The UAFC

Not many of you will care at this stage, and tbh I don't either but do you think Kidney will still be in the job?

If he stays, we will lose all 3 games.

If he goes, and the squad is changed a bit to include the Madigans, Gilroys, Tuohys of the world, I would say we have a chance to win 1/3 tests since we will be an, inexperienced, but inpredictable, but I reckon we can cut them close. Lancaster has shown what a young team can do.

If Kidney does stay I can see him including Madigan and thats about it

I can't see the IRFU getting rid of him in his final year. The bean-counters fun a really tight ship down there and it would be silly to dish out compensation for someone who has just 1 year to go.

Oh wait........perhaps the IRFU could actually look at the goals they set Mr Kidney and realised he's failed on most of them - ie terminate the contract on the basis of his sub-par performance!

McGlocks for Ireland anyone

What size of squad will they take to NZ?

normally a larger squad than 6N, 38ish I think

breakdown wrote:Not many of you will care at this stage, and tbh I don't either but do you think Kidney will still be in the job?

If he stays, we will lose all 3 games.

If he goes, we will lose all 3 games.

Fixed that for ya. No charge!

It'll be interesting to see the make up of the squad. There are a few fringe players who MUST be given a chance. Gilroy, tuohy, Henry, madigan and cave are the stand outs for me.

breakdown wrote:Not many of you will care at this stage, and tbh I don't either but do you think Kidney will still be in the job?

Why would you start a thread about something you don't care about?


Anyway Kidney will be going to NZ as Irish coach. Difficult to see anything but three defeats. I do hope he uses the games to give a few inexperienced players a chance. Waste of time otherwise.

However we will probably see most of the 6N team, plus BOD and minus Bowe in the 3 tests, one of which we'll probably lose closely after fighting valiantly and the other two will be knockouts. This should help us a lot to continue building a team to tackle next year's 6N.....

Cynical, Shan, very cynical. Also, correct!!

Actually the win defeat ratio could be different because it could depend on how NZ want to use the tour and the Internationals this year .

Will they put a few players out to pasture and play an experimental XV with a eye to 4 years a head ?

Their player pool being of greater depth than Ireland even an experimental team would be hard to beat.

D4 hasn't lined anyone up for the post yet so I can't see DK being decked. and the there are two many of the "old brigade" still pulling the strings to make the change easy.

"Old Brigade " being the Munster /leinster players of yesteryear

but one thing is certain a few more of those old faces are closer to the exit door after last weekend

by Cap'n Grumpy » Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:41 pm

breakdown wrote:
Not many of you will care at this stage, and tbh I don't either but do you think Kidney will still be in the job?

If he stays, we will lose all 3 games.

If he goes, we will lose all 3 games.

Fixed that for ya. No charge!

If he stays, we get flat out beaten in all 3 games

If he goes, we lose all 3 games but at show glimpses that we have good players and can play a bit.

Madigan, Ryan and Tuohy are definites. I'd like to see some junior props added!?

This trip should be seen as an experimental trip. Because of that I would like to see this as a team:

15. Rob Kearney (simply because there seems to be no other full backs pushing for the spot)
14. Simon Zebo
13. Darren Cave
12. Paddy Wallace
11. Craig Gilroy
10. Ian Madigan
9. Paul Marshall (if fit, unsure about his injury)

1. Tom Court
2. Sean Cronin
3. Mike Ross (again, because there are no other tightheads pushing for the spot)
4. Donnacha Ryan
5. Dan Tuohy
6. Chris Henry
7. Peter O'Mahony
8. James Coughlan (think he does a great unseen job for Munster)

16. Best, 17. (Unsure, no real contenders) 18. McCarthy, 19. Jennings/McLaughlin, 20. Boss, 21. Sexton, 22. Fitzgerald

OK yes, fair point. Would like to see all 15 take part at some point (I reckon 7 of them will definitely). Don't want it to be the usual side that will lose all 3 games and will come home learning nothing. At least if we combine youth (Zebo, Gilroy, Madigan etc.) with experience (Best, O'Connell, O'Driscoll etc.) they'll get a bit of good playing time.

Ruck

Thats an nothing side

Just thinking about some of them
Zebo is a DK type of player, white line fever with pace , but lacks smarts
Gilroy is not a DK type smarts but without the pace of Zebo
Wallace is is a waste of an opportunity he's 32 and the only way is down

Marshall definitely not a DK scrum half don't take audacity for skill definitely not a scrum half of choice against the ABs they eat small scrum halfs who get isolated

Jennings see Wallace Fitzgerald see Marshall

Thats not an experiment that is an immolation

What we need to see this summer is three strong, fairly settled teams, with a few, hitherto, untried players who might actually stand a chance of making an impact in the next few seasons put into the teams to see how their perform alongside guys they are likely to play with, rather than just selecting a lambs-to-the-slaughter style team. O'Sullivan used to make 10+ changes to teams to play minnows and learned precisely nothing as a result. It's absurd to suggest Kidney should do the same. Ireland's team and squad needs tweaking and depth, not a drastic overhaul - only O'Callaghan and D'Arcy should be ignored entirely of the current group. Mainstays of the current team should get two games, newcomers and 'options' one a piece in otherwise strong teams.

Accordingly; three games, three different teams. Something like:

15. R. Kearney / Jones / R. Kearney
14. Trimble / Trimble / Gilroy
13. Cave / Earls / O'Driscoll
12. P. Wallace / McFadden / McFadden
11. Earls / D. Kearney / Zebo
10. Sexton / O'Gara / Sexton
9. Marshall / Murray / Murray

1. Healy / Court / Healy
2. Best / Cronin / Varley or Sherry
3. Ross / Hagan / Ross
4. Ryan / Tuohy / Ryan
5. O'Connell / O'Connell / Tuohy
6. Ferris / O'Brien / Ferris
7. O'Brien / Henry / O'Mahony
8. Heaslip / Heaslip / O'Brien

16. Cronin / Best / Best
17. Court / Healy / Hagan
18. Tuohy / Ryan / O'Connell
19. Henry / O'Mahony / Heaslip
20. Murray / Marshall / Reddan
21. O'Gara / Madigan / Keatley
22. Jones / Kearney / Jones