The Official Irish Rugby Thread 19/20.

[cactus jack]

Legendary Welsh player, commentator Eddie Butler dies

Former Wales rugby captain Eddie Butler has died at the age of 65.

www.rte.ie

 

[Al Cohol]

Legendary Welsh player, commentator Eddie Butler dies

Former Wales rugby captain Eddie Butler has died at the age of 65.

www.rte.ie

Rest In Peace.

 

[J.R.R. hartley]

Legendary Welsh player, commentator Eddie Butler dies

Former Wales rugby captain Eddie Butler has died at the age of 65.

www.rte.ie

RIP.

No more tortured, wannabe epic intros to the 6 nations games

 

[nelly sham]

RIP. He was the voice of rugby for me, Bill McLaren was winding down just as I was getting into it. The intros got very cringe worthy over time. They flogged that to death like everything else the BBC touches. Dying in your sleep in Andes isn't a bad way to go at all!

 

[Coogee]

Irish Rugby | Emerging Ireland Squad Named For Toyota Challenge In Bloemfontein

www.irishrugby.ie

 

[Coogee]

Good to see Will Connors back and Kelliher fit again

Leinster Rugby team to face Zebre Parma (appearances in brackets):

15. Max O’Reilly (9)
14. Rob Russell (5)
13. Jamie Osborne (19)
12. Charlie Ngatai (0)
11. Dave Kearney (173)
10. Ross Byrne (128)
9. Luke McGrath (175)

1. Ed Byrne (85)
2. Rónan Kelleher (36)
3. Michael Ala’alatoa (25)
4. Ross Molony (139)
5. Jason Jenkins (0)
6. Rhys Ruddock CAPTAIN (210)
7. Scott Penny (41)
8. Max Deegan (84)

Replacements:

16. John McKee (3)
17. Michael Milne (17)
18. Vakhtang Abdaladze (17)
19. Brian Deeny (2)
20. Alex Soroka (5)
21. Nick McCarthy (46)
22. Ciarán Frawley (56)
23. Will Connors (25)

 

[How bad boy]

Irish Rugby | Emerging Ireland Squad Named For Toyota Challenge In Bloemfontein

www.irishrugby.ie

More forwards from Leinster than expected.

By my count:
Munster - 10
Ulster - 9
Connacht - 5
Leinster - 11


None of the Leinster guys are on the 1st team (although Frawley, Mccarthy, Deegan would be bench players), whereas quite a few of the players from the other provinces would be first choice. I'm sure Ulster are less than pleased about losing Doak and Munster could do without having the likes of Wycherley, Ahern, Hodnett, Kendellen and Salanoa taken away for 2+ weeks to play second rate South African club sides. Losing 2 props in particular is a fairly hard blow.

 

[nelly sham]

Not sure Balacoune has any business on that Tour, sticking Stockdale on it would have made more sense given his time out.

I feel like I say this every year but last season was a write off due to injury but Deegan needs a big year, he's put on some size over his lay off and from the pre season clips I've seen he's hit the ground running already,

 

[Coogee]

Ulster side for this evening

Good to see Stockdale back

Ulster have a nice backline with plenty talent. Imagine if they had a decent 10 to pull the strings

(15-9): Stewart Moore, Rob Baloucoune, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak;

(1-8): Eric O’Sullivan, Tom Stewart, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor (Capt.), Sam Carter, Matty Rea, Marcus Rea, David McCann.

Replacements: John Andrew, Callum Reid, Jeff Toomaga-Allen, Cormac Izuchukwu, Jordi Murphy, David Shanahan, Angus Curtis, and Aaron Sexton.

 

[Coogee]

Connacht side

15. Tiernan O’Halloran (206)
14. Byron Ralston *
13. Tom Farrell (79)
12. Tom Daly (61)
11. John Porch (59)
10. Conor Fitzgerald (53)
9. Kieran Marmion (209)
1. Peter Dooley *
2. Dave Heffernan (165)
3. Jack Aungier (31)
4. Gavin Thornbury (63) (C)
5. Leva Fifita (15)
6. Josh Murphy *
7. Conor Oliver (41)
8. Paul Boyle (73)

16. Dylan Tierney-Martin (6)
17. Denis Buckley (208)
18. Sam Illo (2)
19. Niall Murray (35)
20. Shamus Hurley-Langton *
21. Caolin Blade (150)
22. David Hawkshaw *
23. Oran McNulty (9)