The IRISH RUGBY thread

[johnneycool]

England looking ominous that's huge for them away from home their tails will be up coming to the Aviva!!

Looked ominous against a team as one dimensional as themselves but only bigger!
As suspected no invention or ingenuity from either outfit.
Ireland won't have it their own way tomorrow, need to avoid the set pieces as much as possible as the scrum is probably the weakest in the 6N

[screenexile]

f**k lads just because its crash bang rugby doesn't mean its not effective.

Yes we have a better coach but they will totally dismantle us in the scrum and if we have any significant  injury to Murray, Sexton or O'Connell we will get beat!

[Syferus]

Poor stuff against a poor side so far.

[screenexile]

Yeah very bad considering we've 5 first choice backs on the field its very poor. Keatley out of his depth I think Madigan would make a huge difference!

[Syferus]

Well that's the match. Now it's just about getting a good score.

[Milltown Row2]

Italy should have been awarded that try, flight of ball didn't change. Is that a big enough score?? Italy should get stuffed next week

[Syferus]

Italy should have been awarded that try, flight of ball didn't change. Is that a big enough score?? Italy should get stuffed next week

You can't tell that. Looked to deviate slightly after his fingers touched it. Right call.

[Syferus]

Jesus, every team has managed to look a bit shit this weekend. France certainly look beatable at least.

[Capt Pat]

A win is a win. Hopefully they will improve for next week with Heaslip and Sexton back in the side.

[moysider]

Coming away with the win is what this was about.

Not the time or the place to be showing our hand. France were not great either.
O Donnell played well but losing O Brien was biggest negative of afternoon. Hard to see how he can now come into the team against the big guns. Not sure our back row is good enough right now. In the last 10 years we ve had the careers of Wallace, Quinlan, Easterby, Ferris, Heaslip and O Brien everlap. Ferris's early retirement with injury a huge loss.

[muppet]

Coming away with the win is what this was about.

Not the time or the place to be showing our hand. France were not great either.
O Donnell played well but losing O Brien was biggest negative of afternoon. Hard to see how he can now come into the team against the big guns. Not sure our back row is good enough right now. In the last 10 years we ve had the careers of Wallace, Quinlan, Easterby, Ferris, Heaslip and O Brien everlap. Ferris's early retirement with injury a huge loss.

It is but O'Mahony is a terrific player.

A fit Heaslip is badly needed for the amount of defensive work that will need to be done against France and England.

[screenexile]

Coming away with the win is what this was about.

Not the time or the place to be showing our hand. France were not great either.
O Donnell played well but losing O Brien was biggest negative of afternoon. Hard to see how he can now come into the team against the big guns. Not sure our back row is good enough right now. In the last 10 years we ve had the careers of Wallace, Quinlan, Easterby, Ferris, Heaslip and O Brien everlap. Ferris's early retirement with injury a huge loss.

It is but O'Mahony is a terrific player.

A fit Heaslip is badly needed for the amount of defensive work that will need to be done against France and England.

If Ferris were fit O'Mahony isn't in our first 15 but it's academic now I guess.

We've 4 brutal and bruising games ahead now judging by the way the weekend panned out as France and Scotland will at least bring intensity to the games. It mightn't be any harm for our best players to miss a game here or there to think of the big picture!!

[seafoid]

Liam Toland in the IT

"However, the offloads count of Italy 12, Ireland five, concerns me with the big guns looming."

Against Australia the offloads came to zero.

[Bord na Mona man]

I'd say Ireland were keeping any backline moves hidden against Italy to keep future opponents guessing.
Starve Italy of possession and they'll eventually run out of puff.

[seafoid]

I'd say Ireland were keeping any backline moves hidden against Italy to keep future opponents guessing.
Starve Italy of possession and they'll eventually run out of puff.

But if they threw  a few moves together they could have increased the points difference
It's a big decision in a town called malice.