Rugby World Cup [Archive] - Page 9

RogerMilla

19/09/2007, 8:03 AM

Some of you may recall Ireland going to Paris for a 6 Nations game in 1998. We went into the game on the back of some bad results and eveyone was expecting France to give us a hiding. However, our scrum-half that day (think it was Conor McGuinness) controlled the game with some excellent box-kicking. We ended up losing 18-16, but we should have won. I would hope that Reddan can put in a similar display on Friday night. Its important that he takes some of the pressure off O'Gara.
.

remember it alright , a nice piece of trickery by elwood conjured the irish try.

Rugby is a funny game. We are just after escaping with a win against Georgia. There hasn't been a glimpse of form in the team since the 6 Nations. O'Sullivan calls a few changes, they are heavily criticzed and yet the prediction is for a 360 degree swing in form to achieve a victory against the French, in what would be our our biggest win ever in the World Cup against a class team in their back yard who last beat us on our home turf when we had form.
Thats a relief, for a while I was worried.

brilliant post , but perversely i think we can win , as a welsh mate of mine said the french fans will be coming to this game with a bugle in one hand and a tomato in the other. a few early scores for us would get them fickle bassas on their teams back.

joeSoap

19/09/2007, 8:20 AM

French side picked. No Jauzion...he's playing Michalak, and their back row composition is strange to say the least. New hope.

endabob1

19/09/2007, 8:30 AM

French side picked. No Jauzion...he's playing Michalak, and their back row composition is strange to say the least. New hope.

Depends on which Michalak turns up.... Melbourne 2003 springs to mind, drove straight from Phillip Island the day after my wedding anniversary, into the stadium, game over inside 20 minutes....

Aberdonian Stu

19/09/2007, 8:50 AM

On the allegations published this morning. Irrespective of whether there is any truth to them or not they are guaranteed to have an impact on mental preparations. What isn't guaranteed is the type of impact that will be and the mind games could well backfire for the French.

The Irish rugby team is a wounded animal right now, especially after the poor showings in the first two games, and the French press may just have just fuelled the hunger within for one big, merciless attempt to regain some pride.

pete

19/09/2007, 10:00 AM

France: Poitrenaud; Clerc, Marty, Traille, Heymans; Michalak, Elissalde; Milloud, Ibanez, De Villiers, Chabal, Thion, Betsen, Dusautoir, Bonnaire.
Replacements: Szarzewski, Poux, Nallet, Nyanga, Beauxis, Jauzion, Rougerie.

Chabal in the 2nd row so maybe a weakness at the line out?

Appears to be a lot of chances from the Argentina game...

Ireland are 4/1 to win which is very long when only 2 teams.

lofty9

19/09/2007, 10:05 AM

Look at The Football World Cup, Italy always get off to a slow start but are always there or thereabouts. Hopefully, a few changes and the obvious rustiness will have gone to help lift the standard of performances. Those really bad performances could be a blessing in disguise for O Sullivan, as the fringe players could come in and do a better job. O Sullvan was always wary of changing his starting 15 no matter who the opposition were.

ifk101

19/09/2007, 10:08 AM

Ireland are currently 6/1 with bwin.

Schumi

19/09/2007, 10:35 AM

Look at The Football World Cup, Italy always get off to a slow start but are always there or thereabouts.
Saudi Arabia usually get off to a slow start too though.

lofty9

19/09/2007, 1:17 PM

Saudi Arabia usually get off to a slow start too though.

Touch� !

But in Rugby terms we are at a level much much higher than that of Saudi Arabia.

OneRedArmy

19/09/2007, 1:23 PM

Touch� !

But in Rugby terms we are at a level much much higher than that of Saudi Arabia.
Not based on our warm up games we aren't.

Also, if rumours are true, I'd be starting Wallace at 10.

beautifulrock

19/09/2007, 2:00 PM

Not based on our warm up games we aren't.

Also, if rumours are true, I'd be starting Wallace at 10.

Did the French papers print "the story" then?

Aberdonian Stu

19/09/2007, 2:11 PM

They said on Ireland AM this morning that L'�quipe ran the story today. I don't know if they had actually seen it or if they were just saying it.

As for the rumours/Wallace, I would disagree. Wallace is too weak and with his back in the corner the man facing the flak might come out swinging for the first time this tournament. There are two ways a sportsman can deal with this type of pressure in the short term. He can crawl into a shell or he can come out fighting. I pray it's the latter in this case.

pete

19/09/2007, 2:11 PM

Also, if rumours are true, I'd be starting Wallace at 10.

Unless O'Gara has two broken legs playing Wallace would be a disaster. If he is playing might as well give the French a by. Among other things his kicking is woeful.

OneRedArmy

19/09/2007, 3:23 PM

Unless O'Gara has two broken legs playing Wallace would be a disaster. If he is playing might as well give the French a by. Among other things his kicking is woeful.Who has been the fly-half for our last 4 games?!

Lets face it ROG has hardly set the world on fire lately and the news breaking today gives one possible answer why that may be.

In fact, he's done nothing of note since the Autumn, apart from the England game. His line and tactical kicking were poor throughout the Six Nations and his goal kicking accuracy has fallen away too. He sits too deep in the pocket and when he can't find the corners he hasn't got the 3-dimensional game to try anything different.

Don't get me wrong, Wallace is unproven at best, erratic and unable to control a game at worst, but he does play the game at the gain line, shows flashes of brilliance from time to time and is considerably better passer than O'Gara.

OneRedArmy

19/09/2007, 3:24 PM

Did the French papers print "the story" then?
No idea, knew about it from other sources.

geysir

19/09/2007, 3:30 PM

There is nothing on the L'Equipe website about it, as far as I could see.

Stuttgart88

19/09/2007, 3:35 PM

I was looking too mais ma francaise n'est pas le meilleur

geysir

19/09/2007, 3:45 PM

At least Eddie is on song, Gift Grub special.
http://audiostore.todayfm.com/audio/breakfast/Gift_ladies.mp3

geysir

19/09/2007, 3:53 PM

I was looking too mais ma francaise n'est pas le meilleur
:D :D
Not another Irishman moaning about his French bit on the side.
What's her name Stutts?

Stuttgart88

19/09/2007, 3:56 PM

j'espere, j'espere...

Anyway, all rumours can be posted disreetly here.

Soko

19/09/2007, 7:57 PM

You might as well wave the white flag if Wallace gets a game

OneRedArmy

19/09/2007, 11:05 PM

You might as well wave the white flag if Wallace gets a game
I'm sick of yours and Pete's constant pro-Munster drivel.

The white flag has been waved already based on our last 6 performances.

O'Gara has been atrocious recently.

On his day, he's a much better player than Wallace, but he hasn't got near those heights this year (except against an England team who aren't in the top 8 in the world right now).

Take the provincial blinkers off and if you are going to talk rugby, at least try and back up your points with some informed opinion (see joesoaps posts).

PS In case you think I'm equally biased in favour of Ulster players, I have no affinity whatsoever for Ulster and actually I stood on the terrace at Ravenhill this year in a London Irish jersey and scarf getting abused for cheering against Ulster.

Soko

20/09/2007, 12:34 AM

If Wallace was a viable alternative, I'd be willing to play him but he's not. He's not even the out half for his own province ffs

I couldn't give **** about your provincial bull****, Wallace is not international quality. But hey, lets throw a guy in who struggles to hit penalties in front of the posts and rarely gives his over worked pack a break in Argentina a shot in the most important game this team has played. Great idea. Lets match Michilak with our own version in a panic move to unsettle the squad even further and wave the white flag!!!

PS In case you actually think I care about your views on Ulster, I don't.

SkStu

20/09/2007, 8:27 AM

fully agree with soko here. Wallace is not at the required standard and to suggest he should start ahead of ROG is outrageous. :eek:

joeSoap

20/09/2007, 8:36 AM

He might not be the required standard yet, but how is he ever going to get there unless he's given game time? O'Gara represents the only option at out-half at the moment simply because he's the only one there. His performances have been totally inept, and blaming Stringer for a slow pass, or the pack for slow ball don't cut it. His running lines aren't conducive to getting the backs running, he takes at least 15 minutes every game lately to get his eye in with regard to his line kicking, and his personal problems are obviously affecting him.

Paddy Wallace has done very little wrong in any international he has played at out-half for Ireland. You can only perform against the opposition thats in fornt of you. I am prepared to give O'Gara one last chance tomorrow night because he has proven himself to be a big game player in the past. But it doesn't go beyond tomorrow night for me. It's his last chance saloon. If we don't win, then he's gotta go for the Argentina game because we will need a 4try haul minimum, and Wallace is a better man to get the backs going.

Stuttgart88

20/09/2007, 8:40 AM

Is Ian Humphreys not a better 10 than Wallace? How come he never got a look in?

joeSoap

20/09/2007, 8:50 AM

Ian Humphreys would not be any way near as good as Wallace...not yet anyway. Plus, he plays his rugby for Leicester, something O'Sullivan frowns upon. He wants all his players playing in Ireland. Easterby is an exception as he always lived and played with Llanelli, and Geordan Murphy went to Leicester at a very early age. Shane Jennings in particular learnt this the hard way. Eoin Reddan seems to be an exception, but only it seems because things are approaching rock bottom.

pete

20/09/2007, 10:20 AM

Wallace is not international quality. But hey, lets throw a guy in who struggles to hit penalties in front of the posts and rarely gives his over worked pack a break in Argentina a shot in the most important game this team has played..

I agree. Could not care what province he plays for. I hoped he would do ok against Scotland in the summer but was a complete failure. If Ireland had an alternative kicker it may not be such a big deal but he is simply not good enough place kicker for International level rugby.

joeSoap

20/09/2007, 11:41 AM

I agree. Could not care what province he plays for. I hoped he would do ok against Scotland in the summer but was a complete failure. If Ireland had an alternative kicker it may not be such a big deal but he is simply not good enough place kicker for International level rugby. His place kicking stands up...The pack and tactics against Scotland were as much of a failure as he supposedly was. I think he's getting an unfairly hard time of it here. No question, a fit, focused and on form O'Gara should always start, but at the moment he certainly isn't focused or on form. Wallace could be no worse than him at this moment. I have a gut feeling that he's going to turn it around tomorrow night though.

Schumi

20/09/2007, 11:49 AM

I'm sick of yours and Pete's constant pro-Munster drivel.I'm as anti-Munster as anyone else and I don't think Wallace should get in the team to play France barring injury to O'Gara. O'Gara has been poor so far in the world cup but so has practically everyone else. If they don't all improve we're screwed and I don't think Wallace is of the standard required for a game of this magnitude.

Macy

20/09/2007, 12:27 PM

Is Ian Humphreys not a better 10 than Wallace? How come he never got a look in?
It was his older bro that should've been persuaded to come out of retirement for the World Cup. Not up to on form O'Gara standards, but would've been a realistic option from the bench.

OneRedArmy

20/09/2007, 12:38 PM

I made it abundandly clear that O'Gara is a better player than Wallace, but for whatever reason he is badly off his game.

I genuinely hope we turn it around tomorrow night, but I don't think people are recognising how poor we have been recently.

For us to win tomorrow night would be the biggest comeback since Lazarus.

shakermaker1982

20/09/2007, 12:48 PM

why in God's name would we want to drop one of the best fly half's in Europe before the biggest Irish game in recent history? Yes he's played badly in the past two games but he'll find his form eventually. If we had a top class replacement then that is all well and good but we don't. I have faith in O'Gara, if he controls the game tomorrow we have a fantastic chance of beating France. A big if but we have the players to do it.

OneRedArmy

20/09/2007, 1:15 PM

why in God's name would we want to drop one of the best fly half's in Europe before the biggest Irish game in recent history?

Yes he's played badly in the past two games Answered your own question there.
but he'll find his form eventually.Will he? We'll see tomorrow night I suppose.

If we had a top class replacement then that is all well and good but we don't.Maybe if Fast Eddie occasionally rotated players from time to time we might have an idea how good our replacements are.

The Pacific Islands team were a considerably better side than Namibia and Georgia for example. Why wasn't Wallace given a run against either of those sides?

Macy

20/09/2007, 1:17 PM

For us to win tomorrow night would be the biggest comeback since Lazarus.
The hope I'm clinging too is that they've been keeping back set plays and moves for these two games that they've been working on for months, and they just thought they could show up and wing it in the last two games (which should've been enough).

pete

20/09/2007, 1:32 PM

I made it abundandly clear that O'Gara is a better player than Wallace, but for whatever reason he is badly off his game.

Pretty much the entire team are off their games. As I stated above I believe O'Sullivan made changes in positions he had a credible alternative, out half obviously not one of them.

OneRedArmy

20/09/2007, 1:38 PM

Pretty much the entire team are off their games. As I stated above I believe O'Sullivan made changes in positions he had a credible alternative, out half obviously not one of them.
O'Sullivan backed himself into a corner by not giving many alternatives enough game time to demonstrate whether or not they are credible.

Soko

20/09/2007, 2:02 PM

Wallace was awful in the only thing that might be comparable to Friday and next week- the test in Argentina. He missed a demoralising kick in front of the posts right on half time and playing him would be akin to just throwing everything out the window and basically saying, **** it, I give up. Change the whole team while you are at it

shakermaker1982

20/09/2007, 2:07 PM

Answered your own question there.Will he? We'll see tomorrow night I suppose.

Loads of players hit a bad patch of form but you don't drop them on a run of 2games, especially when you don't have adequate back up. If David Humphries had not retired from the Irish set up then that would have been a viable proposition but EOS has faith in O'Gara (unlike Stringer) so let us pray it works out tomorrow!

One positive is that Chabal is in the 2nd row tomorrow and not going to be running at O'Gara like a mad dog with the rage virus. If O'Gara finds touch with his first couple of kicks tomorrow his confidence will pick up. If he hits a few on the full then we're f****d. Let's hope the pack answer their critics like they did in the 6 nations and get parity at least. I cannot wait -

Anybody going this Friday or to Argies game? I'm going to the latter. 130 sterling a ticket

OneRedArmy

20/09/2007, 2:10 PM

Change the whole team while you are at itBest suggestion you've had.

Soko

20/09/2007, 2:37 PM

Superhoops

20/09/2007, 2:58 PM

Pretty much the entire team are off their games....

Particlularly the pack, 7/8th's of which are from Munster, who have not only struggled all season for Ireland but also for Munster in the Heiniken Cup.

Over hyped and passed their sell-by date, O'Sullivan's blind loyalty to them has left us with hardly any alternative options for getting out of the very big hole we are in.

I hope I am wrong, but I expect them all to be on the plane home by the end of next week. not just the dissenters. :(

joeSoap

20/09/2007, 3:19 PM

Particlularly the pack, 7/8th's of which are from Munster, who have not only struggled all season for Ireland but also for Munster in the Heiniken Cup.

Over hyped and passed their sell-by date, O'Sullivan's blind loyalty to them has left us with hardly any alternative options for getting out of the very big hole we are in.

I hope I am wrong, but I expect them all to be on the plane home by the end of next week. not just the dissenters. :(Another idiotic assumption. Of that pack, only John Hayes is at an age to be considering retirement and he's the most important member of that pack by far. Regarding the Munster thing, O'Sullivan has no blind loyalty to anyone, and the reason he doesn't change it around is simply because he can't. Neil Best for Easterby is probably the only serious adjustment you'd make to that pack. I'd like to see Marcus getting a kick up the hole, but Hayes, Flannery, O'Connell, Wallace, Leamy are all indispensible simply because they cannot be replaced with anything adequate. I'm allowing for O'Callaghan to be dropped for O'Kelly there too, but if they all hit form they are the best available pack option to him.

OneRedArmy

20/09/2007, 5:16 PM

Drop them all, O' Driscoll, Darcy etc... Everyone who put on a green shirt the past 2 games should be hung, drawn and quartered. Replace them with their backups and the French won't know what hit them. Can't believe nobody has thought of that yet!!!!
When do we drop them so?

Do we go out of the World Cup, put it down as an abberation and start them in the Six Nations.

Do we play them throughout the Six Nations even if they continue to play poorly?

Surely there comes a time when nobody is undroppable?

When is that time?

IsMiseSean

20/09/2007, 5:26 PM

So what was said in the article about ROG? I cant find it anywhere

Superhoops

21/09/2007, 12:23 AM

...Regarding the Munster thing, O'Sullivan has no blind loyalty to anyone, and the reason he doesn't change it around is simply because he can't....
it is simply because of O'Sullivan's blind loyalty that some of the credible options are still at home.

....Neil Best for Easterby is probably the only serious adjustment you'd make to that pack.
why not Quinlan for Easterby and make it the full Munster set?

....but if they all hit form they are the best available pack option to him.
and if they don't all hit form then what? do they suddenly become not the best available pack option? :confused: