Tom Savage
“Where do you see Wycherley’s future – lock or blindside? If Cloete is injured POM could move to 7 to allow him (or Botha) to 6. “If he does play 6 how does the game plan change as he is much more of a traditional blindside to POM’s 6?” – OTHP. Interesting question. My first…
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An interview with Niall Scannell in the Irish Independent (April 2017) featured the above little nugget of rugby advice. Scannell was detailing the chat that he had with Eusebio Guinazu when the Argentine hooker arrived as a medical joker in 2014. “He was very much, ‘Get better at what you’re good at’. I used to…
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I was delighted to see the emergence of some young Munster players into the national rugby consciousness over the course of the U20 Six Nations. What Munster fan wouldn’t? The likes of Craig Casey, Josh Wycherley, Jake Flannery, Jonathan Wren and John Hodnett, along with guys like Ben Healy and Sean French have massive potential…
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There was one name trending on Irish Twitter during Ireland u20’s win over France and subsequent Six Nations Championship win – Craig Casey. I know Twitter tailors your trends to your interests but, to put it in perspective, the only other guys I’ve seen trending during games are the likes of Peter O’Mahony, Johnny Sexton,…
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They call him “The General”. As squad nicknames go, it’s a pretty good one. You don’t get a nickname like that for nothing in a rugby squad. Normally they’re just not that, I don’t know, cool? So for Tyler Bleyendaal to be referred to as “The General” is something special. To get a nickname like…
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I’ve been hearing an awful lot as of late about the possibility of Joe Schmidt “holding things back” for the World Cup and this, somehow, is an explanation for some of Ireland’s below par performances. I don’t think that Schmidt is holding any significant stuff back for the World Cup. A lot of Ireland’s issues over…
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There are all kinds of moving parts to consider before that announcement goes up on the Munster Rugby website. First, let’s assume that you’ve spotted a hole in your squad that you need to fill with a NIQ player that is at least two years away from being filled by a high potential Irish developed…
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Sean O’Brien is one of those “force of nature” type of players. One of those guys that you see on the opposition team sheet and think, fuck it, we’re in for a tough day at the office here. At his very best, O’Brien is borderline unplayable and pretty much has it all, bar a lineout…
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Robbie Henshaw’s troubles at fullback and the growing injury crisis in the second row have led to a lot of calls for the return of Simon Zebo and Donnacha Ryan to an Irish jersey this week. I don’t see it happening. The trouble with selecting Simon Zebo or Donnacha Ryan for the Irish side isn’t…
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IF GOLIATH wiped David out with a meaty swipe of his right hand, it wouldn’t be remarkable enough to pass into myth, it would merely be the world acting like it should. Let’s be honest here – Goliath should have wiped the floor with David. He was 6’9”, he was jacked, he was covered in…
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