Just three Ireland World Cup quarter-final players from a possible 20 selected for Munster-Leinster derby
A bumper attendance of around 26,000 is expected in Limerick on Saturday but those attending the sold-out Munster versus Leinster Guinness PRO14 match will be feeling very short-changed following Friday’s respective underwhelming team announcements.
Instead of getting to see a festive fixture showcasing the very best players on the circuit in Ireland, the stars of the Irish game will be in short supply.
The two provinces provided 20 of the 23 players chosen by Joe Schmidt for the recent World Cup quarter-final loss to New Zealand, but just three of those players have been included for the very watered-down interprovincial at Thomond Park.
Under new boss Andy Farrell, Ireland held a training camp in Dublin at the start of this week and all his front-line players have now been given the weekend off.
Of the 20 Munster-Leinster players chosen in Schmidt’s 23 for the World Cup elimination match in Yokohama, props Dave Kilcoyne and Andrew Porter – who were on the Ireland bench – are the only ones to have starting roles in Limerick ten weeks later.
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Munster versus Leinster will be streamed live on RugbyPass in some territories
The pair will pack down directly against each other, with Joey Carbery, another Ireland replacement from that humiliation at the hands of the All Blacks, chosen on the Munster bench.
Sean Cronin, who was at the finals in Japan before injury cut short his participation, has been chosen on the Leinster bench.
The season of goodwill didn't apply across the board in Ireland on Monday as new coach Andy Farrell only met with media handpicked by the IRFU rather than accommodating all media
https://t.co/T2p46YiKa1— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 24, 2019
The resting of so many big names for high profile interprovincial fixtures at this time of the year is a common occurrence in Ireland, but Saturday’s latest selections only further highlights how the IRFU only ever releases its star players for very select PRO14 matches unlike what happens in rival countries.
For instance, relegation-threatened Leicester have included five of their six England World Cup squad contingent for Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership trip to a sold-out Twickenham where they face Harlequins.
In contrast, the teams that will be respectively captained at Thomond Park by Munster’s Billy Holland and Leinster’s Scott Fardy in a league that has no relegation bear little resemblance to what their full-strength XVs could potentially be.
MUNSTER: 15. Mike Haley; 14. Dan Goggin, 13. Sammy Arnold, 12. Rory Scannell, 11. Shane Daly; 10. JJ Hanrahan, 9. Nick McCarthy; 1. Dave Kilcoyne, 2. Kevin O’Byrne, 3. Stephen Archer, 4. Fineen Wycherley, 5. Billy Holland (capt), 6. Tommy O’Donnell, 7. Chris Cloete, 8. Jack O’Donoghue. Reps: 16. Diarmuid Barron, 17. Jeremy Loughman, 18. Keynan Knox, 19. Darren O’Shea, 20. Jack O’Sullivan, 21. Neil Cronin, 22. Joey Carbery, 23. Calvin Nash.
LEINSTER: 15. Hugo Keenan; 14. Adam Byrne, 13. Jimmy O’Brien, 12. Conor O’Brien, 11. James Lowe; 10. Ross Byrne; 9. Jamison Gibson-Park; 1. Ed Byrne, 2. James Tracy, 3. Andrew Porter, 4. Devin Toner, 5. Scott Fardy (capt), 6. Josh Murphy, 7. Will Connors, 8. Caelan Doris. Reps: 16. Sean Cronin, 17. Peter Dooley, 18. Jack Aungier, 19. Ross Molony, 20. Scott Penny, 21. Rowan Osborne, 22. Ciaran Frawley, 23. Tommy O’Brien.
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Comments on RugbyPass
that 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
24 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
48 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
24 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.
24 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. 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.
24 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.
24 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.
1 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.
24 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.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to commentsAfter missing the curfew, the player was simply too “Shagged” to stand up.
17 Go to commentsVernier is probably the best 12 in the world though she has some English competition these days . I am nervous for England because it is unpredictable France and who knows which team will turn up, but they have not yet shown anything that should worry England, Saturday could be a different day. I would be more confident against the BFs.
1 Go to comments