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Tony Keady ban in 1989

Ireland is a small island with only have 3 1/2 teams to pick from and a large part of the population don't play rugby so it's hard to get to the level of teams like the All Blacks but in the NH the emphasis seems to be on eating a few extra steaks so that players bulk up then both teams charge at each other, the strongest team then generally wins.  The SH teams are at least equally based on agility.  It's ok having the ability to drive a guy back if he runs straight at you but if you can't catch him you can't tackle him.  There is not enough players like Jason Robinson in the northern hemisphere that can cut a team open using there agility and pace.  I think the Foley tries against England showed the difference in the type of players the southern hemisphere have.

[The Southern Hemisphere teams]

The Southern Hemisphere teams seem so much fitter and more mobile.  Ireland played a kick chase game yesterday but didn't have the energy for the chase part.  They looked like they were dead on there feet.

are you now including Argentina ?

Yes I definitely underestimated them, though I did say about 2 weeks ago that the winner looked like it would come from the Southern Hemisphere based on the first few games

Hard to see past a Southern Hemisphere winner.

The Southern Hemisphere teams seem so much fitter and more mobile.  Ireland played a kick chase game yesterday but didn't have the energy for the chase part.  They looked like they were dead on there feet.

Unless Sexton is 100% i'd go with Madigan, then reassess after 50 minutes.  If Ireland look like winning give Sexton the extra week off to recover properly, if not bring him on, no point saving anyone for a semi final if they watching it on tv.

[Worst case scenario his World Cup is over]

Anyone seen the clip of O'Brien tagging the French guy in the gut? Bound to be cited for that, no?

Probably. It looked like an open hand, but this isn't the GAA disciplinary system we are talking about.

At least one match I d say. Worst case scenario his World Cup is over.

Really?
would it have been any more than a yellow card offense if the ref had seen it?

I wonder did below have anything to do with Pape getting a dig.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaO0v7435fs

http://talksport.com/rugby-union/video-ireland-flanker-sean-obrien-punches-frances-pascal-pape-rugby-world-cup-clash

call me an optimist but i think yesterdays result is excellent.
it gives us the kick up the arse we need heading into the most crucial game of our world cup. also, Italy was always a potential banana skin and the players would have known that. these games that we should win handy but might be up against it for 60 minutes etc, that affects the mentality of the players going into a game like that.
Henshaw showed flashes of what he can do and i think he needed that game under his belt before the france game. Henderson is a beast! Peter O'Mahony was also very good apart from, as someone else put it so well, that "brain fart"! 
we will be refocused and ready for the french now after 2 handy first games and the Italian job!
plus, its great that a few papers are writing us off now all of a sudden. stick that shit on the dressing room wall, always a great motivator!

Yeah you could be right.  A lot depends on them beating France.  If they lose against France they will get New Zealand in the quarter final.  Which would mean 3 big games in a row to win it.  If they win the group they will get Argentina.  Win that they will have a crowd of 80000 mostly supporting Ireland in the semi final, that must be worth a few points.  If it's p1ssing down the Up en Under/Box Kick tactic might not be as bad as it looked yesterday.

South Africa,  who were beaten by Japan look a good bit better than the rest?  Interesting.

France lost to Tonga four years ago and only missed out on winning the whole thing because of a dodgy referee.

The Boks are improving and very much still a threat in this tournament.

dferg (who insists there's only 3 southern hemisphere teams in the RWC) reckons the Springboks look a good bit better than the rest. I'm in no shape or form discounting them,  but getting beat by Japan and beating current wooden spoon holders Scotland doesn't really back up his claim at this juncture of the tournament

Everyone knows there is more than 3 Southern Hemisphere teams, you are just being pedantic!

I have no idea why they lost to Japan but as someone else says France also lost against Tonga in 2011.  They beat Scotland comfortably who beat Japan 45-10.  I think they will be hard to beat in the knock-out round.

Hard to see past a Southern Hemisphere winner.

Presumably you mean hard to see past NZ or Australia given that South Africa are no big shakes?   This Northern v Southern Hemisphere bollox is quite annoying.  You'd think to hear it there were so many powerhouses of rugby worldwide that it took a global 50/50 divide to tell them apart while in fact there's at max 6 nations capable of lifting the trophy at each RWC.

I am not discounting South Africa at all. The three southern Hemisphere teams look a good bit better than anything else at the minute. Have a look at the odds in the bookies and pick another team if you disagree, you will get good odds. If Ireland beat France they will probably make semis but they will need to improve a lot to win from there.

South Africa,  who were beaten by Japan look a good bit better than the rest?  Interesting

By the way,  there's more than 3 southern hemisphere nations

Only 3 in rugby terms.

Yes South Africa who lost to Japan.

Latest Odds

New Zealand  13/10
Australia 16/5
South Africa 8
Ireland 10
France 12
Wales 14

Hard to see past a Southern Hemisphere winner.

Presumably you mean hard to see past NZ or Australia given that South Africa are no big shakes?   This Northern v Southern Hemisphere bollox is quite annoying.  You'd think to hear it there were so many powerhouses of rugby worldwide that it took a global 50/50 divide to tell them apart while in fact there's at max 6 nations capable of lifting the trophy at each RWC.

I am not discounting South Africa at all. The three southern Hemisphere teams look a good bit better than anything else at the minute. Have a look at the odds in the bookies and pick another team if you disagree, you will get good odds. If Ireland beat France they will probably make semis but they will need to improve a lot to win from there.

Hard to see past a Southern Hemisphere winner.

Could be looking at the World cup winners to be tonight.

In fairness England have been pathetic. A wrecked Wales will likely give them a better challenge.

Wales might realise they going to lose anyhow and just give there subs a game. Save whatever fit players they have for the 1/4 final.

Great chance of the bonus point for the Aussies.

They don't need a bonus point. Just to win. Australia look in a different class in first half.

Mayo remind me a bit of the guys from the end of dumb and dumber where they say if we keep our eyes peeled we will catch our break eventually.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sLB-uMPj27s

Horan is a great manager and brought them from no where in 2010 to contenders every year but I think they missed there best chance in 2014. They had 2 chances and didn't figure out that Donaghy is a special case and they needed a big man to mark him e.g. Barry Moran.  If they stopped Donaghy by breaking any ball round him they would have won fairly comfortable and probably would have beat Donegal.  This year they had a harder draw but they found themselves 5 up with 15 to go and didn't know how to kill the game. Donegal in the same position the year before got everyone back and suckered punched Dublin every time they over committed going forward. Mayo need to take one of there chances soon or they could easily miss the boat with this team.