RWC Quarter Final: Ireland - Wales (08-10-2011, 18:00)

[Amiga500]

Is it enough?

Nope.

At least, not in the positions we need.

We (will) need 2 second-rows, a tight-head and 2 centres. No-one in the provinces has really stood out as a realistic alternative to what we have.

 

[MichaelBoard]

Its nice to see all the Irish forum members being so gracious in defeat and being so complimentary with regards to our performance. For what its worth I think the Irish played quite a good game but poor decisions and errors and coming up against arguably the most in form team in the tournament (never thought I'd be saying that about us!) was the difference. Would've preferred the English in the semis but bring on the French all the same!

 

[OnTheBall]

Desperately disappointed. This is perhaps an end of an era for some of these particular Irish players. A big well done to Wales though. Thoroughly deserved and they brought a phenomenal ferocity and intensity to the game which we just couldn't live with. Was holding my breath every time Roberts got the ball!

ROG was pretty woeful if we're being honest and in the battle which was nearly the 'master versus the apprentice', Priestland looked like he had been at this for years and definitively won that battle. Best I thought was Ireland's best player. He has really come on at international level. It was all the more remarkable that his shoulder couldn't possibly have been 100% yet he never shyed away from contact.

The Irish backrow was found out for being unbalanced, while Wales' on the other hand has a great looking balance to it. Richie who? Warburton had another great game for Wales and is surely the best 7 in the world at the moment. Ireland were a bit predictable trying to get go forward with the flankers and we kept trying to take ball on from static positions. Wales did their homework and shut out our ball carriers superbly and were having none of our 'choke' tactic.

Anyone know if Gaffney is leaving the set up now? Hope I haven't made that up. Fair play to Wales though and I'll be cheering them on all the way. They're doing the Northern Hemisphere proud.

 

[lynam1104]

Gutted. Welsh were fantastic deserved it by far. They won the game with the composure they showed after Earls's try, they played the game plan that Ireland should have played. We picked ROG for just that but he tried to play an expansive game. Clearly it didn't work.

The thing that saddens me most is BOD and POC, they were and have been fantastic sure they've had ups and downs but they were the heros of this generation. I think they should hold their heads high it was most likely their last important game. I do hope they both have another season in them (maybe a Lions tour ) at least to hopefully help bring through the next generation and be mentors to the young guys like Nagel and Marshal. Also a word on Best Hess been mentioned, but the determination he showed today and his form throughout the WC was fantastic hats off to him always thought he was a little useless really changed my mind completely.

C'mon Wales do us proud. you deserve it

 

[munstermuffin]

Something must be said about the leadership in the Wales team. When Ireland pulled level at 10-10, I thought the game would turn in Ireland's favour. The bulk of the Irish team have shared 4 of the last 6 Heineken Cups and regularly win Celtic League/Pro 12 ***les. They're well versed in cup rugby. I thought that experience would pull Ireland through to a comfortable victory. That it didn't and Wales dominated the rest of the game says a lot about the leadership in the Wales team. Sam Warburton is to be applauded for lifting his team at that moment.

I also think we need to be careful about knee jerk reactions. Some are calling for a new broom of 20 and 21 year olds like Nevin Spence, Dominic Ryan and Peter O'Mahony to be swept in. None of those guys are ready. While I think some should have played their last game in green (Jerry Flannery, Leo Cullen, Shane Jennings, Denis Leamy, David Wallace, Ronan O'Gara, Gordon D'arcy, Paddy Wallace and Geordan Murphy spring to mind), you can't merely bring in new players for the sake of it if they aren't good enough. By all means call up Jamie Hagan, Dan Tuohy, Felix Jones, Darren Cave and Ian Keatley but there aren't a huge amount more who are good enough come the 6 Nations.

Snoop I agree and when I called for new faces etc I meant over the 4 years as in let's now start a new cycle and gradually work through it but like we need to rotate our teams frequently and well build a squad. We did it to a certain extent here but I'd like us to take it another step.

As in look at a team like this in time:
1. Healy will still be young enough
2. Best and well Sherry is ready I think to be in squads and will overtake Cronin and there is the option of Strauss
3. Hagan gradually to takeover from Ross
4. Donnacha Ryan I think will be better than we think
5. Nagle/Tuohy eventually taking over from the big man when he goes
6. Ferris is still young
7. Sean O'Brien as he would be 8 but Heaslip is still young too
8. Heaslip.
Eventually have players O'Mahony, Ryan, McLaughlin, Ruddock in the mix too
9. Murray will continue to get better.
10. Sexton with Keatley as back-up. Sexton and Murray in time could form a superb halfback team
11. Earls. Really came of age in this World Cup and is a winger.
12. BOD to move there now with eventually maybe Luke Fitz or Macken or someone useful taking over in time.
13. Bowe maybe for now plenty of candidates in a year or 2
14. Trimble is still young despite been around a long time.
15. Felix Jones when fit.

Then add in backs like Cave, Spence, O'Malley maybe, Zebo in time and a few more and there is the bones of a superb pool of players over the next 4 years

 

[cardassian]

Congrats to Wales, awesome performance today.
Great display of attacking rugby, and hitting back like that win Ireland levelled up was class.
Condolences Ireland, good effort but came up against a better team today.

 

[McTallshort]

Well done Wales, excellent performance lets hope you can go all way.Warburton for Lions captain

 

[TRF_Cymro]

What?



I think I can recall most if not all fans saying this would be a close/great game. Most people said it could go either way, Wales were far from 'written off'.

It's a little early to be drinking anyway.

Don't drink sunshine so don't stick your nose in about me being drunk. Typing on the iPad is a challenge.

Wales were written off by majority of the media and fans. A lot of people said and here's one for you, in this thread that Ireland would win. Wales were therefore written off, just look at the people saying Ferris and O'Brien were going to dominate the Welsh backrow or that the HEC experience would show.

France will be a tough task next week. Also it's sad to see BOD and POC bow out without having a chance to go to a final.

Wait, how come you get Quinlan and the ITV crew, but I've got Mark Jones et al.?

Well there are two ways.

One to have Sky and channel 993 for ITV London or Two use the ITV website to watch it off that. Can't stand ITV Wales. Although I watched it partly on S4C in Welsh.

 

[peks89]

Entertaining match, Congrats Wales! Big game next week, cant wait.

 

[lynam1104]

I think your bring a bit critical form what I saw Ireland were slight favorites, anybody who knew sh*t about rugby said it was 50/50.

 

[j'nuh]

Don't drink sunshine so don't stick your nose in.

Wales were written off by majority of the media and fans. A lot of people said and here's one for you, in this thread that Ireland would win. Wales were therefore written off, just look at the people saying Ferris and O'Brien were going to dominate the Welsh backrow or that the HEC experience would show.

France will be a tough task next week.

This. Ever since South Africa-Wales, it's looked fairly clear to me that Wales are (far?) ahead of any NH team. The most remarkable thing is that since then (the SA game), Wales has seemed to improve. Form comes and goes, but in the moment the only team that I think has played better than Wales is New Zealand. Wales are firmly amongst the tri-nations teams in strength, with Ireland, France and England following afterwards. Although I think there's a fairly large gap between New Zealand and every other country.

Ireland have good players, but need a real 7 (then whether SOB moves to 6 or 8) and better backs across the board to challenge Wales.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

I think your bring a bit critical form what I saw Ireland were slight favorites, anybody who knew sh*t about rugby said it was 50/50.

Ireland were still favourites. Do we still have to go over this?

 

[dullonien]

What's great from a Welsh perspective is that I think there's alot more to come from this team if a few more players can up their game like they're capable of doing. I don't think we've seen half of what Falatau, Jon Davies, Bradley Davies or Shane are capable of in this campaign for instance, while Gethin Jenkins is still returning from a hugely disrupted year of rugby, and will continue to get better imo. It is nice to have Bennett and Charteris playing so well, two that many Welsh fans thought weren't international class have really stepped up in cruicial positions.

Very excited about this tournament, but also hugely excited about the future and how much better this Welsh team can get. There are players to come into this squad if or when they regain some fitness and form. Rees, Hibbard, Ian Evans and Henson are players capable of adding something to the team, even if they're not really needed (well I think Rees is needed). While there's also a whole host of youngsters just waiting to get their chance, and I'm sure all of them will be spurred on by how the youngsters in this squad have been given their chances and are able to compete on the world stage. How long untill Gatland gives someone like Matthew Morgan a go, even if the O's aren't prepared to give him enough gametime ahead of Biggar? He could be good behind a pack such as this.

Anyway, looking a little closer. The French are going to bring something very different to the Irish. They have a pack that can compete with anyone, and a set of backs that can rip teams to pieces on their day. I'm confident, but at the same time a little weary of a French team which may well be written off by many people.

 

[Amiga500]

Wales were written off by majority of the media and fans. A lot of people said and here's one for you, in this thread that Ireland would win. Wales were therefore written off

Do you understand the difference between tipping a team to win and writing someone off?


You write someone off if they have no chance of winning. That clearly was not the case for 95+% (probably 99+%) of posters on here, pundits in the media and fans in general.

 

[j'nuh]

while Gethin Jenkins is still returning from a hugely disrupted year of rugby, and will continue to get better imo.

How can a prop which can dummy and sidestep like a winger possibly get any better!?

 

[orlamac]

Absolutely savage performance from Wales today. Good to see that the Irish supporters aren't making any excuses for the performance - we simply didnt turn up today, and Wales put on one of the best displays by any NH team in recent years. 100% behind Wales for the rest of the tournament now..at least then we can say we were knocked out by the best team in the world

 

[Amiga500]

What's great from a Welsh perspective is that I think there's alot more to come from this team if a few more players can up their game like they're capable of doing.

Definitely - that Welsh team is only scratching the surface of their potential.

If I was a Welshman, I'd be extremely optimistic for the future.

Anyway, looking a little closer. The French are going to bring something very different to the Irish. They have a pack that can compete with anyone, and a set of backs that can rip teams to pieces on their day. I'm confident, but at the same time a little weary of a French team which may well be written off by many people.

Yep - beware the French.

Personally, I think our (Irish) backs have been quite poor for some time. We've lacked the heavy hitters in the middle to fix a defence for some time and make space out wide, bar Bowe making a run against the grain on the wing, we rarely stop the defence from drifting across.

Rougerie will run hard and straight. Luckily you have Jamie Roberts in the line across from him.

 

[JW.]

How can a prop which can dummy and sidestep like a winger possibly get any better!?

He could become a back .

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Do you understand the difference between tipping a team to win and writing someone off?


You write someone off if they have no chance of winning. That clearly was not the case for 95+% (probably 99+%) of posters on here, pundits in the media and fans in general.

Sorry but you are wrong. Pundits, fans and media installed Ireland as favourites and wrote Wales off in many areas. Sadly these areas Wales were clinical in and sorry but your use of statistics is nothing short of laughable, over exaggerated!

Also my understanding of words are pretty good maybe the use of statistics is something else you could look at.

Argue what you like Ireland were installed as favourites. Sadly they lost.

------------------------------------

The line is drawn there. No more need to de-rail the thread.


Anyhow ...

Moving on ...

Wales played a style of rugby that has not really been seen since the Welsh sides of the 70s and 80s and long may it continue.

Hopefully Ireland don't make drastic changes in wake of the defeat but instead work out a formula to blood the youngsters alongside the likes of BOD and POC, similar to Wales have sort of done.

 

[Deadmonton]

Great performance by both sides, Wales just happened to be better today. I'm definitely liking Wales to beat France; and I'm quite optimistic for the future of the Welsh team.