2014 Six Nations: England vs Ireland (Round 3)

[Darren22]

England vs Ireland Predictions

Its going to be a great game of rugby i think Ireland might just win it by 3 or 6 points

 

[Aristodemus]

I love these one post one line threads.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

13-41

 

[Aristodemus]

Time will tell snoopy!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

20 - 03
(England RWC winners)

 

[germanbullsfan]

Thight game, with slight advantage for the boyz in green ! Point difference within 9 points, i say!!1

 

[munstermuffin]

I think Ireland but it'll be a game like 20 - 18 or something. Can't see either team running away and well have a feeling it'll be arm wrestle up front

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I honestly see us pushing them close and then with 15 minutes to go Lancaster brings on Goode and youngs. We loose a key line out, Goode knocks on an easy ball and we loose!

Then Lancaster says...."we didn't loose due to the subs"

 

[Darren22]

I dont think that will be the score but i didnt think we would win wales by that much so you never know

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I think England, like Wales, are weak to kicks behind the defence. The French showed that and I think that will be the Irish game plan. either grubber kicks and then tackle and attempt to turn over anyone who happens to get it or up and unders. They may also attempt to kick to touch and maul a lot as I think England can be pushed around in a maul even more than Wales or Scotland. Ultimately I predict Ireland to use tactics traditionally associated with England to beat England.

If England are wise to this, I can see our running causing a bit of havoc to the Irish. We have a little more to our running game than crash ball which Wales and Scotland use. If Lancaster bring on Youngs, Goode and Barritt though, I think the Irish will score a try in that time. Youngs will allow the Irish to kick to touch with impunity and Goode will make the kicking game definitely in Ireland's favour.

TL;DR - Ireland to play a kicking game with occassional mauls at the lineout. Will win unless England get their tactics sorted, in which case england have a chance.

 

[Feicarsinn]

As mentioned above, we need to play to our strengths, namely our kicking game and line out. Chase hard and put an inexperienced English back three under pressure. I expect the English pack to be more of a handful than their Welsh counterparts, particularly at the set piece, so we'll have to put in a big effort to secure our own ball.

Ever the optimist, 12-18

 

[McTallshort]

It will be won and lost in the backrow and I think England have a slight edge there....thought I would get that one in early

 

[munstermuffin]

It will be won and lost in the backrow and I think England have a slight edge there....thought I would get that one in early

Billy V is tearing trees up but point is valid and I think POM plaudits have really hid 1 thing from limelight and that is Heaslip is carrying as well as he ever has for Ireland. The 8 battle will be epic

 

[Amiga500]

Hmmm.... in a total turnaround from a few years back I see the Irish reserve front rowers as being potentially decisively better than their English counterparts). Come the last 20 minutes, the scrums could shift from evens to an Irish strength, which might be vital to the winning and losing of the game*.

From an Irish perspective, I'd fear the running of Mike Brown and May, but be optimistic at finding chinks in the English centre's defence.


Apart from that, its probably too nick and tuck to call.



*on a wet day, I'd fancy our better kicking game couple with a stronger scrum over the 80 (inc. subs!) to get us over the line. On a dry day, its probably whatever team turns up best.

 

[munstermuffin]

Regards Ireland big tests will be:
Our scrum will tire and how front rows especially Moore go. This will be his biggest test and hopefully he continues his trend.
Backrow battle will be big and at breakdown but also making hard yards around fringes.
Murray vs Care is going to have huge say in this.
Our defense has to be solid and for that I'd think D'arcy will be kept.
Our back 3 will need to be very alert and be bank on position ally in this 1 too

 

[Big Ewis]

sure hope it's more entertaining than Ireland Wales which I was positive was going to be a massive encounter with tries flying in from both ends and salsa dancing and ketchup and stuff, turned out it was nothing but an ego-boosting trip for Irish fans.

Uhm, we'll have to transfer all this to the "official" thread once it's up, but very basically I'm not buying the whole current momentum hype. England were 3 points away from beating France in Paris, had they achieved that and then gone 0-20 in Scotland surely ppl now would all have a different take on this and say England at home would be making it 3 in a row, most probably. But because they narrowly lost a match and Ireland have convincingly won their first two, ppl are actually considering Ireland the favorites going into this one.
England are a very solid team right now and are too well oiled a machine with a simple-effective plan to not show up, so Ireland will definitely struggle. I think because England have too little going on attack they can't hope to cross the Irish defense and line too many times, the latter being very organized in the last 3 meetings...and Ireland themselves will be a handful at the breakdown, so England won't be running them through with their intense rucks.
Wishful thinking a bit, but also some reasonable thought...perhaps Ireland by 3-4.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Mad "**** the English" intensity and Ireland to win 19-16....

 

[Big Ewis]

England vs Ireland




Date: Saturday, 22nd February 2014 - 16:00 GMT (UTC+0)
Location: Twickenham Stadium, London, England
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
​

 

[Zed]

If Ireland come out to play a conservative kicking game, I think they'll lose. If it's p!$$ing it down they'll only lose by 5 or 6 points, but if it's not, I think England will put 15, 20 points on them.

 

[Peat]

If Ireland come out to play a conservative kicking game, I think they'll lose. If it's p!$$ing it down they'll only lose by 5 or 6 points, but if it's not, I think England will put 15, 20 points on them.

Why?

Sexton is a better tactical kicker than Farrell, Murray is miles better than Care, the Irish back three is better in the air than our back three, and they're better at dropping back to cover their guys - well - ok, what I mean is that when Farrell drops back he really contends well for the high ball.

Also, their maul is currently doing better than ours, which puts significant strains on our kicking game vs theirs.

I think kicking the leather off of it will work well for them.

As for the idea of us sticking 15-20 points on a team with a good defence.... I wish!