Nothing like naming your favoured Irish XV to spark a debate or six…no better man than Keego to do it!
My day started off on a downer, Amazon sent me an email saying I could pre order the Dark Knight Rises. It really set the day off of a bad note. Why would I want that abomination in my DVD player? That’s another blog for another day...
That’s my first rant for the day; I think there may be a few more after we start talking about the squad for November!
With Best and Drico out with injuries, no proper full back and an Ozzie with Irish grandparents possibly getting a run out at prop, it is a maddening time. I had actually forgotten about how Kidney goes about his team selections. It appears that the coach/manager of any Irish national team has trouble with selection these days. Partly due to injuries and partly due to what appears to be, arrogance.
I thought I would pick my starting 15 with my reasoning (however misguided it may be), and then discuss. Followed by the abuse and rebuttal from the esteemed HoR2 readers ;).
15: F Jones (he must get the call) – saves others being played out of position, playing well after injury.
14: T Bowe – the jersey has his name on it in permanent marker.
13: K Earls – if we want Earls as the successor to BO’D then we need to play him there at every opportunity.
12: F McFadden – Same as Earls, with a possible Darce call up after a great shift last weekend.
11: A Trimble – a far far better winger than Zebo. He is more inventive and decisive.
10: J Sexton – any other choice is just insane. Even Munster fans must agree.
9: E Reddan – not as big as Murray but a far safer 9. Less prone to brain farts.
8: J Muldoon – deserves a start and will deliver.
7: J Heaslip * - the perfect time to try a new captain. Playing really well and would respond hugely to the armband.
6: S Ferris – injury dependent but I always love watching Fez smash people.
5: P O’Connell – again injury dependant (apparently it is the back this time), a talisman in the absence of BO’D. Would back up Heaslip greatly.
4: D Ryan – same as Ferris, I just love watching Ryan smash people.
3: M Ross – was there any other choice? Bent to get a run out, but it is Mike’s jersey
2: R Strauss – hard work at Leinster leads to the 2 jersey.
1: C Healy – getting to be his jersey much like Ross.
So there you have it. A lot of people are just slagging Kidney, but do not put their team forward. I have just done this. While some positions pick themselves, I think I will get attacked for my number 8 and 9 selection.
Starting from 15, I think picking Jones is a rational and sensible decision. If you didn’t pick him then you would be putting someone who doesn’t play full back in there. Whether it was Earls or even Bowe (as the rumor has it) it would take them out of their best position. Not the thing to do when we want to actually win a game.
14 should be no doubt about who gets that jersey. Bowe scares the jaysus out of every team he attacks.
13 is interesting, assuming Jones is picked then the Earls project can go ahead. People thing he is the successor to the jersey, well let’s play him there for 3 games in a row and see how it goes.
Fergus McFadden makes sense at 12, which means kidney will put him at full back ;). He has been consistent, and just like Earls, if they want him playing in the centre then we should be playing him in the centre. Darce is not out of the game yet after last weekend’s performance.
Andrew Trimble has been getting a rough time of it lately. Not being picked in big games. As we said above, we have to play the best players in their best positions. This is Trimble at 11. He is a far better player at this point than Simon Zebo. Zebo couldn’t side step a bus. Trimble could pirouette around a bus.
The 10 jersey has Sexton written on it. RO’G can get his last 15 minutes, but Sexton is one of the best 10’s in world rugby right now. Any other choice would be madness….
Now we come to controversy. There are people who think Murray is the better choice. The more physical 9 against the boks and Argentina. While from a physical stand point you may be right, he has at least 4 lapses in concentration in every game which has costs Munster against metro and others. We cannot afford this if we are to be taken seriously. Redden is the better player. Himself and Sexton have been playing well together and he deserves a start.
At number 8 I have put John Muldoon. I enjoy watching him play. He has been the talisman for Connacht and I think he also deserves a spot.
Our back row is difficult with the absences and injury prone-ness of it. But Muldoon deserves a start. Who else would you put in there?
Our number 7 and captain is Jamie Heaslip. He has been doing the duuuuurty work for a long time and has performed as captain for Leinster when he has been called upon. If we are looking to the future then we need to start now. Heaslip should be the Irish captain when BO’D relinquishes the arm band.
6 is my favorite position to watch. And my favorite player to watch in that position is Ferris. I really enjoy watching him smash through people. Hopefully the knee can hold up, but he has his name on that jersey.
At 5, again depending on injury, is Paul O’Connell. He bleeds green. It may be a bit harsh for me to pick Heaslip as captain, but again, looking to the future we need to use these series to blood a new captain. Paulie always gives everything for the jersey and should have the 5 jersey for as long as he wants it.
At 4 I have put Donncha Ryan. He is also great to watch, like Fez. You can see him grit his teeth and charge forward. It gives great momentum to the team. When Ryan and Fez smash through a few boks it will help the team hugely.
The 1,2,3 positions speak for themselves. Strauss has performed under pressure and has responded to them. Healy and Ross have their names written on the jerseys.
So there you have it. Keego’s starting 15. What do you think? What would you change?
Let the conversation begin @nkeegan or in the comments below this post.
Gagging for some green jersey action! Even though we’ll be wearing black v the Boks!
Keego (@nkeegan): Newbie blogger, former professional wrestler, sometime attempted rugby player (@TheThirsty3rds), professional procrastinator and attempted musician with a fondness for long walks on the bar, tea and the couch. Opinionated Leinster fan and constant gardener.
