The IRISH RUGBY thread

Started by Donnellys Hollow, October 27, 2009, 05:26:16 PM

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Hoof Hearted

22-15 to Aus. 15 mins to go.
Treble 6 Nations Fantasy Rugby champion 2008, 2011 & 2012

screenexile

Poor performance against an Aussie team there for the taking... knock ons, missed tackles, fumbles and missed touches all over the show!!

Also why are we not challenging their lineout?? Very frustrating!!!

Hoof Hearted

Quote from: screenexile on June 26, 2010, 12:36:21 PM
Poor performance against an Aussie team there for the taking... knock ons, missed tackles, fumbles and missed touches all over the show!!

Also why are we not challenging their lineout?? Very frustrating!!!

and thats just Brian O'Driscoll !
Treble 6 Nations Fantasy Rugby champion 2008, 2011 & 2012

Capt Pat

Were there any new caps, Ruddock and others? How did they get on?

Eastern_Pride

Even taking into account the disastrous misfortunes we have encountered, this tour was an unmitigated disaster.
O'Driscoll was mysteriously human today and the losses of major players really showed against a depleted New Zealand "team" and a poor Australia outfit.

The successes of 2009 are well and truly over.
Do you think Usain Bolt could replace Thomas Walsh?

tyroneboi

Quote from: Capt Pat on June 26, 2010, 01:38:50 PM
Were there any new caps, Ruddock and others? How did they get on?

Ruddock got capped today so thats him an Irishman for life now!!

Back to the drawing board big style now for Ireland. I actually don't really see where they do go now. Quarter finals is probably the best we can hope for at the world cup next year. Kearney is seriously out of form but will never be dropped even though Murphy was very good towards the end of the season for Leicester. Ditto for O'Leary have never been a fan and this tour didnt change my mind on that. Sexton did prove that he is an international class kicker and showed that his kicking form in the 6N was a blip and should be first choice number 10 for the forseeable future. The pack is an entirely different kettle of fish and I dont even know were you would start with it! When Mick O'Driscoll is your 3rd choice lock then you know you are in serious bother.

Capt Pat

#906
The world cup is in New Zealand, so advantage All Blacks and the other southern hemisphere teams. The All black under 20s just won the world cup by a country mile so they have a lot of talent coming through as well.

While it is unlikely that we win it I am sure this Ireland team has a big world cup in them, the only thing I am worried about is that Sexton doesn't get the wobbles with the kicking as he had for a lot of this season. O'Driscoll is looking forward to this and will play well at the next world cup as well as O'Connell and O'Callaghan who will all be at the end of the line. We have some potentially excellent young players, Heaslip, Ferris, Earls, Kearney, Sexton, Fitzgerald. There are a lot of playmakers there. I do worry a bit about the lack of power up front especially in the front row and after the world cup.

Celt_Man

Saw a quick 5 minute highlights of the match there yesterday... seemed to be doing rightly but let in 2 fecking brutally soft tries.  Can't afford to shot yourself in the foot (twice) when you're playing down under but I suppose it isn't all bad when you consider we have 3rd and 4th choice players playing in some positions.  Only time will tell how valuable the experience of this tour will be to some of the newer caps and on the flip side, how much this tour will have drained some of the more established players... long 12 month season ??? since the Lions' tour
GAA Board Six Nations Fantasy Champion 2010

trileacman

Team for SA
Saturday 6th Nov.

15. Rob Kearney
14. Tommy Bowe
13. Brian O'Driscoll
12. Gordon Darcy
11. Luke Fitzgerald
10. Jonathan Sexton
9. Eoin Reddan
8. Jamie Heaslip
7. David Wallace
6. Stephen Ferris
5. Mick O'Driscoll
4. Donncha O'Callaghan
3. Tony Buckley
2. Rory Best
1. Cian Healy

Weak looking front 5 but the SA are also suffering numerous injury woes. That front row is diabolical. Two men who can't scrummage and a hooker who can't throw. I can see our set pieces going to pot. They are 3 brilliant players in open play but that won't save us! Nice shape to the backs but I dont think Reddan, Kearny or D'arcy are up to it this weather.

The boks:

Gio Aplon; Bjorn Basson, Zane Kirchner, Jean de Villiers/Patrick Lambie, Bryan Habana; Morne Steyn, Ruan Pienaar; Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Deon Stegmann; Victor Matfield (capt), Bakkies Botha; Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira

Strong front row, bodes badly for us. Two great locks but a weakened back row from the SA. The backs are a mish-mash, De Villiers made it late but even so I think there won't be much cohesion from that unit. Logic would tell you that the SA will keep it tight and rely on the pack to take them through it. Kirchner is a FB so perhaps we could target him in the tackle and defensive line.

I expect a tight, poor match with alot of kicking from the boks on tour. Ireland might sneak it if they avoid pack confrontations and get some change form a untested SA backline.
Fantasy Rugby World Cup Champion 2011,
Fantasy 6 Nations Champion 2014

Capt Pat

#909
I really like the look of Ireland from 6-15. Heaslip, Wallace and Ferris are awesome players on their day and having a lot of the Leinster players plus the very impressive Tommy Bowe in the back line should make for good play in that sector.

On the down side the front five is questionable to say the least going up against the best forwards in the world from South Africa. We could be badly outgunned in the second row wit hMatfield and Bakkies Botha going up against Mick O'Driscoll and O'Callaghan. The front row might be ok if Buckley scrummages well.

The weather forecast on the BBC website for tomorrow is good, so I will go for an Irish win.

tyroneboi

Quote from: Capt Pat on November 05, 2010, 03:10:25 PM
I really like the look of Ireland from 6-15. Heaslip, Wallace and Ferris are awesome players on their day and having a lot of the Leinster players plus the very impressive Tommy Bowe in the back line should make for good play in that sector.

On the down side the front five is questionable to say the least going up against the best forwards in the world from South Africa. We could be badly outgunned in the second row wit hMatfield and Bakkies Botha going up against Mick O'Driscoll and O'Callaghan. The front row might be ok if Buckley scrummages well.

The weather forecast on the BBC website for tomorrow is good, so I will go for an Irish win.

Yeah agree with this - those positions more or less pick themselves these days with only maybe O'Leary or O'Gara having a chance of getting picked there before the World Cup. Though O'Leary will probably come into the team ahead of Reddan when he returns from injury. Irish backs are certainly better than SA but unfortunately its vice versa for the forwards. I am looking forward to the battle between Habana and Bowe and hopefully BOD is close to 100% because that SA midfield looks very weak. I would like to have seen Sean O'Brien in the 22 instead of Leamy. If we can get the scrum or lineout winning our own ball then I think we will win by about 7 or so otherwise it could be a huge anti climax for the opening rugby test at the Aviva. Im also glad its not a sell out as the IRFU has made an absolute balls of their ticketing and prices for these Autumn internationals. They are living on a different planet to the fans.

trileacman

Quote from: tyroneboi on November 05, 2010, 03:54:50 PM
Quote from: Capt Pat on November 05, 2010, 03:10:25 PM
I really like the look of Ireland from 6-15. Heaslip, Wallace and Ferris are awesome players on their day and having a lot of the Leinster players plus the very impressive Tommy Bowe in the back line should make for good play in that sector.

On the down side the front five is questionable to say the least going up against the best forwards in the world from South Africa. We could be badly outgunned in the second row wit hMatfield and Bakkies Botha going up against Mick O'Driscoll and O'Callaghan. The front row might be ok if Buckley scrummages well.

The weather forecast on the BBC website for tomorrow is good, so I will go for an Irish win.

Yeah agree with this - those positions more or less pick themselves these days with only maybe O'Leary or O'Gara having a chance of getting picked there before the World Cup. Though O'Leary will probably come into the team ahead of Reddan when he returns from injury. Irish backs are certainly better than SA but unfortunately its vice versa for the forwards. I am looking forward to the battle between Habana and Bowe and hopefully BOD is close to 100% because that SA midfield looks very weak. I would like to have seen Sean O'Brien in the 22 instead of Leamy. If we can get the scrum or lineout winning our own ball then I think we will win by about 7 or so otherwise it could be a huge anti climax for the opening rugby test at the Aviva. Im also glad its not a sell out as the IRFU has made an absolute balls of their ticketing and prices for these Autumn internationals. They are living on a different planet to the fans.
There is nothing outstanding about positions 6-15. Reddan and Sexton are inferior to the SA half-backs.

A big if there.
Fantasy Rugby World Cup Champion 2011,
Fantasy 6 Nations Champion 2014

muppet

Quote from: trileacman on November 05, 2010, 08:30:30 PM
There is nothing outstanding about positions 6-15. Reddan and Sexton are inferior to the SA half-backs.

Heaslip, BOD and Bowe on form are as good as anyone.

Ferris, Wallace, Kearney, Fitzgerald and D'Arcy have never let us down and are capable of delivering in any game.

Reddan should be fine and Sexton really adds to our back play regardless of who his opposite number is.
MWWSI 2017

trileacman

Quote from: muppet on November 05, 2010, 08:41:39 PM
Quote from: trileacman on November 05, 2010, 08:30:30 PM
There is nothing outstanding about positions 6-15. Reddan and Sexton are inferior to the SA half-backs.

Heaslip, BOD and Bowe on form are as good as anyone.

Ferris, Wallace, Kearney, Fitzgerald and D'Arcy have never let us down and are capable of delivering in any game.

Reddan should be fine and Sexton really adds to our back play regardless of who his opposite number is.
Scotland and England games last year? He adds to our back play but is to the detriment of controlling the game.
Fantasy Rugby World Cup Champion 2011,
Fantasy 6 Nations Champion 2014

muppet

Quote from: trileacman on November 05, 2010, 08:47:52 PM
Quote from: muppet on November 05, 2010, 08:41:39 PM
Quote from: trileacman on November 05, 2010, 08:30:30 PM
There is nothing outstanding about positions 6-15. Reddan and Sexton are inferior to the SA half-backs.

Heaslip, BOD and Bowe on form are as good as anyone.

Ferris, Wallace, Kearney, Fitzgerald and D'Arcy have never let us down and are capable of delivering in any game.

Reddan should be fine and Sexton really adds to our back play regardless of who his opposite number is.
Scotland and England games last year? He adds to our back play but is to the detriment of controlling the game.

England game the previous year?
MWWSI 2017