[2022 Six Nations] Ireland vs Italy (27/02/22)

[TRF_Olyy]

Italy can definitely be proud of their effort today

 

[JG-21]

Italy can definitely be proud of their effort today

Would've been easy to give in when you have to play that long with 13 (then 12) and then throw in the missed red for Ireland and the forward pass try. It would've felt like the whole world was against them and they played out the 80 and they made Ireland work for 57 points when it could and should have been a lot more.

 

[Smurfy]

Very few positives for Ireland, but thought Sheehan was excellent again, and Lowe, Lowry and VdF were the pick of the Irish players. I'm very concerned about Carbery who really wasn't very good, and Henshaw was downright poor. As I said before I thought Casey brought a lot of pace to 9, and I'd like to see him get another look.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Agreed on Casey, haven't been too impressed with him before but he really kept that tempo up.
I'm not sure if it was a tactic to hide Lowry's size, but I was watching him in particular today and he was involved in a crazy amount of rucks. Don't really see the point in that, if we're going to play him we should be trying to get him on the ball in space as much as possible. When he plays against an England or a France he's just going to be smashed out of the ruck, it wasn't noticeable today considering Italy weren't competing often.
Hume seems comfortable in the link up play but he was very quiet with a couple of mistakes. Really not showing his Ulster impact, I doubt Ringrose will be too worried right now.

England will be over the moon with how undercooked we're going to be come Twickenham. I thought Henshaw looked very rusty. Aki should have the 12 shirt until the end of the tournament & give Robbie 2 or 3 tests in the summer.

 

[corny]

Sheehan's workrate was incredible. He's pushed well ahead of Herring now and I can see him seriously challenging to be first choice soon. Lowry took his tries well but didn't really have a chance to showcase his ability.

None of the other new inclusions made a positive impact. POM looked really laboured in the second half and was noticeably 3rd best of our back row in the first. Henshaw wasn't helped by our structure but he didn't do much to make a case for taking Aki's jersey. Baird did ok i suppose.

The Munster lads in the media got to work after the France game but I wasn't convinced by Carbery then and i'm certainly not convinced by him now. Game time won't improve him unfortunately. If Sexton doesn't play when we play a top 5 side in the world we're goosed. The gameplan we have in place doesn't work without him.

 

[Smurfy]

So what do we do when Sexton inevitably gets injured? Play with 14?

 

[Groundhog]

Was at the game. Think people are needlessly reading too much into a game we won by 50 and knocking players. Credit to the Italians, they didn't give up at 13 men. Game was scrappy, but let's not make a mountain of a molehill. We are in a very privileged position at the moment.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Listened to the second half (wouldn't wish Michael Corcoran and Donal Lenihan on my worst enemy) and have watched highlights.

Sounds like Lowry and Casey stepped up which is what you want from young lads in these types of games. The lack of fluidity is to be expected, dropping weight in the second row and backrow will lead to that given how we rely on effective tight carries being recycled quickly. You lose that without Henderson/Ryan and Conan. It also doesn't help that it sounds as if Henshaw was off.

I'd guess that Ryan and Conan coming back to the starting team essentially fixes all the issues we had while we confirmed a couple of backs in positions where our depth is inexperienced can ball

 

[TW27BA]

Shame the game was ruined as a contest after 18 minutes. Italy fought well with the two player disadvantage.
I don't think England will have learned much about Ireland from the game either. It certainly won't be the starting 15 in two weeks time.

 

[munstermuffin]

Watching it and not reading anything here are my few thoughts:

- Sheehan was excellent. A tough nut.
- Frontrow was good but also thought Kilcoyne was very good when on which is a pity as we have 3 top LHPs.
- Baird was very good BUT hard to judge as lack of scrums meant different dynamics, more energy etc.
- POM was actually very good as a leader and link player. Showed he can play this style. Yes he was possibly 3rd best of the backrow but well to be fair him and Doris were meh and VDF was a beast. No shame in that.
- Casey showed there is a 9 battle and well JGP showed he just can't ever break away and fully make the jersey his own. I wouldn't be surprised to see Murray at 9 vs England.
- 10. Joey had a bit of mixed day but Farrell was dead right to see it. And to be fair it was an unstructured game and well Italy got scrappy so hard to be overly critical of Joey. Sexton will start against England but fact is nobody has put it up to replace Joey as 2nd choice yet. Carty was only one maybe but he isn't fancied it seems.
- Centres. I worry for Henshaw. I think it scary since Lions tour how far Aki has pushed ahead. Henshaw seems broken a bit.
- Back 3. Not his biggest fan but Lowe seems to have wrestled Conway out of back 3. Hard to say they were good or bad vs Italy with 2 man advantage but that not their fault.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I wonder if it'll be cited?
Feels like we've not had any citings this tournament yet

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

- 10. Joey had a bit of mixed day but Farrell was dead right to see it. And to be fair it was an unstructured game and well Italy got scrappy so hard to be overly critical of Joey. Sexton will start against England but fact is nobody has put it up to replace Joey as 2nd choice yet. Carty was only one maybe but he isn't fancied it seems.

I think yesterday could benefit JC more than anyone else. He had a laboured performance, most worryingly is how little he demands the ball, the 10 is less integral than before in Farrell's team but he still needs to be a consistent attacking player to make it work.

Saying that, he played a game and then got to see Sexton play it better. There's some workons for him but he can literally contrast and compare with Johnny to see how he needs to improve.

I think Murray is more likely to drop out of the 23 than start, although he'll almost certainly be on the bench. I think if Farrell trusts Casey to play a high percentage game he'll be his finisher but he's shown a clear preference to seasoned vets on the bench, POM, Henderson, Murray and Henshaw are a great group to bring on while winning a close game.

 

[Smurfy]

I must admit that I've been fairly underwhelmed by JGP, who, even with immaculate ball against Wales, didn't exactly set the world on fire. It seems that his principal strength for a lot of people is that he isn't Conor Murray. Murray is most definitely not the player he was, but if he had been the 9 yesterday I'm fairly sure that he would have been the fall guy for the slow ball and lack of control at the breakdown. I think Doak is the future, and I'm disappointed he hasn't been called into the training squad, even if it's just the first step to get him acquainted with the setup, In the meantime Casey gave an excellent account of himself yesterday, and I'd like to see him get a bit more exposure.

 

[BPM]

I wonder if it'll be cited?
Feels like we've not had any citings this tournament yet

It surely will be. It was at least as bad as Faiva's red IMO.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Classic case of the law is an ass. I'll bet the ref hated his job yesterday.

Well done to Ita for sticking at it and you can't read anything whatsoever into Ire's performance.

 

[MikeTheNative]

I must admit that I've been fairly underwhelmed by JGP, who, even with immaculate ball against Wales, didn't exactly set the world on fire. It seems that his principal strength for a lot of people is that he isn't Conor Murray. Murray is most definitely not the player he was, but if he had been the 9 yesterday I'm fairly sure that he would have been the fall guy for the slow ball and lack of control at the breakdown. I think Doak is the future, and I'm disappointed he hasn't been called into the training squad, even if it's just the first step to get him acquainted with the setup, In the meantime Casey gave an excellent account of himself yesterday, and I'd like to see him get a bit more exposure.

I think it's best to describe JGP as 'just fine'. He's decent enough to do the job that Ireland have asked of him but like you said he's not the world beater that Murray was 2 years ago. If we weren't a year away from the World Cup Ireland might have tried to blood someone else, but JGP probably there till after that tournament.

 

[ncurd]

I just hope they revise the law after such a high profile failure, it makes sense under the double substitution criteria but nobody is going to conduct a red or yellow card offence to get uncontested scrums.

I'd keep in they must have three front row players or they loose an additional guy though.

 

[MikeTheNative]

I wonder if it'll be cited?
Feels like we've not had any citings this tournament yet

I have no problems with the Italy red card, it's unfortunate but if defenders go remotely high they know the rules and it should be punished.
However it seems there's way too many inconsistences at reffing of the high tackle, that seems the same, if not more, head contact than the red.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Does Baird's hit have the "force" required to be a red? He seems to be soaking up the Italian player rather than striking him so to speak.

I thought the first red was borderline, that looks more like a yellow to me.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Baird actively goes forward in the tackle and the Italian player is visibly rocked back. Looks a pretty hard hit to me.