Rugby World Cup 2011

[thewobbler]

An awful lot of negativity here.

I can't believe people are having a pop at O Driscoll. He is past his prime but he has always delivered when we need him, and he won't let his swansong pass by on a different note.

One thing that does strike me is that Ireland will need horses for courses. When playing a side Like England, we need a physically imposing midfield and back row. The rest of the team can worry about being cute once England's game plan is in tatters.

I honestly don't know if I'd trade Ireland's squad for anyone else's save New Zealand. It has flaws, but there should be enough experience in the squad to know how to cover for them.

[muppet]

Yes too much negativity but.......

Kearney - just coming back from injury

Bowe - just coming back from injury
BOD - almost always delivers
D'Arcy - way out of form
Earls - out of form

Sexton - has delivered in big games in the last 2 years
Redden - indifferent

Healy - Playing well and coming to grips with international scrummaging
Flannery - just coming back from injury (this will be written on his grave)
Ross - If he even sleeps badly we have a crisis

O'Callaghan - usually delivers in big games
O'Connell - almost always delivers

Ferris - just coming back from injury
Heaslip - big player for us and usually delivers
O'Brien - not in the position we would want him to play but it needs to work.

The above is our likely starting 15 if they are fit. We need an awful lot to go right for us to do well in this competition. For we there are too many 'out of form' and 'just coming back from injury' situations there.

[Celt_Man]

Yes too much negativity but.......

Kearney - just coming back from injury

Bowe - just coming back from injury
BOD - almost always delivers
D'Arcy - way out of form
Earls - out of form

Sexton - has delivered in big games in the last 2 years
Redden - indifferent

Healy - Playing well and coming to grips with international scrummaging
Flannery - just coming back from injury (this will be written on his grave)
Ross - If he even sleeps badly we have a crisis
O'Callaghan - usually delivers in big games
O'Connell - almost always delivers

Ferris - just coming back from injury
Heaslip - big player for us and usually delivers
O'Brien - not in the position we would want him to play but it needs to work.

The above is our likely starting 15 if they are fit. We need an awful lot to go right for us to do well in this competition. For we there are too many 'out of form' and 'just coming back from injury' situations there.

Need to pray this fella stays injury free or we're fucked - one could argue we have decent cover in all other positions bar this one.... and if someone mentions Buckley I'll go fecking mad

[INDIANA]

On the other hand Leinster won the European Cup Munster the Magners league. We beat England easily 24-8 in a competitive game 4 months ago. Tommy Bowe is a brilliant attacking back Steven Ferris and Rob Kearney are back from injury. We have a genuine tighthead anchoring the scrum. A very capable half back pairing on Reddan and Sexton. Things can only get better.


[ :)quote author=cicfada link=topic=19967.msg1009319#msg1009319 date=1314473120]
So pre world cup games are not important huh?? Funny but I remember in 2007 clearly , that it was during the warm up games that the bells started ringing in eddie O'sullivan's ears ( according to himself as well)..  and we all know what happened then! But they won a few of those matches I recall!!  At that time he played the second string in most of those games. What excuse  does Kidney have??  It is a matter  of  building confidence and momentum  for the players particularly  those young lads, I would have thought...that was the whole point  of having these matches!! Maybe it will all come right in New Zealand but yet again we are living in the land of Hope!! In 2007 it was with huge expectations that our lads went to France so now  they go to New Zealand with no expectation.....it is just  a cunning plan that I obviously have not picked up on yet! Silly me!!

[/quote]

See Muppets post for a pretty accurate assessment of the state of this team.

In 3 weeks we will play a team who are capable of winning the WC on the back of 4 defeats.

Maybe it will all come together on the day. But thats all we have to cling to- maybe's.

Shades of 2007 all over again.  Jesus you'd think we'd have got the preparation right this time. Looks like we've played too many matches

[Farrandeelin]

Ireland rugby is right up there with the Isle of Man at the moment.

[Hardy]

To quote Pvt Frasier in Dad's Army "We're dooooomed"

Making up the numbers in NZ at this rate.

I hope Hardy watched the paint drying instead of the other rubbish.

I even went to the pub to watch it because I couldn't find a decent stream. I mean - not a stream as in water to drink ...

The pints were nice anyway.

[lynchbhoy]

one world cup too late for most of the Irish squad.
Look at the difference between the size of the teams yesterday. Englands backfield looked as big as Irelands pack. Thats where international rugby has gone.
England are not in good form either but Ireland never looked like causing them problems.

on the positive side, Ireland wouldnt spurn the chances to shoot for points in a real match. Obv they wanted to practice lineouts and rolling mauls for the wc.
However earls & darcy v tindell and tuilagi. not even close to being a contest. Throw an aging BOd into that and it wouldnt nmake much difference.

Losing Wallace is a disaster.
Very surprised and impressed with Englands second row. Didnt think they had it in them to be honest- not as a unit at least.
they are poor enough at scrum half too.
If any of their old front row or wilkinson get inj -they are in trouble too.

[whitegoodman]

An awful lot of negativity here.

I can't believe people are having a pop at O Driscoll. He is past his prime but he has always delivered when we need him, and he won't let his swansong pass by on a different note.

One thing that does strike me is that Ireland will need horses for courses. When playing a side Like England, we need a physically imposing midfield and back row. The rest of the team can worry about being cute once England's game plan is in tatters.

I honestly don't know if I'd trade Ireland's squad for anyone else's save New Zealand. It has flaws, but there should be enough experience in the squad to know how to cover for them.

Ahh Jesus wobbler am I reading that right, u wouldn't swap the Irish squad for any other save the all blacks?? Ur saying u would prefer our panel to the french, Aussie or the reigning champions for that matter.

Some serious green, white and gold blinkers going on there.

[thewobbler]

Whitegoodman, there's no doubt I've got tricolour tinted specs on.

Yet while I haven't missed the decline of the Irish team in recent seasons. at the same time, I must have missed the bit when SA, Australia and France showed themselves as reliable, world class performers.

The truth in my mind is that no team apart from NZ has any credentials worth talking about for this tournament.

Yep, only France or SA have the big game mentality to overthrow the All Blacks (and I really hope one of them does). But should that happen, realistically any of Ireland, Wales, England, Australia, SA or even Argentina could actually win it.

[laoislad]

Whitegoodman, there's no doubt I've got tricolour tinted specs on.

Surely you mean your green with a shamrock and rugby ball logo tinted specs on.
Won't be too many official tricolours flying for that team in the World Cup.

[Capt Pat]

I agree with this once New Zealand get knocked out the tournament would be wide open. To me the big downfall of that plan is Ireland would never be able to
beat the All Blacks.

Whitegoodman, there's no doubt I've got tricolour tinted specs on.

Yet while I haven't missed the decline of the Irish team in recent seasons. at the same time, I must have missed the bit when SA, Australia and France showed themselves as reliable, world class performers.

The truth in my mind is that no team apart from NZ has any credentials worth talking about for this tournament.

Yep, only France or SA have the big game mentality to overthrow the All Blacks (and I really hope one of them does). But should that happen, realistically any of Ireland, Wales, England, Australia, SA or even Argentina could actually win it.

[haze]

Whitegoodman, there's no doubt I've got tricolour tinted specs on.

Yet while I haven't missed the decline of the Irish team in recent seasons. at the same time, I must have missed the bit when SA, Australia and France showed themselves as reliable, world class performers.

The truth in my mind is that no team apart from NZ has any credentials worth talking about for this tournament.

Yep, only France or SA have the big game mentality to overthrow the All Blacks (and I really hope one of them does). But should that happen, realistically any of Ireland, Wales, England, Australia, SA or even Argentina could actually win it.

New Zealand were beaten by Australia yesterday... I don't understand why you think only New Zealand have the credentials to win the World Cup.

Ireland's best 15 playing at the max of their ability will have a shout against Australia or South Africa, no more no less. Even at that we'd need both of those teams not to be firing on all cylinders for us to win. Unfortunantely at the moment with Wallace out we won't have our best 15 and it is difficult to imagine how we will find form to win either of those two games.

To suggest however that our squad is the second best in the tournament is borderline lunacy.
France's second string only beat us comfortably two weeks ago. Matt Giteau can't even make the Australian squad.

[Capt Pat]

Englands backs are probably bigger than the All Blacks forwards too. However they are still pretty shit at center. Tuilagi is talented but he is always cruisin for a bruisin or more likely a suspension. The English don't know how to run a backline against better teams.

[ :)quote author=lynchbhoy link=topic=19967.msg1009467#msg1009467 date=1314526903]
one world cup too late for most of the Irish squad.
Look at the difference between the size of the teams yesterday. Englands backfield looked as big as Irelands pack. Thats where international rugby has gone.
England are not in good form either but Ireland never looked like causing them problems.

on the positive side, Ireland wouldnt spurn the chances to shoot for points in a real match. Obv they wanted to practice lineouts and rolling mauls for the wc.
However earls & darcy v tindell and tuilagi. not even close to being a contest. Throw an aging BOd into that and it wouldnt nmake much difference.

Losing Wallace is a disaster.
Very surprised and impressed with Englands second row. Didnt think they had it in them to be honest- not as a unit at least.
they are poor enough at scrum half too.
If any of their old front row or wilkinson get inj -they are in trouble too.
[/quote]

[whitegoodman]

Whitegoodman, there's no doubt I've got tricolour tinted specs on.

Yet while I haven't missed the decline of the Irish team in recent seasons. at the same time, I must have missed the bit when SA, Australia and France showed themselves as reliable, world class performers.

The truth in my mind is that no team apart from NZ has any credentials worth talking about for this tournament.

Yep, only France or SA have the big game mentality to overthrow the All Blacks (and I really hope one of them does). But should that happen, realistically any of Ireland, Wales, England, Australia, SA or even Argentina could actually win it.

Ireland have not in my living memory beaten Austrailia or South Africa in the southern hemisphere and if they couldnt do it in Drico, Darcy, O Connoll etc prime I dont see it happening when they are well past their best.

I would also have serious doubts about our ability to beat France or England down there.  If the all blacks somehow are beaten which i dont see happening, only 4 teams can win it imo, S Africa, Australia, England and France.

[Hoof Hearted]

Special Report tonight Sky Sports News @ 7.30PM - A week in the life of Brian O'driscoll