He's dropped to give Reddan a send off. Simples. Sometimes rugby can be too sentimental for it's own good IMO

I'm very disappointed for Kieran. To sit him on a bench so many times this year and then simply drop him without giving him any chance is simply not fair on a guy that has shown so much potential. Indeed I suspect if Jarrod had been fit for this weekend we probably would have seen 3 further minutes of Tiernan and none of Matt at all. And while I appreciate that Eoin is hanging up his boots, that is no justification for giving him a sympathy vote for the bench. Joe is a hard man to get a handle on. As Tiernan explained in various articles the structures used at Team Ireland are nothing like Connacht. It does seem if you don't fit, you don't fit (as Darren Cave and potentially Stuart McCloskey found). I appreciate that the man has little time with the players and can't simply reprogram them in a few days. I think I would have rathered Kieran hadn't been involved at all. His confidence has simply got a kicking for no benefit. I do hope Matt gets a game tomorrow rather another token 3 minute thing. Though if things are tight Joe won't change things. That worries me with the likes of Marshalll, Trimble and Murray really showing the effects of a long season. If we end up losing this final game because of not changing things up before the guys fall flat on the feet I will finally will have had my all of Joe

At least this time he knew what he was going into, Connor Murray can take a lot of pressure off Sexton with his kicking game, that's not the kind of scrum half Kieran is, his strength is more in keeping the ball moving, a high priority with Connacht, Ireland put more emphasis on defending the ruck.
After reading the interview with T O'H I wonder if Kieran gets black marks for deviating from The Plan, there seem to be very rigid roles for each player with added rucking.

Really makes you wonder what Joe wants in a back up scrumhalf - maybe for Boss to be 10 years younger? Others here before have observed that Marmion came back from Ireland camp bereft of confidence and I think the same thing will happen again, his season has been needlessly extended in terms of travel, training, etc but with an added **** you from the coach, meaning he will need extended rest before coming back to Connacht training. He is the second best scrum half in Ireland and arguably the most complete scrumhalf in terms of skillset, yet he is constantly passed over.
I must say that for all Schmidt's good qualities there's one thing that's obvious, which Cave infamously stated a couple of years ago, and that is that if your face doesn't fit you're not getting anywhere with this guy.

greyingbeard wrote: Looks like Kieran missed out so Reddan can get a send off

Of course this means that Matt needs just 3 minutes game-time to leave Ireland's backup scrumhalf with the least minutes of any player on the tour, behind even the debutants and such "luminaries" as Kilcoyne and Strauss.

Looks like Kieran missed out so Reddan can get a send off

Hopefully Joe uses the bench this week!

Tiernan starts at FB
Bealham, Dillane and Matt Healy on bench

I was away and missed the test at the weekend. Anyone know where and how I could see it?

would like to think that if payne is unavailable that Healy would get the nod over Gilroy (you would expect Trimble and Earls to start on the wings) on the bench with TOH starting (based on the argument that toh and healy work well together). That said if the articles written about TOH on the times and indo today the irish structure is much different to the Connacht structure. So it might be the case that matt will see no gametime which would be a shame. if jarrod becomes available you would expect that toh gets the 23 shirt in case of any issue with jarrod during the game. obviously Madigan must take the 22 shirt after how wrecked Jackson looked towards the end of the game last week.

bottom line great to have two further players in the Ireland fold no matter how things pan out.

Report in independent today that Jarrod Payne a doubt for saturday

greyingbeard wrote:

Westie85 wrote: In that case i guess it was just me who missed it. Oops.

You weren't the only one that missed it

I missed it too as did the ESPN site, he was down as unused on their match report though that's now been amended.

Westie85 wrote: In that case i guess it was just me who missed it. Oops.

You weren't the only one that missed it

Westie85 wrote: In that case i guess it was just me who missed it. Oops.

Wasn't just you, he didn't touch the ball. There was an animated discussion on the subject at work Monday morning, all involved were either tearing hair out or drowning sorrows at that stage, and, to quote Murray Kinsella "The closest O'Halloran came to being involved was when Jackson and Trimble produced knock-on on kick return."

Westie85 wrote: In that case i guess it was just me who missed it. Oops.

Sorry, my message comes across a bit snobby. Seems a few people were tweeting about it today.
I thought everyone knew, but I think I might have been in the minority.

Anyway, bad enough way to win your fist cap. 4minutes, and not one touch of the ball, or anything to do.
Hope Healy gets a chance this weekend

In that case i guess it was just me who missed it. Oops.

Who missed it? Sure Irish rugby tweeted about all the guys who earned they're first cap.
Himself, Roux and Reidy

Also, you could see him lined up on the pitch for the last play. The camera showed him between the goal posts.
Thought everyone knew that he had been capped.