RWC'15 Pool D: Ireland vs Italy, RWC. KO Sunday 4:45PM TV3/ITV1

AbusesToilets

Argentina would eat us alive with a performance like that. As for NZ, doesn't even bear thinking about.

chupacabra

At least we havent gone out at the pool stage.

noway12345

A game that limited wont get us far.

WarZ

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

Sexton does what Murray should have done. Puts the ball into touch. Jesus. Nothing to be gained from a phase or two.

Murray is too comfortable. He's miles better than Reddan when even on average form though but he can't be allowed to play like that unhindered. I don't know what you can do though, he probably knows that too.

.ak

PTH2009 wrote: »

Not going to win this

This was the moment I knew we'd win.

CurryFlavoured

WarZ wrote: »

Awful Awful Awful.

Peter O'Mahony will be dropped. Murray is world class and will remain. You'd question Bowe's place with Earls playing so well. Cronin is in better form than Best but Best is vital to all set plays.

Pom other than that dumb clear out was one of pur best players I thought.

Murray was crap. The whole backline was meh.

Tompatrick

Sexton goal kicking mediocre as per usual.

laugh

No creativity in the back line what so ever. Wingers kicking the ball away aimlessly.

Kermit.de.frog

Dreadful.

threeball

Fireball07 wrote: »

Dealt with everything pretty well, made his tackles. Not much in an attacking sense but literally none of our backs have been a threat.

He had virtually nothing to contend with in defence either. He consistently slows his run going into contact and ends up struggling to recycle the ball as a result as the defender had next to nothing to do to take him to ground.

RoutineBites

WarZ wrote: »

Peter O'Mahony will be dropped..

No he won't. Easily best Irish forward along with Henderson.

AbusesToilets

Madigan to 9!

awec

WarZ wrote: »

Cronin is in better form than Best but Best is vital to all set plays.

Nonsense.

Utopia Parkway

All our big players had poor games.

Fleawuss

Too slow and mechanical. Not able to clear out Italians. Speed will undo them against France. After that match.....it's not going to be pretty.

Stheno

efb wrote: »

Kick up the hole we need maybe?

Possibly one interview I read had Schmidt saying he was targeting a win by a couple of points

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Earls in the centre is not a thing we should try again. I know it was enforced but if Payne can't play next weekend I wouldn't want Earls in there.

WarZ

RoutineBites wrote: »

No he won't. Easily best Irish forward.

The best Irish forward was Henderson by a mile. Not a player that was yellow carded within a 7pt game with 10 mins to go and Italy with massive momentum.

.ak

Yeah game pretty much went the way I thought it would. I'm not too worried tbh. First proper test for the first xv.

Earls was fantastic but I'd have Payne back please, earls back to the wing

CurryFlavoured

Could've lost that tbh. Pom saved us going behind with that big tackle. Italy missed another kickable pen, and they should've had a scrum on our 22 for a Zebo pass that was miiiiles forward. Really bad performance.

efb

Right, that was sluggish. Off to face a Lancaster in the morning- that match brought reality back for me.

fitz

In fairness, the try which was disallowed was about the only time Italy looked like scoring, and they had a yellow card period. I don't think we need to panic, but Murray's decision making needs to seriously improve from today's performance. He crippled us today.
Earls was ok, but we missed Payne in the centre imo.

Graces didn't help either, wildly inconsistent, letting Italy away with stuff he pinged us for.

Job done, need to pick out up a serious notch next week.

efb

Henderson MOTM

AbusesToilets

.ak wrote: »

Yeah game pretty much went the way I thought it would. I'm not too worried tbh. First proper test for the first xv.

Earls was fantastic but I'd have Payne back please, earls back to the wing

Think it showed that Earls should stick to the wing tbh. tried to force too many offloads and some weak tackles. His explosiveness and pace are lethal, should be himself and DK starting on the wings.

efb

Well at least I'm off to see Ireland in the QF

awec

Henderson fantastic again, POM was very good bar his brain fart at the end. Thought Murray and Sexton were a bit average. Earls did alright at 13, Henshaw solid enough at 12.

aimee1

now i am worried. We played like that in the warm ups but it wasnt overly important. Murray was garbage today and I still dont understand the inside pass ALL THE TIME.

POM had a poor game, tackle on Furno aside. Gave away penalties when we had italy on their own 5m line twice.

noway12345

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Earls in the centre is not a thing we should try again. I know it was enforced but if Payne can't play next weekend I wouldn't want Earls in there.

Earls was top class, we just kept kicking the ball!

Mint Sauce

That was tense. Not impressed by Jonny today, missing two kicks, then kicking the ball out to touch at the end, thought wojld have still tried for a drop or pressed for the line. I know the bonus point probably makes no difference to italy at this point, but an attempt at a few more points might have made the differnece from a poor game to a good finish.

Need to buck up for next week.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

noway12345 wrote: »

Earls was top class, we just kept kicking the ball!

I thought he was poor in defense but maybe I'm wrong. Still, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Payne is back for next week.