We were a little bit panciky, but it was notable we didn't concede any more penalties and defended well. Agree other than that though - we should've been out of a sight and really punished a ropey Scotland.
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We were a little bit panciky, but it was notable we didn't concede any more penalties and defended well. Agree other than that though - we should've been out of a sight and really punished a ropey Scotland.
Why did he take off ROG, Wallace and Reddan? They were going well.
How stupid is this team? Management are clearly not getting through to them so I think it's time players get dropped for stupid indiscipline. Not binding jerseys at scrum time, hands on the ball when the ref is looking right at you etc etc has to stop.
Christ I was in a bad mood after the game and we won!
Yeah this kind of ill-discipline can't go on and players have to be punished if they keep pushing it. O'Callaghan, Best and a few others seem particularly prominent. I'm really not looking forward to England at Lansdowne.
England will beat us comfortably in the Aviva. I base this solely on their front 5 hammering the bejaysus out of ours and depriving us of ball, and giving Flood penalties he can kick blindfolded. We are too indisciplined and although its improving, our scrum is a shambles.
Does anyone else think that Sean Cronin vertainly isnt the boy wonder everybody thought he was going to be a year ago?
I hope your wrong Joe about our chances against England. I think our front 5 will 'man up' as they tend to do when they play England and the scrum won't be that much of an issue.
England are slow in midfield and not exactly pacy around the fringes. Tindall is a big bus and loves his crash ball but their play can be predictable. I don't rate their other centre either (New Zealand lad). This England side is not 2003 reincarnated as the English media seem to be suggesting. Flood can also get flaky when the pressure is on.
If we stop giving penalties away then we can beat most of the top sides. Keith Wood made a good point on the BBC that our players should just let the opposition have the ball now and again. We don't have to compete for every ball. Our defence has been excellent on the whole so why not bide our time until the opportunity presents itself for a turnover?
Our scrum was a shambles. Now it's solid and unspectacular. England have always and will always be stronger up front than us but that hasn't stopped them from losing 6 of the last 7 meetings.Quote:
Originally Posted by joeSoap
Wood was completely right - our completed tackle rate was something like 96% yesterday. I think they did try to change in the second half - O'Connell in particular was driving over the ball rather than putting his hands on it - but overall we just haven't adapted. It's concerning when you see the likes of Heaslip giving away stupid penalties that he never would for Leinster. Kidney's continued inclusion of Leamy is just bizarre. He did make one steal on the ground but should have been in the sin-bin at the time.
Based on this:Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
from Kidney, I don't like our chances.Quote:
We must look at the things we can control. We do contest the break down and make no apology for that.
Superb win for Italy there, and a massive setback for France ahead of the World Cup. Puts the Irish win in Italy into perspective.
So if Ireland beats Wales they are in the mix right?
That ball boy is an absolute legend. :D
so i take it they are now out of the mix !!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Crosby87
Seems to be a degree of tension between the Irish team and the media of late, heightened more so by todays events. The substitution of O'Gara, the kick ball tactics.........looks like the Irish team are on course to implode just in time for the world cup again. With Australia in our group for the WC and the Italians developing nicely, getting out of the group is far from certain.........again.
Yep, game changing intervention. MOTM by a mile.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cymro
Funny, but my rugby mates were all on their high horses about how video technology minimises referee error, and footy has a long way to go to catch up.
The incident in Cardiff today rubbishes that notion. If an event can so easily be adjudicated upon by video intervention, why ignore it?
I believe Ireland suffered from incorrect video application vs WI in the cricket yesterday.
True, but maybe I'm naively optimistic in thinking that with just a bit extra - which I think they could find - they'd be a 20% better team than now. Still lots of basic errors.Quote:
Originally Posted by elroy
Sexton doesn't convince me at test level. What was Wallace thinking at the death? Lack of confidence in Sexton, or just an outrageously dumb decision to cut inside? That "try" would have been a delight to watch, handling of the highest quality before Wallace cut back in.
Frustrating day, since Wales didn't look like getting a try until they nabbed one illegally. Still Ireland can only blame themselves for the awful kicking and some dreadful individual errors, like Wallace's cutting back inside at the death and Sexton's easy penalty miss.
Not convinced it'll happen but I'd really like to see Kidney go for a fresh approach next week - Fitzgerald isn't happening at full-back so replace him. Give McFadden a run instead of D'Arcy, maybe recall Trimble. At this point there's nothing to lose and a few of those guys could use a reminder of what they're playing for.
Where do you start after that utter shambles?
Fitzgerald should NEVER EVER play full back again.
Who told them to kick every time they had possession? Is that Gaffney or Kidney?
Where the hell has been Heaslip been this 6N?
[QUOTE=shakermaker1982;1464119]Where do you start after that utter shambles?
He's been dire. Earls has impressed me, and I'm told he's decent at full back too. They need a different option that's for sure.Quote:
Fitzgerald should NEVER EVER play full back again.
Who told them to kick every time they had possession? Is that Gaffney or Kidney?
Twitter, by all accounts.Quote:
Where the hell has been Heaslip been this 6N?
D'Arcy hasn't looked hectic and I'm told that McFadden deserves a run there. I try to take in as much as I can from the people who know better than me. I always feel we commit more people to protecting ball than our opponents do with no obvious difference? Is that fair or unfair?
How many places on the team are assured? Bowe? BOD? POC? Ferris when fit?
I think Fitzgerald's gotten better in every game but he definitely needs to get back on the wing. I think he still offers more than Earls on the wing, though he has also been improving with every game.
Heaslip has been quite in games but I think that's because he's ceded ball-carrying duties to Sean O'Brien. He is still very visible for Leinster because Jennings isn't much of a ball-carrier, but Wallace takes up that responsibility for Ireland. He's still been brilliant off the back of the scrum.
I think McFadden has been shockingly hard done by. I just don't understand the decision to keep Paddy Wallace on the bench. Earls should be cover for 15, allowing McFadden to come in and play on the wing or in the centre if required. Even Trimble would offer speed and quick feet off the bench.
That's exactly what my better informed mates have been saying.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Every time the squad is announced I get a "Kidney out!" email from my mate saying that overlloking McFadden is a crime and that Kidney is too conservative.
I queried the latter contention, pointing to Trap's "conservatism" despite lots of (eventual) new caps and how teams do actually change. I cited Ross, Healy, O'Brien, Heaslip (I think), Sexton and a few others as being Kidney caps, rather than O'Sullivan legacies.
In fact Sexton kind of illustrates the dilemma facing a manager at test / international level. He looks the part at club level but to me he looks a bit phased by test level, his kicking being too eratic - and I was saying this before Wales.
I was really playing devil's advocate but I know from experience from watching the footy that there's usually a lot of clamour for new faces when maybe they're not yet justified.
Kidney seems to be panicking now. Omitting Fitzgerald from the 22 entirely to accommodate Paddy Wallace on the bench again. Still no McFadden. England will be very pleased with that.
Ireland team (v England): Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster), Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt), Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster), Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster), Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster), David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster), Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Replacements: Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht), Tom Court (Malone/Ulster), Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster), Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster), Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster), Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster), Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
Paddy Wallace as the replacement back alongside ROG isn't the most threatening.
Its a good call playing Earls at full back, but the sacrifical lamb should have been Wallace, who offers absolutely zero. I agree with the calls for McFadden to be in ahead of D'Arcy, but O'Garas omission again baffles me, everybody and especially O'Gara and Sexton themselves. Kidney is very much a confused man and right now I would be putting the feelers out to Nick Mallet if I was Philip Browne.
I stick by what I said earlier- England will beat us comfortably, by at least two scores. They will smother us up front, and the sad thing about it is that this England team will be the worst side I've ever seen to win a grand slam. The quality of this 6N has been atrocious.
Humble pie has never tasted so good. What a performance. What a game!!
Told you Joe a few weeks back. Keep the faith!!!
Just like the Cricket team Ireland beat England but ultimately it means nothing.The cricket team didnt qualify for the next round and the rugby team ended up mid table above Italy and Scotland !
sad state of affairs for irish rugby delighted to beat england and end their grand slam hopes .. but at end of day finish fourth in a six team competition. !!!Quote:
Originally Posted by joeSoap
True, but not too far away from a Slam even. A few points aginst the French and a rubbish decision against Wales. It's a bit of a meaningless tournament in a WC year. At least Kidney has learnt what doesn't work, and the changes today all seemed to work.
I wasn't surprised by the result. I felt there was more to come from this team and that England weren't any great shakes. The manner of the win did surprise me though. I was surprised at how comfortable it was.
I think we can play better than that. Certainly in the second half the nerves began to show, but restricting England to two kickable penalties and one poor mistake that led to a try is impressive. Really pleased by DOC's performance - I think he's had a poor couple of years but he never deserved the severity of criticism he got.
The penalty count, that dropped considerably after the French game, and a try that never should have been given (for 3 different reasons!!) were the differences between us and a second grand slam.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
and the fact we were ****e for four games
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unOGLMoYSqc
Grand slam champions.............
Countdown to the World Cup starts now. Team for first warm-up game against Scotland this Saturday features Mike McCarthy making his debut, a new centre pairing, Rob Kearney's return from injury and a completely different pack.
Be interesting to see how the guys fare although, realistically, there's probably only six or seven (if even) places in the squad up for grabs.
Squad for the WC announced
http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2011/0...and_squad.html
And O'Leary and Fitzgerald miss out.
Cannot flipping believe that Tony Buckley is going to the world cup.
Bit harsh on O'Leary but his form has been poor.
The Buckley call is mind-boggling. With Court there, we already have a utility prop so even that argument can't be used. He's been terrible all season and in the warm-up games. That shirt should be Horan's.
Bit surprised Luke was left out - his form hasn't been great but he still won a Heineken Cup keeping McFadden out of the team. O'Leary I'm shocked by - didn't think Deccie would ever leave him behind. Looks like we're banking on winning against Australia and not having to face South Africa.
O'Leary would get more sympathy but he was really poor on Saturday. He shut the door on himself unfortunately. What odds Murray getting a start or two and becoming a surprise challenger to Reddan?
Think Fitzgerald's a bit more unlucky because he's got fantastic natural talent (on Saturday made one of the few meaningful breaks among the backs). But he's not in form either. Have to say it's fairly refreshing to see a coach back younger guys in a good run than sticking with people not doing it. Fitzgerald had a good few chances in fairness.
Buckley's a bad choice. If anything happens to Ross we're going to get minced in all our scrums.
I think if Murray's going to the World Cup he has to start against England. You can't go to a World Cup on only two sub appearances.
I feel bad for Fitzgerald. He's not on form but he's playing OK. Paddy Wallace is very lucky.
So what is the Test team going to be?
Kearney
Trimble
Drico
Darcy
Earls
Sexton
Reddan
Healy
Flannery
Ross
DOC
POC
Ferris
O'Brien
Heaslip
Not bad.
I'd say Ferris will start the Australia test on the bench with O'Brien at 6 and Wallace at 7. Is Bowe fit for the England game? I think he'll be an automatic pick ahead of Trimble if it.
Don't think Wallace is particularly lucky.. covers a lot of positions including out half and has been playing well recently. Bit light defensively of course.