RBS 6 Nations

Didn't particularly like the way Barnes refereed the game but that didn't really have anything to do with the result.

Any analysis I've seen over here in Ireland has accepted that Wales deserved to win.
 
Yeah, I don't know anyone who didn't think the best team on the day won.

It's also put paid to the slightly annoying idea that playing a few GAA games in their youth means that Irish rugby players are superhuman under the high ball. Either there's a lot more GAA being played in Wales than we first thought or catching a round ball high above your head isn't really all that similar to catching an oblong ball in close to your chest.
 
Wales deserved the win, if for nothing else but the ferocity and determination in their defence in that 20odd phase attack for Ireland, where they just tackled and tackled and tackled, that was outstanding rugby by both sides
 
Wales were magnificent in defence, we could have won that game but this was the first game in ages where we started nervily, their defence held up and our attack wasn't creative enough (admittedly helped by Sexton not looking fit). There's a bit of history with Barnes, he's a crap ref and he refereed the GrandSlam game in '09 which we almost lost due to incessant penalties in the second half, but it's massively disingenuous to say we would have won without him given we had so much of the ball and couldn't get over the line,
 
RORY65 said:
given we had so much of the ball and couldn't get over the line
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They're using that as an argument in England's favour this weekend, that although you are playing Scotland you don't really carve teams open and create lots of chances

I still think you'll do it, and can't believe the bookies have it

England 5/6
Ireland 7/4

If anything that should be the other way round imo, probably put some money on Ireland
 
EdWeatherall said:
They're using that as an argument in England's favour this weekend, that although you are playing Scotland you don't really carve teams open and create lots of chances

I still think you'll do it, and can't believe the bookies have it

England 5/6
Ireland 7/4

If anything that should be the other way round imo, probably put some money on Ireland
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I'd make England marginal favourites, they're at home against a still underperforming French side and will know the results before they play. Scotland's pack isn't great but they've actually been competitive in every game. I wouldn't rule Wales out yet either, last week may have taken a lot out of them physically but given Ireland and France both played poorly in Rome and won by 23 and 29 respectively, the Welsh could win that by a big margin.
 
sullydnl said:
Didn't particularly like the way Barnes refereed the game but that didn't really have anything to do with the result.

Any analysis I've seen over here in Ireland has accepted that Wales deserved to win.
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Barnes is a terrible referee, but he had nothing to do with the result. Wales were better than Ireland. Simple.
 
RORY65 said:
I'd make England marginal favourites, they're at home against a still underperforming French side and will know the results before they play. Scotland's pack isn't great but they've actually been competitive in every game. I wouldn't rule Wales out yet either, last week may have taken a lot out of them physically but given Ireland and France both played poorly in Rome and won by 23 and 29 respectively, the Welsh could win that by a big margin.
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I'd make England favs but I pray that by resting his first team that Philipe St Andre will accidentally select a much better French side.
 
EdWeatherall said:
They're using that as an argument in England's favour this weekend, that although you are playing Scotland you don't really carve teams open and create lots of chances

I still think you'll do it, and can't believe the bookies have it

England 5/6
Ireland 7/4

If anything that should be the other way round imo, probably put some money on Ireland
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Pfft, Scotland and France will win. Wales to be champions ;)
 
Wales definitely deserved the win. They're defense was excellent and as usual Halfpenny was a machine. We are really going to have to up the ante with our backs play if we want to make strides at the World Cup. Fitzgerald has looked good for Leinster and if he stays fit he might have a case to make for replacing Payne.

Still reckon it's our Championship to lose, just hope that France are bothered to try against England. Wales could be dark horses, if they get a few early scores against Italy they could give them a thumping.
 
kidbob said:
Wales definitely deserved the win. They're defense was excellent and as usual Halfpenny was a machine. We are really going to have to up the ante with our backs play if we want to make strides at the World Cup. Fitzgerald has looked good for Leinster and if he stays fit he might have a case to make for replacing Payne.

Still reckon it's our Championship to lose, just hope that France are bothered to try against England. Wales could be dark horses, if they get a few early scores against Italy they could give them a thumping.
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We need to be more dynamic and creative in the backline, we've had plenty of ball in the Championship but struggled to break through sides. It's a bit disappointing that Schmidt seems to consider Fitzgerald only as a winger, he's been the best 13 in the country this season. I also don't get having Felix Jones on the bench, there's enough players capable of playing full back in the starting 15 (it's Payne's best position) so surely it would be better to have more of a game-changing wing/centre option to bring on than a decent but unspectacular full back. Bringing someone like Earls, Fitzgerald or Gilroy on when we had so much ball and were tiring Wales out by taking them through so many phases could've made a big impact.
 
RORY65 said:
We need to be more dynamic and creative in the backline, we've had plenty of ball in the Championship but struggled to break through sides. It's a bit disappointing that Schmidt seems to consider Fitzgerald only as a winger, he's been the best 13 in the country this season. I also don't get having Felix Jones on the bench, there's enough players capable of playing full back in the starting 15 (it's Payne's best position) so surely it would be better to have more of a game-changing wing/centre option to bring on than a decent but unspectacular full back. Bringing someone like Earls, Fitzgerald or Gilroy on when we had so much ball and were tiring Wales out by taking them through so many phases could've made a big impact.
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Yeah it's strange considering Schmidt always wanted Leinster to be a free flowing team. If he's going to play Henderson at 12 I would have assumed that it would be best to have Fitzgerald at 13 like you said. I'm hoping he is maybe just being pragmatic for this series while he gets to grips with live without O'Driscoll and Darcy and has plans to try a more expansive game in the lead up to the World Cup, but that wouldn't be leaving us with a lot of time to implement it. Schmidt got Leinster playing some unbelievable rugby and I can't accept that he doesn't see that the talent is there for Ireland to try the same. It's not like it made Leinster more defensively vulnerable to play that way either.

It's all well and good dominating games but we have to be looking to put more points on to have any designs on overcoming the Southern teams.
 
Can see Wales smashing Italy pretty heavily.

Still, at least we'll have a fair idea what we need to do one way or the other.
 
It doesn't quite seem right that Ireland and England have been given an advantage over Wales by playing after Wales game has finished.
 
Italy doing surprisingly well.
 
Wales have been poor so far. Italians really looking up for this.
 
Great game from Italy so far. Doubt they can keep it up for the whole match but Wales are gonna have to work incredibly hard to even win, never mind get a big win.
 
Third try of the second half for Wales.
 
George North with a second half hat-trick! 42-13 to Wales!
 
The pressure is piling on, England and Ireland.
 
Rhys Webb has been unreal in this 6 Nations.
 
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