I agree with them dropping Zebo due to him leaving Ireland, but to say it's based on form is a stupid thing to say, also I think he's ahead of Brown, Maitland, Halfpenny and Kearney in the pecking order of European fullbacks. I think Joe is very stubborn and if he dislikes a player will leave him in the cold and pick others ahead of them, McCloskey TOH Gilroy Healy, (Zebo in the past had to work very hard to get a deserved starting place), have all fallen foul to this, then some guys like Murphy, McFadden, Dave and Rob Kearney couldn't do anything to get dropped, granted at times those guys deserved their places but at times they definitely didn't but still weren't dropped. It just seems a lot easier for Ulster and Connacht lads to lose their positions regardless of form. I just hope that Marmion can hang on to his bench position because I think he offers something different when coming off the bench (so long as Joe bother to bring him on), whereas McGrath is more like a poor man's Conor Murray.

Kearney
Zebo
Hogg
Maitland
Brown
Halfpenny
Liam Williams

Zebo's not that great lads,good player but internationally not really anywhere near cc territory and to be fair TOH is class but he's not there yet either and JS is probably correct when he looks around at his fb/ wing options and goes meh I can take zebo or leave it no big deal.

Kearney
Conway
Toh
Carberry
Larmour
Payne
Henshaw

Plenty of lads who can do the job at a decent level.

Healy had a shocker of a season last year, dropped everything. Back playing well this year, hands better, defence better but to be fair, he's in a similar category to Gilroy at Ulster its not going to happen internationally without a huge injury crises. Niyi has a few years to play with but would need to improve his game in the air both defensively and when competing in the air in attack to impress Js.

While I'm here a quick comment on the recent central contracts at both Munster and Leinster. What great work by the irfu, 4 Munster stalwarts coming out of contract dryan zebo cj and pom, a limited amount of money to spend seeing off the big money from France and they got it spot on, keep cj and pom and let the other 2 walk. Pity for Munster to lose them but not real issue for Ireland, keep some cash to fight for Conor murray next year.

Think its rediculous. He may turn out to be sensational but he's played a small handfull of games and scored one sensational try. TOH, Healy and to an extent Niyi have put shifts in for seasons. Obviously a lack of games last season with injury comes into play with Healy and Niyi but personally I don't feel Joe would pick any of the 3 of them regardless of game time or form.

I think he's being given too much credit on his own, he has, like you say, the advantage of playing in a very strong team. There have been players from other provinces, and even some Leinster lads, who have looked as good but have had to wait far longer to be given a chance. I hope Larmour does turn out to be the prospect everybody believes him to be, but he's being given every advantage to prove it unlike some other players in the past. I'd agree that looking forward a gamble on Larmour would be a smarter option than bringing Healy in, but it is disappointing to see Tiernan overlooked again when Larmour can walk into the squad after a handful of games. On a total aside Joe saying Zebo has been left out due to poor form is in fact poor form from Joe, I think that's a ridiculous thing to say which I'd be surprised if even he believes, just wondering what others opinion's on that are.

Betty Swallocks wrote: Haely's footwork going forward is at least as good as Larmour's and we've no idea how good a defender Larmour is yet as he hasn't had to do any in the 3 or 4 senior games he has played.

Healy might have more top end pace but Larmour can change direction without losing speed in a way no other Irish player can. He does have the benefit of playing in a strong Leinster team but he kept Nadolo quiet in Montpellier which is good going.

Haely's footwork going forward is at least as good as Larmour's and we've no idea how good a defender Larmour is yet as he hasn't had to do any in the 3 or 4 senior games he has played.

tomsauce2000 wrote:

Mark Mostyn wrote: Plus his defence is poor.

I don't see the problem with Healy's defence. I hear people question it but I don't see it. The big problem I see in Healy's game is that he loses the ball in contact far too often and he drops too many passes. I'm not sure if it's related to the hand injury he had but it's been going on for a long time.

He has made 68% of his tackles this year which is better than I expected to be honest but not great. He also tends to concede a lot of metres after first contact.

Mark Mostyn wrote: Plus his defence is poor.

I don't see the problem with Healy's defence. I hear people question it but I don't see it. The big problem I see in Healy's game is that he loses the ball in contact far too often and he drops too many passes. I'm not sure if it's related to the hand injury he had but it's been going on for a long time.

Larmour is clearly one of the bigggest prospects in the country and we’re two years out from a World Cup he could easily be a starter in, to say his possible selection would be due to Leinster bias is nonsense imo. Henshaw is the only player we’ve produced of that quality in my lifetime and he was straight into Team Joe.

No idea where you’re getting this idea that Joe prefers heavier players from. Kearney, Earls, Ringrose, Heaslip, Van der Flier, O’Brien, Best, Scannell, McGrath etc. are all Schmidt players and no larger than the average players in their position. The players who are heavy for their position include Furlong, Porter, Toner, Stander, Murray, Henshaw, Farrell, Aki and Stockdale, I don’t know how you could argue against any of them being included.

I would like to see O’Halloran included, but I think he’s seen as being too loose, much like McCloskey. Healy got caught between older world class players like Trimble, Earls and Bowe and a really exciting crop of young players. Plus his defence is poor. Farrell unfortunately hasn’t gotten the chance to prove himself at the level the other centres have but hopefully he’s there or thereabouts.

I called the McFadden pick weeks ago, Lamour is there as an apprenticeship same as Henshaw did in his first season with Ireland, Henshaw was further along in his development and was 24th man for the campaign - if Lamour does see game time then it would add fuel to the Leinster bias fire for me, and I'm generally one that fights against it.

Conway has been excellent and maybe is fighting for the 23 jersey with McFadden.

Tiernan, Healy and Farrell, I love them all but Joe tends to pick players based on mass, Ireland are usually the largest team on the pitch no matter the opposition (save France perhaps) despite the cliches that RTE commentators persist with. Our three guys can hit a ruck as good as anyone but he'd rather pick a guy with another 5kg on them if he can.

Using the "playing well" argument Podge57, then Masterson or Muldoon should be in before Jordi Murphy and Matt Healy should be knocking at the door, and Tom Farrell is playing better than either of the Munster centres.......................

I know we're all biased but Conway has been brilliant the last year and a bit. Joe would never trust TOH to play a big match against England sadly. You could make an argument against the other two but Conway deserves the 23 jersey.

Betty Swallocks wrote: Fergus McFadden, Jordan Larmour and Andrew Conway in the back three before TOH. That's questionable.
Schmidt again shows his pro-Leinster bias in many/all of the marginal selections.

To be fair - all are playing very well.

I think we need to get away from Joe is biased scenario. He is conservative and you have to earn his trust. Tiernan not doing that consistently.

You can ague that McFadden is not a long term option but right now the guy is playing very well. I am not a huge fan of him but credit where it is due.

The big omission in general is John Cooney, who is playing better than Marmion and McGrath who has never been as good as Leinster fans think he is. It's so frustrating as a Connacht fan seeing Larmour being shot straight in when players for us have had to play out of their skins for years before getting a call up, TOH, Healy and Adeolokun being 3 prime examples. Also McFadden gets back in decent form for a couple of matches and gets straight back in, ahead of Gilroy, Sweetnam, and Healy who are all playing well. And don't even get me started on Jordi Murphy, at least next year no matter how well he's playing he won't get picked as he'll be with Ulster. I'm shocked that Joe noticed Roux has been playing well and actually selected him. Also think McCloskey and/or T Farrell should be ahead of the Munster midfield, it's really annoying everytime a squad is announced now.

Fergus McFadden, Jordan Larmour and Andrew Conway in the back three before TOH. That's questionable.
Schmidt again shows his pro-Leinster bias in many/all of the marginal selections.

Cheers guys...thanks for the info.