Six Nations 2012

[Dinny Breen]

Sexton ok to start. Unfortunately for him.

[lynchbhoy]

Oh I agree we should be playing a system that suits the players but not sure we are going to see Kidney doing that at this stage.  If we were to be playing a running game then I would be having reddan at 9, Sexton at 10, Wallace 12 and Earls at 13.  There is no future with O Gara but he is better suited to the way we are playing at the minute with Murray inside him.

Madigan reminds me of David Humphreys in his early days, he too wasnt the best of kickers then too but developed it to international standard.  Will be some battle between Sexton and Madigan in a year or 2.  Or could we see one of them moving to Munster as O Gara's long term replacement ( dont rate Keatley)

Humphreys was a big game  bottler for Ireland - could never reproduce his ulster form for his country.

I think sexton will. If midfield was improved France could be beaten today - I think set pieces ireland can do them!

[Bord na Mona man]

I think Ireland might do better than expected against France.
For the last while Ireland's poorer performances have been against sides they haven't shown enough respect to.
Games where they've thrown the ball wide early, expecting to run it through the opposition and where we're kicked Garryowens, chips and grubbers, expecting mistakes and lucky bounces.
Playing for the cheap and easy tries, instead of putting in the groundwork.

The big wins against England and Australia last year where games when Ireland didn't waste the ball cheaply. Where they actually played it tighter and tried to win the battle in the forwards first. Just as some of the GS '09 games were won with pure grunt work.

Against France, Ireland can't risk all these 50-50 garryowens and kick and chases...or whatever the technical terms are.
Even if Ireland win most of them, the French are lethal at creating tries off the cuff from the chaos and broken play that these lead to.

Ireland should be prepared to ruck and recycle the ball to death, as if it was Munster closing out a Heineken Cup final, just to keep the French hands off it. Hope the French start to lose their composure and openings appear.

In nearly game in Paris that I can remember, Ireland have started by kicking everything they lay their hands on to the French. The French are usually out of sight by half time having run it back and through Ireland.

The home fans need to be silenced as well because the French team and crowd seem to feed off each other. Especially when they start running and making breaks. When the crowd get festive, it seems to inspire the French players start doing outrageous stuff.

The press line is that those victories you speak of were won by sheer physicality by the Irish team, a ploy which is infeasible in the long run. The performance against Australia was followed and preceded by poor performances. It is possible that the Aussies underestimated us and we in turn played out of our skins when presented with an opportunity to prove doubters wrong.

O'Driscoll, Cullen, O'Connell, Ferris, Heaslip, Wallace and Kearney are as physical as any player the world over in their respective positions. Too many of our "good" performances rely upon us stunning the opposition with the physicality at the ruck, lineout and tackle and winning by a greater number of penalties taken.

I believe this to a certain extent. Many of our top performances are hallmarked by a gritty determination and a controlled aggression much of it in the Munster style.

Very rarely can we say we beat a top 6 world side by having a vastly superior back-play or line-out or scrum or a clinical defence (as opposed to an aggressive one). A superior kicking game, aerial ability and physicality are our trump cards and we return to those principles time and time again to dig ourselves out of a hole (under the current management).

There are commentators who can articulate this point alot better than me and there is some value in the school of thought that says our current approach (tactical and selection wise) does not lend itself to consistent performances of a high calibre.

Ah yeah, unleashing underdog fury in every game it is unsustainable.
But thinking back to how the Grand Slam in '09 was won. It was more with a 10-man, forward oriented style. 8 of the 10 players numbered 1-10 were Munster players also. 
Sweeping back line moves weren't a feature. A lot of the vital tries owed to brute force from the pack (and O'Driscoll).
The team was low in confidence at the time, so it was the right way to play it.

Maybe the current players aren't capable of playing a more open game at international level, or maybe the coaching expertise isn't there.
When Eddie O'Sullivan was in charge the back line moved a lot better, especially between '04 and early '07. But perhaps that was that down to players like O'Driscoll and D'arcy being at their peak?

[Dinny Breen]

But thinking back to how the Grand Slam in '09 was won. It was more with a 10-man, forward oriented style.

It was also the year of the ELV's. Where it was better not to have the ball. Someone needs to tell Kidney the ELV's have been discontinued.

[Bord na Mona man]

But thinking back to how the Grand Slam in '09 was won. It was more with a 10-man, forward oriented style.

It was also the year of the ELV's. Where it was better not to have the ball. Someone needs to tell Kidney the ELV's have been discontinued.

True, but at least back then there was good reason to kick away the ball.
Now I'm not sure whether its kicked away as a pre determined plan, or simply because the player in possession has run out of options.

But, in between the foot tennis bouts of '09 Ireland still managed to use the pack as a weapon. These days they just need to be more patient and appreciative of possession...especially against the French.

[whitegoodman]

Great win for the under 20's in Grenoble.

You never know.........

[thejuice]

Well match postponed,

thats our best result in Paris for a long time. 

[ONeill]

And the band played on...

[seafoid]

It must be sickening for the fans that made it to Paris.

[ballinaman]

Well match postponed,

thats our best result in Paris for a long time. 

[tyroneboi]

It must be sickening for the fans that made it to Paris.

And then ur woman there says keep your tickets and u will get entry into the refixture - i cant imagine too many irish fans beign able to afford 2 trips to paris in the space of 3 weeks!

[Bord na Mona man]

Surprising that the Stade De France still has no undersoil heating. In 1998 when it had just opened, Ireland played France there and the game was in doubt because the pitch had been frozen during the week. Two years ago sub zero temperatures also put the fixture at risk.

The French might eventually get the hint.

[Capt Pat]

Will the fans be compensated for the wasted trip? When 400 fans lost their seats at the superbowl they got compensation packages. They shiuld be cimpensated imho.

[Hoof Hearted]

Keith wood said that Munsters scheduled Rabo league match last night with Treviso in Italy was postponed LAST WEEK because they knew the pitch was going to be unplayable

How the f**k was a high profile match like this allowed to be on up until 2 mins before KO. Paris has been sub zero the whole of February, it wasnt likely to change on the stroke of 8PM tonight.

Feel sorry for the Fans who travelled up, and for 50% of the French fans who apparently travel from miles way

[Dinny Breen]

How the f**k was a high profile match like this allowed to be on up until 2 mins before KO. Paris has been sub zero the whole of February, it wasnt likely to change on the stroke of 8PM tonight.

TV I'd say...