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Rugby World Cup 2011

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Ireland play France again, we've got some senior players coming back from injury and.my outside tip for squad inclusion is starting at fullback , Felix Jones. France are changing their team almost completely from last week. Should be a good game.

We haven't been good thus far but we should be in good shape for the first WC game
 
You know I'm tipping Ireland for the semis.

Which reminds me, what site are we looking are for fantasy / whatever predictions? There is one here called footytips.com.au have a look or recommend another one.
 
I havent even considered it. I'm happy to.go with the flow.

I think O'Brien might take another huge step forward at this World Cup, if he does we could do well. We really can't afford many injuries if we are to do well.
 
As you know I'm not keen on a Wallace style 7, as good as he has been for us. Jennings is the closest thing we have to what I would consider to be a "genuine" 7. I think he's a hardworking, defensively excellent ball winner. Not great at carrying but he won't make mistakes, and given the rest of the backrow we dont need him to carry anyway.

He's also the best player to have run through me twice in one game at underage level. >🙁
 
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=45879.msg1383902#msg1383902 date=1313947414]
Don't particularly want to p!$$ on your chips, old pal, but that was pretty much the All Blacks reserve side.
[/quote]

A win is a win is a win. Build some momentum before the tourney can only help.
 
If Johnno's dropped Flutey and kept Hape I'm not going to be a very hape bunny. He's showing signs of the same kind of pig-headedness over that guy that he showed for too long over Borthwick.
 
Clearly I jinxed Felix Jones, damaged his ankle ligaments out for six weeks minimum. No World Cup for him now, but Geordan Murphy will go.
 
Anyone see the erroneous video ref decision in the NZ SA game? For me, that's 2 weeks running the officials have made really bad calls in the Tri Nations. Hope it doesn't continue into the WC.
 
IRELAND 2011 Rugby World Cup Squad:

Backs (14) -

Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster)
Tommy Bowe (Ospreys) *
Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) *
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) *
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster) *
Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers)
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) *
Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster) *
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)

Forwards (16) -

Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Tony Buckley (Sale Sharks) *
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster) *
Sean Cronin (Leinster) *
Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster) *
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) *
Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster) *
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster) *
Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster) *
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster) *
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)

* Denotes first Rugby World Cup
Click to expand...

Decent article by Gerry Thornley on our squad selection:

RUGBY: IF NOTHING else, there will assuredly be a widespread view that this was a brave selection by Declan Kidney, and one based primarily on form. There are exceptions to the latter, but with the likes of Jerry Flannery, Stephen Ferris, David Wallace and Tommy Bowe yet to start a game, and others only having returned last week, the Irish coach was always going to have to make some allowances for pedigree as well as form.

As ever with these things, the most eye-catching selections are those who have been left out, primarily Tomás O’Leary and Luke Fitzgerald, the first an original Lions pick who looked like the nailed-on first-choice scrumhalf up until a year or so ago, the other a Lions Test starter who is thus missing out on the World Cup for a second time.

However, while it’s impossible not to feel sorry for them, neither have offered compelling cases for their inclusion, and neither have been short of opportunities to rediscover the best of themselves. It always appeared as if Kidney, and one ventures defensive coach Les Kiss, had earmarked O’Leary as the man best equipped to counter the sniping, running and playmaking game of Australia’s scrumhalf Will Genia – arguably their most influential player who assumes more of the tactical kicking than his creative halfback partner Quade Cooper.

And at his vintage best of 2009, it would have been a no-brainer. Alas, O’Leary has been bedevilled by misfortune with injuries ever since, more often than not in training, and was even obliged to watch Conor Murray from the stands in Munster’s successful League-title run-in. Indeed, there are still some whispers about that his back is still at him. In any event, he didn’t hit the ground running in Murrayfield and after a promising first 20 minutes last Saturday, when he was nipping at the heels of an Irish pack which then lost its way a little, errors crept into his game and his passing became untidy. Still, it was a surprise to learn that he had missed the cut and this appears to have been in response to the events of Saturday.

In time, Murray (who slotted into his debut around the hour mark in Bordeaux as if to the manor born) has all the component parts to be Ireland’s scrumhalf for many years. With his strength and all-round game, he could even emulate his rise at Munster in the coming weeks. The likelihood, though, is that Kidney and co will have a choice akin to Joe Schmidt last season, when the Leinster coach generally opted for Eoin Reddan when taking the game to the opposition at home, and Isaac Boss when obliged to defend more on the road.

Ireland are going to have to score tries as well as prevent the opposition from doing so, and selecting Reddan would be a similar statement of intent, especially against Australia. But if nothing else, Murray will provide a youthful freshness around the camp, which is always good for a squad’s dynamic, all the more so in such an experienced panel. For although there are 15 players appearing in their first World Cup, there are also 15 in their 30s, and Murray is the youngest at 22.

The omission of Fitzgerald must be devastating for the player himself after being such a regular component of the team. An ill-timed knee injury interrupted what had looked a promising return from a longer-term injury last season and he was perhaps pitched in too soon with province and then country, especially at fullback.

An anxiousness crept into his play as he tried too hard and his decision-making showed this tension in his game. He stopped playing off instinct. There were signs of a return to game-breaking, try-scoring form at the tail-end of last season and even last Saturday he was arguably Ireland’s most dangerous back when twice backing himself and making breaks to within inches of the French line. This will be another test of his mental strength, and he still has an X-factor to his game, but Fergus McFadden’s form has been more solid.

The third late volte-face on selection would have been at fullback due to Felix Jones’ cruel misfortune and the irony of this would not have been lost on Geordan Murphy, but despite defensive shortcomings at times, Ireland are probably better served with Murphy’s strike-running and experience.

Donnacha Ryan was always favoured to fill the utility back five slot in the pack, and with three specialist hookers and scrumhalves Kidney was going to have to leave himself lightly loaded in one area.

Ultimately though, one or two fringe calls in the 30-man squad are probably not going to determine Ireland’s World Cup campaign. That said, one key difference from four years ago is that Ireland will make better use of their squad. Or if they don’t it will be a worrying sign of history repeating itself.
Click to expand...


I probably would have taken Fitzgerald myself, but the only player I'd be open to dropping from the backs is Wallace - and he's got the versatility thing going for him with being able to play 10 and in the centre. I do hate when he plays though.

I would have taken Jennings over Leamy too, I think Leamy's been subpar for years now. Other than that the squad is fine .... the surprising call being O'Leary left out completely. We needed it, but I still didn't expect it.
 
I thought of you when I noticed O'Leary had been left out.

Can he really have missed the cut because of one game though? Surely this suggests there's some truth in the rumour about his back trouble persisting - in which case, why select him for Murrayfield in the first place?
 
O'Leary has been poor all season really.

I see Tindall is at 12 tomorrow, about time too.
 
The game was pretty well won by England today, there were a number of things in the Ireland performance that will come right - there was some iffy decision making, some subpar execution - and I'm not worried about them.

What I am worried about was our distinct lack of physicality, we lost all the 50/50's today , we routinely got knocked back in the tackle. That's a sign that we're either not 100% physically or lacking a bit of aggression. We'll be fucked at the World Cup if that doesn't change quickly.
 
It's hard to read much into these pre world cup games ( apart from Wales being better than England of course). Did either side pick up any injuries?

Aussies looked a much improved side today.
 
It's better than what it was mate imo, but i'd still expect a number of sides to dominate them come scrum time. Looks like their back line once again has loads of tries in them though.
 
[quote author=Le Chacal link=topic=45879.msg1390145#msg1390145 date=1314628105]
I ve got my ticket for Ireland-Italy in Dunedin... 😛
[/quote]

Come on Italy
 
I reckon they're in with a chance. The Irish will need to scrummage better in that game than they have been doing lately if they're to avoid an upset.
 
Well looking how things are going it would certainly improve my chances of actually winning my first bet of 2011, but it was £10 for a local charity England v Wales 🙂 (if you're still up for it)
 
Wallace is out of the Irish squad, at least 6 months out, which is awful for him because it would have been his last World Cup. I wonder if he'll ever come back from it to be honest.
 
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