Ireland vs Australia- Sat 11am

vladimirtheass

Leaving behind another Test against New Zealand that got away, how does everyone feel we will perform against the Aussies?Are they there for the taking with Robbie Deans having just two weeks to work with his players for the first time or will he have them humming with a string Waratha's pack and usual running backs.

IMO the Irish team best equipped to beat the Aussies:

15.Geordan Murphy(Hard ground will suit him, with the possibility of himself and Super Rob switching when they see fit)
14.Shane Horgan
13.Brian O'Driscoll
12.Luke Fitzgerald
11.Rob Kearney
10.Ronan O'Gara
9.Eoin Reddan
8.Jamie Heaslip
7.David Wallace
6.Alan Quinlan
5.Paul O'Connell
4.Donnacha O'Callaghan
3.John Hayes
2.Jerry Flannery
1.Marcus Horan(if he promises to behave himself!)

16.Rory Best
17.Tomy Buckley
18.Mick O'Driscoll
19.Denis Leamy(Has done nothing worng but Quinlan deserves his start for his recent form at 6)
20.Peter Stringer
21.Paddy Wallace
22.Gavin Duffy (offers better cover across the back line compared to Dempsey)

figs86

just a thought - how much punishment and high pace games can the munster boys take??

horrible feeling more of them are going to be dropping out like quinny

surprised so many of them started in NZ, thought theyd get more rest

plus we're getting precious little benefit from the tour to be trotting out the same old players, especially when they're exhausted at end of season

would love to see some real changes for Aus match

thehighground

figs86 wrote: »

just a thought - how much punishment and high pace games can the munster boys take??

horrible feeling more of them are going to be dropping out like quinny

surprised so many of them started in NZ, thought theyd get more rest

plus we're getting precious little benefit from the tour to be trotting out the same old players, especially when they're exhausted at end of season

would love to see some real changes for Aus match

Another reason for not using too many Munster players - Jim Williams (Deans assistant coach) knows all the Munster players far too well

Inquitus

figs86 wrote: »

just a thought - how much punishment and high pace games can the munster boys take??

horrible feeling more of them are going to be dropping out like quinny

surprised so many of them started in NZ, thought theyd get more rest

plus we're getting precious little benefit from the tour to be trotting out the same old players, especially when they're exhausted at end of season

would love to see some real changes for Aus match

Getting hammered by 50 points blooding youngsters doesn't do much good either, that tour from hell England did did some longterm damage.

Play our best XV imo, and there's a number of new / relatively new players getting gametime - Kearney, Heaslip, Fitz.

The Aussies will be alot tougher than NZ imo.......

dub_skav

I think we need to play a "real" 7. Since Gleeson has retired that leaves us with Jennings.
He hasn't had the best season but he's a quality player and at least it will mean that O'Driscoll doesn't have to do all the open side work.

Wallace is a great player and makes the most ground of anybody with ball in hand, but that's the job of a 6 or 8, not a 7.

Something needs to be done about the lineout, more options, more movement, switching jumpers around, short lineouts etc. The lineouts looked slow and predictable, So'aialo seemed to know the calls before our boys did

Apart from that there aren't really too many obvious changes.

Diamondmaker

Cant wait for it! Flying down to cold Melbourne, brrrrr, on Fri for the game.:D

I think they are there for the taking. The weather is due to be cold but fine, will be a much better opportunity for a real game. The ozzies have had very little time together and only the 'Tahs group of players had a decent season to base the 1st game on. New coach , some new blood, 1st game, we should be favourites !

The press and public up here are more focussed on the state of origin on Weds and Victorians are very poor rugby supporters so I expect a good % of Irish at the game too, there for the taking !

Stev_o

We are going to get steam rolled by the Aussies back row =(

irishbucsfan

dub_skav wrote: »

I think we need to play a "real" 7. Since Gleeson has retired that leaves us with Jennings.
He hasn't had the best season but he's a quality player and at least it will mean that O'Driscoll doesn't have to do all the open side work.

yes... we need a "real 7" so according to you, we should go ahead and start a player who has played (extremely well) at blindside his entire career... sure. Wallace is the best openside we have, he was fantastic in the loose and was far and away the man of the match on Saturday morning (I see Gerry Thornley agrees with me this morning in the Times). If Wallace is moved from the team then we have serious selection issue. Leamy does need to be bumped off the team, but I can only see Quinny (injured) or Ferris starting in his place, if not Jennings. Ferris is a real quality player and I hope he is selected. Jennings is great as well, but for some reason I have a feeling Ferris has a future in that position for Ireland

dub_skav wrote: »

Wallace is a great player and makes the most ground of anybody with ball in hand, but that's the job of a 6 or 8, not a 7.

:eek:

dub_skav wrote: »

Something needs to be done about the lineout, more options, more movement, switching jumpers around, short lineouts etc. The lineouts looked slow and predictable, So'aialo seemed to know the calls before our boys did

Agreed, Rory Best needs to start. He's younger and better than Flannery and if given the chance I think he'll make that position his.


I can't believe I'm calling for two Ulster guys here, but thats the way it is :cool:

Xavi6

Come on the Wallabies!

louthandproud

My tuppence worth:

15.Rob Kearney
14.Shane Horgan
13.Brian O'Driscoll
12.Luke Fitzgerald
11.Tommy Bowe
10.Ronan O'Gara
9.Peter Stringer (Lack of match practice aside, didn't rate Reddan on Sat)
8.Jamie Heaslip (Giving him another chance, was brutal against NZ)
7.David Wallace
6.Alan Quinlan
5.Paul O'Connell
4.Donnacha O'Callaghan
3.John Hayes
2.Jerry Flannery (As Heaslip above)
1.Marcus Horan

Sparky14

Jennings' best position is definitely openside, it's where he's played his best rugby, when he was at leicester thats where he played and the yr b4 that at Leinster when he got dropped controversially by Kidney for Gleeson for the HC quarter final. To be honest I think the reason Jennings hasn't played his best rugby this year is due to the fact that he's being playing blindside.

As for Wallace hes a blessing and a burden, in that hes too good to drop but he doesn't fit ideally into any of the backrow positions hes got the physique and speed of a 7 but plays more like a 6 or 8. The problem with playing him with 6 or 8 where he played alot of rugby at the start of his career is that his tackling isn't aggressive enough and possibly lacks a little bulk. I think hes a great player, in fact i'm one of his biggest fans I just think he sometimes unbalances the team and might be better off as the impact sub who can cover every position in the backrow and has the ability to change the game. Anyway thats just my opinion, rant over.:pac:

nacho libre

Ireland to win by 3 points:D

Xavi6

Ireland team to face Australia:

15. R Kearney
14. S Horgan
13. B O'Driscoll
12. P Wallace
11. T Bowe
10. R O'Gara
9. P Stringer
1. M Horan
2. R Best
3. J Hayes
4. D O'Callaghan
5. P O'Connell
6. D Leamy
7. D Wallace
8. J Heaslip

Replacements: J Flannery, T Buckley, M O'Driscoll, S Jennings, E Reddan, G Murphy, G Dempsey


Australia news -

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=13&ContentID=78281

Deans fears Irish threat

11th June 2008, 13:30 WST

Robbie Deans admits the match-hardened Irish represent a massive challenge for his new-look and largely underdone Wallabies outfit on Saturday night.

The Wallabies head into the first of their 15 Tests in 2008 not only with a change of coach and four fresh faces, but also on the back of a bare-bones preparation having only been in camp since last Monday following the completion of the Super 14 tournament.

Ireland, on the other hand, have played six Tests already this year: the Six Nations championship plus last week’s torrid 21-11 defeat in New Zealand.

But mindful of Ireland’s ambush of the Wallabies when the two teams last met - at Lansdowne Road on the 2006 spring tour - Deans today said the visitors could not be underestimated.

“I was pretty impressed actually with the Irish (against the All Blacks), particularly their physicality,” he said.

“They’ve developed some frames over the last few years. They’re a group that’s played a lot of rugby together and particularly in their respective units of up front and out the back.

“They bring with them a lot of mentality, if you like, and it’s their last game before a break so they’re going to bring everything they’ve got and they’re going to throw everything at us.

“They were pretty impressive around the contact last week and they would also be pretty frustrated by the fact they weren’t able to close that gate when it was possibly there to be done.

“So they’ll be looking to do that this weekend.”

Deans said his selection of Queensland Reds firebrand James Horwill in the second row ahead of in-form NSW Waratah Dean Mumm was to give the Wallabies pack added aggression to combat Ireland’s physicality.

“Yeah, James has got that potential in him, there’s no doubt, and we’re going to need that from everyone,” he said.

“We won’t be able to back off the physical confrontation and hope to succeed.

“We’re going to have to engage Ireland somewhere and we’re going to have to do well in that engagement if we’re to hope to get home.

“For some (Wallabies), we’re going from close to a month since they played rugby at all into a Test match - that’s a big step.

“That’s a big adjustment. You can talk it all you like but the reality of adapting physically is significant, so that’s the first hurdle we’ve got to overcome.”

Wallabies skipper Stirling Mortlock said he was especially excited about once again opposing Ireland and British Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll in a mouth-watering battle of arguably the world’s two best outside centres.

“He’s a great player,” Mortlock said. “You’ve certainly got to be on your game defensively. He’s a very enterprising attacking player.

“And he’s a great defender. He rips in at the breakdown, in particular, out wide, so I always look forward to marking Brian.”

The battle between Mortlock and O'Driscoll should be great.

RugbyFanatic

Hopefully O'Driscoll has a good game, hes worshipped over there!

vladimirtheass

15.C Shepherd
14.P Hynes
13.S Mortlock (capt)
12.B Barnes
11.L Tuqiri
10.M Giteau
9.L Burgess
1.B Robinson
2.S Moore
3.M Dunning
4.J Horwill
5.N Sharpe
6.R Elsom
7.G Smith
8.W Palu

Replacements: A Freier, A Baxter, D Mumm, P Waugh, S Cordingley, R Cross, A Ashley-Cooper.


A couple of new faces in the team but fairly strong throughout. New scrum half in, pity Quinny wasn't fit to cause him hassle around the fringes. Our boys will have to be at the top of their game for 80 minutes if we're to turn over them at home.

Zzippy

Xavi6 wrote: »

Come on the Wallabies!

Traitor! Only there a wet week and cheering against your own country!

Beanmachine

vladimirtheass wrote: »

A couple of new faces in the team but fairly strong throughout. New scrum half in, pity Quinny wasn't fit to cause him hassle around the fringes. Our boys will have to be at the top of their game for 80 minutes if we're to turn over them at home.

Luke Burgess has been one of the finds of the season for the warathas he was probably one of their best players throughout the super 14. I doubt Quinlan would have fazed him to be honest having played against McCaw Smith and Juan Smith already.

Xavi6

Zzippy wrote: »

Traitor! Only there a wet week and cheering against your own country!

Au contraire my good man, I'm Australian born so I've merely returned to my homeland.

I think the key for the Aussies could be the partnership at centre of Barnes and Mortlock. If they can dominate and link up well with Giteau then they could run riot.

Stev_o

David Wallace is looking doubtfull for the match.

RugbyFanatic

Stev_o wrote: »

David Wallace is looking doubtfull for the match.

Kind of glad in a way hes been our best player but I just want to see Jennings at least get the chance so we can know if hes up to it should wallace get injured in the 6 nations etc.

Sparky14

"Burgess is respectful if a little scrambled about who precisely the Wallabies are up against, listing Stringer as "a fantastic strategist" along with "Brian O'Gara" - a curious amalgam of Irish captain Brian O'Driscoll and five-eighth Ronan O'Gara.":)

Surely just a slip of the tongue, still made me laugh a little. Haven't seen any of this guy, there seems to be a bit of a buzz about him tho.

Stev_o

Heres a small bit of him in attack

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=6N2iVxD2LyA

He's not afraid to take players on thats for sure

Sparky14

Stev_o wrote: »

Heres a small bit of him in attack

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=6N2iVxD2LyA

He's not afraid to take players on thats for sure

Useless he didn't even score!

He looks a very good broken field runnner, actuallly in the article I quoted earlier he said his hero was Joost Van Der Weistheisen so not all that surprising.

Beanmachine

Wallace is out for the match with a calf strain confirmed on Sky Sports news this morning. Jennings replacing him.

Unlucky for Wallace he was arguably our best player against the All Blacks but great opportunity for Jennings especially against Elsom who could be at Leinster next season.

vladimirtheass

wallace's injury has weakened our team imo, he was our best player against the all blacks but it is great to see jennings finally getting a crack at a full strength test match.

lucky ferris was flown in as cover now!hopefully he'll get a run for 20 minutes or so in a full on test match (as far as i know his caps have been against the pacific islands, the argentina tour last year and the scotland match before the RWC, in second string sides) he's undoubtly got great ability and, like jennings, it would be good to see how he performs against a quality international backrow like the aussies.

there'll be a bigger onus on heaslip to step up to the plate now ball carrying wise, as he was very poor in wellington where wallace must have out carried him by 10 to 1. there might have been a case now for starting buckley for his destructive carrying ability?

Ulstermell0

Wallace was awesome against the ABs, thats a blow, shame N.(utter) Best just played in the 'A's would be good to have coming off the bench

omb0wyn5ehpij9

Unfortunatly I can't see us winning this tomorrow.....but hopefully i'm wrong!

dc69

wallace is defo out.Jennings in.

RugbyFanatic

hopefully Jennings can prove that hes up to it when Wallace retires

ironingbored

Is it possible to watch the game online? Even deferred would be great.

nacho libre

http://www.justin.tv/uggla