TOH was up in training camp today with muldoon

i expect us to have the strongest team out and zero chance of seeing mcsharry, sherry, hagan, keatley playing.

its not a wolfhound game and its only called ireland xv because irfu have a deal with aviva to play all capped home games in lansdowne road, thus not making it a caps game so the beautiful game can be brought out to the people of this country rather than playing games in front of a boring flat crowd.

ummm, wrote: Because it's not an official Ireland team rankings points will not change. It all comes down to us v Argentina and Scotlands performances in their matches.

Maybe so, but given we are not going to have any of BO'D, PO'C, Ferris, Best, Kearney etc back, he'll need to give his "best XV" another run together before Los Pumas come to town...

Because it's not an official Ireland team rankings points will not change. It all comes down to us v Argentina and Scotlands performances in their matches.

This is not a test match though, would the result influence the rankings?

ummm, wrote: No Connacht players called up for the XV game.

Paul Marshall, Roger Wilson, Tom Court, Craig Gilroy, Stephen Archer & Devin Toner all added.

No centres or fullbacks added, which is strange considering that's where we've most of our problems!

Happy for Gilroy and Marshall, well deserved. But really not sure what Wilson has achieved so far after spending most of the season in treatment for injuries.

Wilson & Toner, pointless exercise really.

Toner isn't good enough for Leinster at the moment never-mind Ireland. He is not our Richie Gray / Luke Charteris, in fact I'd say being in such as successful franchise at the moment is harming his development especially when you think that with the serious games in mind they imported Nathan Hines and then Brad Thorn. (Wonder who their joker this year will be)...

Wilson, on what basis this season precisely, 103 minutes against the might of Edinburgh & Dragons...?

Anyway it's irrelevant, Kidney now has to play his strongest XV against Fiji.
There cannot be the slightest chance that Fiji can sneak a win due to our form over the last two years and the rankings for RWC 2015....

Tick, tick, tick....

No Connacht players called up for the XV game.

Paul Marshall, Roger Wilson, Tom Court, Craig Gilroy, Stephen Archer & Devin Toner all added.

No centres or fullbacks added, which is strange considering that's where we've most of our problems!

Happy for Gilroy and Marshall, well deserved. But really not sure what Wilson has achieved so far after spending most of the season in treatment for injuries.

I haven't seen anything from him that would have him ahead of McSharry, Griffin, Poolman or Tonetti when he's back from injury. He seems a bit one-dimensional to me and that won't take him very far but I could be being overly critical, I know it's early-ish in the season. Brian Murphy who I've seen play for the Eagles and 'wegians also looks like a good prospect and seems to have much more about him although I accept it is a step-up to Rabo level.

menacethedenis wrote: I'm not sure Fifita's good enough to play for Connacht never mind Ireland...

leaving the class of bod aside due to lack of development these days there isnt a huge gulf in reality between connachts centres and those choosen for ireland in fact darce and earls v mata and poolman(or mcsharry who is being touted already and griffen) id hardly say the ireland partnership has enormous amount them, but in the long run with some development could be our version of Manu Tuilagi im just thinking a bit further down the road

I'm not sure Fifita's good enough to play for Connacht never mind Ireland...

My 2 cents

I dont think any player should be selected who will most likely never challange for a starting spot in the 1st team, it would be of much more benefit to blood serious potentials for example i dont think wilkinson will ever be no1 and imo toner wont be either despite his size,muldoon and faloon while good players most likely wont be selected at this stage,i think loughney unless he ups his game considerably will be behind white at connacht and is now maybe 4th choice tighthead despite making the team recently. On that basis my team for the non cap game of fiji assuming all were fit would be

1. Jack Mcgrath (Leinster)
2. Jason Harris Wright (Connacht)
3. Michael Bent (Leinster)
4. Dave O'Callaghan ( Munster)
5. Ben Marshell (Leinster)
6. Iain Henderson (Ulster)
7. Jordi Murphy/Dominic Ryan (Leinster)
8. Rys Ruddock (Leinster)
9. Paul Marshell (Ulster)
10. Ian Madigan (Leinster)
11. Craig Gilroy (Ulster)
12. Mata Fifita (Connacht)
13. Darren Cave (Ulster)
14. Simon Zebo (Munster)
15. David Kearney (Leinster)

Some possible replacement selections

16. Paddy Mccallister (Ulster)
17. Paddy Jackson (Ulster)
18. Declan Fitzpatrick (ulster)
19. Ian Nagle (Munster)
20. Robbie Henshaw (Connacht)
21. Luke Mcgrath/Kieran Marmion(leinster)/(Connacht)
22. Mike Sherry (Munster)

rossie wrote: for the purose of clarification, whats the difference?
A. The seniors by another name , B. wolfies by another name or c. an excuse to combine both?

It's a non cap match, so the team isn't referred to as Ireland. More of a 'select' or 'invitational' XV

the team i posted is the type of team id like to see. it will be most likely far closer to salmsons than mine.

I don't think anyone who started yesterday or the experienced subs (halfbacks, DOC, McFadden) will feature. The game against Argentina could yet be a must win for keeping us in the second tier of the world rankings. Powder dry and all that

I think Salmson is alot closer than Rossie. The fact is alot of the guys who played against S.A. will start the game because of experience and learning combinations. My front row would be Kilcoyne, Strauss and Bent as Kidney needs to bring these guys up fast. The same with Zebo at 15 he needs more gametime there. I think Ryan and McCarthy might have a good chance of staying to get used to each other as a partnership. It's the centres that I'll be interested to see. My XV is as follows

1. Kilcoyne
2. Strauss
3. Bent
4. Ryan
5. McCarthy
6. Henderson
7. Henry
8 Heaslip
9. Marshall
10. Jackson
11. Gilroy
12. ?
13. ?
14. O'Halloran
15. Zebo

P.S. Would love to see McSharry or Hemshaw get some gamtime.

for the purose of clarification, whats the difference?
A. The seniors by another name , B. wolfies by another name or c. an excuse to combine both?