Ireland Summer tour.

First topic message reminder :

So now we know who's off with the Lions, who you like to see tour with Ireland? I was hoping that some of the regular wingers would have went as I'd like to see Byrne and the young Munster winger get a crack this summer. Fingers crossed they still will. My starting XV this summer would be:
Healy, Cronin, Ryan, O'Connor, Ryan, Conan, Van der Flier, Heaslip, Marmion, Jackson, Sweetnam (sp), Olding, Ringrose, Byrne, O'Halloran.

Best will get a 1 year contract to take him to the World Cup.

I am as certain as I can be he sees the WC as his swansong

Maybe with Ireland geoff, he has said because of what happened with his brother he will keep playing for as long as his body allows and as long as he's enjoying it

Cyril wrote:Heaslip is like John Terry at Chelsea.

Will he insist on a standing ovation after 8 minutes during his final international?

That was ridiculous. I thought the send off BOD got was a bit silly too. Not a fan of long drawn out goodbyes.

marty2086 wrote:Hes about a year older but like Heaslip has done pretty well regarding injury since he has surgery on a disc problem about 8 years ago only missing games for Ireland because of his broken arm and illness

Exactly as such i hope both are fit and well for the next RWC.

I can see the IRFU's point in not offering DR a central contract because he'll be 35 during the next world cup and his injury record isn't great.


The IRFU look like they've taken stock of what's coming through and who'll be around for the world cup. We've a new wave of second rows coming through now that will really boost stocks. In 2 years the options could be Toner, Henderson, James Ryan, Treadwell and Dillane with more on the way.

GunsGermsV2 wrote:

Cyril wrote:Heaslip is like John Terry at Chelsea.

Will he insist on a standing ovation after 8 minutes during his final international?

That was ridiculous. I thought the send off BOD got was a bit silly too. Not a fan of long drawn out goodbyes.

Like making a Baa Baa's game capped so Martyn Williams can get his 100 or Shane's final, final, final, final goodbye game. I'll make an exception for Phil Vickery.

Sin é wrote:

He has been the best payed rugby player in Ireland over the last 6 or 8 years. Remember, Jonathan Sexton was pissed off because he wasn't the highest earning player because Heaslip was. Heaslip was getting paid more than the likes of ROG & Paul O'Connell who were backboning Munster and Ireland for the best part of 15 years.

The IRFU really screwed up with Donnacha Ryan. Too bloody smart for their own good. They thought he would never leave Munster. Shane Horgan said a couple of years ago that the IRFU took advantage of the Munster players in particular because they knew they would never leave.

Sounds like its the world vs Munster Sin?

Part of the salary comes from sponsorship. Heaslip is a lot better looking than Ryan who doesnt have a very marketable face unless you are running a pest control company or something. Could that be the reason?

Rog was quite a divisive a character and his own worst enemy a lot of the time. He also generated his fair share of scandals which wouldnt help the sponsorship side of things. His agent also toyed with the IRFU over bogus claims that the Miami Dolphins waned to sign him along fake announcements of retirement etc.

GunsGermsV2 wrote:

Sin é wrote:

He has been the best payed rugby player in Ireland over the last 6 or 8 years. Remember, Jonathan Sexton was pissed off because he wasn't the highest earning player because Heaslip was. Heaslip was getting paid more than the likes of ROG & Paul O'Connell who were backboning Munster and Ireland for the best part of 15 years.

The IRFU really screwed up with Donnacha Ryan. Too bloody smart for their own good. They thought he would never leave Munster. Shane Horgan said a couple of years ago that the IRFU took advantage of the Munster players in particular because they knew they would never leave.

Sounds like its the world vs Munster Sin?

Part of the salary comes from sponsorship. Heaslip is a lot better looking than Ryan who doesnt have a very marketable face unless you are running a pest control company or something. Could that be the reason?

Rog was quite a divisive a character and his own worst enemy a lot of the time. He also generated his fair share of scandals which wouldnt help the sponsorship side of things. His agent also toyed with the IRFU over bogus claims that the Miami Dolphins waned to sign him along fake announcements of retirement etc.

Divisive character my eye! By the way, ROG never had an agent - he negotiated his own contracts and he actually said that all his dealings were very straight forward.

As for Heaslip - Heaslip was the best paid player in Ireland about 2 years before Sexton went to France which was about 6 years ago - so he was earning more than BOD & POC who were captaining Ireland.

Sin é wrote:

Divisive character my eye! By the way, ROG never had an agent - he negotiated his own contracts and he actually said that all his dealings were very straight forward.

As for Heaslip - Heaslip was the best paid player in Ireland about 2 years before Sexton went to France which was about 6 years ago - so he was earning more than BOD & POC who were captaining Ireland.

Ah well now, that depends on how much Heaslip's agent was charging him

In fairness, if someone can get more money than others then fair feics to them. Happens every day in the work force.

Do you really think Rog wasn't a divisive character Sin? That's his choice anyway if he didn't want an agent although I thought he did.

Anyway did you forget about the time Rog announced the Miami Dolphins were trying to sign him in the lead up to his contract negotiations? O'Gara admitted to using the rumours to his advantage in contract negotiations and I have no issue with that at all. I myself would always cite other offers if Im looking for a raise or promotion. I thought everyone did that.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/o-gara-to-consider-miami-dolphins-offer-1.466874

By the way November internationals tickets went on sale today via the supporters club for anyone interested.

TOD out of the tour with an ankle injury, Sean Reidy has been called up

Bad luck

Not for Reidy

Congrats to Ireland 7s, won the 1st tournament of the European GP in Moscow. Teams like England, Wales and France put out 2nd/3rd string teams, but the likes of Russia, Spain and Germany looked to have their top players so it's quite a feat. They beat both Russia and Spain in the semis and final.
There are places in the 7s World cup in 2018, and in the HK World Series qualifier tournament at stake (except England, Wales and France, and any WS team obviously).

Jackson out of the USA game for personal reasons - again.

At least it will only be for one game. I wonder when that issue will get sorted, though.

Later rather than sooner apparently.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:At least it will only be for one game. I wonder when that issue will get sorted, though.

They've been waiting nearly a year now to be told whats going on with their case, it's getting a bit ridiculous. I understand the seriousness of the accusation but that goes both ways and to have it hanging over you and interfering with your job is crazy.

Agreed after a year it should be a case of either charge him or drop it.

That should be true of any investigation, other than incredibly complex ones like fraud

Obviously I have to be careful, but I did hear from a rather reliable source that if the alleged accusations are true, "things could get very messy". If that is the case, it isn't surprising that this is taking such a long time. At the end of the day, the lads have no one else to blame but themselves for making such life choices.

I reckon Schmidt may get impatient as well. Great opportunity for Carbery against USA.

geoff999rugby wrote:Agreed after a year it should be a case of either charge him or drop it.

That should be true of any investigation, other than incredibly complex ones like fraud

Fair point, but the UK legal system is an absolute mess at the minute, truth be told. Unnecessarily lengthy trials are fairly common, which of course make it impossible for the accused to find work in the mean time.

Agreed totally but at the same time the delay, given the volume of the evidence, is not really acceptable

Rory if you are found guilty of a sexual crime it's a given that it'll get messy with prison, tags and the sex offenders register in your future plus probably getting the sack as well and being a potentially unemployable player

I know the some of the gossip and innuendo around the case, thankfully not the details but it does seem the PPS may be in a position of damned if they do and damned if they don't and are waiting on something to swing the balance for them.

Imagine if the Pro12 were to add American teams and the problems that may present for Ulster but if Jackson is not in camp for a week or so he may not get ahead of Carberry this summer

Exciting team named. Stockdale to make his debut.
Scannell, Ryan, Porter and Heffernan to debut off the bench.

Ireland (v USA):

15. Tiernan O’Halloran
14. Keith Earls
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Luke Marshall
11. Jacob Stockdale
10. Joey Carbery
9. Kieran Marmion
1. Cian Healy
2. Niall Scannell
3. John Ryan
4. Quinn Roux
5. Devin Toner
6. Rhys Ruddock (captain)
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Jack Conan
Replacements:
16. Dave Heffernan
17. Dave Kilcoyne
18. Andrew Porter
19. James Ryan
20. Dan Leavy
21. Luke McGrath
22. Rory Scannell
23. Simon Zebo

geoff999rugby wrote:Agreed totally but at the same time the delay, given the volume of the evidence, is not really acceptable

Don't have any details of this case or the circumstances behind it, but in general I would say that the delay in everything probably isn't great for the victim either. It's not only the accused that suffer from a drawn out process.

Equally if the accusations are baseless then a swift process would allow persecuted innocents to seek recompense.

Interesting to see porter picked as a tight head. Has he played for Leinster there since switching sides?

Really happy with that team, very exciting backs there. It does seem that it is a Leinster development tour with Ryan and Porter on the bench.

profitius wrote:Exciting team named. Stockdale to make his debut.
Scannell, Ryan, Porter and Heffernan to debut off the bench.

Ireland (v USA):

15. Tiernan O’Halloran
14. Keith Earls
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Luke Marshall
11. Jacob Stockdale
10. Joey Carbery
9. Kieran Marmion
1. Cian Healy
2. Niall Scannell
3. John Ryan
4. Quinn Roux
5. Devin Toner
6. Rhys Ruddock (captain)
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Jack Conan
Replacements:
16. Dave Heffernan
17. Dave Kilcoyne
18. Andrew Porter
19. James Ryan
20. Dan Leavy
21. Luke McGrath
22. Rory Scannell
23. Simon Zebo

I like a lot about the side and the split of youth and experience starting and on the bench.

But.... Heaslip is injured and SOB/POM/CJ are on Lions yet the entire starting and substitute backrow are Leinster players! Something is just wrong in that. Are we really saying that (with the exception of POM and CJ) you have to go through the entire leinster back row squad almost before there is a next best option out of Ulster/Connacht or the rest of Munster. Surely even the likes of a Gilsenan doing alright in LI would be an option.

Healy starting at LH, Over/under 3.5 for the number of times his side of the scrum goes to ground causing a reset/penalty? That fella needs to spend more time on his technique and less time in the gym.

Any one know if this will be shown in England?

Nope - not even shown in Northern Ireland

I think that they are being shown on PremierHD in England... Channel 428 on the Skybox.

Just as well someone pointed it out, I thought eirSports were showing it but they are showing it on a delay

billys right about Premier Sports

If people don't have PremierHD, PM me before the match and I will set up a link for you to stream from my mine

Very kind of you Billy.

If you download Mobdro app I think Premiers on there too and NBC Sports are showing the game you can access it through Mobdro too

Thanks gents

Cheers so does that mean you have to have a Sky package to watch it - if you are on BT or Virgin you don't get it ?

It's on Sky and Virgin, not sure about BT but think you need the Sports packages for it these days

eirSports will be showing the game live now

Got to work tonight. Ah well will keep the gin on ice and try and catch a replay tomorrow

Terrible commentry for this game. Commentator keeps calling AJ McGinty Adge.

Ringrose taking the kicks

Madigan mkII without the kicking unfortunately.

Clearly those wee kicks are a tactic. It isn't working - break out of your robotic instructions and adapt please.

Marmion having an excellent game. Good to see what a bit of pace and creativity can do to a game. Wingers are actually scoring tries. More of this from Ireland please.

Carbery reminiscent of ROG getting charged down - oh dear!
Liam Toland ridiculous.

It's quite sad. Since his injury he hasn't been the same. Seems to have lost a bit of confidence.

Who Toland!

There's going to be some rejig of the backline here.