With Stuart McCloskey coming out during the week and speaking of his puzzling lack of game time with Ireland under Joe Schmidt, we have been inspired to come up with our own XV of rugby players who deserved better at international level.
Some have been more hard done by than others, but all will have felt that they should have been given more caps, and such is the strength of the side, it shows how cruel the sport can be at the very top.
The Players Who Didn't Get A Fair Crack With Ireland XV
Denis Buckley - Loose Head Prop
This was down to luck more than anything else, with the presence of Cian Healy, Jack McGrath, and Dave Kilcoyne providing top tier competition, while injuries plagued the Connacht man at crucial moments.
The fact that he has zero Ireland caps is a crime, however.
He rivals Tadhg Furlong for the most skilful prop we have ever produced, and was a menace at the break down in his pomp.
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19 January 2024; Ireland rugby ; Denis Buckley of Connacht during the Investec Champions Cup Pool 1 Round 4 match between Connacht and Bristol Bears at the Dexcom Stadium in Galway. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Niall Scannell - Hooker
The pickings were slim enough at no. 2, and with 21 caps for Ireland - including nine starts - Scannell is not far off the tally he deserves.
However, we have seen epic performances from him at times from Munster, such as his superlative showing against Toulon last month, which makes one wonder whether Ireland missed a trick over the years.
Marty Moore - Tight Head Prop
Before Furlong came along and rose to the very top in the list of the world's tight heads, Moore - then playing for Leinster - was seen as the successor to Mike Ross.
His last cap came in the successful 2015 Six Nations campaign, where he was the perfect foil off the bench for Ross.
He failed to regain his fitness for the 2015 World Cup, and moved to Wasps at the end of that season for two years.
Since his return to these shores with Ulster, the closest he has got to getting back into the fold, and adding to his 10 caps, was an appearance off the bench for Ireland 'A' in 2022 against the All Blacks XV.
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Donnacha Ryan - Lock
The Nenagh man, or 'Skin as he's affectionately known as, did win an impressive 47 caps for Ireland, but hear us out.
Joe Schmidt's reputation as an average selector was starkly on show for the 2015 World Cup quarter-final, where a fit and firing Ryan was left on the bench and only got ten minutes in a game where he could have made a real difference.
Schmidt, it seemed, realised the error of his ways as the Munster lock was quickly back into Ireland's starting XV. But when a central contract didn't come in 2017, he packed his bags for Paris and finished his career with a superb four seasons at Racing 92.
18 March 2017; Ireland rugby ; Donnacha Ryan of Ireland and Courtney Lawes of England contest a lineout during the RBS Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and England at the Aviva Stadium in Lansdowne Road, Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Rhys Ruddock - Lock
Rhys is another with a heap of caps, and has also captained Ireland as well.
But considering his talent, his performances for Leinster over a number of seasons, and the fact that he made his Ireland debut at 19-years-of-age, 27 caps feels low.
Gavin Coombes - Blindside Flanker
The Munster number eight is one of the poster boys for 'players who haven't had a fair go of it.'
He has been one of the premier players in Europe for a number of years, but cannot break into the Ireland set-up given the consistent excellence of Caelan Doris and Jack Conan, who are effectively seen as 'pure 8s' as well.
Gavin Coombes with his second try 💪#MUNvCRU #MunsterInThePáirc #SUAF 🔴
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) February 3, 2024
Roger Wilson - Openside Flanker
"It's all motivation for me, but I still wonder sometimes does the face not fit. If you don't know what I mean by that I suppose you should ask Roger Wilson how he has one cap for Ireland and Jamie Heaslip has 60 and two Lions tours behind him."
We had to include Wilson given Darren Cave's immortal words above. While his comments are remembered for the 'face not fit' line, his comparison between Heaslip and Wilson were fascinating.
Whether you think Cave was going overboard or not, Wilson deserved more than his single appearance against Japan in 2005.
12 June 2005; Ireland rugby ; Roger Wilson, left, and Alan Quinlan, Ireland, contest a high ball with Ryoto Saano and Takanori Kumagae, right, Japan. Japan v Ireland 1st Test, Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan. Picture credit; Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE
James Coughlan - Number Eight
Coughlan is regularly mentioned in conversations on who is Ireland's best uncapped player.
He came into his own at Munster in the season's following their Heineken Cup golden years, but was never favoured by Declan Kidney when he took over at Ireland.
19 January 2014; Ireland rugby ; James Coughlan, Munster, goes past the Edinburgh defence before scoring the first try. Heineken Cup 2013/14, Pool 6, Round 6, Munster v Edinburgh, Thomond Park, Limerick. Picture credit: Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE
John Cooney - Scrum-Half
The 11-time capped Ulster scrummie provides stiff competition for Gavin Coombes for the most screwed over player in the side.
Even during his prime years, where he terrorised teams in Europe, game after game, he struggled to get any minutes under Joe Schmidt.
In our opinion, he is still the second best nine available to Ireland.
23 February 2020; Ireland rugby : John Cooney of Ireland appeals to the referee as Jonny May of England steals possession during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between England and Ireland at Twickenham Stadium in London, England. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Jack Carty - Out-Half
In fairness to Schmidt, he brought the Connacht 10 into the Ireland fold, and was clearly a fan of his game.
His last start for Ireland came in that infamous loss to Japan at the 2019 World Cup, and his last appearance was a disastrous two minute cameo in the 2022 Six Nations away to France.
However, we believe he deserved more in the early days of Andy Farrell's tenure.
Matt Healy - Left Wing
The Dubliner epitomised Connacht's scintillating style circa 2016, and after helping his province to the Pro 14 title that year, he was duly rewarded with his first and only cap against South Africa that summer.
He remains Connacht's top try scorer of all-time.
Stuart McCloskey - Inside Centre
"I'd have loved to have got a better crack at the whip when I was 23 with Joe here but obviously we didn't see eye to eye and my face probably didn't fit."
These comments from Stuart McCloskey earlier in the week - which make reference to Cave's famous quote - prompted us to make this team.
While Schmidt did give the big man his Ireland debut away in Twickenham in 2016, he only received two further caps under the New Zealander.
The rest of his criminally low 16 appearances have been handed to him by Farrell, and despite the head coach's appreciation of his talent, minutes are still hard to come by given the three world class options in situ.
Darren Cave - Outside Centre
Of course we had to include wee Daz, who truly is the founding father of this XV.
He won 11 caps from 2009 - 2015, and was known for is footballing skills and assured defence.
He was bizarrely breadcrumbed by Schmidt in 2015, when after being selected as centre cover in the World Cup squad, was not started there when the cover was badly needed.
Craig Gilroy - Right Wing
The hot-stepper dotted down five times in ten appearances for Ireland - not including his hat-trick in a non-test match for Ireland XV against Fiji, just a week before scoring scoring on his full debut in 2012.
He won 10 caps in total, the last of which also saw him dot down three times, in what was a stunning second-half showing off the bench.
After the game, Schmidt called the performance 'a mixed bag'.......
Tiernan O'Halloran - Fullback
Munster's Mike Haley was a shout at 15, but being 29-years-old he still has a slight chance at turning things around.
Naturally, Ireland game time was going to be a rare commodity for the Connacht fullback, given the ever present Rob Kearney. But even through bouts of poor form, the Leinster legend was backed to the hilt by Schmidt.
Kearney also admitted that the coach even acknowledged this downturn in form, when after Ireland's win over the All Blacks in 2016, he said "Joe pulled me aside before the game and said, 'you need a big one today'''.
Full XV:
- Denis Buckley
- Niall Scannell
- Marty Moore
- Donnacha Ryan
- Rhys Ruddock
- Gavin Coombes
- Roger Wilson
- James Coughlan
- John Cooney
- Jack Carty
- Matt Healy
- Stuart McCloskey
- Darren Cave
- Craig Gilroy
- Tiernan O'Halloran
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