Mark Mostyn wrote:

Bazzo wrote: Applied it to which ones? Which Connacht players has been selected for Ireland without deserving it?

That’s not what I said, if you applied the logic that player A is better than player B because he outperformed him in one match, then you would draw unfair negative conclusions on our players given our struggles over the past two seasons.

The O’Halloran stuff is just insulting, he’s been ever present for as long as I remember with just a few minor injuries here and there, how is Tiernan going to feel about that when the squad includes the likes of Dave Kearney, who has barely played at all for what feels like years now.

I mean I wasn't taking that single match in isolation and trying to use it to justify anything. Buckley has consistently proved himself to be a superior scrummager to Kilcoyne. His ball carrying is nowhere near the same level but on the flip side you also get his breakdown work and much much better hands, but despite all that he hasn't even been ever given the sniff of a chance at the Irish side. When it all culminates in him coming head to head with the player being selected ahead of him and he completely outplays him there's no reason not to highlight it.

And then there's Finlay. His scrummaging is probably on a par with Ryan but he offers a tonne more around the park, again the head to head a few weeks ago where he came out easily on top just highlights the fact that he's been dropped. I suppose it's not totally fair to say that he's been dropped for Ryan though, actually he's been dropped for a player who can barely get on the field for his province in Porter.

I'm not having some monumental whinge and I haven't said anything about any sort of bias, I just think both of them have every right to field aggrieved, in particularly Bucks has been shafted time and again.

It might also be worth comparing Bucks' stats to some back rowers, given he acts as an extra flanker in open play, something Kilcoyne doesn't offer.

connemara man wrote: Denis not getting picked in 2015 was extremely poor, not getting picked now is fair enough. He is behind good players and not in his best form. Findlay hasn’t been great since the title winning season either. Dillane doesn’t look especially powerful to me these days think he has been extremely disappointing recently.

Bucks and Finlay completely outplayed the two players selected ahead of them just a few short weeks ago though...

And Killer is a penalty machine! I don't get how Joe keeps going for him.

Kilcoyne has conceded 4 penalties in 398 minutes this season, one penalty every 99.5 minutes.

Buckley has conceded 10 penalties in 546 minutes this season, one penalty every 54.6 minutes.

not sure of the signifiance of those figures, based on only 500 to 900 minutes of rugby.
Would be more relevant to get last season stats

Bazzo wrote: Applied it to which ones? Which Connacht players has been selected for Ireland without deserving it?

That’s not what I said, if you applied the logic that player A is better than player B because he outperformed him in one match, then you would draw unfair negative conclusions on our players given our struggles over the past two seasons.

The O’Halloran stuff is just insulting, he’s been ever present for as long as I remember with just a few minor injuries here and there, how is Tiernan going to feel about that when the squad includes the likes of Dave Kearney, who has barely played at all for what feels like years now.

greyingbeard wrote: Interesting interview with Tiernan on his omission

www.joe.ie/sport/tiernan-ohalloran-joe-schmidt-606030

Quote that stood out to me considering others with less minutes this season that have been picked

The big one at the moment - and the one that Joe made - was that I wasn't playing consistently enough at the moment. I had the niggles and i was in and out of the [Connacht] squad

Linley mentions something similar in her Advertiser piece

Linley wrote: O'Halloran, who missed out on Irish team inclusion due to earlier injuries ...

www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/96597/c...d-after-uphill-start

Mark Mostyn wrote:

connemara man wrote:

Bazzo wrote:

Mark Mostyn wrote:

sea_point wrote: Darren Sweetnam and James Ryan against the Saffers....wtf?

I know Ryan has been the anointed one from the U20's, but he's been no more than competent for Leinster .

Sweetnam, he's no Shergar and hardly a try machine by any standard...but doesn't seem to matter if you wear Blue or Red jerseys...

Got to feel for Finlay & Denis too.....

Sweetnam’s a good player, strong in the air, evasive runner, solid defensively. James Ryan is probably the biggest prospect in Irish rugby, he’s there based on potential not neccessarily past performances.

Denis not getting picked in 2015 was extremely poor, not getting picked now is fair enough. He is behind good players and not in his best form. Findlay hasn’t been great since the title winning season either. Dillane doesn’t look especially powerful to me these days think he has been extremely disappointing recently.

O’Halloran not getting picked infuriates me but so does all the whinging about “Leinster bias”.

Do agree that the Irish rugby media is a joke, I don’t read anything by morons like Cummiskey and I’m much happier for it.

Bucks and Finlay completely outplayed the two players selected ahead of them just a few short weeks ago though...

And Killer is a penalty machine! I don't get how Joe keeps going for him.

Kilcoyne has conceded 4 penalties in 398 minutes this season, one penalty every 99.5 minutes.

Buckley has conceded 10 penalties in 546 minutes this season, one penalty every 54.6 minutes.

Huh thanks!

He always comes across as a liability.

connemara man wrote:

Bazzo wrote:

Mark Mostyn wrote:

sea_point wrote: Darren Sweetnam and James Ryan against the Saffers....wtf?

I know Ryan has been the anointed one from the U20's, but he's been no more than competent for Leinster .

Sweetnam, he's no Shergar and hardly a try machine by any standard...but doesn't seem to matter if you wear Blue or Red jerseys...

Got to feel for Finlay & Denis too.....

Sweetnam’s a good player, strong in the air, evasive runner, solid defensively. James Ryan is probably the biggest prospect in Irish rugby, he’s there based on potential not neccessarily past performances.

Denis not getting picked in 2015 was extremely poor, not getting picked now is fair enough. He is behind good players and not in his best form. Findlay hasn’t been great since the title winning season either. Dillane doesn’t look especially powerful to me these days think he has been extremely disappointing recently.

O’Halloran not getting picked infuriates me but so does all the whinging about “Leinster bias”.

Do agree that the Irish rugby media is a joke, I don’t read anything by morons like Cummiskey and I’m much happier for it.

Bucks and Finlay completely outplayed the two players selected ahead of them just a few short weeks ago though...

And Killer is a penalty machine! I don't get how Joe keeps going for him.

Kilcoyne has conceded 4 penalties in 398 minutes this season, one penalty every 99.5 minutes.

Buckley has conceded 10 penalties in 546 minutes this season, one penalty every 54.6 minutes.

Applied it to which ones? Which Connacht players has been selected for Ireland without deserving it?

Bazzo wrote:

Mark Mostyn wrote:

sea_point wrote: Darren Sweetnam and James Ryan against the Saffers....wtf?

I know Ryan has been the anointed one from the U20's, but he's been no more than competent for Leinster .

Sweetnam, he's no Shergar and hardly a try machine by any standard...but doesn't seem to matter if you wear Blue or Red jerseys...

Got to feel for Finlay & Denis too.....

Sweetnam’s a good player, strong in the air, evasive runner, solid defensively. James Ryan is probably the biggest prospect in Irish rugby, he’s there based on potential not neccessarily past performances.

Denis not getting picked in 2015 was extremely poor, not getting picked now is fair enough. He is behind good players and not in his best form. Findlay hasn’t been great since the title winning season either. Dillane doesn’t look especially powerful to me these days think he has been extremely disappointing recently.

O’Halloran not getting picked infuriates me but so does all the whinging about “Leinster bias”.

Do agree that the Irish rugby media is a joke, I don’t read anything by morons like Cummiskey and I’m much happier for it.

Bucks and Finlay completely outplayed the two players selected ahead of them just a few short weeks ago though...

Ah God imagine if you applied that logic to our players over the last 2 seasons.

Bazzo wrote:

Mark Mostyn wrote:

sea_point wrote: Darren Sweetnam and James Ryan against the Saffers....wtf?

I know Ryan has been the anointed one from the U20's, but he's been no more than competent for Leinster .

Sweetnam, he's no Shergar and hardly a try machine by any standard...but doesn't seem to matter if you wear Blue or Red jerseys...

Got to feel for Finlay & Denis too.....

Sweetnam’s a good player, strong in the air, evasive runner, solid defensively. James Ryan is probably the biggest prospect in Irish rugby, he’s there based on potential not neccessarily past performances.

Denis not getting picked in 2015 was extremely poor, not getting picked now is fair enough. He is behind good players and not in his best form. Findlay hasn’t been great since the title winning season either. Dillane doesn’t look especially powerful to me these days think he has been extremely disappointing recently.

O’Halloran not getting picked infuriates me but so does all the whinging about “Leinster bias”.

Do agree that the Irish rugby media is a joke, I don’t read anything by morons like Cummiskey and I’m much happier for it.

Bucks and Finlay completely outplayed the two players selected ahead of them just a few short weeks ago though...

And Killer is a penalty machine! I don't get how Joe keeps going for him.

Mark Mostyn wrote:

sea_point wrote: Darren Sweetnam and James Ryan against the Saffers....wtf?

I know Ryan has been the anointed one from the U20's, but he's been no more than competent for Leinster .

Sweetnam, he's no Shergar and hardly a try machine by any standard...but doesn't seem to matter if you wear Blue or Red jerseys...

Got to feel for Finlay & Denis too.....

Sweetnam’s a good player, strong in the air, evasive runner, solid defensively. James Ryan is probably the biggest prospect in Irish rugby, he’s there based on potential not neccessarily past performances.

Denis not getting picked in 2015 was extremely poor, not getting picked now is fair enough. He is behind good players and not in his best form. Findlay hasn’t been great since the title winning season either. Dillane doesn’t look especially powerful to me these days think he has been extremely disappointing recently.

O’Halloran not getting picked infuriates me but so does all the whinging about “Leinster bias”.

Do agree that the Irish rugby media is a joke, I don’t read anything by morons like Cummiskey and I’m much happier for it.

Bucks and Finlay completely outplayed the two players selected ahead of them just a few short weeks ago though...

greyingbeard wrote: Interesting interview with Tiernan on his omission

www.joe.ie/sport/tiernan-ohalloran-joe-schmidt-606030

Quote that stood out to me considering others with less minutes this season that have been picked

The big one at the moment - and the one that Joe made - was that I wasn't playing consistently enough at the moment. I had the niggles and i was in and out of the [Connacht] squad

I'm sure Schmidt told him that but I mean he included the two Kearneys in the squad and they have about 200 minutes of rugby in 200 days between them...

Interesting interview with Tiernan on his omission

www.joe.ie/sport/tiernan-ohalloran-joe-schmidt-606030

Quote that stood out to me considering others with less minutes this season that have been picked

The big one at the moment - and the one that Joe made - was that I wasn't playing consistently enough at the moment. I had the niggles and i was in and out of the [Connacht] squad

I think Niyi is a little unfortunate he's been out injured, otherwise he'd surely have been chosen on the squad in front of Adam Byrne and would have been in the running for a run against Fiji at least. I fully agree with tlocke's point on Blackrock too by the way. This bulls#it from O'Driscoll, Francis, and the brittle Luke Fitzgerald is driven by the fact that Bundee plays with Connacht - not Leinster - and is a threat to their golden-eyed boy Ringrose playing at 13 at the World Cup. Let's call it as it is.

sea_point wrote: Darren Sweetnam and James Ryan against the Saffers....wtf?

I know Ryan has been the anointed one from the U20's, but he's been no more than competent for Leinster .

Sweetnam, he's no Shergar and hardly a try machine by any standard...but doesn't seem to matter if you wear Blue or Red jerseys...

Got to feel for Finlay & Denis too.....

Sweetnam’s a good player, strong in the air, evasive runner, solid defensively. James Ryan is probably the biggest prospect in Irish rugby, he’s there based on potential not neccessarily past performances.

Denis not getting picked in 2015 was extremely poor, not getting picked now is fair enough. He is behind good players and not in his best form. Findlay hasn’t been great since the title winning season either. Dillane doesn’t look especially powerful to me these days think he has been extremely disappointing recently.

O’Halloran not getting picked infuriates me but so does all the whinging about “Leinster bias”.

Do agree that the Irish rugby media is a joke, I don’t read anything by morons like Cummiskey and I’m much happier for it.

tlocke wrote: Well ... you know what they say .... you have to wear the blue before you ware the green. Ryan hasn't done anything to deserve a place in the match day squad and I've seen almost every (if every) Leinster game this season. That said Treadwell's form has been poor, he was shocking against La Rochelle. I dare to think what would of happened to him if Schmidt was the Ulster coach that day. I would definitely have Dillane on the bench over those two right now, he's physical which is needed against the Bok and he's played against SA already.

I'm getting seriously sick of this Leinster bias in relation to team selection and the media outlets. Why wasn't there such an outrage when Leinster's Strauss got capped for Ireland ..... If Ben Te'o stuck around for an extra year and declared for Ireland (which was the plan) would there be such an national debate and outrage from the like of Neil Francis ... Not a chance because he would of been a Leinster player and that's the difference. They see Aki taking Ringrose's place in the national team in the longterm and there lies the issue .... those blackrock boys stick together (Francis, Fitzgerald, O'Driscoll ... ) Hence the status of the latest blackrock superstars (Ringrose and Ryan) have within the national/dublin media (massively overhyped) and don't get me even started on Gavin Cummiskey ....

Anyway .... That's my rant done for the day. Munster vs Baabaas free stream online is a billy bonus for the day.

I wish you would get off the fence on this one!