Rugby World Cup 3rd XV

[raindog]

[quote user="Chas"]

[quote user="raindog"]Christ, that second half from England has got to be some of the worst international rugby i've ever seen. And we were right to worry about Balshaw - he looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights before that last try. Replace him with Lewsey, play Mathew Tait at centre, get rid of Wilko and play Cipriani and while we're at it let's ditch Ashton - call that selecting?

I'm off to have a skinfull.....

[/quote]

Just noticed your doppelganger - Bluedigga from Languedoc

[/quote]

et alors?

you've got nothing to say about the rugby?

[plod]

Oh dear what can I say. I didn't think Balshaw was that bad; in attack he was like he used to be. He missed one up and under and had a kick charged down but he didn't, like Sheridan, Gomarsall and Wilkinson, pass the ball to nobody in particular. We lost, I venture to suggest, because we couldn't kill Wales off in the first half. When Strettle broke, the pass to Sackey on his right would have been a try. Why on earth did he kick it? Then Flood opened up the defence and also Balshaw. We should have had at least two tries in the first half. I can't work out what happened in the second, although we were badly hit by injuries. Wilkinson has to go, we need a playmaker at 10 not somebody who kicks goals (and misses them) and crabs sideways. I do think Lewsey should come in at full-back and so should a better broken field runner than Sackey (Simpson-Daniel?). I was looking forward to the 6N now I'm worried about how we will cope!! 

[UlsterRugby1999]

Mmmmmmm raindog - I dont think, as I've said before, that Ashton is your biggest problem. England have nobody who takes ownership of the game, no leader or charasmatic guy like Johnston. You were headless chickens yesterday dare I say it even in the first half you looked unsure and unsafe. Sure the Volcano has his flashes and brightens up an otherwise very dull afternoon at Twickers but he was a loan wolf. Vickery is a liability and he gets captaicy. Mother of God. You missed Easter but you need four or five like him. Shaw dug in hard and his work rate was excellent. Regan and Sheridan fought hard too but your back row was awful.

Without Wilkinsons kicking control you would not have been in the lead at half time. Gomarsall was effective but could have done better.

Wales had 2 things that England didnt have. They had PASSION and a want to win, a desperation to win. They needed it as they werent brilliant either.

Now then - then there is the revitalised Ireland, fresh from the internal post RWC review. In the name of sweet Jaysus - more horse manure from the old tired nags. God give me strength. ROBOT O'Gara is being proclaimed as a great yesterday. He was dog awful. One trick pony who missed line kicks and one of the easiest penalties any kicker could be given. Virtually in front of the posts and on the 22. Nearly 2 metres wide of the edge of the target. God in Heaven. Easterbuuny was a disgrace, Leamy was non-existent, and Murphy should be taken from us and shot in the middle of Croke Park. Thank God Reddan was on instead of SLINGER and the wise positioning of Dempsey saved the day. Trimby covered all the blades of grass on the pitch and O'Driscoll fought on as always. Darcy will be a terrible loss to us but at least we have a few centres to hold the fort.

But God Almighty what is Comical Eddie (O'Sullivan) smoking? I want to get some because he still believes that everything is okay.

I dont think Scotland will turn the French over but it'll be close. France are, afterall, starting a whole new era without Laporte so there will be some lead in time required perhaps. BUt God willing, we'll get t see a decent match today as we didnt get one yesterday.

[Gardian]

Just seen an email from my old Welsh pal who was in the South Stand yesterday.  His last words to me on Friday night were "I'll take the stick on Sunday".

He got back home in the early hours and couldn't resist firing off an email.  He said that they sang in the coach all the way up the M4!

[raindog]

This match is starting to haunt me now. The more

I think about it the worse it seems. Strettle's run in the first few

minutes was electrifying but why in God's name didn't he flick the ball

to Sackey on his left instead of chipping it forward? A try was

guaranteed. Why did Wilkinson try that insane long pass across our

defense which landed 5 meters past his target? Why did Balshaw dither

instead of clearing the ball and so giving the winning try?

oh God, it's all too horrible......."sob" [:(]

[plod]

I've just watched France beat Scotland very easily. If England had only played like the French - solid, steady, no errors then we would have won. I'm still sobbing as well!

[Renaud]

After Vickery went off - who was the captain?

[Gardian]

So, a steady start by a new French side.  What the hell are they going to be like when they 'get their act together'?

I can quite understand how Clerc was chosen as MOTM:  however, for me, Traille was superb.  Big guy, experienced, often alternating with his 'debutant 10' as 1st receiver.

Reckon we've got a few problems heading our way in 3 wks time. 

[UlsterRugby1999]

Straight off the wire

Comical Eddie O'Sullivan has made 6 sweeping changes to the side that narrowly avoided giving Italy a win last Saturday.

Dont be fooled folks - 4 of them are because of injury. O'Sullivan will walk the plank this 6N's and when he does I'll buy you all a very large Guinness.

[Gardian]

He does look like a tortured man and he may well feel more that way after Les Bleus this coming weekend. 

To be honest, I didn't think that they were in any danger of losing on Saturday.  Just not very convincing, to say the least.

Something just flashed through my mind.  I remember being at Stade Colombes in the early 60's to see Fr vs Ire.  Ireland were well and truly stuffed I seem to remember.  '61? 

[raindog]

I saw a France/Ireland 5 nations match years ago at The Parc. Fantastic atmosphere (what a place THAT was!) but the match was horrible to watch because Ireland got such a drubbing. Must've been around '92 or '93?

Amazing how England reached the final of last year's WC and now we're about to play Italy almost as underdogs [:D]

[Patf]

Yes but remember that terrible first match against SA when they lost 36-0 and Robinson went off injured? They recovered from that and so hopefully will get motivated this time; They had a lot of injuries on Saturday though.

[raindog]

Yes, Strettle only played 13 minutes before hobbling off and i've just read that he'll miss the rest of the tournement. He was excluded from the WC because of an injury to the same foot. A right b*gger innit?

[raindog]

What the hell's happening to Ireland?

   "Speculation over Eddie O'Sullivan's future intensifies daily and even the leadership and form of the once-untouchable O'Driscoll is being challenged."

http://www.planetrugby.com/Story/0,18259,3551_3116353,00.html

[UlsterRugby1999]

If I get started raindog I'll be here all night. Here is a scenario for you.

[quote]You have a car, it breaks down soon after you get it. You have a tool bag with 30 tool in it. All good quality and reasonably new tools. Not some low cost set but a real Makita type set. So you pull the car off the road and try to fix it. You try the first 15 tools in your bag but they dont do the job. So what does a mere mortal like us do. WE try the other 15 tools until we have used all 30 and fixed the car. The car starts up and runs perfectly well again.

But Comical Eddie doesnt try the second 15 tools, he goes back to the first 15 and tries them again and again and again and keeps telling his passengers that it'll come good soon. But we know otherwise - dont we ? [/quote]

Brian O'Driscoll (whom I am a huge fan of) says

[quote]It's a case of just battling on and playing the way we know we're capable of[/quote]

So then my dear Brian - when will you start doing this because you havent done it for nearly 12 months now since we hammered the Red Rose boys at Croke Park

[quote]He's burying the best generation of Irish players since the 1970's" he told L'Equipe on Wednesday[/quote]

So how come the rest of the Rugby World can see what is happening but not Wingnut O'Stagnant Mind

[UlsterRugby1999]

Another article, this time in the Irish Independent - bit long so sorry but it speaks volumes

As I have asked above - why the hell cant the IRFU see the real picture. Their rose tinted varifoculs must be glazed over too [:@][:@]

Post content edited by the moderators for copyright reasons.

[Gardian]

UR99 .............

Just thought I'd mention this.

Not so many years ago, our elder son was at a good rugby-playing school in the Thames Valley - used to winning. It was a pretty damm good school academically as well, but that's not the point of the post.

He was in the 2nds.  Two Irish colleges (Blackrock was one) came over on successive weekends with 2 teams each.

On both weekends, they absolutely wiped the floor with the local lads.  I've often wondered how many of those Irish boys ended up in the National team.  They were superb (as were the Mums & Dads who travelled over). 

 

[UlsterRugby1999]

Oh deary me -

So to put things right (hopefully the Mods will accept this - this time) - I have attached the link to the Ulster Rugby Supporters Forum, from where my cut and paste came from

 

http://www.uafc.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7023

[Clair]

[quote user="UlsterRugby1999"]

So to put things right (hopefully the Mods will accept this - this time) - I have attached the link to the Ulster Rugby Supporters Forum, from where my cut and paste came from

 

http://www.uafc.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7023

[/quote] [8-)]

The article removed by a mod had been replaced with a link to the original article in the Irish Independent to respect their own copyright notice.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE: Copyright and Reproduction Notice and Limited Licence

[UlsterRugby1999]

Cheers Gardian Blackrock College has produced many of our past Irish internationals, and I would guess will continue to do so.

Young Munster, Cork Cons, Royal Belfast Academical Institute, Ballymena - there are loads for such a wee country. Happily the game has now crossed the twisted divide that has riddled life in the North & South and the game is flurrishing. Well it will do once the IRFU's 3 wise old owls jump off their perch and bin Wingnut O'Stagnant and his one eyed failed strategy.

Success breeds success and in the early 2000's the game lept forward in Ireland as far as following and playing goes. I bet its suffering a bit now given the Golden Generations demise [:'(][:@][:'(][:@]

[raindog]

From Ulster's article...

   "Ireland's rugby team, he said, has no attention to detail, the players

look unsure of what they should be doing and they're clearly not having

any fun."  (Bob Dwyer)

Hmmmm......reminds me of another international side close to my heart.[:(]

[dragonrouge]

This week end the results will bring a true perspective to everything.  Scots at Cardiff England in Rome and of course Paris.

We shall see one thing is certain one swallow or should we say Osprey does not a summer (or spring) make.  Dragonrouge of course does give one a clue.

[UlsterRugby1999]

Thanks Clair and understood. Didnt mean to break any regs and the blue text from the mod didnt have any bearing on anything and, therefore, I didnt take it as a link to the Indo.

I'll always want Ireland to win but a big losing score tomorrow against Les Bleus will (should then) almost certainly send O'Stagnant to the dump. God I wish.

It'll be interesting to see Andrew Trimble in at centre. He could be a key player tomorrow especially if O'Driscoll gets into his stride.

Wales should do it okay as should England but those Italians are seriously up front hungry lads. No Vickery (probably a good thing IMHO) but what about Easter - is he on?

[raindog]

Hey ulster, it's friday evening - ready for a guinness?
Yes Nick Easter is fit again - thank God, but for anyone who thinks sunday will be a walkover, read this

http://www.planetrugby.com/Story/0,18259,3551_3120219,00.html

[UlsterRugby1999]

Good man raindog - it seems Danny Stephens reads my posts on this Forum. [;-)] I disagree with the Scrum half slot though, I think that if Gomarsall is given time to settle into the No9 jersey and he is given quicker ball from ruck and scrum he could fill the role well. He didnt slate off Wilkinson as he is still valuable to the Red Rose troop and he did (rightly so too) look at Vickery as neither a leader or a valuable member of the front 3.

Maybe Ashton is the wrong man for the job but the bottom line is this - that last Saturday, when things were starting to go a wee bit wobbly, instinct should have taken over and the boys should have played with their hearts and balls on their sleeves. They are afterall professional rugby players.

Now what other team do I know with similar problems - errrrrr - let me think   [:(][:(]