Ireland side against France named.
Just the one change, Heaslip in for Leamy, O'Brien moved to six. I have a bad feeling about this...
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Ireland side against France named.
Just the one change, Heaslip in for Leamy, O'Brien moved to six. I have a bad feeling about this...
Doesn't really rectify the problems of last week except it gets rid of penalty machine Leamy (for 60 minutes at least). I'm not sure what Jennings needs to do to get in the team - perhaps put on 3 stone and run down blind alleys? Wallace was the weak link in the scrum last week - he broke off within seconds every time, and journalists are still wondering why Ross kept getting pinged.
Agreed - Wallace wasn't the only one, since Leamy spent most scrums complaining at the ref (with reason, in fairness). Still would've been better putting a decent shove on. I really don't see what Kidney sees in Leamy above Jennings. Also think it's curious Trimble doesn't make the bench - our only attacking game changer in reserve is O'Gara. Can't see Paddy Wallace making much of an impact late on, whereas at least Trimble's direct running and versatility could help.
D'Arcy can count himself very lucky I think...
I don't understand why Paddy Wallace is in the squad. With O'Gara on the bench, he's not needed to cover out half and we've no bench cover for the back 3 now.
I wouldn't fancy Wallace defending against Rougerie and Traille.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr A
What time is that game on in Dublin?
3pm.
Scotland and Wales was the worst game I've ever seen. Or at least since the Italy match last week. Truly frustrating stuff. England mauled Italy without ever looking great. I think if France can sort out their inferiority complex they'll cause them serious problems and if we can match them up front we'll have enough to win comfortably. Worried about tomorrow though.
Very disappointed. We played nearly all the rugby but too ill-disciplined and still far too many silly errors. So frustrating, should've been a certain try at the end too...what could've been.
The one possible positive is it takes some pressure off Kidney in terms of team selection. With so many injuries, there's ample opportunity to do some much needed squad building. I certainly think it's time for Cronin to get a stretch in team, and maybe a chance for a few others to get a run.
D'Arcy had another shocker today. He'll do well to keep his place
Anyone hear Brian Moore's comment with the clock on 79+ minutes and France putting the ball into the scrum under their own posts?
"Ireland should collapse this scrum. You never know, the ref might give it".
Fair enough in my book, but earlier (and he has frequently done it in his newspaper columns) he put football down - "stop talking back to the ref, it's not football".
No big deal in ityself but I'm tired listening to the sanctimony of rugby union and its perceived holier than thou view on cheating. The All Blacks are rampant offenders, Harlequins' bloodgate affair was pathetic, I've seen plenty of players take quick penalties and run offline into an opponent who hasn't retreated to get him a yellow, and Moore's comments today were categorical proof that rugby players cynically play the ref too. If rugby players could gain advantage from pretending they were taken down, they would. I'm not saying they're as bad as (some / many) footballers - the spirit is generally much much better and they allow the ref to be in charge.
Anyway, it looks like our rugby and football teams are suffering from the same ailments. Conservative selections, players playing on reputations and lack of clinical edge. That game was there to be won but there were too many errors. We rode our luck big time at the end. BOD's grubber kick for the try was badly executed and we were lucky it rebounded of a French shin into an Irish hand. RO'G was dead luckly his missed kick for touch was knocked on and then played by an offside French player, winning us another 30 yards.
The press would have a field day tearing our footballers apart for similar errors.
I think the French were just as guilty in the luck riding stakes. But I agree - no glory in another glorious failure. Yah, and I remember Brian riding around his high horse a few times, responding to the booing when Chabal came on with a 'shut up, it's not football' style comment.
Cant say im the most knowledgeable rugby fan, but what were most of the Irish pens for today?? Holding onto the player after the tackle, seemed to be the majority consenus. Was at the game and have to say Ireland have only themselves to blame. They were reasonably comfortable in the first half and only for conceding numerous needless pens would have had a comfortbable lead at half time.
In the second half the mistakes continued, I continued at least 6 knock ons in total. Line outs lost on their own throw, numerous missed tackles (particularly for their try), garryowens not dealt with (X3 in Luke F's case). And worst of all when Ireland had got themselves back in a chance to win the game, 3 points behind with 10 mins to play, they win a pen and a lineout just on the edge of the 22, a great platform for an attack, they lose the line out. Shocking and not good enough if you ask me. Perhaps im looking at the glass half empty but has there ever been a game against France where they threatened our line so little, we scored 3 tries to one and still lost.
Absolutely we totally threw it away, and the high error count is quickly becoming the signature move of this team. Our ill-discipline is entirely of our own making - penalties were mostly not rolling away, but also playing the ball off of feet, joining ruck from side (think was against Rory Best and he was warned twice by the referee but didn't move, absolutely idiotic).
Fact is France made loads of errors too, they just made us pay for ours. D'Arcy's missed tackle and generally poor game should see him not start the next game. The malfunctioning line-out and ill-discipline will probably cost Rory Best too, that overthrow with five minutes to go summed up his afternoon. Fitzgerald dealt well with the high ball generally I thought, credit the French there Garryowen's and chases were generally excellent. The knock on's are bizarre though, it almost seems psychological at this point. And some of our decision making is poor too - like O'Leary's inexplicable kick into touch in the first half and Cronin's going for the try at the end instead of simply spreading the play out to the four or five outside for a certain touchdown. Just thinking about it is making me grind my teeth...
It's a shame because we played some lovely stuff and our commitment at the breakdown was fantastic. The forwards got through some work, but the ill-discipline has to get sorted out.
I'd bring in Cronin, Wallace, possibly Cullen and Reddan for Scotland - start spreading the experience around the squad pre-World Cup.
I think Id agree with your replacements, Tomas O'L despite his try was poor imo. His passing is too often too slow and too high. D'Arcy has had two particularly poor games in a row so you would expect a change there.
On Fitzgerald and the high ball, I fail to recall too many good takes, more so I recall two that was pretty horrendous. The French try arose from a spate of errors, we lost our own line out in their half, followed by Fitzgerald completely missing a high ball (to Rougerie I think) who broke through and then the missed tackle from D'Arcy. One of those errors are poor on their own but three in the same play is criminal and was punished so.
To finish on a positive, I dont think I have ever seen an Ireland team get so many scores from attacks on an opponents line. From four attacks on their line we got three tries, the one that failed was in the very last min.
We still have that propensity to go for the killer pass every time - it almost seems to be a lack of awareness. If Australia or New Zealand had been presented with the ball like we were in the final minute, whatever player got on the ball would have got his head up and picked the correct pass instead of risking a pass at speed to Cronin.
Especially stupid as that was French fans shouting "Lupe". :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
Was it booing or was it more of an 'oooo'? In any case, Chabal loves it.
Gutted.
Penalties cost us again but what else is new? The one when Best was offside in the second half was the final straw for me. Drop him. Chokes whenever we've got a key lineout and he needs to go.
D'Arcy and O'Leary are in the same boat. O'Leary cannot box kick so why does he do it? Plus he seems to be getting slower when releasing the ball.... I'd consider bringing back the Stringer/O Gara partnership.
I didn't think D'Arcy did anything wrong outside of the missed tackle. I think, realistically, we need to be able to drop players who make big errors so he should make way. If Bowe is back for Scotland, I'd be in favour of bringing McFadden in. I like Wallace but he gets injured too often at test level.