The UAFC

Baby Blacks land a penalty on the stroke of half-time, NZ 11-3 Ireland

Nuther penalty to Baby Blacks right on half-time

3 -11

Gonna take a big effort in 2nd half!

game over

blacks score under the posts after a couple of mins of second half

25 - 3 now

Ouch!

Going downhill very quickly.

Akira Ioane is some animal at number eight.

ruckover wrote:Going downhill very quickly.

Akira Ioane is some animal at number eight.

Their #3 is also some animal - that was a VERY late and cheap "tackle" if you can call it that on Sam Arnold. Not called by the officials though!

To be fair, ref has had a good game.

Alex Thompson and Lorcan Dow substituted off at the 60 minute mark.

65 mins, Adam McBurney on at hooker.

Game over: New Zealand 25-3 Ireland

A spirited performance in the first half, but two quick tries after the break effectively ended the game as a contest. Ireland threatened a bit late on but New Zealand had the game well wrapped up.

Sam Arnold was the stand out Ireland player, broke the line the majority of the time and was a constant threat with ball in hand. Stockdale and Owens were quiet-ish on the wings, Stockdale the better of the two. Dow can carry the ball quite well, had a solid game but made a few rash decisions that led to penalties against him. Thompson was alright, not a stand out player but went about his business well. McBurney did well when he came on but crucially threw a crooked line-out when Ireland were dominating from the driving maul and ended that threat.

So Dow can play in our back row

Russ wrote:So Dow can play in our back row

Yep - showed some typical Ulster indiscipline,

Actually he did look okay

Russ wrote:So Dow can play in our back row

Yeah Stockdale definitely not a number 8! Wasn't that impressed with either of our wingers, Arnold played well with ball in hand but then decided to start booting it which achieved little. Dow and Thompson in the forwards both had good games, Thompson especially. Their best players I thought were their 8 and their 7 who both made loads of ground. Was quite an entertaining game, it looked like we had them with mauls and pick and goes in the forwards, and pretty much everywhere else they were better.
Just how much worse than some of the crap we play in the back would Dow be, how long till we start blooding him?

Lurgan Lad wrote:Wasn't that impressed with either of our wingers,

Didn't get much chance going forward but both looked "competent" defensively. Neither was afraid to take contact even as the last man and protected the ball pretty well. Don't remember either getting turned over even when under pressure, but I do confess to paying less attention during the second half.

Cap'n Grumpy wrote:

Lurgan Lad wrote:Wasn't that impressed with either of our wingers,

Didn't get much chance going forward but both looked "competent" defensively. Neither was afraid to take contact even as the last man and protected the ball pretty well. Don't remember either getting turned over even when under pressure, but I do confess to paying less attention during the second half.

Yeah admittedly they didn't get much great ball, I just didn't get the impression they were that dynamic or great at beating the first tackle, but certainly they didn't get loads of good opportunities. I do remember Stockdale making a bit of mess of an up and under that Dow I think rescued, and obviously they were playing one of the best teams in the tournament. The wee full back Dardis had a bit more about him in terms of making people miss.

Just thinking back now there were a few times when the All Blacks were running long balls out of their 22 and the wingers didn't appear to defend it well, one time I remember Ringrose knocking the guy into touch that one of our wingers got beat by.

Lurgan Lad wrote:

Russ wrote:So Dow can play in our back row

Yeah Stockdale definitely not a number 8! Wasn't that impressed with either of our wingers, Arnold played well with ball in hand but then decided to start booting it which achieved little. Dow and Thompson in the forwards both had good games, Thompson especially. Their best players I thought were their 8 and their 7 who both made loads of ground. Was quite an entertaining game, it looked like we had them with mauls and pick and goes in the forwards, and pretty much everywhere else they were better.
Just how much worse than some of the crap we play in the back would Dow be, how long till we start blooding him?

Sure why play Dow in the Backrow when we can convert Stockdale, seriously , I see Taggart is away with emerging Ireland to play Georgia and Uruguay, so if he is good enough for that standard wtf did we miss in the dross brought from down under including Ross

I see Peter Nelson is also with Emerging Ireland??