Ireland vs Wales, Saturday 8th February, 2:30pm, Aviva Stadium

awec

Come on folks, we know the rules about player abuse.

molloyjh

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience wrote: »

I'd really hope people from other countries aren't reading the referee related stuff from the past few pages!

I hope people from this country aren't. What started out as an interesting stat has gone all wrong (or is that right Hagz???).

former legend

molloyjh wrote: »

I hope people from this country aren't. What started out as an interesting stat has gone all wrong (or is that right Hagz???).

I think it started out as a gag that went way over a lot of heads.

cadaliac

Stats are stats, all bull imo. Statistically all dogs and humans have 3 legs.
Anyway, home or away won't make a blind bit of difference to the superior team, on the day.
I do, however, think that the home advantage is just that. An advantage. I know one thing, I'd prefer to be playing that match in Dublin rather than wales tomorrow. So, don't knock it.

dregin

Welsh on their way into the Hilton in Kilmainham:

who_me

TheJackAttack wrote: »

Anyone else think Jamie Roberts is a dick. God he annoys me.

Only in the exact instant when he's crashing through our midfield!

At all other times, he seems like an average, decent bloke.

errlloyd

dregin wrote: »

Welsh on their way into the Hilton in Kilmainham:

Interesting that they got the Ferry over. Sea sickness not a risk for these lads?

errlloyd

Hagz wrote: »

Just to add, the game will be played in the Aviva.

Every-time we've played Wales in the Aviva we've lost….

The hill just gets steeper and steeper.

I know we hate the way the press have bigged this up. I never remember this being as much of a grudge match before. But it is. I think if the Aviva is ever going to fortify itself like against the All Blacks it will be tomorrow.

Pack up warm, and order 4 pints on your way to the seats, because I have a feeling you'll be glued for the full 80.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

errlloyd wrote: »

Interesting that they got the Ferry over. Sea sickness not a risk for these lads?

I'd say the Bus came on the ferry separately. I was wondering this earlier !

rrpc

errlloyd wrote: »

Interesting that they got the Ferry over. Sea sickness not a risk for these lads?

They're just economising to pay for Sam's new contract

evil_seed

TheJackAttack wrote: »

Anyone else think Jamie Roberts is a dick. God he annoys me.

He's spot on. Had a pint with him a few yr back after playing against Connacht. Takes and gives a good slagging too

errlloyd

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience wrote: »

I'd say the Bus came on the ferry separately. I was wondering this earlier !

Actually I have a friend who was one of the managers on the Lions tour. I think she said Richard Hibbard has a horrible fear of flying - so maybe that has something to do with it.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

errlloyd wrote: »

Actually I have a friend who was one of the managers on the Lions tour. I think she said Richard Hibbard has a horrible fear of flying - so maybe that has something to do with it.

Jaysus, not a nice fear to have! I'm the very same.

former legend

errlloyd wrote: »

Pack up warm, and order 4 pints on your way to the seats, because I have a feeling you'll be glued for the full 80.

Except then you'll be in and out to the jacks every ten minutes, wrecking everyone else's heads... hip flask is the way forward.

Tox56

errlloyd wrote: »

Actually I have a friend who was one of the managers on the Lions tour. I think she said Richard Hibbard has a horrible fear of flying - so maybe that has something to do with it.

Never understood stuff like this, Hibbard in particular is one of the most committed players in the world, playing with constant risk of serious injury in one of the most demanding professional sports in the world. He is willing to put his body on the line every game, but is too scared to get on a plane?? Understand it's a horrible thing to have but I've never got how that is possible

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

Tox56 wrote: »

Never understood stuff like this, Hibbard in particular is one of the most committed players in the world, playing with constant risk of serious injury in one of the most demanding professional sports in the world. He is willing to put his body on the line every game, but is too scared to get on a plane?? Understand it's a horrible thing to have but I've never got how that is possible

It's very hard to explain. I hate flying, despise it in fact. I know all the statistics and there's little chance of crashing but the very thought of being up that high in a metal tube makes me squirm

That said, I've never really let it stop me going anywhere, it just makes getting there a horrible ordeal

chupacabra

Hows the weather looking for this? Some sites telling me dry but windy, some telling me very wet.

dregin

I wasn't great with flying until I went up in a 4 seater with a friend who's a pilot.

Got thrown about the place in fairly choppy weather, but it made me appreciate just how sturdy planes are.

chupacabra

dregin wrote: »

I wasn't great with flying until I went up in a 4 seater with a friend who's a pilot.

Got thrown about the place in fairly choppy weather, but it made me appreciate just how sturdy planes are.

Richie McCaw must be VERY offside today.

Riskymove

chupacabra wrote: »

Hows the weather looking for this? Some sites telling me dry but windy, some telling me very wet.

another storm is due to hit overnight and into tomorrow

its likely to be windy on east coast anyway

possible local flooding due to rain


its possible of course that we'll get lucky with a window for the game

Heroditas

former legend wrote: »

Except then you'll be in and out to the jacks every ten minutes, wrecking everyone else's heads... hip flask is the way forward.

In the good old days you didn't have the luxury of the jacks if you were on the terrace. Many a time I saw people pee where they were standing on the North or South terrace. The rest of us just gritted our teeth and tried to hold it in until the final whistle.
Ah the good old days!

Heroditas

Riskymove wrote: »

another storm is due to hit overnight and into tomorrow

its likely to be windy on east coast anyway

possible local flooding due to rain


its possible of course that we'll get lucky with a window for the game

The Weather Channel app is currently saying cloudy and windy for the duration of the game.
Fingers crossed!

Swiwi.

former legend wrote: »

Except then you'll be in and out to the jacks every ten minutes, wrecking everyone else's heads... hip flask is the way forward.

I would like it to be like the opera: ushers at the door, and if you miss the start you have to wait until the end of the first movement (ie half-time), and ditto if you leave during the match...

Seriously annoys me when people get up and down like a yo-yo, and when they say "sorry", I think no you're not and "excuse me" I think no I can't.

Probably just old-fashioned

Zzippy

Tox56 wrote: »

Never understood stuff like this, Hibbard in particular is one of the most committed players in the world, playing with constant risk of serious injury in one of the most demanding professional sports in the world. He is willing to put his body on the line every game, but is too scared to get on a plane?? Understand it's a horrible thing to have but I've never got how that is possible

Apparently Victor Costello used to have a bit of fear of flying too, couple of stories in Rala's book about it. Mad to think he's a pilot for Ryanair now!

CatFromHue

I just think it's mad that Costello is a pilot full stop. Put simply he's never going to be a part of any X-planes or record breaking planes due to his size alone.

Riskymove

Zzippy wrote: »

Apparently Victor Costello used to have a bit of fear of flying too, couple of stories in Rala's book about it. Mad to think he's a pilot for Ryanair now!

imo its about loss of control...just sitting there and not being able to do anything

I went through a spell of being a nervous flyer but I always thought I'd be fine as the pilot - i.e. the one in control of the plane

former legend

Swiwi. wrote: »

I would like it to be like the opera

That's Swiwi on the right, enjoying a post-match drink with his mates.

Riskymove

former legend wrote: »

Except then you'll be in and out to the jacks every ten minutes, wrecking everyone else's heads... hip flask is the way forward.

instead of going to the jacks you use a hip flask? :eek:

I'll never accept an offer of one again:pac:

heybaby

We'll need to ramp things up several levels all over the pitch if we are to beat the current 6 nations champions. I thought we did just ok last week, given the opposition , a 20 point win was the least youd be asking for. Wales are a totally different prospect and we cannot allow them to run freely with the ball because when they get their running game going they can be as deadly in attack as the French. Think we need to be far more confrontational, far more agressive and deliver quicker ball to hand. Again last week we saw irish players receiving ball into hand but at a standing start, we cannot possibly line break unless the receiver has momentum aswell as options who are also moving laterally. Also more offloads please.

Leslie91

Riskymove wrote: »

instead of going to the jacks you use a hip flask? :eek:

I'll never accept an offer of one again:pac:

I'll never forget being at the back of the north terrace with my da when I was about 10. We were playing Wales, couple of welsh lads were sharing a bottle of wine from the neck. Middle of 2nd half (bottle emptied) one of them cracks the top off the bottles, inserts his lad and does his business. Will never forget it. Can still see him whizzing into it, the jagged/cracked edges v close to doing untold damage.

accidentprone1

chupacabra wrote: »

Richie McCaw must be VERY offside today.

I don't get that one I'm afraid.

WeleaseWoderick

Swiwi. wrote: »

I would like it to be like the opera: ushers at the door, and if you miss the start you have to wait until the end of the first movement (ie half-time), and ditto if you leave during the match...

Seriously annoys me when people get up and down like a yo-yo, and when they say "sorry", I think no you're not and "excuse me" I think no I can't.

Probably just old-fashioned

Really annoying alright!

At the Ireland-Scotland game last week, just as Ireland had kicked to the corner with 3 mins to go in the first half, a group of 4 lads in my row decided it would be a great time to head to bar.

As they were walking by, I pointed out how annoying it was at such an important phase of play and was met with a shrug of the shoulders from all 4 of them.

Like I'm as fond of a pint as the next man but you may as well not go to the match if you're going to skip out during pivotal bits of play like that.

dregin

accidentprone1 wrote: »

I don't get that one I'm afraid.

Neither do I!

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

heybaby wrote: »

We'll need to ramp things up several levels all over the pitch if we are to beat the current 6 nations champions. I thought we did just ok last week, given the opposition , a 20 point win was the least youd be asking for. Wales are a totally different prospect and we cannot allow them to run freely with the ball because when they get their running game going they can be as deadly in attack as the French. Think we need to be far more confrontational, far more agressive and deliver quicker ball to hand. Again last week we saw irish players receiving ball into hand but at a standing start, we cannot possibly line break unless the receiver has momentum aswell as options who are also moving laterally. Also more offloads please.

We're not going to let the Welsh have the ball like we did last weekend where we were happy to let Scotland run at us until we eventually turned them over

I'd also say that a 20 point win over scotland is nothing to be sniffed at, especially when we never really got out of second gear and didn't need to

Leslie91

dtpc191991 wrote: »

D'Arcy that beard, is almost immortal. Whenever he shaves it, it has to be framed and put in a museum. XD

Have you seen Eric Weddle's?

Even has its own Twitter @weddlesbeard.

(sorry - he's an american football player)

Thekidneybean

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience wrote: »

Seems like an absolute gentleman to me

Met him when the lions were training at carton house, lovely bloke, picked my sister up on his shoulders and scared the s**t out of her and my mam!

OldRio

former legend wrote: »

... hip flask is the way forward.

I bought a hip flask before my wedding. Needed something to get through it.
I still use it. Seen me through many things. Matches. Hunts. Weddings. Parades. Journeys. Emigration. Calving. Births and Deaths.
A wee bit battered like myself, 35 years old it is.

GOD I'M BORED. LET THE MATCH BEGIN

Philo Beddoe

TheJackAttack wrote: »

Anyone else think Jamie Roberts is a dick. God he annoys me.

He's always struck me as a nice fella, definitely one of the more sound players on that Welsh team.

dtpc191991

The Welsh guys have always seemed like a decent bunch to me. It's only really Gatland that seems to be arrogant and confrontational at times.

dregin

What's the point in forming personal opinions of a person based on nothing more than what you see through a television screen?

Swiwi.

WeleaseWoderick wrote: »

Really annoying alright!

At the Ireland-Scotland game last week, just as Ireland had kicked to the corner with 3 mins to go in the first half, a group of 4 lads in my row decided it would be a great time to head to bar.

As they were walking by, I pointed out how annoying it was at such an important phase of play and was met with a shrug of the shoulders from all 4 of them.

Like I'm as fond of a pint as the next man but you may as well not go to the match if you're going to skip out during pivotal bits of play like that.

Leaving before the final whistle is another bugbear...

Ardillaun

This win would be enough for me in the 6N. I really want us to beat Wales.

Buer

OldRio wrote: »

I bought a hip flask before my wedding. Needed something to get through it.

Well that sounds scarily familiar except I told the best man to bring his. Few settling nips before walking into the church. Then a few more.

I don't remember much more. I'm told I had a great time.

chupacabra

accidentprone1 wrote: »

I don't get that one I'm afraid.

dregin wrote: »

Neither do I!

Sorry lads. I dropped in to the thread without reading the dicussion on Hibbards fear of flying. Thought Dregin somehow intended to post in a flying board or something. Thus my cheeky remark, referencing his signature, about drinking every time Richie McCaw was offside. Thus implying he made the posting error out of drunkeness.

ill get me coat..

qwert55

I think Wales have our number and unfortunately I think they will turn us over again tomorrow.

I hope I'm wrong but I lived in Wales for a few years and quite simply Rugby means much more to your average Welsh person than it does here.
Its in their DNA and its the traditional game and they will die for the jersey.
Our team while very talented just don't have the same toughness and raw aggression when it comes down to it. The rugby hinterland in Ireland draws its players from professions like doctors/bankers and solicitors but the Welsh lads will be mostly from tough working class areas and would be the offspring of miners etc..

when it comes to a battle I know who Id like to have beside me in the trenches. Rugby games are normally one up front and for me they have more grunt.
if Sexton plays really well we can win but if he's not on top of his game we wont, On a final note its a positive for us that Darcy is back. BOD wont let us down either

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

qwert55 wrote: »

I think Wales have our number and unfortunately I think they will turn us over again tomorrow.

I hope I'm wrong but I lived in Wales for a few years and quite simply Rugby means much more to your average Welsh person than it does here.
Its in their DNA and its the traditional game and they will die for the jersey.
Our team while very talented just don't have the same toughness and raw aggression when it comes down to it. The rugby hinterland in Ireland draws its players from professions like doctors/bankers and solicitors but the Welsh lads will be mostly from tough working class areas and would be the offspring of miners etc..

when it comes to a battle I know who Id like to have beside me in the trenches. Rugby games are normally one up front and for me they have more grunt.
if Sexton plays really well we can win but if he's not on top of his game we wont, On a final note its a positive for us that Darcy is back. BOD wont let us down either

There are many arguments for a Welsh win tomorrow, the above is certainly not one of them

We've a better record than Wales over the last ten years so if the above was true you'd think we wouldn't

Oregano_State

qwert55 wrote: »

I think Wales have our number...rabble rabble ad nauseum

Sorry, but no.

mfceiling

How can a professional rugby player be better than another one simply by what profession he has behind him?

Tox56

qwert55 wrote: »

The rugby hinterland in Ireland draws its players from professions like doctors/bankers and solicitors but the Welsh lads will be mostly from tough working class areas and would be the offspring of miners etc..

when it comes to a battle I know who Id like to have beside me in the trenches.

What the actual f*ck?

ssaye2

http://inpho.ie/assignment/Ireland-Rugby-Captain-s-Run/7Ql1nnhSDawmFsgoHzKN0A..a?ts=dVPTs7bhw4tph6os5KlHrg..a

http://www.sportsfile.com/more-images/1402074/