Dharper wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 5:01 pm
The bench was superb. No doubt about it ire rode their luck, but credit where’s its due.
The scrum was at times creaking, 6 lost lineouts? 2 saffer packs faced. They still found a way to win, massive credit to the ire pack. The saffers looked genuinely shocked there was no implosion with the physical challenge of 7/1.
Aki and lowe may not be the most popular of ire players on this forum, but they are big players for Ireland and fully deserve credit.
Farrell has totally changed the mindset, great to see this from ire players.
0% Irish though
At least Rob and Hansen have a legitimate claim, albeit tenuous imo, to a green shirt.
International rugby is a farce.
Volunteer at an animal sanctuary; it will fill you with joy , despair, but most of all love, unconditional love of the animals.
Big Neville Southall
The rules are a nonsense but they are what they are so we play to them. Mind you, I wouldn't be averse to Ireland saying that the rules are rubbish and actually only playing people who are legitimately eligible. Never going to happen.
Just to be completely inconsistent - Aki and Lowe really were brill. Lowe getting Etzebeth up in the air for the maul turnover was magnificent.
Dave wrote: ↑Mon Sep 25, 2023 10:16 am
Bundee is the player of the tournament so far. Won't go down well with some.
The Engerlish think it is Arundel.
The win on Sat does have echoes of Ferris inspired Ireland beating a strong Aussie side in the group stage in 2011 only to go out with a whimper against an average Wales team
Volunteer at an animal sanctuary; it will fill you with joy , despair, but most of all love, unconditional love of the animals.
Big Neville Southall
If ireland do manage to win this world Cup they cannot be said to have had it easy. The QF match will be harder than the semi and on the back of a very physical test against Scotland. Will Stu get a run out? You would have to think at least one of aki and ringrose sit it out with the other benching.
Farrell may well want to mix it up and finish the match with his starting line out for the QF, so hendo / Mccarthy, conan, bealham, kilkoyne, Murray all to get game time. I'd start sexton and give crowly the last 20.
jean valjean wrote: ↑Mon Sep 25, 2023 4:03 pm
If ireland do manage to win this world Cup they cannot be said to have had it easy. The QF match will be harder than the semi and on the back of a very physical test against Scotland. Will Stu get a run out? You would have to think at least one of aki and ringrose sit it out with the other benching.
Farrell may well want to mix it up and finish the match with his starting line out for the QF, so hendo / Mccarthy, conan, bealham, kilkoyne, Murray all to get game time. I'd start sexton and give crowly the last 20.
Whoever wins this world cup will not have had it easy. I am of course making the not unreasonable assumption that the winner will come from Group A/B
Volunteer at an animal sanctuary; it will fill you with joy , despair, but most of all love, unconditional love of the animals.
Big Neville Southall
Lurgan Lad wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 8:52 pm
Tight first half, scrum and especially the lineout not functioning, turns out it isn't Herring's fault.
Kelleher was poor, lineout was shocking. He would be lambasted in the media if he came from any other Province. He wasn't helped by Ryan having lead in his boots. POM bailed us out of that match
Not just Kelleher. Timing of the jumpers/ lifters also out. At least two of Kellehers "mis throws" were spot on. Overall "Paulie" may not be as great as he's made out. SA made the decision to compete and Ireland struggled for a plan B , which should be either/ or flat to two or shortened LO. Took them a while.. Hendo, POM and Sheehan TBF had it sorted.
jean valjean wrote: ↑Mon Sep 25, 2023 4:03 pm
If ireland do manage to win this world Cup they cannot be said to have had it easy. The QF match will be harder than the semi and on the back of a very physical test against Scotland. Will Stu get a run out? You would have to think at least one of aki and ringrose sit it out with the other benching.
Farrell may well want to mix it up and finish the match with his starting line out for the QF, so hendo / Mccarthy, conan, bealham, kilkoyne, Murray all to get game time. I'd start sexton and give crowly the last 20.
Hendo needs a start- he tends to improve coming back after injury with managed game time. Plus he always seems to relish playing Saffers.
If McCloskey was good enough in the Autumn and 6 nation's, he's good enough to face the Jocks. I'd say Herring will miss out sadly and probably TOT, even though Furlong has been well off. Can't see them wanting to risk TOT Vs Schoeman and Rory.
jean valjean wrote: ↑Mon Sep 25, 2023 4:03 pm
If ireland do manage to win this world Cup they cannot be said to have had it easy. The QF match will be harder than the semi and on the back of a very physical test against Scotland. Will Stu get a run out? You would have to think at least one of aki and ringrose sit it out with the other benching.
Farrell may well want to mix it up and finish the match with his starting line out for the QF, so hendo / Mccarthy, conan, bealham, kilkoyne, Murray all to get game time. I'd start sexton and give crowly the last 20.
Whoever wins this world cup will not have had it easy. I am of course making the not unreasonable assumption that the winner will come from Group A/B
Wales will be one SF, predicting England the other sadly.
Dave wrote: ↑Mon Sep 25, 2023 10:16 am
Bundee is the player of the tournament so far. Won't go down well with some.
The Engerlish think it is Arundel.
The win on Sat does have echoes of Ferris inspired Ireland beating a strong Aussie side in the group stage in 2011 only to go out with a whimper against an average Wales team
Kidney really burst the man management genius balloon in the 2011 RWC. Reverted to a visibly diminished ROG instead of Sexton after we beat the Australians. ROG’s throwing the toys out of the pram with his "I’m going to retire if you don’t pick me interview" after Ireland beat them tells all you ever needed to know about the man. Knew exactly what he was at. He’s a selfish, self-serving cant. Amazing how many muppets in the meeja forgive him that / conveniently forgot about that. One of many reasons he should never be within an asses’ roar of the Irish job. All the good work in the pool games in 2011 was undone by a sh&te call by Kidney to go with ROG instead of Sexton for the quarter final. That said it was a good Wales vintage in fairness.
Think we have a much better and more impartial manager this time around, who says things like “for the good of the team” and understands what it means. AF unlikely to make the same stupid errors Kidney made. Likely to be facing an even better team in the quarters if we get there in fairness.
Watched that game early in the morning in a cafe in Lake Garda ,if memory serves, it wasn't so much RoG cost Ireland the game but Earls mistiming his defensive runs and getting caught out of position.
I think the squad is stronger and the bench more reliable this time Kidneys Squad was thin in parts.to be honest and I doubt if Kidney would have over ruled the opinion of his Key players chiefly PoC and BoD who influenced the selection as much as anybody.
Within this carapace of skepticism there lives an optimist
I know Italy were poor, but feck how I would laugh if the IRFU feckers got booted out in the QFs. That NZ team look.like they are getting into a groove.
Italy were a disgrace. Cue jokes about 1 forward gear and 6 reverse. Spineless stuff from a team aspiring to be tier 1. Further undermines the credibility of World Rugby.
And they want to expand to 24 teams? With who? Or is it to get the yanks involved? Pro rugby is dying.
We'll see how good NZ are when they face teams that don't run up a white flag. Their brand of basketball rugby is easy on the eye but lacks substance. Brought it on themselves when they kicked Saffers out of the Super rugby competition. Facing the Pacific Islanders and Aussies whilst Saffers play North against teams that challenge their set piece and forward dominated game. Saffers got the better deal regardless if they win RWC. NZ have undermined their own traditional forward play and diminishing crowds in the SH show they're in trouble
