Ireland set for Blacks
21 May 2012
Ireland have named a 29-man squad for their three-Test series against New Zealand.
Three uncapped players – Declan Fitzpatrick, Mike Sherry and Simon Zebo – were named in the group, which features vacant spaces to be filled by three forwards and one back once injuries to players are clarified.
Lock Paul O’Connell is the most notable of the absentees. He is still recovering from a knee injury. Brian O’Driscoll will captain for the Tests on June 9, 16 and 23.
Ireland squad
Forwards (16):
Rory Best (Ulster), Sean Cronin (Leinster) Stephen Ferris (Ulster), Declan Fitzpatrick (Ulster)*, Cian Healy (Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster), Sean O’Brien (Leinster), Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster), Peter O’Mahony (Munster), Mike Ross (Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Munster), Mike Sherry (Munster)*, Dan Tuohy (Ulster), A.N. Other, A.N. Other, A.N. Other
Backs (13):
Darren Cave (Ulster), Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster), Keith Earls (Munster), Rob Kearney (Leinster), Fergus McFadden (Leinster), Conor Murray (Munster), Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster) Captain, Ronan O’Gara (Munster), Eoin Reddan (Leinster), Jonathan Sexton (Leinster), Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Simon Zebo (Munster)*, A.N. Other
10 Comments
21 May 2012, 15:26 pm
My ex is irish.
I support the all blacks on this one.
let the bodies hit the floor.
21 May 2012, 15:40 pm
ferris, o’brien, heaslip. i like that loose trio, will at least give richie, keiran and whoever a run for their money.
21 May 2012, 19:27 pm
Fetchers
Australian Flankers are doing wonders at the breakdown, it seems having a fetcher is becoming a must in this years competition especially when a coach who doesn’t believe in fetchers is using one
If Jake White still doesn’t believe in
the merits of fetchers, how ironic that the soaring fortunes of Michael Hooper have played a key role in the Brumbies’ slightly unexpected Super Rugby success thus far in 2012
Fetchers will play an even bigger role come internationals especially in the four nations competition
Australia will be spoiled for choice in
1Hooper
2Gill
3Poccock
While NZ are also performing well at the breakdown with
1Braid
2Lowe
3 Todd
As for South african Flanks all they’ve been doing is contact play, strong running etc suited for the English test but not 4 nations & there has been no stand out at the breakdown not even Brussow but one SA player doing the BD job is Bismarck Du Plessis(Hence competitions leading turn over)
21 May 2012, 22:53 pm
Abs already in training, even with their amazing record of played 24: won 23; drawn 1……. Ireland will not be taken lightly. Abs have to preserve that aura of dominance over the Celtic nations, otherwise once they start believing in themselves, they become quite mad and start sprouting testes.
21 May 2012, 23:04 pm
The only time I support the Fat Maoris and assorted Pakehas in All Black is aginst these loud mouth Guinness swilling fanciful fools from the Emerald Isles…
Leinster won the HC and now they’re on top of the World…
Fark me, please give these Lecherous little Leprechauns a proper lesson in Willy Webb’s game…
Please?
21 May 2012, 23:05 pm
@storiejoernal(storiejoernal)-3:
so strange innit
Jakey the bullshitting Fakey SUDDENLY discovers the wonders of fetchers.. wonder what took him so long
Is it Larkham or Gregan opening his eyes to the reality that eventually has dawned on his daydreaming dichotomy..
Or perhaps he actually finally arose to the fact that rugby is not a series of collisions one attributes to at the stampkar circus.
Suddenly Michael Hooper is all the rage under the snake whereas when he had all the opportunity to introduce a player of almost identical attributes back in 2006 he rather chose to lose by 49-0 instead.
22 May 2012, 02:28 am
Heavens game, stop beyond coy, you know you love us.
22 May 2012, 03:06 am
well this is going to be interesting.
Ireland really could take a game this year from the ABs.
We cannot let that happen. Ireland can be a handful at times. With a win under there belt against the ABs well seriously change the Irish team.
They will be so full of confidence, stuff that. We need to win all games
22 May 2012, 11:11 am
I can’t remember when Ireland had a better opportunity. AB’s with new coaching team, key players lost, key players still finding form after injury, key players out of form, and others missing through injury. Meantime Ireland dominating the Euro club comps. If it is going to happen, it should be now.
22 May 2012, 17:56 pm
@aliboy(aliboy)-9:
It won’t happen I can all but guarantee it. The problem is Ireland’s ultra conservative coach who doesn’t pick on form, he had two guys who couldn’t get a start at their club in the Ireland first XV during the Six Nations. But the main problem is he only knew how to win with the old laws at the breakdown. He built his success at Munster around a 10 man game who would force the penalties and have a nearly impecable goal kicker in O’Gara, sound famillar anyone?
Unfortunately he hasn’t seemed to realise the game has moved on since then, the club teams are playing the best attacking brand of rugby in Europe under their kiwi coaches, but he persists on picking out of form, past it players to play archaic rugby, the sooner Joe Schmidt steps into the Ireland job the better.
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