I don't think it's being anti-Munster to say that Zebo was not at the races. His defense seemed lazy at times and really a 6.5 is not good enough against New Zealand. As I said McFadden was as bad, Earls was pretty poor, and Kearney was ineffective (although it's hard when you can't rely on the lads around you in the backs).

Also I disagree that Irish positions select themselves... it should not be that way at least.

EDIT: S_P, yep I know McFadden is a center. I would have preferred to see himself and Earls switched last weekend.

Diom wrote: I've never seen Fitzpatrick at loose-head before. How did he get on?

As for Zebo... yeah he has some attacking flair but he just was not at the races last week. Neither was McFadden to be fair.

Yeah but McFadden is a centre, plain and simple. He's only getting the wing berth because he's not good enough to oust Darcy/BO'D at centre but too good to leave out. Recent Ireland coaches insist on playing utililty players on the wing instead of out and out wingers like Fionn (actually odd that Zebo is a rare exception).

His running style betrays his centre roots, no sprinter/winger would have feet flicking outwards at full tilt...

if memory serves me right loughney moved to lh when wilko went off and fitzpatrick went back to th but i could be wrong on that.

as i said in my earlier post most irish positions select themselves. wing is one of the exceptions and zebo has every bit as much of a claim on that position based on a seasons form as gilroy. Please dont extend anti deccie sentiment to anti everything munster.Anyway most media reports stated that zebo did ok last saturday and he was given a 6.5 rating by glennon which was better than all other backs bar Bod.

I've never seen Fitzpatrick at loose-head before. How did he get on?

As for Zebo... yeah he has some attacking flair but he just was not at the races last week. Neither was McFadden to be fair.

Fitzpatrick can play LH as well. If memory serves he came back on the pitch in the Wolfhounds game to replace Wilko at LH when Rolocks had replaced him earlier for the TH role.

I don't see what Zebo did to merit retaining a place on the bench. He is so far out of his depth it is unreal. Then you have a guy who has played in the HC final, scored one of the best solo trys in its history and Kidney can not find room for him.

rossie wrote: They can only hope that the irish soccer team do them a favour tonight and get some sort of a result to keep the spotlight off them for another week.

Any sort of perfromance tonight will help alliviate the gloom and doom that Saturday is likely to bring. I'm off on hols on Saturday afternoon, and for the first time in my life I find myself wishing my flight was early morning so I had an excuse not to watch.......

The IRFU are ridiculous. Offering these contracts before the World Cup is absolute madness.

This weeks selection... Expected. He didn't coach the last weeks team to be aware of their weaknesses and so he just reverts to type instead of working on it. Sligsup... Agree about Loughs, should be on the bench. If Healy can't continue Fitzpatrick won't be much use.

There was a natural end to a cycle after the world cup and the beginning of a new one. Thats when Kidney should have been replaced and a new coaching team given the opportunity to avail of a complete 4 year cycle.

That said, no matter what team is selected on this tour they are on a hiding to nothing. We are simply not in the same league as the blacks at this time and prob never have been.To make matters worse this tour comes on the end of a world cup season and too many players are carryng knocks/tired etc.

In relation to selection i think this team pretty much picks itself in many positions. Mike Ross for instance is our best available scrummaging th. When fit he plays. I take sea points point on mobility but a props first job is to scrummage well. Anyway show me an Iq anywhere not to mind in the squad who can scrummage and get around the place like a backrow forward.

I think the management experimented somewhat the last day and it went badly wrong on the scoreboard at least. They are in the results business and the media/public are on their back so they have returned to the tried and trusted. I fear that it wont make any difference.
They can only hope that the irish soccer team do them a favour tonight and get some sort of a result to keep the spotlight off them for another week.
I feel sorry for Loughs who should be on the bench. I can only assume that seapoint is right and Ross isnt 100% but there has to be doubts over healy also.

Kidney's a busted flush, there's nowhere left for him to go as Ireland coach. He's only correcting some of the mistakes from the first test.

McLaughlin for O'Mahony and Trimble for Zebo.

Ross is going to be a spectator on Saturday waiting for scrums as the Kiwi's (even ther props) fly around him, wrong game wrong selection. Weather is forecast to be dry in C'church on Sat evening too. He's obviously not 100% either which is why Fitzpatrick got the nod (he had the better show no the TH side last week)..

He obviuously hasnt learned anything from the 6Ns loughs can cover both sides yet he goes with one specialist th on the bech no disrespect to Fitzpatrick but wouldn't it make sense to have loughs there. Anyways doesnt surprise me. On a lighter note talking to a gentleman from the twickenham area yesterday on the phone for work , disgusted about getting connacht says only silver lining is the trip to galway enjoys the banter but as for getting a result etc atm he said he wouldnt be all that confident reckons one of the most difficult grounds he finds to get a result :woohoo:

mike ross, darcy, kevin mclaughlin, trimble in.
fitzpatrick earls zebo Peter O'Mahony out.

this is a game i wont be watching, im getting vs bored of this team and declan kidney
6 munster,12 leinster, 4 ulster

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v New Zealand, Steinlager Series, AMI Stadium, Christchurch, Saturday, June 16, kick-off 7.35pm local time/8.35am Irish time):

15 - Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 - Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
9 - Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 - Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 - Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)
5 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
6 - Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
7 - Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:

16 - Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
17 - Declan Fitzpatrick (Dungannon/Ulster)
18 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
19 - Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 - Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)

when i look at this again its worse than i remembered. piss poor defending

youtube.com/watch?v=e7PzHRJMAJg&feature=player_embedded

rossie wrote: I can see downey at 12 in the 6 nations!

I'd be sticking some new batteries in your Crystal Ball there Rossie...

32 next Birthday, that won't register Jimmy on Deccie's radar no matter where he's playing...

He's a good chance him playing for Munster and all :lol:

I can see downey at 12 in the 6 nations!

connachtexile wrote:

The above would lead me to believe the opposite, that Earls was the cover for FB although still being utilised at centre. So from my angle I believe hes there as cover for Kearney and the you will only see him in with a shout if RK gets injured. Don't think he will have any role at centre.

I really hope your right. Someone should also point out to non-Connacht supporters that Gave can be a hell of winger as well. As for Earls at FB :sick:

I'm still thinking this was a wasted opportunity not to have brought the likes of a very physical 12 like Downey along. He might not score alot but defensively he packs a hell of a punch and wouldn't have a problem stopping big guys like Williams.

Kidney would never ever, ever go for Big Jim. Would be tantamount to admitting fallibility and sure we all know Uncle Deccie knows best....

Couple of Jimmy specials on Sonny Boy and we'd see how much offloading in the tackle he'd be thinking about... :ohmy: