Ireland’s Autumn Series: Player by Player Review
(29/11/2012: page republished as the original version used an embedded Google Spreadsheet that not all devices could use)
This is it, the monster player by player review of Ireland’s Autumn international series against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina. Whose stock has risen? Whose has fallen? Who are Kidney’s favourite sons?
Read on…
|
Player |
Comment |
Stats |
|
Michael Bent |
A figure of no small amount of controversy having been thrown into an Ireland jersey before even donning the blue of Leinster, Bent didn’t embarrass himself. Although the platitudes being written about his propping after just 10 minutes against SA were somewhat OTT, it will be interesting to see how he fares for the rest of the season in the RDS. |
0 starts, 0 tries |
|
Rory Best |
INJURED – Best is still the Irish #1 hooker but he’ll have had a warning that Strauss is willing and able to overtake him if necessary. When he comes back for the Six Nations he’ll still get extra points for leadership credentials. |
0 starts, 0 tries |
|
Tommy Bowe |
Tommy did what Tommy does. His Kearney-esque take of the high ball that eventually set up Zebo’s try was breathtaking, overshadowing his skinning two Argentinians for pace for one of his two tries against the Pumas. With 26 tries in 51 tests he’s a crucial weapon for Ireland. |
2 starts, 2 tries |
|
Darren Cave |
A tidy game against Fiji with lovely quick feet for his try. Did enough to ensure that he remains in the post-O’Driscoll 13 discussion. |
1 start, 1 try |
|
Tom Court |
In his replacement prop thinking for the Autumn series Declan Kidney went for a combination of youthful promise and the promise of the unknown in the shapes of Dave Kilcoyne and Michael Bent. Where this leaves Tom Court is fairly clear; not a man who is central to Ireland’s plans for the Six Nations. |
0 starts, 0 tries |
|
Sean Cronin |
Now firmly bumped to third in the Irish list of hookers behind Rory Best and the nouveau-Gael Richardt Strauss. At 26 he is still young by front row standards so has time to develop in the more complete package that he needs to be to stand out at the very top level. |
1 start, 1 try |
|
Gordon D’Arcy |
Showed signs of rebirth in this series with some of the quick feet and leg drive of old making a welcome appearance. |
2 starts, 0 tries |
|
Keith Earls |
Huge opportunity lost for Earls to be O’Driscoll’s official replacement-in-waiting. Got 80 minutes against both SA and Argentina but still looks a strike runner rather than a playmaker. |
2 starts, 0 tries |
|
Stephen Ferris |
INJURED – donations for various replacement body parts gratefully accepted. Enjoy watching his performances for as long as his body allows. |
0 starts, 0 tries |
|
Declan Fitzpatrick |
DIDN’T PLAY – one of the big losers this series even considering his injuries this season. Although older than many casual fans apparently think, Fitzpatrick had done well in New Zealand and would seemed to have been a shoo-in to get game time in the Autumn tests. He didn’t get a single minute. |
0 starts, 0 tries |
|
Craig Gilroy |
Makes first Ireland debut against Fiji, scores three tries. Makes a second Ireland debut against Argentina. Scores try and lights up the game, showing an ability to beat the first tackler almost at will that has been unseen in the green jersey for a goodly amount of time. And signs a new Ulster contract between the two. |
2 starts, 4 tries |
|
Cian Healy |
A quietly excellent series. While we didn’t see many rampaging midfield-wannabe runs we also didn’t see the random acts of petulance that have sometimes marred his play. And he propped superbly. Still only 25. |
2 starts, 0 tries |
|
Jamie Heaslip |
Played a massive 226 minutes, a full half an hour longer than anybody else even allowing for his sin-binning in the first game. Apart from the yellow card he can not have been happy with the rudderless nature of Ireland’s second half against the Springboks. Solid work around the paddock will have quieted some writers who seem to have it in for theLeinster#8. |
3 starts, 0 tries |
|
Iain Henderson |
He is here and he is now. Baby faced he might be but he’s already one of Ireland’s largest forwards. Has similarly massive natural ability that, considering Ireland’s current back-row riches, should surely be channeled towards the second row. |
1 start, 0 tries |
|
Chris Henry |
Performances of which the open-sides union would be proud. Provided a balance to the back row that must provide some thought to Declan Kidney keeping a proper open-side in the lineup even when the likes of Stephen Ferris and Seán O’Brien are both fully fit. |
2 starts, 0 tries |
|
Denis Hurley |
Called into the squad when O’Driscoll dropped out, Hurley was somewhat surprisingly chosen to play Fiji when it might have been more beneficial to give Zebo more time at the position. Hurley was fine but he’s a long way back on the Irish #15 depth chart. |
1 start, 0 tries |
|
Paddy Jackson |
Took his chance against Fiji, delivering a superb all-round performance whatever the opposition. Kicked superbly and ran a potent backline while taking a few massive hits for his troubles. Deserves to be Sexton’s backup for the Six Nations. |
1 start, 0 tries |
|
David Kilcoyne |
It wouldn’t behoove me to say that this is a Kidney man-crush. So I won’t say it. Honestly I won’t. Obvious ability but have to wonder how he didn’t get longer against Argentina. |
1 start, 0 tries |
|
Luke Marshall |
Another young Ulsterman who took his chance against Fiji, demonstrating an eye for a gap and a pass. D’arcy’s competition is no longer from Paddy Wallace. |
1 start, 1 try |
|
Paul Marshall |
The form scrum half on the island going into the series got 18 minutes against Fiji. Less than one quarter of one game. |
0 starts, 0 tries |
|
Mike McCarthy |
McCarthy is now a very real contender for a starting spot at lock even when Paul O’Connell returns. While without the aerial majesty of the Munsterman, against the Springboks this Connacht Colossus showed a level of mobility and aggression around the park that stirred the soul. Has firmly pushed aside Donncha O’Callaghan in the second row pecking order. |
2 starts, 0 tries |
|
Fergus McFadden |
Has made the utility slot on the bench his own. Without the sparkle of Gilroy he had his own rampaging performance against the Fijians, questionable TMO decision aside. Can do a job anywhere from 11-14 and that in itself has value to any coach. |
1 start, 2 tries |
|
Kevin McLaughlin |
DIDN’T PLAY – lost out to Henderson’s obvious youthful brio but still surprising he wasn’t involved in any way in the series. |
0 starts, 0 tries |
|
John Muldoon |
Out for months. In an international that wasn’t. Best wishes for a quick and complete recovery for the Connacht talisman. |
1 start, 0 tries |
|
Conor Murray |
So goes Conor Murray, so goes Ireland; the questions around whether Ireland’s next performance will be like Argentina or South Africa are exactly the same for Murray. After spending 12 months trying to play himself out of the starting 9 shirt he repaid Kidney’s faith with a superb display against the Pumas. Other coaches might not have been so kind. Second only to Captain Mo in minutes played. |
3 starts, 0 tries |
|
Donncha O’Callaghan |
80 minutes against Fiji and 20 minutes against Argentina perhaps the reward of many hard years of toil put in under Kidney’s watch. Now fourth on the Irish second row list and heading downwards. A true servant but an aging and weakening force. |
1 start, 0 tries |
|
Paul O’Connell |
INJURED – another, like Ferris, who should be appreciated while their body holds out. O’Connell’s leadership and aerial presence was missed but Ryan and McCarthy made up for it in other ways around the field. |
0 starts, 0 tries |
|
Brian O’Driscoll |
INJURED – still Ireland’s first choice 13 by a long, long way. |
0 starts, 0 tries |
|
Ronan O’Gara |
If there were even one dissenter in the land who thought that Ronan O’Gara should still be Ireland’s starting fly half then this series will have softened their cough. Seemingly on the bench to use as a “closer” (in baseball parlance), his errors against South Africa and Argentina have perhaps fatally undermined that job description. O’Gara is an Irish rugby legend but there are now better, younger alternatives. |
0 starts, 0 tries |
|
Peter O’Mahony |
Solid games against both South Africa and Argentina but without the obvious bulk of Ferris or the marauding runs of Sean O’Brien. A fine option but no matter what Front Row might say he will not have displaced the top two Irish blind sides. |
2 starts, 0 tries |
|
Tiernan O’Halloran |
DIDN’T PLAY – the uncapped 21 year old will have still received a massive boost from his involvement with the senior squad. |
0 starts, 0 tries |
|
Eoin Reddan |
Suffered from Kidney’s faith in Murraybut benefited from Kidney’s reluctance to give Marshall a go in the bigger games. Needs an electric Heineken Cup run to challenge the Munster halfback for the Six Nations. |
0 starts, 0 tries |
|
Mike Ross |
A victim of a somewhat curious emphasis by some in the media, and perhaps by inference the designated victim of Declan Kidney, Ross remains the cornerstone of the Irish scrum. |
3 starts, 0 tries |
|
Rhys Ruddock |
DIDN’T PLAY (brought up before Arg game after Muldoon injury) |
0 starts, 0 tries |
|
Donnacha Ryan |
Superb series. Played every minute of the Springbok and Puma games while demonstrating aggression and leadership throughout. |
2 starts, 0 tries |
|
Jonathan Sexton |
Magnificent in defence against South Africa, magnificent in attack against Argentina. The confirmation that any Irish out half debate is now firmly put to bed is found when asking oneself when exactly the last time was that the RTE producer said “ok, now cut directly from Sexton to O’Gara in the stands”. |
2 starts, 2 tries |
|
Richardt Strauss |
The new Irish hooking option stepped in after Best’s injury and, apart from an early blood bin against South Africa, never looked back. Sung the anthem with gusto and backed it up in all three games. |
2 starts, 1 try |
|
Andrew Trimble |
His limitations as a player, always apparent, have never stopped his involvement with the Irish setup. But now he has to deal with Craig Gilroy being referred to by the rugby talking heads as “the new Shane Williams”. |
1 start, 0 tries |
|
Dan Tuohy |
Had a fine game against Fiji but cannot have but slipped given how well McCarthy played against South Africa. His battle is now twofold; against a wizening Donncha O’Callaghan on one hand and the burgeoning Iain Henderson on the other, should the Irish management push the young Ulsterman in that direction. |
1 start, 0 tries |
|
Simon Zebo |
Playing out of position against two of the top six sides in the world in just his second and third caps, he acquitted himself well. With “long” speed to burn and a willingness to back himself running into space rather than looking for contact, he has put himself firmly in the frame for starting spot in the back three when all options are available for selection. |
2 starts, 1 try |
|
Declan Kidney |
| As always, things are rarely so dire or so sweet as they are made seem by the meeja headline writers. Going into the 2013 Six Nations the pressure is now off Declan Kidney but without a ready-made replacement lined up it is highly unlikely that Kidney would actually have been sacked had Ireland lost to Argentina. Likewise the stirring performance against the Pumas should not be the equivalent of Kidney saying his three Hail Marys and having his sins forgiven but the pressure, on the surface, will have certainly lifted.
Players like Gilroy and McCarthy have essentially been forced on Kidney and even when he accepted their presence he relied on old dogs like O’Callaghan off the bench. The treatment of Mike Ross in the media was also curious in the least. The squad picked for the 2013 Six Nations will be revealing; will Ronan O’Gara be jettisoned in favour of Jackson (or Madigan or Keatley)? Will Donncha O’Callaghan still be part of the setup? Who will lose out when O’Driscoll,Kearney and possibly Luke Fitzgerald make their returns? Only then will we see if Kidney is indeed shaping a new Ireland team rather than patching up an old one. Most Minutes Fewest Minutes |
