RWC 2019 31 Man squad

[RichardP]

Ffs Bod almighty, let's blame it on anybody but 'Saint Joe'. Look I liked JS as a coach, but the responsibility for Ireland regressing alot since 2018, and underperforming massively @ RWC19 is his really: e.g.

- he insisted on continuing with visibly over the hill players like RK & Best despite constant evidence of the need for change there
- Similarly he stuck stubbornly with out of form players like Stockdale &Ringrose , & selecting McGrath, etc when better players were available & playing well
- he stupidly stuck with his totally worked out, out moded, gameplan despite evidence of a need to evolve ,after England, then Wales, then England again all showed it up hugely with big losses. This was before of course Japan & NZ did ditto @ RWC19!? Surprising that hey!?!
- At RWC19, he did not reward form in his top XV e.g. kilcoyne v healy, Farrell v Ringrose or Henshaw, Conway v Stockdale, Larmour v Kearney, (also Scannell v Best )
- Recovery & lack of rotation was an issue at previous Irish world cups. Yet, even after seeing his top side losing & playing flat as a pancake versus Japan, just a week after playing Scotland, & looking good tbh, he still picked his top side v Samoa, v Samoa ffs, just 7 days before facing mighty NZ, who he knew vwere going to be prepped & rested for 14 days before the same game. NZ subsequently absolutely hammered an error strewn, embarrassing, not fully recovered(?) looking Ireland!!

So the responsibility for Ireland's failure at another RWC lies firstly squarely with Joe Schmidt, then his management team & finally his 'selected' players ... in about that order imho.



P.s. So leave Stuart Lancaster out of it!! if Leinster had Mickey Mouse as their head coach it shouldn't have affected team Ireland at RWC19 imho, as they had so much time in camp Joe this year!!!

I wish you would send this to the IRFU and convince Mr ‘Blip’ Browne and David Nogoodforya to acknowledge what we can see with our own eyes and with competent analysis such as this.

[RichardP]

Indeed. Of course IJWT came here to tell us how badly a Munster player did - as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. The full picture is that tackle success for Earls was 76%, while Stockdale and Kearney made just 57% and 63% of their attempted tackles respectively. Those are both poor, but it's a particularly appalling stat for the man who is the last line of defence, whose place in the squad we were repeatedly told was in large part because of his defensive solidity. That's solid as in lumber, I guess ... By the way, Earls also delivered 6 offloads, twice as many as Stockdale and Ringrose. How many offloads did Kearney make? One ...

Kearney's tackle stats came as no surprise to me, sadly, but I have to say that before the tournament started I would have expected better from Stockdale. He was fairly anonymous as an attacking threat too, and I remember thinkiing prior to the NZ game that he hadn't done enough during the pool stages to justify starting the QF ahead of Conway or Larmour.

Another thing that surprised me is that Furlong(!) had the joint second highest number of turnovers conceded, at 6 - I really wouldn't have expected a bullock like him to have such low figures for retaining possession. On top of that, three of our regular pack featured in the least metres per carry stats - Best, Porter and Healy all made less than a metre per carry, as did Kleyn and Murphy (albeit from much less game time). Just goes to show how badly outmuscled we were up front.

About IJWT, I think the following would apply: "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

[Talking Sense]

About IJWT, I think the following would apply: "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

Brilliant!

[In Joe we trust]

About IJWT, I think the following would apply: "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

Statistics like Leinster win 8 out of 10 matches during RWC cycle v Munster (including pro 14 semi finals in the last two years) and yet picking more Leinster players is biased.

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[mr chips]

Were you very badly bullied at school? There is help out there which can empower you to let go of those poisonous feelings. You don't have to stay trapped in the rage and resentment. You have value as a person in your own right.

[Spiffy]

Ireland Blindside :

Obviously Bok flanker, Pieter Steph du Toit, had a tremendous influence on SA's performance in the RWC and was voted player of the year. Big, powerful, good lineout, tackles, carries, jackles, good hands, is everywhere and has a great engine. All the attributes of a great 6 and certainly better than playing a small, converted openside. Started his career as a lock but clearly.. has the mobility to play 6

Made me think if we have anyone in Ieland like him who could do a similar job in the Ireland team. My nearest match is Henderson. Also, big powerful, can carry etc, soft hands, and a bit of dog. Hendo has played at only lock for a couple of seasons, but when de did play 6, he was a very good one. With some good locks coming through to take care of the second row, Ireland might do worse than reconsier Henderson as a 6 in the PSDT mode.

I can hear the howls of POM fans (I'm one of them) already. But with good pack rotation there is no reason why Ireland's best players all can't play a meaningful role. Smart and early pack rotation was one of Rassie's smartest ploys in the RWC.

[In Joe we trust]

Ireland Blindside :

Obviously Bok flanker, Pieter Steph du Toit, had a tremendous influence on SA's performance in the RWC and was voted player of the year. Big, powerful, good lineout, tackles, carries, jackles, good hands, is everywhere and has a great engine. All the attributes of a great 6 and certainly better than playing a small, converted openside. Started his career as a lock but clearly.. has the mobility to play 6

Made me think if we have anyone in Ieland like him who could do a similar job in the Ireland team. My nearest match is Henderson. Also, big powerful, can carry etc, soft hands, and a bit of dog. Hendo has played at only lock for a couple of seasons, but when de did play 6, he was a very good one. With some good locks coming through to take care of the second row, Ireland might do worse than reconsier Henderson as a 6 in the PSDT mode.

I can hear the howls of POM fans (I'm one of them) already. But with good pack rotation there is no reason why Ireland's best players all can't play a meaningful role. Smart and early pack rotation was one of Rassie's smartest ploys in the RWC.

Beirne is also an option and probably a better option than Henderson

[Spiffy]

Beirne is also an option and probably a better option than Henderson

Yes. I like Beirne. He is a different kind of option. He is probably more subtle, great at the breakdown etc. But I think that Henderson is more powerful/physical/direct and more like Pieter Steph, which was the point of my post.

[Munsterboy]

Yes. I like Beirne. He is a different kind of option. He is probably more subtle, great at the breakdown etc. But I think that Henderson is more powerful/physical/direct and more like Pieter Steph, which was the point of my post.

Yes, Hendo is a bit more powerful. Don’t think he has quite the pace and agility of Du Toit though. That guy is very athletic as well as a big unit.

[dropkick]

Ireland Blindside :

Obviously Bok flanker, Pieter Steph du Toit, had a tremendous influence on SA's performance in the RWC and was voted player of the year. Big, powerful, good lineout, tackles, carries, jackles, good hands, is everywhere and has a great engine. All the attributes of a great 6 and certainly better than playing a small, converted openside. Started his career as a lock but clearly.. has the mobility to play 6

Made me think if we have anyone in Ieland like him who could do a similar job in the Ireland team. My nearest match is Henderson. Also, big powerful, can carry etc, soft hands, and a bit of dog. Hendo has played at only lock for a couple of seasons, but when de did play 6, he was a very good one. With some good locks coming through to take care of the second row, Ireland might do worse than reconsier Henderson as a 6 in the PSDT mode.

I can hear the howls of POM fans (I'm one of them) already. But with good pack rotation there is no reason why Ireland's best players all can't play a meaningful role. Smart and early pack rotation was one of Rassie's smartest ploys in the RWC.

I think Wycherley or the young Leinster lad, Ryan Baird.


Agree on Rassie rotating smartly. It's alien to Ireland coaches.

[jagawayagain]

I think Wycherley or the young Leinster lad, Ryan Baird.


Agree on Rassie rotating smartly. It's alien to Ireland coaches.

Haven’t seen Baird, but Fineen has the required stature and abrasiveness. He has also shown more maturing this year, had a bit of a tendency to lose his head- when the smart play was to hold back. In my view JOD, who looks to have solid leadership skills, is also a very serious prospect at 6- or 8- and I hope they both have the opportunities sooner rather than later to show they can get each that level. With good rotation we can get the best out of these and POM, and for longer in POMs case.

[Spiffy]

Yes, Hendo is a bit more powerful. Don’t think he has quite the pace and agility of Du Toit though. That guy is very athletic as well as a big unit.

Agree that Hendo is not a Du Toit. I was simply pointing out that, at present, he is the nearest we've got. PSDT has really defined the standard for blindside flankers to aim at. I actually do think that Hendo is quite pacy and agile. He has a great close-quarters step out of the tackle. Anyway, I don't think it's going to happen unless he redefines himself as a regular 6 at provincial and international level, and that will really be down to the coaches.