The UAFC

We all suspected the result and when the teams were announced it was confirmed.

As usual for these games, I woke up and forgot it was being played. When I remembered, I said to Mrs BM "better check the results. I predict NZ 40 something." She thinks I'm some sort of oracle

Big Stu McCloskey is on his way. They need to call up Andy Warwick at loosehead.

paddybrown wrote: ↑Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:43 pm Big Stu McCloskey is on his way. They need to call up Andy Warwick at loosehead.

Paddy Wallace is kicking his heels in Portugal ...

There’s a guy who plays 10 for London Irish with a slightly Irish sounding name. Actually, on second thoughts, I don’t think he would lower himself that much to get involved with this rabble.

The support for the Irish ?? team on this board is astounding -- Leinster Men playing for Leinster Men .

That said the player who struck me was dan Sheehan he appeared to be faster than Earls on the chase back .

Sexton varied the attack more than usual until the predicted injury removed him from the field I was surprised he lasted 30 minutes.

The one thing about going to New Zealand is the team coming off the pitch won't be in the same condition as the team that went on it.

Carberry played like a rabbit in the headlights nobody being sure what was going to happen.

The ball had glue when Ringrose got it .

PoM looked all effort but has lost a lot of pace in recent years .

And the Ulster player who started had a marvellous game .

Find it very hard to support Ireland truth be told. Feels like their chickens are now coming home to roost with Sexton.

Lurgan Lad wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 11:00 am Feels like their chickens are now coming home to roost with Sexton.

How come everybody but the Ireland selectors can see this?

Clean sweep for the Southern Hemisphere sides this weekend. Only the Welsh really came close and could have won. Irish a fair score, the English were flattered by the two late scores and a fair result in Argentina. Could easily be a whitewash through the rest of the series.

It's hard to see Ireland winning any of their matches. Players like Furlong must be wrecked. He seems to be running on empty.
But I feel it is more a coach problem than a player problem. We have been bombarded about how good a forwards coach POC is since the start of the 6 Nations. People seem to have forgotten he was rubbish in his previous coaching jobs. I don't think Mike Catt is much use either. John Fogarty the scrum coach has been a disaster. Looking at some of the defensive mistakes in the first 2 matches Simin Easterby is no star either.
But the whole thing revolves around Farrell and he has shown little foresight in planning for this tour and selected guys like Carberry who I wouldn't pick for the Methody Under 15's. Allowing Loughman back on the pitch against Maoris was disgraceful. The player was obviously distressed.
Seeing people like Bent who retired last year, joining the squad is an insult to every Provincial prop playing in Ireland.

There is a possible symmetry with 2012.
As you will remember, we were beaten 42 10 in Eden Park in the first test. Then Nigel Owens gifted the ABs the second test 22 19.
Dan Carter beating us with a last minute drop goal.
Then we had the day of infamy, 60 nil in Hamilton, third test.

We have already done 9 better than ten years ago. Maybe even 4 better in the second test would be a possibility? There is no Nigel this time. No Dan either.

Where does NZ side rank among previous sides?

You can't rank New Zealand sides but you can rank their players -- with regards to the players i haven't watched them enough but there are a couple who are definitely in the top two in their position in the world at this time and basically the players have to ranked on the basis of the current world alternatives.

With virtual no real N/S games for a year in the S/H it is hard to assess any world ranks for any team and the six nations is lobsided at the moment depending on home advantage.

Dublin4 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 9:08 pm There is a possible symmetry with 2012.
As you will remember, we were beaten 42 10 in Eden Park in the first test. Then Nigel Owens gifted the ABs the second test 22 19.
Dan Carter beating us with a last minute drop goal.
Then we had the day of infamy, 60 nil in Hamilton, third test.

We have already done 9 better than ten years ago. Maybe even 4 better in the second test would be a possibility? There is no Nigel this time. No Dan either.

Yes the Hamilton match where they picked Paddy Wallace who was on the beach in Spain. This time around they have taken Scannell off a sunbed in Portugal and Bent from his retirement house in Taranaki. Apparently Andy Warwick at 31 is too old , so 35 year old Bent is picked instead. I see Ed Byrne is also been called for. Is it Ed Byrne the Dublin Comedian or Ed Byrne the prop? Little difference I suppose.

The symmetry emerging is that jaded SH teams come north in the Autumn and get beaten and jaded NH teams go South in the summer and get beaten.

Rewatching the game again.
Can’t understand the obsession with keeping the ball in play when under pressure in your own 22 or always going a couple of phases to “improve the angle” get the ball into the crowd, get your breath back and reset and go again.
Why let them run the ball back at you or risk being turned over