Newname wrote:

connachta wrote: TOH is in form. And I don't see Joe silly enough to go with 3 wingers (Trimble, Gilroy, D.K, even Zebo) for all the 14/15/23 spots, without a good specialized FB
Tiernan has a decent chance to end on the bench...

Zebo could well go to full back, perhaps Tiernan on the bench. Tiernan is a classy act, excellent attacking player, great under high ball, able to read an opportunity and drift up into the line and also kick important drop goals . But the elephant in the room nobody is mentioning is his tackling it can sometimes let him down, and Joe is about defence first and foremost, and it takes a long time to win his trust - look how long before Zebo took to get regular game time under Joe.

Point of Order...

Positioning of left wing Zebo for 1st vs Scotland..... :whistle:
Bear in mind there was cover on the right already,and he made no tackle or hit no ruck...

connachta wrote: TOH is in form. And I don't see Joe silly enough to go with 3 wingers (Trimble, Gilroy, D.K, even Zebo) for all the 14/15/23 spots, without a good specialized FB
Tiernan has a decent chance to end on the bench...

Zebo could well go to full back, perhaps Tiernan on the bench. Tiernan is a classy act, excellent attacking player, great under high ball, able to read an opportunity and drift up into the line and also kick important drop goals . But the elephant in the room nobody is mentioning is his tackling it can sometimes let him down, and Joe is about defence first and foremost, and it takes a long time to win his trust - look how long before Zebo took to get regular game time under Joe.

Banm wrote: If Dave K or FMcF get selected.......

Add that to grievances
- where's our new coach
- where's our new stadium
- where's our new players

High time for a march methinks

If Dave K or FMcF get selected.......

Betty Swallocks wrote: No. Schmidt will find a way to select Trimble, Average Dave Kearney, or even McFadden before giving TOH a chance unfortunately.

You officially have me depressed now

TOH is in form. And I don't see Joe silly enough to go with 3 wingers (Trimble, Gilroy, D.K, even Zebo) for all the 14/15/23 spots, without a good specialized FB
Tiernan has a decent chance to end on the bench...

No. Schmidt will find a way to select Trimble, Average Dave Kearney, or even McFadden before giving TOH a chance unfortunately.

m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations...ations-35449384.html

Kearney could be out, TOH to be given a chance?

phatguerilla wrote: Serious question, can we persist with Best as captain given that he sometimes has games like the other day and should rightfully be pulled early? I realize its not an easy job to throw against Scotland but he routinely has 2-3 poor games a season in the lineout (for Ireland, more over the course of the year) and often those are against Scotland. As captain not only is he automatically starting but he's expected to finish most games, but when he's not hitting his throws the rest of his game suffers, and with it his confidence and the teams confidence.

There are a lot of folks with that question mark around their necks. Earls, Kearney, Toner to name a few. In Joe we seemingly trust . Now Pat would sort all that stuff out. But then again he probably would be in shock with the amount of players he has available to him and select the usual suspects and leave Marmion on the bench as per norm. God I really feel for Kieran Marmion and his family. He has to be the most untrusted Irish bench player in history

Serious question, can we persist with Best as captain given that he sometimes has games like the other day and should rightfully be pulled early? I realize its not an easy job to throw against Scotland but he routinely has 2-3 poor games a season in the lineout (for Ireland, more over the course of the year) and often those are against Scotland. As captain not only is he automatically starting but he's expected to finish most games, but when he's not hitting his throws the rest of his game suffers, and with it his confidence and the teams confidence.

Diabhal wrote:

ConnachtCows wrote: Heading over to the game and want to be able to cheer on the Connacht lads as much as possible

Likewise. A marauding Ultan break would make the trip worth it on its own.

Maybe a Marmion appearance might be nice one of these days Joe. Just a thought. And you'd never, know maybe he might surprise you

ConnachtCows wrote: Heading over to the game and want to be able to cheer on the Connacht lads as much as possible

Likewise. A marauding Ultan break would make the trip worth it on its own.

Dillane makes the bench along with Marmion.
A bit surprised by Dillane's inclusion. Hoping Marmion gets some game time.
Heading over to the game and want to be able to cheer on the Connacht lads as much as possible

Betty Swallocks wrote: Nothing on the ground improvements, no news on a replacement coach for Pat, minimal selection of our players in the senior and U-20 squads, massive financial investment in Munster this season to ensure they never again are ranked 4th of 4 in Irish provincial terms, I wonder if the IFRU are sending out a not-so-subliminal message here - 2015-6 will not be repeated.

But apart from that everything else is ok:)

Nothing on the ground improvements, no news on a replacement coach for Pat, minimal selection of our players in the senior and U-20 squads, massive financial investment in Munster this season to ensure they never again are ranked 4th of 4 in Irish provincial terms, I wonder if the IFRU are sending out a not-so-subliminal message here - 2015-6 will not be repeated.

Betty Swallocks wrote: So the Pro12 champions will have 1 out of 23 (on the bench) and maybe not even that - if Marmion is edged out by McGrath. Ridiculous, and yet another indicator of Schmidt's disdain for our players.

2 players out of 46 if you include the U20's, bit worrying