The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Hardy]

Gwan France!

[grounded]

Allez les bleus, Crazy final day!

[Syferus]

France warming up a bit.

[Hardy]

What a gobshite to nearly butcher the try!

[Sidney]

What a gobshite to nearly butcher the try!

He did butcher it. It was wrongly awarded.

[Walter Cronc]

Jeez being a French fan must be a nightmare. They've about 45 players of international standard. Farcical they're not better

[Walter Cronc]

Typical Lawes tackle. Only targets backs. p***k.

[Sidney]

Typical Lawes tackle. Only targets backs. p***k.

As opposed to some of the South African lads who only target blacks.

[Walter Cronc]

Typical Lawes tackle. Only targets backs. p***k.

As opposed to some of the South African lads who only target blacks.

When Jerome Kaino danced inside him in November he didn't do much.

[Wildweasel74]

France have left 8 on the scoreboard handy enough

[Owenmoresider]

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.

Other random thoughts: You need help.

[Sidney]

Other random thoughts: You need help.

Why?

[Sidney]

Thank God for England's exciting running rugby. If there's any justice they'll win this championship.

[screenexile]

I think we're goosed! France are f**king awful and only for England giving away chances they'd be out of sight! This is a penalty too. f**k!

[Syferus]

I think we're goosed! France are f**king awful and only for England giving away chances they'd be out of sight! This is a penalty too. f**k!

France cutting open England when they attack. Can go any way in the second half.