@munsterman: Only problem with kendellen is his height

@Teddy O neill: vdf is not a big bloke either but that doesn’t hold him back.

@kieran horgan: Ben Earl is another. We have a few Inbetweeners coming down the track , tall blindsides, or light second rows, who don’t make the best direct ball carriers,? Depends on what backrow balance you’re going for I guess?

@munsterman: Izzy was excellent too

@munsterman: yeah that’s a very good assessment. I am a big fan of hodnett but Andy et al obviously fancy kendellen more and I say your reasoning is bang on the money. I think his leadership too is a major asset to his Irish chances. He’s a big voice on and off the pitch. Re his size he’s 6’2 and at least 105kg. Many world class 7’s down the years have been smaller for e.g Martyn Williams and George Smith. He’s pretty much the exact same height and weight as jvdf so imo his size is no issue whatsoever. He also does play a lot bigger than his size too. Excellent tenacity.

@Gary Galligan: for sure and there’s no doubt he’ll be in the senior squad in November. I’m a huge fan of his

@munsterman: who do u think will b better Izzy or ahern?

@Gary Galligan: I’ve no idea, both savage athletes for big men, as is baird. Ahern needs a good run injury free

@kieran horgan: Van def flier is a freak of an athlete and very powerful. Kendellen isn’t that guy. There’s a difference between a good club player and a top international player, and there’s Munster tend to have more of the prior.

@Eoin H: josh is also 31 years old and has only one WC left….. hopefully.

@Eoin H: I’d have said that jvdf is more of a workaholic than any type of a freak athlete. He’s powerful enough for his size but the likes of savea would be what I’d call an athletic freak. Vdf would be quicker than kendallen but maybe not as aggressive. Kendellen is only 23 & has nearly 100 provincial caps, he’ll be top class

@Eoin H: Kendellen has always stood out when I’ve watched him play. I’m a Leinster fan but I really, really rate Kendellen. Very strong at the breakdown and really smart player

@munsterman: hodnett starts before him in most munster games

@Teddy O neill: that’s the munster game plan. They like to play their flankers on the edge spaces where the likes of hodnett & ahern are faster players. Kendellen makes every squad though, he’s got a ton of caps already

@munsterman: He had a great game, and I hope he makes the November squad. Big question is at the expemse of who? If we are planning for the next RWC, there is a definite argument to leave POM out, but even then there is a battle assuming that Doris, VDF, Conan, Beirne & Baird are nailed on and Ahern is still injured. That leaves room for 3 out of Kendellen, Izzy, Prendergast, Sheridan & Timoney

@munsterman: VDF is a world player of the year. What are you waffling on about. Proven himself against every opposition in the world. Kendellen and Hodnett like Coombes just don’t have that power for international rugby as we consistently see them struggle in European rugby. Hopefully the next three Edogbo, Quinn and Gleeson can be those guys that step up

@Petter Sellberg: I rate him as a good club players, but it’s just similar hype to Jack O Donoghue a few years ago. A good club player, but if you know anything about test rugby you know O Donoghue was never going to be a test player. Farrell is the best coach I’ve seen in spotting a test player regardless of pecking order in province, pretty sure Billy Burns is the only wrong he’s got vastly wrong but that’s because we were proper bare at 10 in 2021

@Paul Ennis: I was only asking the question cos I struggle to see the need for these EI tours during the league season. If the stand out players don’t make senior squads then what’s the point? Like prendergast kicked superbly from hand today but other parts of his game point to him being a fair bit off international standard yet he’ll be in the senior squad. If he’s at that level then he should be playing senior for leinster rather than with a year old u20 side v lesser opposition

@Petter Sellberg: Remember in 2022 there was a big backlash from Munster fans about Loughman being picked ahead of Wycherley for the New Zealand tour, three years later and Loughman is by far and away Munsters best loosehead and the Munster coaching ticket have no faith at all in Wycherley. Farrell rarely misses with these selections

@Eoin H: all due respect to jvdf but he’s probably the worst player to ever win world player of the year. I’d have rated Dan leavy as a superior player and far more of a freak athlete myself

@munsterman: Personally I really like the EI experiment. Yes, the URC sides suffer for a few weeks, but the benefit to the Ireland coaching ticket cannot be underestimated. Easterby will know far more about these 33 guys now than he did before the tour. And the players would have learned things that cannot be learned in the URC. There is not as much competition for the 3rd OH jersey in an Ireland squad. BR is very different.

@Paul Ennis: And Ireland have never had a 10 capable of kicking a 22:22!!! Not only did the kick make the 22, he nailed it on the 5m line. His restarts and penalties from hand are insanely accurate and consistent. He regularly hit the 5m from 25 to 40m. His restarts were all on the edge of the 22. Each one perfect. I think this will be enough to elevate him to 1st choice Leinster this season and then Ireland before 2027.

@Paul Ennis: it’ll be interesting to see how he goes. He’s got undoubted potential but for me he lacks athleticism & isn’t as hard or tough as similar players in sexton and farrell. When your movement is so stiff then I think you need to be able to take the hits. At the moment he seems to shy away from the physical side but as he goes up the levels he’ll have to deal with it. He’s very similar to Ben healy

@munsterman: only a munster fan would come out with that. Begrudger to the core.

@chris mcdonnell: I support Leinster and I would largely agree with @munstermans contribution re prendergast. With that said when sexton was the age prendergast is now he certainly wasn’t the physical specimen nor enforcer of a 10 that he developed into. Prendergast is also imo a bit faster than sexton at the same age and has more natural flair. In other areas he’s not as eye catching as sexton was but they play the game a very different way. Now will he ever get to Sexton or Farrells level that remains to be seen. I don’t get an ounce of childish provincial bias in his contribution…yours on the other hand.

@Ian1989: maybe it was a response to the jvf comment?

@Ian1989: that’s the thing, I’m basically comparing him to sexton & farrell. I couldn’t think of a higher compliment for a nh flyhalf. What both those had though was genuine hardness to go with their brilliance. If prendergast develops that as he grows older, and his brother is hard as nails, then he’ll back up the hype. Or else he’ll be a 10 with all the tools but lacking the athleticism, I.e Ben healy

@brian o’leary: Well I do agree with Munstermans contributions towards Jvdf too. He never said jvdf isn’t a top player. He imo is correct with saying jvdf is the worst winner of player of the year. Like I didn’t vote for him that year. Don’t get me wrong I’m a huge fan of jvdf and he did play very well that season but imo 1/2 players deserved it more than he did. I also agree that Leavy was a better 7 but unfortunately Leavy’s body just didn’t hold up. Leavy was one of those once in a generation talent imo but that’s the past. Josh is and deservedly so the Irish first choice 7 and never lets us down.

@munsterman: Has there ever been a 21 year old OH who has already developed the althleticism and physicality required for international rugby? It wouldn’t surprise me if the gameplan has been adjusted to protect his young body from potential disaster. His physique will come with time. He already has the passing and kicking skillset to set him apart from most.

@Paul Ennis: but do they suffer…not many of the emerging squad would have started for their provinces and a handful would have come on as a sub.

@Paul Ennis: his build also takes time to build mass. Sure even his older brother has taken time to put on the kg. The enforcer personality is something that can be worked on and developed over time. He doesn’t have to have the level of that that sexton or Farrell had to be a top player. B Barrett doesn’t nor did Carter. Like I said their styles are v different so it’s hard to compare & contrast Pendergast and sexton. I think as the season goes prendergast will get better and better and the fact he’s been given a significant leadership role on this tour by Easterby will aid his development massively.

@anthony davoren: Izzy, Sheridan would have started for Ulster against the Lions and Bulls. Jude would have started against the Bulls (McCloskey injury). Only a single province has the depth to make the EI tour at start of the URC and results not suffer.

@anthony davoren: Arguably Scott Wilson may have featured more with Ulster on the SA mini tour given he is the back up to ToT.

@brian o’leary: inbetweeners is a good description

@Paul Ennis: Farrell was first capped at international level at 18 years of age.

@munsterman: Given the production line with Gabriel next to develop, this is all moot. At this point in time its all a question if Frawley can get the minutes at Leinster to put in performances to compete with Crowley. By the time Prendergast is physically developed he will be looking over his shoulder at Casper Gabriel or the next great hope in the academy.

@Christiaan Theron: sometimes it comes down to being the right age at the right time, if jvf retires at 35, Kendellen will be 28 for example, and it’ll go to a younger man?

@Christiaan Theron: As did many other 10s… but Farrell didn’t develop the pbysicality for at least another 5 years. In any case, there will always be an exception to every rule (ie Everyone said Shane Williams was too small to be an international wing). Ireland have certainly never befoee had a 10 with Farrell or Sexton’s level of physicality, never mind at 21 years of age.

@Paul Ennis: they take Ulster first squad players and cause us problems

@Brian Kernahan: In the long run, Ulster will be fine. Top 8 qualify for playoffs and top of the URC has failed to get to the final all 3 times never mind winning it. Beating Lions or Bulls would have been great, but not essential. The squad is now marginally bigger and the players with Ireland have received important exposure. 3 players (Izzy, Jude and Sheridan) are closer to a cap then they were 2 weeks ago and if they become regulars for Ireland, Ulster will be stronger. Time to start thinking big picture Brian rather than 2 or 3 games that will be footnotes in Ulster’s history.

@munsterman: To say Van Der Flier is the worst player to ever win WPOTY is astonishingly ignorant and quite wide of the mark. Really doing the man’s talent and commitment a huge disservice.

@Stuart: Georgia, Romania, Fiji and Japan need to be playing the Welsh, Italian and Australians.

@munsterman: so what level in comparison is that Irish side at, URC/super rugby mid table?recon a decent URC side would beat any of those counties mentioned, no?

@munsterman: Yeah bang on. On paper it sounds a lot more attractive if we were going against the likes of Spain, Portugal or Georgia for e.g but these lads are only getting to grips with each other as a squad. Nearly all of these combos are first time combos or at least very green at senior level. Imo it would do little developmental benefit to go against the likes of tier 2 nations. These kinda clubs, who don’t forget have beaten the likes of the the hurricanes, brumbies etc (in the shape of the Force) over the last couple of seasons are the perfect balance for these lads to develop individually, as a collective and to serve as an ideal stepping stone to full international senior rugby. If 3-5 of these lads make the step up over the next 6 or so months this tour has been a major success.

@Stuart: these lads have an average age of about 20/21. Kendellen is only 23 but he’s a seasoned pro so he stands out. That side would struggle to be competitive with any urc side at the moment but there’s plenty players with high potential there. Most of those lads are more used to playing AIL v amateurs

@Stuart: in fairness most of the team doesn’t start URC games right now – it’s really an Irish under 23 team and a few lads the Irish management team want to get a closer look at . If we were playing Georgia , Spain etc I would roll out the Wolfhounds and make it a genuine Irish second XV

@Stuart: Stop crying will ya typical SA fan

@Stuart: aside from a couple of 22year old this is essentially an u21 side. In international terms it would probably amount to Irelands 4th or 5th choice team. Also they’ve only been together for 8 days prior to the first game. Hence the disjointed defence. It’s been a huge success though because they are getting exposure to working with Ireland senior management and what’s expected by them

@Owen ODonoghue: exactly. Most players on this tour are 4 or 5 places down the Irish pecking order at the moment bar a few exceptions.

@anthony davoren: it’s an attempt to fill the void between u20 and test rugby.

@brian o’leary: exactly and to be honest I’ve watched both games and I think it’s been very worthwhile. I know the provinces are probably lighter as a result but I don’t think any of these young lads would have played a full 80 or even a half in the urc so far. They’re getting good game time with the Irish senior management. Can only be good for them

@anthony davoren: too many younger guys get blocked behind older club men with no international prospects. These games are chance for our international managers to cherrypick and boost guys with genuine international prospects, we need more of these games. The lions window next june/July maybe?

@brian o’leary: Ireland tour during the Lions’ window. That will suck in a lot of fringe players and together with Autumn 2025, will determine the next new intake into the full Irish side.

@Steven O shea: I find the typical SA fan (Stuart included) very sporting and great fun to watch rugby with. Unfortunately your experience might be limited to sparring with Keyboard Warriors of which there are many Irish who do the same.

@Paul Ennis: I agree with this comment. Stuart is a genuine supporter up for a good debate

@scott casey: the last tour was daft, taking 1st choice players from the provinces at the last minute. This one has hurt ulster the most but at least it was flagged a long way out

@Eoin H: this want a tour to pick players for the next senior squad. This was a long term exercise. A lot of these players if not most would have got minimal minutes with their provinces. Instead they went on tour with the Irish senior management team and played against adult professional clubs.

@anthony davoren: That does not apply to the Ulster players. All of them would have had minutes with their provinces.

@Christiaan Theron: like with the last tour, munster lost key young players that were pencilled in to play urc games. Ulster have been really badly hit this time. Leinster have nobody on the EI tour that they couldn’t do without, same as last time. It actually benefits Leo greatly in that he doesn’t have to give minutes to these guys to keep them hapoy