Rugby world cup

[From the Bunker]

Look what ever way the media spins this WC. Only two games matter in this group. The rest are about getting the Bonus point and not getting injured while getting a bit of match practice. Any tournament is about peaking and coming good when it matters. Ireland are in an ideal situation now where the January hype has eroded and this could be a blessing!

[Declan]

A shambles. Worst performance in years. Doesn't bode well for the next few weeks.

[Dinny Breen]

Is part of irelands problem not the real lack of competition for places. D'Arcy was shocking tonight, stringer not far behind him,and the tight five were pushed all over the place, however no matter how badly they plaqy against georgia they will line up in the deciders against france and argentina. Some players appear to be in the comfort zone so far this season, size nine in the rear end required.

Naill on the head and Eddie O'Sullivan has to take responsibility for this, I had tickets for this game but due to a wedding in Oregon I gave them away, suppose to be heading to the French game, not looking forward to that at all.....

Hickie, Darcy, Stringer,  and O'Gara will improve as will O'Driscoll and Wallace after the much needed game time.

Stringer should be dropped, sick off calling for this and sick of watching his brutal performances for Ireland time and after time, he hasn't played well for Ireland in about three years. Stringer, Hickie, Horan and Easterby should all be replaced for the French game...

[Star Spangler]

The biggest problem this result creates is the potential for doubts now being planted in the players minds.  I've a feeling that the pre-tournament warmup games may have already fatally injured the side in this regard.

[Uladh]

My team for the french game

Horan
Flannery
The bull
o'callaghan
o'connell
wallace
Best
Leamy
stringer (its too late to make a radical selection change in such a pivotal position unfortunately)
O'Gara
Trimble (horgan if fit)
D'arcy
O'Driscoll
Hickey
Dempsey

[screenexile]

I have to admit that I was pretty shocked at our performance the other night. Our accuracy was way off with several easy balls being dropped and we got completely out fought in the rucks especially in the second half. THe Namibians played the way we usually play when we're the underdogs!!

Having said that I was having a conversation with a man who's heavily involved with our hurling side and he said "I'm a man experienced in managing for many a year and I don't give a f*ck. You never show your hand too early! As soon as the tail's waggin' the dog... you're f*cked!"

I understand the first part as in we don't want to show too much or anything worked on in training camps reserved for the bigger games but I'm more worried with the basic errors and lack of passion that we witnessed last night. All in all it's still no time to panic and as people have said it's about peaking at the right times and for the right games. Let's judge the team on the games that really matter. If things don't go right after that then it's time to lose it!

[amongthebushes]

Im heading over for this weekends game, and Im seriously hoping for a better performance. It was extremely hard to watch, the handling was absolutely brutal at times, players seemed to have there eye on the tackle coming in more than the ball! how many times did hickey drop the ball, although it may have something to do with the heavy hit he took. O Gara didnt look at all confident, get best out and flannery in, at least he will show a bit of passion! I know it was the first game and all, but it doesnt give you any confidence for the two big games in the group!

[laceer]

Is there anywhere the matches are shown on line?

[heganboy]

you can watch them on setanta broadband- but you pay for it

[screenexile]

I think you can get them on ITV as well.

itv.com

[Teeling Gael]

EOS contract extension for 4 years looks bad business for the IRFU at this moment. Team looks woefully undercooked and its hard to see them been within 7 of France in a fortnight.

Hickie and Darcy had nightmares. I'd worry about Darcy who is a confidence player ( see the lions 2 years ago) , at least with Horgan on the way back , Hickie could be dropped. O Garas kicks were worryingly not even close to going over. Stringer isn't a world class scrum half and the guy who could be, is 3rd Choice . Surprised at calls for Horans place on here as B Young isn't a viable alternative at this level. Rory Best has a nightmare and whilst Flannery wasn't much better , its a tight call whether Best superior scrummaging compensates for his lineout fallibility. The Myth of POC as a world class  player was again exposed last night. He is easily good enough for international rugby and calls a few post ago, for him to be dropped are wrong, but he aint  Chris Jack.
Wallace has played his first game of rugby in 5 months and i'd struggle to see how he'll be fit to face the French. With his attributes , perhaps we would be better starting with N Best and having wallace when it losens out a bit with 20 minutes to go. Easterby is too negative a player who simply is on the team for his lineout ability. Leamy is a blindside flanker who's restart attempts make me very nervous but again EOS in his wisdom has left our most natural No. 8 in Jamie Heaslip in Dublin.

On last nights performance can't see us getting within 7 of the French and with our points difference shot after last night , we will then need to beat Argentina and score 4 tries which will be a bridge too far.

[muppet]

He is easily good enough for international rugby and calls a few post ago, for him to be dropped are wrong, but he aint  Chris Jack.

That was me calling for him to be dropped. It is not because he isn't our best lock, clearly he is...but he just needs a reminder. Start O'Callaghan and O'Kelly against Georgia. A few of these guys have been minding themselves for a few months now.

Team for Georgia:

Dempsey
Trimble
O'Driscoll
Darcy
Hickie
O'Gara
Boss
Young
Flannery
Hayes
O'Callaghan
O'Kelly
Best
Wallace
Leamy

[Aristotle Flynn]

Why did they extend O'Sullivan's contract before the tounament started? Seems a very strage decision. The man now knows it doesn't matter how his team performs he has a job or at least a big pay off. What was their thinking?

[Teeling Gael]

I take your point Muppet but whatever else I'd question about POC , I wouldn't question his application.

On the team for Georgia, I'd play Murphy fullback ( Girv is going to play against France / Argentina and 1/4 !! so Murphy deserves a chance to put him under pressure ) , wings of Horgan ( needs the match) and Hickie ( another poor match and Trimble would be in ) , our 1st choice centres as both need games , ditto with O Gara and I'd play Reddan but EOS will play Stringer. Horan , Flannery and S Best would be my front row ( Hayes will have 3 big matches in a row hopefully !! ) , O Kelly and POC ( I think DOC looks slightly sharper and hence doesn't need the game as much as POC ) and a back row of Quinlan , Wallace and Ferris ( I think Quinlan is the only viable alternative to easterby as a lineout option, Wallace needs the game and conversely Leamy is a key player who looked sharp on Sunday and who again has hopefully 3 very physical matches in a row to come). As what has been alluded to here earlier , I think the first 15 is too set in stone and EOS should be telling Hickie , Murphy , Reddan ,Flannery and Quinlan that they are playing for a place against the French.  Is that team likely to happen ?? Knowing EOS form, its more likely he'll just slot Horgan in for Trimble.           

[screenexile]

Holy god talk about your massive over reactions! Save your judgements for the big games lads. As has been proven pver the years we can't cope with being favourites! We won the match with a bonus point. At the end of the day the France and Argentina games need to be treated as knockout games... we need to win both of them to have any chance. We all know that the team have much in reserve for these games so I don't think there's too much to criticise.

I have to laugh at people calling for O'Sullivan's  head at this stage. This past season Ireland have played their best rugby in both the Autumn Internationals and the 6Nations. I don't see how O'Sullivan can be blamed for lack of player concentration in both the French and Italian games. As he said himself in the documentary "When France got the last try to snatch the 6 nations... were we any better or worse a team than we had been 2 hours previous?"

We've lost a couple of crappy warm up games and had one bad performance in the World Cup. Everything about the world cup is geared towards peaking at the right time... I think we will still do it!