Re: The Rugby Thread

**Grenvile** Sat Mar 19, 2011 12:28 am

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Am hopeful that we will win today - quietly confident! It would be very sweet!

It would be a sweet victory.. Martin Johnson not moving for Mary Mac back in 2003.. It'll come back to haunt him!

**RMDrive** Sat Mar 19, 2011 12:36 am

Jayo Cluxton wrote:
RMDrive wrote:I've seen nothing to suggest that this will happen. England have been the best team in the competition and deserve their grand slam. Glad to see Trimble in. We need a few more Ulster men involved.

They'll deserve their grand slam if they beat us! Am sorry Tindall is injured - think he is vastly overrated and a blunt and old instrument. England are nothing special. Bad and all as we have been we could easily be going for the GS ourselves tomorrow. If we click we can beat anyone (bar NZ) - I think that will happen tomorrow. Am also a Trimble fan and think he will bring a lot to the party - but can't think of many other ~~South Africans~~ Ulster men I'd have ....

ps Did you see them tonight????

No didn't see them. Just switched on as they were finishing up. Do Ulster have a lot more imports that the other provinces? How can they afford them?

**Jayo Cluxton** Sat Mar 19, 2011 12:40 am

Ulster rugby would be wealthy enough. Dunno if they have more than others tbh and they have some good talent coming through too.

**The Puke** Sat Mar 19, 2011 9:50 am

Ulster are allowed to have 6 non irish qualified players in the Squad, same as the other three provinces....And are allowed only 2 non EU players for their Heinken Cup squad....KOLPAK players are exemp from the Heineken Cup ruling so that is why the Saffers are allowed play....

Ulsters biudget would be a nice bit lower than Munster/Leinster and they have struggled to attract irish players up north as there are/were tax breaks/lower levels of tax for rugby player down south compared to the North....

As regards todays game, I would give us a good chance but we need to be far more clinical than we have been, we could quite easily be going for the Grand Slam today only for a lack of composure, but we could also have lost all 4 games due to said lack of composure.....Disappointing to see so much chopping and changing at 9 & 10 as well

Engloand are nothing special but unlike us they have loads of confidence and this cannot be underestimated, given this they would have no doubt scored the tries we butchered last week

**The Puke** Sat Mar 19, 2011 2:05 pm

Reckon Scotland will beat Italy fairly comfotably here in the first game....Italy had a great result last week but i doubt they will rise to the same levels again today, Scotland are a very tough team to beat in Murreyfield and I reckon the Italian's won't be too pushed about putting in a performance here

Scots -7 at evens looks a nice price

**RMDrive** Sat Mar 19, 2011 5:13 pm

Jesus the RTE D4 commentary is vomit inducing. Wow, what a start for Sexton. He hit that ball really well. He hit it with great confidence ........
FFS he kocked over a penalty that any kicker on any team would be expected to get 95% of the time. This **** licking doesn't do anything for the player you know.

**The Puke** Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:01 pm

The performance we have been waiting a long time for...Well done all concerned, hard to single anyone out as they were all excellent

**patrique** Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:36 pm

My god, everything, and I mean everything i said before the game, came to fruition.

just like last year sexton destroyed them, how does O'Gara ever get picked, Trimble supplied height and strength to combat Cueto, Earls was much more comfortable at full back, and wallace and co holding people off the ground to create a maul rather than a ruck, worked wonders and yielded two quick turn overs at the start.

The one thing I got wrong was O'Callaghan, he was mighty.

Look closely at the season. England scrapped past wales then had three home fixtures. Destroyed Italy, beat a mediocre France, and lucky enough to beat Scotland. Where did the favourites tag for this game come from?

Ireland struggled against Italy, lucky enough against Scotland, threw it away against France, and beaten by a dodgy try and dodgy decision by Wallace (Paddy) at the end of the Wales game.

But they were scoring tries.

And they have now beaten England 7 out of the last 8.

And at the end of the day, do England beat Ireland at any sport these days.......

**The Puke** Sat Mar 19, 2011 8:12 pm

It will be very interesting to see what happens with the backrow between now and the World Cup, as a unit they were excellent today and have had a decent 6 nations.....Sean O'Brien has probably been Ireland's best/most consistent player in the competition, he looks every inch a natural 6....When Ferris gets back to full fitness it will leave the management with a big call to make....You could make the arguement that either could move to openside but then you may well end up with a backrow lacking balance and Wallace while he may not be a forager on the ground is a far more natural 7 than the other 2....Heaslip is nailed on at 8.....O'Brien being the man in possesion will probably keep it with Ferris being used as an impact player off the bench, which would be harsh on him as he has been excellent for Ireland in recent times but it certainly leaves management with a very big and tough call to make....

**patrique** Sat Mar 19, 2011 8:25 pm

The Puke wrote:It will be very interesting to see what happens with the backrow between now and the World Cup, as a unit they were excellent today and have had a decent 6 nations.....Sean O'Brien has probably been Ireland's best/most consistent player in the competition, he looks every inch a natural 6....When Ferris gets back to full fitness it will leave the management with a big call to make....You could make the arguement that either could move to openside but then you may well end up with a backrow lacking balance and Wallace while he may not be a forager on the ground is a far more natural 7 than the other 2....Heaslip is nailed on at 8.....O'Brien being the man in possesion will probably keep it with Ferris being used as an impact player off the bench, which would be harsh on him as he has been excellent for Ireland in recent times but it certainly leaves management with a very big and tough call to make....

Excellent post.

Totally agree.

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:43 pm

How many points did England win by?

**bocerty** Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:23 pm

The Puke wrote:It will be very interesting to see what happens with the backrow between now and the World Cup, as a unit they were excellent today and have had a decent 6 nations.....Sean O'Brien has probably been Ireland's best/most consistent player in the competition, he looks every inch a natural 6....When Ferris gets back to full fitness it will leave the management with a big call to make....You could make the arguement that either could move to openside but then you may well end up with a backrow lacking balance and Wallace while he may not be a forager on the ground is a far more natural 7 than the other 2....Heaslip is nailed on at 8.....O'Brien being the man in possesion will probably keep it with Ferris being used as an impact player off the bench, which would be harsh on him as he has been excellent for Ireland in recent times but it certainly leaves management with a very big and tough call to make....

totally agree there Puke he has been immense for Ireland, but to a man they all stood up to be counted today and it was a great performance the work rate and energy from 1-15 was superb. Ferris has a job on his hands getting back into the starting 15 but its a good problem to have from an Irish point of view.

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:30 pm

bocerty wrote:
The Puke wrote:It will be very interesting to see what happens with the backrow between now and the World Cup, as a unit they were excellent today and have had a decent 6 nations.....Sean O'Brien has probably been Ireland's best/most consistent player in the competition, he looks every inch a natural 6....When Ferris gets back to full fitness it will leave the management with a big call to make....You could make the arguement that either could move to openside but then you may well end up with a backrow lacking balance and Wallace while he may not be a forager on the ground is a far more natural 7 than the other 2....Heaslip is nailed on at 8.....O'Brien being the man in possesion will probably keep it with Ferris being used as an impact player off the bench, which would be harsh on him as he has been excellent for Ireland in recent times but it certainly leaves management with a very big and tough call to make....

totally agree there Puke he has been immense fro Ireland, but to a man they all stood up to be counted today and it was a great performance the work rate and energy from 1-15 was superb. Ferris has a job on his hands getting back into the starting 15 but its a good problem to have from an Irish point of view.

Bocerty do not fool yourself - they have been distinctly average throughout the Six Nations and just because they showed a small semblance of pride that should have been on show weeks ago, does not make them a good team.

The only World Cup Ireland will be winning any time soon is the Dubai World Cup next Saturday thanks to Cape Blanco, Aidan O'Brien and Jamie Spencer.

**mullins** Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:30 pm

I saw this performance coming

Made a little money on this game..

**bocerty** Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:37 pm

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:
bocerty wrote:
The Puke wrote:It will be very interesting to see what happens with the backrow between now and the World Cup, as a unit they were excellent today and have had a decent 6 nations.....Sean O'Brien has probably been Ireland's best/most consistent player in the competition, he looks every inch a natural 6....When Ferris gets back to full fitness it will leave the management with a big call to make....You could make the arguement that either could move to openside but then you may well end up with a backrow lacking balance and Wallace while he may not be a forager on the ground is a far more natural 7 than the other 2....Heaslip is nailed on at 8.....O'Brien being the man in possesion will probably keep it with Ferris being used as an impact player off the bench, which would be harsh on him as he has been excellent for Ireland in recent times but it certainly leaves management with a very big and tough call to make....

totally agree there Puke he has been immense fro Ireland, but to a man they all stood up to be counted today and it was a great performance the work rate and energy from 1-15 was superb. Ferris has a job on his hands getting back into the starting 15 but its a good problem to have from an Irish point of view.

Bocerty do not fool yourself - they have been distinctly average throughout the Six Nations and just because they showed a small semblance of pride that should have been on show weeks ago, does not make them a good team.

The only World Cup Ireland will be winning any time soon is the Dubai World Cup next Saturday thanks to Cape Blanco, Aidan O'Brien and Jamie Spencer.

thanks for the advice Loyal but i dont remember saying they were a great team nor did i say they have been great throughout the 6 Nations, one performance hardly changes much for this Irish side and Kidney alluded to as much in his interview afterwards, however they were magnificant today and you cant take that away from them though it will count for little when the World Cup starts.

Like you i do wonder why it took the sight of an English jersey to bring out the best in them and it also begs the question what are all these sport psychologists getting paid for but.............

BTW did anyone see the interview Rory McIlroy gave before the game? Didnt do himself many favours with that one Very Happy

**The Puke** Sun Mar 20, 2011 12:13 am

bocerty wrote:Like you i do wonder why it took the sight of an English jersey to bring out the best in them and it also begs the question what are all these sport psychologists getting paid for but.............

BTW did anyone see the interview Rory McIlroy gave before the game? Didnt do himself many favours with that one

I honestly believe that Martin Johnson's carry on in 2003 is one of the main reasons for this...It may well have worked on the day but you can be guarenteed it has been brought up everytime they have met england since and used as motivation and not to let them piss all over us again....

**bocerty** Sun Mar 20, 2011 12:44 am

The Puke wrote:
bocerty wrote:Like you i do wonder why it took the sight of an English jersey to bring out the best in them and it also begs the question what are all these sport psychologists getting paid for but.............

BTW did anyone see the interview Rory McIlroy gave before the game? Didnt do himself many favours with that one

I honestly believe that Martin Johnson's carry on in 2003 is one of the main reasons for this...It may well have worked on the day but you can be guarenteed it has been brought up everytime they have met england since and used as motivation and not to let them piss all over us again....

very valid point Puke - but then Gatland has come out with some schite since he departed this island which you would have thought would have given the Irish boys some extra motivation last week and yet they never got anywhere near reaching the levels they did today

**The Puke** Sun Mar 20, 2011 1:00 am

bocerty wrote:
The Puke wrote:
bocerty wrote:Like you i do wonder why it took the sight of an English jersey to bring out the best in them and it also begs the question what are all these sport psychologists getting paid for but.............

BTW did anyone see the interview Rory McIlroy gave before the game? Didnt do himself many favours with that one

I honestly believe that Martin Johnson's carry on in 2003 is one of the main reasons for this...It may well have worked on the day but you can be guarenteed it has been brought up everytime they have met england since and used as motivation and not to let them piss all over us again....

very valid point Puke - but then Gatland has come out with some schite since he departed this island which you would have thought would have given the Irish boys some extra motivation last week and yet they never got anywhere near reaching the levels they did today

Yeah but that is all handy talk from Gatland and the players probably see through it, the fact is Johnson walked onto the pitch and showed nothing but contempt for the Irish players and their president, even just throwing on a 30 second video of it in the week leading up to the match would have the boys well up for it....

**Jayo Cluxton** Sun Mar 20, 2011 1:14 am

Called it right - again - said 10+ points to all the lads!

**The Puke** Sun Mar 20, 2011 5:38 pm

Looking ahead to the World Cup you would have to expect us to get out of the group at a very minimum, Italy will no doubt put it up to us in the final group game...

Looking at the squad that is likely to you would probably say that he will go with a 17:13 split given this new rule that there will be two props on the bench meaning that 5 will have to be taken

Front Row:
Healy, Court, Ross, Buckley & Hayes(wouldn't bring him myself but he is far more experienced than any other prop available)

Best, Cronin & Flannery(if fit, if not Varley will go)

Second Rows:
O'Connell, O'Callaghan, Cullen & O'Driscoll( wouldn't bring Micko myself but the management rate him very highly)

Backrow:
O'Brien, Ferris, Wallace, Heaslip & Leamy

Scrum Halves:
O'Leary, Stringer & Reddan

Outhalves:
Sexton, O'Gara & Wallace(he will be brought as an inside centre but will be third choice outhalf as well)

Outside backs:
O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Bowe, Trimble, Earls, Fitzgerald & Kearney(along with Wallace being an option at 12)

I fully expect that at least one or two of them(if we are lucky) will probably get injured between this and then unfortunately...He may well go with a 16:14 split and leave someone like Hayes at home and bring McFadden as a utility back but I would doubt it

The likes of Horan, Donnacha Ryan, Touhy, Toner, Jennings, McLaughlin, Muldoon, Boss, Fionn Carr, Nevin Spence, Johnny Murphy and Geordan Murphy(if fit) will all have an outside chance of going and will be called upon if there are injuries....

More than likely we will face South Africa in a quarter final, hard to see us beating them in New Zealand....

**patrique** Sun Mar 20, 2011 8:10 pm

The Puke wrote:
bocerty wrote:Like you i do wonder why it took the sight of an English jersey to bring out the best in them and it also begs the question what are all these sport psychologists getting paid for but.............

BTW did anyone see the interview Rory McIlroy gave before the game? Didnt do himself many favours with that one

I honestly believe that Martin Johnson's carry on in 2003 is one of the main reasons for this...It may well have worked on the day but you can be guarenteed it has been brought up everytime they have met england since and used as motivation and not to let them piss all over us again....

In 2002 and most of 2003 England were the best team in the world.

Standing on red carpets had f### all to do with it. They beat New Zealand TWICE in that period, in New Zealand.

**The Puke** Sun Mar 20, 2011 8:17 pm

patrique wrote:
The Puke wrote:
bocerty wrote:Like you i do wonder why it took the sight of an English jersey to bring out the best in them and it also begs the question what are all these sport psychologists getting paid for but.............

BTW did anyone see the interview Rory McIlroy gave before the game? Didnt do himself many favours with that one

I honestly believe that Martin Johnson's carry on in 2003 is one of the main reasons for this...It may well have worked on the day but you can be guarenteed it has been brought up everytime they have met england since and used as motivation and not to let them piss all over us again....

In 2002 and most of 2003 England were the best team in the world.

Standing on red carpets had f### all to do with it. They beat New Zealand TWICE in that period, in New Zealand.

Never said they weren't pat, my point was in relation to it being a huge motivating factor ever since....England came over that day and pissed all over us on the pitch, absoluetly destroyed us and were well deserved winners, Johnson didn't need to make a stand for them on the red carpety to win that game as they would have won it anyway as they were a far better side, but he did it anyway and it certainly unsettled Ireland on the day...It was very much a watershed moment where a lot of lads said enough was enough and it wouldn't happen again against the English, EO'S last game aside when morale was on the floor we have outplayed and outbattled them in every other game since winning them all

**Jayo Cluxton** Mon Mar 21, 2011 2:56 pm

Great atmosphere on Saturday too. Was beginning to wonder if the new stadium was capable of generating it but it sure did!

**patrique** Tue Mar 22, 2011 12:44 am

Does ANYONE seriously believe that anyone on the Ireland team gives a monkeys about Martin Johnson and red carpets??????

I mean how many Celtic supporters play for Ireland?

**The Puke** Tue Mar 22, 2011 8:58 am

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