POM has being made captain of the Irish Team for the North American tour?! No offense to POM but why the f*ck wasn't Chris Henry? He's got prior experience and is a nailed down 7 for the senior team the last while.
POM is meant to be a good captain but with the majority of the team Ulster lads and his inexperience captaining at this level as well as him not being a nailed on starter (he will be for this tour admittedly) I find it an odd decision. Les Kiss showing another case of Kidneyitis.

Really feel bad for Robbie Diack not getting picked I think we could do with another backrow forward being brought. Keatley can probably feel hard done by as well would have picked hi over Jackson on current form. Glad that Hagan is getting some recognition at last one can't help but feel that if he'd stayed at Connacht he'd probably have made his senior debut a lot earlier.

Props:

Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Declan Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Jamie Hagan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) *
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster)

Hookers
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) (capt)
Mike Sherry (Garryowen/Munster) *
Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster)

Second Rows
Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)

Backrows
Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster) *
Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster)

Scrum Halves
Kieran Marmion (Galwegians/Connacht) *
Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster)
Paul Marshall (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)

Outhalves
Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster)

Backs
Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster)
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht) *
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Stuart Olding (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) *
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)

IRELAND Squad (North American Tour - USA & Canada):

Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) (capt)
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Declan Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster)
Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster)
Paul Marshall (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)
Stuart Olding (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) *


Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster)
Jamie Hagan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) *
Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)


Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht) *
Kieran Marmion (Galwegians/Connacht) *
Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht)


Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster)
David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster) *
Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Mike Sherry (Garryowen/Munster) *
Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Ireland interim Head Coach Les Kiss today announced the Ireland squad ahead of their Tour to the USA and Canada in June.

Uncapped duo Robbie Henshaw and Kieran Marmion were both included in the 28-man squad that will tour North America.

Departing Connacht lock Mike McCarthy has also been named in Kiss’s squad and is set to build on his 10 international caps to date.

Two Titans invited to the Ireland National training camp
Posted: 17/04/2013

Rotherham Titans are pleased with the news that James McKinney and Eamonn Sheridan have been invited to the Ireland National Training camp, ahead of their summer tour of North America.

Both McKinney and Sheridan have made their mark for the club in what has been a successful season for the Irish pair. Their selection for the National Training Camp further strengthens the reputation of the RFU Championship as a competition and Rotherham Titans as a club who have the undoubted abilities to develop players.

Having been duly recognised by the selectors at the IRFU; should the camp be a success for the Rotherham pair, both will travel with the National side on their tour of the USA & Canada in June.

Rotherham Rugby Club wishes both James and Eamonn all the best as they embark on what we hope, will be a successful international career."

rossie wrote: kidney has a contract until the 30/6 afaik. its up to irfu to make the decision that everyone knows is comiing. considering eddies employment success since leaving the job i dont blame deccie at all.

No fan of Deccie's here but if you were in his position, even if you wanted out yesterday you'd have to dig the heels in until your backroom team got looked after.

kidney has a contract until the 30/6 afaik. its up to irfu to make the decision that everyone knows is comiing. considering eddies employment success since leaving the job i dont blame deccie at all.

I don't phatguerilla sorry

If Kidney said he was not seeking a renewal but wanted to go out by coaching the summer tour I wouldn't have a big problem with that, but if everyone knows he won't be there long term but he acts like he will there could be problems. The UCC job sounds very nice but its hard to know what those sort of titles end up being like.

I know its a week old but if you have a link to that blog post connachtexile I'd like to read it, always interested in learning.

According to the Sunday Times Kidney isn't taking the hint and is digging his heels in unlike EOS who was smart enough to take the money and run. There's a very good chance we could be stuck with him for the summer tour of Canada and USA. As the Sunday Times pointed out a lot of players aren't going to be happy and knowing Kidney is a lameduck coach could lead to problems. I'm not saying that people are going to unprofessional but wouldn't be surprised if a certain malaise sank in for it.

I can see Kidney managing the senior summer tour and his replacement taking over the tour in Georgia for the emerging Irish team. Would put good money on it or at least a euro.

Kidney has also being linked with the Director of Sport job at UCC which would pay well. To be frank I think he should take it before EOS gets the Indo to start campaigning for him to get the job. :whistle:

I think it was the Whiff of Cordite blog that did a breakdown of Leinster second rows hitting rucks etc and Toner's were quite decent. My worry is that he will de-power an already weak scrum when he comes on and against Italy that's not good.

columoc wrote:

salmson wrote:

phatguerilla wrote: www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/internati...lian-match-1.1325824

Sexton foot injury. Toner, no sense at all.

Now I'm no fan of the barely earned caps for Munstermen thing, but if that's the clincher for Toner over DOC why not go the whole hog and roll out a large crane in the number 19 shirt? It'd be more mobile and spill considerably less ball. Could probably scrummage better than Toner too, come to think of it.

I confess, I am a bit of a Toner fan. He is much maligned. Sure, he is limited in much of his game as his height is a big disadvantage in the loose, but he is honest, a hard worker, a guarantee in the line outs, and despite comments above, has very good hands ( from his basketball days). Good enough for Ireland? probably not, but even ER could hit him . If he ever arrived in Connacht, I'd welcome him. Right now, he adds more than DOC imo.

I don't like to rip on Toner, he is a work in progress, he's gotten a lot of games for Leinster but is still young in second row terms.

However in saying that I feel like he doesn't hit enough rucks, he will rush up to them and then stop a couple of steps away. He doesn't win enough opposition lineouts for his size and likewise not as dominant for his own as he should be.

If he manages to kick on and improve his physicality then he could well be international quality in a few years but for now there's a good chance he could end up a liability against Italy.

salmson wrote:

phatguerilla wrote: www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/internati...lian-match-1.1325824

Sexton foot injury. Toner, no sense at all.

Now I'm no fan of the barely earned caps for Munstermen thing, but if that's the clincher for Toner over DOC why not go the whole hog and roll out a large crane in the number 19 shirt? It'd be more mobile and spill considerably less ball. Could probably scrummage better than Toner too, come to think of it.

I confess, I am a bit of a Toner fan. He is much maligned. Sure, he is limited in much of his game as his height is a big disadvantage in the loose, but he is honest, a hard worker, a guarantee in the line outs, and despite comments above, has very good hands ( from his basketball days). Good enough for Ireland? probably not, but even ER could hit him . If he ever arrived in Connacht, I'd welcome him. Right now, he adds more than DOC imo.

phatguerilla wrote: www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/internati...lian-match-1.1325824

Sexton foot injury. Toner, no sense at all.

Now I'm no fan of the barely earned caps for Munstermen thing, but if that's the clincher for Toner over DOC why not go the whole hog and roll out a large crane in the number 19 shirt? It'd be more mobile and spill considerably less ball. Could probably scrummage better than Toner too, come to think of it.

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/internati...lian-match-1.1325824

Sexton foot injury. Toner, no sense at all.

SEXTON IS OUT.

Any reason given?

Kidney explained that Toner's line-out prowess earned him the nod over Donncha O'Callaghan as second row cover.

As for this Hmmmm