Match Thread : Irish Wolfhounds V England Saxons Friday 30th Jan 2015

rrpc

Awful match. Problems started with Marmon and worked out from there, some awful box kicking and very slow tempo had us running at a white wall all night and kicking it away just for variety.

Boss got the tempo up a bit but it was too little too late.

errlloyd

awec wrote: »

Picking between Keatley or Madigan is like picking between a punch in the face or a kick in the balls.

Neither are particularly desirable.

Hardest answer on would you rather.

Podge_irl

What I wouldn't give to have Jackson fit

vienne86

rrpc wrote: »

Awful match. Problems started with Marmon and worked out from there, some awful box kicking and very slow tempo had us running at a white wall all night and kicking it away just for variety.

Boss got the tempo up a bit but it was too little too late.

When we got posession, we didn't protect the ball, and that put the half backs under pressure all night.

Hagz

awec wrote: »

Picking between Keatley or Madigan is like picking between a punch in the face or a kick in the balls.

Neither are particularly desirable.

We really are way too reliant on one player. I don't know where we're going to find an adequate back up to Sexton. I thought our best hope was Hanrahan but now he's gone off to Saints. Without him we're pretty much screwed.

Losty Dublin

Podge_irl wrote: »

What I wouldn't give to have Jackson fit

Desperate times call for desperate measures :pac:

ssaye2

Joe will have to watch that game maybe 20 times with the video analysis guys.. Tough job...ha

vienne86

Hagz wrote: »

We really are way too reliant on one player. I don't know where we're going to find an adequate back up to Sexton. I thought our best hope was Hanrahan but now he's gone off to Saints. Without him we're pretty much screwed.

I think Jackson can do a job, to be fair. He can run the show and is a lovely passer of the ball. I just wish Ulster had him taking all their kicks at goal.

Hagz

vienne86 wrote: »

I think Jackson can do a job, to be fair. He can run the show and is a lovely passer of the ball. I just wish Ulster had him taking all their kicks at goal.

He's certainly a safer option than Keatley and Madigan, but long-term I think we need someone new to step forward.

.ak

Have to say I was disappointed with marmion. Was sloppy around the fringes and fairly poor at getting the pack onto the ball. Just relied on his fitness and speed.

Anyway, nobody looked like they wanted to win the game. Hard to judge anyone.

phog

Piss poor game, the only real positives were that the guys coming back from injury survived. We really didn't threaten their try line.

A few of the hopefuls will have a very anxious wait to hear the team announcement for next week's game.

Flipper22

vienne86 wrote: »

When we got posession, we didn't protect the ball, and that put the half backs under pressure all night.

At times we didn't protect the ball well, but we'll be coming up against strong sides in the 6N and at times we won't protect the ball well against them either. The question is how the halfbacks cope with that pressure and for me the answer was: very poorly.

Robert McGrath

Hagz wrote: »

We really are way too reliant on one player. I don't know where we're going to find an adequate back up to Sexton. I thought our best hope was Hanrahan but now he's gone off to Saints. Without him we're pretty much screwed.

PJ?

ssaye2

Simpsons episode you're cut was on today

Seems apt

Borders no.2

Apart from Sean O'Brien grabbing Ashton by the throat that was instantly forgettable. Don't think anyone advanced their claims hugely. Further down the pecking order McKeon did well off the bench.

Tight head looks an ever increasing dilemma for Joe Scmidt. Does he stick with a declining Mike Ross or does he try and fast track Moore and Furlong. Nathan White had a knock on near the end but thought he did well also even if the scrum were a bit of a shambles at that stage.

Keith Earls had a go. Hopefully no more time will be given to experimenting with him in the centre.

Its a bit harsh but was hoping for a bit more from Conan but he's come a long way in a short time so that probably is being unfair.

It was a poor game in general but worst of a bad lot was Herring off the bench. Some of the English lineouts were comically bad. All in all one to forget.

One positive off the field is that Cork now looks a decent venue for future Pro 12 games even though that could be more of a negative than a positive when it comes to bargaining as to which venue gets which games.

Mahatma Geansai

Flipper22 wrote: »

At times we didn't protect the ball well, but we'll be coming up against strong sides in the 6N and at times we won't protect the ball well against them either. The question is how the halfbacks cope with that pressure and for me the answer was: very poorly.

Marmionn was quite good today . His passing was good and his box kicking was excellent. Boss shouldn't be in the conversation.

mfceiling

Hagz wrote: »

He's certainly a safer option than Keatley and Madigan, but long-term I think we need someone new to step forward.

Jackson is still only 23...maybe give him a little more time?

vienne86

Flipper22 wrote: »

At times we didn't protect the ball well, but we'll be coming up against strong sides in the 6N and at times we won't protect the ball well against them either. The question is how the halfbacks cope with that pressure and for me the answer was: very poorly.

Well the ones we had tonight would be in trouble.

Hagz

mfceiling wrote: »

Jackson is still only 23...maybe give him a little more time?

I don't think we have a choice. That's my point really.

vienne86

Going to try and forget about this match now.

Top 14 rugby is on this weekend - Montpellier v Bordeaux on Sky tomorrow

The Lost Sheep

Hagz wrote: »

We really are way too reliant on one player. I don't know where we're going to find an adequate back up to Sexton. I thought our best hope was Hanrahan but now he's gone off to Saints. Without him we're pretty much screwed.

We are very reliant on JS but JJ wasn't our best hope PJ was ahead of him and deservedly so. We are fairly screwed without JS but have others not been looked at..

.ak wrote: »

Have to say I was disappointed with marmion. Was sloppy around the fringes and fairly poor at getting the pack onto the ball. Just relied on his fitness and speed.

Anyway, nobody looked like they wanted to win the game. Hard to judge anyone.

I wasn't totally concentrating on the game but wasnt that disappointed in Marmion. Felt pack didn't do enough for him
Agree 100% on last pooint

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Apart from Sean O'Brien grabbing Ashton by the throat that was instantly forgettable. Don't think anyone advanced their claims hugely. Further down the pecking order McKeon did well off the bench.

Tight head looks an ever increasing dilemma for Joe Scmidt. Does he stick with a declining Mike Ross or does he try and fast track Moore and Furlong. Nathan White had a knock on near the end but thought he did well also even if the scrum were a bit of a shambles at that stage.

Keith Earls had a go. Hopefully no more time will be given to experimenting with him in the centre.

Its a bit harsh but was hoping for a bit more from Conan but he's come a long way in a short time so that probably is being unfair.

It was a poor game in general but worst of a bad lot was Herring off the bench. Some of the English lineouts were comically bad. All in all one to forget.

One positive off the field is that Cork now looks a decent venue for future Pro 12 games even though that could be more of a negative than a positive when it comes to bargaining as to which venue gets which games.

Is it an irish rugby issue? Ross still there and likely to be involved for next season or so but what about Moore/Furlong? Should one move?
Thought Earls was ok. Had a go and should be looked at in centre still. How many coaches have now looked at him as a 13? They are clearly seeing something there.
That is unfair on Conan. He's went up levels so much recently. Wouldn't be too harsh.

Sean Kinsella

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Thought Earls was ok. Had a go and should be looked at in centre still. How many coaches have now looked at him as a 13? They are clearly seeing something there.

So how come he never really shows it?

.ak

Thought Ryan was fairly good. Himself, Hendo and sob stood out,

aimee1

vienne86 wrote: »

Well the ones we had tonight would be in trouble.

murray or reddan at 9, madigan at 10 with payne/henshaw at 12 and fitz/earls at 13 or some other centre combo combined from those 4 with a first choice pack looks decent enough to me.

Flipper22

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

Marmionn was quite good today . His passing was good and his box kicking was excellent. Boss shouldn't be in the conversation.

I thought he was quite disappointing. His passing isn't at test level yet, it's not inaccurate but it's quite floaty and tends to die after about 15 yards. Some of his boxkicking was pretty poor. We looked headless going forward and I thought that was mostly down to the halfbacks. Short term, Boss is definitely our third best scrummie. He started the season poorly but has played well the last few games for Leinster and improved us markedly today.

Keatley and Murray(fingers crossed) for me next week.

Mahatma Geansai

Sean Kinsella wrote: »

So how come he never really shows it?

The issue is that people refuse to see it.

Sean Kinsella

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

The issue is that people refuse to see it.

Assuming that's a serious reply...

You mean it isn't obvious to a casual observer?

Centre by subterfuge?

Fair enough, but England saw him coming tonight.

Ahh...did you mean people refuse to see his inabilities at centre?

aimee1

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

The issue is that people refuse to see it.

some of us feel he is a far better winger

aimee1

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

The issue is that people refuse to see it.

some of us feel he is a far better winger

Sean Kinsella

aimee1 wrote: »

some of us feel he is a far better winger

Yes, I'm one of them.