Ireland

ashley71 says...

@melkdave

i usually agree with most of your posts...i think earls is the 2nd best FB available to ireland at the moment (class, don't know & probably better on the wing)...he did pretty good in his last test outing for ireland at full back (march 2011) or maybe the opposition was just rubbish!

Posted 12:59 12th June 2012

connaughtabu says...

Fellow Irish fans,

Just built up enough courage to watch the first test - bloody hell NZ at 3/4 pace and they won by thirty - God help us all. Just wait until the work up a full head of steam.

Just by way of torturing myself, I monitored opposing centres with regard to contribution to the game - Conrad Smith and Brian O'Driscoll. Every positive act got a +1-3 and every negative the exact opposite. At the end of the game Smith stood on +23 and B O'Driscoll was -9 and yet the Irish media lauded yet another outstanding game by BoD. God help us all.

As a Connacht fan, may I ask why Duffy?, He is "mature" and and of limited talent. Now on the other side - the AB management will be thinking "Is MsCaw the man to lead them into the 2015 RWC"? If yes, then he stays as captain, if no, he will be dropped like a hot stone. The strength of the NZ game - ruthlessness.

Posted 22:21 11th June 2012

melkdave says...

Also if anyone thinks Earls is a class FB at any level there are dreaming .His ok at center but totally hopeless as a FB Just the thought of him there makes me laugh LOLOLOLOL

Posted 19:14 11th June 2012

Gleek says...

Duffy is a fine player and has a decent season for Connacht, though this is hardly a nod to the future. As Earls was a starting centre and the covering full back, perhaps Deccie should have called up two players in his stead. Wallace or Downey would have been nice. Unless Kidney is planning to give Duffy a chance to break into the team it seems a wasted opportunity to give one of the younger guys (Conway or D. Kearney) a chance to tour with the squad!

Posted 17:07 11th June 2012

melkdave says...

Duffy really as a replacement for Earls ??Its so frustrating watching Kidneys mind work(if it ever does).Short of class inform centers amd wingers he calls up a full back really.Ok he can play wing ,but his really best at FB .He would have done better to call up Gilroy from the JRWC and move Trimble into center at 13 ,who started as a center and even played center in his early internationals Then the backline could have been 9)Redden 10)Sexton 11)Gilroy 12)BOD 13Trimble 14)Sezbo 15)Kearney.Offering more physicality in midfield and still retaining pace and alot of pace in the back 3 .With quicker ball from Redden and hopefully Sexton playing flater and running when possible ,they could cause New Zealand alot of problems .But now well annother big ABs win is on the cards imo

Posted 14:35 11th June 2012

DaveJ says...

This was where Gilroy or D Kearney should have got a call up. Duffy is not an international standard player and is never going to make it into the Irish starting setup.

Posted 13:16 11th June 2012

kid_diablo says...

this might have annoyed me but i simply don't care at this point

Posted 11:55 11th June 2012

J_HDK says...

FFS. Well I guess it's not just at prop that we are struggling for depth.

Fitzgerald is injured and Jones is injured.

I can only assume that Hurley and Deasy must be injured too to warrant this.

On what world is Duffy a replacement for Earls?

Posted 09:49 11th June 2012