Ireland v England Grand Slam Decider 2023

Think you may well be right, Wilkinson who is a class analyst said exactly this on the ITV UK panel post match.

Correction to this. We've won 19 of the last 21.

One of those losses was in Eden Park, where NZ haven't lost a game in the professional era. The other was a 1 score game in the Stade de France to the ranked 2nd side in the world.

I mentioned this elsewhere too, but we've had 2 yellow cards in those 21 games. Our opponents have had 16 yellows and 7 reds. We've been unbelievably good at keeping 15 players on the pitch.

Aloof, your card analysis shows that the game, with the present rules can be played safely by the No 1 team in the world.

I'd go one further and suggest it is a part of the reason they are the No 1 team in the world.

Updated stats extrapolated from this article, but it may not be a surprise that France are the next best on the list having 3 yellows and 2 reds across their 21 games.

As far as I can tell, all other teams have double-figures for cards.

but intent should be more of a deciding factor.

You're asking a referee standing in the middle of a pitch, staring up at a big screen with 50,000 baying fans around him, to judge intent. It's not reasonable.

Intent will be a consideration at the disciplinary hearing and Steward will get the lowest ban possible (two weeks) as a result.

As someone who remembers the 'moral' victories mixed with the odd high point in the early eighties, the current situation Irish rugby is in would have seemed impossible back then. But, it was a strange game to watch on Saturday. Ireland was expected to win and they did. England played the only type of game they could to try and not be beaten and it was reasonably successful. Not pretty, but effective. I was glad to see it, as it shows that Ireland has adapted their game to deal with big physical sides who are bigger and heavier than they are, something that was beyond them until recently. The Red card, hmmm, as a former FB, I'd regard it as a cheap shot, that would have barely been penalised when I started playing, and could have been a yellow by the time I finished playing, but with the current rules, a red, based on the criteria. I don't think Stewart set out to take Keenans head off, but he did turn and protect himself at a cost to the other player. If he had tucked, turned and gone face-on, it could just as easily have been head to head contact, so not sure Keenan was coming out of it without a knock, no matter what happened. He was very exposed. I thought Doris could have been pulled off for a hia after he went head first into two English players, as he seemed to be worse for wear after it. The final worry is that Sheehan is still struggling as he seemed to be holding the arm again before he came off. Would be awful for him, if it keeps coming back.

From now to the world cup, the best scenario is that they all recover and nobody else is injured and they give it their best shot. It's quite likely a couple of teams get knocked out due to cards or injuries in the games, just hope it isn't Ireland.

Has anyone inquired as to the health of Steward and his elbow/shoulder. The lack of concern and disdain shown here for an opponents health is in poor taste. What a bunch of homers.

England has a discipline problem that they have not addressed.

Debate this red all you want but they had a dumb yellow as well in the same game and last years in the 6 nations was a clear red for hit on james ryan They had a red and a yellow in the U20’s.

England are the creators of their own problems, and they have plenty of problems without creating more