The Crunch: Ireland v England Sunday 10th February 2013

First topic message reminder :

aka L'O'Choc: Irelande v Angleterre Dimanche le 10me Février 2013After going AWOL again yesterday, the French have most likely reduced the 6Ns title to a single game to determine the title.

Such a shame.

Discussion about the game - not about France going walkabout as originally intended.

Teams:

Greater Dublin Representative XXIII

15 - Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster/42)
14 - Craig Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster/2)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster/121)
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster/72)
11 - Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster/4)
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary's College/Leinster/35)
9 - Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster/15)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster/36)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster/63)
3 - Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster/25)
4 - Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht/7)
5 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster/24)
6 - Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster/10)
7 - Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster/23)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster/53) Captain

Replacements:

16 - Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster/23)
17 - David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster/3)
18 - Declan Fitzpatrick (Dungannon/Ulster/3)
19 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster/91)
20 - Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster/5)
21 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster/48)
22 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster/126)
23 - Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster/35)

The Perfidious Albion

15. Alex Goode (Saracens, 7 caps)
14. Chris Ashton (Saracens, 30 caps)
13. Brad Barritt (Saracens, 12 caps)
12. Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby, 1 caps)
11. Mike Brown (Harlequins, 12 caps)
10. Owen Farrell (Saracens, 13 caps)
9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 29 caps)

1. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 6 caps)
2. Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 5 caps)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 36 caps)
4. Joe Launchbury (London Wasps, 5 caps)
5. Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers, 13 caps)
6. James Haskell (London Wasps, 46 caps)
7. Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, capt, 13 caps)
8. Tom Wood (Northampton Saints, 10 caps)

Replacements
16. Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints, 43 caps)
17. David Wilson (Bath Rugby, 23 caps)
18. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 5 caps)
19. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 16 caps)
20. Thomas Waldrom (Leicester Tigers, 4 caps)
21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 38 caps)
22. Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers, 54 caps)
23. Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 17 caps)

Wish We had Morgan to run at ROG

sheephead wrote:I think ROG is the right player for this game. He knows how to play the corners. Saves having the ball in hand too much.

He may know how but its a pity he doesn't have the ability to execute it

Healy flew in again there. Jeez lad

Why is that Irish lad punching him

Cari wrote:ooh fight! fight! fight!

Well so far, this match deserves a draw.

Just handbags Cari, you should recognise it.

Peter O'Mahony loves a push, I have never seen a game in which he hasnt got in some sort of scuffle.

Cian Healey definitely took a swing at Tom Youngs in the ruck there.

You Irish lads are flipping hard core.. What is this mma fighting

Ireland got the better there, still get the feeling they will be edging this one,

Never mind a citing Healy isn't going to last this game...

trebellbobaggins wrote:Ireland got the better there, still get the feeling they will be edging this one,

Keep up the good work trebbs

trebellbobaggins wrote:Ireland got the better there, still get the feeling they will be edging this one,

You do realise that Rog is playing, England should quit rugby if they cannot win this one.

I am not inspired by us or scared of Ireland at all...

Oh ROG.

0-6 at HT

P45 for Kidney...?

Could be interesting manu coming on late with Ireland having to make changes early.

Ireland have dominated in many ways. Likely they will edge it if they can keep this intensity.

Knock ons killing us.
McCarthy is forever knocking on. He better sort that out for next season.

Golden wrote:

sheephead wrote:I think ROG is the right player for this game. He knows how to play the corners. Saves having the ball in hand too much.

He may know how but its a pity he doesn't have the ability to execute it

I'm not his biggest fan but I think its a case of knowing what he wants to do but the body can't do it anymore.

The imaginary Irish respect for the kicker alive an well I see =D

Cian Healy only seems to be tough when players are lying on the floor and not in a position to fight back. Runs in to stamp on Cole the runs in to punch Youngs. Nice to see Tom Wood land one on the cheap shot merchant in retaliation.

I know the weather is bad, but god Ireland are playing terribly. Heaslip needs to get his head sorted, Healy is lucky to still be on the pitch.
Sexton gone is a huge blow, Rog is not up to this match, his kicking is still quite accurate but he has no distance from hand. Murray is having
to spend too much time rucking. Zebo is not that big a blow, because Earls is a quality replacement but Ireland have to get the backs into space.
England aren't exactly dominating the match but they deserve the lead, and if it stays like this I expect them to be comfortable winners, especially
as their scrum is only likely to get stronger as the match goes on.

trebellbobaggins wrote:Could be interesting manu coming on late with Ireland having to make changes early.

Ireland have dominated in many ways. Likely they will edge it if they can keep this intensity.

If England have a shred of decency and sportsmanship they'll leave Manu on the bench. Him vs ROG...


Shivers...

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Knock ons killing us.
McCarthy is forever knocking on. He better sort that out for next season.

Maybe heaslip can teach him

Pathetic from Ireland. Not coming here to play rugby, they've come here to wind up England, a dangerous ankle stamp and plenty of other cheap shots at the rucks. Referee out of his depth and missing all of them. Lots of errors and great English defence have ensured Ireland are scoreless at the break. Despite not seeing much of the ball, England are taking their chances. Gritty, attritional, unpleasant, but England are 40 mins from victory.

Oh BBC don't show Healy's stamp in slow mo!! Pundits making a valid point though - is Healy calm enough to stay on?

Healy needs to be banned for a year after this first half performance and the ref needs to watch the flipping game

sheephead wrote:

Golden wrote:

sheephead wrote:I think ROG is the right player for this game. He knows how to play the corners. Saves having the ball in hand too much.

He may know how but its a pity he doesn't have the ability to execute it

I'm not his biggest fan but I think its a case of knowing what he wants to do but the body can't do it anymore.

The imaginary Irish respect for the kicker alive an well I see =D

Your always making comments on this... Why do you care so much about it? We are one of the better nations for it.

The stamp looks horrible alright.

Maybe he figures hell be out for Scotland anyway so in for a penny in for a pound.....

Duty281 wrote:Pathetic from Ireland.

+1

Another worse than pathetic performance for Kidneys collection.

Why is Dan Cole not getting pinged every scrum for binding on Healys arm?

It's only half time, we can't judge anything until its finished.

John inverdale really does make my skin crawl

wayne wrote:Why is Dan Cole not getting pinged every scrum for binding on Healys arm?

Because the ref isn't very good? Ireland are not adapting well to his interpretation at the breakdown. He is not penalising the team with the ball, England are piling in off their feet to protect the ball, and Ireland haven't copped on that he is allowing them to do it, and giving England a chance to make a mess of Irish breakdowns.

wayne wrote:Why is Dan Cole not getting pinged every scrum for binding on Healys arm?

becauae he's not. Binding on the shoulder and side.

Can Ireland afford to sub Healy?

Why is Dan Cole not getting pinged every scrum for binding on Healys arm?

Why are the Irish front row trying to drive up at every scrum? Why does Ross bind on the arm at every scrum? Simples, you try and get away with everything you can. I think Cole is struggling as Robshaw is hovering off the side of the scrum rather than pushing.

A slight aside, on the BBC coverage does anyone know what the song is being played in the background on the segments? They had one just there looking at what's coming up in two weeks, and they use that song all the time.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

sheephead wrote:

Golden wrote:

sheephead wrote:I think ROG is the right player for this game. He knows how to play the corners. Saves having the ball in hand too much.

He may know how but its a pity he doesn't have the ability to execute it

I'm not his biggest fan but I think its a case of knowing what he wants to do but the body can't do it anymore.

The imaginary Irish respect for the kicker alive an well I see =D

Your always making comments on this... Why do you care so much about it? We are one of the better nations for it.

That's a bit rich, any sound when the irish team or province play and these boards are full of respect for the kicker bull $hit.

I hope they keep Twelvetrees on can't see him staying for the full 80 mind.

Has anyone in rte actually watched O gara play in the last 2 years?? Or any other rugby matches for that matter

Definitely not the Ireland of the opening weekend.

Thought it would get uggly and it is. So far England winning on the penalty count, Ireland don't need to be so ill disciplined, they're more than capable of competing up front without it. Defenses working their socks off but both trying to open up. Still tight though. C'mon England, saty cool.

Heaslip gives away another penalty.

Good grief it's raining even more now. Things are just going to go from bad to worse...and already Ireland concede a penalty.

Ach frig sake lads

Good scrum Ireland!

Golden wrote:Has anyone in rte actually watched O gara play in the last 2 years?? Or any other rugby matches for that matter

George Hook has admitted he does not watch rugby unless he is paid to watch it, that tells you all you need to know about the standard RTE require.

Wouldn't mind Henry coming on for heaslip and putting POM at 8 but I doubt kidney will sub his captain

Heaslip is just not in this game today.

Irish scrum dominance there. Could be a different half.

What a crap game so far what are Ireland doing only their scrum is showing up so far.

Morgannwg wrote:Definitely not the Ireland of the opening weekend.

Ireland are no different it's just Wales were awful last week.

valjester wrote:

Golden wrote:Has anyone in rte actually watched O gara play in the last 2 years?? Or any other rugby matches for that matter

George Hook has admitted he does not watch rugby unless he is paid to watch it, that tells you all you need to know about the standard RTE require.

Haha at least he's up front about it