Irish Under-20's 2023

Blackheath

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120844266#Comment_120844266

Mangan is more mobile and a better carrier than Irvine. Ireland will try and move the big French pack around to tire them out.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120844499#Comment_120844499

And having selected Tuilagi , the French have lost a lineout option so Mangans mobility and ball carrying are more valuable.

typhoony

His ball handling is very poor and I've not been overly impressed with his defense, I would have had Irvine starting, we need to hold onto possession and not coughup any easy ball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120844380#Comment_120844380

Veey impressed. Hes international quality but in furlong and porter your tapking about two of the best athletes weve ever had at any position never mind at prop

ljsulster

In a World Cup final you play your best players and having McNabney and Mangan in the team is hugely important

SophieLockhart

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120844198#Comment_120844198

Conceded two penalties in quick succession against SA, probably didn't help him.

Dubinusa

Tournament wide there's a lot of serious talent. Chessum looks to be on another level. The 9 from 🇫🇷 is class. Gleeson obviously and the th from England.

I think we'll get at lot of pro's from this group.

OneLungDavy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120845524#Comment_120845524

Exactly this.

Mangan is just a better rugby player right now and anyone who thinks he may weaken the lineout paid no attention to the lineout in the other games. Mangan won more lineout ball than anyone else (8) v SA, COT was next with 5.

Irvine didn't take any ball in the SA game. This is more likely tactical than down to any flaws in Irvine's game. Looking at other games too, Irvine is not used that much in the lineout, usually with the lowest lineout wins in comparison to 5 and 6, regardless of personnel.

I expect McNabney to have a lot of lineout contributions from 6 tomorrow.

johnh6767

It’s going to be a feast of rugby. France coming in for revenge talking the tough game, we have the power and the might from this beast of an 8 man pack to take any team on. Any one of them could come up with something special in attack to add points. McCarthy has been a great decision maker and captain, and they are a tight group with loads of future interprovincial & Irish representation in plain sight. Gleeson will take on any of their big boys will score when needed and will be the epitome of winning character to harness the aggression needed. P McCarthy is afraid of no one he can do tough like no other and he has became more disciplined over both tournaments. Foxe has been improving every game. Quinn & Mangan is a good combination for this game and it shows the quality of the bench with the calibre of Irvine Hadden & O’Connell for the last 20. Gunne / Prendergast have been a tour de force combination, best half back combo in the competition, both very intelligent players with raw talent that I feel will be key today. McErlean is a real running threat which combined with any of the Centres / wings can be points on the board. What ever happens it has been a pleasure Gentlemen shame I didn’t know about this boards last year.

Clegg

Frances starting loose head has pulled out of the squad for the final.

https://twitter.com/RuaidhriOC/status/1679781016859189249?t=KsYFHzSqsPE6zsBeaCh-LQ&s=09

sydthebeat

-10 for france seems a bit too wide for me.

i can see it being a one score game (as long as prendergasts kicking boots are on)

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120849719#Comment_120849719

Awful for the player, could be missing out on the highlight of his career.

No idea what that does to the strength of the French team though overall.

pickarooney

Not a huge drop off to the next LH from the little I've seen. There are very few weak links in their squad. Our replacements have been very good throughout, too.

Quin_Dub

Italy comfortably beating Japan in the 1st of the play-off games - 33-15 with 10 to go.

Lost Ormond

Italy been much better than Japanese. Japan got red card in tmo bunker. Thought eoghan cross should really have given it straight away on pitch though. He's had good game overall though

pickarooney

Is there any difference or advantage in giving a red straight away over a red after review?

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120850578#Comment_120850578

https://rugbyreferee.net/2023/04/20/tmo-bunker-system-to-be-trialled-ahead-of-rugby-world-cup

AbusesToilets

Hughes, Welsh sh, is killing them at the moment. Needs to be much quicker getting the ball. Really impressive turn around under Mark Jones for the team.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120850578#Comment_120850578

No , other than a possible discussion around whether the referee "abdicated responsibility" for making the call , there's no difference for the teams on the pitch.

And I don't see that as a valid discussion to be honest.

The referee now has effectively 3 "cards" to decide on - Yellow , Yellow for Off-field Review and Red.

I haven't seen the card from the game today so cannot speak to that one in terms of severity but in general terms with the new ruling I'd have thought that only the Reddest of Red cards will be given right away on field under these new rules.

I don't think any of the red cards given in the 6 Nations or Heineken Cup this past season would have met that bar - they were all open to review, needing multiple angles , debate etc. to decide.

If there is any hint of ambiguity around mitigation etc. then it will get referred for offline review and for me that's quicker and neater in terms of the game itself.

No more 5 minute plus delays with multiple replays and chanting crowds etc. which can only be a good thing.

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120850621#Comment_120850621

Given the benefits of speeding up the game I can see this being adopted into general laws/procedures for the Pro game.

However, I can imagine that we will end up seeing certain referees who will never issue direct reds anymore - even in clear and obvious situations - and instead happily abdicate the "hard" decision over to the bunker reviewers.

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120850578#Comment_120850578

Referee would imo need to give 20-40 seconds of extra review.

That said I feel like the referee should be making big calls on the field where he can.

There's give and take there.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120850944#Comment_120850944

Generally agree.

In practice though I think that once a referee has decided that it's definitely at least a yellow the next question is "Could it be more?" and if the answer is yes , then it's a yellow with review.

Outside of genuine proper "foul play" most red card decisions end up getting debated extensively on-field with all the replays, delays , drama and crowd involvement that that brings.

This process removes all that and the game goes on without further interruption , which personally I think is a great improvement.

AbusesToilets

Great try from the Georgians there, savage carrying in the lead up. They've been dominating NZ the last 10mins

AbusesToilets

1 score game now, Georgian maul is a brutal beauty

Lost Ormond

Pools decided for next year bar finalists and trophy winner

England, South Africa, Argentina, Fiji

winner of final, Wales, New Zealand Trophy Winner

runner up of final Australia, Georgia , Italy

mark_jmc

Great start

Lost Ormond

Unreal starr

theVersatile

"Opening drive touchdown" as they say across the water. Big start

MaddChris

Great opportunist try. But if he hadn't scored that was surely a yellow card, tackled only about 4m from the penalty mark.

Clegg

Fintan Gunne, our smallest player, just scored a try against a 6'6 140kg behemoth.