2008 Six Nations Thread

[Gnevin]

20 minutes of half decent play and a French team with it's foot off the gas and all is well . For f**k sake people need to look at this game as a whole. Ireland where shite and France fucked up their front row letting Ireland back into it

[Donagh]

Ireland were bad but how bad was the RTE commentary? Who was that, Nugent? Couldn't tell us the names of the men on the ball, didn't know what the referee was up to, didn't know the French replacements. Switched over to BBC only to be told that David Trimble had left the House of Lords to become Irish centre. Thank God for Jim Neely on Radio Uladh.

[the green man]

When do we hear the "Eddie must go" chat?

[The Real Laoislad]

20 minutes of half decent play and a French team with it's foot off the gas and all it well . For f**k sake people need to look at this game as a whole. Ireland where shite and France fucked up their front row letting Ireland back into it

For once i agree with my west brit* friend







* Because i was being nice and agreeing with you for a change i had to balance it out by insulting you otherwise the world would have stopped spinning..

[Gnevin]

I do think this is the worst possible result from tonight the heroic defeat that Irish sports fans seem to love so much . As this has given EOS a stay of a execution.The 40 point mauling we deserved would of been best of Irish rugby in the long term

[thejuice]

Anyone watching England-Italy. 23-19 with 5 minutes left. Brian Moore is going mental, he might have to be removed form the comentary box. England dont play 2nd halves anymore it seems.

[slow corner back]

Brian Moore has been in need of a frontal lobotomy for quite some time

[Dinny Breen]

When do we hear the "Eddie must go" chat?

Eddie must goi! Eddie must go! Being saying it the last two years and the result Saturday was a disaster in that regards.

As for the game itself, I think Gnevin hit the nail on the head, France were winning comfortable and Lievremont made a rash of changes including throwing on a just turned 19 year old scrum-half rookie and changed half his pack. For the last 20 minutes, France lacked physicality and control, it was men against boys and yet the men could still not manufacture a victory. Meanwhile France get the win and blood even more players..

Ratings

Front-row 7

Best scrummaging performance from an Irish front that I can remember for a long time. The line-out suffered and despite Jackman been excellent in the loose and tight he will carry the can even though I think Niall O'Donovan has to bear responsibility as both Italy and France seem to have cracked the Irish line-out.

2nd Row 8

That score was mainly down to DOC who was immense, he carried well and his work-rate was exceptional. O'Kelly however was a passenger and may have started his last 6 nations game.

Back-Row 8

Leamy and Heaslip and big games, to me Wallace although a good back-row player is not an International 7, his tackle count is too low and he doesn't get near the half-backs. To put it into perspective against Italy his opposite number Bergamasco made 18 tackles Wallace made 7, Saturday Dusautoir made 18 tackles I think Wallace made 6. We need a Gleeson or an O'Connor.

Half-Backs 6

Reddan's passing was poor but because he has a break he creates outside space. O'Gara poor distribution and defence but excercised good game control, that missed conversion was costly.

Centres 5

O'Driscoll seem to offer poor leadership and poor kicking, when was the last time he actually succeeded in making a breaking at 15stone he's too big. Trimble huffed and puffed and got nowhere. Good defensive partnership though.....

Back Three 5

Murphy like O'Kelly has probably started his last 6 nations game, offered nothing. Likewise Dempsey's limitations were there for all to see, anonymous. Kearney showed promise and looks like a decent prospect.


Overall we had the players to beat that French side, the game plan seem wrong, we kept trying to push things in the 1st half which led to turnovers and Frech tries. We were dominant up front and should have kept it tighter. Irelands back play (O'Sullivans responsibility) was horrendous, he got a reprieve Sunday. The Wales game in Croke Park will decide his future.......

[lynchbhoy]

completely agree Dinny.
I thought I was on my own in thinking that Jackman was decent enough (at least) and all I read is detrimental things in the paper about him.
DOC was outstanding and MOK was absent again, has not been the same player for a few years now (for Ireland at least, still ok for Leinster). MOD is limited but plays a harder nosed more continental style of rugby that is better for the pack.
Heaslip proved that eddie has been completely wrong to overlook him for way too long.
eddie must go!

[An Lark]

O'Gara had a good game and is invaluable to Ireland but did anybody else notice him pull out of that 50-50 challenge towards the end of the game. Can't remember exactly when it was and it wasn't shown in the highlights. It was at a crucial stage. There was a loose ball at one point and he was closer to it than the French player who won the ball but it looked like...how can I put this nicely...he was minding himself.

As I said overall, he'd a good game but what he did was uncharacteristic of him or rugby players in general. Usually them lads have no regard for personal safety

[Hound]

O'Gara had a good game and is invaluable to Ireland but did anybody else notice him pull out of that 50-50 challenge towards the end of the game. Can't remember exactly when it was and it wasn't shown in the highlights. It was at a crucial stage. There was a loose ball at one point and he was closer to it than the French player who won the ball but it looked like...how can I put this nicely...he was minding himself.

As I said overall, he'd a good game but what he did was uncharacteristic of him or rugby players in general. Usually them lads have no regard for personal safety

Dunno that he was favourite, but ROG certainly paused to think, while the Frenchman went in full blast.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Stats from the game.

http://www.rbs6nations.com/MatchFactsFRAIRE09.02.08.pdf

[maddog]

O'Gara had a good game and is invaluable to Ireland but did anybody else notice him pull out of that 50-50 challenge towards the end of the game. Can't remember exactly when it was and it wasn't shown in the highlights. It was at a crucial stage. There was a loose ball at one point and he was closer to it than the French player who won the ball but it looked like...how can I put this nicely...he was minding himself.

As I said overall, he'd a good game but what he did was uncharacteristic of him or rugby players in general. Usually them lads have no regard for personal safety

He pulled out big time. I doubt the character sometimes of those lads. Brian O Driscoll, best centre in the world, when was that again?

[Gnevin]

O'Gara had a good game and is invaluable to Ireland but did anybody else notice him pull out of that 50-50 challenge towards the end of the game. Can't remember exactly when it was and it wasn't shown in the highlights. It was at a crucial stage. There was a loose ball at one point and he was closer to it than the French player who won the ball but it looked like...how can I put this nicely...he was minding himself.

As I said overall, he'd a good game but what he did was uncharacteristic of him or rugby players in general. Usually them lads have no regard for personal safety

He pulled out big time. I doubt the character sometimes of those lads. Brian O Driscoll, best centre in the world, when was that again?

2/3 years ago few questioned it even outside of Ireland

[Stagmeister]

He pulled out big time. I doubt the character sometimes of those lads. Brian O Driscoll, best centre in the world, when was that again?

On what basis would you question their character?? Just because Brian O'Driscoll isnt playing well this year does not mean he has no character, he has been one of the top 2 or 3 centres in the world for the last 6 or 7 years (I think he has been the best but thats a matter of opinion). He's just about the most talented sportsman this country has ever produced and your questioning his character?? He didn't achieve this through being lazy, you won't find a centre in world rugby who works harder than Brian O'Driscoll, his workrate is unreal.

And then you have Ronan O'Gara, the sh*t he has had to put up with over the last year has been unbelievable!!! But he still never shirks his responsibility and goes out and gives it everything every time he plays. Highest points scorer in Heineken cup history, second highest points scorer in 5/6 nations history!! I'll tell you one thing, you'll miss these lads when they're gone!!!