate the English already.

Listen. If you wanted to join the IRFU., you'd have to really hate the English.

I do!

Oh, yeah? How much?

A lot!

You're in

[big mervyn]

The residency rule mainly. However, I wonder did Burns dream as a young boy playing rugby for his local club that he'd someday pull on the green shirt of Ireland.

Not a chance.He's admitted as much. Grew up dreaming of playing in the white shirt (NOT Ulster's) and represented them as a schoolboy and U20.

Tell you what though. If anybody did have green blood, it was Simon Geogheghan. Legend. Think of the damage he might have done in an era where Irish wingers occasionally get the ball!