Originally posted by Dowlinz
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Originally posted by blueberry View PostI think the Kearney thing has been done to death over the last few years, and although he isn't the player he was 10 years ago (probably the best fullback in the world - albeit with different criteria and kicking more highly prized) he hasn't gotten any worse over the last 3/4, so the reasons to pick him remain mostly the same.
He fields very well (even if not the force he was) kicks well and takes the ball up reliably, rarely turning it over (I know, I know!), but none of that matters. Can't find the article that covered it, but basically he is there because he covers the space so well that we don't have to drop an additional winger back to field kicks like most teams do. That may be even more important against the all blacks.
As against that, the clamour for Larmour is based around things he 'might' do. Unfortunately the All Blacks are more than adept at defending against elusive backs, especially if the team hasn't be trained/configured to support the aforementioned back.
Like it or not Kearney is the only reasonable option at this stage.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-wo...-cup-campaign/ - I think these might be the article you are referring to???
So lets look at this logically - we are playing the All Blacks (in what is expected to in wet weather), the same All Blacks who scored both tries against SA off dropped box kicks and we think that dropping our best fielder of the ball is the sensible thing to do?
We play a defensive system (under Andy Farrell) that has been proven to work against the All Blacks which requires the wingers to spend most of their time in the front line defending as well as Conor Murray and leaves a fullback alone in the backfield for most of the game and people think that picking Larmour (who isn't nearly as adept at covering the backfield) or Conway (who has barely played fullback for years) is the right call against kickers that the All Blacks have?
If we have to score tries well Rob has scored 3 in his last 3 games but hey lets drop him....
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Originally posted by blueberry View PostI think the Kearney thing has been done to death over the last few years, and although he isn't the player he was 10 years ago (probably the best fullback in the world - albeit with different criteria and kicking more highly prized) he hasn't gotten any worse over the last 3/4, so the reasons to pick him remain mostly the same.
He fields very well (even if not the force he was) kicks well and takes the ball up reliably, rarely turning it over (I know, I know!), but none of that matters. Can't find the article that covered it, but basically he is there because he covers the space so well that we don't have to drop an additional winger back to field kicks like most teams do. That may be even more important against the all blacks.
As against that, the clamour for Larmour is based around things he 'might' do. Unfortunately the All Blacks are more than adept at defending against elusive backs, especially if the team hasn't be trained/configured to support the aforementioned back.
Like it or not Kearney is the only reasonable option at this stage.
He is quite a predictable plodder who can't tackle or use the ball in attack and has lost his big left boot.
Watch the ABs run around him.
I fervently hope that I am wrong.Erse end of nowhere
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Originally posted by In Joe we trust View Post
https://www.the42.ie/rob-kearney-ire...01649-Sep2019/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-wo...-cup-campaign/ - I think these might be the article you are referring to???
So lets look at this logically - we are playing the All Blacks (in what is expected to in wet weather), the same All Blacks who scored both tries against SA off dropped box kicks and we think that dropping our best fielder of the ball is the sensible thing to do?
We play a defensive system (under Andy Farrell) that has been proven to work against the All Blacks which requires the wingers to spend most of their time in the front line defending as well as Conor Murray and leaves a fullback alone in the backfield for most of the game and people think that picking Larmour (who isn't nearly as adept at covering the backfield) or Conway (who has barely played fullback for years) is the right call against kickers that the All Blacks have?
If we have to score tries well Rob has scored 3 in his last 3 games but hey lets drop him....
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The match day squad is disappointingly, but unsurprisingly, wrong in about 3/4 positions imho.
Larmour for Kearney
Conway for Stockdale
Henshaw to 13, Farrell to 12
Ringrose from the bench
When you also add Marmion over McGrath (Marmion was left in Ireland for the weaker one) that's a very sub optimal team imho.
I hope I'm wrong but NZ by 15+ imho.
(forecast & ref helpful to Ireland, otherwise it would be 20+).
P.s. of course Scannell is also a better player than Best imho, but that change needed to be made earlier due to Best being Irish captain.Last edited by Daithi; 17th-October-2019, 16:01.____________________________________________
Munster were great when they were Munster.
alas they are just north munster now.......
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Originally posted by Munsterboy View Post
When did we decide that Rob’s the only player capable of catching a ball?
Conway and Larmour look great at what they are doing. Joe (and others) obviously value Rob for what he doesn't need to do. Those kinds of things can be very hard fr the casual observer (of which I definitely am) to see. I've wanted Rob out for years but I've accepted that Joe think he is key to Joe's plan working.
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Originally posted by AwayFromHome View Post
We didn't. Like Paul McGrath and Axel Foley Rob has a good sense of where to be on the pitch. McGrath used to say that you didn't need to be quicker to where the ball is you needed to be quicker to where the ball is going to be. Rob's front-up tackling technique is a well known joke but his positional sense is second to none.
Conway and Larmour look great at what they are doing. Joe (and others) obviously value Rob for what he doesn't need to do. Those kinds of things can be very hard fr the casual observer (of which I definitely am) to see. I've wanted Rob out for years but I've accepted that Joe think he is key to Joe's plan working.
Pretty much everyone wishes that was done (though if we're honest would we have won as much?) but that opportunity has passed and at this point in time, Rob is the best option.
Munsterboy - it's not about catching the ball as much as being in the right place to catch it, or even better prevent it being kicked - Rob is second to none at that. Poysonally I think Conway is pretty damn good at it too when I've seen him at fullback (Larmour less so but getting better), but Rob is peerless.
Spiffy - we haven't a hope of fighting fire with fire against the all-blacks in terms of back play, and if we're dependent on any fullback to make open field one-on-one tackles, we're likely screwed already. It may not be pretty, but if we win it will be by suffocating them, keeping our own ball tight and relying on a few pre-planned strike moves (. . . and probably a few novenas !).
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Originally posted by In Joe we trust View Post
... people think that picking Larmour (who isn't nearly as adept at covering the backfield) or Conway (who has barely played fullback for years) is the right call against kickers that the All Blacks have?
The New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen ... has picked a relatively inexperienced back division with five players having little more than half the caps of the All Blacks’ captain Kieran Read between them.
For New Zealand, the scrum-half Aaron Smith and the centre Jack Goodhue are the only starting backs who survive from Dublin while Beauden Barrett ... will wear the 15 jersey.
Tis but a scratch.
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Originally posted by In Joe we trust View Post
If you're going to criticise a team at least be even close to factually correct -
Ryan has played 56mins in the 3 week gap from the Japan game, Best has played 50 mins in the 3 week gap, Stander has played a lot but Conan/Jordi have been injured, POM has only played the 12th most minutes in the squad, Ringrose played 3 games in a row and has had 2 weeks off (injuries to Aki, Henshaw, Farrell impacted that)
All the players you claim have played once -
Kleyn (Russia/Samoa)
Scannell (Scotland/Russia/Samoa)
Farrell (Scotland/Japan) then injured
Ruddock (Japan/Russia)
Kilcoyne (Scotland/Japan/Russia/Samoa) - Played 3 mins less than Healy
I think the general point still stands, though. Was there really a need to play Rory Best for 80 minutes against Scotland? Was there really a need to start him against Samoa, as well?
When Dave Kilcoyne is in such good form, why not rest Cian Healy against Samoa?
Why take Beirne off, instead of Stander (when you plan on starting the latter), in the match against Samoa? Beirne didn't appear to have an injury, so I can't understand this one.
I think most people, with a username other than "In Joe we trust", would think that a lot of these decisions were examples of poor squad management. Joe Schmidt is still a world class coach, but he makes mistakes like every other coach in world rugby.
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Originally posted by jagawayagain View Post
You are completely forgetting about the effect different climatic conditions will have on recovery, and the benefits to lads of being able to wind down at home etc even for a couple of days.
We don’t have excuses this time. Our key players are fit, we had 9 days and 7 days breaks between the Russian, Samoan and this game. The weather will not be too adverse on Saturday.
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Originally posted by Heisenberg View Post
No excuses in terms of:
Not having enough players available
Humidity factor now gone
Tiredness, surely the whole last 4 months of prep was geared around peaking for QF. They are as phyisically ready as they will ever be. I think the 14 man performance against Samoa proves that
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