Ireland v Wales Sat 2.15

[offshorerules]

When the team being announced. I think it's today but does anyone know what time?

[MylesNaGapoleen]

When the team being announced. I think it's today but does anyone know what time?

between 1 and 2 pm dublin time.

[Dave Cahill]

O'Mahoney for Doris, Deegan to the bench. Henshaw for Ringrose, Earls to the bench.

15. Jordan Larmour (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 22 caps
14. Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 19 caps
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 41 caps
12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 24 caps
11. Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 26 caps
10. Jonathan Sexton (St Marys College/Leinster) 89 caps Captain
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 79 caps
1. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 96 caps
2. Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 9 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 42 caps
4. Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster) 54 caps
5. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 24 caps
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 65 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 24 caps
8. CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 38 caps

Replacements:
16. Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster) 1 cap
17. Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 37 caps
18. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 24 caps
19. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 68 caps
20. Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster) 0 caps
21. John Cooney (Terenure College/Ulster) 9 caps
22. Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster) 4 caps
23. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 82 caps

[offshorerules]

It has a very Back To The Future feel to it.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I don't get the logic with Earls. Did we want to have Robbie as an impact player last week or was he just too big a name to leave out? It feels like Earls is the next big name on the list so automatically got the spot instead of there being a plan. Maybe Addison is injured but I just don't get it.

Delighted for Max, he's earned it and I think the bench is the best place for him right now at this level.

I'd imagine Kilcoyne is still a doubt given that it's early in the week but regardless of who ends up benching I'd like to see all of our forward subs and Cooney on pretty early.

I'm not being funny but Deegan is probably more creative (in terms of handling) than our entire back line apart from the halfbacks

[Twist]

Underwhelming. Very little thought required from Wales to play this team.

I share the concerns expressed here that Healy and Furlong must have spent massive amounts of energy on Saturday evening. I hope we're able to change them earlier this week. Good to see that Kilcoyne made it, I assume we wouldn't take any risks there.

I had hoped Deegan would get a start with Stander at 6, but it was always unlikely after POM's performance.

Starting Cooney seems like a low-risk option to me, he's providing slightly quicker and more accurate ball than Murray at the minute, and it'd give the Welsh something new to worry about.

Aki and Henshaw had a great game against Wales when they played together in the RWC warm-up, but I don't think much can be read into those. We're now even more dependent on Johnny for creativity than normal. I can't see anyone else being first receiver at all.

Our back three will need greater unity of purpose this time. They looked like what they are - a very new combination - on Saturday. I can see the logic of sticking with them, but Earls' form does not warrant that bench spot.

Oh well, lets see how it goes.

[Blue not red blood]

Jesus that is very underwhelming .

Nothing else to say

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Murray Kinsella says that Addison is still injured. It feels like his international career will never get going, his fitness is just too unreliable.

[Oldschool]

I'm giving up.
For Now.

[MylesNaGapoleen]

Jesus that is very underwhelming .

Nothing else to say

new era? more deja vu.

Apart from Larmour at FB and Henshaw instead of ringrose, the line up for this saturday is almost identical to the game in cardiff last year. https://www.six-nations-guide.co.uk/201 ... eland.html

I was at that game and it was so painful to watch.
Hope EFs call on Murray pays off.

[Dexter]

Jesus that is very underwhelming .

Nothing else to say

It really is. I'm not a fan of moaning about selections but it feels a bit depressing to me....

[fourthirtythree]

Schmidt OUT!
Again:

https://yarn.co/yarn-clip/5358e674-c382 ... 27e8428424

[The Doc]

It really is. I'm not a fan of moaning about selections but it feels a bit depressing to me....

Dont Panic!

[Flash Gordon]

The big issue is not Cooney vs Murray or any of the selections for that matter, the issue when a new coach is bedding in a new game plan. We saw that when Joe and Leo came in, players take time in MATCHES not training to get used to a new way of playing. The issue for me is that when Joe came in it was really clear to see what he was doing, I couldn't figure that out at all last weekend.

[Twist]

Anyone have any theories on why Earls is ahead of D Kearney? I can't figure it out at all

Ordinarily it wouldn't warrant any comment, but Kearney's been better all season so far and it hasn't been close. Is Earls covering centre maybe?

[desperado]

Almost, but not quite; in addition Beirne, Best, SOB vs Hendo, Herring, VDF. Dynamic was also different, Gatlands last home game, GS game, Irelands 6n never got started after being bullied and beaten by England matchday 1. I'm living in hope rather than expectation, and I also hope Murray (and others) repay the faith AF is placing in them.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I get the feeling of being underwhelmed but we have actually seen quite a few changes from last year.

New hookers (and not just because Best retired)
Dev back.
Doris and Deegan.
Cooney benching and getting a decent amount of time last week.
Conway ahead of Earls.
Larmour at fullback.

Tactically we saw a change when we got into the 22 and scored a nice try because of it. Larmour was obviously given freedom to run off Sexton and was allowed to counter attack. I thought we held defenders inside quite well and created more space in midfield too.

I was disappointed with the performance last week too and would have made another two or three changes for this game, but I don't think things are as bad as they feel. Combine all of that with mitigating factors for the performance last week (time together, the ref, injuries) and maybe we're all being too pessimistic and just need something to spark a bit of excitement.

[Ruckedtobits]

Earls benching because he is our best attacking defender (and could cover centre). Disappointed not to see Jack McGrath in Squad and neither Dev nor Kelleher starting in order to improve our maul. Bundee & Robbie H are simplest mid-field adjustment.

Hope we go out to stop Wales playing rather than thinking we can dictate the pattern. Stop their maul and mess up their line-out and keep the ball in hand and use the shortside, not the middle of the field to attack them.

[MylesNaGapoleen]

Almost, but not quite; in addition Beirne, Best, SOB vs Hendo, Herring, VDF. Dynamic was also different, Gatlands last home game, GS game, Irelands 6n never got started after being bullied and beaten by England matchday 1. I'm living in hope rather than expectation, and I also hope Murray (and others) repay the faith AF is placing in them.

let's see how it goes..... and fair point about it being a GS game and they were coming in off the back of the epic win against england earlier in the tournament.

[hugonaut]

I get the feeling of being underwhelmed but we have actually seen quite a few changes from last year.

New hookers (and not just because Best retired)
Dev back.
Doris and Deegan.
Cooney benching and getting a decent amount of time last week.
Conway ahead of Earls.
Larmour at fullback.

Tactically we saw a change when we got into the 22 and scored a nice try because of it. Larmour was obviously given freedom to run off Sexton and was allowed to counter attack. I thought we held defenders inside quite well and created more space in midfield too.

I was disappointed with the performance last week too and would have made another two or three changes for this game, but I don't think things are as bad as they feel. Combine all of that with mitigating factors for the performance last week (time together, the ref, injuries) and maybe we're all being too pessimistic and just need something to spark a bit of excitement.

Look at Sexton's try here against France last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-TlEozlZ3w

Two dummy runners close in [Stockdale and Aki], lovely hands from Sexton and Ringrose, a great hard line with loads of animation from Larmour at FB and a runaround and in for Sexton. It's a different move, but tactically there is very little difference from what we did against the Scots – we used deception, accurate passing and running from depth instead of trying to bash our way over.

In my opinion some of the hacks are trying to spin Sexton's try against the Scots as something that Schmidt's teams never did [or the mild version, didn't do in 2019] and it's a bit ripe.