Rugby World Cup 2011

[trileacman]

Murphy ribs Castro' ahead of crunch clash


Geordan Murphy and Martin Castrogiovanni have been exchanging insults as the countdown to Ireland's crucial World Cup clash with Italy continues.

The Leicester team-mates own a restaurant together and with Sunday's showdown at Otago Stadium looming large, the two have been in close contact.

"If you look at the shape of both of us, I tend to drink a lot of water and he tends to eat a lot of the food," said Murphy.

[Dinny Breen]

Looking like we will have Murray and O'Gara as half-backs in the only changes from the Oz game, Murray will definitely match up on the physical stakes so can understand that but always get the impression Kidney just doesn't fancy Reddan anyhow with ROG in the pocket from a defensive point of view Murray makes sense.

I think the Irish game plan will be straight forward and that's to take Italy on up front for the first 60 mins with O'Gara pinning the Italians pack and as the game loosens we should see the introduction of Reddan and Sexton.

Italy are doing a great job themselves of pumping up the Irish forwards and I'd be very confident of a 12+ point win.

As an interesting aside it's been interesting to note that Kidney and the players have been talking about knock-out rugby and how the Irish sporting psyche is conditioned to it from an early age through schools rugby to the nature of the GAA championships. They sound completely focused and Murphy and Jennings have been rolled out to the media so the main boys can just look forward to their job on Sunday...

[Denn Forever]

Just a query.  2 coaches on the England team have been suspended for 1 match for substituting the ball between phases. 

Did something like this happen in the six nations where a ball was kicked to touch, a quick lineout was taken (with a different ball) and a try scored.  Did this happen and were there any sanctions?

[Dinny Breen]

Just a query.  2 coaches on the England team have been suspended for 1 match for substituting the ball between phases. 

Did something like this happen in the six nations where a ball was kicked to touch, a quick lineout was taken (with a different ball) and a try scored.  Did this happen and were there any sanctions?

It's not dissimilar but in the Ireland v Wales game Mike Philips took a quick throw in with a new ball, not allowed to be done and the ref and TJ should have spotted it and both were sanctioned. The player was chancing his arm, gamesmanship but not serious.

In a WC game there are 8 balls involved, 4 from each side but a penalty or conversion must be kicked using the ball that was in play at that time, the English coaches  switched balls so that their ball was been used, they did this twice and got caught the second time. Beyond gamesmanship seemingly.

[AZOffaly]

Just a query.  2 coaches on the England team have been suspended for 1 match for substituting the ball between phases. 

Did something like this happen in the six nations where a ball was kicked to touch, a quick lineout was taken (with a different ball) and a try scored.  Did this happen and were there any sanctions?

It's not dissimilar but in the Ireland v Wales game Mike Philips took a quick throw in with a new ball, not allowed to be done and the ref and TJ should have spotted it and both were sanctioned. The player was chancing his arm, gamesmanship but not serious.

In a WC game there are 8 balls involved, 4 from each side but a penalty or conversion must be kicked using the ball that was in play at that time, the English coaches  switched balls so that their ball was been used, they did this twice and got caught the second time. Beyond gamesmanship seemingly.

Like the Cork sliothars. But are the balls not the same anyway? When you say 4 from each side, do you literally mean that each team supplies 4 balls?

[Dinny Breen]

Yea each team provides 4 each. Will double check before some Internet warrior pulls me on it..

[AZOffaly]

Yea each team provides 4 each. Will double check before some Internet warrior pulls me on it..

That'd be mad if you were allowed provide 'different' balls. It seems very amateurish actually. Jaysus, we get new balls for county finals

[Dinny Breen]

Yea each team provides 4 each. Will double check before some Internet warrior pulls me on it..

That'd be mad if you were allowed provide 'different' balls. It seems very amateurish actually. Jaysus, we get new balls for county finals

I stand corrected somewhat

Teams have had 30 balls to practice with during the tournament and are given four of the eight match balls used for each game the day before they play.

[brokencrossbar1]

Yea each team provides 4 each. Will double check before some Internet warrior pulls me on it..

That'd be mad if you were allowed provide 'different' balls. It seems very amateurish actually. Jaysus, we get new balls for county finals

I stand corrected somewhat

Teams have had 30 balls to practice with during the tournament and are given four of the eight match balls used for each game the day before they play.

If you were playing against a team who liked to kick the ball would there be sanctions for letting a bit if air out of the ball so that she wouldn't fly as well. Just curious like.

[the Deel Rover]

O'Gara and Murray picked to play on sunday to the far more knowledgeable Ruby heads on this board did ye expect this selection because the 3 wise men in montrose last week were saying Sexton would definitely start .

[gawa316]

O'Gara and Murray picked to play on sunday to the far more knowledgeable Ruby heads on this board did ye expect this selection because the 3 wise men in montrose last week were saying Sexton would definitely start .

Dinny explains it pretty well back up the page.

[the Deel Rover]

O'Gara and Murray picked to play on sunday to the far more knowledgeable Ruby heads on this board did ye expect this selection because the 3 wise men in montrose last week were saying Sexton would definitely start .

Dinny explains it pretty well back up the page.

he does indeed gawa316

[ludermor]

Anyone watching the SA Samoa game? Samoa putting it right up to south africa and should have scored a couple of more tries. Thye just had a man sent off but then South Africa had John Smit sin binned, SA lead 13 5 with 10 mins to go

[AQMP]

Anyone watching the SA Samoa game? Samoa putting it right up to south africa and should have scored a couple of more tries. Thye just had a man sent off but then South Africa had John Smit sin binned, SA lead 13 5 with 10 mins to go

FT SA 13 - Samoa 5

Was 13-0 at HT

Had Samoa been in England's group they probably would have won it!

[Capt Pat]

Samoa were not quite up to it. Good game but they let the South Africans get too far ahead at the break.