Ireland vs England, Sunday 1st March 3pm; RTE/BBC

walshb

Celly Smunt wrote: »

..........what?

Away to Wales....Surely we aren't favorites? Not that we cannot win, but Wales should start as favourites...

ssaye2

Ha Joe enjoy your 24 hours

Pudsy33

walshb wrote: »

Away to Wales....Surely we aren't favorites? Not that we cannot win, but Wales should start as favourites...

I'd say we will be 3 or 4 point favourites. No reason not to be. Unbeaten and a better team

Celly Smunt

walshb wrote: »

Away to Wales....Surely we aren't favorites? Not that we cannot win, but Wales should start as favourites...

Where have you been for the last 3 years?

Peregrine

walshb wrote: »

Away to Wales....Surely we aren't favorites? Not that we cannot win, but Wales should start as favourites...

It won't be easy but to say Wales are favourites is OTT.

Lapin

Warren Gatland

Wang King wrote: »

France tried kicking to Zebo as they thought he was a weak link... They were wrong....England looked at that game and said, yes! we'll kick to Zebo too, ....what's that Einstein said about doing the same thing and expecting different results..

Let's hope Wales set out to break his legs and the Scots have plans to take the head off him.

Wang King

English Lurker wrote: »

Congratulations - very deserved.

I love you man !!


Happy half Irish/welsh hybrid here 😜😂

walshb

Celly Smunt wrote: »

Where have you been for the last 3 years?

What do you mean? Simple: Who's favourite in Millennium Stadium? I would have thought Wales.

Sangre

walshb wrote: »

Away to Wales....Surely we aren't favorites? Not that we cannot win, but Wales should start as favourites...

Ireland don't struggle as much in Wales compared to most teams. Will be very tough match but I'd prefer there to tickers or stade.

Dempsey

Hook is colorful

irelandrover

walshb wrote: »

And typical Hook: "Where do England go now when that's the best they can produce."

Always looking to down play and explain why we win. Slating the opposition.

Surely that's bigging up Ireland's performance? Saying England played as well as they can

shuffol

I f#cking love robbie Henshaw.

A drinking game for every time the commentator mentions his name would be some craic.

Celly Smunt

walshb wrote: »

What do you mean? Simple: Who's favourite in Millennium Stadium? I would have thought Wales.

i'd put The 6 nations Champions who won all their auntumn test who are 3rd in The World and on The Road to a grand slam before the world cup as favourites to be honest

walshb

irelandrover wrote: »

Surely that's bigging up Ireland's performance? Saying England played as well as they can

Who said that? Hook as per usual looking for excuses for Irish wins. England played as well as we allowed. We were outstanding today.

19543261

England

Pudsy33 wrote: »

Have to say TOD and Murphy were ****ing ridiculously excellent

So much for inexperience.

Lapin

Warren Gatland

Aer Lingus want €359 to get to Edinburgh for the last game and Ryanair are looking for €295.

Feck the pair of them. I'll just get the ferry.

Bridge93

England

Wang King wrote: »

The fact Paulie brought his son out to share that winning moment with him......last time we see him in Lansdowne road I think

World Cup warm up games?

Celly Smunt

Lapin wrote: »

Aer Lingus want €359 to get to Edinburgh for the last game and Ryanair are looking for €295.

Feck the pair of them. I'll just get the ferry.

Manchester and train for me.

Swiwi.

Might just have to put a sly tenner on Ireland to win the RWC...

Celly Smunt

Swiwi. wrote: »

Might just have to put a sly tenner on Ireland to win the RWC...

10 on the final at least.

Lapin

Warren Gatland

ROG not nervous about crossing Hook anyway. :pac:

Tox56

Swiwi. wrote: »

Might just have to put a sly tenner on Ireland to win the RWC...

And at 17:06 on the 1st of March 2015, boards.ie user 'Swiwi.' single handedly ended any chance of Ireland winning the World Cup

Stheno

Lapin wrote: »

ROG not nervous about crossing Hook anyway. :pac:

I do enjoy the swipes he takes at Hook

19543261

England

Omg. ROG.

Lapin

Warren Gatland

Fair play to ROG for the Connacht reference !

Damn proud of Henshaw round these parts.

Not bad for an accordion player from Athlone

shuffol

As good as we were England just never turned up, inexperience showed and their discipline was very poor. Surprised Joubert never gave them a warning.

I thought Best had a great game and was the pick of the forwards for me but he has a propensity for missing a tackle in open field.

Whosthis

What an immense performance. So happy with that win. Healy was an animal when he came on.

chupacabra

what did ROG say? Dont have RTE

Tox56

I thought Bowe was the only player who didn't look right, but that will inevitably happen to someone in every game, you'd back him to step up when Zebo or Henshaw or whoever has a quieter game

penybont exile

England

Lapin wrote: »

Bring it on Taffy !

You can rest assured it will be brought on Paddy .......

10 point Irish victory ...... Couldn't have scripted it better myself.

Sangre

shuffol wrote: »

As good as we were England just never turned up, inexperience showed and their discipline was very poor. Surprised Joubert never gave them a warning.

I thought Best had a great game and was the pick of the forwards for me but he has a propensity for missing a tackle in open field.

I think that is harsh. He misses tackles because he is killing himself to get in a position that most other hookers wouldn't even be in to attempt the tackle.

captbarnacles

Ireland probably 1 pt favourites vs Wales or else scratch.

Sangre

captbarnacles wrote: »

Ireland probably 1 pt favourites vs Wales or else scratch.

Sexton and Henshaw can contain roberts. If they do, Wales will really struggle against Ireland.

Edit - not writing off Wales, who are very good. But I think without Roberts on front foot there is no obvious plan b.

Swiwi.

mfceiling wrote: »

To be fair the drop to the second out half in Ireland is huge. Sexton is head and shoulders above every 10 in the NH.

It's a huge issue fore Ireland. Much of the gameplan is built around the excellent Murray/Sexton combo, either of those unavailable due to injury, and it becomes very difficult to play like that. It is basically a carbon copy of SA in 2007, replacing Fourie du Preez with Murray and Butch James with Sexton (although Percy Montgomery and Butch James kind of made a Sextron hybrid).

Madigan played to his level, so I'm not going to criticism him, but as we all know Sexton >>>> all other Irish flyhalves.

blackdog2

Sangre wrote: »

I think that is harsh. He misses tackles because he is killing himself to get in a position that most other hookers wouldn't even be in to attempt the tackle.

Agreed, he also made a few bootlace grabs, and slowed down the break to let another faster tackler to make the hit, and importantly today, a few backrowers to get in over the ball. I've said before I wasn't a massive fan of his (around the Flannery era) but today he was the best hooker in the world, my motm, and wouldn't have changed him for anyone. It's not often Cronin comes on to a pitch and the carry/tackle rate of the Hooker drops.

Henshaw was immense.

3 games in a row now!

O'Donnell filled some pretty big boots brilliantly too.

penybont exile

England

Great win for Ireland ..... Never in doubt for me.

Congrats lads & Enjoy.

clsmooth

Henshaw and Zebo were my picks. Sexton and Murray were the difference. They controlled the game.

clsmooth

Any word on SOB? I presume he was knocked out after seeing hm fall over when he got back on his feet. His head seemed to hit the ground as he was tackled.

clsmooth

clsmooth wrote: »

Henshaw and Zebo were my picks. Sexton and Murray were the difference. They controlled the game.

Zebo did some great work, got really involved in everything. Huge game from him.

pickarooney

Any news on SOB?

kuang1

kuang1 wrote: »

Said it before in a different thread, but Ireland by 8+.
Joe has consistently brought results since Twickenham last year, he nearly pulled it off that day too.
This Irish team fears no one. The days of having to get yourself into an aggressive frenzy in the changing room before playing one of the 'BIGGER' teams (because deep down you actually fear them) are long gone.
A team that is marshaled well, with confidence based on achievements, knows they can beat anyone.

I expect joe to surprise us all today.
With England left wondering what the f*** just hit them.

Henshaw MOTM.

Next time I'm going to the bookies after I make my prediction post.

aimee1

shuffol wrote: »

As good as we were England just never turned up, inexperience showed and their discipline was very poor. Surprised Joubert never gave them a warning.

I thought Best had a great game and was the pick of the forwards for me but he has a propensity for missing a tackle in open field.

ireland didnt let england play. The supposedly big bad monster pack that was going to scrummage us off the park nowhere to be seen. Vunipola and Haskell are brain dead. Billy kicking the ball dead from his break was the moment i knew Ireland would win. Haskell just gives away penalties in the early part of every game. Total Liability. Their second row is average [missing 3 players].

They looked good in the first two games against teams who defended poorly

Stheno

clsmooth wrote: »

Any word on SOB? I presume he was knocked out after seeing hm fall over when he got back on his feet. His head seemed to hit the ground as he was tackled.

Joe said in his interview that he's some form of concussion and will be going through the rtp protocols

Apparently he's grumpy that he had to come off

darragh_haven

darragh_haven wrote: »

The pessimistic/realist in me says we'll get pushed around by England in the scrum giving away too many penalties and our maul won't be effective. Also, the lineout is a slight worry.
Ireland 13 England 22.
Im a miserable bastard, I know

Yeah..... Well. ... bye

Wang King

Stheno wrote: »

Joe said in his interview that he's some form of concussion and will be going through the rtp protocols

Apparently he's grumpy that he had to come off

They told him the game was over and the physio had a lollipop for him...he's grand!

clsmooth

Jett Gorgeous Key wrote: »

Zebo did some great work, got really involved in everything. Huge game from him.

Yep excellent performance. Took some excellent high balls, was strong in contact and threw Watson (?) to the ground in the lead up to the try. I think he's really come on during this Championship with regards workrate. Involved in alot. JS seems to have the ability to get an extra 10% out of every player.

theboy1

Madigan just doesn't have the kicking game for our game plan.

Keatley should be benching against Wales with Fitz or Earls replacing Jones.

Flipper22

Wang King wrote: »

France tried kicking to Zebo as they thought he was a weak link... They were wrong....England looked at that game and said, yes! we'll kick to Zebo too, ....what's that Einstein said about doing the same thing and expecting different results..

That take where he beat about 4 Sassanachs including one being lifted was a jaw dropper

aimee1

theboy1 wrote: »

Madigan just doesn't have the kicking game for our game plan.

Keatley should be benching against Wales with Fitz or Earls replacing Jones.

in an ideal scenario sexton doesnt come off. I thought madigan did well when he came on. I would be surprised to see any unforced changes now