The Rugby Thread

[Irishnev]

The fact that you have so many players who have come to their peak at that sort of bar is what gives me some mild hope for this Scotland team over the next say 2 W C cycles. Beyond that we are ****ed. 2 clubs and almost zero pipeline.

I’m reallly excited for you Irish - it’s there to be won for you. As you alluded to above Nev if every team plays to the best of their abilities then Ireland are definitely the best team. There’s obviously more to it than that and the other teams (well at least 3 of them) will also have a say.

But the way I look at of for you guys is ‘if not now, when?’.

We may never get a better chance than now until the WC is held in Ireland …. It’s the flip of a coin this weekend again, I’m listening to a lot of content and it could be the last dance for some of the NZ boys. They have real quality in their back line and are still the best broken field attacking team in the world

To beat them you need to go after their front 5 and outside of Ardie, their back row isn’t great. I’m optimistic but cautious as I was v SA and Scotland where I was more positive

Ireland’s system right now is ticking all the boxes and there is a conveyor belt of young players coming through. We’ve win the last 2 u-20 6 nations with grand slams and lost to France in the WC final earlier this year. There are some guys in that team who look absolute stars in the making

We have a schools system that feeds the provincial academies with ready made talent. Rugby is huge in Ireland now as success breeds following so many more kids are playing

Here's a question for you Nev that occurs to me every time I watch Ireland: it occurred to me again on the w/e but I'd had a few so promptly forgot it.

How does a pretty average 'play' that everyone knows is going to happen manage to constantly reap reward, even if reward is just improved field position (never to be sniffed at in rugby).

I mean of course the famous Sexton wrap around

I sit at home (or elsewhere) telling anyone who will listen that it's about to happen yet the opposing team whoever they might, be are utterly bamboozled like it's the famous All Blacks hide the ball up your shirt trick done for the first time.

Astonishing

Because it is so well rehearsed and because our set pieces are normally so good it allows time to pull off the strike plays at such pace and accuracy. I also think we use a lot of variations but people always think it’s wrap arounds. Sexton takes the ball so hard to the line and passes so late that it opens up gaps - he’s really brave

No doubt Joe Schmidt will have a few rabbits up his sleeve for the AB strike plays also.

[Buzzo]

I also think there are variations on it, the set up is always the same, but the key is ruck speed, giving Sexton the space and time to set up then run various plays through the forwards and backs. Ireland are an efficient unit now, every single player well drilled in his job, but also seemingly aware of the jobs of the men around him. It all starts with that incredible defence, and the fact that 5 of the pack, 9 of the team and 13 of the squad all play for the same team can’t hurt.

Sexton will be an incredible attack coach when he retires as he reads the game so well.

Also credit to Farrelll, how England have managed to not have him as head coach is genuinely remarkable.

[Cormack74]

Sacked by Eddie Jones from his England coaching role after he had been part of Lancaster's disastrous World Cup tenure.

Although Eddie would have no doubt sacked him regardless.

[bacon]

Looks like Eddie Jones is quitting Australia to join Japan ... what a disaster he has been for the Wallabies

[Irishnev]

Sacked by Eddie Jones from his England coaching role after he had been part of Lancaster's disastrous World Cup tenure.

Although Eddie would have no doubt sacked him regardless.

And Mike Catt as well, he was getting dogs abuse over here when Farrell first started but now you see his finger prints on the attack

[Rigadon]

I also think there are variations on it, the set up is always the same, but the key is ruck speed, giving Sexton the space and time to set up then run various plays through the forwards and backs. Ireland are an efficient unit now, every single player well drilled in his job, but also seemingly aware of the jobs of the men around him. It all starts with that incredible defence, and the fact that 5 of the pack, 9 of the team and 13 of the squad all play for the same team can’t hurt.

Sexton will be an incredible attack coach when he retires as he reads the game so well.

Also credit to Farrelll, how England have managed to not have him as head coach is genuinely remarkable.

Farrell as head coach and Shaun Edwards as defence coach. Would make a huge difference to England.

[Cormack74]

Farrell as head coach and Shaun Edwards as defence coach. Would make a huge difference to England.

Yes would make good sense.

So the RFU would most almost certainly never appoint them

[Cormack74]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2023/10/12/wales-rugby-world-cup-warren-gatland-draw-critics/

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has told critics of the lopsided World Cup draw to stop moaning and warned that his side would represent a “dangerous” opponent in the last four.

“I’d just say to the other teams they should have done better in the last World Cup, that’s where the draw came from,” Gatland said. “It’s not our fault this happened. You didn’t hear us complaining in 2015 about Fiji, Australia and England and ourselves in the same pool, we didn’t complain about that.

[Le Chef]

I've got a 28-1 on SA winning the Rugby and the Cricket

[Cormack74]

South Africa have sprung something of a surprise by opting for a traditional 5-3 bench split going into their Rugby World Cup quarter-final against hosts France on Sunday night.

Cobus Reinach starts at scrum-half ahead of Faf de Klerk while there is no room in the matchday 23 for Leicester’s Jasper Wiese. Manie Libbok gets the nod at fly-half despite the recent return to fitness of Handre Pollard, leaving the half-back pairing who guided South Africa to their World Cup victory in 2019 on the bench.

Jacques Nienaber, South Africa’s head coach, described Libbok as “our in-form fly-half” and noted that South Africa had lost only once - to Ireland - with Libbok at fly-half in the past year.

[Zapater]

I've got a 28-1 on SA winning the Rugby and the Cricket

I've thought about it but you've probably put the mockers on us. Not convinced we'll even beat France. If we do, want England, then Ireland as that would be us vs the North.

.

Clearly abusing the bench. World Rugby need to intervene and do something about this split, it's terrible for the game.

Also I'm over the moon about Reinach starting. I've always thought he's the best scrum half we have, so looking really forward to him finally getting a shot in a huge game.

[Buzzo]

South Africa v France is definitely the game of the weekend for me. Impossible to call, would have made a fine final.

Hard to believe DuPont is fit for this, that’s some top healing. But it’s great for the tournament that he plays.

[Irishnev]

South Africa v France is definitely the game of the weekend for me. Impossible to call, would have made a fine final.

Hard to believe DuPont is fit for this, that’s some top healing. But it’s great for the tournament that he plays.

He’ll be tested, no doubt…. the most physical side in the world! Will want to be a bloody good mask!

[Doc_Piptorious]

15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD)(35)
14. Mack Hansen (Connacht/Corinthians)(20)
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD)(56)
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians)(51)
11. James Lowe (Leinster)(25)
10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) (Captain) (117)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(29)

1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD)(58)
2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne)(20)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf)(71)
4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne)(45)
5. Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy)(78)
6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution)(100)
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD)(56)
8. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College)(35)

Replacements:

16. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne)(25)
17. David Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians)(55)
18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers)(35)
19. Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Dublin University)(4)
20. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere)(40)
21. Conor Murray Munster/Garryowen)(111)
22. Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution)(9)
23. Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster/Naas)(6).

Great team.


Looking at the team and replacements, it highlights just how good/strong Leinster are at domestic level. You come up against Leinster you are basically not playing a club side but rather the number one country in the world.

[Irishnev]

Great team.


Looking at the team and replacements, it highlights just how good/strong Leinster are at domestic level. You come up against Leinster you are basically not playing a club side but rather the number one country in the world.

And yet they haven’t won a EC for years and Munster win the URC this year