Wales vs Ireland buildup [MOD WARNING POST #8]

rrpc

Closed

total former wrote: »

Of course it has but the point was "Joe has us playing like winners, no other coach has managed that" and it's just not correct.

I think you could say that we've reached a level of consistency that so far only Eddie has matched. However we look more like exceeding that level now.

Teferi

total former wrote: »

Of course it has but the point was "Joe has us playing like winners, no other coach has managed that" and it's just not correct.

I think he is talking about headology rather than consistency of play though. I'd agree with him too, I think Joe has gotten them over the psychological hump that we often face. At least, I don't feel like we're going to crumble at any given moment or that our confidence is a balancing act.

total former

Teferi wrote: »

I think he is talking about headology rather than consistency of play though. I'd agree with him too, I think Joe has gotten them over the psychological hump that we often face. At least, I don't feel like we're going to crumble at any given moment or that our confidence is a balancing act.

Yeah but my point is about headology too. Right, so Kidney inherited Eddie's 2008 team, introduced approximately zero new tactics but somehow won a Grand Slam and stayed undefeated in 2009. The legend is that it was all down to his man management, the Carton House meeting etc. putting the players in the right frame of mind. Likewise Eddie had us playing with huge confidence for most of his reign. I think we're reading too much into this tbh.

gosplan

Teferi wrote: »

I think he is talking about headology rather than consistency of play though. I'd agree with him too, I think Joe has gotten them over the psychological hump that we often face. At least, I don't feel like we're going to crumble at any given moment or that our confidence is a balancing act.

This was kind of my point. Ireland have of course been successful before and I'm not at all trying to detract from that.

However we're very close to following a championship win with another, perhaps a slam, while having rediculously good AI's in between.

Nobody's produced that consistency when managing Ireland and for me it's what set's him apart. We always had great days but we had a fragility that I don't see now. Then I think he also deserves huge credit for making it an effective 25/30 man squad which no one else ever did.

I don't think our team are as fantastic as this thread is making out at times. I don't see how you can compare Henshaw to Roberts. I don't think we can just label Murray the best SH in the world etc.

But Jesus, 1-22 this is one organised bloody-minded team. It's not about the sheer talent ... which is a fragile thing to depend on. It's about the gameplan, the organisation and the attention to detail.

Really I think what Schmidt has done is truly incredible

Edit: I don't think it's headology as much as players make fewer mistakes when they know exactly what the plan is and what they're supposed to do.

TommyOM

total former wrote: »

I have very little respect left for Kidney but in 2009 we were in a fantastic vein of form. Eddie had us playing rugby in 06-07 that we have never matched under Joe. Subsequent events took the sheen off those achievements but they shouldn't be forgotten.

We were winning but winning very ugly. The matches were littered with mistakes and there was little invention. Under Schmidt it ain't pretty but you can see that theres a gameplan to it and the errors are minimal. People forget that we were playing absolutely brutal stuff under Kidney that Grand Slam year. Remember the England and Scotland games?

Kidney dragged us over the line with Eddie's team in my opinion.

clsmooth

A giant marquee with Warren G's face on it will be erected

timaru89 wrote: »

W23 D1 L17

Can you separate that into Kidneys and Schmidt's results? Must be about 85% under Schmidt, 50% under Kidney. Proof that Schmidt deserves his credit.

total former

TommyOM wrote: »

We were winning but winning very ugly. The matches were littered with mistakes and there was little invention. Under Schmidt it ain't pretty but you can see that theres a gameplan to it and the errors are minimal. People forget that we were playing absolutely brutal stuff under Kidney that Grand Slam year. Remember the England and Scotland games?

Kidney dragged us over the line with Eddie's team in my opinion.

Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what I said.

TommyOM

total former wrote: »

Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what I said.

Yeah I was adding to it. Whats the problem?

total former

TommyOM wrote: »

Yeah I was adding to it. Whats the problem?

I'm sorry, thought you were implying I had forgotten what the 2009 season was like.

rrpc

Closed

clsmooth wrote: »

Can you separate that into Kidneys and Schmidt's results? Must be about 85% under Schmidt, 50% under Kidney. Proof that Schmidt deserves his credit.

If it's just the games Sexton started, he's played in 13 of which we lost 3. That's a win percentage of 76%.

So the Kidney element is W13 D1 L14, Win percentage of 46%.

.ak

Change of ref for the Welsh game....

http://www.worldrugby.org/news/59700

I actually prefer Walsh...

sydthebeat

barnes is very much a 'homer' ref...

that said, i dont think it will make a significant difference.

total former

sydthebeat wrote: »

barnes is very much a 'homer' ref...

that said, i dont think it will make a significant difference.

Except when we played France there a couple of weeks ago and, reading this forum, he apparently screwed us (the home team) over at every opportunity.

He's not a homer ref, he's a good ref.

sydthebeat

total former wrote: »

Except when we played France there a couple of weeks ago and, reading this forum, he apparently screwed us (the home team) over at every opportunity.

He's not a homer ref, he's a good ref.

you know better than to take the match day thread as gospel

personally i think he was fine against france

Quin_Dub

total former wrote: »

Except when we played France there a couple of weeks ago and, reading this forum, he apparently screwed us (the home team) over at every opportunity.

He's not a homer ref, he's a good ref.

Barnes , like most English refs in recent years is incredibly pedantic and doesn't let the game flow.

Every game I see him ref, whether we are playing or not I don't enjoy the game, he sucks the life out of it...

Walsh at least lets the game flow and allows the game to develop.

awec

Barnes!

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

.ak

Yeah. I don't think Barnes will effect a win or loss, but his games are rarely enjoyable. The semi in Bordeaux really took away what could've been a spectacle - still a brilliant game, but ended up being a bloody battle.

dited

It's even worse than we thought, according to the IT

Stuart Barnes appointed as replacement referee for Ireland v. Wales

ionadnapokot

Wud have preferred Walsh. Scrums will be a mess.

.ak

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Wud have preferred Walsh. Scrums will be a mess.

Wouldn't be any better with Walsh.

I do like Walsh though, gets a lot of flak, but he's a decent bloke and he'll stop to communicate with the players, you can't ask for more from a ref. Barnes will make a decision and not justify it to the players - not that he has to, just it's something I prefer from a ref.

Neil3030

Can Nigel Owens not just switch nationality to Greenland or something, so he can ref every game?

Idbatterim

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/2015/0305/684750-ireland-training-update-jamie-heaslip/

Jamie Heaslip on track for Wales return after training in Belfast

Jamie Heaslip is on track to return for Ireland’s next RBS 6 Nations match against Wales after taking a full part in training in Belfast this morning.
Ireland management are said to be hopeful that the Leinster number 8 will train fully next week in the build up to the Cardiff showdown on 14 March.
Heaslip missed Sunday’s win over England having suffered cracked vertebrae in the win over France last month.
Johnny Sexton is nursing a hamstring injury and sat out the session but is expected to be fit for the crucial Millennium Stadium tie.
Flanker Sean O'Brien, who was replaced after 23 minutes of the England clash, also took part in training.

stephen_n

Idbatterim wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/2015/0305/684750-ireland-training-update-jamie-heaslip/

Well that's all fairly positive looking, though we can survive with out Jamie and SOB but not really without Sexton.

Quint2010

Closed

Ireland won this fixture 26-3 last year. We murdered the Welsh pack. The only players I would fear are Roberts and North. But Schmidt will nullify them. Ireland have improved a level since then. Wales have not.

CatFromHue

Did Sexton go back to France at all?

Idbatterim

Idbatterim wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/2015/0305/684750-ireland-training-update-jamie-heaslip/

Larbre34

Jordi doesnt deserve to lose the 8 shirt automatically, he had a massive game, yet Heaslip isnt a great substitute option. Will be interesting.

bilston

Larbre34 wrote: »

Jordi doesnt deserve to lose the 8 shirt automatically, he had a massive game, yet Heaslip isnt a great substitute option. Will be interesting.

Murphy did well but if Heaslip is fit and available then he plays.

Teferi

Heaslip is a class above Murphy really so it would be mad not to give Heaslip the jersey. It might even push him to increase his performance considering how well Jordi played, it's good to have someone breathing down his neck. The thing going against him is that he is lacking game time now with that break he has had.

.ak

Yeah, Murphy had a great game, but the turnover he conceded (as harsh as it was) wouldn't probably happen with Heaslip. Heaslip's greatest asset is his brain I feel, he's got great on-field intelligence and oodles of experience. You just won't get that with a guy who has a handful of caps, but Jordi definitely deserves more caps. He seamlessly is mixing it up with the big guys.