Your pick for the first test against NZ: Lock

Hi all,

Just going to do a few of these for the positions that seem to be most in doubt for the first test.
Leave your votes and reasons for voting and we'll see what we come up with and eventually what DK comes up with.
Try and keep it clean and your thoughts rational in terms of team tactics and backing up your points with examples from games.

Enjoy


First one is lock.
I think Ryan is a nailed on starter for this game and I'm glad to be able to say it, his athleticism, strength in the lineout and general footballing ability are all very important traits.

So who partners him if you were coach?

O'Callaghan?
Definitely the most experienced and has the most time with Ryan. Has a lot of bulk and hits a lot of rucks if not affecting many turnovers. Poor discipline in patches of his career and is somewhat in the archaic mould of front five players in terms of poor carrying and the ball dying with him in contact, that being said does the basics well. Not great form over the last year.

Tuohy?
Great form this year. Very destructive in the loose and good nous of interlinking with backs and knowing when to offload. He is a strong tackler and carrier and is underrated in the lineout as can be seen in the Rabo when Muller was away from the Ulster set up, taking on the lineout calls and the middle jumper spot. Only 1 cap but as seen in the HCup final appears to be a big game player.

McCarthy?
The lad is big in terms of bulk. He is a good lineout operator and has been playing well for Connaght. He gets around the pitch well and yet is good in the tight. Seems to be something of a favourite with Kidney but doesn't have much top class rugby games under his belt. He lends a fair bit of umph to the scrum as well.

Easy decision,Tuohy is head and shoulders above the other two (maybe not in inches) he's played consistently all season at a level neither DoC or McCarthy have matched.

I agree entirely. I think his mobility and physicality will be very important not just against the All Blacks but for Ireland in all games going forward. He is the kinda tight 5 player that modern rugby is promoting, guys with a footballing brain who can interlink with backs and play heads up rugby while also attacking the tight work with vigour.

Donnacha Ryan???

profitius wrote:Donnacha Ryan???

Aye

Pretty sure there's already an article discussing all the positions ; https://www.606v2.com/t30001-your-ireland-team-to-play-the-all-blacks-in-the-1st-test

I'd love to see Ryan and Tuohy start as our second rows, it should be the way forward, but I can't see anything but a Ryan and DOC pairing.

Morgannwg wrote:Pretty sure there's already an article discussing all the positions ; https://www.606v2.com/t30001-your-ireland-team-to-play-the-all-blacks-in-the-1st-test

Thought for a moment pete might be spamming us, but now see he is only doing the positions that are up for debate.

Cheers Morgannwg,

Yeah just a thing on the 'problem' positions.

It would upset me no end if DOC starts.