Ireland vs Italy TEAM ANNOUNCED

First topic message reminder :

Hi all,

I know it's early in the week for this to be up but thought I'd get it going anyway.
From what I understand we have no injuries to worry about bar Sexton and it looks like he should be declared fit to start.

The Italians have been looking quite good I think this year. They weren't bad against France and for huge parts of the game against England they were the better team but lost out.

Parisse and Masi are in great form in my opinion and they are supplemented by some good work by the predictably grisselled Italian pack although they have lost Castrogiovanni and their 9-10 look shaky.

From an Irish perspective, things are disappointing at present, poor tactics have lost us a number of games and the team don't seem to know what way to play and our consistently on different wavelengths. Great players like Ferris, O'Brien, O'Connell, Sexton and others are not turning up to play in Green the way they do for their provinces.

Score predictions?
Who you would pick in the team and why?
Italian weakness' and strengths?
Irish weakness' and strengths?
Fears?
Hopes?
Is Declan Kidney in serious danger at this stage? What would be his fate were we to lose this game?

15 - Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
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) (capt)
6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 - Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:

16 - Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
19 - Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) *
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 - Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)

I thought that i didnt have to mention the Ulster OAP's geoff

eirebilly wrote:I cant imagine anyone not wanting to watch Ireland, not even up for debate in my books. Even if Ireland fielded OAP's, i would be watching them and complaining afterwards about Deccies tackics in not motivating them and how Munsters OAP's are better than Liensters.

That side played only two weeks ago, billy...your memory, she ain't what she used to be.

Did i play Fly?..... Did i do ok?

Hate to say it billy, but you were kinda doing all your best work against the grain so to speak...

so we had to take you off before you went over the tryline for them...

and replaced you with the new lad Hayes...luckily just back from retirement after an urgent telegram from Declan.

Sorry about that then, i let the side down. Certain to start next match though

SecretFly wrote:Hate to say it billy, but you were kinda doing all your best work against the grain so to speak... so we had to take you off before you went over the tryline for them...
.

Is Billy really Gordon Darcy? It sounds like it!!!!

red_stag wrote:

SecretFly wrote:Hate to say it billy, but you were kinda doing all your best work against the grain so to speak... so we had to take you off before you went over the tryline for them...
.

Is Billy really Gordon Darcy? It sounds like it!!!!

I wasn't all that convinced Stag, until billy said he's certain to start the next game. That was too big a hint to ignore. You're right, he has to be D'Arcy.

Its me, you found me out. I have been working on my handling and jinking runs in training. Deccie has been impressed so i am gold for the next 2 years

Only 2 years. What did you do. You must have pished him off REALLY badly to only be guaranteed to stay in the team until you are 34.

As a concerned Irish supporter my advice is tell Deccie you want the #12 shirt for at LEAST until BOD retires (I have on good authority that his farewell will the the 2023 RWC final in Lansdowne Road).

If he refuses tell Deccie that the photos of him applauding at a display of off-the-cuff running rugby will make the front page of the newspapers. He wont like that at all.

Nah he offered me 10 years but i figure that i will retire in 2 years time while still being at the top of my game.

Dont be hasty.You'll be a long time retired.

Yeah but in two years time, i will want to finish my career on a high as top try scorer, top tackler and top line breaker in a sucessfull 6N GS for Ireland. Go out on the top and let the youngsters take the up the challenge.

There was only so long that i could carry BOD and make him look good and he asked me if i could stay on so that he could get another 2 seasons playing for Ireland because without me he would look fairly ordinary

This here game between Ireland v Italy isn't putting many bums on seats in the run-up chat game!

Has it been postponed too?? Too many perspex panels on the Lansdowne stadium?

I knew it!! I knew the IRB would pick up on that eventually!!! Irish bloody cowboy builders! Embarrassing.

Well the Irish cowboy builders are pretty famour Fly, i mean there was that Olympic swimming pool that was made to be a perfect 49.5 mtrs

eirebilly wrote:Well the Irish cowboy builders are pretty famous Fly, i mean there was that Olympic swimming pool that was made to be a perfect 49.5 mtrs

Ah but that was only because the end had broken off yer man's tape measure, so that doesn't really count. When it was checked against the bit that was missing the pool length was exactly correct.

Gert Smal out for the rest of the 6Ns with an eye problem.

Anthony Foley is taking over as the forwards coach.

Rava wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Well the Irish cowboy builders are pretty famous Fly, i mean there was that Olympic swimming pool that was made to be a perfect 49.5 mtrs

Ah but that was only because the end had broken off yer man's tape measure, so that doesn't really count. When it was checked against the bit that was missing the pool length was exactly correct.

You see, billy! Problem solved. It was the right length, just the wrong measurement. And if the swimmers agreed to swim slower nobody would even notice the .5 metres.

I started a thread to discuss that;

https://www.606v2.com/t24575-anthony-foley-takes-over-as-ireland-forwards-coach

Fly, Billy has been away from home too long. He has been Dutchified!! A bit like yer man Gibson so.

Hey, i am not as bad as Gibbo..... On my way but not there yet ;-)

Oi! I find that both ageist AND racist. Harrumph!

Still love ya tho big boy.

Ha haa, you are Dutchified Gibbo, no way to escape that. Its getting me as well but i have only been here 12 years

Darcy makes a break! must be his first in around two years.

Earls over for the try.

Murray looks like hes been watching O'Leary far too much his passing is so slow. completely different to when he first burst onto scene

Golden.
https://www.606v2.com/t24609-ireland-v-italy-lansdowne-road-feb-25th-2012-match-thread

Somebody do something...like take sexton off before he embarrasses himself more

Oooo I just get home from work and log on to see Italy score a try!

Looks like arrived just at the right time.

Tommy Bowe! Tommy Bowe! Tommy Bowe!
Tommy Bowe! Tommy Bowe! Tommy Bowe!
Tommy Bowe! Tommy Bowe! Tommy Bowe!
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Tommy Bowe!

That half encapsulates all that is positive and negative about Irish rugby at the moment. When we run at pace and are dynamic with quick offloading, we look like we can score at will. Some very, very sloppy play from Sexton. Murray decent but much too slow at times. The backrow actually playing quite well as a unit, but individually not at their best. That said, the unit as a whole is the most important factor.

Ireland look like they can score whenever they get into the Italian 22 so maybe need to play a bit more for territory ... although it looked like the long pass for their 2nd try went a bit forwards going by the pattern on the grass ...

these commentators are making me laugh, how much do they want ireland to win!!

ireland are a lot better now murrey has gone off.

Nathan I completely agree. If it wasn't already obvious that Reddan should be starting hopefully it is now. Murray is so frustrating to watch. He's sooooo slow.

DOD wrote:Somebody do something...like take sexton off before he embarrasses himself more

He is playing very well. Strange comment.

How bad have we been from fielding re-starts! Italy have competed for them brilliantly but we have been poor

DOD wrote:Somebody do something...like take sexton off before he embarrasses himself more

Eat your heart out!

Well played Ireland, only saw the second half but Bowe, Sexton , O'Connell and Kearney all impressed (and the first 3 are all in my fantasy team which is nice). Italy looked a little out of sorts to be honest...

Good solid win, Ireland look like they've got their mojo back.

A bit of food for thought for Kidney. Reddan, Ryan, and Bowe in the centre!

D'Arcy had a good game and Kearney was immense.

mankiaow wrote:Good solid win, Ireland look like they've got their mojo back.

A bit of food for thought for Kidney. Reddan, Ryan, and Bowe in the centre!

D'Arcy had a good game and Kearney was immense.

For once Kidney made some very good subs. In fact Ireland improved so much that there are some who should be starting.

O'Mahoney for O'Brien at 7
Reddan for Murray at 9
Ryan for O'Callaghan at 4

O'Brien is a 6. He's now unrecognizable from last years brilliance. He's not a 7. O'Mahoney deserves a chance to stake his claim for the 7 jersey, because O'Brien hasn't. Ireland got much quicker ball with Reddan and it made all the difference. Kidney has to get over his obsession with big lumps for scrumhalf and play the guy who gives the backs the quickest ball. Ryan is better than O'Callaghan now. He's starting ahead of him for Munster so why is O'Callaghan starting for Ireland?

Italy never seem to be as strong away from home although the scoreline I feel made it look more one-sided than it was ...

I thought maybe Ireland's 2nd and 3rd tries could have question marks in the build up - forward pass for 2nd and off-side in ruck for 3rd ... unless my understanding of the rules is wrong in thinking you're not allowed to pick the ball up from in front of the hindmost foot?

Good win for Ireland though and unlucky not to be 2 from 2 after some unfortunate calls from the officials against Wales.

Hopefully the Murray experiment is over. So slow an ineffective.

O'Brien was fairly anonymous at 7. Is o'Mahoney really a viable alternative? We still need to get the balance right in the backrow...

DOD wrote:Somebody do something...like take sexton off before he embarrasses himself more

MOTM.

leinsterbaby wrote:

DOD wrote:Somebody do something...like take sexton off before he embarrasses himself more

He is playing very well. Strange comment.

Not from DOD it isn't!

Gibson wrote:

DOD wrote:Somebody do something...like take sexton off before he embarrasses himself more

MOTM.

I was very happy with Sexton. Even when he made a couple of mistakes near the start his intent was good. He was playing more like himself and not trying to play like ROG. He's found his kicking boots too. I think the fact that he's now the undisputed number 1 flyhalf is helping his confidence and he'll start to blossom at test level. Especially if Kidney starts Reddan too. We're clearly much better off with that halfback combo. Just look at the England game last year. Have they started together since then? Wake up Deccie.

Ferris should have been man of the match though.

Ferris I thought was immense. Was a beast with the ball in hand in that second 40, Heaslip though was still quiet.

Well done Ireland, a good win whilest playing poorly at times.

Feckless Rogue wrote:

mankiaow wrote:Good solid win, Ireland look like they've got their mojo back.

A bit of food for thought for Kidney. Reddan, Ryan, and Bowe in the centre!

D'Arcy had a good game and Kearney was immense.

For once Kidney made some very good subs. In fact Ireland improved so much that there are some who should be starting.

O'Mahoney for O'Brien at 7
Reddan for Murray at 9
Ryan for O'Callaghan at 4

O'Brien is a 6. He's now unrecognizable from last years brilliance. He's not a 7. O'Mahoney deserves a chance to stake his claim for the 7 jersey, because O'Brien hasn't. Ireland got much quicker ball with Reddan and it made all the difference. Kidney has to get over his obsession with big lumps for scrumhalf and play the guy who gives the backs the quickest ball. Ryan is better than O'Callaghan now. He's starting ahead of him for Munster so why is O'Callaghan starting for Ireland?

Spot on.

Lets hope Deccie continues being PROactive instead of REactive. He used the bench well today. He had to. He must be reading our threads.

We were rusty in the 1st half, but looked far better with Reddan, POM and Ryan on. Will he start them? It would show he IS for changing. Tune in next week.

SOB did not have a good game today, unfortunately.