[2019 Six Nations] Wales v Ireland (16/03/2019)

[bushytop]

Rumours are Wales request to close the roof has been rejected by Schmidt. Forecast is for it to be horrific in Cardiff at 3pm Saturday and Ireland seem to want it that way.
Both teams have to agree for the roof to be closed.

crikey thats such a negative decision by ireland...personally i think it should be up to the home team, its their roof if they want to shut it they should be allowed to...damn thing cost a fortune yet most of the time away teams ban them from using it because theyre scared of a bit of atmosphere

Yeah... I can understand opposing teams wanting to 'keep the lid off' if it's dry or not too wet but with the forecast for Saturday, I'm disappointed in Schmidt's decision (should this indeed turn out to be true).

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Schmidt has asked for it closed adding that the times he's played there the sprinklers were on for so long before the game it may as well have been open according to a couple journos on twitter.

 

[munstermuffin]

crikey thats such a negative decision by ireland...personally i think it should be up to the home team, its their roof if they want to shut it they should be allowed to...damn thing cost a fortune yet most of the time away teams ban them from using it because theyre scared of a bit of atmosphere

Well I think it is 100% the correct method to make both teams agree. And well I don't think it's negative by Schmidt. More he is calculated.

 

[bobfrommunster]

We have a spare triple room Travelodge Cardiff Centre - Friday and Saturday B&B - if anyone is interested please pm me.
We booked one room too many

 

[oj121]

Oh good. Wales need some injection from the bench with 20 mins to go...they look over and see they have picked Aled Davies again. Players give up and we lose as they realise it pointless attacking off 2 day old ball. Ireland win.

Just summarising the game so people who are busy dont need to watch.

Seriously what do they see in him. As a world class 9 surely Howley should be able to spot that Aled has NONE of the traits needed to be an international 9 or an impact player of the bench?

 

[munstermuffin]

Schmidt has asked for it closed adding that the times he's played there the sprinklers were on for so long before the game it may as well have been open according to a couple journos on twitter.

I only going by indo but nothing concrete or quotes either way from him.

 

[MojoPin]

Really hope the roof isn't open as rumoured, would be such a shame to have a slow, mud-ridden game as the deciding match of the tournament. Surely it would play to Ireland's strengths anyway? We'll see I guess. I think the consideration is less about the actual conditions and more about doing the exact opposite of whatever Gatland wants. Which I kind of get, but it's still very petty and a negative approach to the game. Maybe one of the Principality support staff could spill their Wheatabix on the mechanism and get it suitably stuck in place before the match.

Roof stuff aside, hoping for a tightly contested match between two of my favourite rugby nations. Obviously hoping for a Welsh win but Ireland are just too good to take lightly. Not confident but quietly hopeful that the sense of occasion will get us over the line, both literally and figuratively!

 

[Leinster Fan]

I only going by indo

That was a mistake...

 

[munstermuffin]

That was a mistake...

Well to be fair now Schmidt is after saying as much. They would prefer ot open but Wales are gone over their heads to 6Nations appealing so it is interesting. He did make a good point. Ireland are preparing all week in testing conditions and that plays a part to in preperations and thinking

 

[Leinster Fan]

Well to be fair now Schmidt is after saying as much. They would prefer ot open but Wales are gone over their heads to 6Nations appealing so it is interesting. He did make a good point. Ireland are preparing all week in testing conditions and that plays a part to in preperations and thinking

I was just taking a shot at the indo, I've never really been bothered to care about the yearly arguments about the roof.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport...ok&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wales_rugby

G'wan Joe!! There's mad animosity here!

 

[ncurd]

Wales "**** me we have hard enough time scoring in the sunshine let alone the pouring rain"

I have zero idea what Wales' appeal is worth the rules have been there since they built the stadium and for the organisers to go against that sets a very dangerous precedent.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Wales "**** me we have hard enough time scoring in the sunshine let alone the pouring rain"

I have zero idea what Wales' appeal is worth the rules have been there since they built the stadium and for the organisers to go against that sets a very dangerous precedent.

But its a Grand Slam!

To be honest I disagree with the rule, they should get to choose but it's should absolutely not change mid tournament. My guess is that Joe will have it closed and is just acting up and embracing the mind games because it's probably his last game against Gatland, who's a dlckhead.

 

[munstermuffin]

I was just taking a shot at the indo, I've never really been bothered to care about the yearly arguments about the roof.

Oh 100% agree it a rag

 

[bushytop]

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport...ok&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wales_rugby

G'wan Joe!! There's mad animosity here!

Funny how this rivalry has grown quite nasty over the years... did it start with the Phillips ball-swap try? If so, quite surprised the Irish have held onto it so long.

Obvs there was the BOD drop for the 3rd Lions Test in Oz and SOB putting Gats and Howlers on blast in NZ... also for the Lions. Am I missing anything... if not, seems a little petty imo?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Funny how this rivalry has grown quite nasty over the years... did it start with the Phillips ball-swap try? If so, quite surprised the Irish have held onto it so long.

Obvs there was the BOD drop for the 3rd Lions Test in Oz and SOB putting Gats and Howlers on blast in NZ... also for the Lions. Am I missing anything... if not, seems a little petty imo?

2001 - IRFU sack Gatland unfairly and in contentious circumstances, his replacement Eddie O'Sullivan is fairly shite.
2008 - Gatland wins GS in first year hammering Ireland at home en route ending Gatland's career. EOS sacked.
2009 - Gatland says Welsh players "hate the Irish the most", Irish players blame Ospreys recent acquisition Tommy Bowe. Gatland's forwards coach replacement from 2001 Declan Kidney beats him to win GS in first year.
2011 - Ballgate, World Cup QF
2012 - Wales gifted win in Dublin by Wayne Barnes after a perfectly legitimate Stephen Ferris tackle is penalised and a yellow card issued, citing commissioner says it wasn't a penalty, penalty kicked and Wales win with last kick of the game.
2013 - BODgate
2014 - Joe Schmidt comes, Ireland hammer Wales out the gate.
2015 - Wales win by 7, Wayne Barnes ends game with an inconceivable scrum penalty to Wales on their own 5m.
2017 - Lions, a lot of Irish are disillusioned with another Gatland tour after years of him having an Irish rugby complex, feel Welsh are overrepresented.

Big games, both sides acting the ********, contentious calls, (I'm sure one or two went our way too but it's harder to remember) an outspoken coach etc... I don't think there's any pettiness on either side it's just a rivalry that's grown from a lot of factors, personal and circumstantial. I'd say it's stuck now but the IRFU sacking Gatland and Gatland's abrasiveness triggered it and it snowballed.

 

[truthteller]

the bitter rivalry is 3 reasons

1) since england won the world cup , the irish and welsh have been relatively dominant.
2) the pro 14 and european cup has seen the irish and welsh clash a zillion times with the irish winning 60% ...theres also been some ill feeling over the irish sending out too many weak sides in pro 14 devaluing the competition to save for europe. but I dont feel that anger tbh its up to teams what they want to do
3) BOD gate...|The great man was dropped on his last lions tour for the great jon fox davies. sadly they couldnt really play together as neither is a 12. in the end foxy was picked, rightly so he was magnificent on that tour and BOD was dropped. Id have had BOD benching but thats by the by. The real sour note was how much many irish stars and irish media complained about foxy selection for several years to follow, even after the lions smashed the aussies in the deciding test. That was really sad,

 

[bushytop]

2001 - IRFU sack Gatland unfairly and in contentious circumstances, his replacement Eddie O'Sullivan is fairly shite.
2008 - Gatland wins GS in first year hammering Ireland at home en route ending Gatland's career. EOS sacked.
2009 - Gatland says Welsh players "hate the Irish the most", Irish players blame Ospreys recent acquisition Tommy Bowe. Gatland's forwards coach replacement from 2001 Declan Kidney beats him to win GS in first year.
2011 - Ballgate, World Cup QF
2012 - Wales gifted win in Dublin by Wayne Barnes after a perfectly legitimate Stephen Ferris tackle is penalised and a yellow card issued, citing commissioner says it wasn't a penalty, penalty kicked and Wales win with last kick of the game.
2013 - BODgate
2014 - Joe Schmidt comes, Ireland hammer Wales out the gate.
2015 - Wales win by 7, Wayne Barnes ends game with an inconceivable scrum penalty to Wales on their own 5m.
2017 - Lions, a lot of Irish are disillusioned with another Gatland tour after years of him having an Irish rugby complex, feel Welsh are overrepresented.

Big games, both sides acting the ********, contentious calls, (I'm sure one or two went our way too but it's harder to remember) an outspoken coach etc... I don't think there's any pettiness on either side it's just a rivalry that's grown from a lot of factors, personal and circumstantial. I'd say it's stuck now but the IRFU sacking Gatland and Gatland's abrasiveness triggered it and it snowballed.

Not aware of Irish players blaming Bowe for anything in '09... what was the situation there?

About controversial decisions on the other foot... as I've said in other threads, we all see things shaded by our allegiances regardless of how hard we try not to. Something I've noticed about Ireland when we've been beaten (international & club) is that the ref seems to ignore cheap shots (high tackles, neck rolls etc) from the Irish on to the Welsh, as well as blatantly off side defensive lines (something Wales, England and Scotland has implemented since)... but I'm perfectly open to the fact that I'm only 'noticing' it as I'm a Welshman and feel aggrieved.

What I would say is decisions go against teams all the time, so I do find it a little strange how they seem to cut 'so' deep in this fixture.

 

[truthteller]

just to underline the tighness of this contest ....gatland has won 8 lost 7 against the irish in his time in wales.....strewth this is tight

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Not aware of Irish players blaming Bowe for anything in '09... what was the situation there?

About controversial decisions on the other foot... as I've said in other threads, we all see things shaded by our allegiances regardless of how hard we try not to. Something I've noticed about Ireland when we've been beaten (international & club) is that the ref seems to ignore cheap shots (high tackles, neck rolls etc) from the Irish on to the Welsh, as well as blatantly off side defensive lines (something Wales, England and Scotland has implemented since)... but I'm perfectly open to the fact that I'm only 'noticing' it as I'm a Welshman and feel aggrieved.

What I would say is decisions go against teams all the time, so I do find it a little strange how they seem to cut 'so' deep in this fixture.

It was just the joke in camp apparently. Tommy goes to Wales and then they all hate us!

I think it's just because there were three single calls in five years that it could easily be argued directly and blatantly changed the result.

It's not as if there was no rivalry before that either, the countries have been fairly even since the 90s anyway as well as other periods through history.