The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Applesisapples]

Easy to blame Sexton on the penalty miss. I thought though at that stage 3 points wouldn't be enough to hold the AB's out. Ireland were getting the better of them and O'Connell should have gone for the try. Anyway monumental effort against an awesome team. I liked the rugby Ireland played unlike the awful (but also nearly successful) style England played. Hopefully this is not a flash in the pan and Joe can bring them on.

[Dinny Breen]

Yesterday was a friendly. No big deal really.

It wasn't. It was a 'Test' match.

[ludermor]

Easy to blame Sexton on the penalty miss. I thought though at that stage 3 points wouldn't be enough to hold the AB's out. Ireland were getting the better of them and O'Connell should have gone for the try. Anyway monumental effort against an awesome team. I liked the rugby Ireland played unlike the awful (but also nearly successful) style England played. Hopefully this is not a flash in the pan and Joe can bring them on.

It wasn't a very difficult kick, it wasn't a certainty but you would expect someone of Sextons class to convert it. If he scores that they needed more than a converted try to win, it was a no brainier to go for the kick.

[screenexile]

Easy to blame Sexton on the penalty miss. I thought though at that stage 3 points wouldn't be enough to hold the AB's out. Ireland were getting the better of them and O'Connell should have gone for the try. Anyway monumental effort against an awesome team. I liked the rugby Ireland played unlike the awful (but also nearly successful) style England played. Hopefully this is not a flash in the pan and Joe can bring them on.

It wasn't a very difficult kick, it wasn't a certainty but you would expect someone of Sextons class to convert it. If he scores that they needed more than a converted try to win, it was a no brainier to go for the kick.

Agreed.

What Captain in their right mind would have gone for the try when beating the All Blacks by 5 points with 8 minutes left!!!

[Bord na Mona man]

Sexton's kicking routine is ridiculously long at the best of times, but I wonder if it suits pressure kicks like yesterday?
He had a similar kick to put 2 scores between Ireland and Wales last year and missed.
Maybe a routine that focuses more on the mental side of the kick rather than mechanics becomes dangerous in such circumstances.
My understanding is that such routines revolve a player taking whatever time they think they need to try and get a hold of their concentration, adrenaline levels, heart rate etc.
At some point in the routine, the impatience of the crowd or the referee is bound to become an unsettling factor.

Murray kicking it away is obviously another talking point, but I felt that NZ had realised Ireland were going to try and ruck it to death and had started to commit more men to rucks. Ireland were coming under pressure and were going backwards. On another day Ireland could have stormed after the kick and caught NZ flat.

[J OGorman]

re the kicking, there was another kick yesterday, camera angle looking at the post at pitch level behind Sexton and the ref. The ref looked at his watch knowing JS was taking an age. What about Cooper from Australias kicking e? Looks like a animal cartoon character about to set off on a mad sprint

[Crete Boom]

I should clarify. A result in another code today has cruelly taken the Mayo senior inter-county football team's title as biggest bottlers in Irish sport.

Never can that accusation be levelled at them again.

That title is only temporarily residing in leafy south Dublin with the rugby lads till we come roaring  back in Sept to take it back with our own unique three in a row which only a county like Mayo can provide to the nation!

[ballinaman]

I should clarify. A result in another code today has cruelly taken the Mayo senior inter-county football team's title as biggest bottlers in Irish sport.

Never can that accusation be levelled at them again.

That title is only temporarily residing in leafy south Dublin with the rugby lads till we come roaring  back in Sept to take it back with our own unique three in a row which only a county like Mayo can provide to the nation!

Couldn't help but draw that  comparison myself yesterday as the 2nd half unfolded. The Rugby fraternity got a taste of what we have to put up with.....on a regular basis.

[Bingo]

They got away with Murrays kick and regain possession, was a penalty given away in possession that NZ launched the last attack.

You could break it down to mistakes all day, they happen. Just that NZ made theirs at the start and Ireland made them at the end. Heartbreaking defeat but it should serve as the benchmark now in terms of perfromance, not many would live with them.

[Farrandeelin]

Yesterday was a friendly. No big deal really.

It wasn't. It was a 'Test' match.

What's the difference?

[deiseach]

Yesterday was a friendly. No big deal really.

It wasn't. It was a 'Test' match.

What's the difference?

Neither is as important as a challenge match.

[Count 10]

A lot of players had much to prove after the Australian game and they did. The intensity in the first half was unreal....let's hope they build on it for the 6 Nations.

[CD]

i was at the game yesterday. it was heartbreaking at the end, with 30 seconds to go it looked like we had it but once the all blacks got the ball there was a sense of inevitability about what was going to happen.

a few thoughts on the rugby experience. i have only been at two rugby matches before an ireland V Italy 6 nations match and a lenister V ospreys ( i think) Heineken cup game in the Aviva. both were very underwhelming experiences, poor games with a poor and contrived atmosphere.
today was very different, the atmosphere was electric and as a sporting occasion it was up with the best i have attended, in fact  atmosphere wise it was only bettered by mayo -Dublin in 2006 and the Olympic stadium in London the night the mo Farah and Jessica Ennis won( i just happend to be there that night).
the only real negative  was the incessant drinking during the game. now i like a drink as much as the next man and watching rugby on the TV  i always thought what a good idea it was to be able to bring your drink to your seat. the reality though it a bit different. for a lot of people its not enough to have a pint per half, they are up and down and in and out throughout the game. there is a constant stream of people in and out to the bar, half the crowd left their seats with 5 mins to go in the first half and didn't come back until 5- 10 mins into the second half. then 15 mins later they were off again except this time it was not enough to send one guy to get the drinks the 2 or 3 of them had to go together, for a piss presumably.
it was only for the last 10 Min's that everyone stayed in their bloody seats.

Went to watch Ireland v Scotland at Croker a few years ago - my first ever big Rugby game and I noticed the same thing. There was a constant stream of people up and down to the bar area during the game. It seems to be part and parcel of the experience. During a good gaelic or hurling match you don't get time to draw breath and wouldn't be rushing in and out - even when you need a good drink!

[theskull1]

Not a big fan of the game, but yesterdays contest made for a decent two hours viewing. Watching live soccer I am forever amazed that that game is perceived as being enjoyable to watch by such large numbers of people

[gerrykeegan]

Would some of the more knowledgable lads here explain to me what Ireland/Murrays tactic of the GarryOwen was all about. He didn't appear to get even one of the kicks right.  We conceeded the ball to the AB's each time. Surly the coach would have been saying. Stop with the box kicks. They are not working.