Rugby World Cup [Archive] - Page 7

joeSoap

11/09/2007, 8:15 PM

Not obvious to quite a few of us though...must be getting old.;)

Well, after tonight we now have the top three teams in the group having played a shocker. Argentina, in both games, have shown me absolutely nothing to be scared of. To me France are going to be the tough nut. I can't see us beating them, so ideally we lose to them by 7 or less without conceding 4 tries, and beat Argentina by more than 7 without conceding 4 tries. Assuming we all get max points against the minnows, that would leave it:

France 15pts.
Ireland 15pts
Argentina 14pts.

I'd settle for that.

endabob1

12/09/2007, 8:24 AM

I think Argentina will win the group. Irelands pack will need to go up about 10 levels to get any ball, the Pumas will push Ireland all over the pitch. I would be amazed if we get out of the group and if we do I think it will be at the expense of France and not Argentina.
I'm actually quite fearfull about getting a bonus from Georgia going on what I saw last night.

ifk101

12/09/2007, 8:31 AM

monutdfc

12/09/2007, 8:51 AM

BTW i noticed TV3 got massive TV viewing figures for Sundays which is a surprise until you realise anyone without Setanta only had the other option of UTV. Watching Sport on UTV makes TV3 appealing :eek:
Did anyone else notice that although the feed is the same the Setanta picture was much sharper than the tv3 picture? (I'm on NTL Digital)

Dodge

12/09/2007, 9:15 AM

yep, monutdfc. Funnily enough though, the first game I watched TV3 was far sharper than ITV and Setanta, but last couple of games the TV3 picture was noticeably worse than the others

joeSoap

12/09/2007, 9:19 AM

I reckon we will take a bonus point off of Georgia a lot more easy than Argentina did. Argentina will struggle to score buckets of tries against anyone simply because outside of 12 they have very little to offer. Get under Contepomi's skin early on and they offer nothing outside of 10. The flip side of that is that they won't concede too many tries either.

If we don't go buck ape in the first 20 mins against Georgia, then we'll probably put 50 + points on them I reckon. We will concentrate on winning the game first; ie taking kicks at goal instead of kicking for touch, keeping the ball alive as long as we can to tire them out (and they will tire) and hit them for tries in the second half. That guarantees our bonus points and keeps us 100% on track. You can rest assured that performances against France and the Argies will be upped immensely. My only concern is Best at hooker. Bad thrower, not as dynamic aroiund the field and only has the nod on Flannery in the scrummaging dept, where let's face it, we're probably going to get done anyway.

Ireland to qualify ....no problem!!

pete

12/09/2007, 3:18 PM

I think we will get the bonus point against Georgia.
They only have a few days to recover from last night's match and, hopefully, they'll tire more quickly against us than they did against Argentina.

I agree. The schedule for Georgia is fairly unfair.

I think O'Sullivan is scared of the Argentina scrum & because of this I think he has persisted with Best at the expense of Flannery.

Listening to O'Sullivan on TV last night he was very good at explaining what was wrong in the last game but never suggested why his experienced players could not detect this on the pitch. Does anyone else think O'Driscoll a bad decision maker for captain?

onceahoop

12/09/2007, 4:37 PM

On rte sport at 7.30 this morning O'Driscoll said the players were shocked by how physical the Namibians were.:eek:

Says it all about our preparation.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

The Georgian Greco Wrestlers will plough through our Spice Boy backs unless they stop smelling themselves.:(

Hibs4Ever

12/09/2007, 4:44 PM

onceahoop

12/09/2007, 6:22 PM

You don't need skill to knock people over and if they don't fancy it that's what'll happen. The Irish team have been noted for their defence in recent years apart from a few blips. Even Denis Hickie has improved. But when a Captain comes out and says they were surprised by the physicality of the opposition I get worried. I expect a big improvement on Saturday.

drinkfeckarse

14/09/2007, 8:24 AM

Very true, it's basically admitting that they under rated them which in any professional sport is an accident waiting to happen. The minnows will always give it everything, especially in the first game which is essentially their World Cup Final. They should have expected the Namibians to give it everything and nothing less IMO.

shakermaker1982

14/09/2007, 9:31 AM

let's hope we impress tomorrow. Let us not forget that we are in effect still in pre season whereas the southern hemisphere sides have been playing competitive games for months now. I expect our lads to perform.

geysir

14/09/2007, 9:51 AM

I heard one Irish player being interviewed (Marcus Horan?) saying that many of the mistakes the team made in the Namibia game were of the type that the team can remedy in a few days training, dropped balls etc.

shakermaker1982

14/09/2007, 10:31 AM

I think Hickie was still concussed after that massive hit hence all the dropped balls!

joeSoap

14/09/2007, 11:06 AM

Hickie was concussed, and the reason they didn't take him off was because of the three week rest after concussion rule which would have effectively ruled him out for the rest of the World Cup. This is both dangerous and stupid in my opinion.He was clearly in distress for quite a while after that knock.

Schumi

14/09/2007, 11:14 AM

You have to wonder if that concussion rule is counter-productive.

Georgia have made 11 changes to their team for Saturday, if we don't win this easily, we're in big trouble.

onceahoop

14/09/2007, 1:05 PM

You have to wonder if that concussion rule is counter-productive.

Georgia have made 11 changes to their team for Saturday, if we don't win this easily, we're in big trouble.

Expect to see a of subs if we get a big lead. With France up in a week there are a lot of lads who need game time, particularly if as I suspect we pick up a few injuries in this game.

shakermaker1982

14/09/2007, 2:18 PM

what would be an acceptable win margin? If we win. 30 points? 40 ?

Torn-Ado

14/09/2007, 2:52 PM

what would be an acceptable win margin? If we win. 30 points? 40 ?

Nothing less than 30 in my opinion. We should be able to rack up a 50 or 60 point difference.

dfx-

14/09/2007, 10:43 PM

South Africa 36-0 England.

Springboks with an ok-ish route to the semis

onceahoop

14/09/2007, 11:10 PM

South Africa 36-0 England.

Springboks with an ok-ish route to the semis

The chariots wheels have come off.:rolleyes:

Rovers fan

15/09/2007, 12:40 AM

The chariots wheels have come off.:rolleyes:

well they have been fairly shaky for a good while!

bennocelt

15/09/2007, 7:30 AM

BTW i noticed TV3 got massive TV viewing figures for Sundays which is a surprise until you realise anyone without Setanta only had the other option of UTV. Watching Sport on UTV makes TV3 appealing :eek:

im actually enjoying ITVs coverage so far, it isnt that bad, and they have an Aussie guy commentating on Ireland games who is very funny (Who is he?)
I cant watch Conor Mcnarama, just too annoying

Dodge

15/09/2007, 7:50 AM

im actually enjoying ITVs coverage so far, it isnt that bad, and they have an Aussie guy commentating on Ireland games who is very funny (Who is he?)
He's a New Zealander called Murray Mexted (?) and by far the worst commentator I've ever heard

bennocelt

15/09/2007, 8:33 AM

He's a New Zealander called Murray Mexted (?) and by far the worst commentator I've ever heard

yeah but dodge we are pretty much opposites anyway in everything:)
and i have seen your TV recommendations!

pete

15/09/2007, 11:28 AM

Just seen that Portugal have a new tactic to compete with the All Blacks. Keep the ball on the ground & kick it up the pitch. New Zealand are hopeless at football. :p

Torn-Ado

15/09/2007, 1:46 PM

Just seen that Portugal have a new tactic to compete with the All Blacks. Keep the ball on the ground & kick it up the pitch. New Zealand are hopeless at football. :p

We still wouldnt beat them.

osarusan

15/09/2007, 4:35 PM

He's a New Zealander called Murray Mexted (?) and by far the worst commentator I've ever heard

Really?

He commentates on the Super 14 competition which I can watch from Japan - he always seemed knowledgeable to me. What dont you like about him?

Dodge

15/09/2007, 9:00 PM

He made jokes about the "wild Irish" and players drinking guinness. Also got 4/5 players names wrong, "John O'Driscoll" being our captain apparently.

Ireland squeek past Georgia 14-10. Georgia had all the ball

Soper

15/09/2007, 9:01 PM

Embarressment.

joeSoap

15/09/2007, 9:11 PM

I now retract all previous praise I have given Eddie O'Sullivan. This is a beaten Irish side mentally and physically. 'World Class' players aka O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, O'Gara, Leamy, and O'Connell no longer have any right to be considered so in my book. I have played and supported rugby all of my life. I now am embarrassed by this Irish team.

I also have no doubt that O'Sullivan won't change this team too much either. Based on this performance, I would line out against the French with this team: Dempsey; Trimble, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Carney, O'Gara, Stringer; Simon Best, Flannery, Hayes, O'Connell, O'Kelly, Neil Best, Alan Quinlan, David Wallace.

Drastic I know, but they need a kick in the arse. Hickie is finished. Horan and Rory Best are passengers, Donncha is away with the fairies and Leamy is just plain poor at the moment.

Jesus, I'm depressed now.

FarBeag

15/09/2007, 9:24 PM

What is happening to Irish sport? A week of utter S*ite from both the Rugby and Football team.We will be torn apart by the French and the Argentineans. We are a shadow of the side that so nearly won the championship. I feel sorry for all our supporters having to put up with this nonsense.

Stuttgart88

15/09/2007, 9:41 PM

I just said this in a footy thread, but the only good thing is that soccer will probably reclaim about 50,000 schoolkids fron rugby now!

pete

15/09/2007, 9:50 PM

You can't fault the players as they are trying but they do not look up to the pace of the WC. O'Sullivan seems to think they can pick it up another level next week & maybe he will be proven right but I doubt it. They might be good enough by the time Argentina game comes around but it could be too late.

Ireland look better than they really are in the 6 Nations because:
* Wales, Scotland & Italy are poor
* England & France are run by club sides so little time to prepare
* Ireland pay the players so I would guess they train together twice as much as France & play less games.

In the WC the "club team" like advantage is lost as even the minnows train together 6-8 weeks before the tournament. To use a football example this is how South Korea got to a WC semi final.

The sad thing is this is the glory years for Irish rugby as the 2nd string players coming through are not very good. Once some key players retire it will a couple fo years of poor results to know if the newbies are up to the level. We'll still have England to beat though.

ifk101

15/09/2007, 9:58 PM

Georgia played the game of their lives tonight and everything they had Ireland withstood. I think Ireland deserve credit for that.

Stuttgart88

15/09/2007, 10:12 PM

I think to an extent that's correct. In the circumstances, other sides would have lost given the momentum they had at the end. Their pack was immense and that guy with the left foot - what a kick from hand, enormous.

Goergia may well have beaten another 6 nations country, dare I say it, the defending world champions. Hard to say.

Anyway, it's good that the RWC is becoming more competitive.

You can't afford to take your eye off the ball in international sport these days. Close followers of football here know that ther former minnows are tough opponents these days. Holland needed a 90th minute winner in Albania last week.

Hibs4Ever

15/09/2007, 11:04 PM

Flannery and Boss must start v France IMO

Gutted with that performance tonight :mad:

shakermaker1982

16/09/2007, 9:32 AM

yeah I'm disappointed but just been reading the independent and leinsterfans.com forum and the slagging they are getting from all angles makes me want to defend them! They are clearly off the pace and well below par but they won - we'd have usually caved in under that much pressure. Stringer and Best need to be replaced by Boss and Flannery. I'm still in a bit of shock but Georgia were fantastic. This often gets forgotten in the media, like a poster says above they'd have been a handful for any 6 nations side last night. Maybe trying to match them up front was a suicide mission.

pete

16/09/2007, 11:40 AM

Something I have noticed before & has been evident in both WC games so far is that the Ireland team never change tactics during games. I think O'Sullivan gives them strict game plans which is great when it works but when not working no plan B. Ireland kicked away so much possession last night it was criminal. Surely with all their supposed skill the backs would have run at Georgia & wore them down?

:confused:

geysir

16/09/2007, 12:27 PM

I wouldn't know what an offside flanker is, but are things not bad when there are shouts of Boss to replace Stringer after the replacement's performance?

Regardless of what everybody else was or was not doing on the pitch, what could explains O'Gara's kicking performance? A team just gone inexplicably off the boil?
You start off thinking about margins of victory then you�re thinking the bonus point looks difficult, then you�re wondering about victory. You could see Argentina had a difficulty against Georgia but that game in the last 1/2 hour was played in the Georgia half with them hanging on.

onceahoop

16/09/2007, 12:42 PM

The Georgian tactics were brilliant as was their kicking The kept pinning us back in our own 25 and we couldn't handle it. The amount of turnover ball we conceeded when in great atacking positions was embarrasing for players who are supposed to be up there with the best in Europe. Players kept getting themselves isolated and we couldn't get to the breakdown quick enough. There was an embarrasing lack of composure from some players under pressure. I think O'Gara had one decent kick. Stringer has been way off his best for some time (take a gamble and play Reddan). O'Callagan's stupid concession of a penalty was unnacceptable at is level, more akin to something in Junior 3rds.:mad:

I wonder will the Georgians be able to repeat that performance against their paymasters, The French.

bennocelt

16/09/2007, 1:26 PM

Enjoying the World cup, apaprt from my bet France messing up in the first game, that French manager hasnt a clue
Some of the games are an awful mismatch, but thats always going to happen
Portugal and Georgia look like they could make a step up in a few years times, with money and good coaching
Man Georgia could have won that game last night, pity!;)

funny to see Henderson in shock last night, considering he tipped ireland to make the final:rolleyes:

onceahoop

16/09/2007, 2:33 PM

joeSoap

16/09/2007, 4:34 PM

yeah I'm disappointed but just been reading the independent and leinsterfans.com forum and the slagging they are getting from all angles makes me want to defend them! Why? They deserve every bit of criticism they get, and more...

They are clearly off the pace and well below par but they won - we'd have usually caved in under that much pressure. We won, without a bonus point which was very much expected and very badly needed...against a third worlf rugby nation.

Stringer and Best need to be replaced by Boss and Flannery. Best yes, but Boss for Stringer? Get real. That has to be one of the most ridiculous suggestions ever.

shakermaker1982

16/09/2007, 5:46 PM

Why? They deserve every bit of criticism they get, and more....

What is criticism from us going to achieve? The players know they are in a rut themselves, this team has brought us a lot of wins and I still have faith in them. The English/British media attitude of hounding the players after 2/3 games is OTT and it's spilling over into Ireland. The team needs support IMO.

We won, without a bonus point which was very much expected and very badly needed...against a third worlf rugby nation. if we beat France and Argentina we don't need bonus points. A big if but all I was bothered about in the last 20 minutes was getting the WIN.

Best yes, but Boss for Stringer? Get real. That has to be one of the most ridiculous suggestions ever. Well I'm not alone on that suggestion. I must have read 'drop Stringer' at least 200 times today by different posters/so called rugby experts. Don't get me wrong I'm no fan of Boss but O'Sullivan will have to seriously consider a change at number 9. Stringer is struggling (more than anybody IMO - I have never seen him so hesitant) and throwing somebody that out of form into the biggest match Ireland has played in years could seriously backfire on us. People have gone as far as wanting Reddan in at scrum half but that is way too risky for this game - Boss at least has game experience in the green shirt.

I admit it would be a risky move in breaking up the O'Gara/Stringer partnership but competition for places is defintely taking place at number 9 (something we lack in most positions). I wouldn't make wholesale changes, just those 2 positions and maybe Trimble in for Hickie

geysir

16/09/2007, 6:02 PM

When Boss came on for Stringer last night he was adding more problems to an already bad situation.

DmanDmythDledge

16/09/2007, 6:04 PM

Flannery and Boss must start v France IMO
Best in injured so Flannery will start.

shakermaker1982

16/09/2007, 6:23 PM

When Boss came on for Stringer last night he was adding more problems to an already bad situation.

he messed up once when he broke away and kicked the ball out of hand straight to a Georgian but other than that I thought he didn't do too badly. Maybe Stringer will bounce back. I hope so - he cannot get any worse!