Dead rats hurled at Copenhagen players during Brondby clash

@Cortiss: you’ve lost me there

@apuuu: ah, Doris’s injury and winning those first two games with CJ at 8 & POM at 6 wasn’t great in some ways in terms of us developing our game plan. Doris was selected at 8 for a reason on day 1 and that reason hasn’t changed so it’s ultra conservative by Farrell not to follow through and start him at 8.

@BMJF: Scotland and England are 2 vastly different teams though.

@Jim Demps: Healy hasn’t been great recently but Killer hasn’t been knocking the door down in all fairness, think Healys experience and form over last year gives him the nod

@Jim Demps : https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/nov/02/rassie-erasmus-the-brains-behind-south-africas-bomb-squad

Fierce good article attached here

@Jim Demps: I don’t see the logic in weakening your team for the last 20/30 when the game is in the balance. Everyone has their own take.

@Jim Demps: just read the Ringrose comment, been consistently a 8/10 and the magic we need, he’s first centre on team sheet. Yes Henshaw and Aki played well vs Wales but it has been shaky is recent times

@Cortiss: I’d disagree, a simple comparison between the two from the welsh game tells it’s own story. Aside from the fact that the only scrum penalty we’ve won in two games was killers, in 60 minutes Healy carried twice for 3m, attempted 6 tackles and missed one. In the 20 minutes that killer was on he carried twice for 5m and attempted 10 tackles and missed one. Considering the ruck stats weren’t glowing about Healy I’d say those numbers tell their own story re work rate.

@Cortiss: for Leinster maybe but I’d be struggling to think of the last time I saw that magic for ireland. Think henshaw gives us that directness we need and gets us over the gain line. Henshaw isnt as good a first centre as Aki, I’ve always said that, he’s a far far better 13 than he is a 12.

@Jim Demps: have to disagree on Ringrose. He is a adult our best centre when fit. Was one of the only players to come out of the World Cup with any credit. He’s a class act.

@Jim Demps: the thing is we see his magic every game, but everybody is used to it that it’s over looked now. Also I know Leinster is different to Ireland but 2 hatricks and many brilliant performances show his class

@Jim Demps: Comparing a starting prop against a prop who comes on for the last 20 minutes isn’t a fair comparison. No doubt Killer is playing well currently but to say he’s the better player is yet to be proven.

@Cortiss: I’m not as convinced as you seem to be. You’re going back nearly 2 years since he scored or assisted against a top tier country, and 2 years again for the time previous. Don’t get me wrong, he’s class and it’s great to see the impact he has for Leinster but Im not so sure he’s an automatic choice at 13. Henshaw brings more to the jersey as an all rounder, he’s a better defender and while he may be short of the magic as you put it of ringrose, he gets over the gainline and is a good distributor

@Rocky Raccoon: well yes I’d agree given that one is on the pitch for 3 times longer than the other but If the sub is surpassing the numbers of the starter given the time on pitch difference then I’d say there’s an issue.

@Jim Demps: Ringrose like most layers has been constrained by Joes tactics over the last couple of years. I seem to recall you not fancying Henshaw during the World Cup. Changing your tune?

@Kevin: not really, still don’t fancy him as a 12. I’ve always said that he could be a world class 13, massively over rated as a 12 though.

@Jim Demps: try scoring against top tier nations isn’t a major problem. He’s a smart player who creates tries for others, very unselfish too. Off to the top of my head I remember the unnecessary pass to Conway to make sure of the try and the lovely pass to stockdale vs Wales on the loop

@Jim Demps: fair enough. I’d tend to agree you you in so far as preferring him as a 13. I hope he goes well and lasts the game on Sunday!!!

@Cortiss: yup, I’m not arguing that he’s a bad player at all, just maybe not a guaranteed spot on the team. I haven’t done the numbers but I’d wonder if henshaw and Aki have played together more times than ringrose and henshaw?

@Jim Demps: So you wouldn’t factor fatigue and Wales being 12 points down in a low scoring game into your comparison?

@Jim Demps: I wouldn’t think so, but the Leinster partnership gives them an advantage I think

@Kevin: you think ringrose has been constrained by tactics? I don’t know what that makes henshaw when he’s literally been shoved into 12 to be used in the Jamie Roberts role even though he’s always been a 13/15

@Cortiss: may be an unpopular opinion but I believe having your best 12 at 12 really gives either partnership Aki is a part of an advantage, the better 13 can be selected between the two others for each matchup then

@Cortiss: I’d say it might be a lot closer than you think. Henshaw has only played forty odd times for Leinster and he’s got nearly 80 games for connacht

@Rocky Raccoon: do explain how fatigue affects the tackling and carrying numbers differently for the two.

@Jim Demps: Killer isn’t a better player.. but he does provide some ball carrying impact off the bench. More to the role that a few aggressive carries. Killer offers more off the bench as other said and he is strengths can be used best when other team is tiring a bit

@Jim Demps: I like the continuity. Killer is an unbelievable impact player but I accept there are other opinions.

@Con Henihan: Tom *Court – though I guess you have proved a point about how forgettable that afternoon was

@Cortiss: yeah that would have been a potential option – especially with Cooney able to kick

@#JUSTICE4NOEL: Doris over Pete not a hope, Kelleher hasn’t been shooting the starts out recently

@Cortiss: not a hope? Because he wasnt poor against Wales he deserves it over Doris who has played better all year?

@#JUSTICE4NOEL: cooney should be starting also btw. Most in form scrum half in europe.

@@: he’s been injured recently and Herring has been doing very well in there. Not sure how that is beyond you

@Andrew Taz Donohoe: played last week for ster. Been class all year. Brings more to the table than herring. Easy decision really.

@Cortiss: Kelleher is only back from injury so he hasn’t had to much of a chance to ‘shoot the stars out’ recently. He played very well for Leinster last week. Herring has been fine. Kelleher will get his chance.

@#JUSTICE4NOEL: hard to disagree with any of your selection calls there, bar Kilcoyne. Think he is being overrated a bit and Healy is still out in front. Can understand not wanting to change things in Twickenham, but that back row has not worked vs real opposition. Think it will be the same on Sunday.

@#JUSTICE4NOEL: Kelleher is very one-dimensional with his running, offers very little else, and not as good a LO thrower as Herring. No surprise and correct call that he’s benched.

@Cortiss: the debacle that was Japan RWC was partly caused by the ‘he hasn’t done anything’ to be dropped approach. You don’t improve as a team by saying if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Kelleher offers something a little bit special in my view, as does Doris and to beat England I think we needed their youthful exuberance, dynamism and ball handling skills. That said they’ll probably come on off the bench together with 20mins to go

@Andrew Taz Donohoe: he played for Leinster at weekend and looked fired up …But look it he’ll be on for 20mins anyway

@Carmine Lorenzo: I agree. We needed something different .. a ball playing, passing, off loading, running back row needed to beat the power game of England. Wales showed last year how to beat them and it’s a combination of physicality and the ability of forwards with ball in hand

@Jerry Mahony:
Because he is the best player in his position. Isn’t that the reason any player should be picked?

@Jerry Mahony: I wouldn’t be his greatest fan either but he is currently our best option. When he’s on top form he’s excellent but can be pretty average imo.

Win or lose I would expect changes for the Italy game. If those who get their chance then shoot the lights out they’ll be retained for France otherwise back pretty much to Sunday’s 15

@TL55: He always seems to struggle against top strong packs

@Jerry Mahony: who are you picking ahead of him?

@TL55: players getting a chance v Italy won’t get play V France I don’t think. If we beat England which we’re not tipped to do then we need to make sure of it against Italy and play most of our first 15 and most of our first 23

@Jerry Mahony: I’d agree in that he sremd to be offering none of the forward momentum we need from a lock but he’s our only realistic option for now. Neither Toner nor Dillane tick as many boxes even though they’re better in some areas.

@Philip Stewart: personally think the options aren’t great but dillane deserves a shot

@Cortiss:
Addison is of course an unknown quantity at this level, but he is the fastest player in the squad and competently covers centre, full back and wing.

Stockdale certainly hasn’t been firing on all cylinders, but we know he is a game breaker, and hopefully he will show it again on Sunday.

@MrMagoo: agreed offers an unbelievable work ethic , diverse skill set and footwork with loads of experience.
Addison is extremely talented but injury prone and Stockdale isn’t the game breaker he can be the last 13 months and hasn’t added anything to his game.

@Cortiss: fortunate? Ah cmon he should be starting ahead of stockdale. He always performs for Ireland

@MrMagoo: hopefully no injuries and we can make our substitutions based on tactics rather than forced

@Jim Lynch: Stockdale has scored 16 tries in 27 games at an average of 0.67 tries per game. The next highest average is Denis Hickey with 29 tries from 62 games at 0.47. Earls has 30 tries from 83 appearances at a 0.37 average. Stockdale’s aerial game and defence have improved dramatically. Only a fool would drop our most consistent try scorer ever.

@Sustainable Hedgehog: Gotta point out Earls played at centre for 18 months

@Sustainable Hedgehog: with Stockdale on the left the ball naturally makes it to him a lot more than Earls on the right

@Sustainable Hedgehog: fairly good there with the calculator lad. You’ve got to contest in the air to have a chance at being good. Not saying he’s a bad player by any means he’s very very good, I’d just like to see him on the ball more and go look for the ball more which he hasn’t done much of this season. Wether that’s a tactical thing by his coaches I don’t know but I’d rather earls in there against England

@XvSv: Not saying he should be ahead of Ryan or Henderson but definitely ahead of Toner. He had more aggressive carries in the first 30 minutes against Cardiff than Toner has in the whole of his career. Being 7’10 and able to win an odd lineout doesn’t cut it at top class international rugby as a second row anymore.

@Mark walsh: Amadan

@Ray Ridge: Lets wait and see. happy to eat my words!