Italy vs Ireland match thread, 24-2-2019.

troyzer

https://twitter.com/IrishRugby/status/1098943098355363840?s=20

https://twitter.com/Federugby/status/1098930699917279232?s=20

Teams above.

Kick off is at 15:00 on Sunday at the Stadio Olimpico. Coverage is on ITV and Virgin Media.

I'd be disappointed if Ireland don't have the TBP by half time and win by 40+ at the final whistle.

Key things to look out for me are more creative backplay, a more balanced kicking game and John Ryan's scrummaging.

I'm delighted for Jack Carty as well, hopefully he gets more than a cameo.

locum-motion

Is Conan injured? Thought he'd be next choice when CJS isn't available.

troyzer

locum-motion wrote: »

Is Conan injured? Thought he'd be next choice when CJS isn't available.

Apparently so.

Clegg

That's unfortunate for Conan. I thought he played well against Scotland and deserved another start against Italy.

Not a huge fan of Murphy at 8 in that backrow. He's a good player, but maybe not alongside PoM. Think we're lacking powerful carriers.

troyzer

Clegg wrote: »

That's unfortunate for Conan. I thought he played well against Scotland and deserved another start against Italy.

I don't know if he would have got one. Nordi needs some minutes in green and he's just so much more likely to be on the plane to Japan.

Dave_The_Sheep

Loving the shot they went with for the Irish team announcement on the BBC:

Stone Gossard

Delighted for Dillane, deserves a start and he and Roux should transfer well to the international stage

Sanjuro

This is going to be my first ever away game. Any tips?

troyzer

Sanjuro wrote: »

This is going to be my first ever away game. Any tips?

Bring down flares and wear a Lazio Jersey.

Sanjuro

troyzer wrote: »

Bring down flares and wear a Lazio Jersey.

Noted. Will do.

Sanjuro

Sanjuro wrote: »

This is going to be my first ever away game. Any tips?

Take your time and walk to the stadium if the weather is good. How long are you going to be in Rome?

Sanjuro

Angie Tall Shuffleboard wrote: »

Take your time and walk to the stadium if the weather is good. How long are you going to be in Rome?

Tomorrow morning til Monday evening. Not a huge amount of time. Staying round the corner from the Colliseum, so that'll be that ticked off the list immediately.

Dave_The_Sheep

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

Loving the shot they went with for the Irish team announcement on the BBC:

Feck.. is that the try line or the half way line...

mfceiling

Sanjuro wrote: »

This is going to be my first ever away game. Any tips?

It's Rome. Whatever corner you turn it's history.

crisco10

mfceiling wrote: »

It's Rome. Whatever corner you turn it's history.

Defo, and you can walk everywhere (inc the stadium). Altho we hopped on tram after match to get back to city centre. Not much else at the stadium, bar the eh stadium.

fryup

* i think any match involving Italy should be played first thing on a saturday

cause lets face it.. 9 times out of 10 there usually error strewn one sided affairs, yawnfest

anyone agree with me???

CantGetNoSleep

Anyone know a site where I'd offload two spares for this game ? (I know I can't sell here)

Dave_The_Sheep

Toutless.com

PTH2009

Badly need a BP win if we want too keep our title hopes alive

Amprodude

They will have to do a demotion job on Italy tomorrow to remind the other teams we are still around and haven't gone away.

Stone Gossard

PTH2009 wrote: »

Badly need a BP win if we want too keep our title hopes alive

After yesterday's results realistically we're coming third

Mc Love

Amprodude wrote: »

They will have to do a demotion job on Italy tomorrow to remind the other teams we are still around and haven't gone away.

But will we? Can't see it

Jump_In_Jack

Stone Gossard wrote: »

After yesterday's results realistically we're coming third

All to play for yet, blitz Italy first, then we need to beat France (a bonus point there could be significant), then depending how Wales and England go in the rest of their matches we could be in with a chance of 2nd if we can beat Wales, but 1st looks very unlikely now.

Stone Gossard

Jump_In_Jack wrote: »

All to play for yet, blitz Italy first, then we need to beat France (a bonus point there could be significant), then depending how Wales and England go in the rest of their matches we could be in with a chance of 2nd if we can beat Wales, but 1st looks very unlikely now.

England have Italy, then Scotland...and Wales have Scotland in the next round... that's 2 guaranteed wins for England...and 1 for Wales...it's between them for both first and second

Jump_In_Jack

Stone Gossard wrote: »

England have Italy, then Scotland...and Wales have Scotland in the next round... that's 2 guaranteed wins for England...and 1 for Wales...it's between them for both first and second

Wales are on 12, even a bonus win against Scotland (in Murrayfield) which is not easy, that only puts them on 17.
If Ireland win with a bonus against Italy, we’ll be on 9,
And beat France we’ll be on 13, or if we could get a bonus that’s 14.
Then the last day would be a fight for second, keep Wales to 17 points and we win we could be on 18, possibly 19 if we got a bonus, though that would be very unlikely in Cardiff.
England will surely pick up 5 against Italy, putting them on 15. They’d need a bonus point win against Scotland to get to 20, if they finish on 19 or less it is possible for Ireland to catch them, but there are a lot of possibilities to come so will have to wait and see.
It’s not impossible for Ireland to build a come-back from here, but the odds are not in our favour.

Stone Gossard

Jump_In_Jack wrote: »

Wales are on 12, even a bonus win against Scotland (in Murrayfield) which is not easy, that only puts them on 17.
If Ireland win with a bonus against Italy, we’ll be on 9,
And beat France we’ll be on 13, or if we could get a bonus that’s 14.
Then the last day would be a fight for second, keep Wales to 17 points and we win we could be on 18, possibly 19 if we got a bonus, though that would be very unlikely in Cardiff.
England will surely pick up 5 against Italy, putting them on 15. They’d need a bonus point win against Scotland to get to 20, if they finish on 19 or less it is possible for Ireland to catch them, but there are a lot of possibilities to come so will have to wait and see.
It’s not impossible for Ireland to build a come-back from here, but the odds are not in our favour.

Mathematically we can win the championship...the reality is, we won't...at this point I don't see us beating Wales, look would love if we pinched second... but everything is against us right now

https://twitter.com/karlcarpo/status/1099428926068310017?s=21

Thrashssacre

[Deleted User] wrote: »

https://twitter.com/karlcarpo/status/1099428926068310017?s=21

Waving around a wooden spoon...... brilliant!

Jump_In_Jack

Murray Kinsella’s preview, some good insight from Joe Schmidt, Kearney, and O’Mahony.
https://www.the42.ie/ireland-italy-preview-murray-sexton-4509618-Feb2019/?amp=1

FrancieBrady

Get through this without significant injury and experiment some more would satisfy me tbh.

Stopping Wales would be a good enough 6 nations in a WC year.

Amprodude

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Get through this without significant injury and experiment some more would satisfy me tbh.

Stopping Wales would be a good enough 6 nations in a WC year.

I be happy if we turned up and spoilt the party in Cardiff. We have a habit of doing that. You can ask the English that.

bilston

Deleted User wrote: »

https://twitter.com/karlcarpo/status/1099428926068310017?s=21

Lol at Andy Farrell in the background in his Northern accent just saying "f*****g lunatic"

Clegg

Ireland's Call is a terrible song, but this rendition is just the pits.

leakyboots

Tigerish defence from Earls early on, Dillane too. POM laying a marker at the breakdown early on too

lawred2

A bit sloppy to start

Clegg

Poor pass from SoB but it's still one Murray should've caught.

leakyboots

Awful lineout from Cronin

Dog Botherer

This on the radio anywhere? BBC 5 Live doesn’t work overseas apparently.

vienne86

Some really sloppy mistakes. Dreadful lineout.

Clegg

That's not all on Cronin. Timing of the jump was all wrong .

ionadnapokot

This Smacks of a team very low on confidence
This is Italy lads

Buer

leakyboots wrote: »

Awful lineout from Cronin

Throw was fine. Timing all round was off. Jumper was already on was down by time ball was at the point where it should have been caught.

FrancieBrady

Sloppy rather than nervy.

leakyboots

Sexton's touchfinders are great so far

Clegg

Sexton's line kicking has been excellent.

troyzer

Murray has been dreadful so far. Two handling errors, three if you include the dodgy pass from SOB.

mangobob

This sloppiness is doing my head in. Just 5 minutes gone and a hatful of mistakes already.

lawred2

Not very good so far

leakyboots

Great maul defence

vienne86

Ah that maul should have led to something......not a turnover.

Jordi tackled before he landed there. Not sure how Italy legally got into that position to pull the maul down.