Ireland Tour to New Zealand 2012 Discussion thread

thomond2006

unplayable wrote: »

ireland ftw this weekend.

I dunno, there's been a lot of 'flash in the pan' Irish performances from Ireland under Kidney. If the ABs don't rotate, I can see them winning by 15-20 points.

Monty Burnz

thomond2006 wrote: »

I dunno, there's been a lot of 'flash in the pan' Irish performances from Ireland under Kidney. If the ABs don't rotate, I can see them winning by 15-20 points.

Yup, sad but true. A great show versus Aus followed a little later by a woeful game versus Wales being the classic example. Our best hope is that the Kiwis show us a bit too much respect this time round and don't get around to pulverising us until the last quarter...

duckysauce

sydthebeat wrote: »

not a chance in hell of o gara starting with sexton at 12.

Kurt McQuilkin would like to see it happening

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/mcquilkin-wants-sextonogara-axis-to-take-attack-to-all-blacks-3143955.html

Fishooks12

AB XV v Ire: Dagg, BSmith, CSmith, SBWilliams, Gear, Cruden, ASmith, Woodcock, Hore, OFranks, Romano, SWhitelock, LMessam, Cane, McCaw

Here we go lads. Another performance and we'll beat that side. No Carter or Read

Tox56

Why do NZ keep naming their team at 6 in the morning??

Anyway, it's a shame we had the huge performance last week, we don't usually follow them up and that team is weak by AB standards.

Cpt_Blackbeard

duckysauce wrote: »

Kurt McQuilkin would like to see it happening

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/mcquilkin-wants-sextonogara-axis-to-take-attack-to-all-blacks-3143955.html

Very interesting. The posters who would stand up most vehemently against a ROG-Sexton axis would generally be the same ones who lap up every word that comes from McQuilkin's mouth. Quite the juxtaposition of beliefs.

Quint2010

Fishooks12 wrote: »

AB XV v Ire: Dagg, BSmith, CSmith, SBWilliams, Gear, Cruden, ASmith, Woodcock, Hore, OFranks, Romano, SWhitelock, LMessam, Cane, McCaw

Here we go lads. Another performance and we'll beat that side. No Carter or Read

Wow-really big chance to beat them. The players need to grab this.

Cpt_Blackbeard

We'll never have a better opportunity to beat the Kiwis. They are missing their two best players, in Carter and Read.

Podge_irl

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

Very interesting. The posters who would stand up most vehemently against a ROG-Sexton axis would generally be the same ones who lap up every word that comes from McQuilkin's mouth. Quite the juxtaposition of beliefs.

I think McQuilkin was an excellent defence coach and is a decent analyst.

Doesn't mean I have to agree with every word he says. I have my own brain.

Fishooks12

When they see that 15 the team will need no second invitation. I think we'll do it!

Tox56

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

Very interesting. The posters who would stand up most vehemently against a ROG-Sexton axis would generally be the same ones who lap up every word that comes from McQuilkin's mouth. Quite the juxtaposition of beliefs.

Quite an assertion there

Monty Burnz

Fishooks12 wrote: »

AB XV v Ire: Dagg, BSmith, CSmith, SBWilliams, Gear, Cruden, ASmith, Woodcock, Hore, OFranks, Romano, SWhitelock, LMessam, Cane, McCaw

Here we go lads. Another performance and we'll beat that side. No Carter or Read

Easy peasy so...:eek:

Can we still kick to Savea?

Monty Burnz

Tox56 wrote: »

Why do NZ keep naming their team at 6 in the morning??

Six in the morning is their equivalent to lunchtime. Also their water flows upwards, and horses ride men.

Podge_irl

Podge_irl wrote: »

I think McQuilkin was an excellent defence coach and is a decent analyst.

Doesn't mean I have to agree with every word he says. I have my own brain.

Headline is misleading.

McQuilkin quoted as saying "it's an option to look at".

Farrelly having the craic as per usual.

Blackbeard playing the jester as per usual

Hagz

That team just makes me more nervous. It's a rare occasion when you see a NZ team that looks beatable.

irishbucsfan

duckysauce wrote: »

Kurt McQuilkin would like to see it happening

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/mcquilkin-wants-sextonogara-axis-to-take-attack-to-all-blacks-3143955.html

I see no evidence that he would like to see it happening from that article.

Swiwi

Swiwi wrote: »

OK, so I realise there is a lot of discussion about Irish team & tactics for this week, but here's a post on NZ team selections.

Firstly, I would be tempted to give Mealamu a start at hooker, Hore has been OK at line-out time, but was otherwise outplayed by Best last week. The scrum was OK until Ben Franks came on, he did a great impersonation of Tom Court v England, but this was a test match not stand-up comedy, and I didn't find myself laughing, cringing more like. Unfortunately, he seems to be the only prop that apparently covers both sides of the scrum for NZ, so he'll probably be back on the bench. Look forward to the 2-props-in-reserves rule, so that can have specialist loosehead & tighthead on the bench.

He wasn't helped by Ali Williams...who was world class in 2005, but positively benign in 2012. There was a general sigh of relief around NZ to see he won't be available this week. We have been playing 2 bean-pole locks, and so I think Luke Romano should get a start with Whitelock. Alternatively, Leinster could we have Thorn back please?

In the loosies, we were out-muscled, would go with Messam/Read/McCaw, with Cane on bench, and drop Thomson.

Continue with Smith (wasn't Weepu's pass for the first attempt at drop-goal absolutely awful), and Carter at 10...ca va sans dire. I keep waiting for SBW to "click" but not quite there yet...not sure about him or Nonu. Smith at centre, or alternatively wouldn't object to seeing Tamati Ellison get a run, as Smith will have a heavy workload in 4Nations.

Savea will come right in the longrun (I hope), but definitely should be dropped for this week. Would put Kahui or Jane in...oh wait, they're injured. Guildford is really starting to get a journeyman tag in my opinion...he has only ever had 1 decent game for ABs...and that was v Canada in RWC, so has an asterix by it. I would put Gear on left wing, Dagg at fullback, and give Smith 80 mins, although I really think he is a specialist fullback and bit-part wing.

Anyway, back to irish tactics & selections...

Didn't get my guesses too wrong

Will be an interesting test match

thomond2006

Fishooks12 wrote: »

AB XV v Ire: Dagg, BSmith, CSmith, SBWilliams, Gear, Cruden, ASmith, Woodcock, Hore, OFranks, Romano, SWhitelock, LMessam, Cane, McCaw

Here we go lads. Another performance and we'll beat that side. No Carter or Read

I thought Cane was very good when he came on. Haven't seen Gear play for a while but in 2010 he was cutting defences to shreds on his own.

Weaker team but still got quality, will be interesting to see how Cruden goes.

Hype710

thomond2006 wrote: »

I thought Cane was very good when he came on. Haven't seen Gear play for a while but in 2010 he was cutting defences to shreds on his own.

Weaker team but still got quality, will be interesting to see how Cruden goes.

Gear is a bit like Malzieu for me, can look great going forward but can just as easily go completely anonymous and is a potential liability defensively.

Swiwi

thomond2006 wrote: »

I thought Cane was very good when he came on. Haven't seen Gear play for a while but in 2010 he was cutting defences to shreds on his own.

Weaker team but still got quality, will be interesting to see how Cruden goes.

Dagg, BSmith, CSmith, SBWilliams, Gear, Cruden, ASmith, Woodcock, Hore, OFranks, Romano, SWhitelock, LMessam, Cane, McCaw

No doubt losing Carter our best back and Read our best forward is a blow. But I would argue the back three is better, and Romano & Messam add bulk to the forward pack. Frankly for BSmith, Gear & Messam this is a huge test match as they are borderline selections, and Cruden has the chance to show he is the real deal.

thomond2006

All Blacks bench v Ireland:
Keven Mealamu, Ben Franks, Brodie Retallick, Adam Thomson, Piri Weepu, Beauden Barrett, Tamati Ellison

Carter not even on the bench.

Swiwi

thomond2006 wrote: »

All Blacks bench v Ireland:
Keven Mealamu, Ben Franks, Brodie Retallick, Adam Thomson, Piri Weepu, Beauden Barrett, Tamati Ellison

Carter not even on the bench.

Hansen indicated the changes were in part because his side had not performed to expectation in Christchurch.

The All Blacks by their own admission weren't happy with the way they performed on Saturday and in part this was a credit to the way the Irish played, he said. "They have laid down the challenge and the key will be now how we respond."

Carter is out injured, though, he wasn't dropped...

Swiwi

And it will mean McCaw wears the All Blacks' No 8 jersey in what will be his 100th test start of his career, a feat achieved by only two other forwards, South Africa's Victor Matfield and England's Jason Leonard.

I know McCaw might be fading a little, but he is still a legend!

kilns

In true Kidney style he will probably butcher the team selection and handicap us, Earls in the centre, Murray at scrumhalf, O'Mahony ahead of Henry

Cpt_Blackbeard

Swiwi wrote: »

And it will mean McCaw wears the All Blacks' No 8 jersey in what will be his 100th test start of his career, a feat achieved by only two other forwards, South Africa's Victor Matfield and England's Jason Leonard.

I know McCaw might be fading a little, but he is still a legend!

John Hayes only has 99 starts.

thomond2006

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

John Hayes only has 99 starts.

ligind

Swiwi

thomond2006 wrote: »

ligind

Is that supposed to be a Kiwi accent? Looks more Aussie to me

thomond2006

Swiwi wrote: »

Is that supposed to be a Kiwi accent? Looks more Aussie to me

oh my god......

TheKeenMachine

What's the craic with Nonu? Is he injured?

Swiwi

TheKeenMachine wrote: »

What's the craic with Nonu? Is he injured?

He went straight to Japan after RWC and then returned to S15 - hasn't had a decent break, and his form with the Blues was fairly average as a result. Expect he will be back for 4N, but SBW has a chance this week to make the jersey his own...which I can't say he has done in the first 2 tests.