The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Walter Cronc]

Some moaning on here! Never happy

[Wildweasel74]

Would New Zealand have left it on the Board Walter? No! thats why they and Carter are the best and the standard to aim for!

[seafoid]

Some moaning on here! Never happy

great performance after the score wales posted. BOD expected 9 points , not 30

[Tony Baloney]

Ah wheest lads that was a super performance! Delighted!

Come back on at 7 o'clock 

[Walter Cronc]

Would New Zealand have left it on the Board Walter? No! thats why they and Carter are the best and the standard to aim for!

Another armchair critic. Yes New Zealand, perennial chokers in the world cups. Maybe you just watch rugby 6 weeks of the year

[Hardy]

Good man  Walter. The five of trumps. 2+2 is anything the all-weather JuniorB supporter says it is.

[Wildweasel74]

Been watching rugby since 1991, am i say i know a fair in depth knowledge that you about it to be honest. As for chokers they produce great teams on a regular basis

[JoG2]

Magnificent performance

The up n under catches from Bowe and OMahony were incredible

[Sidney]

Random thoughts on Scotland v Ireland:

i) The knowledgeabilty of the RTE panel and viewers. A real symbiotic relationship. Particular highlights were Brent Pope explaining before the match that Ireland had to win by 21 clear points as opposed to merely scoring 21 points, "so, say, 21-10 is not enough". Top notch insight.

One minute in and Donal Lenihan was already breaking into fluent rogbish. "Cian Healy's jackal on Finn Russell was superb."

The in the second half he channelled Chris Kamara as he didn't realise Scotland had a man in the sin bin. Top notch awareness.

ii) Paul O'Connell yet again showed the "backs" how to do it. Time for him to get the number 13 jersey.

iii) The rules of this game and a significant number of decisions by referees make no sense. And anybody who says they do is lying.

Rory Best was penalised after 17 minutes and Scotland scored the resulting penalty. The official reason as per the TV graphic was "not rolling away" which made no sense given that Best was literally picked up by a Scottish player and flung over the body of the Scottish ball carrier (who was lying on the ground) onto the ground at the far side. Literally as soon as Best hit the ground, the referee blew for a penalty. Donal Lenihan later referred to the incident saying Best came in from the wrong side. He did not. Neither did he come in "off his feet".

Then at 20:00 an Irish player is on the wrong side of a breakdown situation and makes no effort whatsoever to roll away. Yet play continues.

Ireland were awarded a penalty in front of the posts three minutes into the second half. Again another bizarre decision. How is the Scottish tackler supposed to roll away if there's a 20 stone, 6 foot 8 Irish oaf lying on top of him?

At 48:47 the exact same situation as for the previous penalty occurred as Paul O'Connell lay down on top of a Scottish tackler in an almost sexual manner to stop him rolling away. Yet play is waved on.

iv) Rob "Kearnivore" Kearney's pathetic handling was squarely to blame for Scotland's first-half try. Gaelic football ‪#‎skillsetz‬ in action. Forward pass me arse for the Scottish try.

v) Scotland's Johnnie Gray and Tom Seymour have definitely played Gaelic football. How else do you explain their superb handling?

vi) Sexton's first half pass into Henshaw's face was straight out of the playbook of the Denver Broncos team which Hank Scorpio bought for Homer Simpson in 1996.

vii) Scotland's Geoff Cross cut a fine, dashing, athletic figure there as he left the pitch. Like a hairier version of Russell Crowe as he shuffled onto the Late Late Show set last night.

viii) Lovely soft hands from Sexton to set up the crash ball for Kevin Maggs, sorry, Jared Payne for the third try.
Sexton's penalty misses were clutch. Reminiscent of Eric Elwood against Wales in 1994. Not a bottle job. You CAN'T say that.

ix) Somebody please shoot those Ireland supporters in their fluorescent shamrock suits who were pictured after Sexton put Ireland 33-10 up.

x) With a name like Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, the Scottish number 21 surely went to a comprehensive school in the East End of Glasgow.

xi) Stuart Hogg's disallowed try was as much of a try as Brian O'Driscoll's against France in 2001.

xii) Ian Madigan bottled it like he bottled it when he missed with the last kick for Blackrock College against Kilkenny College in the 2007 Leinster Senior Schools Cup. But again, you CAN'T say he bottled it.

xiii) Aine Lawlor may well have to substitute for Marian Finucane tomorrow. Marian was fierce excited on the radio this morning.

xiv) If Ireland win this competition it'll be the greatest Irish sporting achievement of all-time. Up there with Harrington and McGinley winning golf's World Cup in 1997.

xv) Can someone please explain to me: At what point in Oirish history did wearing Leprechaun hats, and worse still Leprechaun beards, in a non-ironic manner, become an acceptable practice outside of the bedroom? What kind of self respecting Irish **** does this?

xvi) Come on England.

[Minder]

Bad start

[JoG2]

Been watching rugby since 1991, am i say i know a fair in depth knowledge that you about it to be honest. As for chokers they produce great teams on a regular basis

I wrote my PE gcse assignment in 1990 on the all blacks. Captain Kirk, Buck Shelford John '1000 situps a day' Kirwan etc who lifted the first WC....I was long retired from sport by the time they repeated it!

[Wildweasel74]

Come on alot since then, still prefer lineouts where you couldnt be held up going up for the ball

[JoG2]

xvii) zzz zzz

[Wildweasel74]

7-0 after 5 mins. looking grim already

[Wildweasel74]

spoke too soon 8-7 to france great stuff