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)

I thought the ref was saying "Change your wine..."

Linebreaker wrote:Ireland making a meal of getting it out their own half.

Welcome to the Ronan O'Gara show, making its seasonal debut for Ireland having been on show for the past 5 months with Munster.

One more chance. Come on boys.

Robshaw is MOM. He should be on the plane to austraila alright

ROG kicks 20 yars, great

Not convinced SL should be making this many changes. Wilson's fat little arms can't reach to bind properly.

Ireland have been rubbish. England less rubbish, therefore, they deserve to win.

sweet- this is game now!!

phew that was flipping intense..

And that's that...

That's it. Well done England

Thank you rog

England will wind the clock down now. game over.

Robshaw's MOTM.

Well done England - especially Farrell

Uterly pathetic performance!!! Fook off ROG and Kidney

well done england!!!!!


what a nervy game.

Not pretty but effective play from England. They win the arm wrestle today and keep their GS hopes alive.

Well played England. Very much deserved. Ireland were not up for it today.

Hoodoo broken, thank God for that. Not a pretty game though.

just a horrid game... but credit to ireland- amazing defense

That's it then.

After ten painful years. Famous win.

Eng lack experience but are showing some real dog now. This team has potential.

Linebreaker wrote:Not pretty but effective play from England. They win the arm wrestle today and keep their GS hopes alive.

i dont think we were ever going to get pretty rugby from either side in these conditions.

Real tough games, thought Ireland looked the better side for a large part of it (apart from the handling errors), but England's defence was superb and their bench probably saw them home.

Very disappointing game, I suppose conditions weren't great, but this is nowhere near the same class of performance from the England side that beat NZ.

Lol at Inverdale rolling his eyes at cocking up telling everyone that robshaw was gonna be interviewed.

A Great win for England, not a high scoring game by any means, but another win gives England 2 wins out of 2. Well controlled by England in terms of not giving Penalties away.

Well played England.

Inverdale pulling faces lol. England were the more efficient team I'd say

any news on the ireland injuries yet guys?

Well done England even if it was back to the ho hum 3 point multiples we used to be familiar with.

Rain didnt help and only England can get the GS now.

Biltong wrote:Very disappointing game, I suppose conditions weren't great, but this is nowhere near the same class of performance from the England side that beat NZ.

We were playing a better team today

There are days that good sides have to grind out a win - a rainy day in Ireland today was one of them. England might just be turning into a good team. Ireland never looked like breaking thru and Englands tactical kicking was better

Good win well deserved

nathan wrote:

Linebreaker wrote:Not pretty but effective play from England. They win the arm wrestle today and keep their GS hopes alive.

i dont think we were ever going to pretty rugby from either side in these conditions.

Yeah, the TV technology makes it look better than it was out there. Fairly miserable conditions but both teams playing with an emphasis on defence naturally.

So if sexton doesn't make the Scotland game will it be keatley, Madigan or Jackson who don't get off the bench?

England deserved to win that. Hard fought on both sides.

Hope Healy goes to the citings for attempting to break ankles. BOD was as much of a class act as ever, and I hope he is fit for the rest of 6N. Garces was crap all round though, missing so many calls.

HAPPY DAYS!

Hood83 wrote:

Biltong wrote:Very disappointing game, I suppose conditions weren't great, but this is nowhere near the same class of performance from the England side that beat NZ.

We were playing a better team today

Golden wrote:Robshaw is MOM. He should be on the plane to austraila alright

People were saying he shouldn't even be in the side last year and laughing at the selection.

Phew...I am very relieved. Not a great game, but I'll take that result.

Fantastic win for England. A famous win, a historic win. England adapted to the conditions perfectly, defended superbly, and kicked well. They also took their chances when they had them, and didn't lose their heads when Haskell was harshly sin-binned. Goode was very impressive at Full-Back in horrendous weather, Robshaw was everywhere again, Youngs and Farrell linked up well together. 2 out of 2, on we march.

Phew! That was intense and stressful, glad it's over!

I have an idea. Let's start to continuosly kick the ball aimlessly at the opposition.

http://kidneyclock.net/

On paper the GS would seem a doddle but France can spoil a party or two no matter now crap they've been playing.

Ireland's handling was atrocious. They'd be used to the weather anyway so it's not an excuse as England's was ok in comparison. Well done Ireland's scrum for acquitting itself well but England's line speed and ability to take Ireland's loosies behind the advantage line were the difference. Farrell is getting better and better. Shame about the weather but I went for a coffee in Grafton St in the morning and it was raining steadily. Hasn't stopped. Makes me want a a holiday and b NZ to have another crack at England.

Feckless Rogue wrote:I have an idea. Let's start to continuosly kick the ball aimlessly at the opposition.

http://kidneyclock.net/

My god your a genius! Would you like to coach the national team??

The match ended as a contest when Sexton got injured. Congratulations England, still a lot of work to be done, but building nicely, hopefully the next Irish coach will see the value of putting his faith in youth like Lancaster.

What a relief! Early errors by Ireland made them a little over cautious?
Hard luck Ireland - I'd have taken a draw with both hands at halftime.
A bit of luck the other way and Ireland would have won.

Hound_of_Harrow wrote:Phew...I am very relieved. Not a great game, but I'll take that result.

+1

Odds on kidney announcing his retirement in his interview?

Well done England, comfortably the better side today .

Not surprised by the defeat but very disappointed by the manner of it and our performance. No composure, direction or leadership today. Out muscled and outsmarted across the pitch.

Gutted.

Who does everyone reckon put their hand up a little higher for Lions selection in this game?

I missed most of the first half (slept through!) but did the England pack dominate or was it still a fairly even contest up front? (back to bed soon...)

Linebreaker wrote:Who does everyone reckon put their hand up for Lions selection in this game?

I missed most of the first half (slept through!) but did the England pack dominate or was it still a fairly even contest up front? (back to bed soon...)

It was very even, the only difference being England were not as awful as Ireland at the basic. Ireland really liked dropping the ball today, England not so much preferring to try and hold on to possession.

That was a terrible match. Poor from both sides.

Linebreaker wrote:Who does everyone reckon put their hand up a little higher for Lions selection in this game?

I missed most of the first half (slept through!) but did the England pack dominate or was it still a fairly even contest up front? (back to bed soon...)

On that game alone most took a step away from the plane.

Very poor from both sides

But that is just that game

Feckless Rogue wrote:I have an idea. Let's start to continuosly kick the ball aimlessly at the opposition.

http://kidneyclock.net/

For a country with such shoite weather, this team have god awful hands in poor conditions, it doesn't effect other teams half as much, you can run a backline in poor conditions watch NZ do it when they play in Wellington or anyother place, our handling was beyond pathetic

I would have kicked for territory by and large, the first half showed that our hands were shoite in the weather. O'Gara did reasonably okay in that department and as most of you know I'm not his fan at all. We were not going to win going wide in my opinion, it was the right move for the most part.



Credit to England they chewed us up and spat us out. I think most Irish fans knew it was game over when Sexton was gone but it was certainly interesting. England are putting together a nice side, I would still say Farrell has his limitations but much like ROG was, he is incredibly good at the things he can do.

Kidney should not get his contract renewed but we knew that already, hopefully Sexton being out for long does not give him a free pass.

Healy was a complete muppet with that stamp and deserves to go, I have no problem with a guy raking backwards but a stamp is just idiotic, we wil see how good Killer and Court are but someones needs to give Healy (POM got involved a bit too no surprise) a bit of cop on.


We kicked really horrendously, at times our kicking for territory was okay but then the nadir of Kidney's reign (and Trappatoni's strangely enough) hoofingit up the pitch to no one.


Enjoy a couple of pints Duty, ER, Mystir et al, a deserved win you should be ecstatic with.

Both sides had periods of advantage in the scrum, Irish lineout was comfortably better. England had a very narrow edge at the breakdown (very few kickable pens conceded). Error count in England's favour and probably made the difference