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...

Well done Italy.

Well done Italy!

Well done Italy, very well deserved. Better in every aspect of the game today .

Ireland...I have no words.... this is the worst Irish side I've seen since the 90's. Awful, awful awful. The wooden spoon is too good for us.

This will be great for italian rugby!!! Good shtuff

Golden wrote:

Cari wrote:

Golden wrote:

Cari wrote:

Golden wrote:Did the women win last night, I missed it?

Yes they did. They're on for a GS.

Wasnt last night the Grand Slam decider?

No, they're one behind so they play Italy next week. They beat France last night.

They beat France last week Cari. They play Italy tomorrow for the grand slam

The report was on during the break in this match, I wasn't really listening to it much. I just heard they'd beaten France and had yet to play Italy to decide the GS.

FT 19-15. Well done Italy. A deserved home win.

Oh no please shut O'shea up

Now I have to decide whether or not I want to see Ireland or France come in 6th

Ah screw it, France for the Spoon!!

dublin_dave wrote:come on france. complete the humiliation

let the search for a new coach commence. if robbie deans masterminds a win over the lions id throw him a large wad of cash

He's not really what we need. There are not many good coaches around who would be willing to take the Irish job. I've heard worrying rumours about who the IRFU are considering, but I'm refusing to believe them for the good of my mental well-being.

Italy, 4 very decent performances, 2 very good results

Ireland, sorry for you guys, but a blessing in disguise?

RDSguru wrote:Italy, 4 very decent performances, 2 very good results

Ireland, sorry for you guys, but a blessing in disguise?

Not really, Kidney was gone no matter what.

The only palpable thing Kidney has improved is the pride in the shirt. Couldn't question their bravery and commitment. You have to question everything else. Shambles. Farce. Debacle.

I hope Schmidt's offer letter is on his chair right now.

On top of a brown envelope with Keira Knightley's phone number and a squillion Euro in unmarked notes in it.

while Ireland were awful (in particular, their constant kicking of the ball away), credit has to go to Italy, who really have I think made a big step forward this year (let's not forget they pulled out some good performance in the Autumn too), certainly great news for them, and a very well deserved win today.

Well done Italy

And that completes Kidneys total failure.

I saw where all this was going since 2010. Hopefully soon my anti-Kidney rants will no longer be required.

Val what rumours have you heard about who the IRFU are considering?

George Carlin wrote:I hope Schmidt's offer letter is on his chair right now.

On top of a brown envelope with Keira Knightley's phone number and a squillion Euro in unmarked notes in it.

Schmidt doesn't want the job, there is no point getting your hopes up on something that is never going to happen.

Looks like im hitting the cans a day early

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:Ireland make me sad.

+1

would george hook zip it about the 10. its not paddy jacksons fault

and the scrum is the least of our worries

Wheres DOD and Sin can't wait to hear their defences of kidney

France need to win by 16 points to avoid the spoon

Yeah, well. If it was the first day like this it would hurt. Days like this are as much a part of Kidneys Ireland as meaningless false dawns.

What was the plan?

chickens, home, roost.

most of us saw this coming. im not sad

AH FOR F*CK SAKE ROG IS TOAST AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

RTE thinking that ROG should have started lol!!!!

dublin_dave wrote:would george hook zip it about the 10. its not paddy jacksons fault

and the scrum is the least of our worries

The scrum is a huge worry, Ross is on the wane and has been quite poor, not to mention that the alternatives to Ross are horrifying. I mean Archer now has an Irish cap which is a disgrace, maybe not the level of Buckley having so many, but quite close.

Well done Italy.

Not watching RTE but is Hook still spouting over Paddy? Paddy had another good game.

RTE are hilarious. McGurk suggests ROG should have started. Good grief

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:Ireland make me sad.

+1

Ps: Congratulations to Italy and La Cicero, you can see how much it means to them. Great to see such a passionate rugby nation and group of individuals

Ive never been this disinterested in an Ireland result to be honest. Hopefully wont be again for a long time

Let's try and be holistic about this.

If Ireland had any more injuries then my slightly senile and borderline alcoholic Uncle Tighe would probably have been called up. And he has an artificial hip and doesn't really like foreigners.

O'shea is too nice. Its times like these you need someone like Dunphy to call it how it is!

George Carlin wrote:Let's try and be holistic about this.

If Ireland had any more injuries then my slightly senile and borderline alcoholic Uncle Tighe would probably have been called up. And he has an artificial hip and doesn't really like foreigners.

No point blaming injuries, does anyone honestly think we would have had different tactics with all our players available?

George, Colonel Tighe from Battlestar Galactica, one eye and all, would have improved Ireland today.

valjester wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Let's try and be holistic about this.

If Ireland had any more injuries then my slightly senile and borderline alcoholic Uncle Tighe would probably have been called up. And he has an artificial hip and doesn't really like foreigners.

No point blaming injuries, does anyone honestly think we would have had different tactics with all our players available?

Not the tactics so much as your backline would have had far more penetration with the ball that they had.

George Carlin wrote:

valjester wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Let's try and be holistic about this.

If Ireland had any more injuries then my slightly senile and borderline alcoholic Uncle Tighe would probably have been called up. And he has an artificial hip and doesn't really like foreigners.

No point blaming injuries, does anyone honestly think we would have had different tactics with all our players available?

Not the tactics so much as your backline would have had far more penetration with the ball that they had.

what, all 30 seconds of it?

It's more than injuries

2009 - 5 wins
2010 - 3 wins
2011 - 3 wins
2012 - 2 wins
2013 - 1 win

Anyone notice a trend?

Anyone who's still defending Kidney's reign is quite frankly, mad in the head.

George Carlin wrote:

valjester wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Let's try and be holistic about this.

If Ireland had any more injuries then my slightly senile and borderline alcoholic Uncle Tighe would probably have been called up. And he has an artificial hip and doesn't really like foreigners.

No point blaming injuries, does anyone honestly think we would have had different tactics with all our players available?

Not the tactics so much as your backline would have had far more penetration with the ball that they had.

We definitely would have been better with a fully fit side, but we should not use it as an excuse really. I'm disgusted at watching Kidney's Ireland team, hopefully that is the last time it happens.

Feckless i recently eatched that 09' slam again. We were so feicing lucky that year. We didn't win because we were awesome or anything

cheers for that alan. you will no longer have to make sure im in my seat.

i will not shell out any more money to watch that guff.

italy are physical yes but they are also well coached and no how to move the point of contact and offload. skills kidney et al do no seem to think is necessary in modern row.

outmuscled by italy i can take. outskilled and outplayed not having it.

9 zebre players in that side. haha

Well done Italy - they really did have 3 excellent games in them, who'd have thought.

Ireland were a bit of mess. Too many on-field injuries, Best proving to be the worst, no variation in LO jumper, poor kick and chase, lost too much possession by (poor) kicking, terrible discipline, awful tackling stats. Just generally poor - seems an eternity since their first 40 minutes of the competition.

Barney McGrew did it wrote:Well done Italy - they really did have 3 excellent games in them, who'd have thought.

I think you drastically overestimated what Ireland are capable of under this regime!

Madigan needs to be put in there more often looked are most capable performer alongside BOD (stamp aside).

Archer also stood up much better than I thought he would.

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:Madigan needs to be put in there more often looked are most capable performer alongside BOD (stamp aside).

Archer also stood up much better than I thought he would.

I presume this is sarcasm? He was absolutely mullered in the scrums and gave away a retarded penalty.

If the tactics were there and we were moving forward you could accept bad results. Young players and a lot of injuries- it's very difficult for any coach. But with a 'full' team Ireland were going backwards. The constant poor selections, the captaincy issue, failure to play players in form and filature to learn from mistakes. That is kidneys hallmark. You can lose matches but at least have an idea of progression. We were already regressing and the crisis of injuries exacerbated it. Kidney doesn't really deserve this humiliation and the press outside of Munster will be absolute savage. For what he has achieved it's a shame but unfortunately that's sport. I feel for BOD- for a legend to bow out in such an omnishambles is not fitting.

Actually Val he got mullered in first then got parity in the 2nd

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Actually Val he got mullered in first then got parity in the 2nd

true. the first also only had 7 irishmen in it also

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Actually Val he got mullered in first then got parity in the 2nd

We got away with the scrums when he was on because Murray was feeding it to the second-rows and Heaslip was getting the ball out asap.

Parity is parity. Every SH does that

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Parity is parity. Every SH does that

I wouldn't really call it parity, and I hope to god he is never involved with Ireland again.

The problems won't be fixed only from the top down. Our players aren't good enough.

We have no TH props, we aren't physical enough, not fit enough, no ball carriers, no pace, poor skill levels, no leadership, poor tactics.

Some of the young guys did well all things considered. The big guns - Heaslip, Kearney, O'Driscoll, Best, Healy, ROG etc. - had poor tournaments overall. Only O'Brien can really look himself in the mirror.

Injuries had a huge impact but the failure of the coaches to drop poorly performing players, use the bench and change failing tactics exasperated things.

Trimble didn't get a look in despite his outstanding form. Madigan was ignored until too late, Henderson hardly featured, Paul Marshall and Marmion didn't get a chance. No Cave or McSharry either.

But beyond that who is there? Ulster have arguably the best pack in Europe but only one player made the 8.... why?...because take Afoa, Williams and Muller out and what's left isn't anywhere near as imposing.

Leinster aren't the force they were and Munster have flattered to deceive...imploding under pressure a la Ireland under physical pressure.

The cupboard is bare, the IRFU invested too much retaining aging big name players at the expense of developing talent and now we are paying a heavy price.

On the positive side there are some good young backs coming through, potentially better than the current crop of Earls, McFadden and Fitzgerald etc.

Our outside half options could be better than ever with Jackson, Keatley, and Madigan at the healm at the provinces and Sexton in France still in his prime.

The forward situation is grim though and we need to find a more physical and athletic crop of player to compete even with the other home nations. Only Henderson looks the part right now and out wide, Gilroy and Zebo apart, there is a lack of cutting edge without Bowe there.