(2019) RWC Quarter-Final v New Zealand

[backrower8]

The team that I think Joe will select:

Healy Best Furlong
Henderson Ryan
POM Stander VDF

Murray Sexton
Stockdale Henshaw Ringrose Earls
Kearney

Cronin Kilcoyne Porter Beirne Ruddock McGrath Carbery Larmour

POM & Rob for experience & team cohesion & balance off the bench - that said I would prefer Beirne at 6 with VDF at 7 for the starting XV, although I would find it very hard to do anything that involved selecting Patsy as the sub 2nd row.

Cronin over Scannell because it will be a looser game later on than it would were it against the Boks, but this is perhaps an optimistic call on my part.

Ruddock and Jordi is another call dependent on injuries. Traditionally Jordi is Joe's guy, but Rhys brings power and form to a depowered back-row.

[Jackson, Leavy and Conan have been massive losses to this squad - our challenge would have been very different. Jackson as sub 10, Joey as a real alternative at 15 and Leavy and Conan as starters, with Josh]

[OTT]

Looks like the team alright.

I think he will go with Scannell over Cronin on the bench but the rest the same.

[Ruckedtobits]

The team that I think Joe will select:

Healy Best Furlong
Henderson Ryan
POM Stander VDF

Murray Sexton
Stockdale Henshaw Ringrose Earls
Kearney

Cronin Kilcoyne Porter Beirne Ruddock McGrath Carbery Larmour

POM & Rob for experience & team cohesion & balance off the bench - that said I would prefer Beirne at 6 with VDF at 7 for the starting XV, although I would find it very hard to do anything that involved selecting Patsy as the sub 2nd row.

Cronin over Scannell because it will be a looser game later on than it would were it against the Boks, but this is perhaps an optimistic call on my part.

Ruddock and Jordi is another call dependent on injuries. Traditionally Jordi is Joe's guy, but Rhys brings power and form to a depowered back-row.

[Jackson, Leavy and Conan have been massive losses to this squad - our challenge would have been very different. Jackson as sub 10, Joey as a real alternative at 15 and Leavy and Conan as starters, with Josh]

Nearly with you on that 23, but would take the risk of including Conway and have Carbury cover SH. Farrell remarked that you have to score points against NZ to have a chance of beating them. Conway has been our sniper this time around and Joe may try to shoehorn him in. The risk of going without a replacement SH is just about worth taking. Other than through injury, I can't see any chance of Murray not playing 80 mins.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

So you think Murray will play the 80 but not Johnny? Or would your plan be to bring Joey, Larmour, and Conway on as a replacement back three if we need scores? I know you hate Luke McGrath but that's kinda nuts just to keep him out of the 23 IMO.

Not sure how I'm feeling going into this. We're not in bad shape by any means although it doesn't feel like that because of the drop off from last year. We've beaten NZ in two of our last three games against them and it would have been three if the ref hadn't let them away with murder.

For me there are genuine decisions to be made at 6, 14, and 15, but would certainly expect Earls to start. I'm less certain about POM and Kearney.

I'm mainly sweating on who the ref is, just looked for info there but couldn't find anything.

Edit: I predict that we'll bring Joey on at fullback if we need scores and everyone will be royally pissed off if it doesn't work given Joe's reluctance to use him there in the past, but if it does work and we win then suddenly we have an extra dimension going into the England game.

[outcast eddie]

POM (and I'm not a regular POM basher) has shown nothing in the past couple of months to deserve a starting place in this game, I'm not even convinced he should be on the bench.

Stockdale likewise, he's been good defensively but the spark is not in him going forward, has Joe's rigid structure finally stymied his sparkle?.

Conway and Larmour are our danger men at the moment plus Conway is lesser known to NZ, something like that could work to our advantage.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I think Stockdale has been fine anyway but if we were to take him out then our back three would look very small.

Now that I think about it I could see Farrell benching which would make the back three selection quite difficult. It's hard to see Larmour being left out but at the same time it's hard not to see us going with Rob and Earls to start and it really wouldn't be surprising if Farrell did bench. It's funny, if we do end up getting through then I think I'd pick Rob for both games because of the NZ and England kicking games, but if we'd ended up on the other side then I think I'd have gone with Larmour.

[Barry]

3 week ban for Bundi

[Pilotman123]

Bundee Aki is out of the World Cup!!

[sunshiner1]

by Pilotman123

Bundee Aki is out of the World Cup!!

A harsh decision. Feel for the guy.

[Pilotman123]

by Pilotman123

Bundee Aki is out of the World Cup!!

A harsh decision. Feel for the guy.

Someone’s misfortune is somebody else’s fortune would be great to see Robbie Henshaw step up. Tough decision for Schmidt between Henshaw and Farrell

[Oldschool]

Bundee Aki is out of the World Cup!!

Are we allowed bring in a replacement.
My feeling is not.

[Oldschool]

Looking at the team likely selections.
Think Joe will have POM in his 23 but wouldn't be surprised if he starts Beirne or Ruddock at 6.
Reason for thinking this way is that Beirne was subbed off after 60mins against Samoa, when he could well have shifted Beirne to SR and taken Henderson off.
POM and Ruddock to bench.
POM has stamina issues but he's always been very effective off the bench.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Bundee Aki is out of the World Cup!!

Are we allowed bring in a replacement.
My feeling is not.

No we can't. Famous last words but it probably won't be an issue anyway even if we do end up in the final.

I wonder if Bundee will stick around for training purposes?

[Twist]

I’d be very tempted to have a 6-2 split on the bench and start Farrell. Less twmpted now that we cant use Bundee.

But if Carbery is really an option at scrum half then himself and Ringrose cover the backline pretty well. Id love to have the option of Porter, Cronin, Kilcoyne, Rhys, Beirne and Kleyn to come on so we can hammer their pack all day.

Wont happen, of course!


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[Pilotman123]

How are people feeling about this game? confident?

[blockhead]

How are people feeling about this game? confident?

Nah. Not enough foreigners in the team.

[Pilotman123]

How are people feeling about this game? confident?

Nah. Not enough foreigners in the team.

Oh behave will ya

[The Doc]

How are people feeling about this game? confident?

Nah. Not enough foreigners in the team.

Oh behave will ya

We've got the greatest players in all the positions. Sure most of them went to Leinster schools. What team could even live with us

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[Pilotman123]

Most of the players in the Leinster academy will progress and play in the 2023 World Cup, we’ll have to wait till 2023 until we can win our first World Cup because there is outrageous talent in the academy and some of the sixth years that are still in school are very talented. We’ve won back to back Celtic Cups and we’ve got plenty of u20 grand slam winners queuing up in line to take that jersey. I think after this World Cup we should start fresh and bring in a new young team that can do serious damage. Ryan Baird has the potential to be better than James Ryan and was rated better than James Ryan was in schools level, Chris Cosgrave is another one that can make the 2023 World Cup, the kid doesn’t miss a kick!

[Ruckedtobits]

Just looked at Ire v NZ (2018 edition) and marvelled at the pace of the game for the first 50 minutes when we were intend on carrying the ball at them and they wanted to attack us from everywhere. They conceded a lot of penalties, notably at the breakdown. We spent a lot of time trying to bludgeon our way over from within 7-10 mtrs.

Differences in teams - we didn't have Henshaw or Murray, we did have Dev; they didn't have Coles or Moody or either of their current wingers, they did have McKensie. We did a number on their scrum and our line-out was secure with PO'M magnificent everywhere.

We can beat these guys again but it will take a monumental effort and a strong referee who is not awed by the NZ reputation. We must be absolutely tigerish in defence and knock down their ball carriers instantaneously. We must carry like trojans and support each other closely. No turnovers when in attack but plenty of offloads before contact and staying in support.

This Irish team knows how to beat these guys, but nothing less than our best performance since that first 50 minutes in Aviva (16-6) November last year will suffice.

We must stop them performing. They only try to stop SA playing. Every other team, they believe in themselves and insist their Game Plan is always - harder, faster, stronger. Effort will be about 80% of what's required but at least 20% must be belief.