The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Bord na Mona man]

Seems a sensible enough selection. It isn't a game that lends itself to experimentation.
New players need to be transitioned in without risking them getting any confidence set backs.
You have to give the benefit of the doubt to the last team that lined out also.

Ireland's best hope is to keep it hoofed at the Aussies all day and hope they make mistakes in their own territory.
It might also discourage them from committing lots of players close to the advantage line.
Maybe try and turn it into a penalty kicking competition, as I can't see Ireland breaking through Aussies lines easily.
From 9 to 15, Ireland have decent kickers, so we might as well use them.

[Mario]

The Austrailian Team was training in my gym yesterday, got one of them to spot for me 

[mackers]

Seems a sensible enough selection. It isn't a game that lends itself to experimentation.
New players need to be transitioned in without risking them getting any confidence set backs.
You have to give the benefit of the doubt to the last team that lined out also.

Ireland's best hope is to keep it hoofed at the Aussies all day and hope they make mistakes in their own territory.
It might also discourage them from committing lots of players close to the advantage line.
Maybe try and turn it into a penalty kicking competition, as I can't see Ireland breaking through Aussies lines easily.
From 9 to 15, Ireland have decent kickers, so we might as well use them.

You're probably right in how the tactics will go but it makes for a snoreathon!!! I was hoping to get a bit of value for my 90 euros...........

[Gnevin]

I don't think Sexton was ever going to be selected ahead of O'Gara for this match. People should remember how far Sexton has come in twelve months. As Dinny says, he couldn't kick snow off a rope this time last year and you wouldn't have put him in the in the women's team. He was hauled off against Castres at HT and Leinster had got in Holwell. Most people would have had Keatley ahead of him for Ireland. He will get twenty minutes on Sunday and the full game against Fiji to stake his claim.

Maybe so but the judges would of scored the last 2 rounds of Sexton V Rog in favour of Sexton by a country mile.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Maybe so, but international level is still a big step up again from Heineken level, despite what Sky say. O'Gara has buckets of experience whereas Sexton's only Irish experience is with the A's. We should be looking to introduce Sexton gradually into the team rather than throwing him in at the deep end right away. Look at how England have hindered Cipriani's development by pitching him straight into the national side with little experience. Similar story with Andrew Trimble for ourselves.

Players have to be given time to feel their way in international rugby. Given the lack of options at 10 we have to make sure we don't rush Sexton. Look at how the likes of Tommy Bowe has benefitted from being gradually exposed to international rugby. He's unrecognisable from where he was three or four years ago.

[Donnellys Hollow]

John Fogarty called into the senior squad as a precaution today. The brother will start for the A's tonight with Kyriacou brought onto the bench.

Got my tickets today. Pity there's no standing on the terrace because of that soccer lark tomorrow night 

[Capt Pat]

The rugby really is getting pretty poor to watch these days. France v South Africa last night was like rugby league with lots of kicking and not may tries. I won't be watching England v Argentina today, it would probably send you to sleep. They will probably make  a couple of rule changes before the next world cup to try and open up the game a bit and help New Zealand to win it.

[INDIANA]

thought france v Sa was a cracker personally. Never seen physicality like it before. The south african kicking game is being found out. they look tired anyway.

Ireland have a full team out - australia are experimental. If Ireland can't beat australia tomorrow they needn't bother travelling in 2011.

[Olaf]

The rugby really is getting pretty poor to watch these days. France v South Africa last night was like rugby league with lots of kicking and not may tries. I won't be watching England v Argentina today, it would probably send you to sleep. They will probably make  a couple of rule changes before the next world cup to try and open up the game a bit and help New Zealand to win it.

International rugby has got progressively harder to watch over the last few years.

IMO last year's Six Nations was woeful .

European rugby is far better to view but that may be partly due to the format of the competition

[GalwayBayBoy]

thought france v Sa was a cracker personally. Never seen physicality like it before. The south african kicking game is being found out. they look tired anyway.

Ireland have a full team out - australia are experimental. If Ireland can't beat australia tomorrow they needn't bother travelling in 2011.

Australian team isn't that experimental. It's close to their top side these days bar the injured Stirling Mortlock in the centre and maybe Berrick Barnes.

[INDIANA]

thought france v Sa was a cracker personally. Never seen physicality like it before. The south african kicking game is being found out. they look tired anyway.

Ireland have a full team out - australia are experimental. If Ireland can't beat australia tomorrow they needn't bother travelling in 2011.

Australian team isn't that experimental. It's close to their top side these days bar the injured Stirling Mortlock in the centre and maybe Berrick Barnes.

Inexperienced scrum half, second rows, number 7 and centres. Doesn't get anymore inexperienced then that. Its put up or shut up time from rugby people. This is  either a good Irish team or its not. And if it is they should win tomorrow. If they don't then it doesn't bode well in my view. This is literally the strongest lineup ireland could have named.

[GalwayBayBoy]

thought france v Sa was a cracker personally. Never seen physicality like it before. The south african kicking game is being found out. they look tired anyway.

Ireland have a full team out - australia are experimental. If Ireland can't beat australia tomorrow they needn't bother travelling in 2011.

Australian team isn't that experimental. It's close to their top side these days bar the injured Stirling Mortlock in the centre and maybe Berrick Barnes.

Inexperienced scrum half, second rows, number 7 and centres. Doesn't get anymore inexperienced then that. Its put up or shut up time from rugby people. This is  either a good Irish team or its not. And if it is they should win tomorrow. If they don't then it doesn't bode well in my view. This is literally the strongest lineup ireland could have named.

Relatively inexperienced maybe but still their first choice these days. Chisholm in the second row has 32 caps and Horwill has 21 so hardly greenhorns. Even Pocock has 13. It's not like they have a load of injuries. Deans is putting out what he believes is their best team at the moment bar the injured Mortlock.

[Donnellys Hollow]

The rugby really is getting pretty poor to watch these days. France v South Africa last night was like rugby league with lots of kicking and not may tries. I won't be watching England v Argentina today, it would probably send you to sleep. They will probably make  a couple of rule changes before the next world cup to try and open up the game a bit and help New Zealand to win it.

I thoroughly enjoyed it personally. The physicality was incredible and there were some great individual performaces on the French side. That loose-head prop had an amazing game! I'd predict that the soccer tonight will be like watching paint dry in comparison.

Ireland are well capable of beating this Australian team. We have a clear advantage in terms of experience but the fact that it is our first match of the season and there will be some rustiness is a worry. I don't think Australia were that impressive at Twickenham and if they haven't improved from that performance I'd be disappointed if we didn't beat them. They're in our World Cup group and we should be looking to lay down a marker now.

[INDIANA]

thought france v Sa was a cracker personally. Never seen physicality like it before. The south african kicking game is being found out. they look tired anyway.

Ireland have a full team out - australia are experimental. If Ireland can't beat australia tomorrow they needn't bother travelling in 2011.

Australian team isn't that experimental. It's close to their top side these days bar the injured Stirling Mortlock in the centre and maybe Berrick Barnes.

Inexperienced scrum half, second rows, number 7 and centres. Doesn't get anymore inexperienced then that. Its put up or shut up time from rugby people. This is  either a good Irish team or its not. And if it is they should win tomorrow. If they don't then it doesn't bode well in my view. This is literally the strongest lineup ireland could have named.

Relatively inexperienced maybe but still their first choice these days. Chisholm in the second row has 32 caps and Horwill has 21 so hardly greenhorns. Even Pocock has 13. It's not like they have a load of injuries. Deans is putting out what he believes is their best team at the moment bar the injured Mortlock.

13 caps at openside is still in nappies really at international level. The centres are totally and utterly inexperiecnded as well at this level. Realistically ireland should be winning this by 7-10 points. England were appalling last week- that has to be factored in to Oz's performance last week.

[Capt Pat]

We don't have our first choice centre or loose head prop. The Aussies are close to full strength and their scrun half was their best player against England.