Ireland v Wales score prediction?

What does everyone think the score will be when Ireland host Wales at the Aviva in just over 3 weeks time?

Wales have won twice in a row against Ireland which was quite frankly a miracle and hasn't happened since 1574. Ireland will do anything not to lose 3 in a row.

Wales struggle with expectation and everyone talking about them retaining their world cup form is going to be a hindrance rather than a positive. The 2010 match in Croke Park was one of the worst Welsh performances in recent years and think we could be in for a repeat.

Ireland 35-14 Wales

Why! - Why do you do this to us, bigballbag!!!?

Stylistically, two quite different sides, but ability-wise - there is just so little in it that it's infuriating trying to divide them into scores.

Wales could be at the beginning of a few years of dominance over the Irish. They might have really worked us out to the extent that it doesn't really matter how Kidney and co reacts to New Zealand. I think if Wales win this convincingly then that's the case. There's just no answer to them in the cabinet for a year or two.

But ... if Ireland win raggedly, there is still hope that we might lift ourselves out of the muddle we seem to be in for the last few years. Ireland are slow starters, even when they are in good form - so a 'just win' mightn't be all so bad.

Ireland 31 - Wales 26

Ireland, with a new centre pairing , a 6 playing 7 and Trimble running amok to win by 10-15 points.

lads look its simple - for a long time our greatest weakness is the lack of a good prematch song. Which is sad given the fact that we're the greatest poets and songwriters in the world - the Welsh are good in this department in fairness, land of my fathers along with the haka and the Marsailles or huge advantages to their teams. Therefore I vote we scrap the national anthem and the abomination that is Irelands call and go fro this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF3fW4Nox9U

could you imagine.....................

Yes, I've many times listened to that and marvelled at the ability of man and instrument to communicate such a haunting sound.

Yet it might have tears in the eyes but will it have adrenalin in the veins? I think we need a real battlecry ...so I've always gone for this as an alternative to the Anthem..and to that maudlin rubbish Ireland's Call. The chills of hearing this intimidating sound grow out of the crowd as the players stand in line... (and no it ISN'T a pro-Provo song!!!!!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP2-hfe6VnI

I don't think there is much between the teams, but Wales have won the last 2 and statistically in recent years we tend to win 50/50.
With home advantage you'd have to say Ireland will sneak it by 4 points, provided Wales don't run up an early lead.

I'm very interested to see Irelands squad though.

Goosestepper wrote:given the fact that we're the greatest poets and songwriters in the world

We were once.Then our reputation was destroyed.

Wales by 5-10, only slightly smaller margin than last time as it's in Dublin but watch Thrilla In Wellingta again to know in advance how the game will go

just watched Ulster - wow. thought they would win but....! it will be interesting to see how Munster and Leinster go this weekend (and Conn). if the Leinster and Munster have big wins - which i think they wil - will they be able to bring their mojo to the 6 nations.

I think we'll beat Wales at home i just hope we're not talking about dodgy refereeing afterwards as a factor (who is the ref?)

If Ireland stumble through this campaign there is something wrong, very wrong. If Kidney can't convert provincial success to the national team he has no excuse and should go. I'm not anti Kidney in any way but hes had his chances and its make or break time.

I also think its either Gatland or Kidney for the Lions so no pressure!

will they be able to bring their mojo to the 6 nations.

Kidney will suck all creativity and cohesion out of them for the 6 Nations. Don't worry. We'll be a dreadful confused mess in four games and stunningly brilliant in one. Hopefully the Welsh or French one, because we owe them both a beating.

Ireland (for once!!!) should say Five games - let's stoke up the fires and try to give it a juggernaut punch for all five. The problem with Ireland always is the one or two steamroll games and the two or three 'cantering' games played at a pace lesser sides can match.

Ireland has the players who can sustain a mix of pace and aggression that others can often struggle with. We have our blueprint that we know is a winning formula but all too often it doesn't make an appearance. We need consistent attitude, consistent beligerence and consistent pace...for five games.

Ireland 24 - 13 Wales

You saw it here first.

can really see ireland coming flying out of the blocks for this one. on paper i think ireland is the better team but only by a bit. we are strong in every position bar 13. ireland really need to win this one or france will be daunting away the next wk. . when ireland are motivated like i expect them to be then they may well be awesome and sexton seems to be over his nervy games and no outhalf in 6 nations is near him at mo..
cant wait

Not sure how anybody can say that one side is stronger than the other even if it's only on paper.
When the teams are announced then we will have a far better idea of the state of play.
If the teams selected are what we think they will be then I believe Wales will have the psychological advantage and unless Ireland have upped the stakes since the world cup then Wales could also have the physical advantage.
It's the game of the weekend and each side will need to be on top of their game if they have any ambitions of winning this one.

Cymroglan wrote:Not sure how anybody can say that one side is stronger than the other even if it's only on paper.
When the teams are announced then we will have a far better idea of the state of play.
If the teams selected are what we think they will be then I believe Wales will have the psychological advantage and unless Ireland have upped the stakes since the world cup then Wales could also have the physical advantage.
It's the game of the weekend and each side will need to be on top of their game if they have any ambitions of winning this one.

Cymroglan. Wales had a 'fitness' advantage in the WC. So perhaps this time they will have a psychological advantage... but not a 'physical' one. The Welsh themselves lauded the Poland experience, said it improved their fitness levels no end and the talk now (amongst Welsh people) is that another Poland trip is on the cards before the Six Nations begins. So I'm not talking up the advantages of Poland and minus 100 degrees centigrade repair and renew capabilities, it's the Welsh themselves.

Wales beat Ireland because they were quicker to everything, including the legs of our best linebreakers!!! They were fast, they got up from collisions quicker and were back in defensive positions quicker. They had that adavantage all through the WC, not just against Ireland.

How level was the playing field??? How level will it be this time round? Well, every side does it's own fitness routines and you can't fault Wales for doing theirs their way. But that's the advantage they had and might have again. Fitness not physical.

Feckless Rogue wrote:

Goosestepper wrote:given the fact that we're the greatest poets and songwriters in the world

We were once.Then our reputation was destroyed.

When exactly were you the greatest poets and songwriters in the world? Wales is the land of song and England have the Bard. I really dont think Heany, Wilde or Joyce is enough to class yourselves as the greatest poets in the world when compared with Shakepeare, Milton, Marvell, Chaucer, Pope, Johnson, wordsworth et al. And as for greates songwriters, ahem I have only one thing to say, Johnny Logan! U2 arent too bad but they are hartdly the beatles now are they? As for classical music I tried and failed to find a single classical performer or composer of note from Irealnd but Im sure there must be one somewehere

TycroesOsprey wrote:U2 arent too bad

U2 are

I always wonder how they're so popular as no-one I speak to seems to like them.

SafeAsMilk wrote:

TycroesOsprey wrote:U2 arent too bad

U2 are

I always wonder how they're so popular as no-one I speak to seems to like them.

Yeah my friends genuinely call it the U2 paradox.

Definitely a bigger fan of Joyce than Bono...

U2 are great. Massive in the USA, how many yanks do you know? Couldn't dance to one of their songs in a nightclub though, Stereophonics win that area. So in the battle of Wales bands Vs Ireland Bands, Wales just edge it.

Nobody had better bring Westlife into this.

Wales have produced some good bands in all fairness. Depends how you want to rate success, albums sold longevity etc.

U2 aside - I'd still have the likes of Thin Lizzy, Rory Gallagher and others you may not be familiar with over Steroephonics, Preachers and Super Furry animals........ thats all opinion.

As for the poets &playwrights claim, certainly pound for pound we win hands down and I think if you look at top 10's of novels and plays we rate quite highly (hats off to Dylan Thomas and the Bard though), Wales have us in the acting stakes though - Burton and Hopkins........ say no more.

As of the U2 thing they're victims of their own success. Had they stopped mid 80's or even Achtung baby, you'd have young hipsters wearing t-shirts going on as if they were the best thing ever. Although you'd struggle to find a band with the same mass appeal and commercial success consistantly over 30 odd years, Chilli peppers maybe.........

Back to rugby to be honest I hate losing to the Welsh probably because we rely on the "we're only a small little nation and we'll have a go and if we beat the big boys then aren't we great", Wales have us in that department too...............!

i dont think ireland are ever weak in the 6n.

this year wales are going to be strong. every year i think wales are going to be competative and we seldom are. this year i think wales can win the thing.

voting with the heart as always and i reckon wales will nick a narrow win.

but it is all a bit early for this sort of thing. we still have a week of heini to go. injuries always crop up on the eve of the 6n.

Can I wait until the teams are announced?

Goosestepper wrote:Wales have produced some good bands in all fairness. Depends how you want to rate success, albums sold longevity etc.

U2 aside - I'd still have the likes of Thin Lizzy, Rory Gallagher and others you may not be familiar with over Steroephonics, Preachers and Super Furry animals........ thats all opinion.

As for the poets &playwrights claim, certainly pound for pound we win hands down and I think if you look at top 10's of novels and plays we rate quite highly (hats off to Dylan Thomas and the Bard though), Wales have us in the acting stakes though - Burton and Hopkins........ say no more.

As of the U2 thing they're victims of their own success. Had they stopped mid 80's or even Achtung baby, you'd have young hipsters wearing t-shirts going on as if they were the best thing ever. Although you'd struggle to find a band with the same mass appeal and commercial success consistantly over 30 odd years, Chilli peppers maybe.........

Back to rugby to be honest I hate losing to the Welsh probably because we rely on the "we're only a small little nation and we'll have a go and if we beat the big boys then aren't we great", Wales have us in that department too...............!

Well you certainly have good taste sir

Sure Goose but the statement wasnt about wales and Ireland, the statement was "best in the world"

So no offence but England wins hands down on the playwrights and poets whther I like it or not.

As for Music personally I prefer U2 Thin Lizzy the undertones, Van Morrison to anything the phonics, preachers, catatonia or furries have produced but, when placed next to the Beatles, The Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Faces, The Cure, The Jam, The Police, well I could go on and write a list of 20th century pop culture but you get what I mean. personally I would rather listen to Blind Lemmon Jefforson or Son House. Actually maybe the US have 20th century pop culture pretty much sewn up apart from the Beatles.

My point is that Ireland has a rich and wonderfully historic culture but to claim its better than everybody else in the world was a sweeping statement that I just couldnt let stand espescially given reality of our celtic impact on world culture musically and poetically. Dont get me wrong I liked U2 up until rattle and Hum I adore the imagery and language of Heaney although I do consider him inferior to TH Parry Williams. Ive read Joyce, didnt like it Maes to be honest. However Swifts Tale of the Tub amd gulliver is genius. Even so the English have us celts trumped musically and poetically. Of course its only because ther is more of them but but........

Anyway I guess we can claim all of the above are better than crowded house, midnight oil, men at work and INXS. SO at least we beat the SH at somthing

Wales by 10 by the way my confidence is returning.

When mentioning Irish bands lets also remember The Pogues too please...! Surely more Irish than than the modern super pop U2 are these days.

By the way I recommend "killing Bono" the movie, very funny.

all good points but I'm pretty sure every English dude and group you mentioned has at least one Irish Granny ( like iPods/Phones, every fecker has at least one) so therefore we'll claim them as ours.
if it makes you feel better you can claim me as my Mum is from a little village in N Wales called Minera!

Thanks for the intelligent responses too, I'm amazed their hasn't been some idiot WUM on here yet!

I don't see where everyone is getting their confidence about Wales in the 6N? I would say this will be the worst 6n for Wales in a while but they tend to finish 4th and I don't think they'll do worse than that this time, but they'll for once never look like winning. I can't believe last year people thought they had a chance when they had to beat France by 27 points ... come on ... but moreso, I couldn't believe they were still in the running (even mathematically) on the last day, again.

In the world cup Wales fought off their demons and beat Samoa and Fiji convincingly. They lost to South Africa, France & Australia and beat Ireland, who did not play as well as they could.

Whereas I don't think Ireland are particularly good this year, they're in Ireland - they'll be fine for this one. Even without O'Driscoll their intensity will overpower the Welsh who will make too many mistakes.

I'm so confident on this one I'm going to go stick a bet on now actually.

Lennon, McCartney, Harrison might have had an Irish relative or two though I think "Ringo" Richard Starky (Parkin) was english through and through...

Saw Doctors

maestegmafia wrote:Lennon, McCartney, Harrison might have had an Irish relative or two though I think "Ringo" Richard Starky (Parkin) was english through and through...

fair call - I must look into that, I think his people were Jews from Eastern Europe who anglicised their name when they migrated to England. Still wouldn't bet against a Paddy cropping up somewhere in the family tree?!

Fair enough... I do remember something similar. Though I think all the Beatles erred away from any religious connection, Paul McCartney is from an Irish Protestant/Catholic background, John Lennon was brought up by his aunt.

Goosestepper wrote:
U2 aside - I'd still have the likes of Thin Lizzy, Rory Gallagher

Boom..and if thats not a knock out blow then throw Christie Moore, The Undertones and Van the man in there too ....has anyone mentioned Chris de Burgh?.....

I still cant believe none of you have mentioned the Pogues...!

Think the Pogues got a mention above...then theres the dubliners, snow patrol, the cranberries, damien rice, bell x1, therapy?, Ash, Sinead O'Connor, Boyzone, Westlife, Daniel O'Donnell, cyprus hill.....

Dusty Springfield...!

i can see the build up to this game going exactly the same way as the build up to the QF, "if Ireland play their game Wales have no chance", "why is everyone crowing about wales? theyre rubbish" etc, etc - obviously not direct quotes, but theyre not exactly far off the mark from some things already said on this thread!

2010 = 2/2 for wales, we're bringing the ball boy with us for good luck and with the defensive breakthough of the last 5 years being made in the world cup (the way people went on you'd think no-one had even thought if you tackle the big guys at the knees hard they'll actually just go down).

i think we all know by that the relevant success of the provinces/regions does not just translate to the national teams.

Im looking forward to this game. I think a lot of it will depend if form is rewarded in the Welsh squad selection and what Kidney does with the centre pairing. Ireland will need to attack the line-out, Wales will attack the midfield. Hoping both teams fire out of the blocks as has been said, both tend to be relatively slow starters. Make no mistakes, defense will win this game again.

Going to see the Pogues in March - really worried they'll be Sh*te and disappoint (bringing a few Aussies to the gig), I've been to a couple of concerts by legends over the last few years and some have been hot and miss.

Will let you all know how it goes and if we can add them to the list!

Surprised Shane McGowan is still alive to be honest...

One of his most famous quotes was "sixteen pints of martini and a packet of pork scratchin's"

Shane MacGowan can't sing anymore. He can't really talk either. But anyone I know who've gone to see them have enjoyed it. They're my favourite band actually. Brilliant lyrics. Brilliants tunes. Brilliant sound.

By the way Lennon, McCartney and Harrison are all 1st generation Irish as far a I know. As are the majority of lots of English bands like the Smiths, Oasis etc. In fact. Shane MacGowan is born and raised in England, to Irish parents.

I suppose we can take some credit for a musical tradition being passed onto them. But I've no doubt it was their experiences of growing up in England and absorbing English culture which shaped their music more. A lot of them have said that their feeling of "Irishness" and of being an outsider in the country they grew up in influenced their music.

I read a book on the extraordinary influence the Irish have had in both American and British music. It's far bigger than most people think. Anyway on Lennon/McCartney, I always found something funny. Lennon is always seen as the controversial, political one and McCartney the pop genius.

But what was one of McCartney's first post-Beatles songs?
Give Ireland Back to the Irish
How much more political and controversial can you get Paul!!

Feckless Rogue wrote:
But what was one of McCartney's first post-Beatles songs?
Give Ireland Back to the Irish
How much more political and controversial can you get Paul!!

....actually that's Sir Paul to you....

The Abomination that was 'The Corrs' then ,slipped thru the net?

The Corrs is a great shout....what about Jedward?.....

The advantage we have over you Irish and Welsh with music is that our bands are like Lemon and Paeroa: world famous in NZ. So I could mention Fat Freddy´s Drop or Phoenix Foundation and you´ve probably never heard of them. Whereas for every Van Morrison I could offer up Ronan Keating or those twin atrocities that made Vanilla Ice think it was acceptable to come back and rehash that whigger wannabe anthem.

Bad Irish acts? Where?????


Okay, if yous want to play dirty. Let's start a bad British acts list........................................................ okay, maybe that's a Googleplex But I still have to mention one - Black Lace. QED

Wales have Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey!

Don't forget the The Scots lads. And we have to give some recognition to The Ulstermen. Let's just say the people on these islands are particularly good at music. But what is the story with modern European music?

I once went out with a nice French girl. She listened to all types of European music in different languages. Spanish, French, Italian, the lot. Which I thought was very open minded of her at the time, so I had a listen. And it was all universally sh!te. They beat us hands down in terms of food and lifestyle for sure. But they're just cr@p at music. They really are.

Feckless Rogue wrote:Don't forget the The Scots lads. And we have to give some recognition to The Ulstermen. Let's just say the people on these islands are particularly good at music. But what is the story with modern European music?

I once went out with a nice French girl. She listened to all types of European music in different languages. Spanish, French, Italian, the lot. Which I thought was very open minded of her at the time, so I had a listen. And it was all universally sh!te. They beat us hands down in terms of food and lifestyle for sure. But they're just cr@p at music. They really are.

I had a similar experience and came to the same conclusion.

roddersm wrote:Think the Pogues got a mention above...then theres the dubliners, snow patrol, the cranberries, damien rice, bell x1, therapy?, Ash, Sinead O'Connor, Boyzone, Westlife, Daniel O'Donnell, cyprus hill.....

Cypress Hill- the Hispanic East Coast rap group What you smoking homes ? Do you mean House of Pain ?


And I'll play my trump card - B*Witched ! I fight like ma Da

TycroesOsprey wrote:

Feckless Rogue wrote:Don't forget the The Scots lads. And we have to give some recognition to The Ulstermen. Let's just say the people on these islands are particularly good at music. But what is the story with modern European music?

I once went out with a nice French girl. She listened to all types of European music in different languages. Spanish, French, Italian, the lot. Which I thought was very open minded of her at the time, so I had a listen. And it was all universally sh!te. They beat us hands down in terms of food and lifestyle for sure. But they're just cr@p at music. They really are.

I had a similar experience and came to the same conclusion.

Now, now guys...what you were probably listening to was what might be described as daytime commerical radio pop???? Now, do the maths and do the quality control examination of daytime commercial pop radio on these shores.... X factor style smaltz or boys-from-the-hood-from-croydon-mimics. The majority of pop in any country is by sheer numbers and sheer definition - cráp.