Ireland vs Italy match thread

[WillyGilly]

First topic message reminder :

Ireland:
15 - Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
10 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
9 - Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 - Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 - Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:

16 - Sean Cronin (Leinster)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
19 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
22 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)

Italy:
15 Andrea Masi
14 Tommaso Benvenuti
13 Gonzalo Canale
12 Gonzalo Garcia
11 Mirco Bergamasco
10 Luciano Orquera
9 Fabio Semenzato
8 Sergio Parisse (captain)
7 Mauro Bergamasco
6 Alessandro Zanni
5 Cornelius van Zyl
4 Quintin Geldenhuys
3 Martin Castrogiovanni
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini
1 Salvatore Perugini.

Replacements:
16 Fabio Ongaro
17 Andrea Lo Cicero
18 Marco Bortolami
19 Paul Derbyshire
20 Edoardo Gori
21 Riccardo Bocchino
22 Luke McLean.

Fresh thread. Morning!

Forget what we did to the Aussies (well don't forget it, it was awesome just put it to one side). Still work required. Wales looking good against Fiji so let's hope we're up by halftime so we can start resting the more breakable players. Say a prayer for young Jonny as well should we need his kicking boots.

3 2 1...

Go...

[Cari]

Thing is, he must've felt Healy's face though....

Give it to Tommy!!!!

[Cowshot]

Wonderful mauling from the Italians.

My word you have a real game on your hands. If you win it's just what you need to progress as a side as well as in the competition.

[Guest]

ooo would have to see that replay again to see if that was intentional or not.

Ah I don't think it was, but really stupid to grab someone around the face. Close call really. Understandable reaction from Healy there.

Mate it was clealry deliberate, llook at the anglke of his had whist the other hand holds the head in place. The fingers are pinching at his eyes. You wont get a clearer one that that. This wasnt just a case of a player trying to get a grip and cathching the players face like the one on Haskell

I honestly don't know, maybe because I'd rather not look at it so cynically I don't see it as being intentional. Slow mo replays don't always give a true indication though, they always look worse. Like I've already said, tis up to the citing comissioner now. I excpet he will get a ban, because any contact with the face area is a no no, intent there or not.

[Cari]

Bit of high tackle on D'Arcy there as well. Ireland are pished off...this game's going to get rough. Who said the Italians would leave the Irish burised earlier?

[Notch]

We always were Cowshot. Nothing about this game has surprised me so far!

[rodders]

What the feck is D'arcy doing?

ROG is playing awful. Three times he's ran towards that left touchline.

This is were we really miss Sexton. ROG just ships the ball side ways.

[Ozzy3213]

Not watching, is it still 6-6?

[Guest]

yep it is.

[Cari]

What?! Tommy's try not allowed???? Feck off!!!

[rodders]

Poor call that wasn't forward??

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Wonderful turnover by Heaslip ...errr on his knees but lets let that one slide eh

[Guest]

ah no Casto, he's down again with the backs of his legs. he was feelign them earlier as well.

He'd be a big loss if he had to go off.

[WillyGilly]

Try. Bad call. OMG Kaplan's got it in for us!

[Cari]

That's harsh from Kaplan. That wasn't a knock on. He held onto the ball.

[Notch]

We are probably a bit unlucky to not get that on the replay. In real time I thought it was forward but on the replay not so sure.

[nathan]

Wonderful turnover by Heaslip ...errr on his knees but lets let that one slide eh

i thought that too, commentator is saying it should of been a try and a bad decision. Guessing they can't see what we're seeing!

[Guest]

he indicated a forward pass didn't he, to Bowe? twas a close one, bit harsh I agree.

[Cowshot]

I thought kaplan signalled a forward pass not a knock on.

[Glas a du]

Ross has been to the Hayes school of scrummaging. Stand up!

[rodders]

Come on Ireland!! Waken up FFS!!!!!

[rodders]

I thought kaplan signalled a forward pass not a knock on.

It was neither.

[nathan]

he indicated a forward pass didn't he, to Bowe? twas a close one, bit harsh I agree.

i dont think it was a forward pass, but i think the turnover was illegal. Right decision in the end! lol

[Cari]

I'd have to look at the replay again, I missed the forward pass, I thought he was pinging it as a knock on.

Come on Ireland get in!

[rodders]

Good play there. Kaplan got that wrong. Kearney not releasing.

[Glas a du]

Ireland starting to show their class. It's a matter of time. Italy giving away infringements. Kaplan sympathetic for Irelands cause. All looks good.

[Cari]

ROG kicks another 9 - 6.

Castrogiovanni off.

[rodders]

Jeebus Murray!!

[Notch]

he indicated a forward pass didn't he, to Bowe? twas a close one, bit harsh I agree.

i dont think it was a forward pass, but i think the turnover was illegal. Right decision in the end! lol

Yeah probably. First we had a bit of good luck with the reffing then unlucky a few seconds later! C'est la vie

[Gibson]

Murray losing focus. Must focus at this level.

[rodders]

Great scrum!!

[Guest]

boo Castro off

[Cari]

Tempers flaring....good scrum from Ireland.

[Gibson]

Huge scrum. Italy will miss Castro big time.

[Cari]

oooh which Irish player was losing his shirt there?

For your nerves Gibbo

[rodders]

Murray losing focus. Must focus at this level.

Murray looks fantastic at times but makes a lot of schoolboy errors. I think he's 6 months away from this level to be honest. I think Reddan will be on soon.

Another penalty for Italy. This has been a very poor 1st half for Ireland.

[Cari]

Quinny talking about Tommy being stripped...my hormones can't cope!

Bounces off the post 9 - 6.

[Guest]

oh off the posts for Bergamsco. These two sides are scarily evenly matched at the moment!

[Hound_of_Harrow]

Ha ha - no one does 'aggrieved' better than POC.

Peno missed. Tight game this one.

[Gibson]

Why the feic are we bashing it up the middle? This is playing into their hands. Spread it wide.

May see Reddan not long into the 2nd half.

[Cari]

Fight! Fight! Fight! The forwards are getting riled aren't they?

Healy copped a punch there off camera by the looks....

[rodders]

Healy has lost the plot. This Italy pack are taking us to the cleaners. Italy have got our number here.

[Guest]

that was a blydi quick half, the time flew by!

So evenly matched, but Ireland have done the better with their chances. Just.

[Notch]

Very good first half from us. Italy have thrown everything they have at us and we turn around ahead. Need to maintain the focus and intensity.

[Cari]

Right, come on Ireland, let's do the second half like I know you can.

Cool heads required....focus...

[Notch]

Healy has lost the plot. This Italy pack are taking us to the cleaners. Italy have got our number here.

Don't be ludicrous. Did you really expect anything different? I thought we might turn around behind only to win at the death. This is a good scoreline for us.

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Huge scrum. Italy will miss Castro big time.

Not as much as Tigers do and will continue to . Fecking world cups, sooner England are out the better

[eirebilly]

I am happy with a 9-6 lead at HT. Just how Kaplan hasnt seen some of the off the ball incidents by the Italians is a mystery

[Gibson]

We (Leinster) have 14 players there Peter. It hurts, but it hurts good.

[rodders]

Dreamer Italy will be the happier side. Their pack is far stronger than ours and they looked like they could force penalties everytime they got in our half.

ROG is playing like a headless chicken and we are playing right into Italy's hands by trying to run everything.

Where were the up and unders and tactical kicks? Why are we passing towards the touchlines? O'Brien is taking the ball 5 meters deeper which means he's not as effective.

This is extremely poor from us and we are in serious danger of going home here.

[Guest]

billy - Ireland haven't been angels off the ball either!

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