Ireland v Italy Landsdowne Road 8pm Saturday

Ireland Team:

Ireland (Province/Club/Caps):
15. Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster/Naas)(5)
14. Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster)(98)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers)(63)
12. Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor (12)
11. Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan)(35)
10. Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution)(3)
9. Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon)(10)

1. David Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemian) (51)
2. Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) (34)
3. Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) (9)
4: Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy)(72)(Captain)
5. Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Dublin University)(1)
6. Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University)(11)
7. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St. Mary’s College)(28)
8. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere)(38)

Replacements:

16. Tom Stewart (Ulster/Ballynahinch)*
17. Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) (123)
18. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) (65)
19. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) (38)
20. Cian Prendergast (Connacht/UCD) (1)
21. Caolin Blade (Connacht/Galwegians) (1)
22. Ciaran Frawley (Leinster/UCD)*
23. Calvin Nash (Munster/Young Munster)*

Apparently the Ireland team will have their names printed on the back of their jerseys, a bit weird.

Like the look of the team. Would love a big game from Stockdale and maybe Crowley too.

No Sexton in the match day squad, not sure whats that about.

Keith Earls? Have Ireland really not developed wingers to overtake him yet. At the last world cup I remember there being talk about how he'd lost his top end speed.

Pretty amazing progress by young Joe McCarthy to make this squad.
Does he have a chance of making the final 33, or has this come a season too early?

sensisball wrote:Pretty amazing progress by young Joe McCarthy to make this squad.
Does he have a chance of making the final 33, or has this come a season too early?

Might be a tournament too soon for him. Ryan, Beirne, Henderson are certs in my opinion and i think they'll go with Baird who can cover 6 and Treadwell.

Id be very surprised if Baird didnt make it

Baird is a certainty I think. His versatility is key.

Collapse2005 wrote:Apparently the Ireland team will have their names printed on the back of their jerseys, a bit weird.

Like the look of the team. Would love a big game from Stockdale and maybe Crowley too.

No Sexton in the match day squad, not sure whats that about.

Wales are too I think. (Am sure I read that somewhere!)

formerly known as Sam wrote:Keith Earls? Have Ireland really not developed wingers to overtake him yet. At the last world cup I remember there being talk about how he'd lost his top end speed.

Calvin Nash is good, not sure why Rob Baloucoune hasnt broken though, then there is Stockdale who needs a big game, Larmour and Jimmy OBrien though he might be seen as a fullback not sure. Looks like it will be Lowe, Hanson and one other.

Oakdene wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:Apparently the Ireland team will have their names printed on the back of their jerseys, a bit weird.

Like the look of the team. Would love a big game from Stockdale and maybe Crowley too.

No Sexton in the match day squad, not sure whats that about.

Wales are too I think. (Am sure I read that somewhere!)

We sure are. Ours looks horrendous as we have our sponsor Go Compare where the player's name usually would be and the name below the number. Ireland's looks much better in that sense.

Hopefully watch this, dependent on which Cardiff pubs have Prime. Wonder how Italy will line up. Interesting Ireland selection anyway.

Ah right, here it is. Nine changes from last week. Taken from the Beeb.

Italy: Allan; Odogwu, Brez, Menoncello, Ioane; Garbisi, Varney; Fischetti, Nicotera, Riccioni; Lamb, Ruzza (capt); Negri, Zuliani, Halafihi.

Replacements: Bigi, Buonfiglio, Ferrari, Cannone, Lamaro, Cannone, Fusco, Pani.

Ioane, thats a surprise! I thought he had effectively forfeited his Italy chances when he returned to Oz. Didnt realise he was back in Europe.

Dino Lamb gets a first cap for Italy - well deserved for his Quins form, but Dublin away is a heck of a place to start your International career

Poorfour wrote:Dino Lamb gets a first cap for Italy - well deserved for his Quins form, but Dublin away is a heck of a place to start your International career

Odogwu is also English I think

Apparently Ireland found it hard to secure warm up games. Ireland and England has a reciprocal deal to play eachother before every world cup so that was aparently locked in but no one else wanted to play them initially. Wales refused for example.

Is this game at Landsdowne Road or Lansdowne Road?

Collapse2005 wrote:

Poorfour wrote:Dino Lamb gets a first cap for Italy - well deserved for his Quins form, but Dublin away is a heck of a place to start your International career

Odogwu is also English I think

Apparently Ireland found it hard to secure warm up games. Ireland and England has a reciprocal deal to play eachother before every world cup so that was aparently locked in but no one else wanted to play them initially. Wales refused for example.

Yes, Odogwu is (until Saturday) an EQP, born in Coventry and was in and around Eddie’s squads a bit didn’t get a cap. His first name is Paolo, though, which is a bit of a clue to dual qualification, and Dino was originally billed as Dino Lamb-Cona.

I can imagine that not many teams will have wanted to play Ireland in their current form - but equally it’s a very decent test of where you are in the run up to the tournament. This Italian team looks a bit experimental, but I’d expect England to play something close to the XXIII that will take the field against Argentina before putting them back under wraps against Fiji.

Experimental or not its a good match to have because they will be a decent test for at least part of the game if not all of it.

Poorfour wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:

Poorfour wrote:Dino Lamb gets a first cap for Italy - well deserved for his Quins form, but Dublin away is a heck of a place to start your International career

Odogwu is also English I think

Apparently Ireland found it hard to secure warm up games. Ireland and England has a reciprocal deal to play eachother before every world cup so that was aparently locked in but no one else wanted to play them initially. Wales refused for example.

Yes, Odogwu is (until Saturday) an EQP, born in Coventry and was in and around Eddie’s squads a bit didn’t get a cap. His first name is Paolo, though, which is a bit of a clue to dual qualification, and Dino was originally billed as Dino Lamb-Cona.

I can imagine that not many teams will have wanted to play Ireland in their current form - but equally it’s a very decent test of where you are in the run up to the tournament. This Italian team looks a bit experimental, but I’d expect England to play something close to the XXIII that will take the field against Argentina before putting them back under wraps against Fiji.

Dino Luciano Lamb-Cona. Varney is Welsh born and grew up in Wales and then England. David Sisi who played lock last time out was raised in England (born in Germany). Italy have been good at identifying those with Italian ancestry.

But odd Ireland have found it tough to arrange friendlies unless they were unwilling to travel. Having the top ranked nation coming to play should be a good draw for the organisers and a good on field test. The home/away arrangements between nations tends to work well.

Collapse2005 wrote:

Poorfour wrote:Dino Lamb gets a first cap for Italy - well deserved for his Quins form, but Dublin away is a heck of a place to start your International career

Odogwu is also English I think

Apparently Ireland found it hard to secure warm up games. Ireland and England has a reciprocal deal to play eachother before every world cup so that was aparently locked in but no one else wanted to play them initially. Wales refused for example.

Is that documented anywhere?

Oakdene wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:

Poorfour wrote:Dino Lamb gets a first cap for Italy - well deserved for his Quins form, but Dublin away is a heck of a place to start your International career

Odogwu is also English I think

Apparently Ireland found it hard to secure warm up games. Ireland and England has a reciprocal deal to play eachother before every world cup so that was aparently locked in but no one else wanted to play them initially. Wales refused for example.

Is that documented anywhere?

It was mentioned by a journalist on the latest left wing pod cast.

Collapse2005 wrote:

Oakdene wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:

Poorfour wrote:Dino Lamb gets a first cap for Italy - well deserved for his Quins form, but Dublin away is a heck of a place to start your International career

Odogwu is also English I think

Apparently Ireland found it hard to secure warm up games. Ireland and England has a reciprocal deal to play eachother before every world cup so that was aparently locked in but no one else wanted to play them initially. Wales refused for example.

Is that documented anywhere?

It was mentioned by a journalist on the latest left wing pod cast.

Thanks...

This is as fit and healthy I have seen Henderson in a few yeras

formerly known as Sam wrote:Keith Earls? Have Ireland really not developed wingers to overtake him yet. At the last world cup I remember there being talk about how he'd lost his top end speed.

In fairness, he is still one of Irelands best finishers. That said, he is well down the pecking order come the RWC and I would only expect him to feature if there were a raft of injuries.

Ireland actually do have a rather good strength in depth Winger wise.

I think Earls might get selected, he is an al rounder, still fast and has bags of experience. He was a key member of the series win in NZ.

Earls selection is 50/50 for me. As said, he is way down the pecking order for wingers but agree that his all-round capabilities may prove vital come the RWC so would be a valuable squad member.

Maine man wrote:

sensisball wrote:Pretty amazing progress by young Joe McCarthy to make this squad.
Does he have a chance of making the final 33, or has this come a season too early?

Might be a tournament too soon for him. Ryan, Beirne, Henderson are certs in my opinion and i think they'll go with Baird who can cover 6 and Treadwell.  

I've changed my mind after McCarthy's performance yesterday. He's in, Treadwell is out.