Ruaidhri O'Connor

O'Brien's in good form, but...

Look, I understand that you've signed O'Anna for these games.

He's in 87 times capped All Black.

He's played in World Cup Final.

This is why you signed him.

This is why you paid the big bucks.

And maybe you do have to learn the lesson of last year.

I wonder how much it's in Cullen's head this week as he kind of weighs it up.

I know.

He'd only be human.

as the three back subs I don't know what you think on that road I think if they've got Osborne there it possibly opens up Prendergast in that number 22 shirt because I think he's had two good performances maybe the way the end game was managed in Benetton will count against him

But he's obviously, you know, he's taken Ian's advice and he solved his kicking, which was a big part of it.

And he's, my fear with Ciarán Frawley is, I think he's an excellent rugby player, but he's played very little game time at 10 this season.

And if Harry Byrne goes down in the first five minutes and you've got Frawley coming on, he's just, he has no time in the saddle in the most important position, whereas Prendergast, albeit it's been a difficult year for him, he's played a lot of rugby and he was very good up in Belfast.

So I wonder if, and I've no information behind this, this is purely speculation, but Osborne,

being in the 23 shirt maybe allows you to pick Prendergast who let's face it was number one coming into the season yeah okay in the pack things more of a consensus more straightforward Porter assuming his fate she and and then it seems Thomas Clarkson in for an injured Tyke Furlong unless yeah Porter looks the news is sounding better on Porter than it was maybe on Monday

But the fact there's no debate is a sign that things are not as, you know, that the injuries have taken away a degree of competitiveness and depth from that pack and you're going into a...

A semi-final with a pack bench of, look, Ronan Keller is a line.

He'll do an excellent job coming in.

Jerry Kerr, who's been so solid, but this is another step up for him.