2009 Grand Slam Champions

[The GAA]

pround display today. great to see a bit of fire back. tomas o'leary covers some ground.
BOD and Heaslip were immense, but most of them were top drawer.

only downer for me was o'gara, who to me is a major weak link. team after team target the 10 channel and just run over the top of him. is it acceptable in the proofessional era that the man is still not capable of making a straight on one on one tackle? i also thought he was brutal kicking in open play. couldn't believe the lauding hook proceeded to give him.

[thewobbler]

Excellent display today. The team looked balanced for the first time in a number of years, with no square pegs in round holes.

The GAA - I've never understood the hype about O'Gara. I don't think he particularly excels at any aspect of a no.10's game, and in some areas like tackling and line-breaking, he is downright dismal. And unless his pack gives him an armchair ride, he can't dominate a game.

[Capt Pat]

Excellent display today. The team looked balanced for the first time in a number of years, with no square pegs in round holes.

The GAA - I've never understood the hype about O'Gara. I don't think he particularly excels at any aspect of a no.10's game, and in some areas like tackling and line-breaking, he is downright dismal. And unless his pack gives him an armchair ride, he can't dominate a game.

Well some fly halves can't dominate a game when a pack give them an arm chair ride. It is the packs that win games the backs decide by how much.

[5 Sams]

Lads I know as much about rugby as I do about Irish League Sawcer.....but...some of the stuff that the French were at in the 1st half was quite spectacular......that was some performance from our boys to bet them.

[David McKeown]

Just back from the game there and have to say there were a lot of positives which have already been discussed but also a few negatives.  Thought Kearneys kicking was very poor but this may have been down to the weather as the French rarely kicked in order to draw a comparison.  Like a few other posters I thought we were very weak down the middle.  I also thought Paddy Wallace struggled one on one for large parts of the games.  I also think we maybe should have scored a little more, to me the French struggled a lot defensively but in the last 15 mins we kinda set back in order to protect the lead

[Main Street]

It looks like the rugby crowd have settled into Croker a lot easier than the soccer crowd.

Though I don't know much about rugby, I still have  (worthless) opinions.
France should have walked Ireland, superb imaginative fast paced passing movements with well positioned graceful passing lines  along with very tough aggressive tackling.
1/2 way through the first half, after France scored their try, the game changed, eg Ireland forgo the penalty option and took them on in the physicals, continued with that pattern and gave them better than they got. When the occasion was right, trumped the French with our own passing movement.
Maybe the kicking away of possession was part of the plan, close them down in their own half (cut them off at the pass). Players seemed to kick even when there were other options.
The last 5 minutes was rubbing the absolute superiority of the victory into the French.

Ireland were the stronger in stamina, had such self belief in their ability to win and were prepared to battle to the end to prove it.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Excellent display today. The team looked balanced for the first time in a number of years, with no square pegs in round holes.

The GAA - I've never understood the hype about O'Gara. I don't think he particularly excels at any aspect of a no.10's game, and in some areas like tackling and line-breaking, he is downright dismal. And unless his pack gives him an armchair ride, he can't dominate a game.

As with a brave few here, I'm just an armchair rugby fan but surely O'Gara's kicking is world class (albeit that he missed a couple today).

What did the Rugby men on the board think of the referee? Was Hook correct to say he was very biased towards Ireland?

[Hound]

What a game!

When we kicked possession away, France caused us all sorts of problems, but when we ran with it we were superb. Took us a fair long time to figure it out, but when we did we were superb. (Hope Cheika too note)

Strong performances throughout the team, but Heaslip and O'Driscoll were supreme.

Kearney's leg/ankle didnt look too clever, so I doubt he'll be ready for Italy. Paddy Wallace's face/head looked really sore (not sure what happened) and Darce did well so that'll be a decision for Kidney.

[Main Street]

I can't figure out the complaints about kicking possession away.

Kidney had his game plan worked out to the nth degree of perfection by the players on the pitch.

[Dinny Breen]

My own analysis before I read the morning papers....

Tight 5

Excellent work-rate from these guys, Horan had his best game in a while and did the grunt work and stayed off the wing. The line-out was excellent and the scrum very solid, a lot of credit to Gert Small the forwards coach. O'Connell looks like he's back to his best of 2/3 years, showed great leadership and it's obvious that the captaincy decision was something that Kidney, himself and BOD talked about with POC definitely taking more responsibility on the paddock. Also the dynamic maul showed that with a little bit of clever coaching the maul is far from dead. Only negative would be the fringe attack which was quite static, work needed there.

Back-row

Know Jamie Heaslip's family very well so a bit biased here but that was simply the best number 8 performance from an Irish player that I can remember, the Lions 8 beckons, repaid Kidney's faith in buckets. Ferris complimented him well and Wallace put in a huge effort at the break-down something that I have found him wanting in the past. A bit slow getting away from the scrum and our link play would be a worry.

Half-backs

Solid if unspectacular, O'leary's box kicks were too deep and O'Gara's kicking was poor but passing from hand from both was crisp and gave good service to our outside backs. Again O'Gara's defence is very suspect really needs a challenger to his position.

Midfield

Wallace was solid, defence was good but with France dominating possession couldn't demonstrate his skills. Worth keeping for the Italy game. O'Driscoll, had to laugh at people writing this guy off, simply Ireland's best player ever and yesterday he showed why.

Back 3

Kearney looked to the manor born and as ex-Louth minor he fielded balls Paddy Keenan would have been proud off. His kicking was poor but he's left ankle was injured during the week and as a left footer this was always going to be an issue. Bowe had a solid game, one great line break for Heaslip's try and a try saving tackle on Chabal. Fitzgearld did well but is not a winger, 13 is his position going forward.


Over-all a great win and Kidney will be happy as he'll have a lot to work on this week, onwards on upwards.

Credit to France but one can't help but think if the French applied a little bit more structure in our half they could have won this game. And that 1st French try was pure magic, won't see a better try all year.

Finally while it was easy to come across tickets for this game, a win next week will see demand go through the roof for the England game, let's hope we don't mess up next week.

[FermPundit]

I can't figure out the complaints about kicking possession away.

Kidney had his game plan worked out to the nth degree of perfection by the players on the pitch.

I'm not so sure about that. If anything, I think Kidney changed tactics when he realised that kicking the ball straight to a dangerous French backline wasn't working. Ireland looked a more effective unit when they simply ran at the French. I think the game yesterday showed how much rugby has changed in Ireland. Gone are the days when to defeat the French, Ireland had to keep things tight and look for territory by kicking to the corners. To see Ireland beat France playing such expansive rugby was great to see.

[Main Street]

it did not look to me that the kicking game changed. It was used throughout with varying frequencies. If Kidney was displeased with the effect he would have instructed otherwise. Players were ready to give chase.
Looked to me that the O'Gara option, kicking to the line, was purposely ignored.
Ireland were effective when running at the French when safely in the French half.

[AZOffaly]

Dinny, I presume the best player ever in the midfield is directed at O'Driscoll rather than Wallace

Anyhow, I agree with most of what you've said, although I think this current vogue for picking on O'Gara is being overdone a little on here. It's probably the product of the direct opposite from Hook and co, but I don't think O'Gara is a bad an outhalf as some lads on here seem to think. He was never the world's greatest tackler, but he doesn't shirk them. You can't coach size after all.

The worry for me about ROG is the new ELVs. For Munster, and Ireland, the tactical kicking out of hand has changed, and it will take him a while to bed down. I still like his passing, and I like his low, line drive kicks which he still executes well. He's having an average time of it kicking for goal, but that will come again. He's far from a liability.

Anyone heading to the England game? I've my ticket ready to go. Was giving out about the price last week, a win in Rome next weekend and I won't care about €90 in the slightest

[David McKeown]

Excellent display today. The team looked balanced for the first time in a number of years, with no square pegs in round holes.

The GAA - I've never understood the hype about O'Gara. I don't think he particularly excels at any aspect of a no.10's game, and in some areas like tackling and line-breaking, he is downright dismal. And unless his pack gives him an armchair ride, he can't dominate a game.

As with a brave few here, I'm just an armchair rugby fan but surely O'Gara's kicking is world class (albeit that he missed a couple today).

What did the Rugby men on the board think of the referee? Was Hook correct to say he was very biased towards Ireland?

Hard to tell from where I was sitting but RTE.ie in their pre match prediction did say something along the lines of Ireland couldn't have gotten a better referee for this game as he rarely imposes technical fouls choosing instead to look at the intent behind a players actions.  Not sure if I would agree with that on yesterdays performance but again didnt have a great view of some of the incidents 

[Dinny Breen]

Cheers AZ for spotting that, have edited  

Not having a go at O'Gara per se, moreso at the selection policy over-all, if you look at Heaslip's performance was it a co-incidence he was so good and Leamy sitting on the bench. Likewise BOD now has Fitzgrearld, D'Arcy, Wallace and Cave all looking for a midfield slot and all are playing well. O'Gara has more competition in Munster than he does in Ireland, when Humphs senior was challenging O'Gara rose to the contest and he's simply not raising his game anymore, just a concern of my mine plus I have to admit O'Gara is a bit mouthy and that annoys me too.

Part of the game-plan was obviously to kick the ball to France and force them to play, prior to this game most teams would have just kicked the ball back but France ran it back brilliantly and I think we adjusted by not kicking as deep and getting our line defence up quicker.

Also have tickets for the England game and I've been whinging like f*ck about the price too, delighted I have them now though...