6N 2020

[Snipe Watson]

Same simple recipe as last season. Starve Ireland of time and space to play.
Back 5 totally outclassed and overpowered. Backline never had a chance to play any rugby.

[Setanta]

Itoje should have been taken out!

[Jackie Brown]

Sexton isn't as good as he likes to think he is

[Vanhelsing]

ffs.

[Bart S]

Even in a team if sub performers, the continued selection of Murray and Stockdale, both if whom have contributed mire negatives than positives for more than 12 months now is a mystery.

Murray could well be finished at this level. Stockdale is young and will hopefully recover his form but right now i can’t see why he is picked. Even at Ulster, Baloucoune is in better form this season.

Johnny Sexton has been great for ireland but the fact that 5ere is no-one else rather than his form makes it mroe difficult to drop him.

If our halfbacks are still world class as some people bizarrely still thunk, then why do they have more poor games than good ones these days.

[rumncoke]

I never judge wings for the try they score Stockdale got hustled off the ball for one try and the defeat is down to him come off it .

The players who have been out of form for 18 months are Sexton and Murray two kicks to touch don't get there and the English back line gets the freedom of the park.

losing to England playing at home with referee who doesn't realise if you see two cheeks of a loose heads props Brennan he's boring.

Or that someone lying on the ground with his arms bound round a guys legs isn't pleading to kissed he wasn't even the bl--dy ruck -- it's a major offence worthy of a yellow card .

The English always play the sneaky aggressive stuff at home and get away with it Jones encourages the brutish game and because refers fail to stop that which is beyond normal the opposition are playing survival.

[big mervyn]

Sexton isn't as good as he likes to think he is

Ireland need to stop persisting with half fit pensioners

[Snipe Watson]

Even in a team if sub performers, the continued selection of Murray and Stockdale, both if whom have contributed mire negatives than positives for more than 12 months now is a mystery.

Murray could well be finished at this level. Stockdale is young and will hopefully recover his form but right now i can’t see why he is picked. Even at Ulster, Baloucoune is in better form this season.

Johnny Sexton has been great for ireland but the fact that 5ere is no-one else rather than his form makes it mroe difficult to drop him.

If our halfbacks are still world class as some people bizarrely still thunk, then why do they have more poor games than good ones these days.

9-15 were playing behind a beaten pack in full retreat so, notwithstanding individual errors, there's little to be proved by pointing fingers at the backs as a collective. None of the outside backs have had any ball to play with.
What was abundantly clear was the improvement when Murray was replaced. I cannot comprehend of any circumstances that would justify his inclusion against Italy and France.
You're right about Sexton who should and will be retained since there is simply no viable alternative, other than Jackson or Olding obviously.

[Snipe Watson]

Sexton isn't as good as he likes to think he is

Ireland need to stop persisting with half fit pensioners

When it's all you've got Merv....

Schadenfreude eh?

[Cockatrice]

Great to see that Bono’s what it means to be Irish talk did them so well.

Noted that BoD said Sexton did his best to prevent that bouncing try yet Stockdale was purely as fault for the other. Whilst I agree he should have had sense to put himself between ball and man at first glance I didn’t see where the full back was for that try and was somewhat out of position for other.

Heard it say that Farrell is tweaking how we play his way not sure I seen any sign of anything different.

We’re shyte but France will probably implode and allow us the win to make us think we are better than we are.

[Dublin4]

I expected and feared this result. Ryan, Stander and Conway the best of the Irish today.
Henderson, Doris, Deegan, Cooney, Byrne, must start next time.

Conor Murray does some very good things but he is so so slow and telegraphs his play. Go away, Conor, and see if you can restart your career.
Sexton has been a great servant but heading for 35, it is time to move on. Peter O'Mahony just doesn't have it at this level.

Looks like a France Grand Slam.

The Under 20s give us real hope. Some smashing young players coming.

[Shan]

The IRFU will still see there is a championship to play for so almost no changes will be permitted. Hendo will come back and Toner may slip out of the squad. That is probably as far as it will go.

At least against Italy our poor front row and underperforming(apart from Ryan to an extent today) second row should look better.

Presumably the big plan is to give Murray easy ball so he can kick it under no pressure for Conway to chase......and Stockdale, assuming he hasn't taken another dose of Dreamy Sleepy Nighty Snoozy Snooze.

[turko]

Same simple recipe as last season. Starve Ireland of time and space to play.
Back 5 totally outclassed and overpowered. Backline never had a chance to play any rugby.

Agree with that snipe, it’s a tad unbelievable at this level we didn’t think they would do the same again. They have worked us out.

In terms of front 5 at least we have Henderson to come back. Think I would start with Kelleher and Kilcoyne in two weeks. In the back row I would bring back Jordi for VdF in the interim whilst we blood and develop Doris and Deegan +/- Leavy returns to his best. Stander still should be there at the moment.

In terms of the backs Cooney is an absolute must.Totally in form and in my opinion made a real difference when he came on today.

I won’t doubt Jacob will get some critical comments but he absolutely shouldn’t be dropped unless it’s for a younger guy like Balacoune. If they drop him for earls then we are f****d. Jacob has enormous potential and needs protecting, lost a bit of mojo since the dropped try against the lady boys in the QF but he can get it back if Farrell gets it right. To be fair I think he will.

Our biggest problem (rather unbelievably) is now at 10 and in the centres. Sexton isn’t right but I think that’s his knee. He is defo playing with an injury. No dept beneath him but let’s not go into the reasons that....

In the centre I really do think we have to give McCloskey a go against Italy: don’t know what he has done wrong but he would have stood up to Tuagli today for sure. He offers something really different which ireland lack at the moment. If Addison is fit (appreciate that’s unlikely) then I would stick him in at 13 against Italy and see how that works.

Bizarrely we can still actually win the championship but only if we shake things up in terms of selection. Even if we don’t we need try something different from the failure of RWC 19 so why not at least try it now that Farrell has 2 wins with another likely against Italy

If we do shake it up and lose to France then we all think at least he is blooding new talent, if we win the. he is the hero. If he doesn’t and we lose.........hmmm

Anyway just my random thoughts.

[Bart S]

I never judge wings for the try they score Stockdale got hustled off the ball for one try and the defeat is down to him come off it .

The players who have been out of form for 18 months are Sexton and Murray two kicks to touch don't get there and the English back line gets the freedom of the park.

losing to England playing at home with referee who doesn't realise if you see two cheeks of a loose heads props Brennan he's boring.

Or that someone lying on the ground with his arms bound round a guys legs isn't pleading to kissed he wasn't even the bl--dy ruck -- it's a major offence worthy of a yellow card .

The English always play the sneaky aggressive stuff at home and get away with it Jones encourages the brutish game and because refers fail to stop that which is beyond normal the opposition are playing survival.

Rum - it is not just stockdale’s lack of try scoring for ireland. He is not doing it for ulster either. Too many defensive errors as well. He is young and will come back, but a spell out of the limelight could do him a world of good. He has had plenty if chances to play himself into form and failed to really do so.

And whatever way you dress it up that was a really poor try he gave away today.

[turko]

I never judge wings for the try they score Stockdale got hustled off the ball for one try and the defeat is down to him come off it .

The players who have been out of form for 18 months are Sexton and Murray two kicks to touch don't get there and the English back line gets the freedom of the park.

losing to England playing at home with referee who doesn't realise if you see two cheeks of a loose heads props Brennan he's boring.

Or that someone lying on the ground with his arms bound round a guys legs isn't pleading to kissed he wasn't even the bl--dy ruck -- it's a major offence worthy of a yellow card .

The English always play the sneaky aggressive stuff at home and get away with it Jones encourages the brutish game and because refers fail to stop that which is beyond normal the opposition are playing survival.

Rum - it is not just stockdale’s lack of try scoring for ireland. He is not doing it for ulster either. Too many defensive errors as well. He is young and will come back, but a spell out of the limelight could do him a world of good. He has had plenty if chances to play himself into form and failed to really do so.

And whatever way you dress it up that was a really poor try he gave away today.

No worse than Sextons surely?????????