Italy V Ireland Match thread

Well maybe look at it again -

Start at 6:41 on the clock, where Bundee has been caught ball watching. He got sucked in towards the ruck where he didn't actually do anything, and now Garbisi is attacking the Irish blindside, with 4 players outside him or coming around the corner behind him, and Lowe on his own effectively. Keenan at this point has to try to accelerate up to help Lowe.

Bundee's positioning is completely off on this. He's not able to impact Garbisi at all, and isn't there to help on the outside. Lowe reads it badly too, but he's been left badly exposed here by the player defending inside him.

From then on, Aki has another chance to save the try, but he gets absolutely burned on the outside by the Italian No 8 (funny how lots of people, yourself included have pointed out numerous times Ross Byrne getting burned by a guy who started games on the wing in this 6N, but there isn't as much talk about this scenario where Bundee gets burned by an 8, when he's closer at the point of Cannone receiving the ball).

You're saying Lowe bit in like it was the difference, but by the time Lowe even had a decision to make, he was facing a 4 v 1 because Bundee got caught twice getting disconnected from the players around him.

I'm genuinely baffled how anyone could watch that try from start to finish and not recognise it is absolutely on Bundee - his poor decisions, poor positioning and lack of pace.

I wouldn't say it's a tactic necessarily. Ringrose doesn't do it all the time; he chooses the moments judiciously.

It's obviously a risk - both of dog legs forming with either the 12 inside you or the winger outside you, or of a big miss pass getting past you and creating an overlap out wide which is especially dangerous.

The goal with it isn't always necessarily to make the hit - it's defending as opposed to tackling, it's to close off options for the opposition and direct them back inside.

I think it's tailored based on the opposition strengths and what we think they're likely to try to do - but the Italians were very visibly trying to get the ball to the wide channels early and often.

Really good piece here from back in Sept 2019 on it:

Yeah, any other time in recent times when Ringrose can't go, Henshaw slots in at thirteen (which is arguably his best position).

I feel a little with Henshaw that he's missed so much time this season it's almost kind of forgotten how good a player and how impactful he's been for us in recent years. He's a genuinely world class player when at his best, and a huge addition to get back at this crucial point in a Championship.