dobby wrote: I do hope Team Ireland don't have the nerve to call Tiernan up to the Emerging Ireland squad AGAIN. It would be an insult to the guy. He has well and truly emerged

You'd hope they wouldn't have the barefaced cheek but any things possible with them.
The longer there's no word on a call up for Matt, the more I think they're going to skulk off on their flight next Sunday without him. Anyone else see that retweet on home page saying Madigan has been at team hotel over last day or 2 and speculating that he's going as a utility back? FFS if that's true.
Whoops just saw that Sligsup already brought that bit of news to this thread. I'm slow off the mark, still recovering from the weekend! Think I need a dose of whatever Bundees on!

I do hope Team Ireland don't have the nerve to call Tiernan up to the Emerging Ireland squad AGAIN. It would be an insult to the guy. He has well and truly emerged

The whole way Team Ireland has been working under Schmidt (and others before him) is really starting to smell.

Recent Evidence

1. The way he tried to justify Rob Kearney over TOH and the back three argument stunk.

2. The rational for previous international experience stunk.
- Since the World Cup, Ireland have been piss poor.
- Even 2 victorious Six Nations playing very conservative, error free, controlling rugby.
- So what is that international experience really worth for the future of the game here? That we have slightly average wingers and a scrum half who can kick chase and a pack that can bosh and hold onto the ball consistently?

3. The logic for selecting Quinn Roux stunk. I sincerely hope he comes good, as he could be awesome, but I fear RAY 2.0.

4. The saga over the Matt Healy commentary and then selection tweet stunk.

5. Even the resting of McCloskey was strange given his justification remarks regarding Rob Kearney.

Joe is and has been on the defensive and he knows it. My gut tells me he will not extend his contract. He didn't look particularly comfortable through the Six Nations, nor since then.

Perhaps he prefers the club pace, where one has more width to build things.

Post the World Cup, there was a few weeks for players, coaches, fans, media, everyone, of the realisation that the game in Ireland and Europe in general, needed to change in order to compete with the southern hemisphere teams. It was meant to be this great big wake up call. I had hoped David Nucifora would demand and support this transition.

Beyond Connacht showing the way, Team Ireland are very slow to follow. Really does seem they are driven by the accountants.

sligsup wrote: On a side note - can someone answer me this - if a player is on a central contract is Joe obliged to pick him - i.e. if buckley and Cian Healy were fit and Buckley was the form prop - are Joes hands tied due to the central contract situation.

He's not officially obliged to pick him, no, but if a player is on a central contract it won't have happened without Schmidt lobbying for it. So in practice he's tied his own hands.

And to add a little bit into the mix - now please note it is from the daily mail - " Ireland are due to confirm a replacement for injured Leinster winger Luke Fitzgerald on Thursday. Connacht’s Matt Healy has been widely touted as a like-for-like replacement but Ian Madigan was seen with the Ireland squad at their Ballsbridge hotel on Tuesday and may be in the mix if Schmidt opts for versatility to widen his backline options. "

On a side note - can someone answer me this - if a player is on a central contract is Joe obliged to pick him - i.e. if buckley and Cian Healy were fit and Buckley was the form prop - are Joes hands tied due to the central contract situation.

dobby wrote:

EnricoPalazzo wrote: Nothing official yet but I just heard that Luke Fitzgerald picked up an injury in Saturdays match and so is out of the squad for South Africa. Apparently he is to be replaced by one of either Tiernan O' Halloran or Matt Healy.

Seems the irfu tweeted that matt had been called up and then deleted the tweet

So on Monday Schmidt said:

“Unfortunately Luke Fitzgerald picked up a knee injury in the game and he will be replaced and one of the Connacht players is right in the frame to be his replacement. We’ve got that information, there are other guys we’re waiting on information for and we’ll firm things up after that.

“Matt would certainly be one of the guys. One of the advantages with him is he’s a left-footed left winger; like for like with Luke Fitzgerald and he’d be certainly a guy who’s in contention.”

Schmidt explained that the decision was likely to be finalised this evening, the delay arising out of the coaching ticket’s presence at the funeral of Devin Toner’s father this morning.

Which quite conveniently defused some of the questions he would otherwise have had to answer after Saturday.

Meanwhile, the IRFU tweet that Matt has been called up, then quickly delete the tweet.

Now it's 48 hours later and still nothing.

Leaving aside the original decision to bring Dave Kearney over any of Connacht's back three, if Matt isn't called up now he will have been treated very badly.

EnricoPalazzo wrote: Nothing official yet but I just heard that Luke Fitzgerald picked up an injury in Saturdays match and so is out of the squad for South Africa. Apparently he is to be replaced by one of either Tiernan O' Halloran or Matt Healy.

Seems the irfu tweeted that matt had been called up and then deleted the tweet

Nothing official yet but I just heard that Luke Fitzgerald picked up an injury in Saturdays match and so is out of the squad for South Africa. Apparently he is to be replaced by one of either Tiernan O' Halloran or Matt Healy.

That's a fair point. I can accept that.

Either way it is madness, not very appealing and a kick in the nads to most players in this country.

Why would a Jake Heenan for example or say even a Marty Moore stick around?

Two different scenarios. One already gone.

Darragh wrote:
Have we learned nothing since the debacle that was the world cup?

EOS - 3 triple crowns; RWC reality check; increasingly bizarre form-defying selection & decline.

DK - 6N Grand Slam; RWC reality check; increasingly bizzarre etc. and so on.

JS - Back-to-back 6N championships; RWC reality check; you know where I'm going.

The issue may be the position, not the man: the financial driver of pro rugby in this country is a 5-match annual competition played (mostly) in the worst weather conditions of the year; this competition has absolutely no bearing on being competitive in the RWC. Furthermore you get your team for one, two and then one month blocks separated by two month periods, as opposed to the southern hemisphere where you have them for a one month block and then 2 months later for a 3.5 month block which allows the national team to train together consistently.

So maybe Joe didn't break the Ireland team, maybe the Irish job broke Joe.

Ok I have calmed down! I want Ireland to do well, but am no fan of the way we play and the complete mis-management of the national team.

Schmidt is a worse control freak than EOS was and he has displayed some really negative traits as a our national coach.

Eddie Jones is light years ahead with England.

I just can't imagine Eddie Jones picking players like

Dave Kearney
Rob Kearney
Jordi Murphy
Strauss
Earls

How Tiernan or one of our wingers have not been selected, I have no idea. I am saddened because our success should have been rewarded. I would also have picked Mick Kearney over Roux. So it is not solely about Connacht.

We will have learned nothing come the next world cup not that Schmidt will care because he won't be around.

Have we learned nothing since the debacle that was the world cup?

I have two feelings here 1. I feel sorry for the likes of Tiernan ,Matt , Denis if fit (and probably wouldn't have gone. Maybe Niyi was in with an outside chance given his form. But from a selfish end of it I'm delighted these guys have the summer to relax and rest given that above mentioned played the majority of the season and they will be ready to rock and roll come the new season.

Darragh wrote: I really do not like or trust the man. I hope now we are wiped in SA and this joker moves on.

Be careful what you wish for, we all know who his likely successor is.

Would been nice for Payne and TOH to be the two FBs
Would have been nice for one of Healy, Niyi or Gilroy to have gone instead of DK (or even 2 of them to have gone for DK and Luke Fitzgerald, who I'm a fan off but does he deserve the call up?)
I'm glad Olding is going but I do feel for McCloskey

An opportunity lost by Joe imo

Darragh wrote:
I really do not like or trust the man. I hope now we are wiped in SA and this joker moves on.

Ah now, I'm hoping this is tongue in cheek
I will most certainly be supporting Ireland

Pat's team talk just got a whole lot easier.

I'd say Pat is secretly delighted. This is absolutely perfect motivation for the likes of Healy, Adeolokun etc.. to show what they can do against their SA bound Leinster counterparts on Saturday.