rugby

Robbie Diack to make his debut against Argentina

/ Alan Keane / Leave a comment

Ulster back row Robbie Diack is the only uncapped player Joe Schmidt has named to start against Argentina on Saturday afternoon. The 28 year old Johannesburg native has been at Ulster since the 2008/9 season and can play in all three positions at the back of the pack.

Other players in line to make their Irish debut this weekend are the Connacht pairing of number 9 Kieran Marmion and prop forward Rodney Ah You. Both men start from the bench.

Joe Schmidt has chosen seasoned Irish performers to steer the ship, with Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton occupying the half back positions. Ulster duo Darren Cave and Luke Marshall begin in the centre.

Jordi Murphy wins his third cap, taking his provincial teammate Jamie Heaslip’s spot at number 8. Fellow Leinster man Jack McGrath packs down beside veterans Mike Ross and Rory Best in the front row.

There’s a recall for Simon Zebo, overlooked for the successful spring Six Nations campaign. Andrew Trimble takes his place on the other wing. Felix Jones wins his sixth cap for Ireland at full-back, with Rob Kearney not even included on the bench.

Kick-off is at 7.40pm Irish time Saturday (3.40pm in Argentina) and the game is live on Sky Sports.

Teams:

Ireland: 

F Jones, A Trimble, D Cave, L Marshall; S Zebo J Sexton, C Murray: J McGrath, R Best, M Ross; I Henderson P O’Connell (Capt); R Diack, C Henry, J Murphy.

Subs: D Varley, D Kilcoyne, R Ah You, D Toner, J Heaslip, K Marmion, I Madigan, F McFadden.

 

Argentina:

J Tuculet; S Cordero, J De La Fuente, G Ascarate, M Montero; N Sanchez, M Landajo (Capt): L Noguera Paz, M Cortese, R Herrera; M Carizza, T Lavanini; R Baez, T De La Vega, B Macone.

Subs: J Montoya, B Postiglioni, N Telaz Chaparo, M Alemanno, J Ortega Desio, T Cubelli,, S Gonzalez, Iglesias, L Gonzalez Amorisino.

 

Ireland squad for Argentina tour named: Madigan misses out

/ Alan Keane / Leave a comment

Joe Schmidt has named the Ireland squad for the two-test tour of Argentina next month.

Leinster out-half Ian Madigan misses out on the trip to the Southern Hemisphere, and instead will travel with the Emerging Ireland squad to Romania.

The move may surprise some supporters as Jonny Sexton could probably do with a rest after a long season. His first campaign as  Racing Metro player was preceded by the victorious Lions tour, and he’s also been on Ireland duty last November and during the Six Nations.

Paddy Jackson has been named as the second out-half on the Argentina tour. Schmidt named four uncapped players for the trip. They are Ulster forward pair Rob Herring and Robbie Diack, Munster front row Dave Cronin and Connacht scrum-half Kieran Marmion. Herring and Diack qualify for Ireland through residency.

Some experienced campaigners have been given the chance to rest and recuperate after a gruelling campaign. Tommy Bowe, Sean Cronin, Gordon Darcy, Sean O’Brien and Cian Healy won’t be on the plane.

Dave Kearney’s injury he picked up against Ulster at the weekend sees him miss out, with Munster’s Simon Zebo given the opportunity to show his worth to Joe Schmidt after playing no part in the Six Nations victory this spring.

Captain Paul O’Connell travels, but this is the first Ireland squad of the post Brian O’Driscoll era, with the talisman having retired from international rugby following the Six Nations.

In his absence, the outside centre spot is up for grabs. With Keith Earls, Darren Cave and Robbie Henshaw all on the plane and mooted as possible replacements at 13, it will be interesting to see who Schmidt auditions in Argentina.

The tests take place on the 7th of June in Resistencia and the 15th in Tucuman.

Ireland Squad:

Forwards:

Rory Best (Ulster), James Cronin (Munster), Robbie Diack (Ulster), Iain Henderson (Ulster), Chris Henry (Ulster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster), Rob Herring (Ulster), David Kilcoyne (Munster), Jack McGrath (Leinster), Martin Moore (Leinster), Jordi Murphy (Leinster), Paul O’Connell (Munster, captain), Mike Ross (Leinster), Rhys Ruddock (Leinster), Devin Toner (Leinster), Damien Varley (Munster).

Backs:

Darren Cave (Ulster), Keith Earls (Munster), Robbie Henshaw (Connacht), Paddy Jackson (Ulster), Felix Jones (Munster), Rob Kearney (Leinster), Kieran Marmion (Connacht), Luke Marshall (Ulster), Fergus McFadden (Leinster), Conor Murray (Munster), Eoin Reddan (Leinster), Jonathon Sexton (Racing Metro), Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Simon Zebo (Munster).

Toulon task may be impossible but that means nothing to Munster

/ Alan Keane / Leave a comment

Rob Penney told journalists during the week that Toulon have booked their accommodation for the Heineken Cup already. The French side might be getting a tiny bit ahead of themselves. Counting your chickens is rarely wise in rugby. Just ask the England grand slam chasing squad of 2011. That didn’t work out too well now, did it?

It was Ireland who derailed England’s hopes that year, and it is Munster who can force a Toulon employee to ring a Cardiff hotel Monday morning looking for the club’s deposit back. There’s the added bonus of a Heineken Cup final at stake for Rob Penney’s side too.

Munster were devastating against Toulouse in the quarter finals, racking up 47 points against the four times Heineken Cup champions. For all their pedigree however, Toulouse are not the force they once were, and currently lie 6th in the Top 14. Toulon, on the other hand, are top of the table with 3 games left of the regular season.

Bernard La Porte’s side disposed of  Leinster  relatively easily in the quarter final, but there is little that Munster can derive from that game. Coach Penney has said that analysis of Toulon games unearthed very little weakness to exploit.

The goal for Munster has to be for the entire team to front up on Sunday afternoon at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille. With Peter O’Mahony out for the season, Damien Varley will captain the side. Talisman Paul O’Connell compared Toulon to the All Blacks this week, saying Munster will have to play at a level beyond any they have already this season, including the rout of Toulouse.

Forwards Ali Williams and Bakkies Botha will miss tomorrow’s game but there is some positive news for Toulon on the injury front. Bryan Habana, the pacy South African winger, has been passed fit to feature after a long spell on the sidelines. Jonny Wilkinson -forced from the fray early in the quarter final- is also in line for a return.

With such an array of talent at La Porte’s disposal, a game-defining moment could come from anywhere. However, it is difficult to ignore the threat of Steffon Armitage. The back-row combines mobility and power to frightening effect, and his work at the breakdown and with the ball in hand contributed hugely to Leinster’s downfall in the quarter final. Munster must aim to nullify his influence as much as possible if they are to advance to May’s final.

Crucially important to Munster in this regard will be CJ Stander. The South African replaced injured captain O’Mahony in the victory over Toulouse and put in a man-of-the-match performance. Tomorrow’s game will be the former Blue Bulls player’s first Heineken Cup start. If Toulon are going to go the way of Toulouse, both he and Munster will have to put in a superhuman effort.

Toulon are favourites, and deservedly so.  And yet, Munster have made a mockery of such tags before. For the travelling supporters and those watching at home there will be one creed tomorrow

“To the brave and the faithful, nothing is impossible.”