I'll be hoping not here, but wouldn't be surprised by that. Home advantage is probably worth at least that handicap.
Rugby 2018 Discussion
- Thread starter unchanged_lineup
- Start date
I'll be hoping not here, but wouldn't be surprised by that. Home advantage is probably worth at least that handicap.
England will be playing to deny Ireland the Grand Slam and I think that will spur them on.
But it will be one of the games of the year especially with the Rugby Championship becoming so uncompetitive.
I think Ireland will win but England will get a losing bonus point.
England to win. They have dropped Ford and are actually using two centres!!!
Cutting down on penaltys and the extra firepower in the backs should tip the the balance.
Cutting down on penaltys and the extra firepower in the backs should tip the the balance.
A week and a half or so on from ex Wallaby Jeremy Paul suggesting that Crusaders coach Scott Robinson should take over from Michael Cheika as coach of the Wallabies, the Crusaders have now lost two on the spin.
I do expect the Jeremy Paul curse to end against the Bulls next week. With a record of two wins and two losses, last season's champions haven't started how they would have wanted to.
I do expect the Jeremy Paul curse to end against the Bulls next week. With a record of two wins and two losses, last season's champions haven't started how they would have wanted to.
Important takeaways: everyone hates England because of the empire and Tadhg Furlong is a great hugger 
https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2018...-england-down-to-the-empire-building-haskell/
https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2018...-england-down-to-the-empire-building-haskell/
It will be close but the home ground might be a telling factor.
Can't wait either way.
I fear for the English today. The Irish will be cock a hoop and are better in every department than us. Just watch how much time Sexton takes for penalty kicks. If they are winning, 1 minute 10 seconds or longer, if they are losing 30 seconds. This and scrums is a part of the game I believe needs looking at. The Law says the kicker has 1minute from when the tee comes onto the pitch. They then have a drink, do their hair, straighten their shorts etc line up the kick and bugger about looking up and down. Ten penalties in a match is ten minutes wasted.
Scrums. Oh, scrums. Reset if the Irish are winning, perfect if they are losing. Yes all teams do similar tactics but the Irish are the masters.
Scrums. Oh, scrums. Reset if the Irish are winning, perfect if they are losing. Yes all teams do similar tactics but the Irish are the masters.
Flower of Scotland is such a shite song. Wish they'd get rid of it. Dreary, 70s pish.
Irish anti climax day.
However it goes today, 3 championships in 5 years for Joe Schmidt is savage.
Right boys, see yas on the other side! Let's bloody do it.
This will be good.
Try Ireland
Super kick.
Feckin hell. This is superb by Ireland.
Ireland get another.
England are asleep.
England are asleep.
25 mins in for England to achieve 6 phases of play!
Aki lucky there perhaps. If he hadn't got that one arm around, it could be yellow.
Continuation of last week really.
Very similar. They haven't found anything yet. Having said that, great mauling there.
Try England
Costly sin bin.
Edit: oof, should have been costlier. What was that medic doing running across his kicking line??
Edit: oof, should have been costlier. What was that medic doing running across his kicking line??
Finally a try.
Ireland are getting the marginal calls: one arm/no arm in the tackle; knock on when they stole the ball from the line/out …. but they certainly deserve to be where they are.
England picking up a bit now
Ireland are getting the marginal calls: one arm/no arm in the tackle; knock on when they stole the ball from the line/out …. but they certainly deserve to be where they are.
England picking up a bit now
It’s always got to be about Nigel Owens
Who directs that a dead ball area must be deepened?
Who directs that a dead ball area must be deepened?
Record maker. Unbelievable.
Looked to me it brushed his hand off his knee. No?
What's the difference there if it hit his knee or hand?
Whatever about penalty calls in high pressure situations, England are blowing it once again with nothing penalties from bad discipline. Thanks very much folks.
Ireland are very good right now.
Bit jammy but looked clean to me.
A knock on from any part of the leg is a kick and allowed. From the hand it must be controlled before it hits the floor. If not it’s condided a knock on.
Amazing game. Not over yet; but Ireland amazing efficient and disciplined- keep it up, lads.
England have gone to bits in the last 3 games.
Totally agree, Ireland are worth the lead but if someone randomly decides to stick his nose in and alter the dimensions of a pitch you are used to playing on it must be frustrating for the home players. At the start of the Six Nations.that last Ireland try would have been one metre over the dead ball line … enter Nigel fecking Owens
He'll own them all by the end of his career barring injury, he's only 21 like twenty fecking one and he's broken the single season record
Just saw the end of the Italy Scotland- Italy gutted threw it away in the last seconds
12 penalties to 6. That's a huge contributor to where we are at half time.
They were absolutely shattered. They actually threw it away twice really, but they were out on their feet.