Match preview & thread: FRA vs IRE (Sat Feb 3, 1645)

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Yeah, you're right... but we knew the answer to this problem before the game started. Move the ball before the point of contact and make it easier to generate quick ball. Don't stand there staring at the scrum half for 30 seconds while the ball is slow and then go straight to ground and get turned over (like Furlong and Murray's combination in the French 22). We've seen tons of teams overcome this problem at many different levels, we know the pathology and we know the solution.

We were not good enough today and we couldn't break down a French team who haven't won in 8 tests and who couldn't beat Japan a few months ago.

Even worse, we made 0 line breaks against a team who had a different defense coach this time two months ago.

Some people want to build up this French team so that we can feel better about ourselves, France are not good at all. Venjur talking about how committed they were is comical to me. Rugby is not a competition to see who is the most committed, some of the most committed Irish teams in history have been absolutely walloped by southern hemisphere sides. We couldn't do that to France today. We couldn't do it to Scotland last year. Whether its a mental, technical or physical problem, it needs to be addressed before 2019.

Pretty difficult conditions for shifting the ball anywhere today. Playing an offloading game today would have been suicidal. There was pretty much no way to prepare properly to play a team with a new coach and 10 new players since there last game. You are very dismissive of that French performance, which is clearly based more on previous performances, than what actually happened today. 95% success rate off 240 tackles is an amazing figure, that sort of accuracy and work rate would impede most teams. They didn’t run out of steam like normal either, that tackle rate didn’t waver right up to the drop goal. That was a far better performance by France than you are willing to give credit for, unsurprisingly.

baas baa wrote: »

Oh to be in a bar in England when that kick went over.

I was in this exact situation. I got about 20-50 handshakes/high fives/bear hugs immediately following the whistle.... honestly we give the English far more **** than they give us, luckily they seem to get that it's all in good fun :pac:

I'm torn, elated with grinding out that at hard-fought win; because I reckon the sign of a good team is winning when they have no right to. At the same time it looks like we maybe haven't learned lessons we should have from previous matches...

It's a very delicate situation but I can't see how the skulduggery at the end of the match was anything short of cheating. Dupont clearly did not have a head injury, but knew that Machenaud could not come back on unless he went off for a HIA. Owens was absolutely right to bow to the decision of the doctor(even though he clearly bought it about as much as the rest of us) and the doctor obviously needs to act with maximum protection towards the player but I don't think anybody can kid themselves into believing there's been anything but flagrant abuse of the rules here. Not sure exactlty how to address it at the moment but I'll confer with the bottom of my pint glass and get back to ye.

Flincher wrote: »

Unbelievable from Sexton to bail us (and himself in fairness) out big time. The cross field kick to Earls was nearly braver than the drop goal in some ways. People would have accepted him missing the drop goal, but he would have taken serious flack had the cross kick not panned out.

I was impressed with France's physicality in defence, but we definitely need to add a few more strings to our bow in attack if we're going to make it past a World Cup quarter final. We're so predictable once we get into the red zone. We're playing the type of rugby that might grind out another Six Nations title, but the last World Cup showed you need to score tries against good defences to compete at the business end. Even today was another lesson that we need to be able to turn possession and territory into tries.

I think Brunel will give this French team a solid backbone, they look more cohesive and the post game huddle shows a togetherness that was lacking previously. Early days I know but I think there’s a base there to build on ... as long as they don’t do anything silly or typically French.

I mean talent wise the French players are just as good in most positions. It's hardly a shock that it was a close game. It's a shock how bad France were under noves.

swiwi_ wrote: »

That is a low low blow.

“No you do the match thread Swiwi”

Meanwhile plotting behind the scenes.

I propose a truce: mods combine into 1 thread and then the match preview becomes not only a collectors item but also something you can read while sitting on the thrown with pre-match nerves.

The alternative is that I send my homies down to sort out Losty

Just off the phone to Johnny Sexton, Swiwi. He says that it was our double headed thread that inspired his drop goal :pac:

It's going to be really difficult to tackle any abuse of the HIA process, because any kind of discouragement would only deter legitimately concussed players from seeking treatment.

Like for example, I saw someone suggest on Twitter that it should be mandatory that anyone subject to HIA would have to take a week off (missing the next game, essentially), thought it seemed like a good idea on the surface, but you'd definitely find it counterproductive in the end. Don't know what the solution is.

MJohnston wrote: »

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

C'est terrible......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRFw54vUEPY

The commentator screaming that, the closeup of the crying Frenchman, the bloodied French bodies lying on the ground. That's a perfect video.

Anyone else see Guirado then smiling? A great player, I thought he knew the best of the best had won the day despite France's best efforts & even cheating

Elvisjuice wrote: »

Guilhem Guirado got motm got to love the french one eyed commentators

31 tackles and 8 from 9 line outs. A more than worthy MOTM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Some people want to build up this French team so that we can feel better about ourselves, France are not good at all. Venjur talking about how committed they were is comical to me. Rugby is not a competition to see who is the most committed, some of the most committed Irish teams in history have been absolutely walloped by southern hemisphere sides. We couldn't do that to France today. We couldn't do it to Scotland last year. Whether its a mental, technical or physical problem, it needs to be addressed before 2019.

One of the most committed Irish sides in history were minutes from beating the RWC winners in waiting despite winning zero games in the 1991 5N tournament. That Australia side were a great team and far better than that Irish side. But we were at home and the players were ready to put their bodies on the line.

Commitment is a massive part of the game and always will be. France put their bodies on the line. We lacked the quality to break that down but a huge factor in tonight was the level of physicality and determination of France. They deserve credit for that.

It was called out by multiple people beforehand that this game was going to be a bruiser and not the easy fixture that some were claiming. That was naive. We could have played better but we would have needed to play very well to beat that French team comfortably. Any team that shows that level of commitment and has that level of natural talent is going to be in with a shout.

Enjoyed this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU8_RWnT_vw