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

prawnsambo · 07-02-2018 05:14PM

That second signpost always says five kilometres though.

NollagShona · 07-02-2018 05:16PM

Is this thread STILL going?

Sangre · 07-02-2018 05:18PM

NollagShona wrote: »

Is this thread STILL going?

But we're only at 35 phases of sh*posting! Still a few more to go.

Jack Kanoff · 07-02-2018 05:58PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Nah. Murray is the best 9 by a country mile and Sexton is the best 10. Furlong is the best 3 by a significant margin.

Stander maybe the best 8 but it's close. He's certainly not the best 8 at club level but may have the robustness and attitude that makes him that bit more top shelf at international level. If he got injured tomorrow and Conan played the remainder of the tournament, he could well have a job to get the 8 jersey back if Conan translates club form to International level.

Jordi Murphy plays 8 up in Ulster any great amount and who knows, he may sneak it!

There's at least 5km to 8miles of a difference... he's in the same bracket as Sexton according to Joe...#undroppable

Neil3030 · 07-02-2018 05:59PM

Jack Kanoff wrote: »

There's at least 5km to 8miles of a difference... he's in the same bracket as Sexton according to Joe...#undroppable

Did Schmidt actually say Stander is as important to the side as Sexton?

mfceiling · 07-02-2018 06:03PM

NollagShona wrote: »

Is this thread STILL going?

We kept it going til you got back from the game.

You were at the game right?

Jack Kanoff · 07-02-2018 06:28PM

Neil3030 wrote: »

Did Schmidt actually say Stander is as important to the side as Sexton?

Not so I can remember.... but I'd say he'll be rested this weekend for Italy game.... whether people recognise it or not, he put in a massive performance against France and this is the perfect game to rest him.... Let Conan show if he's near this level.

Neil3030 · 07-02-2018 06:32PM

Jack Kanoff wrote: »

Not so I can remember.... but I'd say he'll be rested this weekend for Italy game.... whether people recognise it or not, he put in a massive performance against France and this is the perfect game to rest him.... Let Conan show if he's near this level.

Thanks for clarifying that he is not "in the same bracket as Sexton according to Joe"!

Jack Kanoff · 07-02-2018 06:35PM

Neil3030 wrote: »

Thanks for clarifying that he is not "in the same bracket as Sexton according to Joe"!

Ah anytime if it makes you feel better about it all

prawnsambo · 07-02-2018 06:39PM

Jack Kanoff wrote: »

Ah anytime if it makes you feel better about it all

Useful to know that you were just Jack Kanoff. :pac:

NollagShona · 07-02-2018 06:44PM

mfceiling wrote: »

We kept it going til you got back from the game.

You were at the game right?

That joke is almost as stale as this thread

Faugheen · 07-02-2018 06:45PM

Jack Kanoff wrote: »

Not so I can remember.... but I'd say he'll be rested this weekend for Italy game.... whether people recognise it or not, he put in a massive performance against France and this is the perfect game to rest him.... Let Conan show if he's near this level.

Conan has proven he's one of the best 8s in Europe, the sooner you realise this the better.

Mind you you strike me as someone who thinks Heaslip was always ****.

prawnsambo · 07-02-2018 06:51PM

Faugheen wrote: »

Conan has proven he's one of the best 8s in Europe, the sooner you realise this the better.

Mind you you strike me as someone who thinks Heaslip was always ****.

Ah, let's not go there.

Jack Kanoff · 07-02-2018 06:51PM

Faugheen wrote: »

Conan has proven he's one of the best 8s in Europe, the sooner you realise this the better.

Mind you you strike me as someone who thinks Heaslip was always ****.

Well, as usual you'd be wrong..

stephen_n · 07-02-2018 07:19PM

joseywhales wrote: »

I think our team is better managed but I think they might edge it in terms of player talent.
I don't think our players are more talented than the french players.
The u-20 six nations shows me that they outperform us consistently at that level, it should be a good proxy for the talent of the players a few years later over a 10 year moving average.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Nations_Under_20s_Championship

England and France dominate the U20's on sheer size, it's often men against boys and they bully teams. Doesn't mean they have or are better players or it would transmit through to the senior game, where things level out.

Burkie1203 · 07-02-2018 09:22PM

Derek Foley is claiming sexton shohld apologise to Antoine dupont for the hia fiasco

he claims the french had zero involvement in the decision. Anyone heard any official statement on this?

NollagShona · 07-02-2018 09:27PM

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Derek Foley is claiming sexton shohld apologise to Antoine dupont for the hia fiasco

he claims the french had zero involvement in the decision. Anyone heard any official statement on this?

Who is Derek Foley???

Burkie1203 · 07-02-2018 09:27PM

NollagShona wrote: »

Who is Derek Foley???

'Journalist' for the star paper.

Burkie1203 · 07-02-2018 09:30PM

NollagShona wrote: »

Who is Derek Foley???

https://twitter.com/OnlyOneFinFoley/status/961344428567908353

gooch2k9 · 07-02-2018 09:32PM

Controversial statement to drive some traffic their way..

NollagShona · 07-02-2018 09:33PM

Burkie1203 wrote: »

'Journalist' for the star paper.

Urgh. Do they even cover rugby? I thought it was just English Football and Horses???

NollagShona · 07-02-2018 09:34PM

One F in Foley... classy...

prawnsambo · 07-02-2018 09:36PM

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Derek Foley is claiming sexton shohld apologise to Antoine dupont for the hia fiasco

he claims the french had zero involvement in the decision. Anyone heard any official statement on this?

What a plonker. They can look at the footage which shows no head impact. French players were tapping their heads and pointing to Dupont on the ground and that's where it started.

NollagShona · 07-02-2018 09:58PM

https://twitter.com/btsportrugby/status/961357457032323073

joseywhales · 07-02-2018 09:59PM

Jack Kanoff wrote: »

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Nah. Murray is the best 9 by a country mile and Sexton is the best 10. Furlong is the best 3 by a significant margin.

Stander maybe the best 8 but it's close. He's certainly not the best 8 at club level but may have the robustness and attitude that makes him that bit more top shelf at international level. If he got injured tomorrow and Conan played the remainder of the tournament, he could well have a job to get the 8 jersey back if Conan translates club form to International level.

Jordi Murphy plays 8 up in Ulster any great amount and who knows, he may sneak it!

There's at least 5km to 8miles of a difference... he's in the same bracket as Sexton according to Joe...#undroppable

I honestly think sob is the best 8 but anyway he is the best 7 and is better there so I guess it doesn't matter. If you had another great 7 you might see a battle between stander and sob for 8.

I heard someone claim he never plays well at 8 here once, I think he played once there for Ireland ,captained and may have been motm. Anyway enough of my fanboy praise.

The Rape of Lucretia · 07-02-2018 10:07PM

Joslyn Tender Sucker wrote: »

Not sure if this is tongue in cheek but you've made some weird posts about Leavy in the past, it's as if you have something personal against him. What's the craic there?

Nothing against him at all. Think he is top notch. Has moved above Jordi for me. In an all fit scenario (assuming the Heaslip retirement) I think SOB, Stander, Leavy is the best combo available to Joe these days actually. Vander on the bench.
(His stats in that nice analysis were just 'excellent', a few notches below the 'outstandingly awesome' level reached by some of his team mates in that multiphase play to end all multiphase plays. Which I am still watching several times daily by the way).

07-02-2018 10:17PM

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Derek Foley is claiming sexton shohld apologise to Antoine dupont for the hia fiasco

he claims the french had zero involvement in the decision. Anyone heard any official statement on this?

Ugh. This is one of those times when you just want to shake your head at someone. I'm surprised this wasn't a Ewan McKenna piece to be honest.

The worst thing you can do in relation to a law designed to protect players is to take advantage of it for gain. On against the head it was pointed out that the Doctor who made the call is the father of the French head physio.

It is beyond any standard of reasonable doubt that what went on in the French game was wrong. Whether it was intentional or not might be difficult to prove, but with the issues in last years tournament with France they've lost the benefit of the doubt and it's starting to look like an attempt to allow rolling subs.

Foolish nonsense from Foley, only one team from the weekend have a case to answer, the team who called 'head injury' every time one of their players had to come off with a knock.

Shefwedfan · 07-02-2018 10:20PM

Burkie1203 wrote: »

'Journalist' for the star paper.

What the f**k is the Star Paper?

prawnsambo · 07-02-2018 10:23PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Ugh. This is one of those times when you just want to shake your head at someone. I'm surprised this wasn't a Ewan McKenna piece to be honest.

The worst thing you can do in relation to a law designed to protect players is to take advantage of it for gain. On against the head it was pointed out that the Doctor who made the call is the father of the French head physio.

It is beyond any standard of reasonable doubt that what went on in the French game was wrong. Whether it was intentional or not might be difficult to prove, but with the issues in last years tournament with France they've lost the benefit of the doubt and it's starting to look like an attempt to allow rolling subs.

Foolish nonsense from Foley, only one team from the weekend have a case to answer, the team who called 'head injury' every time one of their players had to come off with a knock.

I think the whole thing started with Chavancy. He spotted Dupont on the floor and tried to get Nigel's attention, tapping his own head to indicate he thought it was a head injury. In fairness, Dupont was prone and not moving at the time. He was also trying to get the attention of the touchline medics. That's fair enough and shows great concern for a team mate. But his head tapping then spread to Nigel Owens who made a similar gesture.

I reckon that's what got people on the wrong track and why they called for a HIA. I don't think there was any nefarious carry on in it.

Burkie1203 · 07-02-2018 10:36PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Ugh. This is one of those times when you just want to shake your head at someone. I'm surprised this wasn't a Ewan McKenna piece to be honest.

The worst thing you can do in relation to a law designed to protect players is to take advantage of it for gain. On against the head it was pointed out that the Doctor who made the call is the father of the French head physio.

It is beyond any standard of reasonable doubt that what went on in the French game was wrong. Whether it was intentional or not might be difficult to prove, but with the issues in last years tournament with France they've lost the benefit of the doubt and it's starting to look like an attempt to allow rolling subs.

Foolish nonsense from Foley, only one team from the weekend have a case to answer, the team who called 'head injury' every time one of their players had to come off with a knock.

The danger is now that for fear of being accused of abuse the rules we may end up with another Florian Fritz type situation.

And if the doctor sanctioned two HIA for the french lads, was he negligent in not calling for one when VDF went down?

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

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