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Ireland XXIII 15. Rob Kearney 14. Keith Earls 13. Garry Ringrose 12. Robbie Henshaw 11. Jacob Stockdale 10. Johnny Sexton 9. Conor Murray 1. Cian Healy 2. Rory Best (captain) 3. Tadhg Furlong 4. Iain Henderson 5. James Ryan 6. Peter O’Mahony 7. Josh van der Flier 8. CJ Stander Replacements...

The whole year I've been waiting for a "big performance". During the 6N as the weeks went on I kept thinking to myself "Ireland always turns up really well for at least one match in a tournament" and I was certain that we would at least give Wales a real good battle on the last day, but it never...

Pool A is a bit of a cracker to be fair. Barring a catastrophe Ireland are in the driving seat, while Scotland, Samoa and Japan are going to have some very interesting battles for 2nd place. I always want 6N teams to do well but I would really love Japan to make the QF and give NZ a good game.

It's true though, I struggle to think of a match against quality opposition where Ireland had to chase and then won. If things are close in the 10pt area we can normally stay calm and catch up, but doing the 20 pt come backs like NZ, Wales and Argentina (sometimes) can is pretty much impossible...

If England play the way they have against us and NZ last year, neither teams will come close. Unfortunately I think Argentina will win this, France haven't turned up in many, many years. I don't think a few weeks extra pep is going to change that but I dearly hope I'm wrong.

Even though we normally beat them, playing the Scots in recent years has tended to be a nervous, shaky affair. There's often a big scare in the first 60 minutes of the game, where we have to weather the storm before our superior pack closes the game out. They know if they lose this, they will...

Delighted that Farrell got the clear. I hope Cips is still feeling a bit rough and TOD runs some hard lines down his channel! I'll unfortunately miss this as I'll be on a 13 hour flight, but I really hope to come to Thomond Park next week buoyed by tonight's result, with a home QF in reach...

With Henshaw out we better start saying our Hail Marys for Ringrose and Aki's injuries. They seem to be grand but any little ****le could pull up and we're looking at starting Addison, Arnold McCloskey against the All Blacks. Without wanting to state the obvious no Murray is a huge blow and the...

I think the narrative around this game is a bit blown out of proportion. If Italy lose there is no way their position in the 6 Nations is being undermined, they have become a part of the family and even though they get hockeyed a lot I wouldn't want them to leave. It took France 30 years of...

Well it would be kinda weird if Ireland weren't confident, given their current status in world rugby. Confidence is very different to expecting to win. I'm confident we can too but I'm expecting us to lose.

Don't think I've ever been less excited for a Test match.

Bit of a ridiculous statement. Lots of journos have been discussing how powerful top of the Prem Exeter are, within reason too, they are leading their domestic league. They are a good side who will likely make the play offs. I don't see how stating an objective fact equates to thinking the media...

I accept the fact that the TRC can be of higher quality at times. New Zealand being New Zealand, and I feel like they bring out the best in other teams. Everyone gets fired up for New Zealand. Whether skill levels (and thus natural quality of matches) are better in the SH than NH is debatable...

I'm pretty happy with the result to be honest, despite losing a game we could've won. Beirne was very busy I thought and showed glimpses into his recent Scarlets glory. He is only going to get better the more he is embedded into Munster's system. If Munster can bring that intensity every week...

It really is. Nothing can mitigate it. At least in the Glasgow match we came back in the second half, and it was a B team... You have to wonder why Fla and Felix have been kept around for so long too, with Munster's dip in form happening under them over the past few years. I wasn't as optimistic...

It's tempting to sharpen the knives but there is another way of looking at it. The Pro14 is much improved this year (and I suspect things will get even harder for Munster in the league), with good wins coming from Kings, Benetton, Zebre; Connacht, Edinburgh and Ulster looking stronger, etc...

Tough one to call. Normally you'd say the Wallabies by 10/15+ but I think the Pumas are gonna make this a lot more difficult than Australian fans are used to. Would be delighted with a Pumas win and not 100% surprised either. At the same time one kind of just expects the Wallabies to win. Should...

Hate saying it but I see a very emphatic NZ win. Maybe not a total nilling like last year, but I would imagine NZ are going to beat the Boks by about 25+ points. The Boks will look ok in the first 30 minutes, scoring a try or two, but that's it. :(

Ah he was only looking for a rise, me and the beor had a good laugh ourselves! I loved this match, I loved this series. Australia-Ireland are always such great games. We are long lost twins, separated at birth, raised in different hemispheres. I was on the skeptical-of-Conan brigade but I...

15. Rob Kearney 14. Keith Earls 13. Robbie Henshaw 12. Bundee Aki 11. Jacob Stockdale 10. Johnny Sexton 9. Conor Murray 1. Jack McGrath 2. Sean Cronin 3. Tadhg Furlong 4. Devin Toner 5. James Ryan 6. CJ Stander 7. Peter O’Mahony (captain) 8. Jack Conan Replacements: 16. Niall Scannell 17...