England v Ireland. Twickenham. Sat 9th Mar, 16:45. RTE2

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121881639#Comment_121881639

Mod: Trolling and back-seat modding.

Yeah_Right

I came here expecting to see page after page of bitching about the ref and I was pleasantly surprised. Apart from a couple of idiots early on, no one seems to have an issue with the ref.

So sorry @OldRio no entertaining post from me bitching about Irish fans bitching about the ref 😁 Do they only complain about the ref when Ireland wins? Very strange.

On the game, I thought it was a cracker. Very entertaining with a thrilling finish. Best England have played in a long time and Ireland couldn't cope. The fact Ireland were leading at the end shows how good they are. They were out played in every facet but still winning. Pretty impressive.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882756#Comment_121882756

Indeed. A humbling experience imo. Important to remember the complete disregard of England by many here and the pundits. England outplayed us.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121883597#Comment_121883597

The majority of people and pundits I have seen or heard have said England was the better team etc

So who hasn't said that?

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121883616#Comment_121883616

Pretty sure he means pre-game.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121883616#Comment_121883616

Prior to the match.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121883646#Comment_121883646

Plenty of people I talked to mentioned that we could be lined up for a fall

Im sure a number of the podcast said England could win but based on form it should be an ireland win, I think the 42 was going with that for one

Ardillaun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121871757#Comment_121871757

Maybe it was more them than us? They were dominant at the rucks which set up the attacks (and Nash was down for their first try). I think Furbank adds a lot. Steward isn’t as creative.

flatty

We will go back to type and beat Scotland comfortably in the end and, do you know what, and I NEVER thought I'd say this, it won't be half as enjoyable a game as the England one which was epic.

You'd nearly have missed the tans being a big strong brutish side in their own back yard. I hope they're the same in Dublin next year. The 6N needs as many of the teams to be excellent as possible. It's been pretty tedious recently I think at least.

I thought we played really pretty well. The English second and backrows were a combination if big, strong, aggressive, brave and for once skilful, and it's hard to match. I still think we are better and cleverer and we'll beat them in Dublin next year, but I'll look forward to it more now.

That earls lad is a proper throwback with the head of a squaddie who looks like he'd throw you through a window in some grim boozer up in northern England somewhere.

Wales are saddening tbh. They brought on a lad who has played a total of 2 hours of professional rugby, and had never started a professional game. They need to be helped. The 6 nations is rubbish when there's too many poor sides.

I'd love to see South Africa in it.

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882756#Comment_121882756

Having watched lots of bits of the game again (and again) I don't feel as dispirited today. Bitterly disappointing that the Grand Slam is gone.

Performance wise England brought a ferocity that Ireland didn't match. Plus England were able to catch and pass! They hadn't done that v Scotland.

England also capitilised with those 2 tries when Nash was down concussed and Frawley was chasing the ball concussed.

England played well but Ireland should have closed out the game. Esp. with the 6 forwards from the bench.

Interestingly it was the coaches call to the players for the end game. Which I still think was poor clock management.

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Alternatively, Murray or James Lowe could have kicked long or found touch. Easterby confirmed that the call for Murray to find touch had come from the coaches.

“Yes,” said Easterby,

“Listen, you know what, those decisions will always be reflected and hindsight’s lovely isn’t it? ‘It was the right decision because we didn’t concede.’ ‘It was the wrong decision because we did concede’.

“But we back the call. There’s a conversation between the coaches and the players and then it’s ultimately players that go, ‘okay, this is what we’re doing’.”

Noting that the inexperienced 23-year-old English replacement hooker Theo Dan had not been on long, Easterby said: “The context is, we back our lineout D to go after them, we back out defence to stop them getting to where they got to.”

But Ireland didn’t contest in the air. “Then, when they got wide we had a situation where we thought we’d held them up, They get to ground and we don’t hold them up and we don’t react accordingly when they get the ball to the edge to [Immanuel Feyi-] Waboso. It’s such fine margins. Had we kicked it long and they’d broken us and made 90m then you’d say: ‘Well, you should have put it out’. You can pick holes in every decision,” argued Easterby, not unreasonably.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/2024/03/13/conor-murray-was-following-instructions-to-clear-ball-against-england-says-easterby/

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& this was big from Tadgh Beirne. Fair play.

“We just didn’t get in the air when we should have and there was one or two where I could have got in the air and just for a split second I doubt myself and I don’t jump.

“Earlier in the campaign, I probably wasn’t doing that and I don’t know why I did it in that moment. Same with later in the game when the same thing happened for a number of us. We said at the start that we would back ourselves in defence and we will certainly be going back to that again.”

https://www.the42.ie/ireland-lineout-oconnell-6325486-Mar2024/?utm_source=shortlink

AbusesToilets

It was definitely disappointing that we didn't do after their lineout at the end, even just throwing someone up at the front. Bigger question is why we didn't keep the ball and maul before Murray kicked? Eat some clock, maybe produce a penalty. We seemed unnecessarily rushed in that moment

ionadnapokot

Exactly.

I had mistakenly thought the rep Eng loose forward was off the pitch for the Irish LO (but it was for the Eng LO)......

...but even still, try and maul at least 1 or 2meters!

Isn't that one of the advantages of picking 6 forwards? If the maul doesn't get going. Just wait!!!

Ref will then say "Use it once".

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121888101#Comment_121888101

I'd say that was the plan but IIRC Conan got upended with the ball, landed awkwardly on his neck and the carrying options behind him had to rush in to secure the ball instead of there being clean ruck ball to take on another phase.

Ben Bailey

... Conan got upended with the ball...

Tip tackle from Genge (not reviewed)

ionadnapokot

no arms tackle from Genge

and at the knees

he was a liability in the match and lucky that he didnt cost his team

Ben Bailey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121888773#Comment_121888773

Yep, involved in 2 incidents which on another day could have cost his team. His committment and energy is admirable, but he can lose control of that energy.

Clo-Clo

It is interesting to read this thread after reading the many many thread when people talk about throwing in players and not caring about the 6 nations. just focus on the World Cup etc

One loss, to a good England team, away from home, by 1 point and we have a reaction like this about the team. What would happen if ireland rolled out a load of young players and lost loads of games? would Farrell & co survive?

Even looking at this you see people talking about POC position after losing 2 lineouts 😂

Interested Observer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121889285#Comment_121889285

I was with you until the comment about the lineout. The lineout has been a huge problem for a long time. If POC isn't able to sort it then it's time to get someone in who can. He's the lineout coach, what's the point of him if the lineout is a shambles?

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121889592#Comment_121889592

You can coach it as much as you want, it's still up to the players on the pitch to implement it.. Sheehan looked to lose confidence pretty quickly, I don't think Kelleher lost any when he came on. Then you have Tadhg Beirne talking above about indecision when it came to challenging the English one.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121889592#Comment_121889592

But it hasn't, it was strong up till World Cup, ha a few wobbles, was strong again and lost 2. I was critical of the lineout during and post WC but they looked to have steadied the ship.

I wouldn't say it is a shambles at all. Not great and teams have found a weakness in the team and they need to resolve it. Also need to work out how to work with ref's in terms of closing the gap which seems to be a tactic now used by most teams against Ireland.

It still doesn't change the main point that people post on here for months about throwing the 6 nations, only working towards the WC and one loss later we see the reaction.