Ireland V France

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IRELAND v FRANCE
14 February 2015
KO: 17:00
Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
AR1: Nigel Owens (WRU)
AR2: Stuart Berry (SARU)
TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)

IRELAND

15 Rob Kearney
14 Tommy Bowe
13 Jared Payne
12 Robbie Henshaw
11 Simon Zebo
10 Johnny Sexton
9 Conor Murray

1 Jack McGrath
2 Rory Best
3 Mike Ross
4 Devin Toner
5 Paul O'Connell (c)
6 Peter O'Mahony
7 Sean O'Brien
8 Jamie Heaslip

16 Sean Cronin, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Martin Moore, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Jordi Murphy, 21 Isaac Boss, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Felix Jones

FRANCE

15 Scott Spedding
14 Yoann Huget
13 Mathieu Bastareaud
12 Wesley Fofana
11 Teddy Thomas
10 Camille Lopez
9 Rory Kockott

1 Eddy Ben Arous
2 Guilhem Guirado
3 Rabah Slimani
4 Pascal Papé
5 Yoann Maestri
6 Thierry Dusautoir (c)
7 Bernard Le Roux
8 Damien Chouly

16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Uini Atonio, 18 Vincent Debaty, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Loann Goujon, 21 Morgan Parra, 22 Rémi Talès, 23 Rémi Lamerat

*****
This is an interesting battle, and very much a case of brains v brawn.
French flair is long gone, they now rely on the likes of Bastareaud and their pack of overweight lumps to get over the line.
Ireland are very much a team of robots, Joe gives instructions on how to dismantle a team like IKEA gives instructions on how to make a cupboard. With the right personnel in Sexton, SOB and the likes of Heaslip at the helm, they should be able to devour the French fatties like they're the last square of a Kinder Bueno.
All logic points to an Irish victory, but as so often happens the French defy logic.

Anyway..............none of us have it so bad really.

Just spare a thought for the Ialians.  They'll be writing Last Will and Testament letters home to their parents at this point.  War for them might mean total slaughter (figuratively speaking of course, lest the PC crowd get to me for insensitivity)

Irish commentator's just mentioned Italy would be three points up if their kicker had taken his kicks. He's missed four. Not good enough for this level.

FecklessRogue wrote:Irish commentator's just mentioned Italy would be three points up if their kicker had taken his kicks. He's missed four. Not good enough for this level.

Woops wrong thread

England have certainly done a number on Italy here. They have done what I had hoped and expected Ireland to do last week. Points difference may be crucial in deciding the winner of the 6N and right now, its advantage England.

Nachos Jones wrote:England have certainly done a number on Italy here. They have done what I had hoped and expected Ireland to do last week. Points difference may be crucial in deciding the winner of the 6N and right now, its advantage England.

Just win all your games and give yourself some breathing space.

Nachos Jones wrote:England have certainly done a number on Italy here. They have done what I had hoped and expected Ireland to do last week. Points difference may be crucial in deciding the winner of the 6N and right now, its advantage England.

we were pretty poor though, and at home. if we play like that, you'll beat us. obviously i'm getting in my downplaying of expectations early.

There's Sir Clive Smirk commentating and this ^ on the match thread. Has Ireland been re-colonised?

Boy to Ireland look so much better and attacking with Sexton playing.

Am happy to have been wrong about Pape... Still a donkey but a nuisance in defense...

France are good at turning over the ball, not that great at everything else at the moment though

you're right, nathan. Ireland have much more structure - they look like they know what they want to do, whilst France look like they are making it up as they go along

Funny seeing Healy being bumped. Bet that doesnt happen too often mind

Great kicking by Sexton and good defence by France, not sure about the last penalty.

Healys on d bench dude

For all the structure and sexton fancy plays, Ireland still lacks cutting edge in the backs... Bit disapointed by them.

Much like last week, France's backs and forwards seem to be playing at two different speeds half the time to me.

whocares wrote:For all the structure and sexton fancy plays, Ireland still lacks cutting edge in the backs... Bit disapointed by them.

Agreed. Sexton has made Ireland look a lot better but they are still playing that same gameplan, its hypnotising in its robiticness. Rarely threatened in attack at all.

France look very dangerous at times but they have done a lot of defending so that may affect them later in the match.

Please Schmidt, no Boss on after 60mins...

whocares wrote:For all the structure and sexton fancy plays, Ireland still lacks cutting edge in the backs... Bit disapointed by them.

True. I'd really like Kearney dropped, and Zebo moved to fullback where he'd get more on the ball. Then bring in Earls on the left wing for raw pace. It also seems to me that the Henshaw/Payne center experiment is not brilliant. I'd move Henshaw to his real position at 13 and play someone like Fitzgerald or Olding at 12.

All the same, France's only hope is some moment of individual brilliance because they don't look to have much structure and their gameplan is to just batter Ireland, which won't be enough.

Sexton is imperious.

These two have to be the dullest teams in this years six nations.

Uh oh. Sexton got a bang on the head. Doesn't look very dazed though.

It's maybe not the prettiest, but Ireland's kicking game is immense.

Zzzzzz

Well done France finally trying to run the ball

About time

Pape

Nothing in that, just get on with it

Not sure the French fellah did that on purpose.

FecklessRogue wrote:Not sure the French fellah did that on purpose.

Barnes doesnt agree with this :/

Rugby used to be a mans game!

TightHEAD wrote:Nothing in that, just get on with it

Leading with the knee is certainly dangerous play. Stop being a troll.

Shocking bit of play acting by player and crowd!

Sexto back. C'mon Ireland.

Bah. And he fires the ball into Payne's face. Should have been a try.

The Saint wrote:

TightHEAD wrote:Nothing in that, just get on with it

Leading with the knee is certainly dangerous play. Stop being a troll.

True but the likes of Healy and POC used to get away with similar reckless play...

That was close... sexton butchered this big time

Nobody said anything about North being kicked in the face it is a similar incident, hard to prove it was deliberate.

Close call, leading with the knee is dangerous but I am not sure it was intentional myself. Should have just got on with the game.

Why on earth did Sexton notsend that wide. Payne was covered. Sextons pass was too hard, too high and too late.

Nachos Jones wrote:Close call, leading with the knee is dangerous but I am not sure it was intentional myself. Should have just got on with the game.

Like the old days

glamorganalun wrote:Nobody said anything about North being kicked in the face it is a similar incident, hard to prove it was deliberate.

It's quite easy to tell if it's deliberate, you just examine the players stride. The knee was not in time with his stride. Simple. I don't see how anyone can't see it was intentional.

And the Oscar goes too?

Floodgates will open soon. Ireland should get a few tries in the last 15 I reckon. Surprised France got the last 3 scrums with a lock in the bin...

TightHEAD wrote:And the Oscar goes too?

Wise up. Is drawing the ref's attention now worse than deliberate intent to inflict pain?

clivemcl wrote:

TightHEAD wrote:And the Oscar goes too?

Wise up. Is drawing the ref's attention now worse than deliberate intent to inflict pain?

Just as bad when he gets the player yellow carded

Lopez has been Poopie with his passing today

Rory Best, you complete tool. Could have lost Ireland the game here.

TightHEAD wrote:

clivemcl wrote:

TightHEAD wrote:And the Oscar goes too?

Wise up. Is drawing the ref's attention now worse than deliberate intent to inflict pain?

Just as bad when he gets the player yellow carded

When you say 'gets the player yellow carded'. Do you actually understand the conecpt. You see there are these things called laws. cards Cards can only be given out when a rule has been broken.

Anyway back to the game, France are awful

clivemcl wrote:

TightHEAD wrote:

clivemcl wrote:

TightHEAD wrote:And the Oscar goes too?

Wise up. Is drawing the ref's attention now worse than deliberate intent to inflict pain?

Just as bad when he gets the player yellow carded

When you say 'gets the player yellow carded'. Do you actually understand the conecpt. You see there are these things called laws. cards Cards can only be given out when a rule has been broken.

Must be a generation thing, in the old days a player wouldnt scream at the ref to get a tv reply to get another guy yellow carded

Ireland probably should have made that substitution before the line out..

Send a few more players off each side as there is no room to play. Dire game for entertainment.