Tour to NZ 2022

[the spoofer]

Bookies have NZ 11 points favourites which seems about right for the first test.

[cormac]

Stuart McCloskey winging his way to NZ due to an injury to Hume according to various twitterati

Lucky there's no European Championships on this Summer

[TMC]

Agree with a lot of that. Bundee isn't covering the back 5 really, Ringer can play centre or wing, Joey can play 10 or 15, Robbie can play centre or FB, J10 can play 10 or centre, we're covered.

[/quote]

Think to bring Bundee on there is a good chance you're going to be moving 2 others positionally unless he's replacing Henshaw - just think bearing in mind the opposition, that's an awful lot of chopping and changing and its asking a lot of others to bring one guy on.

Take other peoples point about the kick chase being poor on occasion but don't think we ever really stressed them or pulled them out of shape with our kicking, if you're not doing that against a counterattacking team like the Maori then touch is the best option imo, manage where you're playing the game rather than inviting them into it.

[dropkick]

He played 19 games for Munster this season and lost 9 (I count Toulouse).

I wouldn't have had him on the tour at this stage of his career.

Why does the number of games a team has lost in a season have any relevance to whether he should be selected for Ireland?

Ed Byrne is very lucky to be there imo, probably down to his greater in camp experience. Wycherly certainly deserves a shot given our lack of quality at LH.

It's just something I noticed when I looked at his stats. He played a lot for Munster but they weren't very good either.

I don't think he's done anything special other than get picked a lot for his age. He seems to have a good engine and can play week in week out. Other than that what does he have going for him. He's a small loosehead, reasonably mobile and fairly busy, basically a prop version of his brother. Fineen has 87 Munster games which is astonishing for a 24 year old lock/blindside.

They both work hard and make a good effort but there's really little else to their game. No huge power, no size in the set piece, not technically special to compensate, middling hands, not fast, unremarkable ball carriers. They do okay but they get beat a fair bit too.

Loughman took a longer route but he's more powerful at scrum time and can execute pull back passes and other bits of skill. Bring him into the setup and see if he kicks on with a few work ons and working with better players. There's something that can be rounded out.

Josh might develop more and don't get me wrong he's a decent player, but what has he achieved or what about his game suggests he should be playing for Ireland right now.

Loughman is a better scrummager but the reason JW is ahead of him is his workrate around the pitch. He is quick to the breakdown, offering support, is good in the pod of forwards and has good handling. Look at the Toulouse match.


He has to work on his scrummaging and maybe put on a few more kgs although he is heavier than the outdate 108kg on his profile. Loughman is more solid but he's not a dominate scrummager either.


I think there will be more prop options after the world cup, both tighthead and loosehead. Until then you're hoping someone will have a big breakthrough season next season.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Maybe Harry's injury means he's out of the Maori game but if not then I don't really see the point in calling McCloskey up. We already have Bundee and Frawley for 12 behind Henshaw so someone who plays 13 would be a better option.

Some good news ahead of tomorrow, it appears that Isa will be part of Sky's coverage!

[munster#1]

Why does the number of games a team has lost in a season have any relevance to whether he should be selected for Ireland?

Ed Byrne is very lucky to be there imo, probably down to his greater in camp experience. Wycherly certainly deserves a shot given our lack of quality at LH.

It's just something I noticed when I looked at his stats. He played a lot for Munster but they weren't very good either.

I don't think he's done anything special other than get picked a lot for his age. He seems to have a good engine and can play week in week out. Other than that what does he have going for him. He's a small loosehead, reasonably mobile and fairly busy, basically a prop version of his brother. Fineen has 87 Munster games which is astonishing for a 24 year old lock/blindside.

They both work hard and make a good effort but there's really little else to their game. No huge power, no size in the set piece, not technically special to compensate, middling hands, not fast, unremarkable ball carriers. They do okay but they get beat a fair bit too.

Loughman took a longer route but he's more powerful at scrum time and can execute pull back passes and other bits of skill. Bring him into the setup and see if he kicks on with a few work ons and working with better players. There's something that can be rounded out.

Josh might develop more and don't get me wrong he's a decent player, but what has he achieved or what about his game suggests he should be playing for Ireland right now.

Loughman is a better scrummager but the reason JW is ahead of him is his workrate around the pitch. He is quick to the breakdown, offering support, is good in the pod of forwards and has good handling. Look at the Toulouse match.


He has to work on his scrummaging and maybe put on a few more kgs although he is heavier than the outdate 108kg on his profile. Loughman is more solid but he's not a dominate scrummager either.


I think there will be more prop options after the world cup, both tighthead and loosehead. Until then you're hoping someone will have a big breakthrough season next season.

I am a big fan of both players, but for me Josh has a much higher ceiling.
Loughman is a very good player, probably one of the best LH props we have in open play, but I think, as you say, Josh’s workrate around the field is superior, both in terms of offence and defence, and still only a baby in prop terms.

I’d say in weight terms, there is little to separate them, as Josh is surely around the 115kg mark at this stage.

Again, I agree with you, scrummaging is where Loughman has Josh, but not by much.

The negative points regarding Josh are fairly uneducated and unnecessary.

Saying all that, I’m glad he will have a full preseason rather than a delayed start due to this tour, where he’d largely be a tackle bag holder who may get 10 mins against the Māori.

[OTT]

Blah blah blah

[ronk]

Why does the number of games a team has lost in a season have any relevance to whether he should be selected for Ireland?

Ed Byrne is very lucky to be there imo, probably down to his greater in camp experience. Wycherly certainly deserves a shot given our lack of quality at LH.

It's just something I noticed when I looked at his stats. He played a lot for Munster but they weren't very good either.

I don't think he's done anything special other than get picked a lot for his age. He seems to have a good engine and can play week in week out. Other than that what does he have going for him. He's a small loosehead, reasonably mobile and fairly busy, basically a prop version of his brother. Fineen has 87 Munster games which is astonishing for a 24 year old lock/blindside.

They both work hard and make a good effort but there's really little else to their game. No huge power, no size in the set piece, not technically special to compensate, middling hands, not fast, unremarkable ball carriers. They do okay but they get beat a fair bit too.

Loughman took a longer route but he's more powerful at scrum time and can execute pull back passes and other bits of skill. Bring him into the setup and see if he kicks on with a few work ons and working with better players. There's something that can be rounded out.

Josh might develop more and don't get me wrong he's a decent player, but what has he achieved or what about his game suggests he should be playing for Ireland right now.

Loughman is a better scrummager but the reason JW is ahead of him is his workrate around the pitch. He is quick to the breakdown, offering support, is good in the pod of forwards and has good handling. Look at the Toulouse match.


He has to work on his scrummaging and maybe put on a few more kgs although he is heavier than the outdate 108kg on his profile. Loughman is more solid but he's not a dominate scrummager either.


I think there will be more prop options after the world cup, both tighthead and loosehead. Until then you're hoping someone will have a big breakthrough season next season.

I recognise that about Josh. He hasn't let anyone down. That's not how Faz has picked the team.

In pretty much every selection decision he's gone for the player who suits his game plan (or has the potential to be important for that game plan) over dependable players.

There's an aspect to Loughman's game that gives him potential.

[Xanthippe]

Stuart McCloskey winging his way to NZ due to an injury to Hume according to various twitterati

While we're on the subject of twitterati and rumours I wonder if Ross Molony has been 'advised' to select his holiday destination carefully - he appears to be holidaying in or near the High Performance Campus in Portugal

[riocard911]

Had Leinster won the double, or even one or other of the Heino or the URC, I'd be a bit more confident about tomorrow's match. That not being the case, the majority of the Ireland team are currently on a losing streak. Playing NZ in Eden Park is the last place one would hope to turn such a negative trend around. My wish is that, Ireland give a good account of themselves and don't get blown away. If we're within seven points at the death and still fighting for victory, that would do me. I wouldn't turn down a win, but I would be very, very surprised. Éire abú!!!

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Benty might want to get his boots out of the attic too.

Oh no, hope that’s not as bad as it looks but it’s so rare to see him in so much pain.

Time for Michael Bent to get himself fit.

Told ye!

[OTT]

Started well enough.

[OTT]

Lovely inside pass from Seston back there that really got us rumbling.

Up the left.

[Hippo]

Great finish. 2 no arms tackles in the build up, ignored ofc

[cormac]

textbook from Ringer

[OTT]

Tackle past the ruck by Barrett there. Very clear.

[OTT]

Poor by J-Lowe there

[OTT]

That’s a tough one.

[Hippo]

Sexton off

[Leinsterimp]

Ah that one’s a real sucker punch. Ringrose shouldn’t be throwing an offload he’s already juggling but probably would have been turned over had he held on to it