Scotland v Ireland (pre/during/post thread)

emmet02 wrote: »

Ryle Nugent is some Tit..

interviewing Stringer

"You must be delighted, first game back, Man of the Match and a Try"

Stephen Jones wrote:

Stephen Jones at Murrayfield.

THE dream lives on for Ireland after a nightmare of a match. They go to Cardiff well on course for their second Grand Slam and there is no shame in playing badly when paralysed by nerves, by the experimental law variations and by the fact that your key men were off-form, as were Ronan O’Gara, Brian O’Driscoll and several others yesterday at a wind-swept Murrayfield. And after the appalling decision of the Welsh management to field a weakened side against Italy in Rome earlier in the afternoon, Ireland can take the RBS Six Nations title even if they lose. They are not remotely in the same class as the Wales team who won the Slam last season but they may well be in the class of the declined Dragons this time around. Just like Colin Montgomerie trying to win a major championship, you do feel Ireland should be put out of their misery and claim the big one for only the second time in their history.

They were held together yesterday by the exuberance of younger players such as Rob Kearney and Stephen Ferris but they were sketchy in mid-field, where O’Gara was not himself; and there was always the anxiety that Scotland would conjure something out of nothing and snatch it away at the very end.

However, that was never likely. Scotland ran some pretty patterns, particularly in the first half, but there was a lack of conviction and belief. As an attacking machine they do not exist and the strong performances of Euan Murray, Alasdair Strokosch and the replacement Nathan Hines changed nothing. Scotland should stop talking about improving, about being near the point of critical mass. It could well be that this team and this management have gone as far as they can.

If you had just dropped in from foreign climes and watched Ireland in the first half you would have assumed they had already sealed the wooden spoon and were playing as if terrified of a complete whitewash, such was the lack of energy and momentum in their game. And indeed, Scotland were so superior up front and in terms of taking the ball through phases that Ireland were rather fortunate to keep a full team on the field as they killed the ball in rucks.

Yet Scotland, for all their effort, lacked cutting edges, just as they had lacked them for the rest of the season to date. Simon Danielli managed to slip his marker early on to continue a dangerous move but he eventually lost his footing and, apart from some meaty forward drives, we had to wait almost until the end of the half for Scotland to threaten to score again when Phil Godman fielded a stray kick ahead – one of about 2,000, it seemed – and set Thom Evans away on the counter. The breezy Glasgow Warrior took off, chipped ahead and regathered, left Ronan O’Gara standing and was only kept out by an absolutely splendid covering tackle by Tommy Bowe.

So Scotland had to rely on Chris Paterson for their points. Paterson kicked four penalties from four attempts before the interval, for a variety of offences. Ireland’s reply was three penalties by O’Gara, although it was significant that the kick which made it 12-9 came after the first real concerted Ireland attack, which at last showed Ireland bringing colleagues onto the ball at pace. It was 12-9 at half-time, with a maximum of effort and an absolute minimum of class.

During the half O’Gara became the highest points-scorer in Six Nations history and John Hayes, the prop, also beat some record or other – perhaps a new mark for standing at the side of rucks with a hand in the air.

Because of Gordon D’Arcy’s orchestrating and with some willing runners on the fringes, Ireland at last began to show some form. They scored the try that broke open the game after 51 minutes and to say it sprang from an unlikely source was putting it mildly. When Ireland won a lineout, Scotland as usual ignored Peter Stringer, just as legions of opposition have ignored him as a running threat (and with good reason), and instead closed down O’Gara. While they were doing so, Stringer had a look and found a gap that made the Grand Canyon look like a back alley. He cantered up the field and was delighted to find that Jamie Heaslip had swallowed his own sense of shock for long enough to come up in support and score. It just shows that it pays to throw in the shock play, say, once every decade.

O’Gara hit the conversion and dropped a goal soon afterwards. Going into the final quarter Ireland had a 19-12 lead. By this time Mike Blair had limped off to dampen Scotland’s spirits further and, with signs of the back play breaking down completely at that stage, and with their lack of scoring power, it was difficult to see that seven-point deficit as anything but yawning.
However, if anyone thought the new Irish authority after the Scottish desperation would then produce something with a little more credibility they were to be severely disappointed.

Scotland couldn’t get close enough for Paterson to kick his sixth penalty. If only Scotland had any kind of attacking game and any kind of self-confidence when they were close enough to come back and win, but they had the walk of a pit-bull and no attacking armoury, so it seemed.

They did encounter one attack with a long pass from Godman who then put Max Evans into space but with Evans having one eye
on O’Dris-coll he dropped the ball.

When Godman blundered in defence immediately afterwards O’Gara kicked another penalty to make it 15-22 to Ireland with only the last 10 minutes to see out.
Star man:Stephen Ferris (Ireland)

emmet02 wrote: »

Ryle Nugent is some Tit..interviewing Stringer "You must be delighted, first game back, Man of the Match and a Try"

dh0661 wrote: »

:rolleyes: Peter did try, and did very well IMO. Well done Strings.

blinding wrote: »

Luke Fitzgerald is a revelation in his maturity and decision making.
I don't think I have ever seen a young player so consistently do the right thing. He is a very clever player and it just seems to come to him as a natural.
Stephen Ferris is one tough cookie and Nathan Hines was taking a big chance trying to wind him up. Stephen did well to control himself and not concede a penalty.

outwest wrote: »

i was nearly sick after the 1st half, leamy was useless. the second half was great. wh oshould replace leany on bench if not fit, we will ahve t o play well for the full 80 mext week.
please england beat france