The Ulster game got postponed I wonder how much of an effect this will have on Schmidt's choice of second row? McCarthy put in a very good shift tonight so you'd imagine he would have a very good chance probably better than Henderson who might not get a chance to shine this week depending on weather.

I think with Zebo he wasn't back fast enough and while he did look sharp would he be able to go a full 80 min? Better let him get some more gametime and bring him in later. As for Archer he's probably unlucky to miss out but he is still no. 2 in Munster behind Botha while Moore is pushing Ross hard at Leinster for the no. 1 spot. Still no sign of Fitzpatrick which is worrying, that concussion must have being worse than initially expected.

A little surprised that zebo, and to an extent Archer, were left out. I think that Schmidt values overall workrate in his wings though and maybe Zebo didn't show enough of that. Archer, obviously I've said I'm not convinced by him but the scrum held up at the weekend and TH is a precarious situation. I imagine that Schmidt will have been both these two and others some stuff to work on to improve their chances of making the squad in future.

No Zebo which is surprising, and Murray is there.

Perhaps he'll be back for the third game. Let's hope Kieran M will get called up too later in the series.

Rodney and Marmion didn't make the reduced squad. (Boss is heading home too). Glad we won't have to do without Marmion, tbh, we don't have much depth to cover him.

Fair play to Robbie, hope he gets some good game time.

Rodney tries on Irish Jersey for first time. Scroll to 38 seconds

No Zebo (just barely back from injury), so the only notable absentees are Gilroy, Court, Fitzpatrick and McLaughlin I think (and Paddy Wallace, obviously). Cue Nordie outrage.

Oh, and Herring is the Ulster no. 2 hooker.

Gilroy (concussion & broken nose)
Court (signing for L.I so is essentially retired)
Fitzpatrick (concussion)
McLaughlin (overtaken by Ruddock at Leinster who got a call-up)
Paddy Wallace (re-injured the same leg again. I think unfortunately that will be the end of his career and he'll retire in the summer).

Rob Herring is a fantastic Hooker who played for the Emerging Ireland squad last summer and gave a good account of himself. Nothing flashy but those all the basics well.

As for Rodney, Schmidt gave a presentation about the type of rugby he wants Ireland to play a week or two again at a coach's seminar. He emphasized at one point the need for Ireland to carry ball more to create space. Regardless of Rodney's other faults he's a very good carrier of the ball and with SOB out injured, Ferris on long-term injury and Healy just back that leaves Ireland with very few ball-carriers. It makes sense for Schmidt to want to look at Rodney and see if he could be utilized as one.

P.S. I could see Heaslip doing a lot more carries this 6N than he's done in a few years.

swift4prez wrote:

salmson wrote: Both Rodney and Nathan will be off the non-Irish list next year. If Parks doesn't re-sign then we have only Poolman, Heenan, and George who are NIQ/NIE, so dollars pending (thanks Pat) we should be able to sign a few from abroad.

Do you know something we don't about Craig Clarke

Muller is retiring and Humphries is stamping his ickle foot, I believe... Nah, just me being dumb.

just to echo what has been said about Dan Mcfarland, year after year he's coached our pack to punch above it's weight, the setpiece this year has been imperious and a lot of the credit for that goes to Dan.

Robbo wrote: If Big Rod is capped, does that mean that he isntantly ceases to be a "Project Player" and there may be another gap to fill there?

Once he became IQ in October, he's no longer on the NIQ list, so whether he gets a cap or not doesn't matter from that point of view. Of course it stops the All Blacks capping him and making him ineligible again ...

ummm, wrote:

Sol_ie wrote: IRELAND Extended 2014 RBS 6 Nations Championship Squad
Rodney Ah You (Buccaneers/Connacht)*

Called it

Er... not quite right. I think you said he'd be in the Wolfhounds. I'm sure he'll drop into that team - but let's celebrate his current call up for the Full squad.

RonanL wrote: Yes, particularly happy for Rodney, and fair play to the coaches too, for helping him along the way. Dan McFarland is some man it seems! I didn't see the Rodney selection coming, but I'd be quietly confident he'll give a good account of himself.

Indeed, while it's jobs for the boys at the IRFU Dan just keeps on delivering year after year with the pack.....

salmson wrote: Both Rodney and Nathan will be off the non-Irish list next year. If Parks doesn't re-sign then we have only Poolman, Heenan, and George who are NIQ/NIE, so dollars pending (thanks Pat) we should be able to sign a few from abroad.

Do you know something we don't about Craig Clarke

Both Rodney and Nathan will be off the non-Irish list next year. If Parks doesn't re-sign then we have only Poolman, Heenan, and George who are NIQ/NIE, so dollars pending (thanks Pat) we should be able to sign a few from abroad.

If Big Rod is capped, does that mean that he isntantly ceases to be a "Project Player" and there may be another gap to fill there?

Yes, particularly happy for Rodney, and fair play to the coaches too, for helping him along the way. Dan McFarland is some man it seems! I didn't see the Rodney selection coming, but I'd be quietly confident he'll give a good account of himself.