Luke Fitzgerald

This is my fisrt account since 606 left the bbc website, but I'm a long term reader and was a contributor now and again in the past.

So here's my question, and I'm bracing myself to be shot down immediately here because as much as I follow rugby (Leinster & Ireland) and although I have a fairly decent knowledge of the game, there are a few of the finer details that escape me.

Question: Could Ireland play Luke Fitzgerald at 12?

He's a good passer (apart from that one pass that slipped out of his hands yesterday), runs good lines and has a good step.

Seeing as we have no real form 12 at the moment and D'arcy seems to be showing potential signs of age, could Fitzgerald ever potentially be seen as a long term replacement at 12? I don't think he sees enough of the ball out on the wing, which would also leave a space available on the wing to play a more try-scoring winger.

Tries it - it failed.

He will do well to make the place

At least 4, possibly 5, players will be picked there before he is

He isn't a 12,I want to see Sexton at 12 and ROG at outhalf for at least 30 minutes of the England game.

He could do a job there but at 12 I would have about half a dozen players ahead of him at least.

Interesting if berquist plays really well during the world cup
Sexton might come home to leinster and play a bit of twelve aswell

I'd be surprised if Sexton got much (any) game time at 12. McFadden and Sexton will be there and I don't see him playing 12 to accomodate Berquist.

I’d say Sexton at 12 was an enforced and one off move. I’d imagine Jones was going to play 80 minutes and ROG was going to come on for Sexton.

It was pretty nice when it got going but I don’t think it’s Dekkie’s style to be honest. If Sexton was Australian he’d have half of his caps at 12 by now I’d say.

I thought it worked even if France weren't bothered at that stage. It probably won't happen but it looked like a decent combination. Or am I insane? Scratch that,we know I'm insane but did it work?

I dont see why we wouldnt try it at leinster for a game or two
just to have a look. He has the attributes for it
and it would be good for him to have another string to his bow

Sexton at 12 was a sign of desperation.

Neither McFadden or D'Arcy have put there hand up and Wallace remains our only option - it is one (of many) positions that are giving Kidney real cause for concern.

Thomond wrote:I thought it worked even if France weren't bothered at that stage. It probably won't happen but it looked like a decent combination. Or am I insane? Scratch that,we know I'm insane but did it work?

It did work, when ROG and Redden came on the tempo upped
And sexton plays better at a high tempo and it was good for rog to have a playmaker inside him aswell.
For sextons try they both were at that ruck and it seemed like they both wanted to be at everyplay and make something happen.
You'd need to see it for a full game before you knew if it worked fully

The tempo upped as we had Ferris on the pitch and actually hit rucks with ferocity.

how many rucks did ferris hit thomond

He hit the one before Sexton's try that's for sure. Our pack did little at the breakdown for most of the day when they played we got quick ball and got two tries. Heaslip did good there all day. SOB dodesn't do enough at the breakdown,great with the ball in hand a decent defender,he missed a few tackles. Also I don't know how many rucks Ferris hit but he is a key part of this team and should start.

I'm not denying that he was a monster when he came on nobody stops the ferris wheel, i just dont think he did it all by himself hitting rucks
O'gara and redden were key.

I am starting to think that ROG would be the better choice to start with,
Physically sexton has better attributes but rog has the full package in my view he is a class operator

D24, in some ways I agree. If you had to pick who better to try and pressure Oz, and exploit Cooper's temperament then it may well be ROG.

In relation to Fitz, his confidence is not great. He had 2 good plays at the end of the game. Overshadowed by his shocking pass when he jumped into the 10 slot for that play.
It is very worrying that players at an internationlal level - Earls & Fitz - cannot pass the ball even to a schools rugby standard. Really poor stuff and raises huge questions about either of them ever being viable centre candidates.

What this series of games has shown me is that there are big question marks against both Earls and Fitzgerald ability to play without making the occassional bad mistake.
You cannot afford that at the World Cup.

We simply have to get BOD and Bowe match fit.

The backs should be Keaney, Bowe, BOD, D'Arcy/Wallace, Trimble

I too think Ferris was key to the improved play near the end - he should be the first back rower on the team sheet. Ireland cannot operate effectively at the breakdown without him

no player has played themselves into a starting position like trimble
He has been our player of the series(not hard)

Have been so impressed with how he has approached these games

My back-line for next week would be;
15 Kearney
14 Bowe
13 BOD
12 Darcy
11 Trimble
10 Sexton
9 Reddan

Starightforward you would think, injuries pending of course. At the minute my back subs are 9) Boss/Murray, 10) ROG, OBs) Murphy/McFadden.

HURLEY_BURLEY wrote:My back-line for next week would be;
15 Kearney
14 Bowe
13 BOD
12 Darcy
11 Trimble
10 Sexton
9 Reddan

Starightforward you would think, injuries pending of course. At the minute my back subs are 9) Boss/Murray, 10) ROG, OBs) Murphy/McFadden.

Swap trimble for earls and I' say you will be close enough to the starting line up. I'd be surprised if trimble isn't rested.

Don't think fitzgerald's passing is good enough for 12 at the moment, he threw an absolute howler on saturday that fortunately worked in our favour.