Ireland V Scotland

[Joe Schmo]

Jesus, the RTE living eulogy of O'Driscoll was almost sickening!

You know when someone has boiled Neil's pish, barely a sentence

[Deraless]

Joe has previous. Remember the stick the team got after Australia when in reality they had their sights firmly set on the All Blacks.

You cant win the 6N in the first week but you might lose it blah blah

At no stage were Ireland really worried by Scotland. Did they ever really need to get into top gear?

They will be better next week, and so will Wales.

Plus we got to see 7 Ulstermen grace the turf of Lansdowne in a Championship match. Hasn't happened in a while I'm sure?

[Cap'n Grumpy]

At no stage were Ireland really worried by Scotland. Did they ever really need to get into top gear?

heard a stat at the weekend (not sure if it's true - think it came from Gusher), that in the past year all of Scotland's tries (albeit there haven't been many) have come off first phase ball. They have not scored a try off multiple phase play in over a year ... allegedly.

[interlooter]

spot the lurking by paddy Jackson in the shaggy and rog interview.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/player/

not a great performance by the team, but can only be positive about the result and injury situation. all the players did well and I even caught myself congratulating POM will need video analysis to reaffirm my blindness to his worth
crowd at Lansdowne was subdued and the arrangements for exiting the stadium are a joke. alright on a good dry day to stand for 20 minutes in a holding pen whilst the rest of the stadium empties, but if it had been raining the punters certainly wouldn't have been as tolerant - only gripe from an enjoyable day out.
wales and England (almost felt sorry for them) look to be the teams to beat.

[Russ]

Is Scott Johnson the worst rugby coach in history?

sent from my crozier

[BaggyTrousers]

spot the lurking by paddy Jackson in the shaggy and rog interview.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/player/

not a great performance by the team, but can only be positive about the result and injury situation. all the players did well and I even caught myself congratulating POM will need video analysis to reaffirm my blindness to his worth
crowd at Lansdowne was subdued and the arrangements for exiting the stadium are a joke. alright on a good dry day to stand for 20 minutes in a holding pen whilst the rest of the stadium empties, but if it had been raining the punters certainly wouldn't have been as tolerant - only gripe from an enjoyable day out.
wales and England (almost felt sorry for them) look to be the teams to beat.

Actually Looter, I posted early in the game that he was leading candidate for MOTM. I think it is indicative of his worth that he was most noticeable when the Scots were enjoying the majority of possession and territory early on, he was the biggest man on view defending & stole a ball or two. Lad dun gud.

Apropos of SFA, for the "Average Dave" brigade, AD was not close to stopping Denton scoring from a retreating scrum until both Murray & Sexton arrived to smash him, kudos the half-backs. Weak defence from AverageD. A Cuthbert or North would look forward to having a run at him I reckon. AAT is an essential pick next week & I reckon Jo has the wit to see that, he is never found wanting physically.

I am not anti AD at this stage, just stating the blindingly obvious. Guy is doing OK but I don't see him as a regular all being equal. Same unfortunately applies to AAT, a man made of sterner stuff but not one of Ireland's glory boys, even if many of those glory boys (Fitz Keeeet less but still , Ferg ) are better regarded down Mexico way.

AAT is a magnificent man, hard as feck, perhaps not as naturally gifted as some, but with the Great Ulster attributes of being brave as the day is long and as committed to the Ulster Fry as the poor ould pig. As Doyler once trotted out, "its like the bacon & the egg, the hen is involved but the pig is committed". Fitz is the hen, AAT is the pig, there are few things I value higher than commitment.

[loosehead1984]

Setanta wrote:Most refreshing thing for me was the long overdue realisation that this is a twenty-three man team and a coach who realises it.



Nicely said. Refreshing indeed. Let's hope this is a sign of what is to come.

Fair play to Robot and Shaggy for their comments on RTE, hopefully, this is a real sign of change for the better in the Ireland setup.

[interlooter]

I thought at the game that heaslip deserved MOTM, but after watching on TV have to say that POM was mccaw like in his work at the breakdown and destroyed the Scottish momentum almost single handedly. He affected at least 4 penalties and was prominent in the tight, loose and on the deck.
I have seen the light!

Highlight of the game-
Joubert admonishing big Jim Hamilton after repeated misbehaviour
"I was only standing up for mesel' sir!"
Laughed out loud for a good minute after that one

[Dublin4]

My point about the official stats was that it illustrated what BOD did.
Apart from his 14 tackles being the highest of any Irish player, his passing was sublime for the players around him and helped lead to Kearney's try.

[Shan]

I am not anti AD at this stage, just stating the blindingly obvious. Guy is doing OK but I don't see him as a regular all being equal. Same unfortunately applies to AAT, a man made of sterner stuff but not one of Ireland's glory boys, even if many of those glory boys (Fitz Keeeet less but still , Ferg ) are better regarded down Mexico way.

AAT is a magnificent man, hard as feck, perhaps not as naturally gifted as some, but with the Great Ulster attributes of being brave as the day is long and as committed to the Ulster Fry as the poor ould pig. As Doyler once trotted out, "its like the bacon & the egg, the hen is involved but the pig is committed". Fitz is the hen, AAT is the pig, there are few things I value higher than commitment.

Andrew Trimble has 51 Ireland Caps. Now I think he was unfairly sidelined sometimes but he has had chances.

Andrew, just like everybody else, has to show Joe he needs to select him. He played reasonably well yesterday. He was solid in the air, he tackled when he had to and he got involved in some of the dirtier parts of the game which are necessary(I saw him a few times digging in at the rucks for example) - I said it though that I think he could be Joe's type of player but only if he maintains a very high standard. I think he can do better. He needs to if he is to proclaim the jersey is his. I hope he gets his chance again this weekend. We could do with him against those big Welsh ballixes.

[Shan]

I thought at the game that heaslip deserved MOTM, but after watching on TV have to say that POM was mccaw like in his work at the breakdown and destroyed the Scottish momentum almost single handedly. He affected at least 4 penalties and was prominent in the tight, loose and on the deck.
I have seen the light!

Highlight of the game-
Joubert admonishing big Jim Hamilton after repeated misbehaviour
"I was only standing up for mesel' sir!"
Laughed out loud for a good minute after that one

I thought all our backrow were really good but there is no doubt at all that POM was the leading light taking the battle to Scotland throughout the first half and until the time he was called ashore, presumably to protect him for the bigger battle next week. Given he is still only a fairly young lad that was a smart thing to do by Joe IMO.

Hamilton is a sneaky fecker and was lucky not to be carded. Also I haven't heard of any citings and I seem to recall somebody deliberately stamping on Jonathan Sexton. Scotland also tripped a couple of our players deliberately but all that type of stuff is really par for the course for the Scots. Whereas in the past they offered some good play to go with their cheating ways now they offer nothing but the negative stuff.

[Russ]

My point about the official stats was that it illustrated what BOD did.
Apart from his 14 tackles being the highest of any Irish player, his passing was sublime for the players around him and helped lead to Kearney's try.

By my rough he threw 4 terrible passes in the first half alone.

Time to go

sent from my crozier

[Shan]

My point about the official stats was that it illustrated what BOD did.
Apart from his 14 tackles being the highest of any Irish player, his passing was sublime for the players around him and helped lead to Kearney's try.

BOD played reasonably well. Trouble is we have come to expect so much more from him. That is probably unfair but that is the reality. But it is not his fault he is still the best option at 13. I am going to assume Joe wants to win the 6N. If he does he will be picking what he sees as his best team for each game. BOD will be seen as part of that best team. Simple enough really.


Some will argue he should be trying out other options at 13. The 6N is hardly the place for that if we are seriously thinking about winning it. There's plenty of other international inexperience across the team and taking out one of your two defensive lynchpins is not really ideal. I wouldn't be surprised it the other one is back in the team against Wales. Harsh on Marshall maybe but Darcy was Ireland's best player against NZ and he is the top performing 12 in Ireland at provincial level again this year.

[big mervyn]

AAT and Chad both made Jiffy's 6N team of the week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/26011527

Kearney, Sexton and Healy also in there, but no spot for the MOTM.

[Spiffsson]

I am not anti AD at this stage, just stating the blindingly obvious. Guy is doing OK but I don't see him as a regular all being equal. Same unfortunately applies to AAT, a man made of sterner stuff but not one of Ireland's glory boys, even if many of those glory boys (Fitz Keeeet less but still , Ferg ) are better regarded down Mexico way.

AAT is a magnificent man, hard as feck, perhaps not as naturally gifted as some, but with the Great Ulster attributes of being brave as the day is long and as committed to the Ulster Fry as the poor ould pig. As Doyler once trotted out, "its like the bacon & the egg, the hen is involved but the pig is committed". Fitz is the hen, AAT is the pig, there are few things I value higher than commitment.

Andrew Trimble has 51 Ireland Caps. Now I think he was unfairly sidelined sometimes but he has had chances.

Andrew, just like everybody else, has to show Joe he needs to select him. He played reasonably well yesterday. He was solid in the air, he tackled when he had to and he got involved in some of the dirtier parts of the game which are necessary(I saw him a few times digging in at the rucks for example) - I said it though that I think he could be Joe's type of player but only if he maintains a very high standard. I think he can do better. He needs to if he is to proclaim the jersey is his. I hope he gets his chance again this weekend. We could do with him against those big Welsh ballixes.

Yes. Andy is a solid wing now, not outstandingly fast but strong and determined and has really improved ubder the high ball. He will not let the side down. He was probably as surprised as I was when thon Mexicans passed him the ball for his try. I have seen him starved in many a game.