The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Dinny Breen]

A foreigner, Jesus wept.

Rugby is probably more about what you do without the ball than with it. Schmidt is simply the best coach Ireland has ever had, NZ for example don't play free flowing attacking rugby, they kick more than Ireland but are lethal on turnovers.

[magpie seanie]

A foreigner, Jesus wept.

Rugby is probably more about what you do without the ball than with it. Schmidt is simply the best coach Ireland has ever had, NZ for example don't play free flowing attacking rugby, they kick more than Ireland but are lethal on turnovers.

They don't kick poorly and aimlessly like we often do.

[Dinny Breen]

Yes they do they made Stuart Hogg, see below, look he was from a different planet in this game, people just see what they want to see. Schmidt is a shrewd coach, he focuses a lot on the core skills passing, rucking and tackling. He knows that territory is important because very few internationals teams have the capacity to score from deep, when Ireland kick it's generally to gain ground e.g. Murray kicks more contestables with Munster than he does with Ireland where his kicks will be longer and Ireland's chase is more defined, that's why the French try will drive Schmidt mad. We tend to put our favourite players on a pedestal and believe their skill set higher than it is, only Conor Murray in our backline and maybe Sexton would be in the conversation regarding best player in their position in the world. Kearney is there for his ability without the ball, specifically his positional sense, he reduces the oppositions kicking options because he sees the danger before they do, he works the pendulum very well with his wingers. Is he great ball in hand, no, would you trust to make the last ditch tackle, god no, but would you trust to be in the right position at the right time, absolutely. Our kicking is not aimless it's quite specific but at times our execution can be off and a poor kick as seen with these Hogg examples can cause a lot of problems and make a good team look poor.

https://youtu.be/5RAKs11JboI?t=27

https://youtu.be/5RAKs11JboI?t=67


https://youtu.be/5RAKs11JboI?t=130

https://youtu.be/5RAKs11JboI?t=145

[magpie seanie]

Aimless was the incorrect word. Poorly executed it is far too often.

Schmidt might be a great coach (in truth I'll admit I don't know enough about the game to be too strong on this) but he's incredibly conservative and negative. Jose Mourinho without being a bollix. I'd hve high expectation for this and next seasons 6 nations and the World Cup.....we've tremendous depth pretty much everywhere bar 10 and 2. Important that Carbery and Byrne get game time.

[Hound]

I was lucky enough to be at the game in Paris, and but for the last few minutes it wasn't a particularly exciting game to be at and the only time I was off my seat was probably the drop goal!

But I watched the whole match again and my view changed as to the quality of our performance. We played a lot better than  I'd thought. Yes, without Ringrose we are a little one dimensional in midfield, but France defended really well. Still, we made territory consistently, and have to remember that all the penalties Sexton kicked were easy and close. If France hadn't conceded those each time, then we probably would have crossed the line. And France really should have been punished by a yellow card, in particular the number 5 towards the end of the first half.

[Owen Brannigan]

I was lucky enough to be at the game in Paris, and but for the last few minutes it wasn't a particularly exciting game to be at and the only time I was off my seat was probably the drop goal!

But I watched the whole match again and my view changed as to the quality of our performance. We played a lot better than  I'd thought. Yes, without Ringrose we are a little one dimensional in midfield, but France defended really well. Still, we made territory consistently, and have to remember that all the penalties Sexton kicked were easy and close. If France hadn't conceded those each time, then we probably would have crossed the line. And France really should have been punished by a yellow card, in particular the number 5 towards the end of the first half.

What most people watching on TV don't appreciate is the sheer bulk and size of the French players especially when compared to the majority of the Irish team.

[Capt Pat]

A good performance from Ireland so far. However the injuries to Furlong and Henshaw are a big blow to the team.

[Farrandeelin]

Can anyone read into the Italy results?

[Milltown Row2]

No, it's about gaining as many points plus the bonus point and move on! Good time to play them, Stockdale is living up to the hype..

[Dinny Breen]

We should have kicked more.

[screenexile]

We should have kicked more.

You can see thdo difference with Carbert and Larmour on there... too many points conceded when they were on the field!

Aside from that job done but the 2 lads out puts us on the back foot for the rest of the tournament!!

[Syferus]

We should have kicked more.

You can see thdo difference with Carbert and Larmour on there... too many points conceded when they were on the field!

Aside from that job done but the 2 lads out puts us on the back foot for the rest of the tournament!!

Furlong shouldn't be gone very long.

[Syferus]

Wales look pathetic.

[Capt Pat]

Wales had the winning of that game. They had a try disallowed by the tmo that should have been given. They will be a tough opponent for Ireland.

[Syferus]

Wales had the winning of that game. They had a try disallowed by the tmo that should have been given. They will be a tough opponent for Ireland.

They should be easily beaten if there isn't a massive improvement over today's performance.