Ireland XV vs Fiji, Match Thread and Build-Up

[Notch]

First topic message reminder :

Looking ahead to this game, Eoin Reddan is a doubt apparently but there are no other new injury concerns. Ferris and O'Connell are confirmed out of this and next week.

I've already talked about the issue of this game not being considered a full international which can be found HERE and we should should probably try and keep discussion of that issue to the relevant thread.

I'm very much of the opinion that we should largely keep the same team. I don't see how wholesale changes are going to help prepare the firsts for Argentina. There should of course be a few tweaks (please put Earls back in the back three) but this team needs time on the pitch together. Of course, I think our problems run deeper than a lack of pitch time together but we're in a desperate situation here. We need to beat Argentina and this game has to be treated as a dry run for the week after.

[Notch]

Yeah, its true sadly. Fiji have gone backwards a mile!

It was just great to see those young lads play whats in front of them with flair and ambition.

[valjester]

Guscott talking shi*e about Earls' tackling again.

I was a bit disappointed with Tuohy, I was hoping that he would have pushed past Doc for the bench spot and possibly
put a case forward for him starting ahead of Ryan, but he was outshone by Doc who really does put in a monumental
amount of work.


Kidney will revert back to his favourites next week, which is disappointing but inevitable.

[rodders]

Hookie yer a badden sir.... keep it up...

[Cari]

I'm more looking forward to the Ireland game next week now - just to see who they pick!

[valjester]

Did Keith Wood honestly just say, Cave at 12, Earls 13 for next week?? Lord save us

I'd prefer Marshall at 12 obviously, but Earls Cave had a very good partnership at A level.

[clivemcl]

Guscott talking Poopie about Earls' tackling again.

I was a bit disappointed with Tuohy, I was hoping that he would have pushed past Doc for the bench spot and possibly
put a case forward for him starting ahead of Ryan, but he was outshone by Doc who really does put in a monumental
amount of work.


Kidney will revert back to his favourites next week, which is disappointing but inevitable.

In fairness i seen DOC make a few errors. But i agree, Tuohy didn't do much of note.

[The Boss]

Sensational by the backline. Hurley started well I thought and then was very quiet up until he was taken off. Gilroy man of the match closely followed by Marshall and Jackson. Good to see Murray back in a bit of form so hopefully he can keep it up for next week and was impressed with Ferg too.

Can't fault any of the players performances tonight. The forwards did very well but have been overshadowed obviously. Thought DOC did well and Heaslip played well in the backrow.

[Gibson]

Back to the real business next week chaps. Time to put the Ulster Dreaming away for now.

Tanks for comin. Its been emotionally political.

[rodders]

Right back in a while.... there yous go then the futures bright and the present sucks...could be worse....

[wolfball]

Healy
Strauss
Bent
Ryan
DOC
Henry
Henderson
Heaslip

Murray
Sexton

Gillroy
Marshall
Cave
Bowe
Zebo

Earls on bench...

My team for next week presuming we play high tempo rugby. Will never happen though

[Gibson]

I'm more looking forward to the Ireland game next week now - just to see who they pick!

I can pick it now, if you like.

[clivemcl]

Healy
Strauss
Bent
Ryan
DOC
Henry
Henderson
Heaslip

Murray
Sexton

Gillroy
Marshall
Cave
Bowe
Zebo

Earls on bench...

My team for next week presuming we play high tempo rugby. Will never happen though

Totally agree on that, and if sextons injured, Jackson would do also.

[valjester]

Healy
Strauss
Bent
Ryan
DOC
Henry
Henderson
Heaslip

Murray
Sexton

Gillroy
Marshall
Cave
Bowe
Zebo

Earls on bench...

My team for next week presuming we play high tempo rugby. Will never happen though

McCarthy won't be dropped after last weekend and rightly so. Earls will be involved somewhere in the backline, and I think he should be, he was our most dangerous back against SA.

[Gibson]

Healy
Strauss
Bent
Ryan
DOC
Henry
Henderson
Heaslip

Murray
Sexton

Gillroy
Marshall
Cave
Bowe
Zebo

Earls on bench...

My team for next week presuming we play high tempo rugby. Will never happen though

Totally agree on that, and if sextons injured, Jackson would do also.

Bless.

[Hookisms and Hyperbole]

Why would Kidney pick some young players when he could pick the tried and failed, I mean tested. Whoops. Freudian slip. No one will notice.

[Cari]

I'm more looking forward to the Ireland game next week now - just to see who they pick!

I can pick it now, if you like.

Ah don't spoil it...anyway we know who's at 14...

[MrsP]

Sensational by the backline. Hurley started well I thought and then was very quiet up until he was taken off. Gilroy man of the match closely followed by Marshall and Jackson. Good to see Murray back in a bit of form so hopefully he can keep it up for next week and was impressed with Ferg too.

Can't fault any of the players performances tonight. The forwards did very well but have been overshadowed obviously. Thought DOC did well and Heaslip played well in the backrow.

Which one?

According to the commentators you could mean Luke, Paddy, Peter or Paul!

Very proud of that team.

[rodders]

I'm more looking forward to the Ireland game next week now - just to see who they pick!

I can pick it now, if you like.

He'll pick the side that ran sideways and backwards against the boks plus McFadden....

[Hookisms and Hyperbole]

McCarthy won't be dropped after last weekend and rightly so. Earls will be involved somewhere in the backline, and I think he should be, he was our most dangerous back against SA.

You naughty little WUM. The only danger he posed was to the supporters in the stands with his passing.

[Thomond]

I only saw the first half (was at the hospital) but I wasn't too impressed with our backs to be honest. Fair enough they got the tries but I saw very little creativity or any semblence of running lines or backplay.


Did we improve in that regard in the second? Good for the Ulster boys to score, but sure it's only Fiji like, we don't want ye getting to big for your boots. Tokenism may have to be brought back!

[The Boss]

Ssshhhhh MrsP don't tell anyone about the other Marshalls! I get confused myself between Wallace and Marshall at 12. Paul's quick passing did liven the game up again but Luke was 1st class bar 1 bad pass.

[clivemcl]

Healy
Strauss
Bent
Ryan
DOC
Henry
Henderson
Heaslip

Murray
Sexton

Gillroy
Marshall
Cave
Bowe
Zebo

Earls on bench...

My team for next week presuming we play high tempo rugby. Will never happen though

McCarthy won't be dropped after last weekend and rightly so. Earls will be involved somewhere in the backline, and I think he should be, he was our most dangerous back against SA.

Valjester, that is a very Declan Kidney-esque attitude. "Yea some of the guys played exceptionally well last week, but we decided to go with other players anyway..."

[clivemcl]

https://www.606v2.com/t37358-when-will-anscombe-promote-marshall-gilroy-and-henderson

[Hookisms and Hyperbole]

I only saw the first half (was at the hospital) but I wasn't too impressed with our backs to be honest. Fair enough they got the tries but I saw very little creativity or any semblence of running lines or backplay.


Did we improve in that regard in the second? Good for the Ulster boys to score, but sure it's only Fiji like, we don't want ye getting to big for your boots. Tokenism may have to be brought back!

Good lad. Though if we bring back some tokenism then at least some Munster lads might get a run out. Heaven knows how else ROG would get his obligatory place on the bench. Sure Luke Marhsall and Craig Gilroy are our benchwarmers at Ravenhill and still streets ahead of your lot. George Hook will be weeping into his Coco Pops tomorrow morning.

[Thomond]

Streets ahead, yerra let them do it against a good side like. Putting 50 points on Fiji is grand like but can they do absolutely nothing against South Africa?
That's how you prove you deserve to start for Ireland.

[neilthom7]

could be good for paul marshall, if kidney listens to bbc he will think there are 3 of him and be more inclined to pick 1 lol

[profitius]

I only saw the first half (was at the hospital) but I wasn't too impressed with our backs to be honest. Fair enough they got the tries but I saw very little creativity or any semblence of running lines or backplay.


Did we improve in that regard in the second? Good for the Ulster boys to score, but sure it's only Fiji like, we don't want ye getting to big for your boots. Tokenism may have to be brought back!

Luke Marshall is a big improvement on D'Arcy and Gilroy is a big improvement on Trimble.

Cave is possibly a better 13 than Earls. He might not have the gas but he does the basics better. I'd put Earls at fullback against Argentina with Gilroy and Bowe on the wings.

[Notch]

No, the second half was very flat.

I agree with you to an extent about the backline, but the big difference is all the backs were happy to take it to the gainline and offload the ball. And Jackson and Marshall made a difference in being happy to pass the ball flat on the gainline. A number of individuals caught the eye whilst a fairly inept fijian defence made us look good too.

I'd be interested to see how some of those guys would adapt to a much, much tougher, more organised and faster defence in Argentina. They have the talent, quite obviously.

[Thomond]

Oh yeah I'm joking Prof. They showed some promise in the first half I think we need to improve in our backline play still, the best sides will defend against simple good hands 9 times out of 10. (note: we could have improved in the second half)

[MrsP]

Ssshhhhh MrsP don't tell anyone about the other Marshalls! I get confused myself between Wallace and Marshall at 12. Paul's quick passing did liven the game up again but Luke was 1st class bar 1 bad pass.

Awh Boss.

That just reminds me of the terrible trouble our very own Jim "Gusher" Neilly used to have when Nevin Spence and Luke Marshall were both in the mid field for Ulster. The only thing you could be sure of was that if Gusher talked about the great break from Marshall, that Nevin had been the one with the ball and vice versa.

Still makes me gasp sometimes when I just catch a glimpse of the shock of blond hair. The other week when Cochrane was playing I was sure it was Nevin for a split second.

[neilthom7]

So what you are saying Thomond is we can't say they are better because they played v Fiji but they didn't play v South Africa but you are also saying we cannot start them v Argentina for this so tell me how are we supposed to know? Sounds like a kop out excuse to me. Yes Fiji are not a good side and did not play well but you have to give the guys a chance it's that kind of thinking that Kidney has and we see the same team everytime, the same tripe everytime and the same result.

[neilthom7]

whoops my bad Thomond I thought you were being serious your educated wit it too much for me mate I need to rest my head hurts lol

[The Boss]

They are the spit of each other so I could see Jim making the mistake. At my age I'd like to think I've better eye sight than him and I couldn't tell. My problem with Wallace and marshall is just the names I can't get right for some reason haha.

[Thomond]

I never said that I wouldn't start them. Our backs did sweet FA against South Africa, this lot actually did something, so most of them deserve to start.


Why wouldn't I want changes to our inept backs, no one in their right mind would keep that crowd together!

[clivemcl]

So what you are saying Thomond is we can't say they are better because they played v Fiji but they didn't play v South Africa but you are also saying we cannot start them v Argentina for this so tell me how are we supposed to know? Sounds like a kop out excuse to me. Yes Fiji are not a good side and did not play well but you have to give the guys a chance it's that kind of thinking that Kidney has and we see the same team everytime, the same tripe everytime and the same result.

I think it was sarcasm from Thomond there Neil. He was suggesting that doing nothing against SA was better than doing brilliantly against Fiji.

[tecphobe]

Im disappointed with that performance fiji are awful. Decent international side should put 80-100 points on them.

[neilthom7]

Yeah yeah I got it after I wrote I do apologise I think I lost some of my braincells around the 10 metre line today when some w***** sorry I mean opposition player cheapshoted me with an elbow

[clivemcl]

Im disappointed with that performance fiji are awful. Decent international side should put 80-100 points on them.

WUMbag

[ME-109]

jebus wept...we put two score plus on a side which Zebre would have beaten and want wholesale changes...the only possible changes should be Jackson (hope sexton noted how to bring your backline into play) and Luke Marshall. I would play DOC with McCarthy over Ryan.

[Gibson]

I only saw the first half (was at the hospital) but I wasn't too impressed with our backs to be honest. Fair enough they got the tries but I saw very little creativity or any semblence of running lines or backplay.


Did we improve in that regard in the second? Good for the Ulster boys to score, but sure it's only Fiji like, we don't want ye getting to big for your boots. Tokenism may have to be brought back!

Gowan T, ya feicin boy ya! Tell it, like it probably is...

Ah sure leave them have their day out. Its DK's version of PC. He's on the way out, so its far too late for even more tokenism now.

Hope the hospital visit was nothing too bad bro.

[Gibson]

jebus wept...we put two score plus on a side which Zebre would have beaten and want wholesale changes...the only possible changes should be Jackson (hope sexton noted how to bring your backline into play) and Luke Marshall. I would play DOC with McCarthy over Ryan.

Jackson was the worst of all the Ulster players out there. He's firmly 4th or 5th in line. If that.

[Thomond]

Dod, from what I saw that wasn't exactly creative backplay that was just good hands and "numbehs" good teams defend against that. Scoring tries doesn't necessarily mean you have good backplay like. I am not a backs coach but that wasn't what I would call incredible back play, not many lines or anything like that we sucked them in and put it wide. That gets figured out pretty easily if you don't run good lines.


Nothing too bad Gibbo, just some knee issues.

[MrsP]

jebus wept...we put two score plus on a side which Zebre would have beaten and want wholesale changes...the only possible changes should be Jackson (hope sexton noted how to bring your backline into play) and Luke Marshall. I would play DOC with McCarthy over Ryan.

Jackson was the worst of all the Ulster players out there. He's firmly 4th or 5th in line. If that.

Sniff, sniff...what's that I smell?

Could it be....fear?

[Gibson]

No dahlink, just a soupson of reality. Its best ye know now, rather than later.

I'm good like that. No thanks required.

[LeinsterFan4life]

jebus wept...we put two score plus on a side which Zebre would have beaten and want wholesale changes...the only possible changes should be Jackson (hope sexton noted how to bring your backline into play) and Luke Marshall. I would play DOC with McCarthy over Ryan.

Jackson was the worst of all the Ulster players out there. He's firmly 4th or 5th in line. If that.

Ye sexton hasn't got a clue how to bring a backline into ppay. Thats why Leinster's attack was so bad last year.

[MrsP]

No dahlink, just a soupson of reality. Its best ye know now, rather than later.

I'm good like that. No thanks required.

The Gobby doth protest too much, methinks.



Anyone know why Sexton wasn't playing?

[Thomond]

He had a knock and Deccie said there was no need to risk him. Good move.

[ME-109]

I would play McFadden, he played well.
er..leinsterfan4life, check out leinater with Madiganat 10 and how many tries they scored and then with sexton. Also check it out when Nacewa wasn't playingwith sexton...

[Notch]

I never said that I wouldn't start them. Our backs did sweet FA against South Africa, this lot actually did something, so most of them deserve to start.


Why wouldn't I want changes to our inept backs, no one in their right mind would keep that crowd together!

Ultimately though they are playing to the same structures and patterns as we played against South Africa- fair to say the backline from last week would have run in a few tries against a ragged Fiji team. We can change around players, but the structures come from coaches.

But a few individuals have earned their chance.

[Thomond]

I would play them, it would be moronic not to. I was simply stating a fact that good backplay wasn't really shown by us. Not great running lines or patterns. I got lambasted for it (more so in other websites).


Did they announce an attendence did anyone know?

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