The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Milltown Row2]

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.

Look back, there were a couple who said that Ireland are taking this as a gimme....

[magpie seanie]

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!!

He's a good lad by all accounts. Chatting a few of the guys in Sligo rugby club they reckon he's destined for big things. Playing with Corinthians now as he's based in Galway for college.

Carolan seems to be doing a good job at this grade for a couple of years. That was a tight win against Scotland the other night.

[AZOffaly]

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

True. More accurate to say the 'media' are pushing it. It's not surprising, as it is a cornucopia of material for column inches and interviews. The more people care about it, the more lads will be paid to talk/write about it. Self fulfilling.

[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!!

He's a good lad by all accounts. Chatting a few of the guys in Sligo rugby club they reckon he's destined for big things. Playing with Corinthians now as he's based in Galway for college.

Carolan seems to be doing a good job at this grade for a couple of years. That was a tight win against Scotland the other night.

Great stuff. Some super work going on in Connacht!

[Bord na Mona man]

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

True. More accurate to say the 'media' are pushing it. It's not surprising, as it is a cornucopia of material for column inches and interviews. The more people care about it, the more lads will be paid to talk/write about it. Self fulfilling.

Journalists promoting something that leads to a junket shocker!

[AZOffaly]

I know, who'd have thunk it?

[magpie seanie]

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

True. More accurate to say the 'media' are pushing it. It's not surprising, as it is a cornucopia of material for column inches and interviews. The more people care about it, the more lads will be paid to talk/write about it. Self fulfilling.

Journalists promoting something that leads to a junket shocker!

Compromise (cough, cough) rules....

[ashman]

The Lions concept is while seemingly ridiculous also fascinating.  Irish people following it is no more or less strange than people following British soccer teams.

There is great interest in form , selection, bitching , and generally blame .  It is a nice interest in non Olympic and WC years .

[magpie seanie]

The Lions concept is while seemingly ridiculous also fascinating.  Irish people following it is no more or less strange than people following British soccer teams.

There is great interest in form , selection, bitching , and generally blame .  It is a nice interest in non Olympic and WC years .

I think we'd be better off having our players go on tour and develop towards the next world cup rather than waste a summer on this. When it's on I'll want the Irish lads to be picked and the Lions to win but it's a remnant from another time.

[Walter Cronc]

Talk of Furlong injured. Worrying!!

[Take Your Points]

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.

Yet Heaslip failed to hold the ball up when on the five metre line following I think O'Brien's breakout and lost the ball by trying to offload to Henshaw.  If he had simply taken the tackle, went to ground and presented the ball, this would have either absorbed time when Ireland were ahead or have provided the killer score from a try or penalty.  Then the ball is lost, the Scots come up the field and Heaslip fails to roll away, gives away a penalty that provides the lead to Scotland when they were under severe pressure.  This gave them the ambition to attack and win.

So the stats don't always show the key points in the game.

Anyone who has watched Glasgow against the Irish sides knew that they have struggled with the speed of their game and this speed and running game was replicated in the Scotland team's approach on Saturday. Plus who was to know how slow that the Irish backs have become, in particular, Zebo whose lack of pace was shown up and who insists on playing at centre and crowding the midfield against big men he has no hope of knocking back.

[NAG1]

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.

Yet Heaslip failed to hold the ball up when on the five metre line following I think O'Brien's breakout and lost the ball by trying to offload to Henshaw.  If he had simply taken the tackle, went to ground and presented the ball, this would have either absorbed time when Ireland were ahead or have provided the killer score from a try or penalty.  Then the ball is lost, the Scots come up the field and Heaslip fails to roll away, gives away a penalty that provides the lead to Scotland when they were under severe pressure.  This gave them the ambition to attack and win.

So the stats don't always show the key points in the game.

Anyone who has watched Glasgow against the Irish sides knew that they have struggled with the speed of their game and this speed and running game was replicated in the Scotland team's approach on Saturday. Plus who was to know how slow that the Irish backs have become, in particular, Zebo whose lack of pace was shown up and who insists on playing at centre and crowding the midfield against big men he has no hope of knocking back.

The failed off load proved to be the crucial play of the game, hold on to it and recycle at that point and good chance of a penalty at worst. Would have changed the game completely, bad decision from an experienced player.

[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.

Yet Heaslip failed to hold the ball up when on the five metre line following I think O'Brien's breakout and lost the ball by trying to offload to Henshaw.  If he had simply taken the tackle, went to ground and presented the ball, this would have either absorbed time when Ireland were ahead or have provided the killer score from a try or penalty.  Then the ball is lost, the Scots come up the field and Heaslip fails to roll away, gives away a penalty that provides the lead to Scotland when they were under severe pressure.  This gave them the ambition to attack and win.

So the stats don't always show the key points in the game.

Anyone who has watched Glasgow against the Irish sides knew that they have struggled with the speed of their game and this speed and running game was replicated in the Scotland team's approach on Saturday. Plus who was to know how slow that the Irish backs have become, in particular, Zebo whose lack of pace was shown up and who insists on playing at centre and crowding the midfield against big men he has no hope of knocking back.

The failed off load proved to be the crucial play of the game, hold on to it and recycle at that point and good chance of a penalty at worst. Would have changed the game completely, bad decision from an experienced player.

Poor decision yes but to say he's done is madness! Heaslip isn't the most likable characters and this is probably why he's an easy target.

[seafoid]

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.

Good point. They remind me of the Galway hurlers  in the 80s. Good days but if they got a bad start or Joe Cooney missed a few frees ...

[Take Your Points]

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.

Yet Heaslip failed to hold the ball up when on the five metre line following I think O'Brien's breakout and lost the ball by trying to offload to Henshaw.  If he had simply taken the tackle, went to ground and presented the ball, this would have either absorbed time when Ireland were ahead or have provided the killer score from a try or penalty.  Then the ball is lost, the Scots come up the field and Heaslip fails to roll away, gives away a penalty that provides the lead to Scotland when they were under severe pressure.  This gave them the ambition to attack and win.

So the stats don't always show the key points in the game.

Anyone who has watched Glasgow against the Irish sides knew that they have struggled with the speed of their game and this speed and running game was replicated in the Scotland team's approach on Saturday. Plus who was to know how slow that the Irish backs have become, in particular, Zebo whose lack of pace was shown up and who insists on playing at centre and crowding the midfield against big men he has no hope of knocking back.

The failed off load proved to be the crucial play of the game, hold on to it and recycle at that point and good chance of a penalty at worst. Would have changed the game completely, bad decision from an experienced player.

Poor decision yes but to say he's done is madness! Heaslip isn't the most likable characters and this is probably why he's an easy target.

One of his supporters has agreed it is the time for him to be benched.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/tony-ward-i-cant-believe-im-saying-it-but-theres-a-strong-case-for-dropping-jamie-heaslip-35429757.html