fermain wrote:The All Blacks are proving to be a dirty side when under pressure.
I agree... Horrible conduct from the team. They are showing their true colours with the way they got on at times.
They are filthy and cynical and always have been. Why would they be any different when almost all refs bow down before them.
The only ref I have ever seen who has the ability and character to ref NZ properly is Alain Rolland. Just a pity he is not allowed to ref games we have against them.
Oh Shan, I'm certainly aware of the illegality of New Zealand during a match. They exude a sickening aura of being 'legally elite' but they are really a shower of dirty sh1tes, especially McCaw.
Horrible decision from Owens. Ireland clearly had the upper hand in the scrum throughout the second half and were cheated out of the game at the last. Ah well, if only Ireland played like that all of the time...
No Shan, you have misunderstood me, I wasn't getting at you personally when I said about quitting whinging, in fact more so at myself, we were extremely hard done by, but can be immensely proud! Just out of interest, does Owens have the third test as well? Never mind an All Black backlash, I can see another Irish backlash coming next week.
Well a much better performance and a disappointing loss. We didn't get the rub of the green at the end. The AB's getting a 5 metre crum after missing the DG was some good fortune for them. Scrum penalty looked harsh but not an expert on the wheeling laws so won't say any more on that.
Some good performances today. Front row scrummaged really well. Healy had a huge game and Best and Ross did well as well. Ryan had another huge game in the engine room. He's some player. Thought tuohy was quiet again otheer than some solid linout takes. Good impact by DOC. SOB was superb again. He's some player at 7 these days. McLoughlin put in a great shift and was delighted with the impact POM made when he came on. Certainly wasn't "invisible" today and should give him some great confidence. Heaslip showed what a player he can be in the 2nd half.
Murray was much better than last week without being any more than solid. Reddan did ok when he came on. Sexton had a good game and is really growing at this level. Darcy put in a really solid 50 minutes or so and then the ROG/Sexton combination seemed to up out attacking options in the last 20mins or so. BOD had a decent game - if only he still had that extra yard of pace. McFadden was better than last week. Thought Trimble was the poorest player in green. I wanted him to start this week but his performance wasn't even as good as Zebo's last week. No doubt people on here will be just as critical of Trimble's performance as they were of Zebo's . Kearney worked hard and had some good moments.
A lot of encouragement and hope that some of our players grow in confidence as a result. Will be tough to repeat a performance like that in the 3rd test as historically the last game of these tours is the "one match too many" one.
Immense performance by Ireland.
Imagine: no POC, no Ferris, no Bowe and it was still 19 19 on 79 minutes plus!
I thought Healy, Ross, SOB and BOD outstanding - sorry, that sounds Leinster biased but that's just my honest impression!
We made some silly mistakes but the turning point was that penalty near the end for the wheeled scrum. I think Nigel was a bit harsh but that's rugby.
Can't wait now for next week. They did us proud.
Look, it's all about results, always has been and always will....and we lost.
Leaving that aside this is a day that we can be really proud of the boys in green. They took it to the ABs in their own back hard. This wasn't simply committed - the quality of rugby played by Ireland was top drawer. Physically ferocious and committed, time and again they produced quick ruck ball and used it well, great running angles, good support, variety in attack.
Bitterly disappointed but we just didn't get the rub of the green to get a result. If we played that well against the ABs 10 times in a row you'd have to think that we would win 5 of them. Well done lads, really proud.
It just goes to show that Ireland are far more dangerous playing with ball in hand à la Leinster than the approach that Kidney favours in kicking for territory and stuffing it up the jumpers of the forwards.
Tazz #15 wrote:No Shan, you have misunderstood me, I wasn't getting at you personally when I said about quitting whinging, in fact more so at myself, we were extremely hard done by, but can be immensely proud! Just out of interest, does Owens have the third test as well? Never mind an All Black backlash, I can see another Irish backlash coming next week.
And yes troupe, if only indeed!
Thanks Tazz. I must say though it didn't enter my head you were getting at me. I just know what I am like.
I'm not sure about the third test ref. One thing for sure is NZ will want Owens.
It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.
Firstly we didn't kick the ball to them and give them possession .Give New Zealand the ball and they will use -- give the English the ball and they keep it -give the scots the ball and they'll kick it back to you. You don't give the ball to New Zealand.
Secondly the D'Arcy -O'Driscoll gain line drift defence kept shepharding the AB's backline to the touch line last week Earls was doing his own impetious undisciplined defensive runs and tackles Abs went to ground but were able to off load players into the gap. Its the difference between a disiplined centre and "a want to be".
The reason the ABs get away with more than others is because Referees watch and penalise players by playing in black the referee see a shirt not a player.
I said last week the Irish forwards were not to blame for the defeat .
Last week the ABs got their points on the board early built a lead and then opened up their fast off loading high risk game denied the early lead they played a tight % game limiting risk and came up against a sound defence capable of coping with that approach and got hot under the collar.
How much was dirt how much was frustration and attempted intimadation which was resisted big question?? although I think that was the first time I ever saw BoD scared on a rugby pitch in my opinion somebody may have gone for his eye -- accident --maybe -- maybe not .
Within this carapace of skepticism there lives an optimist
We can blame the ref or McCaw or we can applaud a fine Irish performance. Stopping the All Blacks from playing is a massive task and it was mission accomplished.
Sadly the penalties we gave away were too soft. That extra bit of discipline could and probably would have carried the day.
It just shows how good you have to be to beat them
troupe86 wrote:It just goes to show that Ireland are far more dangerous playing with ball in hand à la Leinster than the approach that Kidney favours in kicking for territory and stuffing it up the jumpers of the forwards.
No I think the forwards play at the ruck was superb, great recycling, and provided the platform going forwards. It went hand in hand with the passing game of the backs. A much better all round performance.
rumncoke wrote:
Secondly the D'Arcy -O'Driscoll gain line drift defence kept shepharding the AB's backline to the touch line last week Earls was
How much was dirt how much was frustration and attempted intimadation which was resisted big question?? although I think that was the first time I ever saw BoD scared on a rugby pitch in my opinion somebody may have gone for his eye -- accident --maybe -- maybe not .
Mike Ross also seemed to be a victim by the look of him . They are a shower of
Best Irish performance I have ever seen vs the ABs. Was gutting to lose like that. Although I think a draw is the best we could have achieved the penalty against us for wheeling the scrum was very harsh. I don't know how you can honestly tell who is causing the wheel. Nige blamed the Irish back 5 for running round, yet to me it looked they were trying to stay bound and had to shift round to compensate for the wheel. Pretty harsh and led to them getting a territory advantage and drop goal opportunity. They are of course the best team in the world but we made them look a little more ordinary today.
. Kearney worked hard and had some good moments. 
