Six Nations 2023 - Ireland v France Build-Up Thread, Sat 11th Feb KO 2:15PM - TV: RTÉ2, ITV, France2

ionadnapokot

Do you watch rugby?!?

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219629#Comment_120219629

...which allows the chasers more time to contest, and often more distance.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219629#Comment_120219629

Yes, there's an optimum arc for the kick, I think it's a distance of about 25meters with the ball in the air for 4 or 5 seconds.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219638#Comment_120219638

No. Would you recommend it?

ionadnapokot

Not for you

stick to the American Football

Loads of hangtime

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219580#Comment_120219580

Yes I thought JGP and Hansen struggled in last years kicking battle. Significant losses in territory .

Murray would have been a plus in that regard and he was excellent at securing ball when the ruck got messy v Wales (& with Barnes we are going to see allot more messing at the ruck). Casey struggled once or twice to get the ball away.

I'm less worried about the exits with the backfield we have and of course Sexton. It's more of a case when Casey is box kicking and he will struggle for that distance and height. France will try and drop the ball back on top of him.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219749#Comment_120219749

Casey struggled once or twice to get the ball away.

There was one where he gave a penalty away, but that was at the back of a scrum that was going backwards (was as much a scrum penalty as anything, imo).

Personally, I'd be more concerned about his size and tackling than his kicking. In the Toulouse game, which seems a good reference point, they scored from a 5m scrum (or maul maybe), breaking off the back of it, and Daly had to assist-tackle with Casey. It left a free man outside for a fairly easy score once they got the offload away.

It's a strange one but Murray and Casey are probably as contrasting a scrum-half pair as you could imagine.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219776#Comment_120219776

Yeah, Munster seem to have to find ways to hide him out there at times in defence, and teams have looked to exploit cross field kicks against him when he's in the wide channels defensively as well (Northampton this year for the penalty try that wasn't given) and at least one other game at the beginning of the season.

Agree on the scrum; but he did take an age to get the ball out of it too. He has to be smarter in those situations if the scrum is under the cosh.

He needs to pick his moments as well on when to snipe from 9; he had one really ill-advised carry before JVDFs try that could easily lead to a turnover.

ionadnapokot

Yea there is no doubt the are going to target him there also! It's going to be a tough day.

France are the typical side to suit Murray and not Casey.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219678#Comment_120219678

Exactly. The other poster was going on like Murray could somehow defy the law of physics every time he kicks.

"Hangtime", jaysus. Hang on till I dust off my Air Jordans and stick my Vanilla Ice CD on.

ionadnapokot

you've never dusted them off. still wearing the jeans backwards?

pickarooney

Hang Dai, Mr. Wu, Hang Dai

Burkie1203

https://twitter.com/CianTracey1/status/1623682682877100033?t=pKc101M9PXtWfmITvi7O9Q&s=19

.....

pickarooney

Just the one change then? Hope Herring has a big game, no reason to think he won't.

Clegg

Sheehan out is a massive blow. Couple that with Furlong's continued absence and Kelleher's lack of fitness means we lose so much dynamism in the starting front row. I'm a fan of Herring and think he's a good player. But he doesn't offer what either Sheehan or a fit Kelleher does.

We can still win as home advantage is a big thing, but I'm not as confident as a was last Sunday.

Shehal

Of course there was absolutely no chance that an injury doubt would finally go our way for once with Sheehan.... Still the loss is sort of sooth with Kelleher being on the bench.

Tadgh Beirne who was probably a 6/7 out of 10 last week needs to be an 8/9 out of 10 this week in order to make up for Sheehan's absence.

Murray although named I wouldn't be surprised to see drop out tomorrow or Saturday based on what the Independent.ie said.

In the end it only 1 player missing from last week and in reality bar Sexton being out I dont think 1 player being missing cripples us especially with home advantage.

ionadnapokot

Good to see Murray starts at least (& Kelleher on the bench). If Ireland continue with their good starts and get the first try they can 'kick on' and win by 7-10.

stephen_n

Herring certainly won’t diminish our set piece. Think we will miss Sheehan’s dynamism in the loose but we have plenty of ball carriers. Like Furlong to Belham it’s a slight step down but nothing to worry about.

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120220090#Comment_120220090

Like Bealham Herring is a good player that we take for granted because the first choice is just that good.

sydthebeat

we lose absolutely nothing in link play or set piece with herring over sheeran.

we lose a bit on wide loose carries, but we certainly have other players who can step in here.

very happy that Murray is available, i can see him having a thunderous game on Saturday. Casey will need to bring control when he comes on, so this game will be probably his sternest test yet.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120220105#Comment_120220105

He is a good player, but the amount of power we've lost in Sheehan and Furlong is a huge concern. Herring and Bealham are both good players but nowhere near the level of freak athlete that the two lads are. You look across at the French frontrow and you can't get away from the fact that we're now massively outgunned in that area.

If we're to win this, we need to move the French pack around and play at a pace they can't live with. That's why I think Murray (as good as he was last week) starting is a mistake

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120220163#Comment_120220163

The rest of the pack are going to need to step up in this regard it means. At least Kelleher is available to come on in the 2nd half if needed.

Shehal

On the plus side unlike the last 2 games at least we now have Sexton available.

Musicrules

It's that time of the week. Time to get my expert appraisal and provide you with my hot tip. Last week I went for Ireland 37 Wales 12. I hope some of you benefitted nicely from that and enjoyed taking some cash off your chosen bookmaker.

I've been watching videos and analysing both sets of players all week. We now have the lineups. My weather experts have provided me with a detailed outlook on conditions. I've even checked on the grass through my contacts in Lansdowne Road.

Here is the conclusion of my analysis. It will be a high scoring game. Ireland will be far ahead in the high scoring contest but not as much as last week. France will struggle to stay in touch but score some outstanding tries but Ireland will outclass them. Here we go:

Ireland 32 France 22

Get on early, get on big, get on your disco pants!

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120220163#Comment_120220163

... ah we're not though.

this french team is less "gunned" than the team that beat us last year. Danty is a HUGE omission on their behalf. He was their main jackal threat out wide and he slowed down rucks enough to help set their line.

They were out mauled by the Italian pack last weekend, and dominant tackle show that the french certainly did not overpower the azzurri, if anything it was the other way. The italians made meters for fun by being very direct. the italians made 200 more meters than the french, and played the ball by hand over 100 times more.

The french kick.... kick long.. and hope for a mistake in the return, and a broken defensive line. they wont get those ins as easy against Ireland as they did against italy.

I really do hope the french come out to hit us off the park, because if they do they will hitting shadows all day.

as far as the front row are concerned, ireland showed last week how to target and tire front row defenders. we had owens blowing out of his hole after 25 minutes and francis had to go off after 40. We can do the same to atonio, baille and willemse behind. we wont get it easy, but we wont get blown off the park either

Larbre34

Trust in the plan, run the big Froggies around until they drop, target their backfield and keep up the high tempo in the breakdown and set piece restarts and we'll be grand.

Sheehan is a loss, of course, but Herring is a wily old dog at this stage.

These French league players are already bunched from the relentlessness of Top 14, lets show them intensity they've never seen before.

Ireland 27-13 France

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120220216#Comment_120220216

this french team is less "gunned" than the team that beat us last year. Danty is a HUGE omission on their behalf. He was their main jackal threat out wide and he slowed down rucks enough to help set their line.

I was talking about the frontrow. The French frontrow is miles better than ours. That's not a slight on Herring and Bealham who are both good. But in Baille and Marchand, they have the best loosehead and hooker in the world respectively. And Atonio would be in the top 3 tightheads.

phog

I hope I'm wrong but I don't see those kind of winning margins that are mentioned in the recent posts. I certainly think we can win but it's not a gimmie and as I think France can go all the way and win the RWC then I would have to think they can beat us here in the Avivia.

Former Former Former

Herring is more than good enough for this level and you could argue that he brings more set-piece stability than Sheehan. It's a loss but not a fatal one, and if Kelleher is fit enough for 30 minutes, even less so.

AbusesToilets

Just hoping we can avoid the usual slow start against France. Be nice for once to sit them down on their heels and have them play catch up, instead of the game ending and us wishing there was another 10mins.