Rugby World Cup

[OneRedArmy]

O'Connell and co were as much to blame for the lineout disaster as Flannery was. To be fair even with Best throwing the ball in - our lineout (something we have excelled at for the past few seasons) has been disappointing. On the whole I thought Flannery was decent in the loose as was John Hayes.

What really disappointed me was that our players did not challenge the French lineout. The odd lineout steal would have been useful instead we waited.....

Agree. Flannery's loose play made up for the line-out problems.

Its not automatically the hookers fault and O'Connell as signal caller should at least take some of the blame for continuing to call to the tail. When the lineout isn't functioning you throw a few to the front jumper and/or cut the numbers to build a bit of confidence. You don't throw high risk ball to the tail.

Whilst I understand the reasons behind not challenging opposition lineout near the line, I fail to understand not doing it further up the pitch.

[TheBoss]

if..........if...........if............we beat Argentina by less than 7 points, while scoring 4 or more tries, then both teams would end with 15 points.

Meanwhile, France win and get 5 points, which means all three have 15 points.

So it moves to individual results against teams, where we've all beaten each other.

Then it moves on to points difference, where we are the worst.

Is there any way France will not qualify? I'd like us and Argentina to go through.

Any way they won't score 4 tries against Georgia?

Any way I'll stop fantasizing??

At the moment before the games:

Argentina - 14
France - 10
Ireland - 9

Ireland max is 14 not 15.

Ireland can not finish on 15 points

[osarusan]

At the moment before the games:

Argentina - 14
France - 10
Ireland - 9

Ireland max is 14 not 15.

Ireland can not finish on 15 points

Right. I'm wrong again . Cheers. If Argentina get a bonus point, they win the group? (having won the France game)

[shakermaker1982]

Right. I'm wrong again . Cheers. If Argentina get a bonus point, they win the group? (having won the France game)

yep because they have the better head to head. Hence all the French will be rooting for us to give em a thrashing!!!

[OneRedArmy]

yep because they have the better head to head. Hence all the French will be rooting for us to give em a thrashing!!!

Us going through would mean that France would play Scotland at home in the QFs instead of All Blacks in Wales.

Real incentive for France to see us through. The ref isn't Jutge by any chance?

[pete]

Its hard to know what team to pick for next week but thats what O'Sullivan is picked for. Persist with out of form players hoping they turn it around or draft in fresh players who don't have match fitness?

Argentina are capable of keeping possession so its important to pick a team that can both get the ball & keep it. Will be important not to kick the ball away stupidly like the previous games.

Team: Dempsey, Horgan, O'Driscoll, Trimble/Duffy, Murphy, O'Gara, Reddan, Horan, Best/Flannery Hayes, O'Connell, O'Kelly, Wallace, Leamy, Best.

Bench: Young, Best/Flannery, Quinlan, Easterby, Wallace, Trimble/Duffy, Hickie.

Some players have poor form but just can't see the alternatives

[shakermaker1982]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugb...sh/7010781.stm

our chance of scoring 4 tries take another hit......

[Torn-Ado]

I was intriuged by Neil Francis' team, he picked for Argentina. All out attack in the backs:

Dempsey

Carney
Darcy
Horgan
Hickie

O Driscoll
Reddan.

Drop O Gara and the kicking game and attack them using a running game. Go for the tries and use Dempsey to kick conversions etc. Interesting to say the least.

Never going happen though.

[OneRedArmy]

The fallacy that Horgan is a centre persists in Francis' head.

Apart from that its worth trying, although I'd prefer Murphy at fullback.

[Real ale Madrid]

I was intriuged by Neil Francis' team, he picked for Argentina. All out attack in the backs:

Dempsey

Carney
Darcy
Horgan
Hickie

O Driscoll
Reddan.

Drop O Gara and the kicking game and attack them using a running game. Go for the tries and use Dempsey to kick conversions etc. Interesting to say the least.

Never going happen though.

the dropping of O'Gara was a bit pie in the sky tho, thats never going to happen to be honest id agree with most of what he said - is go with the following team

Horan,Flannery,Hayes

O'Kelly, O'Connell - Bringing in a bit more experience might shore up our lineout

Easterby, Wallace, Quinlan - leamy hasn't played that well so bring on Quinlan for a bit of extra enthusaism

Reddan, O'Gara

Carney and Horgan - wings - play Carney at 11 , Drop Trimble

O'Driscoll, Darcy

and Id go with Murphy full back - Murphy can provide a bit of magic and i see no reason why he shouldn't play if we are chasing 4 tries. Tough on Dempsey tho.

[Torn-Ado]

Dempsey shouldn't be dropped. He is one of the few players to come away from these farcical few weeks with pass marks.

[pete]

Dempsey shouldn't be dropped. He is one of the few players to come away from these farcical few weeks with pass marks.

Never been his biggest fan but Argentina will kick a lot of ball so need someone dependable but he also needs to be told that when its a 50:50 decision he has to run with the ball in hand.

[OneRedArmy]

Dempsey shouldn't be dropped. He is one of the few players to come away from these farcical few weeks with pass marks.

Dempsey has got a surprising number of tries in his career, important ones as well, but they tend to come where he comes in at the end of a move and finishes off.

A strike running fullback who attacks from deep he ain't.

[osarusan]

If we don't go through, I'd like to see the French get whipped by the All Blacks in the 1/4 finals.

[joeSoap]

Everybody Hates England...apparently

[joeSoap]

Dempsey injured- Murphy starting. Trimble dropped for Hickie. AN Other at hooker...Flannery injured. Bye Bye World Cup...

[Over the post]

A lot of people seem fierce anxious to axe O'Callaghan and Easterby when (together with Hayes) they were the best of our forwards against France. For me Wallace, O'Connell and Horan have been the most disappointing but we've no real alternative to Wallace or Horan and, despite his muppetry the other night, most people would still baulk at the idea of dropping O'Connell.

The pack isn't performing well and even if they do get their act together for the Argentinean game, I can't see them mauling their way over the line; we're going to something special from the backs...

Ah sure who cares?! We don't deserve to go through, it'd be a terrible injustice on the Argentineans.

[OneRedArmy]

So thats Eddie's version of throwing caution to the wind......sweet jesus.

I also love people saying "there are no real alternatives". Yes there are. There are alternatives in every position.

Surely we are well beyond the point of not playing them because they haven't previously set the world on fire.

Its broken Eddie, change it you moron.

[joeSoap]

This team would cause most damage against the Argies imoDempsey injured)

Murphy; Horgan, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Carney; O'Gara, Reddan; Young, Flannery, Hayes;, O'Connell, O'Kelly; Best (6), Quinlan (7), Easterby (8).

[beautifulrock]

So thats Eddie's version of throwing caution to the wind......sweet jesus.

Has the team been selected then, I cant see it on BBC or RTE ??