Dragons Away, 19th Feb, 7.35pm

[backrower8]

All agreed that the match provided an opportunity to learn about grinding things out but the Leinster-A team in Rodney Parade Bog in rainswept winter and with an all-Welsh team of officials led by BW - is an outlier of a fixture and not the be all and end all litmus test some want to use it as.

Baird, a 21 yr old 6/2nd row, will benefit from having to do the grunt work and failing in places, Clarkson (a diamond) did not help in the first failed clear out.

Harry still did better on that Bog than Johnny in the RDS against Connacht, so no need to devalue his worth on that performance alone. No doubt he was aware of the glare that was on him and after an awful first collective 20 he gradually put in a reasonable shift. I would say he would be less nervous if he was lining up in Rome than las tonight after all the coverage, Faz being forced to explain why he won’t pick him and his older brother forced to play 12 outside him.

Penney, just 21, is the business and hopefully Sheehan will get a lot more appearances.

Would CJ have done as well as Jack last night?

[erskinechilders]

Would CJ have done as well as Jack last night?

Yes.....

He's a test Lion with almost 50 Intl. caps.

Luke McGrath has really stepped it up in the last few months and he was excellent again last night. Last night was a tough night for rugby and I think its matches like these that the likes of Harry Byrne, Baird, Penny, Clarkson, Sheehan etc. need to be playing to get the experience to push for EC spots. We weren't fantastic last night and there will be plenty to fix but they came away with a 5 points. Job done.

On a side not the youth in last nights team was very impressive.

[Oldschool]

Would CJ have done as well as Jack last night?

Yes.....

He's a test Lion with almost 50 Intl. caps.

Luke McGrath has really stepped it up in the last few months and he was excellent again last night. Last night was a tough night for rugby and I think its matches like these that the likes of Harry Byrne, Baird, Penny, Clarkson, Sheehan etc. need to be playing to get the experience to push for EC spots. We weren't fantastic last night and there will be plenty to fix but they came away with a 5 points. Job done.

On a side not the youth in last nights team was very impressive.

CJ may well be a test lion and have nearly 50 international caps, but his recent form doesn't suggest that it's a relevant argument for selecting him.
I sincerely hope that it's not the only criteria that Farrell uses when he's selecting his squad.
As for Luke McGrath, he has all the attributes to be a top level international SH except for the one that counts the most, his passing and that hasn't improved.

[backrower8]

]CJ may well be a test lion and have nearly 50 international caps, but his recent form doesn't suggest that it's a relevant argument for selecting him.
I sincerely hope that it's not the only criteria that Farrell uses when he's selecting his squad.

Precisely

[MylesNaGapoleen]

Faz being forced to explain why he won’t pick him and his older brother forced to play 12 outside him.

On that particular point..I was intrigued with the Byrnes at 10 and 12 last night. Agree with your point about harry. I thought he had a good game. Not outstanding but the conditions weren't conducive for his style of sniping and breaking the line. fully warranted his start at 10.

having a playmaker at 12 is not a bad idea...imho...especially if refs keep carding the attacking team trying to clear out jackalers. Ala OMahony and the Scottish player last weekend. bish bash bosh teams like England will struggle if they stick with their game plan. I have my suspicions that the welsh players were well aware they would get the clear-out player carded if they did what they did and made their head available..so to speak.

The key thing is...if the refs keep carding clearouts....a henshaw at 12 doesn't make much sense. Way too easy for him to be isolated and jackaled plus the supporting players will be nervous about going in full-pelt clearing out.

[ronk]

POM took out a player who was off his feet and after the ball was available. It was a cheap shot.

There no rugby reason to fly in so hard you jump into the contact and then change shoulders as you bounce off.

[Peg Leg]

Just reading this and came here to say what Spoofer said, Josh Murphy is a menace.

[wixfjord]

Just reading this and came here to say what Spoofer said, Josh Murphy is a menace.

He's an absolute brute of a man. Serious power.

I love a blindside with that ability.

The rightful successor to Rhys and Kevin McL's throne.