Michael Bent- Irish Q'd

[rookie]

[Donny B.]

Due to lack of any quality tight heads. Munster have none, neither do Cannacht and there are huge question marks(fitness) over Fitzpatrick. Leinster have a good assembly line and Ulster look to have a few good ones. Also 3 spots filled by none qualified players. So not much choice.

John Andress has started every game this season in the Aviva Premiership. Loughney was being capped against NZ only 4 months ago. There are choices there if we wanted. I don't mind him training with the squad with an eye to the future but officially bringing him in ahead of others when he's literally just off the plane today is not the right message.

Yeah they're "choices" in the same way I'm a "choice". Just not a very good one.

Loughney a converted looseie who's nowhere near good enough and ""Wanderly" Andress is only an answer for people who've never seen him prop. Jaysus, if starting in the AP is proof of anything, our old friend Mushy has strung a few starts together.

[Donny B.]

What a joke. We rightly laughed at England's mercenaries and kilted Kiwis. No longer. Call ups for Bent and Strauss are a disgrace. Ireland reach a new nadir. Will no longer support.

Will you be placated by us starting Stephen Archer? Properly Irish and properly sh!t!

This isn't new. Remember Andy Ward and Kurt McQuilkin? Where was your boycott then?

Grow the f%~k up!

I was a child back then in the dark days of amateurism. Judging by your abusive response, you still are (mentally). Did you have hair back then?

Well, you're obviously a remarkably mature individual when all you've got is a few cheap hair jibes!

I take it you will boo CJ Stander every time he touches the ball once he gets into the Munster team then so?

Gimme a break!

[Donny B.]

Not exactly a massive gap between the 2 of them I'd have thought? Strauss' breakdown work is better alright and Cronin's throwing can be a little suspect but I wouldn't put him miles behind Strauss.

The gap was closing at one point last season but it's widened since. Cronin can be great with the ball in hand but so can Strauss, Strauss far better in the scrums and as you say, his breakdown work is worth another flanker. Ironically enouh, Strauss's throwing can at times be worse than Cronin's, but overall, he's in a different league.

[ceemec]

Loughney a converted looseie who's nowhere near good enough and ""Wanderly" Andress is only an answer for people who've never seen him prop. Jaysus, if starting in the AP is proof of anything, our old friend Mushy has strung a few starts together.

I've seen Andress prop a good few times. He's not a bad player at all. Generally solid in the scrum and does his bits and pieces in the loose. Definitely potential to be as good as someone like Declan Fitzpatrick without the injuries. He has discipline problems but I don't understand why someone hasn't tried to sit him down and offer him a contract based on keeping his nose clean. He has started every game this season in the AP which is a lot more than most can say.

We have one tighthead who is IQ and first choice in Ireland. We don't have the luxury of turning our noses up at someone who starts every week in one of the top leagues. Buckley, isn't first choice at Sale, by the way. He's only started three of seven AP games this season. The AP isn't the be all but it's certainly no worse than the Pro12 for front five play. We saw how good Exeter, a mid table team, were in that respect.

Loughney probably isn't good enough, granted. However, I'd still rather see him being kept involved than the immediate drafting in of someone who has put absolutely nothing into Irish rugby in their lives, literally not one minute. Let Bent train with them, get up to speed and get capped in the summer when the opportunity is there. Ross and Fitz should cover until then.

[Donny B.]

Welcome to Ireland - here's an Ireland jersey!!

Jesus, just how desperate does that make us look. I'm probably going to be slated for this but I think the decision made today to call up a player who only arrived in the country, at the expense of Irish players is wrong. And while I'm on the subject, I was fully behind the project player policy until approximately 12:03 on Wednesday when Feckin Kiddinme read out the name Court followed by D'Arcy, the name Sexton followed by Strauss and Tuohy followed by Zebo. I've nothing against Richardt, in fact I'm delighted for him, but the decision to overlook Cronin, Sherry and yes even Varley was, in my opinion unfair.

So let me get his straight, you were fully behind the policy............ until he actually dared to picked one of them?

And when you talk about us looking desperate, well it ain't just looks, we are desperate. 60-0 and all that.

[Apocrypha]

Will you be placated by us starting Stephen Archer? Properly Irish and properly sh!t!

This isn't new. Remember Andy Ward and Kurt McQuilkin? Where was your boycott then?

Grow the f%~k up!

I was a child back then in the dark days of amateurism. Judging by your abusive response, you still are (mentally). Did you have hair back then?

Well, you're obviously a remarkably mature individual when all you've got is a few cheap hair jibes!

I take it you will boo CJ Stander every time he touches the ball once he gets into the Munster team then so?

Gimme a break!

No, as Munster aren't my national team. That said, if he decides to play alongside mercenaries such as Strauss and Bent then it's a matter of no consequence, since as I've already stated, I no longer support this farce.

[Donny B.]

Loughney a converted looseie who's nowhere near good enough and ""Wanderly" Andress is only an answer for people who've never seen him prop. Jaysus, if starting in the AP is proof of anything, our old friend Mushy has strung a few starts together.

I've seen Andress prop a good few times. He's not a bad player at all. Generally solid in the scrum and does his bits and pieces in the loose. Definitely potential to be as good as someone like Declan Fitzpatrick without the injuries. He has discipline problems but I don't understand why someone hasn't tried to sit him down and offer him a contract based on keeping his nose clean. He has started every game this season in the AP which is a lot more than most can say.

We have one tighthead who is IQ and first choice in Ireland. We don't have the luxury of turning our noses up at someone who starts every week in one of the top leagues. Buckley, isn't first choice at Sale, by the way. He's only started three of seven AP games this season. The AP isn't the be all but it's certainly no worse than the Pro12 for front five play. We saw how good Exeter, a mid table team, were in that respect.

Loughney probably isn't good enough, granted. However, I'd still rather see him being kept involved than the immediate drafting in of someone who has put absolutely nothing into Irish rugby in their lives, literally not one minute. Let Bent train with them, get up to speed and get capped in the summer when the opportunity is there. Ross and Fitz should cover until then.

Think if Andress was good enough, one of the Irish provinces would have offered him a contract.

With Bent being brought straight into the squad, it's very obviously who was behind his signing for Leinster. Kidney obviously likes him.

Overall, it's much of a muchness though. Strauss will probably be on the bench for the Saffers match which will mean he'll get a couple of minutes. Perfecr impact sub of course but it's Kidney so what does that matter?

[Donny B.]

No, as Munster aren't my national team. That said, if he decides to play alongside mercenaries such as Strauss and Bent then it's a matter of no consequence, since as I've already stated, I no longer support this farce.

Fine, I regrettably accept your resignation as a rugby fan.

We're sorry to lose you, but you seem to be convinced.

Anyway, we'll give you an hour to clear out your desk and close all your accounts on rugby forums.

Then we'll meet you at the front deck and get your security pass.

Please DON'T sh!t on your desk, it's not big and it's not clever!!!!

Good luck in whatever future sports you choose!

[ceemec]

Think if Andress was good enough, one of the Irish provinces would have offered him a contract.

Munster and Ulster both were in talks with him but told him he was going to be a back up player behind Botha/Afoa so he turned it down.

[Donny B.]

Think if Andress was good enough, one of the Irish provinces would have offered him a contract.

Munster and Ulster both were in talks with him but told him he was going to be a back up player behind Botha/Afoa so he turned it down.

Yeah they wanted him as a back-up. Callum Black was signed as a back-up. If they really thought he was worth a f%~k I would have thought they would have pursued him harder.

[Donny B.]

This isn't new. Remember Andy Ward and Kurt McQuilkin?

I was a child back then in the dark days of amateurism.

Both capped in the professional era by the way, but never let the facts get in in the way of an argument eh?

[Dave Cahill]

Didn't hear much of a peek from the south when we were trying to qualify Jeremy Manning. I didn't hear much much complaint when CJ Stander was signed for the precise purpose of becoming qualified to play for Ireland, and they didn't seem to care about parachuting guys in ahead of those who'd paid their dues as it were when Brian 'I have retired from all rugby and will not be playing rugby union honest' Carney was parachuted in - of course his parachute was red and had Toyota written across the front

The problem they have isn't that a project player has made the Irish squad, its that the ones they had weren't good enough to make the Munster (or even the Connacht) squad.

The other thing to remember is that this idea of somehow having to qualify for a country to represent it at international level is a new thing. Until recently, all one had to do to represent a country is be selected for that country, previous representation didn't come into it. Brian Smith, Jamie Salmon, Diego Dominguez, Topo Rodriguez, Tiaan Strauss, Patricio Noriega et al were dual union internationals

[Donny B.]

We only signed the guy cause he's Irish qualified, but when we select him for Ireland, a few people decide only then, that they have to get their knickers in a twist.

Weird.

[Xanthippe]

Welcome to Ireland - here's an Ireland jersey!!

Jesus, just how desperate does that make us look. I'm probably going to be slated for this but I think the decision made today to call up a player who only arrived in the country, at the expense of Irish players is wrong. And while I'm on the subject, I was fully behind the project player policy until approximately 12:03 on Wednesday when Feckin Kiddinme read out the name Court followed by D'Arcy, the name Sexton followed by Strauss and Tuohy followed by Zebo. I've nothing against Richardt, in fact I'm delighted for him, but the decision to overlook Cronin, Sherry and yes even Varley was, in my opinion unfair.

So let me get his straight, you were fully behind the policy............ until he actually dared to picked one of them?

And when you talk about us looking desperate, well it ain't just looks, we are desperate. 60-0 and all that.

I'm still behind the policy (I think) but when the names were read out my immediate and overwhelming feeling was of disappointment for Cronin and Sherry who could both have expected a call up based on previous selections.

As I've mentioned in several other posts I'm delighted for Strauss, not least because he's given three years to Irish rugby and because the situation is not of his making - the IRB and their rules are wholly responsible for this and the lad can't be blamed for taking advantage.

As to us being desperate, are you honestly going to tell me that if Michael Bent had been available to play for us in New Zealand in the summer the result would have been any different? And for that matter, if he's good enough to have saved us from the 60 - 0 result, why didn't we cap him while we were over there - we'd known from early May he'd signed for Leinster, we knew he was Irish qualified and he didn't have any Super 15 games during the international window.

[Donny B.]

We're desperate for any tighthead prop that can hold a scrum up. To deny that is frankly being blind. That's why the national team is willing is parachute this guy in. Because they've looked at Hagan and Archer and don't trust them.

Them's the facts, my dear. Gotta learn to deal.......

[fourthirtythree]

It wasn't the prop problem that saw us killed in NZ, so no need to call him then.

That said, I'm not happy either about him getting called up straight off the plane. But it's not top of the list of things I'm unhappy with in Irish rugby. That would be Gall Bladder himself.

Delighted for Strauss though. It does matter that he's been working for this. Well done.

[TerenureJim]

We only signed the guy cause he's Irish qualified, but when we select him for Ireland, a few people decide only then, that they have to get their knickers in a twist.

Weird.

Think I would have liked him to tog out for Leinster once or twice before going up to the big show, maybe he is good enough and yep he was signed because he looks like a decent Irish qualified TH but still think he should be bedded in a bit first.

This sort of parachute thing isn't a million miles away from the half arsed decision to fly Paddy Wallace from a beach in Portugal, why did he bother to name a squad at all last week, could it not have been left until later or why not just name the guys he's after adding, maybe there's a simple answer here but it just seems unprofessional.

[Donny B.]

So many poster's up late.. what gives?

[[Jackass]]

Do the clocks go back or is that just me? Also, is tomorrow a bank holiday? Might be 2 reasons for ya Donny - if either of them is correct!

Personally, I'm delighted for Strauss and he has earned his call up and imo is the best hooker in the country. I can understand people having a problem with him having no Irish blood, but if it means good players will commit to Ireland and a province and put in 3+ years benefiting a province and can then go on to improve the national team and commit the remainder of their career to a province, then great! It also helps provinces recruit with the incentive of potential for international rugby..

I actually have a bit more of a problem with someone like Bent coming in on the granny rule and going straight into the squad! Even though he has Irish blood, he should have to earn it imo, it's not as though he's a young lad from Limerick with 10 appearences for Munster, so should be considered a full international, regardless of not being the best, the greater good is to use the national team to give players from Munster with any hope the extra expert training, get them learning off the best in the country and train them to play against the best in the world so they can bring these expertese back to hopefully achieve the end goal of what this is all about, making Munster good again.

How will bents inclusion benefit Munster? I think its a complete slap in the face to Archer, because he's cr@p and from Munster and therefore should be rooming with Ross and doing video analysis with him and having Feek examine his flaws, train him and then put him on the bench for the national team, where if he picks anything up, can surely only benefit Munster.

Judging by Conor Murrays performance in Paris, he needs a lot more game time with Ireland before I'd trust him in a big Heineken Cup game again..