Can Ireland beat Italy?

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Italy are well overdue beating Ireland and I can see them pushing very hard for a second 6N victory. As an irishman I'll be watching this game very nervously in what may be O driscolls and kidneys last game...

What happens if Ireland run out of players?

Fitzy injured?! Whaaaa?! Schitt!!

The Italian wing is a handful, it is a shame they can't catch t the moment.

They've only got Paul Marshall available if Fitzy goes off!

Golden wrote:They've kicked all the ball they have gotten should win this comfortably.

Fitz injured ?????????/

Looked like a hamstring injury to me.

Fitz injured with no Italians around him. Bloody hell whats happening

Val the backhoe is being utterly dominated once again and are struggling to provide any platform to work off. It hasn't worked for quite some time ad kidney has persisted with it.

BOD's stamp and frustration is massively symbolic of his feelings on the state of the team.

SOB I having an excellent game. Best is superb again in he loose but the lineout is dreadful

This is an unquantified disaster. Kidney doesn't deserve to go out in such humiliating fashion. This is his nadir

Excellent Italian scrum too. Seems like the Irish boys just want to go home.

Shocking to see that from BOD. Badly let himself down with such thuggery.

Put POM in with the backs- sure he stands there most of the time anyway

9-3 Italy, great kick.

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:Val the backhoe is being utterly dominated once again and are struggling to provide any platform to work off. It hasn't worked for quite some time ad kidney has persisted with it.

BOD's stamp and frustration is massively symbolic of his feelings on the state of the team.

SOB I having an excellent game. Best is superb again in he loose but the lineout is dreadful

What else is there to do? POM is obviously a step down on Ferris but I think he is getting a bit of a kicking by people despite him not playing that poorly.
POC is such a huge loss, obviously because he is a great player, but more because the pack as a whole works better when he is in the team. He makes others raise their game.


I think POM is going to the wing.

9-3 and well deserved.

Now you know things are going teets up when you put a forward in your backs!

9-3 at 36 minutes.

valjester wrote:

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:The difference between a good backrower like Zanni and POM is stark. Absolutely no comparison between Heaslip and Parisse

The major problems for Ireland are not the backrow. We are really missing POC on days like this, there is not a hope in hell the lineout goes to sh*t with him.

Our back row are being marmalized. If it was a boxing match the towel would have been thrown in.... we haven't got a single carrier who can break the gain line.

I can't believe Deccie has brought Hendo on the wing rather than Marshall!

rodders wrote:

valjester wrote:

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:The difference between a good backrower like Zanni and POM is stark. Absolutely no comparison between Heaslip and Parisse

The major problems for Ireland are not the backrow. We are really missing POC on days like this, there is not a hope in hell the lineout goes to sh*t with him.

Our back row are being marmalized. If it was a boxing match the towel would have been thrown in.... we haven't got a single carrier who can break the gain line.

I can't believe Deccie has brought Hendo on the wing rather than Marshall!

Marshall doesn't have the physicallity for anywhere but scrumhalf.

Well BOD is coming back...at least they didn't give Italy a converted try I guess...every cloud...

F**k, Best is having his worst game in a while, playing his way out of the Lions starting jersey.

They'll have to call the game off with all these injuries.

valjester wrote:

rodders wrote:

valjester wrote:

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:The difference between a good backrower like Zanni and POM is stark. Absolutely no comparison between Heaslip and Parisse

The major problems for Ireland are not the backrow. We are really missing POC on days like this, there is not a hope in hell the lineout goes to sh*t with him.

Our back row are being marmalized. If it was a boxing match the towel would have been thrown in.... we haven't got a single carrier who can break the gain line.

I can't believe Deccie has brought Hendo on the wing rather than Marshall!

Marshall doesn't have the physicallity for anywhere but scrumhalf.

Except for the fact he was originally a winger before moving to scrum half.

Val I thought POM was the best Irish player last week and I'm one of his biggest critics. He played as a forward, worked hard, carried well and played around the fringes. Now he's back to his usual- standing out I the backs looking for the Hollywood ball carries and not working hard enough. He doesn't do that for Munster- it's Kidneys tactics. It don't work with Ferris either and he is a far superior player. The same unit might work very well with a tactical shift

rodders wrote:

valjester wrote:

rodders wrote:

valjester wrote:

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:The difference between a good backrower like Zanni and POM is stark. Absolutely no comparison between Heaslip and Parisse

The major problems for Ireland are not the backrow. We are really missing POC on days like this, there is not a hope in hell the lineout goes to sh*t with him.

Our back row are being marmalized. If it was a boxing match the towel would have been thrown in.... we haven't got a single carrier who can break the gain line.

I can't believe Deccie has brought Hendo on the wing rather than Marshall!

Marshall doesn't have the physicallity for anywhere but scrumhalf.

Except for the fact he was originally a winger before moving to scrum half.

Yes, but that doesn't mean he has the physicality for the position. Especially at international level where he would get marmalised by the Italians on the wing.

Chilli! That was silly...although there's no need for the am drams from the Italian there.

Kearney is having another nightmare game, as is Rory Best. This is a shambles.

is that going to be another yellow card? he made contact with the face?

Yessssssss. Only 3 points down. Unbelievable.

Everyone needs to calm the heck down on the green side,

They'll be pleased to come out only three points behind. Well set for the second half.

Nathan its not soccer jeez.

9-6 HT. Getting a bit heated out there.

Yeah im beginning to get concerned about the amount of play acting creeping in., Its not football this is rugby...keep that crap out of this game....

Well done Paddy Jackson.

Jesus lads, that was horrific.

nathan wrote:is that going to be another yellow card? he made contact with the face?

It was a push but nowhere near the Italian's face. Not worthy of a card at all. The Italian was acting like a footballer then.

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:Val I thought POM was the best Irish player last week and I'm one of his biggest critics. He played as a forward, worked hard, carried well and played around the fringes. Now he's back to his usual- standing out I the backs looking for the Hollywood ball carries and not working hard enough. He doesn't do that for Munster- it's Kidneys tactics. It don't work with Ferris either and he is a far superior player. The same unit might work very well with a tactical shift

I just think it is unfair that he is being criticised for doing what he is supposed to do. The way the backrow is set up is ridiculous, but a huge problem is that the players don't seem to be willing to alter their pre-game gameplan based on what is happening in the match. Before, I would always expect POC or BOD to change tactics if it was necessary but Heaslip doesn't seem capable of deviating from the plan.

Edit; to add, SOB should be at 8 from the scrum, Heaslip is playing more like a 7 so let him play there and give SOB the ball carrying responsibility. Heaslip has been knocked back in contact time after time today.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Nathan its not soccer jeez.

i know that, jeeez

I didnt know if he had a closed fist hence the question mark. I think both the ireland team and their fans need to calm down.

Even without the injuries we were still useless. Murray is a shocking SH. The only thing he wants to do is kick. He's good for the rain thats it.

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:Well done Paddy Jackson.

+1 he did an excellent job in nailing that amongst the din. This is where he could shine.

valjester wrote:
Yes, but that doesn't mean he has the physicality for the position. Especially at international level where he would get marmalised by the Italians on the wing.

What skills do you think O'Mahoney has to play wing?

Best is doing well in the loose but the lineout is in total disarray. The jumpers though are timing there jumps badly too- hasn't each throw been to Ryan? If you can get your fingers to a throw you should do better. But it is undoubtedly mostly down to Best's throwing.

Cari wrote:

nathan wrote:is that going to be another yellow card? he made contact with the face?

It was a push but nowhere near the Italian's face. Not worthy of a card at all. The Italian was acting like a footballer then.

i thought it hit his chin, yeah the italians seem to be like some of the french players in there play acting. It annoys the hell out of me.

SOB is the only player taking the game by the scruff of the neck.

Val, fair enough on POM. My problem is with Kidney not POM. He showed last weekend he is a good player when he just does the job of a backrower. Compare him with Zanni. No comparison.

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:Best is doing well in the loose but the lineout is in total disarray. The jumpers though are timing there jumps badly too- hasn't each throw been to Ryan? If you can get your fingers to a throw you should do better. But it is undoubtedly mostly down to Best's throwing.

Best is having a nightmare, he has been skinned by a number of Italians, including a prop.


Rodders; Pom is not going to be run over on the wing, the Italians backs are big lads, and our backline is already small enough as it is. It is not ideal, but you can't really plan for three injuries to outside backs.

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:Well done Paddy Jackson.

Jesus lads, that was horrific.

Horrific is an understatement. If these lads have any pride at all they'll be getting on the bus to the airport now. They have disgraced the jersey today.

nathan wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Nathan its not soccer jeez.

i know that, jeeez

I didnt know if he had a closed fist hence the question mark. I think both the ireland team and their fans need to calm down.

The Irish fans have been bubbling up to boiling point for a long time now. Seems some of the players are too. Kearney losing it, BOD stamping, Healy stamping against England. It's not a happy team, despite the propaganda from the camp. I wonder is there anything to read into the fact that it's been Leinster players who seem to be showing most frustration.

Is Heaslip captain today? Where the hell is he?!

How many of you think Kidney will still be in a job after this game?

Of course ireland could turn it on in the second half which might paper over the cracks a bit.

A bit like last years Six Nations. And the 60-0 whitewash.

Jeez, how many days like this do we need before we get the wake-up call?

WTF is going on with Ireland.....dropping like flies!

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:Val, fair enough on POM. My problem is with Kidney not POM. He showed last weekend he is a good player when he just does the job of a backrower. Compare him with Zanni. No comparison.

Zanni is a genuinely world class player who has been so for a number of years. POM is still a young guy who will improve.

The tactics are f**king appalling though, and they have been all year.