Ireland v Italy - Sunday 15:00. VM1.

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754322#Comment_121754322

He's slower with his decision making than JGP, and he takes the wrong option for a snipe too frequently imo.

Clegg

Italy were missing their best forwards through injury, but I'm still impressed with how well Ireland's pack handled Italy's. Won the majority of contacts on either side of the ball and dismantled their set piece. Special mention to Baird for disrupting their lineout frequently and to McCarthy for mullering their halfbacks.

But even with that pressure I think the Italians could have coped better. There were too many basic handling errors through dropped passes, poor offloads and miscommunication in timing their running lines. That's as poor as I've seen them play in years against us.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754361#Comment_121754361

I'm with fitz and others, and I'd go as far as saying I honestly think you have this exactly backwards tbh.

Provisional stats have Crowley with 64m off 18 carries. Harry has 5m off 3. (They are likely to change a little bit, but possibly not significantly e.g. last week he went from 31m to 28m carried).

Additionally, Crowley had 36 passes, while HB had 16. So Crowley passed 2x as often as carried, while HB passed it more then 5x as carried.

ujjjjjjjjj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754489#Comment_121754489

I am past thinking confidence will jinx us largely because everything I have seen of Wales, England and Scotland is so poor and decidedly average its going to take something quite unusual I think for any of them to get within a score of us by the end of 80 mins. Time to be more realistic as to what we are playing against atm !!

At the start of this 6 nations France away for me was it and that couldn't have gone any better. Having seen the first two weeks of this comp just can't us not slamming now barring usual multiple red card caveats !!

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754261#Comment_121754261

You know France is in the Northern Hemisphere?

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754495#Comment_121754495

McCarthy's speed in defense is unreal. He has no right to be closing down space as quickly as he does.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754531#Comment_121754531

It's not even just the speed, it's his reading as well. The hit on Garbisi in the first half was as much about him reading the pass out to him, having previously lined up the passer, as it was the linespeed. He's been excellent.

irelandrover

I didn't think McCarthy should have started against France. I thought he was too green and gave away too many stupid penalties

I was very wrong.

ulsteru20s

I don't even know how people think Byrne is that close to Crowley tbh, and I like Byrne. Byrne's big asset is knowledge of a similar system and chemistry with the players. Crowley is just a better player and would walk into the Leinster team imo.

His performance so far has exceeded my expectations handily.

ujjjjjjjjj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754503#Comment_121754503

Just watch it back. Harry's passes so often (as they are flatter) put players into space. Crowley did very little wrong today bar some kicking errors (but every 10 has these) but Harry just gives a flavour of Sexton's ability to take it flat to the line and commit defenders completely. Crowley like many 10's is more likely to slightly push back and wide.

They are different. Is Harry good enough at international level, honestly I don't know but bearing in mind the straightforward games we have ahead if I was Farrell I would start him for one if not two of the remaining games.

But Crowley had a good 50 mins so we aint in a bad place at 10.

fitz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754595#Comment_121754595

Like @aloooof said, I think you've got it totally backwards.

Squidge Rugby did a good video on our options at 10 recently, and actually suggested a similarity between Harry and Sexton too, but it was in the sense that he fits in well to a system that was built around Sexton no longer being a threat to break the line.

Crowley plays closer to the line...he's made several breaks in the first two games that he couldn't have if he played deep like you're saying he does. There's just not a huge amount of evidence of Harry being the type of player you're saying he is, and there's plenty to show Crowley is the type of player you say he isn't, imo.

pickarooney

I'm kind of baffled at this idea that Crowley doesn't play flat. What do you call running at the defender, taking contact and offloading? Or the passes to Beirne and Keenan?

fitz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754669#Comment_121754669

Or selling the defender the dummy and breaking the line himself. I don't get this not playing flat thing at all either.

This is it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754669#Comment_121754669

Exactly what I was thinking. Those breaks, getting hands free, offloading... What more can he do when carrying into contact!?

He doesn't always do it, but that's a good thing. You want the opposition guessing.

I want Harry to do well, but Crowley is our 10 right now.

ujjjjjjjjj

Crowley has pace and a step to his game. He relies on a sideways step to beat a player and then offload. Is he good at it ? yes , not bad and that is encouraging. Byrne takes the ball flat and straighter to the line entirely commits a defender and then puts a player into space. More Sexton like.

They are quite different in that regard.

I like the latter style of play as I have always thought and coached it as the most likely to get around a good defence if the lines are being run.

Is Byrne good enough at it to outweigh Crowleys talents at stepping and pace, I think he might be but we need to see more.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754724#Comment_121754724

Yearra your way off about crowley. Way off.

StevenToast

Head in the sand stuff from majority of posters....today was meaningless....Would ye be cheering if we beat portugal 36 -0....that is italys level...

Italy were simply disgraceful today...

Ireland have had harder training sessions....

The truly world class sides would be utterly ruthless and put them to the sword...put 60, 70 points on them....

Imagine what NZ would have done to that Italian side in eden park....

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754669#Comment_121754669

It's ONE single poster

ujjjjjjjjj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754753#Comment_121754753

Very constructive reply.

AdamD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754669#Comment_121754669

Isn't it just one poster saying it?

I'd say Byrne did enough today to keep his spot on the bench (maybe loses out if we go 6-2), decent 30 minutes. Crowley however looks a locked in starter.

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754756#Comment_121754756

One of these days you're going to say something interesting or positive. But probably nobody will notice.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754766#Comment_121754766

Not much else to it. Your just plain wrong.

Crowley is streets ahead of the competition, hes not put in a complete performance yet but he is sure getting closer to it every time he plays and thats on a tiny amount of starts.

compare him to Marcus Smith, who had had plenty of starts and not been able to get this level of performance. Compare him to jalibert who has vastly more experience and looks far inferior.

crowley had a bit to go, but everything he is doing is heading in the right direction.

OldRio

Is any other Nation loaded with more back row forwards than Ireland. Immense depth. Conan was outstanding today and struggles to get in the team.

Any news on Keenan?

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754169#Comment_121754169

Conan & McCloskey maybe have some hope but McC is up against Ireland's best player in Aki so he's hardly going to dislodge him. Ryan being subbed rather than McCarthy probably shows the pecking order there.

Larmour didn't do himself any favours.

blackcard

Lineout excellent.

Defence excellent

Scrum good.

Tries scored good.

Handling good.

Conversions not great.

Penalties conceded poor.

Delighted with Crowley. His goalkicking however wasn't brilliant.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754302#Comment_121754302

A little late.

Clegg

Harry Byrne was fine. Some nice flat passing to bring runners onto the ball. The cupboard is bare when it comes to back up 10's so seeing a decent cameo off the bench is encouraging.

StevenToast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754808#Comment_121754808

Interesting enough for you to reply to me anyway....I'm honoured you noticed!

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754724#Comment_121754724

If Crowley is stepping sideways, but Byrne is taking it straight, how come Crowley has significantly more metres per carry? What you're saying doesn't make sense. Yes, it's a small sample size, but imo it's relatively indicative of their plays styles (tho I would rate Harry at much better at bringing it to the line than RB).

randomname2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121754883#Comment_121754883

Hopefully JL will be released to Leinster for more game time. Looked rusty, maybe trying to force things.

Hopefully HK is okay. Would like to see clips of his and Casey's hits as they looked dubious in real time. Could have been perfectly okay, but such is the nature of real time and single angle TV broadcast .