Ireland v England, 10/02/13

[big ginger 8]

Goddamn it Healy, seriously, like Ireland needed this...I'm so tired of reading his name everywhere after the "incident".
This guy is the quickest I've seen in Rugby at responding to friction. You want him out of the match, just throw the ball on him or prod him just a few times, you can be sure he's out...he's "just" 25, but still...how about a little bit of maturity here, putting his entire national side's fate for the 6N in jeopardy...

What?

As far as I can remember this is the first time Healy's been banned and as you've been told we fairly ok for loosehead.

 

[nickdnz]

To be fair - he should have been banned for punching McCaw on the ground in 2012. Wasn't cited and got no attention by the media, but it was an equally thuggish move and I have little respect for him as a player.

 

[LittleGuy]

Is this the biggest thread we have ever had for a single game?

 

[Teh Mite]

Every player seams to attack McCaw. Maybe cheap shots have become a surreal sign of respect...

 

[RyotoTheDragon]

BOD is the most respected player haha

 

[Big Ewis]

What?

As far as I can remember this is the first time Healy's been banned and as you've been told we fairly ok for loosehead.

I've seen other games where a guy from the other team would irritate him just a bit and you'd see him clenching his fists and showing teeth...the guy is soooo easy to take out of a match, just so happens it doesn't happen often that he's actually thrown out because it takes a lot to actually be cited, but his temper is...a messy thing.

 

[big ginger 8]

I've seen other games where a guy from the other team would irritate him just a bit and you'd see him clenching his fists and showing teeth...the guy is soooo easy to take out of a match, just so happens it doesn't happen often that he's actually thrown out because it takes a lot to actually be cited, but his temper is...a messy thing.

Grinding his teeth doesn't mean much he doesn't give away many penalties and from what I can't even remember the last time he got sinbinned which it is rather easy to get. He's a strange choice if you were to pick an Irish player who angers quickly O'Mahony is the standout choice.

 

[Groundhog]

Yeah, I wouldn't target Healy of all people. O'Mahony, Murray and Ryan are quicker to anger, although Munster are quite adept at getting other teams fired up. Healy is tough, but he's not usually a thug.

 

[coonor]

This action was thuggish, but Healy's not a thug. Would you say Tana Umaga was a thug, surely his action was far worse then Healy's previous misdemeanours. I for one would say Umaga and Healy simply lost there heads under pressure, that doesn't make them thuggish people.

Also what bugs me is that suddenly people seem to just push other players who similarly, like most players have times of bad behahaviour aside, claiming they're simply "gritty" or have a "hard edge". Let's take Julian White for example, people go on about him as a brilliant rough and traditional prop. What makes him less thuggish than Healy? Similarly O'Connell has had moments of violence but he's considered by many as a tough leader. The list goes on and on, you should be very careful how you judge people based on simple acts of stupidity whilst under pressure.

 

[McTallshort]

Its a hard aggressive game played by hard aggressive people, of course players are going to lose their heads now and again, 3 week ban thank you very much lets all move on.

 

[Big Ewis]

Grinding his teeth doesn't mean much he doesn't give away many penalties and from what I can't even remember the last time he got sinbinned which it is rather easy to get. He's a strange choice if you were to pick an Irish player who angers quickly O'Mahony is the standout choice.

actually you're right there too...haven't seen him take a yellow in a while.....if ever. BUT THE POINT IS !!...he's not exactly cold-blooded and a pacifist....ahem.

 

[McTallshort]

actually you're right there too...haven't seen him take a yellow in a while.....if ever. BUT THE POINT IS !!...he's not exactly cold-blooded and a pacifist....ahem.

I would hope not, any front row player who could be descibed as a cold blooded pacifist would be chased out of the front row club with wipped buttocks.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Fraser, Daly and Tomkins have been called in to the England squad in the run up to the France squad.
Doubt any will start and it's just a training thing.

Fraser - well deserved.
Daly - can understand it.
Tomkins - ???? Eff. Off. He ain't that good, and he was terrible for Sarries yesterday. Plays like Matt Banahan (Step 1. Recieve ball. Step 2. Run at nearest defender. Step 3. Throw ball randomly out of the tackle. Wash, rinse, repeat.)

I also don't understand both of Tomkins and Daly being called up as they're both centres and, afaik, we don't have any injuries there? Certainly not enough to warrant two extra centres coming to train?


Edit: Apparently they're to cover for Morgan, Foden and Joseph, respectively.
Two opportunities to call an actual winger into the squad squandered there...

 

[Big Ewis]

I would hope not, any front row player who could be descibed as a cold blooded pacifist would be chased out of the front row club with wipped buttocks.

right, a front rower should bite and tear through EVERYTHING !!!! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR !!!!!!!!!!...because he's such a man !!...and a front rowerrrrrrr !!

 

[Joseph14]

I reckon they are giving Tomkins the treatment in order to butter up his brother!

 

[Teh Mite]

Constant coverting of (over rated) mungoballers is sending out the wrong message. Joel has little more business in a test jersey then Joe Blogs. He's nothing other then an uninspiring member of a successful squad. If they want players of his style, they'd be better off calling up Hopper.

 

[SelimNiai]

The masters of hyperbole at Sky were likening Joel to SBW.

Its hilarious

 

[Peat]

I also don't understand both of Tomkins and Daly being called up as they're both centres and, afaik, we don't have any injuries there? Certainly not enough to warrant two extra centres coming to train?

Daly's future may well lie at full-back. Dunno if Henry's heard ought about it, but he's been played there more and more, played there for the Saxons. He's a bit small for a modern day centre and his boot would be best employed at full-back - and I think he'd benefit for seeing more space and less traffic. He's certainly got the pace for it.

But it's an odd group of choices on a week where Christian Wade looked immense.

 

[psychic duck]

Daly's future may well lie at full-back. Dunno if Henry's heard ought about it, but he's been played there more and more, played there for the Saxons. He's a bit small for a modern day centre and his boot would be best employed at full-back - and I think he'd benefit for seeing more space and less traffic. He's certainly got the pace for it.

But it's an odd group of choices on a week where Christian Wade looked immense.

Yet probably the two best in Europe are both only 5'10" and the same height and same weight as Daly is. Don't make the same mistake Wales have done.

 

[Peat]

Yet probably the two best in Europe are both only 5'10" and the same height and same weight as Daly is. Don't make the same mistake Wales have done.

Fofana and O'Driscoll?

Both men are freaks, particularly O'Driscoll. I'd be more comfortable if he was O'Driscoll shaped actually, a squat little ball of muscle. Daly strikes me as more naturally slight.

You don't have to be a giant to play centre, but you do need the strength to operate in tight quarters, man the gainline against the big guns and make a difference at the breakdown. The existence of a few freaks, at least one of whom is built naturally stronger (I suspect Fofana is too) does not fill me with confidence for sticking a relatively skinny streak of **** there.