6N: Italy v Ireland Match Thread - Saturday March 16th, 2:30 PM K.O

RuggieBear

charter...read the charter.

sensormatic

good kick now settle down boys

.ak

No discussion of anthems.

EDIT: yeah what rugged said!

Profiler

OK pack, time to have a go at the Italian scrum.... (hides behind couch)

efb

Something needs to be done about the scrum

What the fcuk are the band advertising for Happy Days???

awec

WTF is this music?

sensormatic

thats a big bunch of meat from italy i tell ya,,,horse meat is right

sydthebeat

Some one needs to explain to barnes that the off side line is the back foot of the ruck....

leakyboots

Murray's continuing his good form, great passage of play from him there

Profiler

sydthebeat wrote: »

Some one needs to explain to barnes that the off side line is the back foot of the ruck....

The education of Barnes on the rules shouldn't begin or end there.

.ak

What's the chance Poite will have a controversial call from the sideline today?

Aidric

Nice from Murray. Really blossoming lately.

leakyboots

Is Best having one of those days?

D4cyclist

Best having another shocker.

Taco Corp

ugh. 2 bad lineouts so far.

ulster_Beef

Captain_Hindsight wrote: »

ugh. 2 bad lineouts so far.

Ryan was simply out jumped there

D4cyclist

leakyboots wrote: »

Is Best having one of those days?

Those days are all too common with him.

Taco Corp

Ireland were getting away with that all game last week.

christophicus

Is the RTE stream down for anyone else?

.ak

C'mon lads, line outs are a joke again. Not just Bes's fault.

Tox56

D Ryan has almost single handedly lost us 80m!

opinionatedfan

hardly all down to best

Jimmyboss

Fits Morris wrote: »

Last night on the Late Late Show we heard Joe Brolly speak about his decision to donate a kidney. Today it may be the Irish rugby team who do so.

It’s been an annus horribilis for Hibernia. A campaign that promised so much and delivered so little reaches its final chapter in Rome.
Ireland have been in conclave all week ahead of today’s clash at the Stadio Olimpico. Coach Declan Kidney is serving a sort of purgatory at the moment. The job seems like a poisoned chalice. Crucified by the media after the defeats to England and Scotland, the coach’s tenure is at the dialysis stage and only a thumping win is likely to be enough to altar the seemingly unstoppable drive to get rid of him. Will Nero fiddle enough with the game plan to stop him from burning in Rome? Much will depend on the reaction from the Pope-Francis duo in the Irish media. Whatever happens, this is coach’s Hail Mary play. A defeat today will certainly mean that white smoke will be emerging from IRFU Towers in the near future.

Appropriately enough in the home of the Catholic Church, there will be no Sex, with the out-half again ruled out through injury. After a much-improved display against the Gauls, his young replacement has a chance to make this a true Paddy’s Day weekend celebration and make sure that home rule is not Rome rule. But he’s being thrown into the lion’s den at the coliseum that is the Stadio Olimpico.

Speaking of the Lions, this is a final chance for several Irish to get a pizza the action ahead of the summer’s Empire tour to Australia. Our leader, Jamie Heaslip put himself back into contention last Saturday. The “Kearnivore” needs to make mince meat of some Italians this afternoon if he’s to give himself a chance. Rory must prove he's simply the Best hooker in Rome.

If today may see the end of Kidney, it’s likely that it will also see the end of Irish rugby’s spiritual leader. We thought that BOD would go on forever, but ironically his career is likely to end in the Eternal City. But the memories he has given us will no doubt be eternal.

We’ve seen a lot of firsts in Rome lately. The first non-European Pope. The first Jesuit Pope. The first Pope to resign since 1415. 1415 today is not long away and we must hope that there will not be another first in the form of Ireland’s first defeat in Rome in the Six Nations, in our first game at the Stadio Olimpico since Packie Bonner parried the ball into the path of Toto Schillaci. It was a moral victory that night. There will be no moral victory today. We must sack Rome.

Say a little prayer to BOD for the right result.

Are you Roy Curtis in disguise ???

leakyboots

Barnes you f**kwit that was a penalty to us

clsmooth

BBC commentator is terrible. A bit too excitable and talks too much

RuggieBear

bs call against pom

Aidric

Massive maul from Italy.

.ak

Best did well to stop parisse

Aidric

Actually it's great to see Italy selling out the Stadio Olympico. 70k fans.

D4cyclist

O'mahoney having a stormer at the breakdown

thunderthing

Italy filing a 60k stadium is awesome.

leakyboots

Another crap throw

Celly Smunt

Ah here.

awec

Do we not practice lineouts ffs?!

Blackheath

A very poor throw from Best

Tox56

BOD u beauty

rebel girl 15

Ireland's lineout is creaking big time! Though Best was the tackler and POM went challenging for that penalty call??

D4cyclist

That was 100% Bests fault. That's was a shocking throw. This guy has too many bad days with the throw. It is a hookers number one job and not to look fancy around the park.

clsmooth

Best playing his way out of the Lions jersey with his line out throwing

rebel girl 15

Dry day, where Ireland can keep ball in hand yet keep kicking it???

Celly Smunt

I don't think I've ever seen a bigger knock on

barrabus

christophicus wrote: »

Is the RTE stream down for anyone else?

Yes:mad:

leakyboots

Loose kick from Murray, needed to slow down the play

awec

Ross contesting that with the ref, ffs like! :pac:

Celly Smunt

barrabus wrote: »

Yes:mad:

you're not missing much.

Tox56

Why didn't Barnes go back for the scrum? We were going backwards hardly an advantage

Aidric

Ah Ross wake up.

mollser

Why do we keep kicking the ball back to them? Ffs Murray

clsmooth

Ominous start. Italy the better team so far playing all the rugby.

D4cyclist

clsmooth wrote: »

Best playing his way out of the Lions jersey with his line out throwing

Was he in it? It's amazing how Irish fans think all their players will starts for the lions. There is no way he will be starting or anywhere near the plane with his throwing.

And Kearney is another who won't be near it.