Murray Kinsella reports from Melbourne
THERE HAD BEEN an expectation that this tour of Australia would provide Sean Cronin with starting chances at hooker in Rory Best’s absence.
But after coming off the bench in last weekend’s 18-9 defeat to the Wallabies, the Leinster man misses out on the matchday 23 altogether for the second Test in Melbourne on Saturday.
Munster’s Niall Scannell is instead handed a surprise start in the number two shirt, with Rob Herring – who was impressive as the starter in the first Test – moving to the bench as Ireland look to level the series.
Cronin’s absence is understood to be linked to the penalty Ireland conceded to the Wallabies at scrum time in the 69th minute in Brisbane, allowing the hosts to move 11-9 in front.
Ireland appear to have concerns over Cronin’s relative lack of bulk, with the Leinster hooker weighing in at around 101kg, whereas Scannell and Herring, as well as regular starter Best, are heavier.
While Cronin is superb in the wide channels, it seems Ireland’s review of his work in the tight has cost him selection this weekend.
Asked about the inclusion of Scannell – who was not named in Ireland’s original touring squad but replaced the injured Best – in the starting team for Saturday, head coach Joe Schmidt underlined the importance of his work in the scrum.
“Niall played right through the Six Nations last year for us, so he’s a guy who, when he got his opportunity [starting against Italy] when Rory Best was unwell, did a super job for us,” said Schmidt of the seven-times capped Cork man.
“We’re giving him another opportunity to impress. With Niall, he’s a good scrummaging hooker and that will add a little bit to an area where we weren’t as strong as we normally are.
“With Niall, it is a real opportunity for him to probably galvanise that pack and take a step forward at scrum time.”
It remains to be seen if Cronin features for Ireland in the third Test in Sydney but his exclusion for this weekend’s game will come as a major disappointment.
Cronin has won 62 caps for Ireland but only nine of those have been in the starting team.
Schmidt confirmed that a handful of players had been limited in training this week by injuries.
“A couple of guys are carrying niggles,” said Schmidt. “Bundee Aki has that ankle and that’s kind of niggled away at him. He is able to play, but we’ll leave him out this weekend.
“Iain Henderson twisted his knee a little bit, again it’s just niggly.
“There’s a few other guys who didn’t train on Tuesday, they were just a bit sore really. It was a relatively physical game last week, some of those contacts.
“Some of [those who didn't train on Tuesday] are starting and some of them aren’t, most of them trained, but some of them didn’t. We kept them out of the contact really.”
Jacob Stockdale, missing from the matchday 23, was one of those who didn’t train on Tuesday after a bruising first Test and his non-involvement this weekend means Andrew Conway comes into the team on the right wing, with Keith Earls switching to the left.
“Andrew Conway didn’t get to play in the Six Nations, he was injured, but did a great job in November,” said Schmidt. “It’s a great opportunity for him.
“Jacob was a guy who didn’t train on Tuesday, he’s just a little sore. He’s fully fit but we’ll give Andrew an opportunity this week.
“Jordan [Larmour] gives us cover in the back three and in midfield as well, so hence he’s on the bench and we’ll give Jacob a chance to get himself right potentially for next week.”
The returns to the starting lineout of Johnny Sexton, Healy, Furlong, Devin Toner, Dan Leavy and Garry Ringrose should also provide Ireland with added impetus in Melbourne.
“It is a good mix,” said Schmidt.
“Tadhg and Cian came off the bench last week and they were disappointed they didn’t see through the positive endgame we were looking for
“Johhny always brings organisation up front, so I know that he will be enthusiastic.
“Garry Ringrose did a fantastic job in the last two games of Six Nations. He will be looking to hit the ground running.”
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Big move by Prem rugby. Good to see a sporting authority do what’s good for the game rather than what’s good for their own pockets.
@Dan: Not what’s good for the game. What’s good for the financial viability of the English clubs.
@SomeGuy: surely that’s good for the game .
@SomeGuy: it shows that they’re willing to crack down hard on foul play
@Pan Tyndall: it is.
@Dan: why didn’t they do it 3 years ago? Is there any neutral fan who doesn’t have a smile on their face tonight!
@Dan: not good for English rugby. So many internationals on that team who need to play top flite rugby week in, week out in order to be able to make the starting 15 for England. I suspect we will see many leave for other premiership clubs leaving sarries in serious trouble for years. I don’t blame the players, the board are going down for this one.
@Peter Cavey: essentially it’s what the cap is there for. It ensures internationals are spread out amongst the teams. Sarries should be in serious trouble.
@Dave O Keeffe: Incorrect. The salary cap is there to protect teams from over stretching themselves financially as London Welsh did and as has been common with soccer teams in England like Leeds United. The US major league draft system is where the best players get equally spread out among all the clubs. With academies and catchment areas for English teams alongside recruitment funds, it would be impossible to ensure an even distribution of internationals.
Oh you just love to see it!!
@Jamie Bent: I’d feel most sympathy for the brilliant Exeter fans, a super club and team with very friendly, genuine supporters who’ve been cheated out of at least 2 titles.
@Hakaman: whoever lost in the semi finals against Saracens could have won also, not necessarily Exeter. We will never know.
Not a massive shock really tho? Fully deserved to be relegated, it’s the past relegated teams I’d feel for. Spare a thought for Exeter too, them titles need to be stripped next!
@Now or Never: Was for me!
@Gary Donlan: ah it was coming tbh, but still tis good to see repercussions delivered where legitimate cheating has occured.
Leinster for the Heineken cup in 2021 so
@Jonathan Nolan: and 2022, 2023 hopefully.
@Jonathan Nolan: Hopefully Racing do a job on them tomorrow but even if they don’t, Saracens would likely meet Leinster in Dublin in the QF and that should be that.
@Sean Fahey: we don’t need Saracens to plummet for Leinster to win a European cup. Saracens along with the likes of Toulouse, Clermont and Racing are capable of winning the title. Remember Leinster were only a Ringrose pass and a five minute period of the second half away from winning last season. Small margins, and I thoroughly belief that whoever we play, we can beat them. We are a better team/squad than last year.
@Dan Finlay: Agree 100% Danny Boy, I don’t see Saracens, or anyone for that matter, winning in Dublin.
@Dan Finlay: I’m a Leinster fan too, but sarecens were by far the better team last year. If it hadn’t been the ringrose pass, they’d have found another way to win.
Would have been (may still be) interesting to see this years Leinster team have a crack at them.
@Augustus hoop: it’s a very closely run thing, they were marginally better last season, Leinster were marginally better the season before and I suspect are again this season. As good as the French teams are, Leinster and Saracens are miles ahead of the rest of Europe.
@James Elphick: as long as they don’t spend too much
This Saracens news just keeps filling me with such joy. Long may it continue
Unbelievable it’s taken this long Deal with the issue there should be thrown out of the European cup tomorrow
@TM B: there is no salary cap in European competition? Surely now they go all guns blazing in Europe for rest of year as only thing left they can win.
@Augustus hoop: they qualified by cheating.
@Augustus hoop: this is an argument that fails to recognise 2 things – your seeding is based on your domestic performance (in which they cheated) and because they cheated they are able to sustain a stronger illegal squad. In short – the cheating in their domestic competition DOES have a bearing in Europe.
@Norris Kevin: I get that. But all those points directly impact the other English teams – not the rest of Europe. They are being punished in England and it isn’t possible for another (more deserving English) team to replace them- so still not sure I see the ‘kick them out of Europe’ point.
@Norris Kevin: but they haven’t been stripped of their titles therefore as premiership champions they’re there legitimately
@Augustus hoop: seriously – you just dont get it – it do get there is no salary cap in Europe. Your argument says it doesn’t matter. They cheated – in athletics if you faila dope test in one competition, you are stripped of your titles in all competitions usually. They cheated domestically, and thereby by implication in the European competition as their seeding and squad were based on falsehoods
@Dave O Keeffe: at this stage they should be!
@Norris Kevin: no, I get your point, but it’s over simplified. The doping analogy doesn’t work because that applies to all competitors irrespective of where they are from. But here The french and Irish teams are not subject to the financial restrictions the English clubs are. So kicking an English team out of the European competition for breaking a domestic rule at a time that another English team can’t replace them, doesn’t make sense. Ensuring they never qualify again ahead of another English team, on the other hand, does.
@Augustus hoop: so European competition is based on domestic competition rules. If you cheat domestically by your argument it is ok for europe? All countries have domestic rules competitively so you are ok with cheating domestically and europe should be ok with it?
@Norris Kevin: what are you talking about? Sarries broke no champions cup rules, therefore didn’t cheat in Europe and since they weren’t stripped of titles they still qualify for Europe.
@Dave O Keeffe: lads its pretty basic, Saracens qualification and seeding for every tournament they won was based on their position in the Premiership. If they had followed the rules then they may not have qualified or would have done so with a different seeding, either of which could have drastically changed the outcome to each respective season. Therefore their Champions Cup wins are directly linked to the premiership. Now that’s not to say things would have ended up any different, we’ll never know, but there will forever be an asterisk beside those titles now because another side from the premiership could have qualified in their place or they could have been drawn in a tougher group which could have changed everything.
@Paddy: I’ll try for a last time. All of that is understood and I agree with paddy. But it still is no reason to kick out of Europe this year. They haven’t broken any European rules. English teams should be disgusted with them – the rest of Europe – were beaten by a better team who weren’t breaking the rules of the European country.
@Augustus hoop: They’re not being kicked out of Europe this year. AS far as I understand it, they won’t be eligible next year because they won’t be in the premiership.
@Paddy: yes but the comment I replied to was someone saying they should be kicked out of Europe. Someone took issue with me saying that makes no sense….. that’s what this comment stream is about.
@Augustus hoop: Well I wasn’t replying to your comment initially but of course its ridiculous to think they could be kicked out of Europe mid competition. They’re not being relegated from the premiership until next year.
Scarcens to the Pro 14?
@Kingshu: no thanks. We don’t pro14′s average attendance to plummet!
Have to admire the authorities here especially when compared to the nonsense going on in soccer with man City and psg- refreshing
Next season’s Championship is going to suffer as a result. The other teams won’t stand a chance.
@Máirtín Mac Cormaic: It will be a different Saracens. No way will most of that squad stay.
@Ed: most are jumping ship already
Just got told by a friend that the champions cup has said that they won’t be able to play in europe next season even if they win
@Eoin Murphy: BBC reported on that yesterday. Winners can qualify but they must be playing in either the premiership top14 or pro14 to participate.
So how does that work with the remaining games this season ? What if they get enough points to survive , taking points from other teams with the same players they are getting punished for playing with will surely cause reason for objections from other teams , why not just throw them out now
@Luke O’Mahony: They’ve been docked 70 points!
@Luke O’Mahony: They have been thrown out. They will not play in the Premiership next season regardless of their results for the rest of this season.
@Elton Heffernan: ah I didn’t see the part where they got another 35 point deduction
@Luke O’Mahony: but what if they beat a few teams fight for Hcup places, that in turn miss out, surely that’s unfair?
They way the 8 spots are shaping up for the quarter finals it looks like Leinster will play Saracens in the last 8.
It would be a major sickener if we lost to that gang of cheats
Lol
Mark McCall to replace Van Grann hopefully
@Jack O Dowd: never thought of it that way
With Munster mathematically out, I now really want Saracens to qualify in 8th place so that Leinster can stuff them in the Aviva.
Surely their titles should be stripped for the years they breached? You can’t be allowed to win by cheating.
There’s no salary cap for the Cup so they should go gung ho for it.
The big things is being able to hold on to the big England players as they ain’t gonna be natch fit next season if they play against 2nd tier teams. By all accounts prem teams can’t afford the big shiny lads so they ll need to take a cutback.
This is going to have a real mental toll on players I reckon.
Farrell says he is staying on next year.any idea the main reason behind this.any ideas ?
@Liam Collins: his cast iron contract. He either coins it by staying or coins it by being bought out. He’s quid in regardless
@Liam Collins: not if he wants to go on a Lions tour.
I’m a Leinster fan and I have to be honest, this doesn’t fill me full of joy, happiness and relief. The European cup needs teams like Saracens in the competition, teams that want to give 100% every time they play. The European cup will be worse off without the likes of the Vunipola’s, Farrell, Itoje etc. Yes they cheated, but surely they should have been given until the end of the season to rectify it, you’re jeopardising people’s livelihoods. The big question now is will the wolf pack show the togetherness that brought them success?. Money, competition and England places are at risk. Furthermore who in England could afford to employ them.
@Dan Finlay: What the European Cup needs is not teams like Saracens but a competitive, level playing field where trophies are not bought and paid for.
Without THAT sport will die.
@Dan Finlay: most they’re top players will be playing in Europe next year, just sprinkled through other clubs.
@Philip Exley: agree.
@Philip Exley: they cheated to get into Europe, but they didn’t cheat when they were there. No cap in Europe, so you can only scrutinise how they got there, but not how they succeeded when they got there. But to an extent and with sportsmanship in mind and at the centre I agree with you.
@Dan Finlay: That’s a great point, in recent years the other England teams have been no shows in Europe, quite embarrassingly so at times. Exeter look good this season, but that is long overdue.
I can’t help but feel that the new version of the Heineken Cup has lost some of its appeal. It’s certainly lost some of the romance, but that may just be down to familiarity at this stage. Take all the glee you want in their downfall, if that’s your thing, but the European Cup will be all the poorer for Saracen’s absence.
Can see the Leinster winge-ers crying already when Sarries beat you in the Quarters, that will be gas craic
@JJ: wishful thinking…
They’ll have to keep an eye on Georgey Porgey at the Championship welcome buffet.
Well done Declan Kidney.
European rugby should look at the sarries situation because it can be argued that if they had not broken the rules in the UK and adhered to the salary cap then the team they fielded in Europe would not have existed over the last few years. There is no way they could have kept hold of the likes of Farrell, Itoje, the Vunipolu brothers and the rest of their stars under the salary cap As a consequence it should invalidate their european wins as not only were they cheating domestically but also as a result in Europe. winning 3 times since 2015. Racing, Clermont and Leinster in particular should be calling for an investigation
Slap it right up them!
So what happens if they win the European cup surely you can’t leave out the champions for next year.
@robert o mahony: they can and they will
@robert o mahony: if they win it they are in it next year
@Paddy Cullen: no they won’t because they will not be in a qualifying championship.
@Mike McGann: BBC are reporting that they won’t be in it if they win, however
https://www.epcrugby.com/champions-cup/format/qualification/
Nothing there about having to be in a qualifying championship. European Rugby need to make a statement to clarify the issue
“Let’s be very honest about this before people have sympathy with Saracens, they had two choices: they could either open up their books so that Premiership Rugby could do a forensic audit of exactly what has gone on, or they could take relegation. So it was their choice not to open up their books.”
Tony Rowe Exeter CEO.
Makes you wonder what else they are hiding? I’m sure the revenue commissioners will be interested.