Ireland vs All Blacks

[Jackie Brown]

Well might as well start the thread. THis is the team I'd select for next week...

15. Fitzgerald
14. Bowe
13. BOD
12. D'Brennan
11. Earls

10. ROG
9. Stringer

1. Healy
2. Cronin
3. Ross
4. Toner
5. DOC
6. Leamy
7. Wallace
8. Heaslip

Bench,
16. Varley, 17. Hayes, 18. Ryan, 19. SOB, 20. Boss, 21. Sexton, 22. Kearney

No Ulstermen involved in the humping that will occur next Saturday please. We are gonna get royally f@cked.

[Shan]

Ah feck Jackie, I was getting worried about you until I saw your last line.

Tommy mightn't be too happy to learn he is no longer an Ulsterman.

[cables]

Not the way it works JB.

If a thumping defeat is expected then the starting 15 will be loaded with Ulstermen - simples.

[Jackie Brown]

Tommy mightn't be too happy to learn he is no longer an Ulsterman.

Sadly Tommy is no longer a rugby player I'm overly concerned about, selling his soul to the hairspray devil and all.

Not the way it works JB.

If a thumping defeat is expected then the starting 15 will be loaded with Ulstermen - simples.

There will be at least one, for scape goat purposes, my money is on Rory.

[Rooster]

Release all Ulster players on Monday morning to return to training for next weeks League match would be a top class idea

[mid ulster maestro]

Sadly Kiwis by 30.
Mum

[Big-al]

I honestly don't care about these matches.

Will watch Ulster this weekend but Ireland can go jump, whatever happens Ulster players will get the blame, always have and always will. Used to be Tommy until he moved, then Trimble at the world cup vs France, then Paddy, then Rory and now the Turnips on Munster fans want Ferris dropped as well

[AyeYerMa]

Stephen was a very silly boy yesterday....

At this point I think anyone who harbours any notion that Ireland are going to get anything out of this test than a severe mullering is apt to be disappointed.

My selection would take account of trying to keep a decent team fit to lay some on the Pumas. ABs game is a busted flush, nothing to play for but pride.

[fuzzylogic]

by Big-al » Sun Nov 14, 2010 12:29 pm

Turnips on Munster fans want Ferris dropped as well

In all honesty i would drop him too for rolling around like a footballer after that "elbow" to the face!

[backawaygoonahead]

Great to see the wagons being circled around the Ulster players - provincialism is alive and well and is about as pathetic as many other "isms"

Perhaps many are subliminally preparing for the disappointment of only Rory TC & Ferris playing next week.

Team as I would select, there are 4 untouchables in Bowe,BOD,DOC & Heaslip & debate around 11 positions:

Kearney/Murphy/Fitzgerald - If fit Kearney - Murphy not international class, Fitz not a 15 even if he wants to be.
Bowe
BOD
D'Arcy/Wallace - nothing to advance PW's case yesterday
Fitgerald/Earls/Trimble - Fitz assuming Kearney is 15, Earls if he was 100% fit perhaps, AT like Paddy & oh those hands.
ROG/Sexton - Must be ROG on form but............DK? Will he persevere with the young pretender?
Stringer/Reddan/Boss - Stringer has looked confident & gives that extra split second in a game we will be under fierce pressure in, Reddan is a feckwit, Isaac had no time to make an impression
Healy/Court - Has to be Healy given the happenings yesterday. I think Court suffered initially from the total lack of power coming through from Toner who was coming up like a front row too often
Best/Cronin/Varley - Rory without doubt, Cronin pretty ordinary and again I think under-powered in scrum, Varley I suspect will be a player but not enough evidence to judge yet.
Court/Hayes/Ross - Court by a long way, Bull - sorry pal the party's over but a magnificent contribution over his career, Ross by lack of contenders next in line
DOC
Cullen/Ryan/Toner/Tuohy/Micko - a dilemma, Cullen if fit on the old dog for the hard road theory, Ryan part of the scrum improvement yesterday? Toner - fair enough he took his own ball but only 1 of theirs & by virtue of being a beanpole underpowered in all other aspects he is a problem - is a lineout only option workable? Tuohy no form, Micko not an international.
Leamy/Ferris/SOB/Muldoon - for this match Leamy's physicality could be key, SOB no impact yesterday, Muldoon - a bit like Tuohy & others, nothing to judge on this season
Ferris/Wallace/SOB - Wallace looked out of form/fitness against SA. Ferris for this game again for physicality
Heaslip

The team I expect to see DK select is:

Kearney if fit or Murphy
Bowe
BOD
D'Arcy
Fitzgerald
Sexton
Reddan
Healy
Best
Court
DOC
Toner
Ferris
Wallace
Heaslip

I expect about a 20-25 point defeat unless ROG plays then make it a 10-15 point defeat & of course unless they can raise their game it could be a cricket score.

Any shread of hope of ending the run of failure against NZ ? Hard to see any - the super-optimist might point to the fact that we have rarely, if ever faced the ABs after having had a couple of "warm up" games but that is clutching a tiny, brittle straw.

[loosehead1984]

All Ireland have to play for is pride.

Realistically they are on a hiding to nothing, however, that should not mean they give up and play dead. In my view they have a clear choice... play your strongest 15 and give it your all. At least then they can hold their heads up afterwards!

[Ardglass2]

Sadly Kiwis by 30.
Mum

I think that is being optimistic.

I can see a Scotland type score

[againstthehead]

Ireland lift their game for the opposition. Defensively we're extremely well organised but offer little in attacking threat. If the set piece holds firm and we don't kick the ball aimlessly (some BIG IFS), we should be able to keep the score down to 10-15 points.

Personally, I hope NZ blow ireland off the park and highlight what a shambles the current set-up is.

[mid ulster maestro]

Shame on you ATH. I don't think Ireland being trounced by NZ will highlight the shambles Irish rugby is in at present. The last two games saw to that. As for hoping Ireland get blown off the park! What kind of supporter are you?
Mum

[AyeYerMa]

Shame on you ATH. I don't think Ireland being trounced by NZ will highlight the shambles Irish rugby is in at present. The last two games saw to that. As for hoping Ireland get blown off the park! What kind of supporter are you?
Mum

One that isn't going to be disappointed next weekend?