Ireland squad for NZ

Freddie Benson · Post by **Freddie Benson** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:35 pm

http://www.irishrugby.ie/newspage/65636.html

Forwards (13):

Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Shane Byrne (Saracens), Simon Easterby (Llanelli), Anthony Foley (Shannon/Munster), John Hayes (Bruff/Munster), Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster), Matt McCullough (Ballymena/Ulster), Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster), Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Johnny O'Connor (Wasps), Malcolm O'Kelly (St. Mary's College/Leinster).

Backs (11):

Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Kieran Campbell (Dungannon/Ulster), Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster), Anthony Horgan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Shane Horgan (Lansdowne/Leinster), David Humphreys (Dungannon/Ulster), Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution), Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster).

Not considered due to injury: Guy Easterby (Blackrock College/Leinster), Denis Hickie (St Mary's College/Leinster), Eric Miller (Terenure College/Leinster), Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster), Brian O'Driscoll (Blackrock College/Leinster), Alan Quinlan (Shannon/Munster), Frankie Sheahan (Cork Constitution/Munster).

NB 1: Due to injury concerns over Shane Horgan and Simon Easterby, the squad has been extended to 24 players. This will be reduced to 22 when the team to play New Zealand is announced.

NB 2: Players from the preliminary autumn international squad omitted from the above have been released to return to their provinces and clubs and are available for selection.

Freddie Benson · Post by **Freddie Benson** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:42 pm

Team I expect to be announced next Tuesday

Dempsey
Bowe
Darcy
S Horgan/Trimble
Murphy
O'Gara
Stringer
Foley
O'Connor
Easterby/Leamy
O'Kelly
O'Callaghan
Hayes
Byrne
Horan

Reps
R Best
S Best
McCullough
Leamy/ N Best
Campbell
Humphries
Trimble/ A Horgan

cjp · Post by **cjp** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:18 pm

Yep would agree with that team, at east no Corrigan but Horgan over Kearney what a joke.

pwrmoore · Post by **pwrmoore** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:37 pm

Well done lads.

Unfortunately that means none of our 8 representatives will be available at the week-end. and with an extended squad of 24 we could still have no-one in the starting 15 for the first match.

If EOS releases 2 ulster players to pare the squad down to 22 next week I will be cross but not surprised

colinh · Post by **colinh** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 11:56 pm

cjp wrote:Yep would agree with that team, at east no Corrigan but Horgan over Kearney what a joke.

Agreed Kearney is quite a player but is not as good as Tommy Bowe of Andrew trimble however he is much classier footballer than yer amn Horgan.

Colin

Setanta · Post by **Setanta** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:47 am

Expect you're right but I'd like to have seen... (heh, heh, heh!!)
Murphy
Kearney
Horgan
Trimble
Bowe
O'Gara
Campbell
WALLACE
O'Connor
Best
O'Callaghan
McCullough
Best
Best
Horan

Bench
Byrne
BUCKLEY
HOGAN
JENNINGS/Leamy
Heaslip
QUINLAN
Humphries
Stringer

Freddie Benson · Post by **Freddie Benson** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:07 am

yes Setanta I don't think that's too far away from my own selection - but at least EO'S is heading somewhere towards where the rest of us thought we should be going 12 months ago.

cjp · Post by **cjp** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:32 am

Buckley can't even get in the Munster team, my team would have been:

Murphy
Bowe
Trimble
D'Arcy/Horgan
Horgan/D'Arcy
Humph
Naz
Fitzy
S. Byrne
Bracken
DOC
MOK
Easterby(If not fit Bestie)
JOC
Wallace

Subs
E.Byrne
R.Best
MMcC
N.Best/Leamy (Both in superb form)
Stringer
ROG
Kearney

Setanta · Post by **Setanta** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:37 am

Also nice! Just wanted to get the discussion going. Its a bit like the start of Ulster's season when I argued that trying out the squad was more important than winning the per-season friendlies and took some stick! I still say experiments must be made in friendlies - he cannot do it during the six nations - and there is a world cup coming up.

colinh · Post by **colinh** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 3:21 pm

when I argued that trying out the squad was more important than winning the per-season friendlies

That sure is one time to do it. I think Mark McCall saw what the first team players could do and had to see how the more aspirational players could cope. Preseasons are the time to make your mistakes.

Colin

cjp · Post by **cjp** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 10:11 pm

Easterby and Horgan took part in training and both will be fit.

barney · Post by **barney** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:46 pm

Ireland: G Murphy, T Bowe, G D'Arcy, S Horgan, A Horgan, R O'Gara, P Stringer, M Horan, S Byrne, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, M O'Kelly, S Easterby (capt), J O'Connor, D Leamy.

Replacements: R Best, S Best, M McCullough, N Best, K Campbell, D Humphreys, G Dempsey.

No place for Trimble...yet we can find a shirt for Anthony Horgan.

pwrmoore · Post by **pwrmoore** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:00 pm

Almost the all ulster bench we were predicting....

Can't say I'm surprised with steady eddie's predictability....

cables · Post by **cables** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:01 pm

Keep the Faith Andrew there are still 2 more games in this series.

barney · Post by **barney** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:02 pm

Of course I should also have said Well Done Tommy Bowe!