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Joe Schmidt admits Ireland taking a risk with Garry Ringrose selection
Joe Schmidt admits selecting Garry Ringrose for his third World Cup match in 11 days represents a calculated risk for Ireland.
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Head coach Schmidt insisted Ireland’s “hands are tied” to press Ringrose back into action five days after the 19-12 loss to Japan, with Chris Farrell concussed and Robbie Henshaw not quite fit.
Johnny Sexton will captain Ireland for the first time in Thursday’s clash with Russia in Kobe, as Ireland look to set their Pool A campaign back on track.
Schmidt has made 11 personnel changes from the Japan defeat to account for their hectic schedule, with Schmidt insisting Leinster centre Ringrose is itching to get back into action.
“It’s a risk but Garry is feeling great, and he’s playing super,” said Schmidt, of selecting Ringrose again.
“I thought Garry was really good last weekend, he was one of the guys who didn’t really miss a beat.
“He was still working really hard, creating opportunity.
“He moved into 12, we had Jordan Larmour at 13, who’s really a back-three player for us, we had Luke McGrath on the wing and we were chasing the game, and that’s a fairly tough situation to be in.
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“Sometimes because you’re limited to 23 players it happens like that.
“Robbie is on the cusp of being available, and if we’d put him back in this week, which we’d thought about, we felt that was a risk we don’t need to take because Garry’s feeling good.
#RWC2019 @JohnnySexton will be the 106th player to captain Ireland when he leads the team against Russia on Thursday. Congratulations Johnny.#TeamOfUs #ShoulderToShoulder #IREvRUS pic.twitter.com/en890QmEkz
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) October 1, 2019
“We can put Robbie in maybe next week, and at the same time we’ve got Bundee (Aki) back, and he’s got a fair bit of bounce about him.
“With Chris Farrell suffering a concussion and it being a five-day turnaround, our hands are tied there, and we want to make sure we look after Chris as well and that’s part of the formula.
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“We thought about potentially moving Keith Earls there, but then we’d have had to keep Jacob Stockdale ticking over, and so it was really based around who was still feeling really good.
“Bundee and Garry have a really good midfield relationship so it works out hopefully that that will still be productive for us.”
Time for WR to make a de-selection of one of their big name refs? – asks former referee Paul Smith #RWC2019 #RWC東京 https://t.co/lHZajTMsfw
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 29, 2019
Ireland will field an all-Munster front-five to take on the Russians, with Tadhg Beirne and Jean Kleyn pairing up at lock.
Jordi Murphy is handed an immediate start at number eight having replaced the injured Jack Conan in the 31-man squad.
Fly-half Joey Carbery will cover scrum-half from the bench, indicating the Munster star’s versatility in the Ireland ranks.
IRELAND TEAM TO FACE RUSSIA IN KOBE ON THURSDAY: R Kearney (Leinster), A Conway (Munster), G Ringrose (Leinster), B Aki (Connacht), K Earls (Munster), J Sexton (capt), L McGrath (both Leinster), D Kilcoyne, N Scannell, John Ryan, T Beirne, J Kleyn (all Munster), R Ruddock (Leinster), P O’Mahony (Munster), J Murphy (Ulster). Replacements: S Cronin, A Porter, T Furlong (all Leinster), I Henderson (Ulster), CJ Stander, J Carbery (both Munster), J Carty (Connacht), J Larmour (Leinster).
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments