Schmidt's Leinster bias

Get up them steps

2 Munster players in the 23 and you are seething

what kind of impact do you think Zebo  (rather than McFadden) would have had off the bench if BOD or Dorce went down injured in the first 5 minutes vs Eng?

Very hard to split Jordi and TOD.  Other than of course Jordi can play in 3 positions,  TOD only provides cover for one.

Can Zebo cover for 12/13?

Bowe, Fitzgerald and Zebo all need to be tried at centre. Cave and Henshaw also need game time. Surely we'll be able to draw two competent players from these. Trimble seems to have found his metier on the wing and doesn't have the hands for centre. Similar comments apply with Earls. Professional career of Luke Marshall looks up in the air at this point. No one would have said D'Arcy would have gone on to have the career he had there in 04'. hopefully we'll see this play out in the summer.

Forgot them Ozy!! McFadden is very worthy and solid as a player but I'm not just sure he has the scope of Fitzgerald who has a very high skill level, good feet as well, would remind me a bit of  a young D'Arcy. Pal of mine told me that Fitzgerald was very close to going to Munster but was talked out of it by Brian O'Driscoll. Pity as you'd think it is a run of games he needs so we can see what's under the bonnet.

I've left out the most obvious one in Payne as you point out, but he won't have much time to stake a claim before the World Cup.

Always thought Bowe would get a run at 13 once BOD finished. He would give us a change of pace there that we'd really need without the wiliness of O'Driscoll and D'Arcy.

Haven't seen too much of Henshaw but Schmidt is supposed to like him, Cave is another solid citizen in the mould of McFadden, but you'd just sense it would have happened by now if it was going to, even accounting for injuries.

Zebo has always looked more a  full-back to me where he could use flair and timing to pick lines. He also has the kicking game, but Kearney is going nowhere. Having watched him live he is dodgy on the turn and I wonder might he benefit from having everything in front of him at centre? the kid is a natural whatever he does and he'd nearly make a go of it ,most places.

Apologies for the long windedness.

Am not a fan of Fitzgerald, Neill.  For all his huge natural talent and pace, the end result is typically him slipping and falling over OR somehow making the wrong decision, i.e. forcing the pass when its not on etc.  Also has had the yips, so short on confidence, injuries haven't helped in this regard.  Defence has never been seen as his strength either.  Wants to play 13...not for me.

Bowe would make a great 13, but he is already a world class 14, so why mess with that?  We have great options on the wing, but he is our only world class winger.

McFadden doesn't have the scope of Fitzgerald, but he is a superb decision maker, almost always does the right thing. Underrated imo.

Haven't seen enough of Cave or Henshaw, some people rate Olding the other Ulster centre.

Olding got a very good mention in the paper this morning, seems as likely as his buddy now as they must be really worried about those head shots he is taking the amount of coverage they are getting.

Funny one re Bowe, I seem to have it in my head that Trimble and Kearney may retain for a while... can't really explain why but my whole response seems to have been predicated on it!!

My true take on Fitzgerald would be that I don't know, but the esteem he is held in by his coaches and peers seems pretty clear.

Would love to see Madigan and Sexton at 12 & 10. Madican can tackle, pass and is very elusive. No reason why it shouldn't work. There was a rumour there that Leinster might try and bring Sexton back with Gopparth going the other way. Gopparth is an attractive proposition for a French side in World Cup year. If Sexton came back, you'd nearly be sure they would try the two of them together for Leinster, at the least to see what options are when D'Arcy finishes.

The one thing we can say is that all of these young(ish)lads need to take a step forward, whereas McFadden has already attained a solid level of form as an international centre/wing. He could hold them all off thinking on it.

You have an awful lot to say (none of it even remotely perceptive or interesting) on a sport that you are too yellow to let your children or grandchildren play.  Why the interest anyway if it is too dangerous?  Stick to the GAA please.

Great.  Comment on these better sports and stop boring us on something you know sfa about!

He is the laughing stock of the rugby forum, Kavvie, not that it seems to deter him.

He has  an anti rugby agenda that shines through as well.  Wouldn't be surprised if he would like to return to the days of The Ban.

Unlike you being anti GAA Ozy , I am not anti rugby .  Many posts attest to that . My only objection to rugby is the scale and severity of injuries associated with it  , not the game itself .  But nobody in the upper echelons of rugby administration is doing anything to stop the drift towards increased physicality .  Last weeks 6 Nations matches had a lot of players with blood showing  , no other game /sport I watched last weekend had anything similar .

Maybe your TV set needs adjusting if you cant see that  Ozy .

Head in the sand Ozy , address the issue , stop trying to be clever .  Rugby injuries are a big problem , face up to it  , and stop trying to score points .

I watched Cheltenham all last week with increasing horror at the injuries to jockeys,I am genuinely worried about a sport I love.

I watched the rugby and found the same sense of dread when Sexton was knocked out.

I don't have the solutions but its not unreasonable of Kelly to question it.

I worked in a dangerous occupation most of my life,this was reflected in your earnings but is it fair to ask young men to risk life and limb,the authorities have a duty to protect their players.

I accept that,it does stand to reason that the authorities want to minimise injury without ruining the fabric of the game.

They should allow you like in American Football bring on a kicker solely for shots at goal,it would suit Ireland and keep Ronan OGaras career going for another decade.

Afraid not,although there was a mill I used sometimes work at in the Cistercian college Roscrea and Rugby seemed to be their game of choice.

There is some kind of inverted snobbery against Rugby because it used be played by professional people but what does that matter,the fact is we appear fairly good at it,have a long tradition and in fairness to the IRFU they built some impressive stadiums in the past,stadiums that the soccer men are laying unfair claims to.

I only ascended to the blue of Leinster, Kelly, most male family members wore the green of Ireland.

I don't like to bring it up.  You on the other hand, manage to shoehorn your inter-county exploits into most annecdotes.

All sports are positive for young people. Rugby provides a unique character forming experience because of the physical courage required in a team format.  Some liken it to going to war and the camaraderie that builds. Unbreakable bonds are formed between men who send time in the trenches and go over the top together.

It also gives young men respect for authority that many other sports don't.

It is not by accident that some of the finest seats of learning in the country see it as a cornerstone to the experience they offer.

Dickie, would love to stay and chat, must dash as I have an impending tee time.