Ireland vs All Blacks (2018)
-
Henshaw and Murray ruled out of Ireland's clash with the All Blacks
Henshaw pulled up with a tight hamstring on Saturday, and will miss the rest of the autumnal programme.
IRELAND HAVE BEEN dealt a major injury blow ahead of Saturday’s clash against the All Blacks with the news Robbie Henshaw has been ruled out of the remainder of the November series.
Conor Murray, meanwhile, won’t link up with the national squad at Carton House this week, with the IRFU definitively ending talk of the scrum-half making a miraculous comeback from his neck injury against the world champions.Murray and Henshaw have been ruled out of the games against New Zealand and USA.
Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
While it was always unlikely Murray would come back into the equation for this weekend’s showdown at the Aviva Stadium [KO 7pm, RTÉ 2/Channel 4], the loss of Henshaw is a significant blow.
The Leinster centre pulled up with a tight hamstring in the warmup ahead of Saturday’s win over Argentina, and despite Joe Schmidt allaying fears over his fitness in the post-match press conference, Henshaw will miss the games against New Zealand and USA.
Henshaw’s injury places even greater importance on the fitness of Garry Ringrose, who sat out Saturday’s Test against the Pumas with a hip knock sustained in Chicago but is due to return to full training tomorrow.
Will Addison, who was impressive on the occasion of his first start after being a late call-up for Henshaw, could also been in the frame to partner Bundee Aki in midfield again.Murray’s confirmed absence, meanwhile, ends the speculation over whether he’ll play on Saturday or not, after Steve Hansen yesterday insisted he believed the Munster nine would start.
“Robbie Henshaw’s hamstring issue, which saw him replaced by Will Addision just prior to kick-off on Saturday, will rule him out of the remainder of the Guinness Series,” a brief IRFU injury update said.
“Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray is accelerating through his recovery but will not join the squad during the Guinness Series window.”
In addition, there are a number of players being managed at Carton House today but are expected to train fully on Tuesday and Thursday.
Henshaw and Murray join Sean O’Brien on the injured list, after the flanker suffered a broken arm at the weekend.
There was no update on the fitness of Kieran Marmion and Bundee Aki, who both rolled their ankle in the second half. -
Murray was always going to be out - this story is being flogged to death at this point.
Henshaw out is disappointing but not surprising. If it's Aki and Addision so be it. That's what this November series is about - testing out the wider squad and seeing how they perform under pressure in the machine.
Kearney is still a question mark as well so it's either Larmour again or Conway. Which puts Earls and Stockdale on the wings.
It may be Aki & Ringrose or else Addison in again who did ok for his first start against the Pumas.
Beirne is worthwhile looking at for at least the bench with Toner and Ryan in second row.
Not sure Best is in greatest form and Scannell might be better but presumably Schmidt will want to have as much experience as he can. Leavy/vdF at 7, POM and Stander for the back-row with either Murphy or Conan on the bench. Props - as you were.If Marmion has rolled his ankle, then McGrath should get his start - he's nippy and fast and used to playing with Sexton at Leinster.
So if no Kearney either, maybe
Conway/Larmour, Earls, Addison, Aki, Sexton, McGrath
Healy, Best, Furlong, Toner, Ryan, Leavy, POM, Stander
Reps: Scannell, McGrath, Ryan, Beirne, Murphy, Cooney, Carbery, Conway/Larmour -
I wonder how much Schmidt was trolling the ABs with his 'I'll be talking to connor'? Even if he was better straight into an ABs test after half a year off? Hansen have straight back saying I expect him to play, when I doubt he thought anything like that at all. Fun and games
-
Backstabbers or boys done good: how do All Blacks view Celtic Kiwis?
Concept of scouring the world for players is one that is little loved in New Zealand
-
@billy-tell another Gregor hatchet peice?
-
@billy-tell is Thomson from the south Island?
Absolutely nothing about the hatred of Cooper had to do with him being from NZ.
-
@bones said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@billy-tell is Thomson from the south Island?
Absolutely nothing about the hatred of Cooper had to do with him being from NZ.
Yep, that was all down to the knees to the head of McCaw, and how he acted in the press afterwards about it.
Was a weird article, puts a wickerman sized strawman at the beginning and then goes on a merry little journey with it.
-
In what promises to be an enthralling battle of the top two test nations in world rugby, Ireland have been dealt a few injury blows to key players like Henshaw and O’Brien.
But spare a thought for the visitors, they are not without some lineup concerns of their own. We have learned that they will be without key personnel with Joe Moody and Jordan Taufua battling injury. Questions remain around why standouts Luke Romano, David Havili, try scoring sensation George Bridge and the promising All Black halves combination Mitch Drummond and Brett Cameron, will be left out.
Several sources close to one NZ Super rugby franchise say the continued non-selection of All Black veteran Israel Dagg should be the subject of a national inquiry.
Despite these major setbacks, the test match will be a close and tense affair. According to an unnamed source, the All Blacks will be best served with a 10, 12, 13 combination of Mo’unga, Crotty and Goodhue to gain advantage over the home team.
-
@act-crusader said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
In what promises to be an enthralling battle of the top two test nations in world rugby, Ireland have been dealt a few injury blows to key players like Henshaw and O’Brien.
But spare a thought for the visitors, they are not without some lineup concerns of their own. We have learned that they will be without key personnel with Joe Moody and Jordan Taufua battling injury. Questions remain around why standouts Luke Romano, David Havili, try scoring sensation George Bridge and the promising All Black halves combination Mitch Drummond and Brett Cameron, will be left out.
Several sources close to one NZ Super rugby franchise say the continued non-selection of All Black veteran Israel Dagg should be the subject of a national inquiry.
Despite these major setbacks, the test match will be a close and tense affair. According to an unnamed source, the All Blacks will be best served with a 10, 12, 13 combination of Mo’unga, Crotty and Goodhue to gain advantage over the home team.
I haven't played a test for the All Blacks either. Does that make me key personnel too ?
-
That 1014 review of NZ vs England was great.
The Irish version should be interesting too.
I thought Ireland were fairly poor against Argentina. If Argentina could have held up a scrum they might well have won. Ireland should be better this week though, I doubt sexton plays as poorly 2 weeks in a row.
-
@billy-tell said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
Concept of scouring the world for players is one that is little loved in New Zealand
He did a wind up piece for the NZ audience 'not within the spirit of the game' etc etc
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12159079&ref=rss
-
@act-crusader said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
According to an unnamed source, the All Blacks will be best served with a 10, 12, 13 combination of Mo’unga, Crotty and Goodhue to gain advantage over the home team.
So no Charlie Ngatai then?
(I'll get my coat)
-
@machpants said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@billy-tell said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
Concept of scouring the world for players is one that is little loved in New Zealand
He did a wind up piece for the NZ audience 'not within the spirit of the game' etc etc
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12159079&ref=rss
The 5 year rule has killed the project player thing. What Ireland is doing now is scouting mainly in England for players who are already Irish qualified. Their centre Will Addison is an example.
-
-
@machpants said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
The 5 year rule hasn't killed project players, they'll just grab them younger, I reckon
If you can predict 5 years out that a young player will be international quality and remain injury free, fair play to you. If an 18 or 19 year old already decides he’s washed up in nz and wants to set his sail for Ireland or Scotland etc then good riddance.
-
I'm more talking about the Islanders that go to French academies early teens, then they count as French for WR and FRU. If they don't make the grade, they are discarded. NRL does the same thing, picking up talented players early, happy to drop a whole pile of coal for one diamond
-
@act-crusader oooh. new spin.
-
@machpants said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
I'm more talking about the Islanders that go to French academies early teens, then they count as French for WR and FRU. If they don't make the grade, they are discarded. NRL does the same thing, picking up talented players early, happy to drop a whole pile of coal for one diamond
Only if the French academies also recruit the parents. A teen (U18) away from the family home doesn't count towards residency. See PI scholarships kids in NZ.
The 5 year rule is actually a big difference, and the 'they'll just recruit them younger' counter argument is uninformed.
-
@machpants said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@billy-tell said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
Concept of scouring the world for players is one that is little loved in New Zealand
He did a wind up piece for the NZ audience 'not within the spirit of the game' etc etc
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12159079&ref=rss
What a load of bollocks. Didn't even bother to research how Aki landed in Connacht, never mind that he's playing 12 for Ireland. As for mainstay in midfield, I'm sure Henshaw and Ringrose might beg to differ. Addison and Farrell aren't too shabby either. But the journalist had a "story" to tell and a theme to pursue I realise.
The scouring the world for project players schtick is also wide of the mark given the investment the IRFU is putting into the IQ programme. And as for "Irish tactic harming world rugby", a quick look at the numbers might tell a different story.
The number of SH-born players currently in Six Nations clubs/provinces is 567. That includes professional players in four competitions - Top14, Premiership, PRO14 and the French second division PRO D2. It excludes the two SA teams in PRO14 for obvious reasons.
There's 443 SH-born players out of a total of 2,014 players in the 3 top leagues - covering all 38 teams/senior squads and the club academies in UK & Ireland. French teams don't provide as much details on their young academy players so don't have those numbers/births..
France has 311 SH-born - 55%
England 147 - 26%
Ireland 31 - 5.5%
Wales 31 - 5.5%
Scotland 26 - 4.6%
Italy 20 - 3.5%The top 12 birth-countries for players playing outside their country are:
SA - 137; NZ - 117; AUS - 63; ENG - 47; FIJ - 39; IRL - 29; TON - 27; WAL - 28; SCO - 25; ARG - 25; GEO - 24; SAM - 18; and France has just 6,SH birth countries include - Aus, Arg, Fiji, Namibia, NZ, SA, Samoa, Tonga, Zimbabwe, Tahiti, Trinidad & Tobago, Wallis & Fortuna, Uruguay, Colombia
NH birth countries include - Scot, Eng, Irl, Wal, Italy, Fra, Germany, USA, Canada, Netherlands, Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Monaco, St Lucia, Romania, Albania, Guinea, Russia, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Moldova, Cameroon, Burka Fasino, Ghana.
More specifically, the PRO14 which involves Ireland, Italy, Scotland & Wales has 727 players across 12 teams - average 61 players including their academies. Of those:
Home country-born - 551 - 76%
SH-born - 108 - 15%
NH-born - 68 - 9%In Ireland, there are 31 SH-born players which includes the likes of Carbery, with Irish parents who moved at 10, Niyi Adeolokun who moved from Nigeria at 9, and some with parents/grandparents such as Reidy, Bent, Bealham, etc. The split of 50 foreign-born players is NZ/SA/Eng 13 each, Aus 4, and ones from Fra, Spa, US, Can, Geo, etc who largely moved when they were kids with Irish parents in most cases.
As Billy Tell notes above the IRFU focus has largely shifted to using the Exiles branch in the UK and tracking already qualified Irish talent there and in France. Latest new cap, Will Addison, born in England, Irish mother, and had a break clause in his Sale contract, that if an opportunity arose with getting a contract in an Irish province, he could take it. It did and he did.
The numbers of SH-born players has been dropping in Ireland in the last 3 years. Yes of course, there are still some players who could residency qualify such as Jamison Gibson Park next July, assuming his Leinster contract is renewed, although Murray has now re-signed until 2021. Jean Kleyn, a SA lock at Munster is another, although there's at least 5 ahead of him in the queue. Lowe might or might not make it given his age and health issues - he wouldn't be available for selection until Six Nations 2021 - assuming he wants to renew/is offered contract in 2020. He's not a nominated project player and could get a better offer like Te'o did going to England. The others are standard club players - so far on performance anyway.
The remaining already capped foreign players contracts such as Fardy, Taute, van der Merwe finish next June and can't be renewed. Plus there'll be some likely retirements such as Tom McCartney in Connacht who's 34 next year. I reckon by season-end, there'll be less than five players who aren't Irish-qualified in Irish rugby. Assuming that others aren't hired in the meantime of course.
The IRFU announced today that it had sold some investment land property that will realise them at minimum $NZ45m and probably rising to $55/60m that gives IRFU "the opportunity to progress investment options which will, in addition to securing a new realisable asset, produce an additional, long term income stream to support further development of the domestic grass roots game on this island, in the decades to come. It is also envisaged that a portion of the proceeds will be provided for new club and playing facilities development programmes."
But I suppose that kind of financial long-term investment in the domestic game wouldn't fit with the 'scouring the world" angle that Gregor Paul decided to latch lazily onto.
