I wonder how much of the bitching about Bundee is because he's been one of the best centres since he got here and people don't want to see him displace their own player. Jared Payne was used as a stop gap away from his natural position and Stander was qualified for about a year before his first cap, I wouldn't be surprised if Bundee's first cap is the first of the AIs.

Haven't seen it mentioned but Buckley and Bealham certainly did a number on Kilcoyne and Ryan in the scrum last weekend... Like they've done time and again...

Nice publicity for the app. Job done.

Muldoon not holding back on treatment of Bundee - dead right too- shameful stuff!

www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/internati...-tweet-36283178.html

I'm pretty sure Trimble's central contract is gone, ran to the end of last season. Bowe is on one alright which is out at the end of this season, he signed a 3 year one I think in 2015.

sea_point wrote: I'd be massively surprised if either Bowe or Trimble are still on central contracts given their injury history over the last three seasons.

On form Kearney is a body that occupies a jersey and space. Decent enough defender, but doesn't have gas of an International wing or a top class Club one either. His brother gets away with it because fullback just need to be safe at the back primarily (good hands/good boot and decent tacklers)....

But we have better in the four provinces and it's about time Joe changed up...

They do, both expiring this summer AFAIK. He picked Stockdale, Sweetnam, and Byrne, is that not changing up? I'll be pissed if Kearney makes the 23 but him being in the squad really isn't that big a deal.

"We have better in the four provinces" but Joe doesn't want nippy wingers. He wants kick chasers who will tackle and populate rucks. It's almost a waste of talent playing wing for Ireland under Joe. My hope for Stockdale is that he gets a run as Full Back not wing as he would have a better chance to show his talent. Also he's such a big unit that Joe would waste him in rucks where forwards will suffice.

I'd be massively surprised if either Bowe or Trimble are still on central contracts given their injury history over the last three seasons.

On form Kearney is a body that occupies a jersey and space. Decent enough defender, but doesn't have gas of an International wing or a top class Club one either. His brother gets away with it because fullback just need to be safe at the back primarily (good hands/good boot and decent tacklers)....

But we have better in the four provinces and it's about time Joe changed up...

Dave Kearney doesn't have a central contract, Bowe and Trimble do and didn't make the squad.

Schmidt likes Kearney and doesn't like O'Halloran, there's no more to it than that. On form Kearney is a decent winger but picking him without any form in what feels like years is ridiculous.

EnricoPalazzo wrote: Another strange and controversial squad selection from the IRFU. We should be used to it by now as its been like this for years, long before Joe Schmidt came along!

In my opinion, the failure to expand the squad past a core group of favoured players is a major contributary factor to the sequence of disastrous world cups campaigns that we've endured.

We should be building a squad long before now for the world cup in 2019. This is what the other national teams that we consider contenders are doing. Whats the point at this stage in playing guys that wont be in Japan?

Additionally, why also pick players that have not played in months. We honestly can't expect to win major games against the top teams with players who haven't shown any form this season? It shows that selection is based on criteria other than ability!

It's sort of a self fulfilling prophecy really....
Leinster and to a degree Munster rely on having a core of players on Ireland contracts to enable them to retain the funds to pursue blue chip imports that enables them to be competitive in Champions Cup.
Those players on Ireland contracts if they're fit forces Joe to pick them regardless of form, to justify the contracts.

There is no other rationale for picking Dave Kearney, absolutely none.
He is not in the Top Ten form winger in Ireland over the course of the last three seasons..

His try scoring ratio is appalling, even Jamie Heaslip in the Leinster setup can match it despite playing twice as many games......
Don't even look at the comparisons with genuine scoring threats like Craig Gilroy or our own Matt Healy....

Not sure where the vitriol for Munster supporters is coming from on this occasion.
From any I've been talking to (and the limited commentary I've read online), their main complaint is the omission of Tiernan.

Byrnes defence is shocking but in fairness this is not new TOH not getting in to joes squads as much as I admire him for what he has done for Irish rugby this obsession with picking Rob Kearney is beyond a joke central contract or not.

Let's hope TOH rams it down his throat tommorrow night.

As for the Munster fans on about Bundee they had no problem with CJ putting on the green very short memories the hypocrites

whatever about not getting a place at Full-Back it's a disgrace that Adam Byrne get's in ahead of TOH
not his natural position but he has played on the wing enough times to be far better than a defensively inept Byrne

Tiernan's omission allied to the inclusion of the Ridiculous Kearney Brothers says it all really. Typical Schmidt. Disgraceful.

Another strange and controversial squad selection from the IRFU. We should be used to it by now as its been like this for years, long before Joe Schmidt came along!

In my opinion, the failure to expand the squad past a core group of favoured players is a major contributary factor to the sequence of disastrous world cups campaigns that we've endured.

We should be building a squad long before now for the world cup in 2019. This is what the other national teams that we consider contenders are doing. Whats the point at this stage in playing guys that wont be in Japan?

Additionally, why also pick players that have not played in months. We honestly can't expect to win major games against the top teams with players who haven't shown any form this season? It shows that selection is based on criteria other than ability!

Also on the 42.ie a lot of Munster fans ripping about Aki ahead of Scannell when really it's why is Farrell ahead of him they should be asking. But let's hope Bundee shows them why he's ahead of Scannell tomorrow night