Rugby world cup

[Dinny Breen]

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.

This isn't reaction to just 1 match, it's the two games in Argentina, the games against Scotland, Bayonne and Italy and now that abysmal performance against the worst ranked team in the World Cup. It's impossible to look at that result in isolation and ignore the performance.

We all know that the team have much in reserve for these games so I don't think there's too much to criticise.

Where is the evidence of this, as far as I can see we peaked for the 6 nations and are now on a downward spiral as regards performaces..

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?"

I have been calling for his head for the last 2 years, you don't win titles for glorified friendlies and he has failed to deliver a championship with this so called golden generation. The coach is responsible for performance and results end of, Eddie O'Sullivan is a fraud......

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!

I hope you are right but like Sgt O'Neill in Platoon 'I got a bad feelin about this one'

[bcarrier]

Id go Horgan for Hickie but leave rest as it is. We dont have many options in front five. Our scrum has been better with Best than Flannery but dont know where maul has gone wrong.  Maybe Flannery offers more here and in the loose . Best would want to sort the darts out too.

I'd have (a keeping the head) Quinlan as better backrow option than the other Best. He strikes me as a bit of a fancy Dan with his main claim to glory clearing out that ruck against England at Croker. It was his poor positioning that let France in in earlier match .

Leave Stringer alone ! Boss isnt even the best scrum half on Ulster squad FFS. Reddan was the only real alternative here but EOS didnt give him a real chance.

[Hardy]

Assuming Ireland, France and Argentina all gain maximum points against Namibia and Georgia, here are the possible results against France and Argentina that allow Ireland to qualify from the group:

Beat France and we qualify.
Draw with France and we qualify unless we lose to Argentina by 8 or more. (Even then, if Argentina get a bonus point against us, it goes to points difference).
Lose to France, however badly, and we qualify if we beat Argentina by 8 or more.

For Ireland to win the group:

Beat France and Argentina.
Beat France with a bonus point and draw with Argentina.
Draw with France and beat Argentina.
Lose to France, get a  bonus point, deprive them of a bonus point, then beat Argentina with a bonus point.

[Dinny Breen]

I'd have (a keeping the head) Quinlan as better backrow option than the other Best. He strikes me as a bit of a fancy Dan with his main claim to glory clearing out that ruck against England at Croker. It was his poor positioning that let France in in earlier match .

You're having a laugh, Quinlan shouldn't be in the squad never mind the team, he offers nothing in the loose excpept indiscipline. Best is a far more aggressve and destructive player and a much better defender than Quinlan.

Leave Stringer alone ! Boss isnt even the best scrum half on Ulster squad FFS. Reddan was the only real alternative here but EOS didnt give him a real chance.

Stringer should be dropped, tell me when his last good performance for Ireland was, as for Reddan he wasn't in even first choice for Wasps and didn't impress that much in their HEC campaign to show that he is capable of stepping up to internatnational class..

Sure why don't we just play 15 munster players altogether 

[MauriceMalpas]

Anyone want 2 tickets fir the Georgia game FOC? Shame to go to waste. Based in London.
Wont be a hassle getting them in Bordeaux but it's be nice if they were used.

[Teeling Gael]

Hardy -- Dont totally agree with your scenario of how we qualify !! If we draw with France , then we need to lose to Argentina by less than 7 and score 4 tries to be ahead of France. If we lose by 7 and not score 4 tries or vice versa then we are level and realistically Sunday put pay to our points difference ( particuliarily with France playing Georgia in their last match).

Dinny -- Agree with you on Quinlan. The only aspect that he is superior to N Best in is his lineout which EOS is fixated about. Again agree on Stringer but think you are slightly harsh on Reddan. Last season he played all the big matches for Wasps and had a couple of big man of the match performances.

Bcarrier --Despite whatever anyone thinks of Isaac Boss he is way superior to Kieron Campbell

[bcarrier]

Sure why don't we just play 15 munster players altogether 

Did I mention Carney needs some game time  .

Quinlan isnt quite the penalty fest he once was....and a bit more fire might be just what we need.

I really really cant be having Boss. His pass is brutal.

[Declan]

Ireland Team to Play Georgia





Ireland Coach Eddie O'Sullivan has made just one change to the team that defeated Namibia for Ireland's second game of the Rugby World Cup against Georgia on Saturday. Shane Horgan returns to the Ireland starting XV having fully recovered from a knee ligament strain which occurred while warming up for the pre Rugby World Cup game against Scotland in August.



Horgan, who replaces Andrew Trimble, is the only change to the starting XV from the game against Namibia on Sunday last. Brian O'Driscoll, Marcus Horan and Ronan O'Gara have all been passed fit to play following minor injuries picked up in the opening game of the tournament. Ireland Coach Eddie O'Sullivan said: "Shane has recovered fully and in line with the original prognosis. His return is a boost to the squad and to the team"





15 – Girvan Dempsey      (Terenure College/Leinster)
14 – Shane Horgan         (Boyne/Leinster) 
13 – Brian O'Driscoll       (UCD/Leinster) captain
12 – Gordon D'Arcy         (Lansdowne/Leinster) 
11 – Denis Hickie            (St. Mary's College/Leinster)


10 – Ronan O'Gara         (Cork Constitution/Munster)

9 – Peter Stringer           (Shannon/Munster) 
1 – Marcus Horan           (Shannon/Munster) 
2 – Rory Best                 (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
3 – John Hayes               (Shannon/Munster)
4 – Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 
5 – Paul O'Connell          (Young Munster/Munster)
6 – Simon Easterby        (Llanelli)
7 – David Wallace           (Garryowen/Munster)
8 – Denis Leamy             (Cork Constitution/Munster) 



Replacements:

16 – Jerry Flannery         (Shannon/Munster)
17 – Simon Best             (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
18 – Malcolm O'Kelly       (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
19 – Neil Best                 (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
20 – Isaac Boss              (Ballymena/Ulster)
21 – Paddy Wallace        (Ballymena/Ulster) 
22 – Geordan Murphy     (Leicester)



Unreal

[bcarrier]

With Trimble injured probably best option. ( Wouldnt be my bench though - but shows how limited our options are) . EOS stays true to form.

[AZOffaly]

I think I would prefer Flannery to Best at hooker. The scrum is not as important nowadays, whereas a mauling, rucking and ball carrying pack is, and that suits Flannery down to the ground. I think at lineouts, Flannery is more accurate, but that's getting better from Best, whereas Flannery might suffer there for a while due to lack of game time.

[screenexile]

Would have liked to see Carney get a run out. Surely we could have gotten away with only one of Murphy and Wallace on the subs, I would've liked to have seen Carney get a run out in this kind of game as I think it's one where his physicality would have caused problems. Oh well I guess we won't have the chance to see him at all this World Cup. Disappointing.

[AZOffaly]

On a positive note, it's great to see Dougie Howlett score a hat trick against the Italians. Where will Munster play him, on the wing or at Full back?

[Longfordian]

If I was Gerry Flannery I'd be fuming now ......  he offered so much more than Best did and deserved his starting place .......

Not a fan of Best ..... he either cant hear the lineout calls ...ie a couple of six nations matches .....or he throws the ball in arseways ....giving possession away .......


Geordan Murphy should have been a chance on the wing in place of Hickey .....  at least give him a chance to put Hickey or Dempsey under pressure for the France and Argentina match.......

Horgan coming on for Trimble is a given ......

[Hardy]

Hardy -- Dont totally agree with your scenario of how we qualify !! If we draw with France , then we need to lose to Argentina by less than 7 and score 4 tries to be ahead of France. If we lose by 7 and not score 4 tries or vice versa then we are level and realistically Sunday put pay to our points difference ( particuliarily with France playing Georgia in their last match).

You're right, except the bonus point cut-off for a loss is 7 or less (i.e. less than 8, rather than less than 7). If Ireland draw with France and lose to Argentina by less than 8 it goes to points difference between Ireland and France for second place.

[Teeling Gael]

Hardy -- Dont totally agree with your scenario of how we qualify !! If we draw with France , then we need to lose to Argentina by less than 7 and score 4 tries to be ahead of France. If we lose by 7 and not score 4 tries or vice versa then we are level and realistically Sunday put pay to our points difference ( particuliarily with France playing Georgia in their last match).

You’re right, except the bonus point cut-off for a loss is 7 or less (i.e. less than 8, rather than less than 7). If Ireland draw with France and lose to Argentina by less than 8 it goes to points difference between Ireland and France for second place.

which realistically wont be us after Sunday.

Disappointed with that team though quite predictable. At the squad announcement , EOS had said he would make a better use of his squad but obviously with it been so apparent that the teams preparation is undercooked he had to try and get his first 15 sharp. Cant help morale in the camp with 8 guys now knowing they wouldn't see any action bar injury.