Ireland

blametheref says...

@Hougiebear

D'arcy has bags of pace and he's played very well for Leinster this season; and regards his timing of the pass and fixing his opposite number, Will Greenwood, one of the best 12's ever showed video examples and was raving about D'arcy's ability to use his pace and good feet to unbalance and take a would be tackler out of the game and then time what he called "the perfect pass" to send Kearney clean through the defensive wall unapposed against Montpelier recently. Greenwood also remarked that it was no wonder he's a fixture in the Irish centre...D'arcy is getting undue stick on these boards, tell me who is better at centre in the current squad? Just remember, Ireland with BOD and D'arcy in the centre have played England as a partnership 5 or 6 times......Never lost once!

The only reason Ireland won't probably do well in the 6 Nations is because BOD is missing, or more to the point, will be missed, and Kidney is too bloody conservative with the game he wants Ireland to play, ok we'll probably beat Wales, but then we've France...

Posted 18:47 31st January 2012

jbscott19 says...

Stumpy,

Darcy does not deserve his place in the 32 never mind the team. Cant pass and when he does, they are hospital passes.

Other wise your team is exactly the same as mine. Form players apart from Darcy, he is long past his sell by date.

Unfortunately, Kidney will still pick a team that no way resembles the teams named on these comments or include the players that are playing well.

I hope that he finally realises that the new blood has to be utilised and be given a chance. Now is the time to start planning for the next world cup.

Posted 13:27 31st January 2012

blametheref says...

If there's a big problem for Ireland, it's that no player in the squad has shown that they can really nail the 13 position at a standard one could consider international level. Ireland will be going from having a world great in the 13 jersey to ?????, who knows, a big inponderable. Though O' Malley's the only natural 13 really, he's still a good bit to go before he could be regarded as filling the role. It amazes me that Kidney has been so shoddy about the way he views the centre roles, where we could see him having a journeyman player of reasonable ability, Paddy Wallace, on the bench primarily as a back up centre, or shock, horror, even starting. It amazes me that D'arcy isn't a contender for the 13 position, as at this stage he probably lacks the bulk to really be as effective at 12 as he was these days, but he's the solution at 13 in my book, as there are a number of players who could fill the 12 role. I've never been a huge fan of Trimble in the past but in the last year he's really come of age, has the bulk and pace to cause defences problems and should be the Irish 12 with D'arcy at 13. Sexton with Trimble outside him could be a very potent formula and with D'arcy, a good timer of a pass, who has the eye for a gap and drawing players outside this duo I feel Ireland would have a solution. The other player who could play 12 at International level is Sexton, though I would hate to see him being used in this way, though I wouldn't mind see him being started at 10 and moved to 12 if ROG was to come on, but definitely not as a starting 12....So my backline would be: Kearney, Bowe, Earls, 13. Darcy, 12. Trimble, Sexton, Murray...with Reddan, ROG and Mc Fadden or O' Malley on the bench, sorry Paddy!

Posted 08:34 31st January 2012

liam2me says...

where are the usual Leinster knockers now?

Posted 23:02 30th January 2012

Bones7 says...

lets just hope these boys aren't getting the chop from the 22 in a couple of days time. Nice to see great work being rewarded though. Feel a bit sorry for John Muldoon but the back row is so competitive that it was always unlikely. Chris Henry could be a bit of a revelation. He's a big lad for an openside and so hard to shift off the ball. Him and Zebo have had an impressive couple of weeks.

Posted 21:03 30th January 2012

melkdave says...

Its a good squad and good to see some talnted youngsters now included in the elite squad Looks alot more progressive than b4 thats for sure,But P.Wallace and B.Wilinson dont think they should be there at all or G.D'Arcy

Posted 20:03 30th January 2012

damo says...

Hurley was very poor for wolf hounds omalley and zebo deserve their call up, zebos late try won me 280 euro, twelve has to be s¿xton as we havent a 12 in years. We need ryan at second row, kidney hasnt impressed me so far and talk of the lions is nuts when he has been seen clueless at the helm of ireland so far, forget the provinces and the irish sea and pick the best 15 for gods sake. O halloran should be selected he is on fire in a weak Connaught team

Posted 19:38 30th January 2012

DannyBoy says...

Zebo and Kearney getting fast tracked, I like it!

Posted 17:31 30th January 2012

danielmakk says...

Good

Posted 16:44 30th January 2012

howrtings says...

Great to see Chris Henry, Peter O'Mahony and Eoin O'Malley get the nod, surprised by David Kearney's call up, but he did have a good game against the Saxons.

Would like to see what Paul Marshall could do at a higher level as well.

Posted 16:35 30th January 2012