Rugby World Cup Depth Chart - Ireland
Despite their ham-fisted attempt in defending their 2018 Grand Slam, Ireland’s World Cup depth chart offers up far more reasons for cheer than their scratchy 2019 form.
The upside to their third-place finish was that injury gave more players than usual game time in the championship and that could prove invaluable in preparations for the world finals in Japan.
Joe Schmidt likes planning with large numbers. Ireland’s addition this week of Will Addison to their squad means that of the half-dozen Six Nations countries, they are preparing for Japan with the largest panel at their disposal, 45 compared to Scotland and Italy’s 44, Wales’ 42, England’s 38 and France’s 37.
Trimming that down to the required 31 by early September will be intriguing in certain positions, none more so than half-back. In 2015, Schmidt travelled to the finals with three out-halves and two scrum-halves, a punt that didn’t pay off.
Ian Madigan couldn’t shoulder the burden of starting for the injured Johnny Sexton in the quarter-final loss to Argentina, while having just two nines meant Conor Murray had to tog out for all five matches without rest.
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With a likely split of 17 forwards and 14 backs expected, the squeeze will be noticeable at half-back as Schmidt is currently looking at eight players and three weeks of collective training so far has only added to that conundrum.
“I’m thinking it’s wrecking my head. I’m really not sure,” he said on Friday following Ireland’s public training session in Galway. “We had a coaches meeting this morning and we were throwing combinations around and we certainly haven’t got the answer yet.
“During this pre-season players will get the opportunity to put their hands up. We have been really impressed with all four scrum-halves and all four our-halves. It’s going to be a tough conundrum and I can’t answer it as I don’t know.”
Ireland have already had an injury scare in this department, Sexton spraining a thumb when it crashed into Dave Kilcoyne’s heel in training last month. How John Cooney fares will be pivotal in the eventual selection outcome as he has the ability to cover both No9 and 10 positions.
In terms of a big name casualty, prop is the area to watch. Schmidt only took two looseheads to England 2015 and if a squad was picked now on form so far in 2019, it would see Kilcoyne ahead of 2017 Lions tourist Jack McGrath in the pecking order behind first choice Cian Healy.
Sean Cronin and Niall Scannell would expect to be ahead of Rob Herring in providing cover for skipper Rory Best at hooker, but John Ryan has a battle holding off Finlay Bealham for the third tighthead spot.
Second row has already witnessed a tough selection. Despite being Ireland’s second busiest lock last term, Quinn Roux wasn’t one of the half dozen chosen in a training squad that instead included his fellow South African Jean Kleyn who recently became Irish-eligible under residency.
Two players will lose out here, as likely will two of the seven back rows currently in training, a sector of the team that is missing the long-term injured Sean O’Brien and Dan Leavy.
“There are groups that are impressing,” insisted Schmidt after week three’s collective training finished. “The whole back row are really pushing each other.
There were smiles and frowns when Joe Schmidt unveiled the 44 @IrishRugby players he wants to prepare for @rugbyworldcup 🌍 ✈️
https://t.co/Nq5090k3fK— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 28, 2019
“And the second rows as a group, Dev (Toner) is back in full training now so we have got all of them really competing against each other and we know the volume of work James Ryan gets through.
“Everyone is trying to demonstrate that they are up for the same sort of volume of work. Across the board, it’s going to throw up some very tough decisions.”
Four years ago, Schmidt brought nine centres, wingers and full-backs and he is now running the rule over 13 possibilities.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzsnoXiA7Ic/
Dave Kearney, Rory Scannell, Addison, and the uncapped Mike Haley are the fringe players looking to make the cut by impressing if they get a chance in the August matches versus Italy, England or Wales.
By the time the Irish face the Welsh for a second time on September 7, the selection die will have been cast for Japan and the identity of the 14 not travelling will be known.
WATCH: Part one of the two-part RugbyPass documentary on the many adventures that fans experience in Japan at this year’s World Cup
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments