New Zealand v Ireland-First Test Predictions

[joeSoap]

I know the Blacks have picked a fair few fringe players, and Carter ain't playing, but I still fancy them to beat us by 10. These fringe players are all playing for World Cup recognition, are all experienced Super 14's players, and also are trying to impress Henry for the upcoming Tri-Nations.

I also have major issues with our back row because it contains Neil Best. The man is the penalty king. He is overly aggressive and concedes too many. Its bad enough that Leamy gives away a fair share. McCaw and Holah are both out and out No.7's and I think playing Keith Gleeson with Wallace and Leamy would have counteracted this a fair bit.

However, Eddie has proven me wrong before, and I hope he does it again.

New Zealand 32-23 Ireland....

[Real ale Madrid]

New Zealand 32-23 Ireland....

Considering we lost to thier B team 45-7 in the autumn and coming off the back of a long hard season i think that would be a good result for us.
If we can get two good competitive games against the all-Blacks and perphaps an outside chance of beating the Aussies - it would round off a fine season.

My prediction New Zealand 26-6 Ireland

[wws]

haha

best of luck with this discussion man in world cup month


rugby


gettouttatown!

[Soper]

I actually think we have a good chance of winning, however for that to happen we have to play a certain way(i.e. the pack to drag the NZ forwards in, then unlesh the ball to the backs), and I can't see that happening.Rog will probably end up kicking to touch all the time again.I'll probably, and hopefully, be proved wrong though!

[joeSoap]

Considering we lost to thier B team 45-7 in the autumn and coming off the back of a long hard season i think that would be a good result for us.
It wasn't fully their B team, and you have to remember we had no O'Driscoll, or O'Connell that day...Shane Horgan was playing out of position and it was the beginning of the season. O'Driscoll and O'Connell are both very talismanic, and definitely worth points to us. We won't be beaten anywhere 45-7 this time...I'll guarantee you that....

[Aberdonian Stu]

Lose by no less than 15 with the Kiwis scoring at least 30.

[Soper]

The team is also much more settled than it was back in November.remember, back then people were predicting a very poor year for both the provinces and the national team.Of course, we know how it panned out.

[Aberdonian Stu]

It's based more on my faith in the Kiwis and besides out guys will be knackered.

[Real ale Madrid]

It wasn't fully their B team, and you have to remember we had no O'Driscoll, or O'Connell that day...Shane Horgan was playing out of position and it was the beginning of the season. O'Driscoll and O'Connell are both very talismanic, and definitely worth points to us. We won't be beaten anywhere 45-7 this time...I'll guarantee you that....

Yep i remember. I also remember 2 years ago when we last won the triple crown we went down to South africa and they duly reminded us of where we stood in the pecking order. And as for guarenteeing me something against the All Blacks ... if we dont play near to where our potential is we will get a pasting. End of. It will be a major surprise if we get close. Having said that id be hopeful if not confident.

[pete]

29-13. Cannot see Ireland competing in this one.

Eddie should gone the whole way & picked full 8 Munster pack.

[joeSoap]

Eddie should gone the whole way & picked full 8 Munster pack.Agreed....but....

Foley is clearly not part of his plans...So why bring him simply because Simon Easterby and Jonny O'Connor were injured?? The problem I have with Foley being down there is that he's not going to even make the bench in any of the games. Playing Rory Best is a HUGE faux pas in my eyes. Starting Gleeson with Wallace at 6 and Leamy at 8 would have given us more ability to rob ball on the floor, and thats whats going to be needed because both front 5's are going to neutralise each other. McCaw and Holah are both excellent retrievers of the ball, and Gleeson is in that mould, albeit not quite that good...better than Best though. Quinlan or even playing Mick O'Driscoll at 8 and playing Leamy at 6 would have even been stronger that the way he's going. Perhaps he's doing it as a way out for himself, when time comes to pick Best again, he can show him the mauling he got in New Zealand...

That said....I can see us starting this one really well, with fast, up-tempo rugby which they won't like. Hopefully their new boys like Dermody will concede a few kickable pens to give us a few points and then sneak atry or two. Class will win out in the end probably, but I really reckon we have a chance of running them close--ish....

Back Ireland with the handicap....we're definitely not going to be done by eighteen (http://www.paddypower.com/bet?action=go_sports_level1&category=SPORTS&ev_class_id=12)....are we??

[Soko]

Thanks for pointing out the spread. I quite fancy us to do weel like the last time we were down there. Definitely take the points.


Jesus its 21 with Bet365. I'll take that.

[joeSoap]

Some Kiwi bookies are offering a 28 point start....arrogant bastrads....

My bet will be

Ireland + 9 v All Blacks 5/2 (go to paddypower.com, see alternative handicaps)
Scotland + 18 v S Africa 10/11
Australia + 14 v England 10/11

20 treble.........

[DmanDmythDledge]

If Ireland play at the very best of their ability we could run New Zealand close, but I still don't think we have a chance of victory.

[Terry]

New Zealand 34-23 Ireland FT

[Plastic Paddy]

However, Eddie has proven me wrong before, and I hope he does it again.

New Zealand 32-23 Ireland....

Joe... any idea about the Lotto numbers for the next couple of draws? :D

:ball: PP

[Soko]

What are we ever going to do with Peter Stringer


Dickinson is also the worst ref in the world by a country mile

[geysir]

Well done Joe, I think some of your predictions in the past were also spot on. Your pre match post on a rugby game should come with a header warning that it may lessen some viewers enjoyment of the game.

[pete]

Joe... any idea about the Lotto numbers for the next couple of draws? :D

:ball: PP

If you want 4 or 5 correct lotto numbers he probably your man alright.


Good 1st half by Ireland but terrible 2nd half. Eventhough Trimble got a try i thought he was poor before that. Lack of decent bench for some fresh legs cost Ireland badly.

Can't see Ireland turning it around in the 2nd test.

[joeSoap]

If you want 4 or 5 correct lotto numbers he probably your man alright..
4 numbers in the lotto done in the bookies pays thousands....5 numbers pays a quarter of a mill or something stupid. Do you think I'd be here if I knew those??......:D


Can't see Ireland turning it around in the 2nd test.
Agreed...it's downhill from here I'm afraid. At least 25 points in the next test I fear. The tiredness factor is going to kick in; O'Connell, Horan, Hayes, Wallace and a few others had no business being out on a rugby pitch for the last 20 mins. Their long season has taken its toll, and I have to ask myself why Heaslip, McCullough and a few others aren't in New Zealand instead of America at a reserve tournament? And then, theres the Daniel Carter, Rico Gear, Siviv'alu, ALi Williams and Jerry Collins factor which wasn't there today...Scary stuff.

This season was an amazing season, both Internationally and on the club front...absolutely fantastic. But our lack of strength in depth for the future is scary: What are our alternatives:

15. Geordan Murphy; Girvan Dempsey is the only alternative, and sadly he's coming to the end.
14 & 11. Shane Horgan & Trimble: Both ok for a while but cover?? John Kelly, Anthony Horgan and Denis Hickie are all nearing the end. O'Sullivan should have brought Rob Kearney& Ian Dowling down under for the experience instead of bringing 3 nearly retired players.
13 & 12. God & D'arse...As above, both fine, but cover?? Barry Murphy maybe if he gets over his injury....apart from that who??
10. Rog....nothing nearly like cover. We couldn't even put a replacement out-half on the bench today because we are ashamed of our current cover (Staunton)...God help us.
9. Stringer....the fact that he has played 4 seasons now so badly without being dropped says it all.
8. Leamy...an area we're good in with Heaslip and Wilson (although after his animalistic head butt tonite in the Maori game, I'm not so sure...) offer good options.
6 & 7. A glut here too thankfully with Wallace, Quinlan, Gleeson, Easterby, Best, Jennings and Keogh all here.
4 & 5. The three O's...O'Connell, O'Callaghan and O'Driscoll....after that heaven help us. Leo Cullen...don't make me laugh
2. Flannery here to stay, but with Frankie and the Mullett finished, we're totally screwed for any future in this position.
1 & 3. Bull past it and Marcus not quite up to it against world class props, yet they're never substituted unless near dead for the same reasons as apply to Rog....We're afraid to bring on our sub (Best) cos he's abysmal and there is absolutely NO props on the way....

Prediction: Scrap the National team, and concentrate on Munsters Heineken Cup campaigns...relieve all Munstermen of National duty.....forever..:D

[geysir]

; O'Connell, Horan, Hayes, Wallace and a few others had no business being out on a rugby pitch for the last 20 mins. Their long season has taken its toll
Why were there hardly any substitutions made in the last 1/4?

[Real ale Madrid]

I thought this was a cracking game - for our lads to put in that sort of defensive effort at the end of a long season deserves a lot of credit. O'Sullivan is moulding a team that is capable of getting past our quarter-final hoodoo at the world cup. I thought we gifted them a few scores which cost us the game, but a tremendous effort and just fasinating to watch.

I wonder what team Henry will put out next week? I was under the impression he was keeping Carter, Gear et al for Argentina?

[joeSoap]

Why were there hardly any substitutions made in the last 1/4?
Because most of our subs wouldn't make the Romanian National Team, let alone feature in a test against the All Blacks in New Zealand.:o

[pete]

O'Sullivan is building for the World Cup is suppose so he won't pick players than not ready for that yet. Still far too many international journey men in the squad & 1 or 2 injuries would kill the whole team - i suspect O'Sullivan knows that but no choice but to gamble.

Bring subs on with 3 minutes left was bad decision as he badly needed fresh legs in last 15 minutes even if less quality.

Ireland A looked disorganised which won't do much for Bradleys future aspirations. Wallace looked completely out of his depth & the head butt was ludicrous from a so called professional.

[Soko]

I thought Trimble was outstanding. A lesser player could have shipped a couple of tries going back like that.

[Schumi]

O'Sullivan should have brought Rob Kearney& Ian Dowling down under for the experience instead of bringing 3 nearly retired players.
I think Kearney is better served getting international game time in America rather than 10 mins in New Zealand tbh.

[Soko]

I think Kearney is better served getting international game time in America rather than 10 mins in New Zealand tbh.



Without a shadow of a doubt


I can see Trimble moving to first centre and Kearney taking the wing in my head. It wont happen but it would make us more dangerous

[Real ale Madrid]

[QUOTE=pete]
Ireland A looked disorganised which won't do much for Bradleys future aspirations. QUOTE]

Disorganised? Very harsh. I thought it was a decent perfomance - they showed like their first team counterparts that they are willing to take the game to poeple and i thought they played some great rugby against a very strong Maori team. New Zealands strength and depth is frightening. For a country with a paltry pick in comparison we gave them two great games. For once we are fully utilising our resources available and not off playing games in Tonga or sending the first team to America or Canada.

[pete]

I thought Ireland A far too loose & while running rugby good to a point some insane long passes under Irelands own posts & wasn't as if 2 man overlap available either.