Rugby World Cup 2011

[Capt Pat]

Wales are up 16 - 10 against the Springboks after being down 7-0 after 2 minutes. Matfield has gone off injured.

[Capt Pat]

South Africa with a try from Hoogard take the lead. 17-16

[INDIANA]

Healy and Kearney will be back for the next game and it will hopefully put to bed talk of Sean O Brien not playing at 7 the next day. There is no other way.

My sources tell me Healy wont be available. SOB is struggling too.

That was a very poor display today.

[Celt_Man]

Jaysus that was poor stuff there today - taking the point on from the RTÉ boys, Ireland seem to have a problem thinking on their feet - they were all over them in the maul, scrum and to a lesser extend line out.  What would have been wrong with "sticking it up the jumper" and scoring some tries in the first half through the front 5 and then try the backs when you're well in front....

[Dinny Breen]

Jaysus that was poor stuff there today - taking the point on from the RTÉ boys, Ireland seem to have a problem thinking on their feet - they were all over them in the maul, scrum and to a lesser extend line out.  What would have been wrong with "sticking it up the jumper" and scoring some tries in the first half through the front 5 and then try the backs when you're well in front....

If winning the game was the only objective yes, Ireland however need their back-line performing starving them of front-line ball isn't going to help in the long run.

I'll reiterate again, Ireland's problems stem from midfield, D'Arcy's and to a less extend O'Driscoll's form is killing the team, it was obvious in the 6 nations, even more obvious in the warm-up games. If D'Arcy plays next Saturday Ireland will not even get a moral victory in defeat..

Sam Warburton didn't deserve to lose today..

[Dinny Breen]

Quote from: Dinny Breen on Today at 11:55:35 AM

    Quote from: Celt_Man on Today at 11:37:05 AM

        Jaysus that was poor stuff there today - taking the point on from the RTÉ boys, Ireland seem to have a problem thinking on their feet - they were all over them in the maul, scrum and to a lesser extend line out.  What would have been wrong with "sticking it up the jumper" and scoring some tries in the first half through the front 5 and then try the backs when you're well in front....


    If winning the game was the only objective yes, Ireland however need their back-line performing starving them of front-line ball isn't going to help in the long run.

    I'll reiterate again, Ireland's problems stem from midfield, D'Arcy's and to a less extend O'Driscoll's form is killing the team, it was obvious in the 6 nations, even more obvious in the warm-up games. If D'Arcy plays next Saturday Ireland will not even get a moral victory in defeat..

    Sam Warburton didn't deserve to lose today..


The reason D'Arcy will start is that we don't have a proper 7. Our midfield is supposed to make up for that deficiency which . Dropping D'Arcy for a makeshift 12 (BOD or Trimble or whatever) will be disastrous. Kidney should have dealt with this though as it has been coming for a long time.

He could have and probably should have blooded James Downey like he did Murray.

The game has moved on Muppet, the breakdown is completely different D'Arcy and O'Driscoll don't win turnovers anymore as the tackler has to disengage whereas those two were masters at surfing the ball carrier and ripping the ball.

D'Arcy should not be starting, as for James Downey, give us a break, he's a crash ball merchant who failed at Leinster and Connacht and does ok at Northamption because the English game is just bish bosh bash.

McFadden can play at 12 or even Sexton in a 5/8 role, f*ck it shit on a stick would be better than D'Arcy, as soon the ball goes to him we are playing a retreating ruck, which is slow ball. You need quick ball in the modern game.

[muppet]

Quote from: Dinny Breen on Today at 11:55:35 AM

    Quote from: Celt_Man on Today at 11:37:05 AM

        Jaysus that was poor stuff there today - taking the point on from the RTÉ boys, Ireland seem to have a problem thinking on their feet - they were all over them in the maul, scrum and to a lesser extend line out.  What would have been wrong with "sticking it up the jumper" and scoring some tries in the first half through the front 5 and then try the backs when you're well in front....


    If winning the game was the only objective yes, Ireland however need their back-line performing starving them of front-line ball isn't going to help in the long run.

    I'll reiterate again, Ireland's problems stem from midfield, D'Arcy's and to a less extend O'Driscoll's form is killing the team, it was obvious in the 6 nations, even more obvious in the warm-up games. If D'Arcy plays next Saturday Ireland will not even get a moral victory in defeat..

    Sam Warburton didn't deserve to lose today..


The reason D'Arcy will start is that we don't have a proper 7. Our midfield is supposed to make up for that deficiency which . Dropping D'Arcy for a makeshift 12 (BOD or Trimble or whatever) will be disastrous. Kidney should have dealt with this though as it has been coming for a long time.

He could have and probably should have blooded James Downey like he did Murray.

The game has moved on Muppet, the breakdown is completely different D'Arcy and O'Driscoll don't win turnovers anymore as the tackler has to disengage whereas those two were masters at surfing the ball carrier and ripping the ball.

D'Arcy should not be starting, as for James Downey, give us a break, he's a crash ball merchant who failed at Leinster and Connacht and does ok at Northamption because the English game is just bish bosh bash.

McFadden can play at 12 or even Sexton in a 5/8 role, f*ck it shit on a stick would be better than D'Arcy, as soon the ball goes to him we are playing a retreating ruck, which is slow ball. You need quick ball in the modern game.

I always thought BOD played his best rugby outside a bish bosh bash merchant such as Maggs, Henderson and Roberts. Anything is better than what we have.

[Main Street]

Is international rugby dying a turgid death? hard to believe this is a world cup tournament. This game and the England v Argentina game were pretty dire. The ITV commentator on a Johnny Wilkinson 25 drop out, 'he hits it high in the air so his players can get up there on time'  jesus wept! I was waiting for a description of a penalty kick towards goal 'he tries to hit the ball so it lands between the posts'

[4father]

I heard one of them saying that Wilkinson missed so many because of the air pressure in the stadium.  Fack aff

[Hardy]

What's this about a new ball? Do they have to have a new ball for every World Cup? Whatever about the ball, it seems to me Sexton has changed his kicking routine. He puts in a little pause after the first step that I never noticed before. I don't know whether he's doing a Padraig Harrington and redesigning his technique or it's just a yip in his routine he's not aware of.

Are you not allowed to wear gloves in rugby? Gaelic players would be wearing gloves in those conditions. Very hard to catch a wet ball without them.

[Dinny Breen]

Hardy, there is no standard rugby ball ala O'Neills for football and hurling. Ireland use a Gilbert, Italy a Mitre, Wales a Web Ellis, France use to use an Adidas or a Puma and so forth..

Gilbert won the WC contract

Interesting quote from Johnny Wilkinson

World Cup balls or the unfamiliar fixed roof of the Otago Stadium when England launch their tournament on Saturday. Wilkinson was unhappy with the type of ball used during the 2007 tournament in France but is entering this month's competition in a more positive mood.

"The balls have changed a little bit so we're working every day just to get used to it," said the prolific fly-half, speaking on the eve of a fourth World Cup as England's deadliest kicker. "No one likes change when it comes to high pressure stuff but it's the same for everyone. I'm not averse to a bit of grumpiness when it comes to changing balls but you've got to get on with it. You have to try and dominate the ball rather than let it do the opposite. If I kick a ball at this World Cup I will do it confidently."

As for the gloves, you can wear IRB sanctioned fingerless gloves with grips, some players wear them, Steve Thompson been the best example that I can think of.

[Hardy]

That's interesting, DB. Its seems surprising that there's not a tighter spec on the ball as regards dimensions, weight, material and finish. At least i assume it's not a very tight spec if players are able to notice differences between balls. It also surprises me that so few players wear gloves in the wet. Maybe it makes sense for forwards - gloves might adversely affect grip in scrummaging, rucking, or whatever but I'd have thought any such disadvantage for backs would be more that compensated for by the improved ability to hold onto a greasy ball.

[lynchbhoy]

was thinking that the new ball must be rubbish as so many good kickers missed way more than usual. However Steyn from SA showed that he wasnt affected by this. Maybe he is the only one and is a bit of a oddity here.

Biggest plus so far at the wc is that the refs are starting to consistently penalise offsides and handling on the deck. England really got caught cold on that.

I stil think there are a few forward passes that are not being blown - hard to see from TV angles - but I thought that in the early SA try v wales that there may have been a forward pass in the build up !
Still wales threw it away. Best game of the opening round for me.

[mc_grens]

was thinking that the new ball must be rubbish as so many good kickers missed way more than usual. However Steyn from SA showed that he wasnt affected by this. Maybe he is the only one and is a bit of a oddity here.

Biggest plus so far at the wc is that the refs are starting to consistently penalise offsides and handling on the deck. England really got caught cold on that.

I stil think there are a few forward passes that are not being blown - hard to see from TV angles - but I thought that in the early SA try v wales that there may have been a forward pass in the build up !
Still wales threw it away. Best game of the opening round for me.

Agree with the forward pass in the Saffers' try.

Strongly disagree on refereeing consistency, at least where minnows are concerned... I think it was Setanta who had a package of examples where the big nations were all over the ball on the deck, off their feet and weren't penalised this weekend.

[lynchbhoy]

was thinking that the new ball must be rubbish as so many good kickers missed way more than usual. However Steyn from SA showed that he wasnt affected by this. Maybe he is the only one and is a bit of a oddity here.

Biggest plus so far at the wc is that the refs are starting to consistently penalise offsides and handling on the deck. England really got caught cold on that.

I stil think there are a few forward passes that are not being blown - hard to see from TV angles - but I thought that in the early SA try v wales that there may have been a forward pass in the build up !
Still wales threw it away. Best game of the opening round for me.

Agree with the forward pass in the Saffers' try.

Strongly disagree on refereeing consistency, at least where minnows are concerned... I think it was Setanta who had a package of examples where the big nations were all over the ball on the deck, off their feet and weren't penalised this weekend.

penalised a hell of a lot more than usual.
I wrote on this board a while back that if refs were to blow for every transgression, rugby would be way worse than american football and would be a penalty every minute.
thats not what world rugby want in order to promote and showcase their games, but imo what they need to bring back the proper playing of the game and eradicate the cheating that has become part and parcel of each teams approach to modern rugby.
England were never blown as much before.
I didnt see all the games or fell asleep for large parts of the ones I did watch !! - but I thought that the refs were way stricter than usual.
So if you think that a lot was missed- you are right, but usually this is always missed and normally not highlighted by TV stations - so well done setanta.