Summer tour of Dublin 2021

[the spoofer]

So what are people thinking? Something like this at a guess:

Kilcoyne, Herring, Bealham, Baird, Dillane, O'Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris, Gibson-Park, Carbery, Stockdale, McCloskey, Farrell, Larmour, Keenan
Replacements: Kelleher, Byrne, Tom O'Toole, Maloney, Coombes, Casey, Harry Byrne, Baloucoune.

Think you will be spot on with starting 15.

[Degz]

Just don't see the point in this lineup:

5. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 11 caps
14. Jordan Larmour (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 29 caps
13. Chris Farrell (Munster/Young Munster) 14 caps
12. Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 4 caps
11. Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan) 34 caps
10. Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 22 caps
9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 9 caps
1. Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 43 caps
2. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 11 caps
3. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 14 caps
4. Ultan Dillane (Connacht/Corinthians) 18 caps
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 35 caps captain
6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 75 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 31 caps
8. Caelan Doris (Leinster/UCD) 7 caps

Replacements
16. Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 21 caps
17. Ed Byrne (Leinster/UCD) 4 caps
18. John Ryan (Munster/Cork Constitution) 23 caps
19. Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University) 3 caps
20. Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster) uncapped
21. Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 1 cap
22. Billy Burns (Ulster) 6 caps
23. Shane Daly (Munster/Cork Constitution) 1 cap

[CiaranIrl]

So what are people thinking? Something like this at a guess:

Kilcoyne, Herring, Bealham, Baird, Dillane, O'Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris, Gibson-Park, Carbery, Stockdale, McCloskey, Farrell, Larmour, Keenan
Replacements: Kelleher, Byrne, Tom O'Toole, Maloney, Coombes, Casey, Harry Byrne, Baloucoune.

Think you will be spot on with starting 15.

I wasn't far off, but even my prediction of how conservative Farrell would be never dreamt of a 33 year old bang average tighthead making the bench.

I'm very suprised Ryan is starting as well. I really didn't think they would risk him. He should rally have been given the summer off at this stage.

[hugonaut]

Not a very interesting selection, but Farrell is obviously concerned first and foremost about winning/not losing this match. After a little bit of a slow start against the Lions last week, the Japanese looked very slick in the second half.

It amazes me that Coombes doesn't get a start here, either at No6 or No8. The guy has been in such great form – I'm not sure what Farrell intends with this selection. I'm also surprised to see Billy Burns in at sub fly-half. Why not put Harry Byrne in? You don't get many test matches like these where you have the opportunity to take a chance on young players.

[mildlyinterested]

joke selection, no interest in watching them.

[Ruckedtobits]

Ryan at reserve THP is a conservative selection but even more so is Farrell / McCloskey in the centre. But the most annoying aspect is the 6/2 selection on the bench against the physically smallest team in the top dozen rugby nations.

Would have preferred to see Addison at 13 with Coombes at 8 and Doris at 6.

Nothing other than pride at stake but the opportunity to see what others could do should have been taken.

[cormac]

Ryan at reserve THP is a conservative selection but even more so is Farrell / McCloskey in the centre. But the most annoying aspect is the 6/2 selection on the bench against the physically smallest team in the top dozen rugby nations.

Would have preferred to see Addison at 13 with Coombes at 8 and Doris at 6.

Nothing other than pride at stake but the opportunity to see what others could do should have been taken.

Which one of Craig Casey, Billy Burns or Shane Daly do you think is a forward?????

[Xanthippe]

Not a very interesting selection, but Farrell is obviously concerned first and foremost about winning/not losing this match. After a little bit of a slow start against the Lions last week, the Japanese looked very slick in the second half.

It amazes me that Coombes doesn't get a start here, either at No6 or No8. The guy has been in such great form – I'm not sure what Farrell intends with this selection. I'm also surprised to see Billy Burns in at sub fly-half. Why not put Harry Byrne in? You don't get many test matches like these where you have the opportunity to take a chance on young players.

The IRFU seem to place great importance on our ranking and the problem with playing teams like Japan is that they are very capable of beating us which would have a massive impact on our ranking. A loss by less than 15 points would drop us from 4th to 7th but by more than 15 would drop us to 9th - which would equal our worst ever position (caused by one of our worst 6 Nations ever when we lost to England, Scotland and Italy)

[erskinechilders]

So disappointingly conversative. Why bother having Herring & John Ryan in there? This is Tom O'Tooles 3rd/4th national squad and yet to get a cap which is bizarre.

Very disappointed not to see either Balacoune or Hume in there. The McCloskey / Farrell combo is so boring and isn't good enough to cut it at the top. I fear Farrells' defensive reads at 13 will be found out big time against the Japanese.

Re: Harry Byrne, he wasn't in a single one of INPHO's photos of the training sessions, leads me to believe thats why Lowry has been called up. Not sure.

[Ruckedtobits]

Ryan at reserve THP is a conservative selection but even more so is Farrell / McCloskey in the centre. But the most annoying aspect is the 6/2 selection on the bench against the physically smallest team in the top dozen rugby nations.

Would have preferred to see Addison at 13 with Coombes at 8 and Doris at 6.

Nothing other than pride at stake but the opportunity to see what others could do should have been taken.

Which one of Craig Casey, Billy Burns or Shane Daly do you think is a forward?????

Touchè. A dozy mid-afternoon comment from a disgruntled fan who was hoping for an exciting selection!

[wixfjord]

Whatever about Herring, who is likely to be in the 23 for the autumn at least, Ryan on the bench makes no sense.

Swap POM for Coombes and that pack would look a lot better imo.

The centre combo is a bit uninspiring, but couldn't see Hume being brought in to start when he wasn't in the original squad.

Daly on the bench is a poor call too. Balacoune should be #23.

[ronk]

It's a trying not to get fired selection. Which kinda is a bigger problem right now

[Xanthippe]

Whatever about Herring, who is likely to be in the 23 for the autumn at least, Ryan on the bench makes no sense.

Swap POM for Coombes and that pack would look a lot better imo.

The centre combo is a bit uninspiring, but couldn't see Hume being brought in to start when he wasn't in the original squad.

Daly on the bench is a poor call too. Balacoune should be #23.

I’m wondering if POM is there because there’s a chance Ryan won’t actually play - he’s in so we have an experienced captain just in case

[Oldschool]

It's a trying not to get fired selection. Which kinda is a bigger problem right now

Doubtful that getting fired is an issue.
However, Japan are a very well drilled team, the team we saw in the last twenty minutes against the Lions is probably closer to the real Japan and like in the RWC they look extremely fit not to mention skilful.
Ireland are a patched up selection which would mitigate against too much experimentation.
Minus our seven Lions plus injuries means we're left with an Ireland A team.
The players who are missing and could make the 23 are Cooney, Marmion, Madigan, Moore.
Japan will expose Stockdale but then again he might expose Japan.
This is a very hard game to predict.
It's could be a real banana skin, but for who?
It will be interesting to see what the bookies have to say.

[backrower8]

Paddy Power has us 10 point favourites. I don't agree. If Japan get parity up front I think they will win. We have a lumbering backline in 11, 12 & 13. Both our wingers are poor defenders.

[ronk]

Paddy Power has us 10 point favourites. I don't agree. If Japan get parity up front I think they will win. We have a lumbering backline in 11, 12 & 13. Both our wingers are poor defenders.

Stockdale isn't lumbering.

[heno]

Is Ryan semi injured or was that headline just planted by his agent to save his blushes at not getting picked for the lions?

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[lummix]

Interesting team going to try and out power them which makes sense I suppose.petes days in the back row have to be numbered. I wonder will farrell and McCloskey be too slow in the outside channels vs this Japan team. I think it'll be close

[backrower8]

Paddy Power has us 10 point favourites. I don't agree. If Japan get parity up front I think they will win. We have a lumbering backline in 11, 12 & 13. Both our wingers are poor defenders.

Stockdale isn't lumbering.

Not when running in a straight line, he isn't. As for the rest of time though? He is a good footballer, a big and fast man with poor defensive positional sense. All of this combines to regularly leave him lumbering as nimble players, with lower centres of gravity turn him inside out, or kickers put a kick in behind him, forcing him to turn...in a lumbering fashion.

[Oldschool]

Paddy Power has us 10 point favourites. I don't agree. If Japan get parity up front I think they will win. We have a lumbering backline in 11, 12 & 13. Both our wingers are poor defenders.

Ta.
So how does that work as actual bet!
Given that Japan are likely winners with a ten point start and that's the bet I would make.
IE I think Japan will lose by less than ten points and might even win.