France v Ireland

[elgringoborracho]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bernard @ Feb 14 2010, 01:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (elgringoborracho @ Feb 8 2010, 08:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I bet you my scooter that they will not use blitz defense against the Irish.[/b]

What is the brand of the scooter ?

[/b][/quote]

Ok we did use rush defense but not as carelessly as last week and not all the time. I will give you my scooter however, it is the one on this picture :

You still want it?

 

[Prestwick]

Momentum has to be with France now. Haven't seen them on fire so early in the Six Nations since when they edged Ireland in the first game at Croke Park.

England usually get their tails up for Le Crunch so it might be a tight game but my money would still be on a French Grand Slam or at the very least a French championship win.

One thing that France will have to work at is their utterly dire performance at the line out. Ireland had a field day at the line out and Scotland too snaffled some throws last weekend. France got away with it because their scrum was imperious for both games. So long as you get some set-piece ball thats alright but if France do meet their match at the scrum and their line out continues to malfunction then I'd say they're screwed. Thats something England will be looking at very closely.

Its not evident right now but thats their new achillies heel. Last weekend it was their over eager blitz defence exposing huge acres of space behind their defensive line and this week its their line out. This time, France played the blitz perfectly, coming up quick and hard without exposing themselves too much. Note that their line weren't running the vast distances they were against Scotland which was leaving them exposed. This wasn't happening when they were defending against Ireland which meant that ROG was under immense pressure and half the time either had to kick or take it himself neither of which he is very comfortable doing.

All in all very interesting! I can't wait to see how Payne, Hartley & Cole perform against Italy. If they do well and then go on to cause Ireland & Scotland issues then that will set up a delicious final encounter with frogs!

 

[elgringoborracho]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (King D'arcy @ Feb 14 2010, 02:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I'm still seriously p*ssed off. Feels kinda like all this talking up of Ireland has just been empty words and they're actually just a sub standard side. That cud be the drink talkin. How f***in awesome were France though? ****! Annoying thing is you know they're gonna cock up against someone whether its england or wales. I wish they'd saved there implosion for us [/b]

Not many things need to be fixed for the Irish to become an even more awesome side. I still rate them as the best in Europe, but when you win 12 games in a row, you are bound to finally lose and that's what allows you to make progress. But some things are for certain : you have an awesome second row and third row and maybe the best centerpair in the world. Kearney is a very special player and I wouldn't bother about him too much he'll be back in form shortly and start being awesome again. You're lineouts are the best too.

O'Gara's case is a bit tricky. He's often the one blamed for your losses and it is true that he didn't play well yesterday but it's very difficult when you are on the back foot, and that was due to our forward domination. This btw is what allowed Trinh Duc to play his best international match. So I'm not sure what you should do with ROG, what is for certain is that, when he is having an off day he should be replaced much much sooner than he was yesterday. Sexton as an impact sub can really be wonderful and change radically the face of the Irish team. Or maybe just make Sexton start.

I think you need to beef up your pack a bit, find better scrummagers and know how to use your bench more efficiently. And you need to realize that such an impressive record had to come to an end but it does not mean much apart from the fact that on THAT day we were better prepared.

 

[Prestwick]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (elgringoborracho @ Feb 14 2010, 09:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I think you need to beef up your pack a bit, find better scrummagers and know how to use your bench more efficiently. And you need to realize that such an impressive record had to come to an end but it does not mean much apart from the fact that on THAT day we were better prepared.[/b]

This.

When Ireland's pack turns up like it did against South Africa, both ROG and Sexton are world beaters. If Ireland's scrummaging had been on par with France's I'd say that Ireland would have starved France of ball and would have edged the contest.

This is the flaw in France's game. Until their pack can reliably deliver set peice ball through scrum and line out they'll be vulnerable against the likes of South Africa, New Zealand and even an Argentina playing at their very best (doubtful right now I know).

 

[roscommon guy]

If the ball went D'Arcy way and without the Flannery incident it would have been a very different game.

 

[coonor]

I think our scrum was good, not as good as france's but we did manage to win a penalty from pushing them back to far.

good points

1) lineout was brilliant again

2) darcy was good :cheers:

Bad points

1) ill disciplined

2) bad handling :wall:

3) not great defence

4) not enough hunger for the ball


motm: Parra :bravo:


Ireland need to win the rest of their games to prove we are stil a great side, we have the ability, is kearney injured?

best french preformance i've seen in a while, they should win the GRAND SLAM

 

[bristol-iain]

By the time the game was on I was pretty drunk so can't really remember much of it, however.

Who/How is anyone gonna beat the French if they play like that.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

They made Ireland look so vulnerable. Just piled pressure on them and forced handling errors. Everytime Ireland made a mistake they just f***ing POUNCED on it and punished them 100%. It was so hard to watch. Ireland got really flustered and couldn't do anything. They just didn't have the power. If you play rugby you probably know how it feels. You're against strong opposition. One point in the match they get a bitta momentum and they just build from there and you're on the back foot for the rest of the match and you get frustrated and try too hard and make stupid mistakes and drop the ball and give away stupid penalties, all building up their momentum more and more and they don't even have to try that hard, it's just east street for them. What really disappointed me is I praised Ireland before yesterday for having this ability to keep composed when they fall behind and stop the opposition building momentum. Good examples of this over the last year are the matches against France in Croke Park, Scotland in Murrayfield, Wales in Millenium Stadium, Australia and Spirng Boks in Croke Park. Ireland fell behind early in all these matches but kept in it and grinded out victories. Have to hand it to France. Really really world class performance.

EDIT: I said "victories". They grinded out a draw against Australia

FURTHER EDIT: "Grinded out" doesnt sound right. Sounds like something a 5 year old or a simpleton might say. "Ground out"?

 

[Bullitt]

Clinical from the French, too much expectancy from the Irish to make O'Driscoll do it all.

Earls was crap.

Flannary keeps up his reputation as a mindless thug.

O'Connell is nothing.

French half backs were ruthless.

Harinoriduay gets better every time he plays.

Nobody looks capable of stopping the French (except, knowing them, the Italians!)

Ireland methinks are about to enter freefall.

 

[bristol-iain]

Looking at it back I think Flannery should have been shown a red card. Could have caused a massive injury to the Frenchman.

 

[gingergenius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bullitt @ Feb 14 2010, 11:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Ireland methinks are about to enter freefall.[/b]

Really?

 

[Prestwick]

I looked again at Flannery's moment of madness late last night and how he didn't get a red or even a yellow I'll never know.

He goes in and manages to shoulder charge and boot the guy straight in the knee. Thats assault in my book not rugby.

Honestly hope he gets cited, he can't pull crap like that again.

 

[Olyy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Prestwick @ Feb 14 2010, 09:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

All in all very interesting! I can't wait to see how Payne, Hartley & Cole perform against Italy. If they do well and then go on to cause Ireland & Scotland issues then that will set up a delicious final encounter with frogs![/b]

I'm hoping Ireland are disheartened after this, so that we beat them, and its a Grandslam decider with the French
Also, Sheridan should be back next week, so he'll even the scrum out (if played ahead of Payne, which is a possibility as Johnson likes him), and Borthwick, if nothing else, is a quality lineout jumper, so we'll have the edge on the French then

 

[durbutter]

No argument here Pres

As for entering freefall, I doubt it. Maybe but I doubt it.

Thought we needed a wake up call, this was that if nothing else. After losing to France like that at least we know we won't be facing anything as good as them for the rest of the championship (i hope).

Thought Court did well when he came on. Think he should start tight head at least once before the 6N is over.

Roll on 2 weeks when a badly stung Irish meet a reinvigorated England team chasing a grand slam.


Deco will only love the position this puts us in. Expect some exciting press conferences when Deccie attempts to convince the world that the top 3 nations in the world are Eng, Wal and Scot, while Ireland are just happy to be here!!!

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (elgringoborracho @ Feb 14 2010, 09:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I think you need to beef up your pack a bit, find better scrummagers and know how to use your bench more efficiently. And you need to realize that such an impressive record had to come to an end but it does not mean much apart from the fact that on THAT day we were better prepared.[/b]

Sums things up perfectly. On the day, no matter how well Ireland could have played, France still would have been the better team.

What did we learn? I don't think the scrum was that bad but it could have been better. Flannery coming out of that team in favour of Best will help - hopefully the citing commissioner will take the decision out of Declan Kidney's hands. Perhaps it's time to give Tom Court a shot at tighthead. He's not helped by being played at loosehead (where he's playing extremely well I might add) but John Hayes isn't getting the job done. Give Court a chance to sink or swim in the Scotland and Wales games.

Scrumhalf is an issue. Tomas O'Leary is a great defender and can break pretty well. Against that he's ponderous at the breakdown, average passer (if I'm being kind) and a diobolical box kicker where he'll get a lot of length on his kicks but won't give chasers a chance. Eoin Reddan isn't rated by Eddie O'Sullivan but if Johnny Sexton gets a shot at 10 (as he should) keeping the Leinster halfback partnership together is possibly the right call. I'd give O'Leary another chance though.

Stick a fork in Ronan O'Gara, he's done. How often o you hear Irish commentators say "we all know ROG isn't a great tackler" as though it's a minor part of the game? It's a f'n huge weakness and is often used as a stick to beat Ian Humphreys. If you're 10 can't tackle, can't run with the ball and is getting increasingly erratic with the boot, he shouldn't be in the team no matter how many caps he's won in the past. I understand the reason behind picking O'Gara against France (Sexton wasn't fully match fit) but it should be his last outing in a big game.

Next time out, I'd like to see this team:
15. Kearney
14. Bowe
13. O'Driscoll
12. D'arcy
11. Trimble (Earls didn't do enough)
10. Sexton
9. O'Leary
1. Healy
2. Best
3. Hayes (give him a chance with a better scrummaging hooker)
4. Cullen (Ireland's best player in the tournament thus far)
5. O'Connell
6. Ferris
7. Wallace (Hook is an idiot if he thinks Wally should be dropped)
8. Heaslip
Subs: Cronin (assuming Flannery is suspended), Court, Ryan, O'Brien, Reddan, Wallace (O'Gara won't offer an impact any more), Earls

 

[King_D'Arcy]

D'you know who I miss? Luke

 

[lynam1104]

When is he out till? he will most likey get strit back into the team

 

[Olyy]

I was wondering that before when they interviewed him before the Italy match

 

[King_D'Arcy]

If I weren't called King D'Arcy, I'd be called Prince Luke. He should be back for the Southern Hemisphere tour this summer anyway. He'll be handed that 11 jersey immediately. Doubt he'll be back for the next round of the Heineken Cup. He really is an underrated player. Without even having to score tries he just brings life to the Irish and Leinster backlines. He's constantly finding space and providing options.

 

[lynam1104]

not sure but i belive it's around the time the hinken cup finshes