2008 Six Nations Thread

[The Real Laoislad]

it was a sell out but i guess some people just didnt turn up for whatever reason.

They were probably all for a certain county thats on the east coast in between Meath and Wicklow and with Kildare to its side

We would be affluent enough to piss away €70 for a ticket alrite!

But obviously not affluent enough to get a good education and learn how to spell  !!! 

In my private education we were taught to stay in touch with the common folk as you will never know when you need a light bulb changed and that is why I chose to click ignore when spell check highlighted it!   

Or maybe your actually from Darndale and you pretending to be from somewhere like Blackrock but every now and then your "real" Dub accent/slang words come out...
Either way its good to have you back Tankie where have you been?
I'd take a guess in saying Mountjoy   

[passedit]

In answer to my own question

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations-2008/other-news/no-extra-croker-tickets--for-wales-match-1298051.html

No extra Croker tickets for Wales match

By Hugh Farrelly
Tuesday February 26 2008

THE IRFU has no plans to increase Croke Park's capacity to accommodate the demand for tickets for Ireland's Six Nations showdown with Wales on Saturday week.

The bucket seats at the Hill 16 end, installed for the soccer international friendly between Ireland and Brazil on February 6, cut capacity from 82,300 to 76,000 but there are no moves to remove them despite the massive interest in the March 8 clash between two sides still in the hunt for Triple Crown and Championship honours.

"We have sold tickets for those seats on a package basis and it is therefore not possible to remove them at this stage," said IRFU spokesman Karl Richardson yesterday.

Fortunate

"We are fortunate to have access to Croke Park and are very aware of working with the GAA and FAI."

The Ireland squad had a day of rehabilitation and pool recovery sessions yesterday and there are no injury worries among the 22 involved in their 34-13 victory over Scotland on Saturday.

Winger Shane Horgan and second-row Paul O'Connell, who cam on in the second half, are expected to line out for Leinster and Munster respectively in the Magners League this weekend while hooker Jerry Flannery continues to recover from his hamstring injury.

- Hugh Farrelly

[Hoof Hearted]

Secondrow Paul O'Connell and hooker Rory Best have both been promoted to the starting XV for the RBS Six Nations championship game against Wales from the replacements bench that they occupied in Ireland's last game against Scotland.
Both O'Connell and Best came on against Scotland in Croke Park and the players that they replaced, Mick O'Driscoll and Bernard Jackman have moved to the replacements for the game.

A vacancy has been left at full back as Geordan Murphy and Girvan Dempsey are recovering from achilles and hip injuries respectively at this time.  A decision on who will be selected at full back will befollowing training on Thursday.

IRELAND TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v Wales, 2008 RBS 6 Nations, Croke Park, Saturday, March 8th, kick-off 1:15 p.m. local time):

15 - A. N. Other

14 - Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 11

13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) 82 (capt)

12 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 22

11 - Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 4

10 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster) 80

9 - Eoin Reddan (London Wasps) 8   

1 - Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster) 54 

2 - Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 20

3 - John Hayes (Bruff/Munster) 82 

4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 43

5 -  Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster) 50

6 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster) 30 

7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster) 44

8 - Jamie Heaslip (Clontarf/Leinster) 6

Replacements
16 - Bernard Jackman (Clontarf/Leinster) 7

17 - Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster) 5

18 - Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster) 14

19 - Simon Easterby (Llanelli Scarlets) 64

20 - Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster) 81

21 - Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster) 7

22 - Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster) 59


Not Considered
Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster) {hamstring}
Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster) {arm}

[Uladh]

If everyone's fit i think dempsey has to get the nod at full back. this will be a game where missed tackles can't be tolerated as wales will punish every mistake. hooker remains a problem position in the absence of flannery. i'd also have started shaggy instead of bowe for the simple reason that williams never seems to be able to deal with him.

[gawa316]

Worse case scenario if both full backs aren't fit what will happen?

Will kearney move to full back and bring Horgan onto the wing? If so who'll come onto the bench?

Or will wallace go to full back?

My option would be the first.

As for hooker Best has to start. You need to win your set plays what ever standard of rugby your playing and Best has had much better accurrancy rate than Jackman

[Against the Breeze]

Massive game for both teams and I think that O'Sullavin has probably got the best team out.  Uladh hit the nail on the head as regarding full back.  Dempsey will make the tackles and make the yards, where although he was impressive against Scotland, at the minute Murphy doesnt fill me with confidence!

Ireland by 6

[ziggysego]

Looking for two tickets for the game this weekend. My future brother-in-law is coming over from Wales for the game, along with his friend. I said I'd see if I can get him tickets.

[Main Street]

I see Gatland has had a few digs at the Irish team. Nothing we don't know - 'Ireland have difficulty to cope with expectations' and 'O'Driscoll not playing well and has lost a bit of pace'.

Eddie was asked about how he got on with Gatland

"Fine," he began, before adding briefly: "I haven't seen Warren in six-and-a-half years."

As mind games go, that's a TKO 

[ziggysego]

Looking for two tickets for the game this weekend. My future brother-in-law is coming over from Wales for the game, along with his friend. I said I'd see if I can get him tickets.

Puckoon! This hoor is trying to shop you.

I'm reporting you! 

Actually, the git keeps laughing. Tells me he's looking forward to take the Triple-Crown off Ireland in the home of the GAA..... he knows I don't like foreign games being played in Croke Park! 

[Hoof Hearted]

whats your opinions on this game
if ireland dont require an emergebcy full back, then i think we can win this game ok
wales are no big shakes - they have played nobody yet to honest
england should have beaten them and scotland/italy are poor teams - even though we struggled against the italians
i will take ireland by 8

[AZOffaly]

I thought Wales were poor for long stretches against England and Scotland. The thing about them is you have to control the game. If it gets loose and flowing, then they do have the strike runners to do damage, especially if Ireland miss their first up tackles. Byrne, Williams (S), Jones (M) and even old Alfie himself can do damage if they have fast moving ball.

So, I would try and get O'Gara to kick us into position, challenge the Welsh lineout, slow down ruck ball, counter ruck, and when we are inside their 22, go for the throat.

[stevetharlear]

Worse case scenario if both full backs aren't fit what will happen?

Will kearney move to full back and bring Horgan onto the wing? If so who'll come onto the bench?

Or will wallace go to full back?

My option would be the first.

As for hooker Best has to start. You need to win your set plays what ever standard of rugby your playing and Best has had much better accurrancy rate than Jackman

From EOS...

Kearney to full back, Horgan onto wing, Fitzgerald onto bench.

He's given til today for either FB to prove their fitness.

[Hoof Hearted]

I thought Wales were poor for long stretches against England and Scotland. The thing about them is you have to control the game. If it gets loose and flowing, then they do have the strike runners to do damage, especially if Ireland miss their first up tackles. Byrne, Williams (S), Jones (M) and even old Alfie himself can do damage if they have fast moving ball.

So, I would try and get O'Gara to kick us into position, challenge the Welsh lineout, slow down ruck ball, counter ruck, and when we are inside their 22, go for the throat.

I think Alfie is retired but shanklin is there and henson is dangerous too, hook an option from the bench
but i agree, if ogara gets it right and ireland control the game we should be ok
still need murphy or dempsay though, maybe kearney would be ok. would he AZ ?

[AZOffaly]

Tom Shankley I meant alright. Gareth Thomas is playing well for Cardiff at the moment, but Shankley is who I was thinking of.

Kearney would prefer to play full back I'd say. He's good under a dropping ball, and should give us a good threat on the run back. However, when Ireland have the ball, I'm not sure if he will be timing his runs into the line the same way Dempsey or especially Murphy do.

[Main Street]

Rumors are gathering wind that Kearney will be playing full back.