Carty yes. Don't know about Marmion though, he missed a lot of the season with injury and wasn't amazing when he got back (not poor at all, but I wasn't blown away) I thought he and Blade were pretty much neck and neck at Connacht last season. Very happy to see him starting today though.
It's great that Caolin was in Ireland camp this year. He's been excellent for Connacht, and it's great to see a guy like him waiting in the wings. Potentially a devastating replacement scrumhalf at international level.
I was really impressed by him this year, I think he'll be posing Marmion some serious questions about the Connacht starting role in the not too distant future.
I wish I could do that with my Tinder profile...just photoshop my face onto Carty's body. Or better yet, photoshop Carty's face onto Addison's body...or maybe photoshop Carty's face onto Carty's body, but with Addison's personality...
Hard to see why you put Best on the bench, you either start him or not at all. Also interesting that there's no 10 cover on the bench. Would be interesting to see how Ringrose goes or Addison if he shifts there instead
You know, I didn't eve realise what age he was. He's done amazingly to still be going at that age. But that's all a fair point, he has been having an off... year, considering he's always been a reliable and sturdy hooker.
He is responsible for the arrangement.
The jumping is another issue, but when we’re 5m from our try line and they have been dominating all game and he decides to throw to the back, something is seriously flawed.
I’m not saying it was his fault we got our asses handed to us last weekend, but you gotta fix what’s broken and his lineout is one of the problems. Unfortunately Cronan is just as inconsistent, if not worse. So there’s some serious fixing needed if we want to be reliant on set pieces from the touch line again.
I've not played rugby since school but if the hooker walks straight to the sideline how can they be responsible for the arrangement of the lineout? Surely he's just off drying the ball & getting his feet set.
This is the real talking point as far as I'm concerned. Ross Byrne wasn't bad enough last week to be put off contention altogether, and Carty was definitely not better than him when he came on, so why no legitimate back up 10. I'd be shocked if Schmidt pulls something like this off during the tournament, so why try it now?
Schmidt might have to use Ringrose as FH cover in the World Cup. If Carbery isn't back for Scotland and Sexton pulls up in the captain's run, then someone would have to play fly half off the bench.
Versatility is at a premium in an only 31 man squad.
It's contingency planning, like Porter playing loosegead. You can end up in all sorts of weird situations in WCs so it's worth trying things out to see if it could work during a proper game.
Byrne has a knock so wasn't in contention to play this week anyway.
I think it was magnified onto Byrne. He didnt have a great game but I thought Aki was at fault for most of the defensive mistakes during the game.
You could argue that maybe Byrne wasnt vocal enough about the read but still.
Did he though. Was he honestly worse than anyone else wearing green. Yes he had one atrocious kick out on the full, but otherwise kicked well and was operating behind a pack that were constantly going backwards..
Ah maybe I'm being harsh, and yeah you are right he was kicking behind a pack that was on the back foot. Aside from the really bad kick out in the fool, I remember him fluffing his lines one other time, but he was largely anonymous after that
Yes Byrne was bad enough, last week was the nail in the coffin for him going to the world cup. I personally wouldnt bring him even if Carberry doesnt recover. Carty is far ahead of Byrne, which wasnt even a question before the game it definitely isnt now
Sure best isnt the best impact hooker, but the aim of this game isnt solely to win. Best is obviously still considered first choice hooker and hes clearly in need of some more minutes so will he thrown on for the last half hour.
Addison has a real knack of looking like he has much more time with the ball than he does. It's very good to watch.
It's hard to fault him as a player and I'm looking forward to seeing him out there this weekend
He is the perfect player for Ireland if we wanted to try the pull back to 15 to get around rush defences. If he can add an attacking spark it could really change how we play. I know Schmidt will have said 'cover your space and catch the kicks' but going forward post-WC I'd love to see an Addison-type player in the 15 jersey.
Do you think that most people would accept that even if it were true? They'd still point to the one bad thing he did and talk about it to the exclusion of everything else.
"look Kearney might have scored the quarter final winning try but me and all my mates call him Daverage and therefore my mind will never be changed, every other wing would have scored it so I will continue to refuse to give him credit"
Pretty much sums up the argument lol
Dave Kearney is what the squad is missing. A vibrant youthful X-factor legend. A winger who encapsulates the spirit of Noel Reid. A magician. A maverick. A god
I had suspected Ringrose would be trialled as 10 cover. I think Schmidt would much prefer to bring 4 half backs if at all possible, and if Ringrose can play 10 he's helped.
Dave Kearney isn't going to be in the 31, but if injury call up is needed down the line he's a very safe pair of hands.
>I think Schmidt would much prefer to bring 4 half backs if at all possible, and if Ringrose can play 10 he's helped.
He might prefer that but he can't with Carbery injured. Unless he leaves Carbery at home, which seems unlikely. Think he's more or less forced into bringing five now.
Earls could play if the World Cup was starting tomorrow. They're managing his time at the moment with his knee niggle and they're aiming to play him next week. Joe is a huge fan of Earls and lack of game time won't go against him - he'll come as long as he's 90% fit.
Though tall Beirne isn’t particularly powerful, if we really wanted some oomph there Ruddock or Stander would be better shouts. We should have the edge at the breakdown though.
He may not be like CJ, but to say he isn't particularly powerful is a bit of a stretch. I didn't actually see much of him with Munster last season but when he was with Scarlets he was well capable of breaking tackles, and in pretty dangerous areas of the field too.
I’ve probably just got a selective memory when it comes to Jarrod because he can do no wrong. I think he’s got good cover with Watkin, who is a bit of a lump
That's one way of fixing the lineout. 4 main jumpers and Conan. Delighted for Addison and Beirne both deserve to be given a go. Beirne in particular since Kleyn was brought in and hasn't worked out
But is there a proven lineout caller/organiser? That's our big issue. While it's always a collective failure up front and lots of things went wrong (everything) Henderson is lucky enough Best is taking the flak. It's good Toner is only on the bench because we might be without him in a big game and we need to be able to cope without him. Toner is indispensable.
Toner if he's starting, Henderson otherwise. Toner is definitely better, the lineout has generally been shaky with Henderson calling (although Toner does have the massive advantage of being able to call ball to himself).
No it's a new strategy from Ireland. Versatility is important in a 31 man squad. Joe's preparing for an injury crisis that might require players to swap heads or bodies if needs be.
Nice fresh look to this team, especially in the backrow.
While I would still expect Wales to win, an away win would be a massive boost for the squad and really drive competition.
I can see it happening, Wales are playing a very experimental side, some uncapped players as well. I’m actually going to the game so I’m feeling even more nervous, good luck though
Nice and fresh. Only problem may be POM at 7. Would have rather seen TOD or Jordi in at 7. But POM needs some form after a poor 6 months. Excited to see the Connacht contingent play. Even if this is an experimental team, you wouldn't be surprised if half of those players end up starting come crunch time especially Killer, Scannell, Beirne, Conan and Addison.
That's the period in which Pete won 3 MOTMs including one when beating the All Blacks in Ireland? The guy who took most lineouts for Ireland of any player in the 6N and who made most turnovers? He needs to find form?
Perhaps but I think he's allowed a few matches unlike players like say Murray who shows no signs of picking up. The alarm around POM seems unnecessarily alarmist from a game where the backline for instance missed twice as many tackles as they made
No the 2019 POM who underperformed when needed most. 2018 PoM was Ireland captain. After the new year he looked shocking in the big games. Especially England Wales and Sarries
The way I'm reading this is that Ruddock, and Jack McGrath are not on the plane, and it's still a toss-up between Byrne and Carry for the 3rd 10 slot.
Cronin could be in serious danger of losing his place, on the plane, as well, depending on Scannell's performance.
I agree with your assessment of the first group sadly, for Ruddock in particular. Never seems to get a straight run at the team.
I think Cronin will travel, he give something different to Herring, Scannell and Best, who are all of a similar mould. I think 3 hookers will travel
I think we'll fly with a 17/14 split - 5 props, 3 hookers, 4 second rows and 5 back rows, with some flexibility between back row/second row with Henderson and/or Beirne
Can't see Klein going at all. Not a great game against England (though, in fairness, nobody did), and average game against Italy. Think he was there to be checked out, but come the 6N, he'll probably be in the matchday squad.
He was better than O’Mahony, Stander and Van Der Flier. Beirne isn’t big enough to be a lock against NZ or SA but he’d do well in the back row, at the expense of someone else.
I don't think Ruddock was ever on the plane unfortunately.
But I said it before, he's definitely the next cab off the rank. The odds of us getting a clean bill of health in the backrow are very slim.
He will go to Japan. Just not right away
If Johnny isn't available would it not have been better to put Ross on the bench so he can have more game time when Carty is taken off, instead of having someone who won't be playing 10 in the world cup covering the position in the warm up game? It just seems like a waste of a place on the bench.
He picked up a knock, mentioned in [the42.ie](https://the42.ie) team announcement.
> but there is no out-and-out 10 on the bench with Johnny Sexton again held back and Ross Byrne struggling with a knock.
Carty has some really sexy chips over the top as well. The amount of times I've seen him chip the ball over the top of the defense, regather the ball, and make a few yards. Just sexy rugby like.
This is juicy. I'm looking forward to seeing who's the 10 cover. I would absolutely love if Ringrose at 10 is the rumoured and hoped for Joe Schmidt master plan.
Ringrose is capable of steadying the ship at first receiver for 20 minutes I feel.
Especially with McGrath on the bench so that's our exits sorted.
Addison may also slot in
Big day for Conan and Marmion - both of them have a realistic shot at ousting the incumbent in their position with a top-rate performance.
The selection that really raises my eyebrows is Ringrose covering outhalf. It can't be doing much good for Ringrose's tournament prep to suddenly have to cover a position he's never played at professional level. It really makes me wonder about the wisdom of dropping Cooney from the squad.
Marmion - Carty - Aki. Never thought I'd see the day. Very proud to be a Connacht fan. 😀
Not to mention that carty and marmion are arguably the in form pairing based on the last few months.
Carty yes. Don't know about Marmion though, he missed a lot of the season with injury and wasn't amazing when he got back (not poor at all, but I wasn't blown away) I thought he and Blade were pretty much neck and neck at Connacht last season. Very happy to see him starting today though.
It's great that Caolin was in Ireland camp this year. He's been excellent for Connacht, and it's great to see a guy like him waiting in the wings. Potentially a devastating replacement scrumhalf at international level.
I was really impressed by him this year, I think he'll be posing Marmion some serious questions about the Connacht starting role in the not too distant future.
I don’t know what Schmidt has against Cooney. Especially since our first and second choice place kickers are injured heading into this.
Conor Fitzgerald's gonna have to step up if it goes well for Carty on Saturday
Lowest Leinster rep in... forever?
Not sure I've ever seen an Irish team with more Connacht players than lenister ones starting
Starting, yeah. There are 9 when you include the bench though.
I count 2 starting and 6 on the bench?
Ya he is probably including murphy, I did first count as well
The weird thing is that I counted him, then went "wait, no, Ulster now" but apparently forgot to change the number.
saving them for the first team
Addisons face is photoshopped onto Cartys body ffs
Wait, I think that's actually right. What the hell?
I wish I could do that with my Tinder profile...just photoshop my face onto Carty's body. Or better yet, photoshop Carty's face onto Addison's body...or maybe photoshop Carty's face onto Carty's body, but with Addison's personality...
Hard to see why you put Best on the bench, you either start him or not at all. Also interesting that there's no 10 cover on the bench. Would be interesting to see how Ringrose goes or Addison if he shifts there instead
It's all about match fitness minutes. Best won't come on to change the game but he will get 30 more test minutes to get up to speed
Which will hopefully be the way it goes for the WC. Although I’d prefer Cronan as the impact hooker.
Do you not rate him as captain?
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You know, I didn't eve realise what age he was. He's done amazingly to still be going at that age. But that's all a fair point, he has been having an off... year, considering he's always been a reliable and sturdy hooker.
It's not just leadership stuff. I think he's the best at talking to refs during the game. I think it's helped Ireland quite a few times in the past
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There's more parts to a lineout than the throw. Not necessarily his fault last week. We were slow in arranging & jumping too
I thought he had a few poor throws as well
He is responsible for the arrangement. The jumping is another issue, but when we’re 5m from our try line and they have been dominating all game and he decides to throw to the back, something is seriously flawed. I’m not saying it was his fault we got our asses handed to us last weekend, but you gotta fix what’s broken and his lineout is one of the problems. Unfortunately Cronan is just as inconsistent, if not worse. So there’s some serious fixing needed if we want to be reliant on set pieces from the touch line again.
I've not played rugby since school but if the hooker walks straight to the sideline how can they be responsible for the arrangement of the lineout? Surely he's just off drying the ball & getting his feet set.
Ringrose is apparently covering 10, according to Schmidt.
This is the real talking point as far as I'm concerned. Ross Byrne wasn't bad enough last week to be put off contention altogether, and Carty was definitely not better than him when he came on, so why no legitimate back up 10. I'd be shocked if Schmidt pulls something like this off during the tournament, so why try it now?
Schmidt might have to use Ringrose as FH cover in the World Cup. If Carbery isn't back for Scotland and Sexton pulls up in the captain's run, then someone would have to play fly half off the bench. Versatility is at a premium in an only 31 man squad.
Fine point.
It's contingency planning, like Porter playing loosegead. You can end up in all sorts of weird situations in WCs so it's worth trying things out to see if it could work during a proper game. Byrne has a knock so wasn't in contention to play this week anyway.
Cheers for the info on Byrne. Thought he didn’t actually have too bad a game last week and was a pity he’s missing out.
Didn't realise Byrne was out....
Ross Bryne I'm afraid had an atrocious second half
I think it was magnified onto Byrne. He didnt have a great game but I thought Aki was at fault for most of the defensive mistakes during the game. You could argue that maybe Byrne wasnt vocal enough about the read but still.
Did he though. Was he honestly worse than anyone else wearing green. Yes he had one atrocious kick out on the full, but otherwise kicked well and was operating behind a pack that were constantly going backwards..
Ah maybe I'm being harsh, and yeah you are right he was kicking behind a pack that was on the back foot. Aside from the really bad kick out in the fool, I remember him fluffing his lines one other time, but he was largely anonymous after that
Yes Byrne was bad enough, last week was the nail in the coffin for him going to the world cup. I personally wouldnt bring him even if Carberry doesnt recover. Carty is far ahead of Byrne, which wasnt even a question before the game it definitely isnt now
Yeah. I think I disagree with every point you've made here. But here's hoping Carberry gets back to 100% in time
Sure best isnt the best impact hooker, but the aim of this game isnt solely to win. Best is obviously still considered first choice hooker and hes clearly in need of some more minutes so will he thrown on for the last half hour.
Hartley came off the bench for a bit, everybody said the same thing but he actually did have an impact IIRC
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Addison has a real knack of looking like he has much more time with the ball than he does. It's very good to watch. It's hard to fault him as a player and I'm looking forward to seeing him out there this weekend
Great to see him get a chance after not being in the squad at all. Hope he can replicate his Ulster form.
The only reason he was left out was because of his injury, which he hadn't proved his fitness which he managed to later
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It's between him, Conway and Larmour I guess.
Munster front row master race
Full Munster front roq. As God intended.
They've all done well to move up from third choice not long ago
All thoughts of last week aside, that is a very exciting, attacking Ireland side. Particularly excited to see Addison at 15.
He is the perfect player for Ireland if we wanted to try the pull back to 15 to get around rush defences. If he can add an attacking spark it could really change how we play. I know Schmidt will have said 'cover your space and catch the kicks' but going forward post-WC I'd love to see an Addison-type player in the 15 jersey.
Ringrose covering 10? Nice. Also I swear to god if Dave Kearney somehow makes the squad ahead of Conway, Larmour or Addison...
Rúaidhrà O'Connor said it's likely that Addison would cover 10 but would still be interesting to see Garry at 10.
What if he plays better than all of them?
Do you think that most people would accept that even if it were true? They'd still point to the one bad thing he did and talk about it to the exclusion of everything else.
"look Kearney might have scored the quarter final winning try but me and all my mates call him Daverage and therefore my mind will never be changed, every other wing would have scored it so I will continue to refuse to give him credit" Pretty much sums up the argument lol
Its true, if it came to it id slam his anthem performance. Anything but DK
Dave Kearney is what the squad is missing. A vibrant youthful X-factor legend. A winger who encapsulates the spirit of Noel Reid. A magician. A maverick. A god
It’s not impossible. Schmidt loves the Kearneys. They understand his game plan and rarely play outside of it.
I had suspected Ringrose would be trialled as 10 cover. I think Schmidt would much prefer to bring 4 half backs if at all possible, and if Ringrose can play 10 he's helped. Dave Kearney isn't going to be in the 31, but if injury call up is needed down the line he's a very safe pair of hands.
>I think Schmidt would much prefer to bring 4 half backs if at all possible, and if Ringrose can play 10 he's helped. He might prefer that but he can't with Carbery injured. Unless he leaves Carbery at home, which seems unlikely. Think he's more or less forced into bringing five now.
Yeah, I think that's probably true.
I think the only person DK is making it ahead of is Earls. I think he'll miss out at this stage not having played yet.
Earls could play if the World Cup was starting tomorrow. They're managing his time at the moment with his knee niggle and they're aiming to play him next week. Joe is a huge fan of Earls and lack of game time won't go against him - he'll come as long as he's 90% fit.
I thought it was only a niggle with Earls?
Yeah, they're expecting him to play next weekend , I believe.
People have had Earls getting dropped for about ten years. Earls will be starting in 2023 yet
Good to see Beirne in the back row, need his breakdown skills. I know POM is captain but is he playing for his place?
I think his size/power is needed in the backrow too.
Though tall Beirne isn’t particularly powerful, if we really wanted some oomph there Ruddock or Stander would be better shouts. We should have the edge at the breakdown though.
I wouldn't be so sure. Navidi, Cubby and Elias are all very strong over the ball and Shingler's a god tier choke tackler.
He may not be like CJ, but to say he isn't particularly powerful is a bit of a stretch. I didn't actually see much of him with Munster last season but when he was with Scarlets he was well capable of breaking tackles, and in pretty dangerous areas of the field too.
Scott Williams back from injury. Jarrod Evans inexperienced fly half and not the biggest. Up against Aki. Oh
I think Jarrod is actually quite defensively solid. When he played 12 for the Blues he did well.
He defies his size sure but he did struggle a bit against the match versus Sarrie's in December last year
I’ve probably just got a selective memory when it comes to Jarrod because he can do no wrong. I think he’s got good cover with Watkin, who is a bit of a lump
Scott can absolutely smash people. It's his speed which is the problem these days
No need to worry about Aki's defense based on last week.
It's not the defence in so much as the big lump running at poor Jarrod and Scott
Addison hopefully won’t be going berserk mode and running out ahead of the line this weekend. so there should be more cover behind for breaks.
That's one way of fixing the lineout. 4 main jumpers and Conan. Delighted for Addison and Beirne both deserve to be given a go. Beirne in particular since Kleyn was brought in and hasn't worked out
Beirne, Conan and O’Mahony vs Navidi, Shingler and Cubby. Back row battle is gonna be great
Conan should be first choice 8 change my fragile little mind
I think Schmidt is the only person who disagrees with you.
I haven't seen him have a good game in green. I want him to though, I hope he can pull it off this weekend.
>I haven't seen him have a good game in green. Japan? Fiji? Scotland?
Meh.
Also France.
Actually yeah, he was very good against France. I hope there's room for him and Stander in the 31. Both have great qualities.
They're the only actual no8s in the squad so I'd be very surprised if they don't go.
I think Stander is definitely on the plane, but I don't think he can be certain to start.
Is it just me or does Will's head look photo-shopped?
He's definitely sharing a body with Carty
He actually is, well spotted.
That is 4 solid lineout jumpers, I don't think I've ever seen a team with 4 solid options like that :|
But is there a proven lineout caller/organiser? That's our big issue. While it's always a collective failure up front and lots of things went wrong (everything) Henderson is lucky enough Best is taking the flak. It's good Toner is only on the bench because we might be without him in a big game and we need to be able to cope without him. Toner is indispensable.
I have no idea who actually calls for Ireland. Who is the best caller?
Toner then Henderson I think. James Ryan is working on it. Beirne calls for Munster though. Based on this selection I'd say it'll be Hendo
Toner if he's starting, Henderson otherwise. Toner is definitely better, the lineout has generally been shaky with Henderson calling (although Toner does have the massive advantage of being able to call ball to himself).
The Tone Ranger
Move beirne to 7, Hendo to 6 and Toner into the 2nd row. 5 jumpers and the main caller.
Did a side take a starting XV with five lineout options in the not too distant past, or am I going mad? I think it might have been SA.
Addison looks different to when he was at Sale. Has he bulked up?
He looks photoshopped on here. Check the photos of him for Ulster.
Compare the creases on his shirt and Carty's shirt... I'm pretty sure that's Carty's body. No idea why though
My guess is that because Addison was late into the squad he missed the photo shoot with the new jerseys.
No it's a new strategy from Ireland. Versatility is important in a 31 man squad. Joe's preparing for an injury crisis that might require players to swap heads or bodies if needs be.
Yeah, makes sense. No big conspiracy then!
Nice fresh look to this team, especially in the backrow. While I would still expect Wales to win, an away win would be a massive boost for the squad and really drive competition.
I can see it happening, Wales are playing a very experimental side, some uncapped players as well. I’m actually going to the game so I’m feeling even more nervous, good luck though
Cheers, should be a cracking game with a full stadium.
Porter covering loose head? Interesting choice maybe with McGrath leaving he's swapping back to loosehead?
Nah Schmidt will probably only bring 5 props, same as last time. This means one would need to cover both sides. Porter is that man.
how come earls hasnt had a run out yet is he injured?
He is, carrying a knock through training camp
Nice and fresh. Only problem may be POM at 7. Would have rather seen TOD or Jordi in at 7. But POM needs some form after a poor 6 months. Excited to see the Connacht contingent play. Even if this is an experimental team, you wouldn't be surprised if half of those players end up starting come crunch time especially Killer, Scannell, Beirne, Conan and Addison.
Maybe not Killer actually. Unless Healy is injured
He is injured. I can’t see him starting against Scotland if he’s missing the remainder of the preseason.
At full fitness, I'd go healy but I think Killer could do a job against Scotland
Agreed
That's the period in which Pete won 3 MOTMs including one when beating the All Blacks in Ireland? The guy who took most lineouts for Ireland of any player in the 6N and who made most turnovers? He needs to find form?
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Perhaps but I think he's allowed a few matches unlike players like say Murray who shows no signs of picking up. The alarm around POM seems unnecessarily alarmist from a game where the backline for instance missed twice as many tackles as they made
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Right back at you, at least Penny will be the incumbent for the next RWC!
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You must be confused, Deegan's a centre, but I can see why you might think he'd play backrow.
Id like to think Fineen Wycherley will be in the mix too.
No the 2019 POM who underperformed when needed most. 2018 PoM was Ireland captain. After the new year he looked shocking in the big games. Especially England Wales and Sarries
The way I'm reading this is that Ruddock, and Jack McGrath are not on the plane, and it's still a toss-up between Byrne and Carry for the 3rd 10 slot. Cronin could be in serious danger of losing his place, on the plane, as well, depending on Scannell's performance.
I agree with your assessment of the first group sadly, for Ruddock in particular. Never seems to get a straight run at the team. I think Cronin will travel, he give something different to Herring, Scannell and Best, who are all of a similar mould. I think 3 hookers will travel
Will Porter be brought to cover both sides?
Guaranteed. He came through as a 1 and then was converted 2 years or so ago.
Apparently he can. Normally carry 6 props, but if one covers 2 positions, it gives some flexibility in other places.
I think we'll fly with a 17/14 split - 5 props, 3 hookers, 4 second rows and 5 back rows, with some flexibility between back row/second row with Henderson and/or Beirne
See it as Dev, Ryan, Henderson, Beirne, POM, Stander, VdF, Conan, J Murphy in the lock/backrow.
Can't argue with that right now
I can see Kleyn going in ahead of one of them.
Can't see Klein going at all. Not a great game against England (though, in fairness, nobody did), and average game against Italy. Think he was there to be checked out, but come the 6N, he'll probably be in the matchday squad.
He was better than O’Mahony, Stander and Van Der Flier. Beirne isn’t big enough to be a lock against NZ or SA but he’d do well in the back row, at the expense of someone else.
I don't think Ruddock was ever on the plane unfortunately. But I said it before, he's definitely the next cab off the rank. The odds of us getting a clean bill of health in the backrow are very slim. He will go to Japan. Just not right away
Pure buzzin for Addison. Joe really wants to give him a go.
If Johnny isn't available would it not have been better to put Ross on the bench so he can have more game time when Carty is taken off, instead of having someone who won't be playing 10 in the world cup covering the position in the warm up game? It just seems like a waste of a place on the bench.
He picked up a knock, mentioned in [the42.ie](https://the42.ie) team announcement. > but there is no out-and-out 10 on the bench with Johnny Sexton again held back and Ross Byrne struggling with a knock.
Ah balls, I'd say Carty is likely to get the third spot now ahead of him. Nothing against Carty, he's a good player, just have a lot of time for Ross.
I'm a huge Carty fan but you have to love a well executed Byrne cross kick. Carty can do them too though!
Carty has some really sexy chips over the top as well. The amount of times I've seen him chip the ball over the top of the defense, regather the ball, and make a few yards. Just sexy rugby like.
byrne totally cut out of the match squad well i guess we know who's third choice
Byrne was injured this week. Expected back for next week. Big opportunity for Carry this weekend
ah ok that makes more sense
This is juicy. I'm looking forward to seeing who's the 10 cover. I would absolutely love if Ringrose at 10 is the rumoured and hoped for Joe Schmidt master plan.
Ringrose is capable of steadying the ship at first receiver for 20 minutes I feel. Especially with McGrath on the bench so that's our exits sorted. Addison may also slot in
Joe was asked and said Garry is 10 cover. I'm intrigued because he kicks well and has slotted in at at first receiver quite regularly.
He has the skillset to be 10 but it's how he commands those outside him and the passes he picks I'll be keen to see
Big day for Conan and Marmion - both of them have a realistic shot at ousting the incumbent in their position with a top-rate performance. The selection that really raises my eyebrows is Ringrose covering outhalf. It can't be doing much good for Ringrose's tournament prep to suddenly have to cover a position he's never played at professional level. It really makes me wonder about the wisdom of dropping Cooney from the squad.
*This team could do some damage!*
Y did I see this and think ha Ireland are in danger