I really didn't see the performances over the last two weeks coming. We were pretty poor in the Six Nations barring the England win and performances in the summer tests were patchy.
What I really liked about today was that we beat New Zealand playing a style of rugby which the All Blacks would be be happy to utilise themselves. It's also a continuation of what we saw last weekend. There were fewer offloads, but the structure was the same. Lots of forwards acting as decoys and passing options to create gaps for the backs to run into.
The victory in 2018 was the best I've ever seen Ireland play with regards to accuracy and intensity. Every tackle was vicious and ruck smashed with complete legality. We squeezed them to death in that game. It was the very peak of our time under Sxhmidt. But with hindsight that plan was too taxing on the forwards and by the time the World Cup came around we had a lot of the pack over the hill and unable to continue performing to that level of excellence.
Today feels a bit different to me. We're getting more in an attacking sense from the forwards and backs. Where once we beat teams with intensity and unerring accuracy, we're now getting around them with good handling and passing ability. The intensity is still there, but we're seeing much more in an attacking sense.
I think we're not the finished article yet either. There's much room to improve in decision making and accuracy near the opposition line. We coughed up a few golden chances to score trys.
Agree, plus history has taught us that we don't want to be the finished article either in the middle of a WC cycle. We need a bit more impact throughout the 23 and that could easily have cost us.
Your point about the attritional nature of the 2018 gameplan is fair. Today at half time we had made less than 40 tackles, NZ had made 140+. No surprise that we scored 15 unanswered points in the third quarter. However the NZ bench was nearly the difference maker and that I think is an area where we can improve, and matches like next week will help develop that depth.
Also it was massive that Carbery saw that home as well today.
That was amazing to constrict All-Blacks out-of-breath.
Only us and South-Africa (once only England) are able to do that on the last 5 to 10 years
For next week. Probably won't be as many changed but the licence to do so is there.
Porter
Herring
Bealham
Henderson
Baird
Beirne
PoM
Timoney / Coombes
Murray
Carbery
Conway
McCloskey
Aki / Henshaw
Baloucoune
Larmour
Kilcoyne
Sheehan
OToole
Dillane
Conan
Casey
Byrne
Zeboooo
"It was only a friendly"
Lets all forget about the 1 match that counted
It saddens me the number of bitter cretins who flood to the rugby forums with this same line when ireland do well.
It will be impossible to explain to anyone of a certain vintage just how important chicago was, and just how heartbreaking all the close run games before that were.
I think it’s pretty clear now how much of a psychological win the Chicago game was. They lost their aura.
I firmly believe the same will happen when we win a RWC QF.
The composure and belief in our own skill to spin the ball wide, not on a pre-planned move, to capitalise on an overlap under advantage against the best team in the world and score in the corner, is something you'd rarely see from Ireland.
2 years ago, that ball would never have gone wide. It would have been up the jumper and maybe Sexton or Murray would have put up a 50:50 bomb.
This shows a real evolution form Joe's style, still with the discipline around the ruck but there's a lot more freedom with the ball and a lot more dynamism to individual play. Much of what Sexton was doing today we've seen before but we haven't seen the sort of intricacy and creativity when the ball goes further out. Keenan, Lowe and Ringrose are all making good decisions and playing with a lot of freedom, each of them played creative roles at different times today and then very few players got isolated and turned over due to the, it happened maybe once when it's generally a real risk with the sort of variety they played with.
Hats off to Catt too, he's clearly doing something right.
We've seen before that the only way to beat the ABs is to force them into mistakes through relentless pressure. It saps their confidence and takes the sting out of them. Ardie dropped a ball today, this a very rare occurance.
And a word for Carbery. He didn't do much wrong when he came on and nailed his kicks (unlike Johnny). Today will stand to him.
I thought Gibson Park was poor today. Missed 2 tackles and didn't deal with at least 2 high balls that were sent in his direction.. one that lead to a NZ try.. box kicks poor also.. still not a fan.
Hopefully Doak can get a look on soon
Apart from that I think we've had a great 2 weeks. Better than we all envisaged..
If you thought JGP had a poor game today you need to go and learn a lot about rugby
Conan is a walking meme.
Sorry I've a different opinion that you.. you must be right and have superior knowledge than me.
Nope. You have a different opinion than all the main commentators on the game.
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/ireland-29-new-zealand-20-ireland-player-ratings-1.4728256
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/ireland-player-ratings-vs-all-blacks-autumn-nations-series-rugbypass/
So maybe take a second look at the game and revise
On a serious note.
Conan surely is one of the best no.8s in the world right now?
Savea probably would be no.1. Vermuelen, Himeno and Alldritt there or there abouts too, but Conan should be right up there after the year he's had.
There are good games and there are perfect games. Did he have a perfect game, no, very few players ever do. A good game, yes in my opinion. Good speed, some great flat passes. I also think he will be eclipsed by done of the younger players soon enough but I don't know if any of the up and coming scrum halves would have performed better tbh.
JGP is better suited to the style we are playing. His tempo, quick distribution and decisions are fantastic, right now. I don't think we'd have won if Murray started.
Certainly in the conversation. Curry worth a mention too.
A sneak peak of Andy Farrell's post match speech where boards got a mention
I have no idea how someone could have watched that game and the style/tempo we played at, and how successful our approach was, and concluded JGP was poor. He should be nailed on #1 choice now at 9.
He was one of our best players I thought. Consistently excellent passing, put in some pinpoint accurate kicks too. I really don't think we would be playing the way we are without him.
Murray was a massive backward step when he came on, straight back to box kicking.
When Sexton does retire I do think we have to look seriously at Hendo as captain, he has two Lions tours under his belt, a couple of WC's and showed again yesterday he is a quality quality player
I think Henderson would be a great captain. If not him, Ringrose?
Wonder what did Joe schmidt make of it yesterday, surely impressed by our offloading game that he frowned upon, yes I think Murrays time is up, box kicking straight away with no incline to be inventive, jpg and doak are the future, as good as stander was I think conan is a way better footballer as cj was basically just a battering ram
I think Ringrose, even with the performance yesterday, is in a battle with Aki for a starting position v Henshaw
For me at the moment Hendo is the starting second row with Baird, Ryan, Beirne all fighting it out to join him
What utter nonsense. This is a high risk high reward game plan and mistakes will be part of it. Our gameplan the last 2 weeks are pretty much built for JGP over any other 9 we have IMO. A few mistakes but he did a hell of lot on the other side of the ledger which went a long way towards this win.
Henderson and Ryan is our starting 2nd row. Henshaw is the only player not in the XV yesterday who may/will force his way in for the 6n if they are all fit/available
That pack yesterday is the starting 8 for the 6n
In fairness this is what we want to move away from - guaranteed starters. This is why we failed at the world Cup. We need to pick the in form players, now this is our best 8(Beirne could also slot in with no drop). Come 6 nations it could change a lot. We need the competition for places to drive on performances
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