The IRISH RUGBY thread

[NAG1]

Could some of the rugby heads tell me, what was wrong with the line out? Normally one of the main stays in attack but seemed to fall apart and especially in the first half.

[Walter Cronc]

Could some of the rugby heads tell me, what was wrong with the line out? Normally one of the main stays in attack but seemed to fall apart and especially in the first half.

I'd need to re watch the game NAG1 as was in the pub for it. However I'd hazard a guess in that we lack variety in our throws, hitting Toner too often. O'Mahony is superb in the air and offers the tail of the lineout option, giving you a better attacking platform. The Gray brothers are also excellent in the air and put serious pressure on us.

[johnneycool]

As great as he is I think Joe Schmidt (and the stupid IRFU) needs to be called out for this result and performance. His conservative selection policies and gameplans really got caught out today. In November we beat the All blacks by keeping possession much more than we usually do. It's well known that Scotland's strength is their back 3 and what did we do - kick a load of rubbish uncontested ball to them. And our errors - complacency was at work big time. Scotland were chomping at the bit and we weren't up for it at all by comparison. Schmidt has an over loyalty to Leinster players. Ringrose is not ready for this yet. Kearney proved me wrong in Chicago but was awful. Earls is merely a good pro 12 winger. I was shocked at the lack of pace Zebo showed at times also. That back line looks stale and devoid of ideas. Credit to Paddy Jackson for keeping his head when all around him was playing rubbish. He's a very good international 10 and deserves to keep the jersey (but we can't risk having only Keatley as backup - pure madness that we luckily got away with). Madigan should have been called in, no questions asked. Scotland had several players who play in France - what makes us so special that we can't make an exception and call up a 4th choice out half in an emergency?

Even with the terrible first half performance we should have got the win. It's no use beating the All Blacks and then not turning up for 40 minutes against Scotland. Their 3rd try was incredibly embarrassing.

Completely agree - the foundations for this defeat were made by the tactics JS sent out his players with. Completely rigid and lacked any adventure. Yet again the national rugby team will deliver little when it promised so much.

All Blacks games seem a world away from that spectacle on Saturday

I know Rugby by its set play nature is ideal for rigid gameplans, but sometimes you gotta go with the flow, ffs there was one time two Irish lads stood under a Scottish garryowen waiting for Zebo arrive and Hogg stole it from under their noses as Zebo wasn't within an asses roar of getting there.
In terms of attacking play we were reliant on crash ball time and time again whereas the Scots threw the thing out wide and had our wingers time and time again, maybe the missing Payne in Schmits man to prevent this, but lord it looked very easy for the Scots at times.

Line out was poor,but not always Best's fault, one went straight through Iain Hendersons hands and you can't account for that.

Too much shite talk about who's getting on the Lions team when after the weekend there won't be that many.

[thewobbler]

What I'm seeing is Schmidt falling into the same trap as Kidney and O'Sullivan dropped into. It's the one when you're too loyal to players, and believe that your game plan and tactics are so advanced that a newbie simply can't be a suitable option when an old hand is available.

Rob Kearney is done. Keith Earls was never good enough.

[Take Your Points]

Heaslip is done.

[Bord na Mona man]

I'd consider Schmidt to be a milder of Trappatoni in that he probably isn't over enthused by the skillset of the typical Irish player, therefore the tactics won't show a great degree of adventure and there is large emphasis on playing to set formulas.

If we believe half the yarns about his management style, he is fairly controlling when it comes to what players do and don't do. There is a segment of the sporting public who lap up bullshit bingo keywords like 'process' and 'structures' and Schmidt and his style feeds this machine.

The risk is that the players are too tightly coached and don't have the well-developed smartness to react to what's in front of them.

Three of Schmidt's key games in charge of Ireland have seen the team absolutely caught flat in the opening minutes. 2015 vs Wales when Ireland all but had a Grand Slam in the bag, but were 12-0 down after 10 minutes. 2015 WC vs. Argentina, a chance to reach a SF - 17 points down after 15 minutes. On Saturday they had shipped 21 points before the bus had even arrived at the stadium.

So while Ireland might be a great at executing a plan in games where they're underdogs, they seem flummoxed when a couple of curveballs come their way and slow to react. The verdict might be that Ireland defending the wide channels poorly for example, but maybe part of this is that there is more thinking required to spot this sort of danger and improvise. Not every defensive scenario can be captured on a tactics flipchart.

[Walter Cronc]

Heaslip is done.

The stats once again prove that Heaslip had a good game. Made most carries and top tackler in the back row. I think Schmidt got the balance wrong in that either one of CJ or O'Brien starts along with VdF.

Love all the experts on here after pointing out flaws post game, yet no one bothered to discuss the potential for them in the run up.

[magpie seanie]

Everybody is underestimating Scotland. There's a whiff of complacency in the air. Lethal.

That's what concerns me. They will nail Paddy Jackson every chance they get. Imagine if we end up with Keatley at 10 for 40/50 minutes? I'd have thought Schmidt should have learned his lesson from the NZ game in Dublin where our back line ended up being a mess but clearly he doesn't "trust" guys from certain provinces. The hypocrisy regarding Madigan is outrageous. He did Irish rugby a favour by moving on. What would Carbery have done if Madigan was still at Leinster?

We are set up for a sucker punch on Saturday. Any poor kicking to the Scots will be punished but Joe seems to prefer bad kicking to keeping the ball in hand (Chicago excepted).

I beg to differ.

[magpie seanie]

No one discussed them because we were too busy worrying about winning the championship and who would get on the bloody Lions.

[Walter Cronc]

No one discussed them because we were too busy worrying about winning the championship and who would get on the bloody Lions.

Couldn't give a rats about the Lions. More concerned with the tour to Japan and blooding of young players. I'll leave predictions to the armchair fans.

[magpie seanie]

No one discussed them because we were too busy worrying about winning the championship and who would get on the bloody Lions.

Couldn't give a rats about the Lions. More concerned with the tour to Japan and blooding of young players. I'll leave predictions to the armchair fans.

Couldn't agree more. I think it's a serious load of rubbish and not just because of who's manager.

[Walter Cronc]

No one discussed them because we were too busy worrying about winning the championship and who would get on the bloody Lions.

Couldn't give a rats about the Lions. More concerned with the tour to Japan and blooding of young players. I'll leave predictions to the armchair fans.

Couldn't agree more. I think it's a serious load of rubbish and not just because of who's manager.

It's had its day and is just a money spinner for Sky and package tours. Supporting a  side with Dylan Hartley and Owen Farrell. No thanks!

[AZOffaly]

The players still see the Lions as a massive honour, and it is, especially with all the history of who played for the Lions. But it is a relic of different, amateur days when big tours were the only way of really playing against the Southern Hemisphere teams.

These days the 4 countries play NZ, Oz and South Africa nearly every year anyway, and are able to compete, by and large, as individual countries.

The raison d'etre of the Lions has really disappeared, but it is being pushed by Sky and some fans seem to be big into it, with jerseys and all. I just don't get it.

[Taylor]

I dont get the Lions either but it isnt just Sky pushing it.
Newspaper columns by ex-players, commentators on TV channels (other than Sky) all seem to think it is the next big thing.

While decent viewing I would see the 6 Nations as much more important

[Walter Cronc]

Agree with all that lads!

Good win for the U20s the other night. Scotland away never an easy place to go. Gallagher from Connacht looks a real player. Shame Rob Lyttle of Ulster is injured. The lad is electric!!