2014 Six Nations: Ireland vs Wales (Round 2)

[brumtom]

Anyone think Mike Phillips behaved like a petulant child throughout the game ? Never liked him and find him utterly irritating to watch as a fan of rugby.

 

[David Teague]

back to basics you cant run without your legs so why does size matter in wales most teams win with skill and flair the best team in the world arent the biggest team in the world.

 

[Peat]

Difficult to say without seeing the game, but POM always did bits and pieces well, just with suspicious looking parts in between and hem'ing and haw'ing over his physicality. If Schmidt is directing POM to the areas where his reaction and aggression makes the most difference and giving him a bit of fine tuning, that would explain a lot. He really seems to be getting the most out of lots of players, I'm really excited to see his influence long term on all the Ulster starlets.

Btw - what happened to Tuohy? Heard he got injured?

 

[Steveomac]

Agree about Mike Phillips - think everyone dislikes him outside of Wales! Look at his attitude which got him canned at Bayonne.

 

[big ginger 8]

Btw - what happened to Tuohy? Heard he got injured?

They didn't show the actual incident but broken arm apparently.

 

[Welshlover]

Agree about Mike Phillips - think everyone dislikes him outside of Wales! Look at his attitude which got him canned at Bayonne.

No we don't, I think he's a complete liability, as soon as he has to graft he cuts up nasty, no surprise perhaps
because he's really a lazy ****

 

[Peat]

They didn't show the actual incident but broken arm apparently.

Summon the Manchild.

 

[munstermuffin]

Summon the Manchild.

As was said it didn't show but initial reports saying he came down wrong way in tackle and is very doubtful for HEC QF

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I have no issue with Mike Phillips. I think another Welsh player may have a case to answer though. Check out what happens Paddy Jackson after he touches down:

Perhaps it was accidental and he's innocent until proven guilty but what Liam Williams did doesn't look good.

 

[Feicarsinn]

I don't think you ever lead with the elbow like that by accident.

 

[Groundhog]

I'm trying to think of a game where Liam Williams hasn't started a fight, yet he always seems to skulk away when he doesn't have the chance to take a cheap shot.

 

[Rich Taff]

Ireland looked like England in the Woodward era. Set play, set play set play, kick for territory.

Extremely effective tactics.

Wales were bloody awful, people saying we had no 'plan B' are wrong. We didn't seem to have a 'plan A' in the first place

 

[Mumbles119]

Sexton always in control, very intelligent and impressive performance. Ireland are looking very good for the tournament.

Wales certainly need to learn to adapt, Gatland Ball well nullified there.

 

[Big Ewis]

Sexton always in control, very intelligent and impressive performance. Ireland are looking very good for the tournament.

Wales certainly need to learn to adapt, Gatland Ball well nullified there.

agreed about Sexton. And semi-agreed about Gatland Ball, but I think we should also say that though Ireland paid great attention on defense to the big Welsh backs, those just weren't playing how they can. Something about playing in Dublin seemed to have frozen their minds. It literally looked like they weren't all that interested in playing at times. Surely it's psychological. Or, Ireland playing so tough early on, they got uninspired and discouraged fast and never felt like they really could come back so didn't bother too much...no heroic intentions there today from Wales.
Wales just doesn't lose 26-3 to too many teams if they're actually in rhythm and galvanized.

I'm sure even (some) Irish fans will admit they looked flat out weird today DESPITE, and I repeat, excellent Irish defense. Like some type of mental fatigue, like they just couldn't be bothered to show up big time, or felt the weight of a third straight ***le humble them, the erosion, like it was too heavy a load.

The realities/certainties are those, though: Wales still can damage teams badly, this is just one match. Ireland are a team to look out for, big time, with very dangerous weapons.

 

[shtove]

Sexton always in control, very intelligent and impressive performance. Ireland are looking very good for the tournament.

Sexton had some rotten kicks in the 1st half - crossfield straight in touch on bad angle, missed penalty to touch, a couple of others.

Key is Ireland have only conceded 9 points so far. Is that a 6N record at round 2?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Great game such intelligent play, our backrow just bossed for 80 minutes! Every single facet of the game we were better, it was like an RWC 2011 role reversal! Henry's work at the breakdown was pure class, he slowed all of Wales ball down and O'Mahoney cleaned up when the turnovers were there. Best was the best player on the pitch for me today and him and Hibbard's battle was great to watch. No negatives of that game that I can think of, bar Johnny's slow start, but Joe will certainly find a few!

Hard luck Wales, Gatland really has to go back to the drawing board and for you fans sake I hope he does!

@MM I'll hold my hand up and say I shouldn't have doubted O'Mahoney, top class performance today but at the same time I don't and I don't think Joe Schmidt thinks our back 3 is massively inferior to theirs! The Kearney brothers ruled the sky today with Trimble putting in a top quality shift, easily his best performance in a green jersey!

 

[The Jones Boy]

Ireland are looking awesome.
New coach, new attitude, real aggression up front but controlled.
The Welsh seem to be on autopilot and they got carved up.
This Irish outfit has transformed since the nearly win over the AB's in the Autumn.
They are exciting to watch.
Great to see.

Mike Phillips played poorly and whined like a cur. Very unbecoming.
Rob Kearney is a fine player but stoops to behaving like a very ungracious winner and it's an ugly trait.

 

[dullonien]

I have no issue with Mike Phillips. I think another Welsh player may have a case to answer though. Check out what happens Paddy Jackson after he touches down:

Perhaps it was accidental and he's innocent until proven guilty but what Liam Williams did doesn't look good.

Looked intentional to me, and imo it should be picked up by citing commissioners. It'll probably be overlooked because it didn't cause any injury (luckily). I thought he'd started to mature a little bit and stopped putting in those cheap shots, but his frustrations got the better of him today.

Wales certainly need to learn to adapt, Gatland Ball well nullified there.

Whilst I want to see the Wales game plan evolve into something far less one dimensional, with a genuine Plan B; it would have made zero difference today. Whatever game plan a team uses, it has to start up front, and they were outplayed in every facet there today.

 

[munstermuffin]

Ireland are looking awesome.
New coach, new attitude, real aggression up front but controlled.
The Welsh seem to be on autopilot and they got carved up.
This Irish outfit has transformed since the nearly win over the AB's in the Autumn.
They are exciting to watch.
Great to see.

Mike Phillips played poorly and whined like a cur. Very unbecoming.
Rob Kearney is a fine player but stoops to behaving like a very ungracious winner and it's an ugly trait.

@Cmac I will agree regards back 3.

Regards this comment. How is Kearney ungracious? Have been lucky to meet him a few times and he's 1 I'd say seems very level headed.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Mike Phillips deserves to get the Josh Lewsey treatment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3cnss1UMO8