errlloyd wrote: » Does the alternate not have the same problem as the last alternate? IE being almost the same colour as South Africa, the only nation we wear our alternate against?
Clegg wrote: » Would it be time to consider selecting a new captain? Sexton has a contract until 2021 so it makes sense to start the transition.
Squidgy Black wrote: » I think the lighting they chose for the photos isn't doing it any favours.
Burkie1203 wrote: » I see we are in the Army nowhttps://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/1296311247055585280?s=19
Paul Smeenus wrote: » So's Beirne, and maybe Dooley? In fairness, those injury lists mid-season wouldn't look out of place. I just thought each province might start back with something closer to the full complement of players.
aloooof wrote: » I doubt we'll ever have a better back-row quartet than Ferris, Wally, Heaslip and SOB.
Richie_Rich89 wrote: » Schmidt lost both his World Cup quarter finals more heavily than Kidney lost his. I don't think the Ferris, SOB, Heaslip backrow ever really clicked. Wallace was a huge loss. He was a better carrier against set defences than O'Brien was. The backrow that started the big win against England in that year's 6N was 6. O'Brien, 7. Wallace, 8. Heaslip. With Wallace absent, it might have been better to start an out-and-out openside like Jennings in the qf against Wales. He completely changed the game coming on for the second half against Northampton in the Euro Final earlier that year.
ionadnapokot wrote: » Just havng a little day dream here....indulge me! 2011 RWC QF Ireland 22 v 10 Wales Joe Schmidt Ireland head coach Kearney; Bowe, BOD, Dorce, Trimble; Murray, Sexton: Best, Ross; DOC, POC (c); Ferris, SOB, Heaslip Rep: Cronin, Court, Ryan, Wallace, Reddan, ROG, Earls (wing only) SF Ireland 9 v 8 France Final Ireland 8 v 7 NZ Ref: His Holiness
ionadnapokot wrote: » As Blood & Mud beautifully put it once - "Oh look, Haskell completely ****ed something up that required something other than tackling or talking ****e. What a ****ing surprise." Incomparable to Curry or Underhill
Buer wrote: » I'd say that the English pack overall is far more aggressive than ours. Vunipola wasn't playing this year against us and they still comfortably dominated us in terms of physicality. There's probably not a huge amount of difference in strength but they're more dynamic and utilise their power and size far more. Curry and Underhill aren't massive guys but they show a level of physicality that we rarely see from our flankers. They dominate top tier opposition with their combination of timing and dynamism. We rarely see an Irish back rower make the gain line hits and carries that these guys do. They also have guys like Lawes who is 115kg and can slot into the back row without missing a beat bringing extreme mobility and the same levels of aggression. Ferris is probably as close as we get to that genetic freak scenario but even he didn't have a huge number of momentum shifting moments at test level where he absolutely emptied an opposition player in possession or obliterated a ruck the way we've seen England do to us over the past 18 months.