THERE WERE SOME expected and unexpected inclusions and omissions in the Ireland squad for the four forthcoming November internationals. You can find the full 34-man squad here, but below are some of our thoughts on the group Joe Schmidt has assembled.
Up until the second Test against the Springboks in June, Ross held the remarkable record of starting every single match of the Joe Schmidt era. Schmidt’s assertion that there are players on standby is a sure sign that the international window is not yet closed to the Corkman, but there’s no escaping that he will turn 37 in two months’ time and his mobility in open play is steadily reducing.
Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Still, for the glory days he’s brought to the green jersey over his 61 caps solidifying the Ireland scrum, Ross deserves to bow out to through the front door, to raucous applause.
Those magnificent Connacht flying machines
Schmidt will be better-informed regarding the fitness levels of this island’s professional players than we are, but yesterday’s injury update from Connacht marked Tiernan O’Halloran as available for a full part in this week’s training after shaking off a knee injury.
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Matt Healy, right, is out of the international window through injury, but Adeolokun and O'Halloran were available to Schmidt. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
O’Halloran earned his first two caps during the summer tour of South Africa, but thanks to Willie le Roux’s reckless aerial challenge, he was restricted to just 37 minutes over the two games.
With no O’Halloran, Rob Kearney is the only specialist fullback in the squad with Jared Payne, Simon Zebo, Robbie Henshaw and Craig Gilroy able to cover, but ordinarily preferred in other positions by Schmidt.
The prolific Niyi Adeolokun should also feel disappointed at missing out on the 34-man squad today having been called into a mini camp at Carton House early this month.
Ian Madigan
This time last year Madigan remained a firm favourite of Schmidt’s thanks to his goal-kicking and positional flexibility, but a move to France really does Irish rugby take players out of the loop.
Presseye / Nicolas Tucat/INPHO
Presseye / Nicolas Tucat/INPHO / Nicolas Tucat/INPHO
It’s not just geography and player management that have scuppered Madigan’s hopes of a call from home though. While he has slipped behind Lionel Beauxis in the pecking order down by the Garonne, Joey Carbery has been tearing it up at every opportunity he’s been given to stand in for Jonathan Sexton.
Winners
Leinster’s shining lights
Four of the six uncapped men in Schmidt’s squad are from Leinster. Call-ups to Luke McGrath and Garry Ringrose are probably a little overdue, but there can be little arguing the inclusion of 20-year-old Carbery either.
Carbery and Ringrose working in tandem with Ireland U20 in the 2015 U20 World Cup. Giuseppe Fama / INPHO
Giuseppe Fama / INPHO / INPHO
Carbery set the RDS alight on his European debut, making the transition from UBL to the top tier of the game look ridiculously seamless. Ringrose, meanwhile, continues to show a maturity beyond his years and perhaps showed his true steel last weekend in extremely tough conditions when Leinster looked down and out in Montpellier.
Munster tight five
Munster’s forward play and particularly their scrum has been a force to be reckoned with this season, so you would have no problem arguing for the inclusion of more than the current three of the tight five.
Tommy Dickson / INPHO
Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO
John Ryan comes in at the expense of Mike Ross, but the inclusion of 31-year-old Billy Holland is a great story of perseverance too. It’s a statement of intent from Schmidt too: there are younger locks around the island, but this series will have the here and now in mind and beating New Zealand, not development.
Craig Gilroy
The Co. Down man has rarely been a favourite of Schmidt’s despite his obvious gifts of pace, power and agility. But with Tommy Bowe struggling to force his way into first-team thoughts, Gilroy’s case is even more difficult to dismiss.
Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
The six-foot-tall winger is often perceived as a diminutive option because of the company he keeps. However, considering Keith Earls’ suspension, his inclusion in the squad alongside fellow left wing / fullback option Simon Zebo would suggest that he may well start in the 11 shirt against New Zealand in Chicago.
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Three winners and losers from Schmidt's first Ireland squad of the season
THERE WERE SOME expected and unexpected inclusions and omissions in the Ireland squad for the four forthcoming November internationals. You can find the full 34-man squad here, but below are some of our thoughts on the group Joe Schmidt has assembled.
Losers
The great Mike Ross
“The decision will be made for me, put it like that,” said Ross when we spoke to him in May about when he imagined the end of his international career might come.
Up until the second Test against the Springboks in June, Ross held the remarkable record of starting every single match of the Joe Schmidt era. Schmidt’s assertion that there are players on standby is a sure sign that the international window is not yet closed to the Corkman, but there’s no escaping that he will turn 37 in two months’ time and his mobility in open play is steadily reducing.
Still, for the glory days he’s brought to the green jersey over his 61 caps solidifying the Ireland scrum, Ross deserves to bow out to through the front door, to raucous applause.
Those magnificent Connacht flying machines
Schmidt will be better-informed regarding the fitness levels of this island’s professional players than we are, but yesterday’s injury update from Connacht marked Tiernan O’Halloran as available for a full part in this week’s training after shaking off a knee injury.
O’Halloran earned his first two caps during the summer tour of South Africa, but thanks to Willie le Roux’s reckless aerial challenge, he was restricted to just 37 minutes over the two games.
With no O’Halloran, Rob Kearney is the only specialist fullback in the squad with Jared Payne, Simon Zebo, Robbie Henshaw and Craig Gilroy able to cover, but ordinarily preferred in other positions by Schmidt.
The prolific Niyi Adeolokun should also feel disappointed at missing out on the 34-man squad today having been called into a mini camp at Carton House early this month.
Ian Madigan
This time last year Madigan remained a firm favourite of Schmidt’s thanks to his goal-kicking and positional flexibility, but a move to France really does Irish rugby take players out of the loop.
It’s not just geography and player management that have scuppered Madigan’s hopes of a call from home though. While he has slipped behind Lionel Beauxis in the pecking order down by the Garonne, Joey Carbery has been tearing it up at every opportunity he’s been given to stand in for Jonathan Sexton.
Winners
Leinster’s shining lights
Four of the six uncapped men in Schmidt’s squad are from Leinster. Call-ups to Luke McGrath and Garry Ringrose are probably a little overdue, but there can be little arguing the inclusion of 20-year-old Carbery either.
Carbery set the RDS alight on his European debut, making the transition from UBL to the top tier of the game look ridiculously seamless. Ringrose, meanwhile, continues to show a maturity beyond his years and perhaps showed his true steel last weekend in extremely tough conditions when Leinster looked down and out in Montpellier.
Munster tight five
Munster’s forward play and particularly their scrum has been a force to be reckoned with this season, so you would have no problem arguing for the inclusion of more than the current three of the tight five.
John Ryan comes in at the expense of Mike Ross, but the inclusion of 31-year-old Billy Holland is a great story of perseverance too. It’s a statement of intent from Schmidt too: there are younger locks around the island, but this series will have the here and now in mind and beating New Zealand, not development.
Craig Gilroy
The Co. Down man has rarely been a favourite of Schmidt’s despite his obvious gifts of pace, power and agility. But with Tommy Bowe struggling to force his way into first-team thoughts, Gilroy’s case is even more difficult to dismiss.
The six-foot-tall winger is often perceived as a diminutive option because of the company he keeps. However, considering Keith Earls’ suspension, his inclusion in the squad alongside fellow left wing / fullback option Simon Zebo would suggest that he may well start in the 11 shirt against New Zealand in Chicago.
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