Six Nations 2012

[orangeman]

How timely is this ?

The IRFU advertised for the newly established role of high performance scrum coach, just days after Ireland's scrummaging skills were exposed in a 30-9 Six Nations defeat by England.


The job, posted on the Leinster and Munster provincial websites, called on applicants with "a complete and thorough understanding of rugby union" to plan, research and constantly evaluate current scrummaging practice.


Ireland lost scrum after scrum on Saturday and watching television pundits in Dublin even expressed their concern for the safety of replacement tighthead prop Tom Court after the Ulsterman was put under relentless pressure.


The successful candidate will be chiefly responsible for implementing a new scrum programme at the country's academies that, despite producing the likes of flyhalf Jonathan Sexton and flanker Sean O'Brien, have had only one major frontrow graduate in the shape of looshead Cian Healy

[trileacman]

The other thing that Ireland should be campaigning for is a change to the replacements rules that allows teams to select a loosehead and tighthead in the subs. It's equivalent to being made to select either a flyhalf over a scrumhalf or a back row against a lock. The positions aren't as interchangeable as rugby's powers that be might think. For player welfare if nothing else.

[johnneycool]

what would have happened if either of the two front rows had got yellow carded?

Would the scrums from then on be uncontested or has that been done away with?

[Dinny Breen]

Yep uncontested.

Since beating South Africa in 2009, Ireland have 5 wins from 19 games against top 8 opposition (Wales, England 6N 2010, Argentina Nov 2010, England 6N 2011, Australia RWC 2011) - that's a pretty poor record for a team with higher pretensions and solid recent history. That's as bad a record as Scotland, against whom we're 2-2 in the same period.

[johnneycool]

Yep uncontested.

Since beating South Africa in 2009, Ireland have 5 wins from 19 games against top 8 opposition (Wales, England 6N 2010, Argentina Nov 2010, England 6N 2011, Australia RWC 2011) - that's a pretty poor record for a team with higher pretensions and solid recent history. That's as bad a record as Scotland, against whom we're 2-2 in the same period.

Then Tom Court should have went down holding his neck after the first scrum started going backwards at a rate of noughts. No one would have questioned whether it was genuine or not as it looked a bit perilous to be in that front row with that going on.

[Main Street]

what would have happened if either of the two front rows had got yellow carded?

Would the scrums from then on be uncontested or has that been done away with?

There was some chat about that possibility (uncontested scrums) with the RTE commentators when one of the front rows went down injured and was receiving attention. But there was an audible hint of an acceptable 'should go off injured regardless'.
I was indeed alarmed that such overt cheating was alluded to and not to mention the crazy context of all the world seeing we were being ruthlessly steamrolled in the scrums.

'Death before dishonour' and those rugby lad surely died

[Main Street]

Why had Gatland such a desperate record with Ireland? Obviously he's proven his coaching prowess since.
In his last 2 seasons with Ireland,  was it only England that were beaten in the 6N (Italy apart)?
The team (on paper) didn't look so bad then.

[johnneycool]

what would have happened if either of the two front rows had got yellow carded?

Would the scrums from then on be uncontested or has that been done away with?

There was some chat about that possibility (uncontested scrums) with the RTE commentators when one of the front rows went down injured and was receiving attention. But there was an audible hint of an acceptable 'should go off injured regardless'.
I was indeed alarmed that such overt cheating was alluded to and not to mention the crazy context of all the world seeing we were being ruthlessly steamrolled in the scrums.

'Death before dishonour' and those rugby lad surely died

All the same it would have been lovely to hear Brian Moore gurning if they'd pulled that stunt.

[Dinny Breen]

Why had Gatland such a desperate record with Ireland? Obviously he's proven his coaching prowess since.
In his last 2 seasons with Ireland,  was it only England that were beaten in the 6N (Italy apart)?
The team (on paper) didn't look so bad then.

It wasn't desperate at all, he had completely turned around an Irish culture of winning one 5 nations game a year and struggling to embrace professionalism to winning 4 out of 5 including wins over France and England in his last season 2001. Foot and mouth ruined our best chance of a grand slam in 50 years. His only blot was the 1999 World Cup and the Lens debacle and the infamous 14 man line-out (he's a very innovative coach). 

[Celt_Man]

the infamous 14 man line-out (he's a very innovative coach).

huh?? Please explain??

[screenexile]

It's nothing that we didn't know already lads I don't know why everyone was so surprised. Without Mike Ross in our scrum we're ket, we were ket before he came in and we're ket now he's injured. Healy is a complete liability in the scrum even when Ross is in there as he gives away serious penalties (no doubting his ability in the loose though). The whole of Ireland knows this and has known this. Mike Ross' influence has turned us into a capable scrummaging force but unfortunately this has not led to us strengthening our depth in this area which we should have done.

He's 31 at this stage so we may hope that we can unearth another Mike Ross in the next 2/3 years as well as a decent backup for Healy . . . or we could find ourselves in the Scotland/Italy bracket before too much time!!

[AZOffaly]

Was that against the US or someone Dinny? Ireland got a lineout near the try line, and they basically put everyone in the lineout, apart from the hooker who was throwing. They were trying to maul it over the line. I don't think it worked though, but it should have.

Edit: It was Argentina in that horror show in Lens.

[Dinny Breen]

Was that against the US or someone Dinny? Ireland got a lineout near the try line, and they basically put everyone in the lineout, apart from the hooker who was throwing. They were trying to maul it over the line. I don't think it worked though, but it should have.

Edit: It was Argentina in that horror show in Lens.

Go to 10 minutes in, in the youtube clip below, he had used it before successfully with Connacht but is now used as a stick to beat him with..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYSQG74Tue0

[Smokin Joe]

Could the ref not have awarded a penalty try at the end of that Pumas game?  They were conceding penalty after penalty at the end.

[Applesisapples]

On the scrum, I don't know an awful lot but Paddy Heaney quoted Jim Neilly in todays IN as saying Owens was letting England gain illegal advantage by moving their feet prior to engagement time after time, thus handing them an advantage. Owens from what I have seen of him in HC and RD competitions should be reffing GAA he' knows as much about it's rules as he does rugby.