Ireland v Romania, RWC Pool B. Stade De Bordeaux, 14:30 Saturday 9th September 2023. Virgin TV / ITV

Furze99 · 09-09-2023 4:58pm

Noticeable again that the TMO was not much in evidence compared to the 6Nations? Guess that's fine as long as it's equally applied. Be a bad business if we concede a dodgy score or two in an important game and they count against us but are called out by a TMO on a dodgy one or two of our own.

Podge_irl · 09-09-2023 4:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121089790#Comment_121089790

No beers to be had for love nor money. Shambles of an organisation. Massive queues for everything. Transport a mess.

Clareman · 09-09-2023 5:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121089871#Comment_121089871

Same as last night, it's clear that they want games to be over as quickly as possible, the ref doesn't call time off during the game much.

Clegg · 09-09-2023 5:01pm

AWJ singing the praises of Joe McCarthy.

Clareman · 09-09-2023 5:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121089873#Comment_121089873

None of the usual French thing of you having to queue to buy tokens to then go queue to exchange the tokens for beer? Jaysus I forgot how much that used to annoy me, 3 tokens for a beer but they'd only sell the token in 5s

TomsOnTheRoof · 09-09-2023 5:04pm

Aki was my MOTM but thought POM had a very good game. Great to see the halfbacks playing so well (both the starters and the ones that came off the bench). Thought Beirne had a great second half and Keenan was excellent. The subs did very well for the most part too.

The lineout is still a massive concern. There seems to be a timing issue there. I don't understand why we're not using POM as much either. He has a good leap and great hands (that take from the restart was world class). I thought that was Lowe's worst game for us if I'm being honest. Ringrose looked very rusty. Hopefully he gets a half against Tonga as we need him to be firing against SA and Scotland (the Scots have a good midfield whatever their faults).

lawrencesummers · 09-09-2023 5:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121089873#Comment_121089873

A lot of empty seats visable during the game, were there tickets available around the ground before KO?

Podge_irl · 09-09-2023 5:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121089891#Comment_121089891

Some but there was also a massive queue to get into the stadium at kick off. They were checking tickets and bags at a glacial pace.

Bars inside similar so constant queues in the concourse.

leakyboots · 09-09-2023 5:20pm

Hard to be too critical after that. No injuries and a cricket score.

Aki was head and shoulders above everyone else I thought, super game. POM not far behind. Keenan was great, Sexton also. Murray and Crowley did very well when they came on. McCarthy did well, Beirne was excellent also. Herring did well in the loose. Porter is a tank.

In the negative, once again our wingers get little ball. What ball they did get they didn't do well, Lowe's handling let him down badly on a few occasions. Earls won't want to see that try again, even if it wasn't a great kick.

Loughman didn't cover himself in glory when he came on.

And the lineout - gone on too long now, it's a concern.

But it's the first official match of the season, and we did very well overall. Onwards!

joseywhales · 09-09-2023 5:20pm

I tried to get tickets about 2 years ago and it was a nightmare, I don't know why it has to be so difficult. If they had had match tickets available then I would be in France spending money now. Instead it was bundles and hospitality packages and they were releasing in batches and you had to get in the queue first thing in the morning for just a possibility of getting a ticket. I was so annoyed I decided not to go. In 2015, I went online bought 4 tickets to the (painful) quarter final at face value, brought a camper, stayed in a rugby club car park. I'm guessing these situations are few and far between now.

ersatz · 09-09-2023 5:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121089925#Comment_121089925

Same. Between the farcical pools selections and making the ticket buying experience ridiculously complex and time consuming I just couldn't be arsed. In 2023 selling tickets online for big events is not rocket science yet world rugby managed to make it both an ordeal and a lottery, plus very obviously from tickets on sale at massively inflated prices online, touts got loads of tickets.

downtheroad · 09-09-2023 5:57pm

What is the point of having the likes of Romania at this tournament. Nobody benefits from a result like that. Cut it down to 16 teams, 4 pools of 4, and trim a couple of weeks off of what is already far too long of a tournament.

typhoony · 09-09-2023 6:01pm

Was talking to a mate of mine it, he got there good and early but still missed the first 15 minutes, having worked for a French company they put on a good pretence that they are in control of everything but I have found there organisational competence is woeful when it comes to the basics. Those anthems need to be binned I'd prefer no si gers or music to that shite, oh veru good 2nd half performance

munsterfan2 · 09-09-2023 6:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121090017#Comment_121090017

Yes, always thought a WC with 16 teams played Friday/Saturday/Sunday and a WC Plate for the next 16 played midweek, in smaller venues. Maybe with guaranteed qualification for next WC proper for plate winner

Clareman · 09-09-2023 6:14pm

Australian wing leading with a knee to the head trying to save a try was 100 times worse than what happeed to Johnny

Podge_irl · 09-09-2023 6:16pm

You'd never see Uruguay beat Fiji or Portugal really put it up to Romania. These teams get no other chance to play in matches against top teams in front of world stages.

I'm fine with it. You get almost as lopsided matches in the football world cup it's just a lower scoring sport.

joseywhales · 09-09-2023 6:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121090065#Comment_121090065

In fairness Fiji beating Wales wouldnt be a huge shock

Weepsie · 09-09-2023 6:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121090065#Comment_121090065

You don't actually get that many lopsided in football any more. Germany Saudi Arabia in 2002 and Portugal North Korea in 2010 being exception, and I guess Germany Brazil. Even in the women's world cup, which had some famousless lopsided games as become a closer contest.

The top 2 international tournaments outside of the world cup being a closed shop hardly hella the minnow countries, but also, rugby is way down the list in them of how popular it is.

As hugely popular as it is, in the grand scheme of things it's still kind of a niche sport.

But I'm also fine with weak teams being in it

09-09-2023 6:27pm

Was Aki walking around with the team after full time? He was down after that gather for the last try and I didn't see him after the game. Hope nothing serious.

Podge_irl · 09-09-2023 6:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121090075#Comment_121090075

Ah Fiji would be in a 16 team tournament anyway. Though one of the other PI teams would probably miss out.

Podge_irl · 09-09-2023 6:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121090080#Comment_121090080

The "problem" in football is that its easier for weak teams to stack the box and just try not to concede so much.

An equivalent gap in skills or performance just doesn't equal a similar gap in scoreline.

downtheroad · 09-09-2023 6:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121090065#Comment_121090065

Ah now, today was 12 tries to 1. That kind of outscoring does not happen in a soccer world cup.

Podge_irl · 09-09-2023 6:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121090105#Comment_121090105

That's what I literally said.

kuang1 · 09-09-2023 6:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121089896#Comment_121089896

Were they looking for IDs Podge?

TomsOnTheRoof · 09-09-2023 6:31pm

One real positive to take from today was Crowley's performance. He was very good when he came on. He played quite well to the line and showed a nice bit of variety with his kicking game. Allied to all that was his showing off the tee. He looks very comfortable and that's worth an awful lot in a young 10.

downtheroad · 09-09-2023 6:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121090108#Comment_121090108

The gulf in class is much narrower in the soccer world cup. Today's drubbing won't be the only one of this RWC. South Africa will do the same to Romania. NZ will give Namibia a hiding.

In the football you might see one outlier result in a whole tournament. In the rugby it could easily be 5 such results.

09-09-2023 6:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121090114#Comment_121090114

He was very good. Great day, no injuries. Hopefully the lineout will be sorted by the big games.

joseywhales · 09-09-2023 6:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121089873#Comment_121089873

Be honest, did you really explore the love angle?

FrancieBrady · 09-09-2023 6:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121090121#Comment_121090121

It’s part of the test IMO. How you manage these games has an effect on how you perform overall. For the weaker teams it’s a valuable opportunity to develop if you want to.

irishguitarlad · 09-09-2023 6:46pm

I think the lack of games between Tier 1 and Tier 2/3 nations between World Cups is why results like today happen.

Ireland v Romania, RWC Pool B. Stade De Bordeaux, 14:30 Saturday 9th September 2023. Virgin TV / ITV

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