RWC Pool C: Ireland vs Australia, Sat 17 Sep 9:30am; Pre/During/Post Match Thread

fryup

what a cocky bunch...........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0gV-Wbg04s

hardCopy

fryup wrote: »

what a cocky bunch...........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0gV-Wbg04s

Brilliant!

bamboozle

totallegend wrote: »

Just watched the game again; 5 minutes to go and Australia had a scrum about 10 metres out, Genia sniped off the base and O'Brien made an unbelievable tackle. Crucial moment.

an even more crucial moment was early in the second half Cooper ran ball back at us, Beale broke through but D'arcy caught him literally by the threads on his jersey, he would have been clear through otherwise, Beale then offloaded to McCabe whose pass went behind the supporting Cooper.

another time when cooper skint POC on the outside in our 22 but gave a dreadful forward pass to their winger.

GerM

bamboozle wrote: »

another time when cooper skint POC on the outside in our 22 but gave a dreadful forward pass to their winger.

Credit to POC on that one; he made it back and across to get a hand on Cooper just as he was passing. Kearney had made it across and was set to hit Cooper but POC's intervention was part of the reason for the forward pass. Don't think any of our other locks would have got a finger on him.

JRant

whycliff wrote: »

Never heard as much tripe and bullsh*t condensed into 35 or so words. You my friend should take a bow.

Milk of Magnesia is a far second to producing that kind of stuff... Bravo.

WOW, you actually went to the trouble of counting my words. Get a grip would ya and what are you on about milk of magnesia for, this is a rugby thread? As far as i know this forum is all about opinion and comment, if you don't agree that's fine.

My point is that on our greatest day in the WC all the other players talked about the team but ROG comes out with the big "I am" speech. If he's going to retire after the world cup that's all well and good. He'll be sorely missed and is a true legend of Irish Rugby. However despite the emotions involved he could have surely sat an such a big decision till the TEAM gets home.

Judgement Day

Matt Williams

wixfjord

Judgement Day wrote: »

No real need for that sort of hilarious stuff JD. It's a valid point which many aren't facing up to I think.
Valid criticism which is backed up should be welcomed on this forum, and without getting "bias blah blah" or being shot down like that.

JRant

Judgement Day wrote: »

Oh wait I see what your doing here, brilliant stuff. Would this be the final resting place of ROG's International career by any chance!!!!!;)

molloyjh

JRant wrote: »

WOW, you actually went to the trouble of counting my words. Get a grip would ya and what are you on about milk of magnesia for, this is a rugby thread? As far as i know this forum is all about opinion and comment, if you don't agree that's fine.

My point is that on our greatest day in the WC all the other players talked about the team but ROG comes out with the big "I am" speech. If he's going to retire after the world cup that's all well and good. He'll be sorely missed and is a true legend of Irish Rugby. However despite the emotions involved he could have surely sat an such a big decision till the TEAM gets home.

I saw 2 interviews with ROG so not sure which one you're referring to but in one he spoke about how the team is such a great bunch of guys etc. He was emotional and was ring asked how he felt. Wouldn't think too much of it myself.

.ak

molloyjh wrote: »

I saw 2 interviews with ROG so not sure which one you're referring to but in one he spoke about how the team is such a great bunch of guys etc. He was emotional and was ring asked how he felt. Wouldn't think too much of it myself.

I think JRant is referring to the part were he incidentally announced his retirement from the Irish squad after the WC.

Thing is, I'm not so irked by it because he was being 'selfish', but more so I'm annoyed because it seems like ROG feels like giving up before they're even out of the pool stages... It's like this was THE game, and that's it?

Hope I'm wrong...

molloyjh

.ak wrote: »

I think JRant is referring to the part were he incidentally announced his retirement from the Irish squad after the WC.

Thing is, I'm not so irked by it because he was being 'selfish', but more so I'm annoyed because it seems like ROG feels like giving up before they're even out of the pool stages... It's like this was THE game, and that's it?

Hope I'm wrong...

That was the one where he said the squad was an amazing group of guys alright. In the other interview he was saying how this should not be our final. It should be the beginning and not the end. So I don't think there's any issue with where his heads at.

trackguy

POC won't let ROG stay down for long - just like in this video! (1:00 - 1:09)

Can't believe I only just noticed this!!??

Fireball07

Matt Williams

trackguy wrote: »

POC won't let ROG stay down for long - just like in this video! (1:00 - 1:09)

Can't believe I only just noticed this!!??

Wow...I never noticed that before either

.ak

Hahah, gotta love POC.

Grimebox

Fireball07 wrote: »

Wow...I never noticed that before either

"GET UP ROG!! GET UP!"

Hilarious stuff

durkadurka

Poc really is your modern touchy feely in touch with your feminine side male isn't he! Brilliant clip

walshb

Super win from the boys. Brilliant stuff.

One thing that nobody seems to have picked up on is Bowe's run for the line
at the end. Why did he try and run over the line? He had 5- 6 yards, the pitch was wet, had the man had the balls to dive, his speed and momentum would have carried him over that line. He had to know that the Aussie wa right on his tail. I bet BOD would have dived.

GerM

walshb wrote: »

Super win from the boys. Brilliant stuff.

One thing that nobody seems to have picked up on is Bowe's run for the line
at the end. Why did he try and run over the line? He had 5- 6 yards, the pitch was wet, had the man had the balls to dive, his speed and momentum would have carried him over that line. He had to know that the Aussie wa right on his tail. I bet BOD would have dived.

I bet BOD would have been caught on the halfway.

pickarooney

BOD would have stepped... and then be brought down thirty metres short.

CatFromHue

A little chip from Bowe across to the other side of the pitch would have given the Irish support runners a free run in. The Oz defenders were all chasing Bowe.

Alas we can't all be Phillipe Sella!

phog

I watched the game again last night and have to say we were very lucky to have won it, our defence and forwards won the game for us, we never once really threatened their line. Australia could have scored about 3 tries in the last quarter only for two poor passes and a superb try saving tackle by O'Brien (?).

With all the ball that was available form our scrums/lineouts we never once really created a decent move form any of your set pieces.

trackguy

phog wrote: »

I watched the game again last night and have to say we were very lucky to have won it, our defence and forwards won the game for us, we never once really threatened their line. Australia could have scored about 3 tries in the last quarter only for two poor passes and a superb try saving tackle by O'Brien (?).

With all the ball that was available form our scrums/lineouts we never once really created a decent move form any of your set pieces.

I don't think we were at all lucky to have won but you're right about the back play.

JustinDee

Australia

phog wrote: »

we never once really threatened their line

Really? Never? Interesting.

phog

JustinDee wrote: »

Really? Never? Interesting.

I meant from play created by our backs.

Quint2010

Matt Williams

I dont think we were lucky to win at all. We played a game which suited us and didnt reach beyond our capability. Our defence was excellent and out pack pressurised theirs into the concession of penalties. I wonder if you ask any australians were they unlucky to lose? I doubt if many would say they were..

JustinDee

Australia

phog wrote: »

I meant from play created by our backs.

They played an excellent mix of phase-play, some of which was pack-led, some by the inside backs, halfback and pivot. Not every run starts with a counter attack.
They were not "lucky" to win. A varied gameplan was followed extremely effectively and a massive team effort won the game. Luck didn't come into it in the slightest.

This isn't Strictly Come Play Union...

Sport101

They were lucky that Pocock and Moore dropped out at the last minute and that it rained though!

.ak

phog wrote: »

I watched the game again last night and have to say we were very lucky to have won it, our defence and forwards won the game for us, we never once really threatened their line. Australia could have scored about 3 tries in the last quarter only for two poor passes and a superb try saving tackle by O'Brien (?).

With all the ball that was available form our scrums/lineouts we never once really created a decent move form any of your set pieces.

I both agree and disagree with you.

Firstly, I don't agree that we were lucky to win the game. Our pack dominated, and did their job better than the Australians did. Simple as that really. The defensive merits you mentioned cannot be put down to luck. O'Brien's try-saving tackle? POC, Ferris's mauling antics? Turn over balls? A lot of these were deliberately meant to turn possession over and force some penalties.

So hardly lucky. It's what they went in wanting to do. Something that kind of surprised me to be honest, as they openly talked about this in the media build up leading to the match. The Irish basically told them how they were going to play the game, and still beat them at it.

I do agree with you however that our backs were seriously quiet in a game that we possessed ball and held the momentum. I did mention this straight after the match, we won the game without ever looking to score a try. Maybe that was deliberate?

Either way it shows a complete hole in our gameplan that's been evident since Gaffney has taken the reigns of the backs. We need to show that we have the skill and game to put tries down in the next two matches or else it'll be seriously evident that we have an unbalanced squad.

.ak

Sport101 wrote: »

They were lucky that Pocock and Moore dropped out at the last minute and that it rained though!

I honestly don't get this rain thing. Everyone was going on how it would suit us. People must have short memories - I cannot think of one rainy game in the past 18 months were we've dominated. I cringe when I remember the November series last year, the rain seriously ruined us, and even recently in the USA game we completely broke down in the wet.

The only thing I can think of is we've learned from it, and learned to play tight rugby in those conditions.

Also, who's to say Pocock and Moore would play well on the day? Moore might've done well in the scrum, but could be easily off with his darts, and SOB might've kept Pocock quiet? Guess we'll never know... Unless hell freezes over and we get a replay in the Final.

GerM

I didn't actually appreciate how well we played until I sat down a couple of days later to watch the game in peace and quiet. We actually played some really nice stuff with the interlinking of backs and forwards. No, we never cut them open with an old fashioned back line move but we don't do that anymore really. This was controlled madness with Sexton and Reddan directing things. We punched holes all over the Australian defence, never really ripping them open but definitely marching down field in the ascendancy. Look at the build up to the Sexton drop goal from when Bowe gathers the restart until the ball goes over. Some of the handling, lines, decoys etc. were excellent.

One person that would have made a difference on the day and really is the forgotten man is Ben Robinson.