The IRISH RUGBY thread

[INDIANA]

A fast and open game doesn't necessarily suit Stephen Ferris anyway. His stamina isn't the best and it wouldn't suit him if French uncork the champagne and start recycling it quickly, offloading and continually changing the point of attack.

Ireland would need him back for the England game which will be the sort of ugly, smash-em-up encounter that he excels in.

Couldnt agree less. I couldnt adequately describe how a big a loss he is next week. Did you see his try versus new zealand? He hasnt got great offloading skills but Christ can he carry the ball. And thats what we need next week. We got smashed in the contact zone yesterday in his abscence. he's the only natural power athlete in Irish rugby aside from Wallace. To play a fast game you need someone who can clear rucks. And he's the best we have at it.

Yes in a physical forward smashfest game like the Italian one Ferris would have been in his element.
France will be different, I suspect his lack of puff will mean he won't be covering grass to arrive at the breakdown.
Look at how he performed last year in Paris against the same opposition for hints. The French forwards don't traditionally lie down and wait for rucks to be cleared out.

they usually smash the contact zone at pace. Hence the reason they generate quick ball. I dont buy this fast game wont suit Ferris. Seems to me fast games suit him best.

[screenexile]

Anyone read O'Gara's interview with the BBC?? What a tool!

From what I could see he wasn't sent on to win the match but more to make sure we didn't lose it and I have no doubt in my mind Sexton would have scored that Drop Goal. Seriously O'Gara is deluded if he thinks he's a better player than Sexton in todays game!

[Celt_Man]

Anyone read O'Gara's interview with the BBC?? What a tool!

From what I could see he wasn't sent on to win the match but more to make sure we didn't lose it and I have no doubt in my mind Sexton would have scored that Drop Goal. Seriously O'Gara is deluded if he thinks he's a better player than Sexton in todays game!

Aye very annoyed with O'Gara with his interview - no need for his shit-stirring attitude...

He wasn't sent on to win the bloody game and he shouldn't try and portray it as such

[Puckoon]

Can anyone post this interview - I couldnt find it earlier.

[Celt_Man]

Not with the BBC but same difference

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/sixnations/2011/0206/ireland_ogarar.html

O'Gara: Experience was key to Ireland win
Sunday 6 February 2011

Ronan O'Gara may no longer be first choice fly-half but he insists his expertise was needed to guide Ireland when RBS 6 Nations disaster beckoned.

Ireland scraped home 13-11 at the Stadio Flaminio yesterday with O'Gara landing the winning drop goal two minutes from time, denying Italy a first tournament victory in the fixture.

It is the type of cameo from the bench O'Gara is making his speciality since seeing rival Jonathan Sexton claim the number 10 jersey for himself.

While acknowledging Sexton enjoyed an accomplished afternoon, O'Gara believes his own nous was key in preventing the Six Nations' greatest upset since Italy joined the championship in 2000.

'At that stage in the game you go at it and don't think too much, you just do your job,' said the Munster half-back.

'The ability to do that comes with experience. As a youngster you don't understand that.

'I was told that once but it's when you get in my position - and I've been lucky to steer the Ireland and Munster ship for 10 years - that you understand it.

'Then someone like Jonny comes in and he's really good but to continue the analogy, when the ship hits choppy waters you bring someone in.

'Jonny played well, but I got backed to come on and try to win the game. It's important to have two fellas fighting it out because we can offer a lot going forward.'

Italy allowed opponents rated 1/8 favourites to wriggle off the hook having done the hard work in fashioning a superb 76th-minute try for full-back Luke McLean.

Leading 11-10, and with Ireland flanker Denis Leamy in the sin-bin, they just needed to collect the restart and run down the clock.

Instead they immediately surrendered possession, enabling O'Gara to strike, before making a hash with their own drop goal attempt at the death.

For O'Gara the nail-biting conclusion evoked memories of the 2007 World Cup pool clash with Georgia, which Ireland won 14-10 after surviving a desperate late assault by the heavy underdogs.

'We were leading when Jonny went off and then Italy scored...it was looking like Georgia again and I was thinking "no, don't do this",' he said.

'It was experience that was the difference between the sides at the end. It was important that when the gun was put to our heads we found another gear.

'Had Mirco Bergamasco kicked the conversion I like to think there was a try in us.

'It would have been an almighty kick in the balls for us if we'd lost and it was important we got out of the hole.

'I was very fresh when I came onto the pitch. We had plenty of time and I felt relaxed. It sums up my mood at the moment.

'I've been really excited and confident in camp during the last two weeks, which is unlike me!'

The coming week's inquest into what went wrong should be brief given Ireland were clearly placed in such a precarious position by their abysmal finishing.

Dominating territory and possession, especially in the third quarter, they butchered chance after chance with Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy and Keith Earls among the culprits.

When O'Driscoll crossed in the 44th minute, Ireland looked ready to begin the demolition process.

Instead they repeatedly floundered at the crucial moment and Italy, inspired by their magnificent captain Sergio Parisse, clung on courageously.

By the time O'Gara appeared with 15 minutes to go, the realisation that Italy could yet prevail gripped the Azzurri - and the Stadio Flaminio.

'We made a lot of handling errors in ideal conditions for rugby and they seemed to add up,' said O'Gara.

'Add them all up and they probably equate to 20 minutes less pressure on them.

'At times it was very intense and there were nearly some cracking tries scored, but at this level nearly isn't good enough.

'Experience tells you that playing Italy fourth or fifth in the competition is the time to build a score.

'They're probably disappointed they didn't get the win.'

Adding a conspiratorial element to the afternoon was the revelation by Italy coach Nick Mallett that referee Romain Poite had written to the Italian Rugby Federation apologising for the way he refereed prop Martin Castrogiovanni at the scrum in the fixture last year.

Poite was in charge again yesterday and Ireland were hammered 13-5 on the penalty count, with many of them occurring at the set-piece.

The Irish camp will review the video before deciding whether to pursue the matter further via official channels.

Head coach Declan Kidney reported a clean bill of health following the encounter and could be lifted by the return of Jamie Heaslip from an ankle injury in time for France on Sunday.

[J OGorman]

Anyone read O'Gara's interview with the BBC?? What a tool!

From what I could see he wasn't sent on to win the match but more to make sure we didn't lose it and I have no doubt in my mind Sexton would have scored that Drop Goal. Seriously O'Gara is deluded if he thinks he's a better player than Sexton in todays game!

Aye very annoyed with O'Gara with his interview - no need for his shit-stirring attitude...

He wasn't sent on to win the bloody game and he shouldn't try and portray it as such

of course he was sent on to win the game, as he has for ireland and munster so many times

[Donnellys Hollow]

Isn't every player sent on to the field to win the match no matter what sport they are playing?

I don't see the issue here in what O'Gara says 

[screenexile]

Isn't every player sent on to the field to win the match no matter what sport they are playing?

I don't see the issue here in what O'Gara says 

Yes and when United are 3 up and send on Darren Gibson or Anderson for the last 15 minutes they are doing it to win the game??

No they are doing it to protect a lead. While I would have had no problems with O'Gara coming on had we been winning the game comfortably I think it was a negative move on Kidney's part and had we needed a try O'Gara was not going to be the man to get it for us.

O'Gara should only be used on blustery days, when we're cruising or if we need a drop goal last kick of the game!!

[Donnellys Hollow]

It's not as if O'Gara is a clone of Paul Burke or Eric Elwood. The guy is far from just a kicking 10. His flat passing has created many a try for Ireland and Munster down the years.

As I've said before, our problems do not lie at 10. Peter Stringer's continued omission from the squad is baffling.

[J OGorman]

Isn't every player sent on to the field to win the match no matter what sport they are playing?

I don't see the issue here in what O'Gara says 

Yes and when United are 3 up and send on Darren Gibson or Anderson for the last 15 minutes they are doing it to win the game??

No they are doing it to protect a lead. While I would have had no problems with O'Gara coming on had we been winning the game comfortably I think it was a negative move on Kidney's part and had we needed a try O'Gara was not going to be the man to get it for us.

O'Gara should only be used on blustery days, when we're cruising or if we need a drop goal last kick of the game!!

Im not sure were to start with your post. Ireland were not well in the lead. We were trailing the Italians away from home in the first game of the championships. O'Gara was sprung off the bench to win the bloody game (which he has done many times before for club and country) and low and behold, he had the nerve to kick the winning points.

Youve no doubt in your mind Sexton would have kicked it..do you? If i had to call on any player to hit a 3 pointer in the last few minutes of a test, it would be O'Gara (and Kidney must feel the same)

How can you say it was a negative move? It was a play Kidney had to make if we were to win the game..he made the call, we won the game and move on to hopefully win again on Sunday

[AZOffaly]

Isn't every player sent on to the field to win the match no matter what sport they are playing?

I don't see the issue here in what O'Gara says 

Yes and when United are 3 up and send on Darren Gibson or Anderson for the last 15 minutes they are doing it to win the game??

No they are doing it to protect a lead. While I would have had no problems with O'Gara coming on had we been winning the game comfortably I think it was a negative move on Kidney's part and had we needed a try O'Gara was not going to be the man to get it for us.

O'Gara should only be used on blustery days, when we're cruising or if we need a drop goal last kick of the game!!

Im not sure were to start with your post. Ireland were not well in the lead. We were trailing the Italians away from home in the first game of the championships. O'Gara was sprung off the bench to win the bloody game (which he has done many times before for club and country) and low and behold, he had the nerve to kick the winning points.

Youve no doubt in your mind Sexton would have kicked it..do you? If i had to call on any player to hit a 3 pointer in the last few minutes of a test, it would be O'Gara (and Kidney must feel the same)

How can you say it was a negative move? It was a play Kidney had to make if we were to win the game..he made the call, we won the game and move on to hopefully win again on Sunday

Ireland were not behind when O'Gara came on. He was on when Italy scored their try.

[muppet]

Isn't every player sent on to the field to win the match no matter what sport they are playing?

I don't see the issue here in what O'Gara says 

Yes and when United are 3 up and send on Darren Gibson or Anderson for the last 15 minutes they are doing it to win the game??

No they are doing it to protect a lead. While I would have had no problems with O'Gara coming on had we been winning the game comfortably I think it was a negative move on Kidney's part and had we needed a try O'Gara was not going to be the man to get it for us.

O'Gara should only be used on blustery days, when we're cruising or if we need a drop goal last kick of the game!!

Im not sure were to start with your post. Ireland were not well in the lead. We were trailing the Italians away from home in the first game of the championships. O'Gara was sprung off the bench to win the bloody game (which he has done many times before for club and country) and low and behold, he had the nerve to kick the winning points.

Youve no doubt in your mind Sexton would have kicked it..do you? If i had to call on any player to hit a 3 pointer in the last few minutes of a test, it would be O'Gara (and Kidney must feel the same)

How can you say it was a negative move? It was a play Kidney had to make if we were to win the game..he made the call, we won the game and move on to hopefully win again on Sunday

Ireland were not behind when O'Gara came on. He was on when Italy scored their try.

Correct Ireland were ahead. In fact during that long spell of Italian pressure before the try, when our scrum held up, the concern was that Italy would turn the scrum and set Parisse on O'Gara (Sexton wouldn't have been a worry in this regard). It actually happened but Reddan, of all people ,came to the rescue and helped O'Gara stop Parrisse.

[Celt_Man]

Look we weren't losing when O'Gara was sent on so to say he was brought on to try and win the game is twisting the truth a wee bit in my eyes and for him to say that and try to get one up/over on Sexton is a bit disappointing.

Be that as it may, I had complete confidence in O'Gara coming off the bench and doing the business - in the same way I would have had complete confidence in Sexton doing the same if he had of been left on.

In my eyes I think O'Gara is playing a little bit of mind games through that interview with Sexton and that is a pity... 

[AZOffaly]

I think O'Gara is, as is his wont, reinforcing the fact that he thinks he is a bloody good player still. I'm not sure if it's a deliberate knock on Sexton per se but more of a reminder of what he considers his own strength to be, as opposed to what Sexton's strength is. O'Gara knows deep down that Sexton is a better tackler, runner and passer, and he just wants to emphasise that he still thinks he is a better 'game manager' and has more experience.

A poorly judged article I'd say, but hardly O'Gara's first.

[screenexile]

Look we weren't losing when O'Gara was sent on so to say he was brought on to try and win the game is twisting the truth a wee bit in my eyes and for him to say that and try to get one up/over on Sexton is a bit disappointing.

Be that as it may, I had complete confidence in O'Gara coming off the bench and doing the business - in the same way I would have had complete confidence in Sexton doing the same if he had of been left on.

In my eyes I think O'Gara is playing a little bit of mind games through that interview with Sexton and that is a pity... 

Totally agree with that. . . it's what I was trying to say only more articulate. Thanks Celt man.