France v Ireland 8pm Freeday Feb 2 24 rte two.

This is it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714396#Comment_121714396

There's no point. Talking shyte before the match, during the march, and after the match.

ujjjjjjjjj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714378#Comment_121714378

Okay, we will agree to disagree. Frawley plays flatter to the line that Crowley and Harry at times too. Sam P looks like he has been watching Sexton for years and is very flat and rifles Sexton esq passes across the line flat. Ross Byrne on the other hand deeper and more like Crowley, more of a shuffler. What Crowley appears to have in spades is confidence and not easily phased after several mistakes. Flatness needs a superb rifle pass to put players into those gaps. Not sure if I have seen it from Crowley. That to me is the gold standard for a modern 10. Would love to see more of it from him and perhaps we will. Time will tell. The kicking can only improve. Hopefully it all works and ultimately I suppose we aint in a bad place , we could have few 10's coming through.

Clareman

Lads, lets get a little bit realistic, first game in the 6N is always hit or miss for teams, we hit, France missed. Cards had a huge impact on the game, France being down a second row for most of the game made out line out a lot easier.

Crowley didn't look too out of place, no more so than RoG or Johnny when they started, but neither of them started their first 6 Nations game in France when they were expected to win

flatface

Lots of great performances today, I think Lowe was so important, he did some immense kicks gaining huge possession from the start to pin back the French and sap their efforts. Winning the kick battle is key to winning big games.

Ardillaun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714135#Comment_121714135

The French team seemed to agree with them: yes we are merde but life is meaningless anyway. I didn’t see any righteous yelling among them to rally the troops.

Clegg

Dupont is in a class of his own, but after that JGP deserves to be talked about as one of the world's best 9's. His speed to the ruck and ability to play what's in front of him is so crucial to how Ireland plays.

https://twitter.com/ek_rugby/status/1753550843326996834?t=A07uZQzX2nW6C3fLztojDg&s=09

aloooof

Bundee, McCarthy and Beirne the stands out for me 2nite. JGP too deserves a mention, absolute wheels and workrate from him, even if the occasional decision is off.

Lowe showing how much he's improved his defence and decision making with a huge moment. And Keenan peripheral, but typically exceptional whenever he was called upon.

Thought Nash went well too, and great to see significant improvements at lineout time. The scrum continues to be a bit of a worry tho.

France were really bad, but the most encouraging thing is still seeing the attack functioning really well. We scored 38 points, won by our biggest ever margin vs France and weren't at out best. That's huge.

Liam O

I'm not the biggest rugby fan but what is the problem people have with Nash? He seems quite clinical?

Clegg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714455#Comment_121714455

Does anyone have a problem with Nash. He's solid under the high ball, has a high workrate and make metres in contact frequently.

He doesn't have the game breaking ability of Lowe or Hansen, but in terms of a replacement for either he is ideal.

This is it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714455#Comment_121714455

I'm not sure there is a problem? You'd have Mack to start when fit but Nash went well tonight, I'd have no issue with him tonight

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714429#Comment_121714429

If anything, Sexton played deeper in latter years, around layered runners and making decisions late. He wasn't particularly flat at all, but it didn't matter as the attack was built around him. He certainly wasn't as flat as Crowley has played for Munster.

Of all those you've mentioned, Crowley has the most significant running threat. He's looking to make the break way more than the others you've mentioned. He even got the pass away late and took a hit in the lead up to both the Beirne try, and a phase or 2 before the JGP try 2nite, iirc.

Frawley is closest to him in that regard, in mind my. We can agree to disagree, but I don't think it's particularly close, tbh.

phog

Best win ever.

https://twitter.com/OptaJonny/status/1753547075357130781?t=x4ojeAoGJZMITMow4QMXfA&s=19

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714293#Comment_121714293

Say it again!

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714384#Comment_121714384

Completely disrupted their lineouts in the critical zone. They got no decent platform of them.

Dubinusa

Keenan is quietly becoming the best back on the team. Very solid game, again.

Critiquing players is fine. Yes Crowley had errors. They didn't bother him and that's why I think he's going to be our 10.

Clareman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714478#Comment_121714478

You can't compare a 36+ player to a 24 player, opposition knew where Johnny was going to be, they knew his concussion history, they knew everything about him but they couldn't ignore him so he always held a defender, it takes a lot of caps to get that kind of attention.

conncussed

Overall I was very happy with Crowley. He made a few errors but they were in areas of his game that are normally good so he should be able to cut them out. He also balanced his decisions reasonably well and avoided the attack being too focussed on him taking the ball to the line. For someone with so few International starts / minutes I think he's shown that he's clearly our best option at outhalf right now.

Clegg

I've watched the Willemse hit on Porter again and I can't for the life of me understand how it wasn't a straight red and how the bunker decided it wasn't worthy of upgrading from yellow to red.

Willemse was never once legal in how he was making the tackle. Porter dipped, but it was still a no arms hit with the shoulder directly to the head.

Also, Porter probably shouldn't have been allowed back on the pitch. Right after the hit, POM won a turnover at the breakdown. You could see Porter struggle to his feet then immediately fall back to his knees after the pen was awarded.

ersatz

Great performance all around. The most impressive thing for me about Crowley was how he bounced back from his mistakes with a smile on his face. He plays with a huge amount of confidence and his errors were the kind that coaching can address readily. Tactically Ireland put on a splendid show tonight, Farrell created a game plan to suit a new ten to a tee and the team executed with perfection. First half not a lot of our passing patterns stuck but the forwards were immense with short carries and passes, it honestly made the night easy enough for Crowley and Bundee. A word for Keenan too, he is a brilliant defensive reader and tackler, nothing got by tonight. Scary for the other teams that there is a lot that can be improved and if we get better with each game it could be a very dominant 6 nations for Ireland.

blackcard

Playing away from home v France. Given their playing population against ours. Given their professional set up against ours. Officials decisions favoured France. We had a far from perfect game. We stuffed them. Happy days

conncussed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714560#Comment_121714560

I totally agree about the first hit on Porter. He shoulder charged with an arm tucked when he knew Porter had to go low to make a legal tackle on Jalibert. I can't see how he expected to do something legal there. It'll be interesting to see if the citing officer requests that the Porter hit be reviewed as well as the second hit on Doris.

If I his coach I'd be seriously considering whether I'd select him again. Not for making an individual bad hit, but for being so braindead as to make a second bad hit 30 minutes into a game when you already know you'd dodged a bullet and will have the referee watching you carefully.

Zak Flaps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714323#Comment_121714323

As someone who has started watching rugby more than I used to and enjoying it, I do feel it's very complicated and there are so many rules I don't know. Half the time when the ref blows his whistle for something, I don't know what exactly it's for. Especially stuff involved in the scrum and the rucks. I think I'll try to find a youtube video that can explain some stuff. (i find it easier to learn stuff from seeing/hearing rather than reading)

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714313#Comment_121714313

There were very few scrums and as always Antonio faded, so his opportunities to force his advantage were limited.

he always fades, The french subs came on and won a big penalty. The scrum was the only part of their play that kept them in it.

Lord Palmerston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714696#Comment_121714696

There were so absolutely baffling decisions in that game yesterday.

Dickson gave a penalty against Porter on 34 mins where Ollivon tripped over Porter when arriving to a ruck, but Porter had been one of the tacklers, and I’ve absolutely no idea what Porter is supposed to have done wrong or could have done differently.

He didn’t review the Danty deliberate knock on despite being implored to by POM.

The decision against Crowley (who was competing for and actually got the ball) was outrageous.

The first decision above (Porter) directly led to Penaud’s try and the Crowley decision led to Gabrillagues try.

On that second French try - the touch judge was way too assertive in his view a try had been scored, when it was plainly obvious then on multiple replays it hadn’t.

The refereeing team as a collective also bottled the first obvious red for Willemse.

We’re fortunate it wasn’t decisive last night, but it’s not good enough.

swiwi_

Very good win for Ireland - but how poor were France, especially in the first half? I'd say the Irish GS triumph is on, not sure any other team can stop Ireland. Farrell really is an excellent coach - team hasn't missed a beat, despite personnel changes. Surely there must be another LH bench prop available - Healy was great back in the day, but don't think he's really up to it these days.

I absolutely hate all the bunker, TMO etc stoppages these days. This was the first game of rugby I've watched since the RWC - my interest has plummeted. I've been watching a heap of EP soccer, and I'm much more interested in Arsenal vs Liverpool than today's 6N fixtures. And this is coming from someone who has lived and breathed rugby since my young childhood. I honestly think if I hadn't followed rugby all my life, I wouldn't now suddenly take up an interest.

Anyway, a very good start for Ireland - McCarthy is a real find - he has genuine bulk which has often been the missing ingredient in Irish second rows.

Edit: Not to be a dripping tap, but - we all agree head contact is a problem. World Rugby decided to tackle the issue (bdum tish) by carding all head contact - accidental or intentional. Red cards have gone from punishing deliberate foul play (punch, gouge, headbutt etc) to a form of stick designed to get players to tackle lower. It patently is a failure: the last 2 matchs I've watched (the RWC final, game yesterday) have had 1 red card, 1 yellow card and 2 yellow cards = red card for head contact. Don't think Kolisi and Cane deliberately set out to contact the head, and Willemse had poor technique. But it's not working. Still just as much head contact IMO as 24 months ago. IMO they need to radically change the laws, rather than keep hoping cards will protect players heads.

pickarooney

If you hate all of the stoppages, TMO and bunker review, what exactly do you want? Fast game, slow game, let it flow and screw player safety?

I know you don't want cards, so is it just a grumbly old man complaint of 'game's gone soft' and let it be a free for all?

I see some South African competition is bringing in rules where not only do tacklers have to get properly low but ball carriers can't lead with the head or dip into contact. Interested to see how it works.

pickarooney

I think about 40% of posts were whingeing about the ref during an absolute rout. Pathetic stuff, just enjoy the game, FFS.

typhoony

I thought it was very smart of Doris as the standin captain when we got a free kick from a scrum instead of going for a reset he asked Crowley to do a Garryowen, the French player subsequently knocked it on. That right there is captain material decision making from Doris.

StevenToast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714801#Comment_121714801

That was just common sense...Ireland were getting dìcked in the scrums so no point in going for that option...

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714794#Comment_121714794

Ref and his officials did not have a good game. As Lord Palmerston post below. Yabit was a rout but the ref kept France in it for longer than they should have been.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714789#Comment_121714789

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714768#Comment_121714768

It's was said last night o. TV tgat all tge French coaching staff have been changed except the scrum coach it must have impacted there game.