All Blacks v Ireland part II - July 9 8.05am Ireland time

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119306519#Comment_119306519

Doris at his peak is as good as Coombes

He's well off his peak and Conan is even further away from Coombes on current form.

Selecting players on reputation or out of habit is what made JVG such a disheartening coach at Munster. Andy Farrell is doubling down on an underperforming selection. Nobody wants an entirely new team selection but even when some players have underperformed consistently over multiple tests, what do the squad players need to do to make the team??

molloyjh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119306655#Comment_119306655

I wouldn’t call that at all controversial. It’s on the money for me. Baird has a pretty obvious and, for want of a better word, sensational point of difference in his athleticism. But he’s lacking in almost every other area of his game. And at the top level that athleticism won’t get you all that far by itself no matter how good it looks against weaker opposition.

I also get the idea that Coombes brings a level of physicality that the others don’t. He absolutely does. And when you look at the 4 times we got held up over the line, asking if a guy like Coombes could have been the difference between scoring and not scoring is absolutely fair. I’d hope he gets Test minutes on the tour to see how well he can bring that vs NZ and how effective it will be.

RichieRich_89

I think there's one psychological aspect that isn't touched on much. The coach has to try to get his players to believe they can win the crunch games. To get them to believe they can win, he has to show belief in them. He can say he believes in them, but this will ring a bit hollow if he has been quick to drop underperforming players. He has to show a certain amount of leeway, in allowing them to not always be at their absolute peak. Then they will feel believed in.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119306709#Comment_119306709

Absolutely.

I think Doris is our best 8.

I have no idea what Farrell thinks on that question but my guess is that he agrees with me. Worth remembering that Farrell's very first game in charge involved dropping POM, moving Stander to 6 and playing a 21 year old Doris at 8. He hasn't really deviated in picking Doris ever since.

If it's a marginal call, then Conan is the guy on the other side of the margin. But honestly I don't get a warm and fuzzy vibe for Conan with Farrell. I think if Coombes overtakes anyone, it'll be him.

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119306519#Comment_119306519

Keenan - Kearney-shaped hole that Larmour and Stockdale failed to fill at first time of asking, Keenan took to it like a duck to water

JGP - Murray had finally used up his last chance to prove he was still world class, Farrell's system needed a nippy 9

Hansen - this is the big question. He must be doing everything right in training

Sheehan - a freakish athlete in a position we'd had terrible depth at for a long time, took every chance he was given through others' lack of form, athleticism and fitness. Still most likely second choice.

Baloucoune - mostly bad luck with injuries giving players like Hansen a chance that they gladly took

Carty - nobody is getting a fair shot at 10 (or everyone is getting exactly as fair a shot as their talent deserves)

Coombes - a glut of very good players in his preferred position(s). Still perhaps unlucky not to feature in a test game on this tour. See Larmour, Jordan.

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119306649#Comment_119306649

He has, but specifically on this tour he has capped, and will cap, 0 players, if I'm not mistaken. Foster has capped at least 4.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307387#Comment_119307387

Yes but considering how many he has capped in the last 3 years. It would be just giving caps for the sake of it. The ones who are close to breaking into the team, like Coombes and Casey are already capped. There were 4 uncapped players playing against the Māori. Which is the backup behind the backup.

Playing players for the sake of depth against the All Blacks could be as detrimental as it could be helpful.

there is certainly an argument for starting Carberry over Sexton but what would that tell us? Carberry has already got a load of minutes.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119306772#Comment_119306772

That's your opinion.

Andy Farrell's opinion has been that Doris is the superior player. Interestingly, Coombes sat on the bench at Irish U20s level too while Doris captained that team.

Both of those sets of coaching tickets have the benefits of seeing these players up close and personal, in a way that casual fans don't.

Both sets of coaching tickets are picking the team they think gives them the best chance of success, since their job depends on it.

FWIW, I think Coombes is an excellent player, and I'd have him in the squad this weekend.

redmca2

To be clear, I think Doris is a very good player, I don't think Coombes is a better player than him but I think Coombes might offer us something different. VDF is a good carrier but he's more athletic, Coombes should just bring some grunt into the equation. I think, given Doris is IMO not playing anywhere near his best, it's a good opportunity to try something different.

I agree with the above comment 100%

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307493#Comment_119307493

With Henderson gone home we're basically lining out without a proper TH lock. McCarthy is too eager and a penalty magnet at the moment but if he's as good as his coaches seem to think he is, it might be worth throwing him in for a baptism of fire. Our second row is not really functioning as is and the experience of this level of match could be vital for the next time round. Or it could wreck his confidence if it all goes wrong. Either way, we're odds-on to lose all these matches and learn nothing from them with regards to the playing staff.

I don't honestly think there's a big difference between how we'll go with Conan/Doris and how we would with Coombes. It seems a relatively 'safe' swap.

Other than that, if we have no new players waiting in the wings who are up to the task of playing New Zealand, then I don't know how we're going to progress from here. Sure, Coombes is technically capped but not in a match that would show his value one way or another.

I'd like to see Frawley get a shot, at 12, beside someone like Carbery, to see if a playmaker combo could work for Ireland at the top level. I suspect neither is good enough but it would at least be something to consider. Or give McCloskey one last go. He's in fine form and has travelled half way around the world at short notice. What real harm can it do?

Jump_In_Jack

Great position to be in, imagine when Stander retired, we would be debating which 8 was better, Conan, Doris, Coombes, and Max Deegan waiting in the wings. We're in rude health at 8.

starkid

and who said Doris can't be played at 6? thats also the option. POM needs another performance because his whole career in green has been patchy at best.

The only players that can hold their hand up and say yeah im doing my role is VDF and Sheehan. Henshaw is probably the only player that would be in the conversation for the All Blacks bar Sexton. Keenan passed every test bar last Saturday. Everyone else including Furlong is blowing very hot and cold. Ringrose, Ryan are very good players but nowhere near what we thought they would be. Doris has the ability in him but maybe at 6. Porter just needs confidence, he is a world class rugby player. its a good squad with a scattering of world class players in a test arena that is much more equal than before. yet on bad days we still get exposed.

Another hammering (even with a similar great 20 minute spell) will be a disaster. thats the short end of it. Saturday could end some test careers or kill any hype once and for all if it goes pear shaped.

i thought they had a win in them for this tour until i saw the first game. Then they looked really good for 20 minutes. but loads of irish sides have looked good for 20 minutes, even back to the darkest days.

we're nowhere near as good as we think we are. All of the controversial Lions calls have basically been proven correct. the hype train has stopped dead for many of this squad. Its actually the best thing to happen for the World Cup.

but you can actually see the game panning out the same way tomorrow. and we'll see very little change for the third test, and maybe then they will get a bit closer. and everybody will do what Woody called bullshit on a long time ago after a test in NZ, and say ah wasnt that great we nearly won.

and we will win a couple of tests in november with the same squad, and finish 2nd again in the 6 nations, take our learnings and talk of the tight margins, and say ah wasn't that great, and we'll head into a world cup with a 37 year old captain again and undroppable 1st 15 again and we'll get thumped out the gate. and people on here will still insist Andy knows better. its so easy to predict because its happening in real time, yet again.

the only real change is a bit more scope to play. but we still bash away at the tryline with no nous, resort to one out runners if we lose our confidence (like leinster do) and still don't offload when its on or drop them if we try.

I think Irish rugby and how we do things can be summed up by the Mack Hansen situation.

I remember talking to Peter Smyth when Jordan Larmour started playing for Mary's out of school, and he said Larmour was the best player he had ever seen at 17/18 and said he'd play for Ireland. yet here he is at 25 not able to make an Irish squad and makes way for a lad working in a bar a year ago who had one very good test. he has done nothing to justify his selection over Earls or Larmour bar being able to run those inside balls we love so much. Lowe was cack for the NZ game and blows super hot and cold.

we need to do way **** better. as does Andy. why have we sort of settled for medicority again. the only difference i see between todays squad and yesteryear is mentality. the more i look at it, the more i think some of these lads couldn't hold a canddle to some of the players of the past.

its a good IRish side not a great one, but plays some great rugby at times. however there is still loads of glaring issues to sort.

a 5-0 nil tour on top of Leinster collapse will make for a bleak period for Irish rugby and will need some serious **** reflection.

at this stage who cares for the WC really.

shootermacg

Controversial opinion: Doris didn't have a bad game. He didn't do unseen work, if was seen work. He was very good value at defense and at ruck time.

He's an out and out 6 though, so was playing off role. I think the choice is between him and PoM for 6. The choice at 8 should be between Conan and Coombes.

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307998#Comment_119307998

Agreed, think 6 Doris, 8 Coombes is where we'll end up next year.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308042#Comment_119308042

I'd be fine with that on current form. So why don't they try that now? Can't experimenting the 6n, can't experiment in the autumn internationals, so when will they ever do it? Coombes isn't a shot in the dark. He's as ready as the likes of Doris were when they broke into the Ireland starting team.

shootermacg

I saw Coombes not being assertive in the MAB game. He needs to add that. Few times, he was lining up for a pass and Timoney gets up from a ruck and pushes into his channel to take the pass.

He doesn't seem to get that ultimately these guys aren't his mates, and subsequently, he's allowing lesser carriers to steal stats from him. It's one area where I think he needs to improve.

starkid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119303456#Comment_119303456

people keep saying this. it proves nothing nor is ironic. all it proves is AF has a team in his head and he will basically not deviate from it. Hansen starting over Larmour is a travesty imo. and yeah he had one very good test, scored another good try but in the first instance what did he do to justify being selected over RB? its a huge test for him tomorrow. like he's a good player but its crazy how he's been annointed. Like people said oh he was slected over RB cause of position and cause of his boot...yet the next week he went across the wings. like much of Irish rugby its an utter nonsense. Its amazing how Larmour gets scapegoated more than somebody like Ringnrose.

There's plenty of tragic calls here. but the real tragedy/travesty is the how much of a self fulfilling prophesy this is. players aren't been put into positions to play tests so people don't back them. Coombes needs to be tested against quality opposition so just **** play him. why dance around it when yes AF originally made some big calls. but he did that over 18 months ago. he seems to have settled now.

The Maori game next week dictates so much of this "plan" to build depth and its going to actually wreck our depth cause he won't be able to select guys nor drop his favourites to the b team. I will be schocked if its not the same 15 for the last test. and that will be one of the clusterfucks for the ages.

Joe backed both Jackson and Carbery in massive tests/tours. AF is failing in this regard massively.

Look at Englands team after a narrow loss with a coach under pressure. its a night and day approach.

tbh an absolute hammering might wake people up here. we constantly paper over the cracks in Irish rugby. A hammering on top of Leinster's disasterous end of season show, might just be the reality check we need.

the 60 nil was a decade ago and was brushed aside as a sure we know we are shite on our day kind of thing. but now we insist on how tight the margins are, how World Class and smart our set up is and how Irish Rugby gets it all right. its a load of shite really massive failings and arrogance in the system currently. Look at Sexton on the bench for a massive semi final. Look at Larmour, one of our most naturally talented runners. look at the lack of diversity in the squad.

I really want us to win. on our day we can as we have very good rugby players who play some great rugby. we lack size (on purpose imo) we lack bite and bollock, we still bash away in the 22.

but deep down a hammering might finally convinve people we need to think outside the box. the Sexton thing is such a disaster and we all have our fingers in our ears about it because he's our best ever player. but he's 37 and in the end game. sums up Irish rugby

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308200#Comment_119308200

I think with Mack Hansen, he offers something different to a lot of the other wingers, in that the perception is his ball handling and ability to come in at first receiver and link the play is better than a lot of our other wingers. He had some great moments against Wales in the 6N doing this, and so he seems to fit the style they want to employ of multi-phase attack and swarming the opposition.

I do think Baloucoune and Hume would have gotten opportunities to start tests down here if not for injury, but both had earned that right because of exceptional form for Ulster that signified they were up to it.

I would have included Coombes this weekend, and I probably would have included O'Toole again too. Other than that, I'm fine with the squad as is.

starkid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308243#Comment_119308243

yeah he's a good player. i'm not really arguing about that aspect. but i just think its mad the way its worked out if you take what i said about Peter Smyth on Larmour at 16(leinster academy manager at time) and where he has ended up.

AF seems to make these calls but then he sticks with them. so yeah 18 months ago he made big calls and he's capped guys. but he hasn't capped many players since in big tests. look at the crazy reluctance to use a 6,6 powerhouse, a player who represents a different pathway etc.

i just don't understand it. i find it all mindboggling really.

I will eat my hat on here and if they win i make a promise to never post on here again which would please many in this echo chamber of delusion.

as i said its a team full of very good players who on their very best day can touch world class, and AF has us playing far better rugby than Schmidt. we are a joy to watch at times.

But we aren't quite good enough and we are making the same mistakes of the past.

In all likelyhood its going to be a closer game. i reckon 30 something to 17 or 20 odd. but as Ketih Wood said in the 2002 tour who **** cares about nearly. those days were meant to be long dead, yet many on here and in the general rugby sphere are once again settling..

we were never going to win these tests. SO why not lightly rejig the odd position to build even more depth over the 3 games. if its the same again next week we're done i think and Farrell will be under the cosh (but will limp on to the WC)

He beat an extremely tired covid marooned NZ and beat a 14 man England. we shouldn't be jumping for joy in any of that imo. the team and management team has so much more to prove. particlarly given the Sexton thing. Which i bet he will be roasted for if Saturday is a damp squib with any kind of Sexton off kilter. David Walsh probably has an article ready to go.

molloyjh

Wait, Hansen is an example that Farrell has his squad and won’t deviate from it? The same Mack Hansen who only made his debut 2 years into Farrells tenure? The same Mack Hansen who was dropped for the England game in favour of Lowe and Conway? The same Mack Hansen that Earls has now been dropped for? That Mack Hansen?

Because surely on the one hand, Hansen has shown that Farrell is willing to change his team (he dropped Earls for him this week) while on the other hand also proving that he isn’t undroppable (he was dropped for the England game). In just 7 games, Mack Hansen has proved that Farrell doesn’t have a singular team set in stone. He absolutely hasn’t proven the opposite.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308200#Comment_119308200

people keep saying this. it proves nothing nor is ironic. all it proves is AF has a team in his head and he will basically not deviate from it. Hansen starting over Larmour is a travesty imo.

You’re conflating things here.

You disagree with a selection decision. That doesn’t mean the guy selected is undroppable.

The reality is there’s been loads of variation on the wing since Farrell came in.

starkid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308342#Comment_119308342

yeah the same Hansen who got ahead of Baloucoune who was tearing up trees.

Hansen is an example of everything wrong with Irish rugby and i stated why. Hansen's selection becomes clearer given the injuries. still Larmour is a better rugby player and a guy Irish rugby invested much more in. its a decision that makes no sense really. he's the annointed winger for some reason. i suppose because he loves those inside lines and runs them well. he fields well. he is a good player and i never said he wasn't. just proof that AF has a team set in stone. Lowe also has been hot and cold.

look i get it you think whomever is coaching Ireland is infallible and never gets it wrong.

Hansen proves nothing of the sort for Farrell. wings are probably one of the easiest selections he can make. but If you don't think AF now has a 23 set in stone then you aren't paying attention. 8, 13 were all up for for debate yet he backed the incumbents. he picked a player who went off with a head injury and one whom we need to test depth. i get it, he clearly thinks we can win and do the same thing as alst week. its admirable but will be our undoing long term. I thought we had a win in us but after the last two games, i'm predicting a 5-0 defeat.

Again we will be back here next week and you'll be saying the same thing.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308503#Comment_119308503

Absolutely no one is saying Andy Farrell or the Irish coaching team are infallible.

FWIW; I was critical of the decision to hand it over to him when Schmidt left, and the timing of the announcement on it. Early on in his tenure, he was struggling badly and Ireland were playing poor, turgid rugby.

He has turned things around though, and brought through a whole host of new players. He also brought Paul O'Connell onto the coaching ticket, which initially seemed to be very successful.

You seem to be completely ignoring the fact that all three of the guys you seem most agitated about their lack of game time under Farrell in recent months, Larmour, Coombes and Baloucoune, all have suffered with injury problems of late, which has obviously hindered them.

Ireland likely will lose this weekend, because it's extremely difficult to win in NZ, and because they look a lot better than us in my opinion.

You, and others, will use that result to claim it proves the points you're claiming here, when the reality is I don't think there is a team we can put out this weekend that wins this game for us.

We just don't have the horses. Sure, you could change things around the edges, but to me, we look a tired side, at the end of a long season who don't have the quality of depth we need.

Andy Farrell can't conjure players out of thin air.

starkid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308529#Comment_119308529

alot of what you say is correct. i think its clear as day we just don't have the quality. when your wonderkids look tired and just below the quality you expected there is an issue. Ringrose, Ryan, Larmour being the 3 i speak of.

however my issue is deeper than that. would you agree the same selction next week would be an issue? given that AF has stated this tour was to build depth.

and i'm not calling for his head or anything. the 12 wins out of 13 bought him alot of time, but again there was massive caveats. also the rebuilding of the side was a natural process. even eddie o sullivan would have picked some of those lads, it was a no brainer.

anyway it hinges on 2m. a win gives him the Joe Schmidt grand slam pass for multiple seasons i'd imagine. a close game will be lauded (like the old days) and a hammering will bring a ton of pain for him given the Sexton selection (whereby i'd imagine editors will give the green light for an absolute savaging of him, IRFU and World Rugby if there's even a hint of an off performance)

RichieRich_89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308291#Comment_119308291

Your posts are frustrating because you contradict yourself. You bemoan there being "undroppables" but want Larmour to have been the anointed one since he was 16?

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307718#Comment_119307718

A lot of what you are suggesting though is change for the sake of change. I don’t think tests in NZ are the best place to dabble.

You mention McCarthy when the guy he would be replacing on the bench only has a handful of caps. We’ll maybe see Carberry and Frawley in the Māori game, which would be a more appropriate game to see how that works.

Coombes is the only one who might be ready at this stage for a test in NZ. Hopefully he will at least get the bench spot for the last test.

McCloskey, what would be the point in that?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308551#Comment_119308551

Yeah, 100%. If we lose convincingly this weekend, so the series is gone, and then turn around and name a largely unchanged team next week, I would be critical of that. But let's cross that bridge if and when we come to it.

But, right now, I understand the team he's picked for this weekend. We didn't play well last week. Only two or three players had a decent outing, and yet still, it was a closer game than the scoreboards showed. If we'd gotten a bit luckier and made better decisions in the crucial 10 minutes either side of half time, it could have been much closer.

Based on that, I understand why he's backed this side, who he believes is his strongest team of those available, to go and have a rattle and try to get a win this weekend. Lots of people don't agree with every selection, and in each and every case, we all have biases for players we prefer or how we see certain players.

I'd have picked a different side this weekend myself, but I don't have the information he has available to him.

I do think he's earned the right to be trusted in selection, even though a lot of others don't seem to think so.

flatface

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308503#Comment_119308503

I can see your frustration at the selection of Hansen over Larmour but how is the result this weekend going to tell us whether the call was right or wrong? Are you saying that if Larmour was on the wing we would win the test?

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308624#Comment_119308624

Well we'll find out if Farrell was right or not this weekend, if the team makes the exact same mistakes as last week it'll show we are back into the undroppable's era that we have had regularly going into RWC's and it will be the first tell tale sign of our doomed approach for 2023, if they respond and fix the wrongs of last week maybe ill start to believe that we have turned a corner from previous RWC's but somehow I doubt that.

flatface

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308668#Comment_119308668

surely any team that Farrell puts out this weekend is going to make plenty of mistakes and odds on to lose to NZ. If we were to make multiple personnel changes and the team then loses what does that exactly tell us? That all those changes were wrong?

i personally think we have a good chance this weekend and I hope we take it but I reckon the difference will be more mental attitude and confidence + a sprinkle of lucky bounce and momentum than these oft argued personnel calls

Teferi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307387#Comment_119307387

...and...?

New shiny syndrome.

TRC10

I think for Farrell there's an awful lot riding on these next two games. Look, I'm a huge fan of the brand of rugby we're playing. I was critical of him before this season, but I was absolutely delighted when he shut me and the rest of the critics up last November. The Japan and NZ games were the best rugby I've ever seen Ireland play.

But the reality is, Farrell has put massive pressure on himself to at the very least, be competitive in the next two tests with the team he's selected, and I'd say he probably needs to win one. There are a few guys who could have had absolutely no complaints if they were dropped and arguably should have been (Doris, JGP, Ringrose). But Farrell has gone all in on these guys and backed them to bounce back. Not to mention the Sexton debacle (for which I am more sympathetic to him than most, because the alternatives just aren't there, and he cant magic up players). But if we ship another two heavy defeats in the next two tests, Farrell's tenure will have been one very good November series and an ok 6N (and I think we were poor in the last 3 games), sandwiched by abject mediocrity. That's just a fact. I think he's earned the right to take us through to the world cup, and I certainly won't be calling for his head if we ship another two hammerings. But if we do, the same question marks that were there before November will start to be brought up again by fans and the media.

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308754#Comment_119308754

The result isnt necessarily part of it here, the fixing of the controllable's is the main part. If we are making all the same mistakes and look like headless chickens against then that simply is unacceptable.

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308933#Comment_119308933

And... that's a direct contradiction of 'building depth'.

If you read the posts as a continuation rather than reading each one in isolation the conversation makes more sense.

starkid

https://www.the42.ie/all-blacks-yellow-cards-5811684-Jul2022/

what an absolute farce.

Its super frustrating he's involved again this weekend.

Jaco is also a menance to refereeing standards.

starkid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119308933#Comment_119308933

and it makes his comments about building depth hollow. thats the and..

Farrell had no choice but to build depth for various reasons. again he's shut up shop now and caps are hard to come by for guys.

If the trend of our last tour continues tomorrow morning will be a tight affair. I think we'll give a good account of ourselves but we've a few weaknesses that are very exploitable.

We were second best at the breakdown and Farrell's comments about that are a bit worrying as there seems to be confusion. The All Black's didn't seem confused so I'm not sure where the disconnect is and it's problematic beyond the Ireland team - Leinster's ruck speed at the business end of the season faltered and their game didn't click as a result.

Don't agree with much of the debate about Doris, but there is a sloppiness after creeping into his game with his handling and it's contributing to our scrum problems. It's possible I'm reading into it and I don't have supporting stats - but I feel the ball is dying with him more so than other forwards. Furlong acknowledged scrum difficulties in one of the pressers and again O'Mahony referenced the line out so we're vulnerable to the territorial triumvirate of knock on - scrum penalty - defensive lineout and we're defending 30 meters further up the field.

Halves we're sloppy enough last week, Gibson Park a bit hesitant. Thought Carbery was pretty good in parts, a liability in defence, not just tackling - totally bought Barret's non drop goal for the 3rd try but didn't make any kind of effort for the try on 70. I'd be starting him tomorrow though and benching Sexton because we're going to be standing with our dicks in our hands next year if anything happens to Sexton.

We need to tighten up a lot. Ringrose over played twice one leading to a try and the other leading to the platform for a try - that's on top of the missed tackle (albeit the entire backline got proper goofed on that one). A poor ball placement post contact on our ball gave an easy turnover to the AB's and Keenan hadn't tracked back in giving another easy score. That's two gifts and one partial gift from sloppy play. And again - VDF held on the deck by Rettalick and Beirne and Sheehan a bit asleep and the 9 is through the middle of the ruck. We can fix all of those.

We do better with the chances we got over the line (not convinced Ringrose's dotted down either), we don't give the All Blacks easy scores and it's a much tighter game. Loads of if's and but's there - but I've a good feeling about tomorrow.

cuttingtimber22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119310265#Comment_119310265

Frustrating but at least World Rugby will see that the hype about this cohort of super English referees (with super arrogant Barnes at the helm) is misplaced.

Teferi

Capping more players than any previous international coach isn't building depth.

You've heard it here first folks.

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119310265#Comment_119310265

Peyper is an embarrassment to the game, he makes Dickinson look world class by comparison.

Yeah_Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119310265#Comment_119310265

Jaco? What's he got to do with it?

Frustrated that Barrett is playing this weekend? If he got a yellow for that, he'd still be playing this weekend.

Lucy8080

I backed N.Z. - 11 last week at evens. Eden Park and all that Jazz. I thought I was lucky to collect, when all is said and done.

Is today the day, for us? I think we showed real signs last week , and N.Z. got more than a couple of breaks in the game. Ireland + 12 is evens, I'll have a couple of bob on that.

C'mon Ireland!

Lucy8080

They won't be asleep much longer, be it an alarm clock, or a body clock that is excited ! Some of you have a feeling in your waters, enjoy your cornflakes!

starkid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119311541#Comment_119311541

most of the lads picked themselves. either form or age or retirees such as Kearney.

It doesn't really mean much.

He's shut up shop now so today is a massive test of the lads he's deemed the undroppables. Doris needs a huge game.

razorblunt

The classic Haka. Love it.

Good start, got away with a few forward passes there

starkid

wow yes what a start

razorblunt

C”mon ta fúck! Sew it into them!

Lucy8080

Pom did great to stay in touch.

razorblunt

Crooked Lineout and a mile forward to Barrett there.

lots being let go already.