I’d say Murray will be lucky to go unfortunatly. After Murray’s good cameo last week, he should be at least on the subs for the weekend game. Boss plays too like TOL but much worse. Murray is a different type player and one we could badly do with in NZ. Hopefully Jones takes his chance, if he does he will be on the plane. I presume they are easing Flannery back in for next week, the way he will be fully fit for the WC. I hope so anyway.
It amuses me that there’s so few countries playing rugby football that we’re facing France for the second week in a row to warm up for the ‘world’ cup.
France have aided it however by practically putting out a completely different side Bandage.
Geordam Murphy has seen the writing on the wall by the looks of his tweet last night.
The Autumn internationals traditionally took place in November, which is winter.
And today I have seen advertising posters for the ‘Guinness Summer Series’ matches over the next couple of weeks against France and England. But it’s fucking autumn.
What’s the problem with these rugby football wanker cunts?
If Murray does get in the squad he won’t play. Even if there are injuries he’d probably be overlooked for someone like Boss being flown out as a replacement I think. Unless he starts against England then he simply won’t be experienced enough to risk.
Was listening to a journo here on the radio yesterday talking about how Australia will pox it into the final, which amazingly is true, such is the paucity of decent opposition in rugby football. Giteau out, Elsom dropped as captain (was looking at his autobiog in a bookshop today, Rocky Elsom - Leader of the Wallabies. That went well). Deans has been given an extension on his contract as coach. The Wallabies look more and more like the Australian cricket team everyday.
Ireland should be able to beat this rabble, but probably won’t.
We don’t know whether South Africa are any good, as their comedian coach won’t play his first team. England are shite. France are France and may or may not actually decide to play. The All Blacks are obviously the favourites, but given their record in recent world cups and their ability to implode in them, who knows. So without any decent form, the poxy Wallabies will probably win it.
Cutting analysis there fitzy.
Thank you Kev, thats about the extent of my knowledge of Rugby, a game I gave up on pretty much a few years ago as its so utterly boring. You have to admit I’m right though when I say that the Wallabies will probably fluke the Webb Ellis (is it still called that?) trophy.
I think they’ll win it yes, but my opinion is based on some of those cliched reasons you gave, plus they have an ever improving pack and scrum along with a very dangerous backline that if they get quick ball will hurt teams.
Think it may be hard for NZ to keep up their present pace and wonder is their much more improvement in them, where more or less everyone else will improve substantially.
Are there any Rugby World Cups that aren’t recent?[quote=“Fitzy, post: 588434”]
The All Blacks are obviously the favourites, but given their record in recent world cups and their ability to implode in them, who knows. So without any decent form, the poxy Wallabies will probably win it.
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I wonder if Russia know that they’re down to play in this.
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Kiss: Just the game we needed
World Cup warm-up: Ireland Select XV 38 Connacht 3
Brendan O’Brien
Friday, August 19, 2011
NO major alarms, no serious injuries, six tries scored and none conceded.
Declan Kidney would have taken that beforehand. Back in 1999, Connacht led an Irish side 26-10 before the World Cup and only five late tries rescued national honour. Four years ago, Brian O’Driscoll suffered a broken cheekbone against Bayonne.
Happy days, then.
“That’s the type of game we were after,” said assistant coach Les Kiss. "Connacht certainly took it to us. They play that mess-up game in the ruck area. They can destroy your ball with that choke technique and we had to work hard on that because it disjointed us a fraction.
“But the discipline they showed, particularly early in the second-half, to go on and put the points on made us happy. There has been a lot of tension, I suppose you could call it, around the place not knowing where guys stand but that was admirable.”
There were no dramas. The only real injury scare was revealed before kick-off when Shane Jennings was parachuted out of the starting line-up and on to the stand-by list for Saturday’s squad because of a concern over David Wallace.
The Munster flanker fell victim to a tight hamstring strain in training on Tuesday and Kiss rated his chances as no more than 50-50 afterwards. If he fails to recover, Jennings will step straight in to the first XV. The problem is that both need game time.
It must have been a strange dressing-room beforehand with some players locked in certainties to travel to New Zealand, others already contemplating life back with their province and still more marooned in the uncertainty of no-man’s land.
Fergus McFadden was probably among the last of those three groups but the Leinster back shone brighter than any of the other 43 players who saw action in front of 3,168 patrons in Leinster’s old Donnybrook home.
McFadden had a hand in three of the half dozen tries and claimed one himself midway through the second-half. Geordan Murphy, another man existing in something of a grey area, touched down for another and gave a solid showing.
Those two aside, few of the players known to be in with a shout of selection made an indelible imprint on the game. Isaac Boss and Conor Murray both auditioned again with neither landing a knockout blow on the other in the race for the third number nine slot.
Two of the best performances were actually delivered by the centres Ian Keatley and Darren Cave, neither of whom will be holding their breath about the prospects of being handed a free ticket for the long-haul flight on August 30.
The greatest concern was undoubtedly the scrum. Twice in quick succession, the Irish front row of Tony Buckley, Sean Cronin and John Hayes popped up in the first-half. After the lineouts problems in Bordeaux, that wasn’t in the script.
“They had a discussion at half time about it and it will be ongoing,” said Kiss. “We shifted around a few things to fix it, but it will be something that we look at going forward.” Leo Cullen blamed a lack of work in that area during the week as the cause.
Whatever the cause, it is behind them now. 22 of the country’s best players played their last card last night. Three days and three restless nights await six of them although some have already heard the dreaded knock on the door.
“I think Deccie has been doing the rounds over the last while,” said Cullen. "Some are still hanging in the wings a bit. It’s a bit of a tough time. It’s such a build-up to these tournaments.
“I’ve been on the wrong end of decisions eight years ago and four years ago. You want to be going to these tournaments. It gets closer and closer, and there is always that anxiety. It has been a bit of an anxious time for guys but when the squad is announced next week you’ll see guys settling back in to our shape.”
IRELAND XV: G Murphy; J Murphy, D Cave, I Keatley, F McFadden; P Wallace, I Boss; T Buckley, S Cronin, J Hayes; M O’Driscoll, L Cullen; K McLaughlin, N Ronan, D Leamy.
Replacements: D Hurley for J Murphy (30); C Murray for Boss (48); M Horan for Hayes (51); C Henry for Ronan (60); D Ryan for Cullen (60); D Varley for Cronin (72); I Whitten for Keatley (72).
CONNACHT: T O’Halloran; M McCrea, E Griffin, H Fa’afili, B Tuohy; N O’Connor, P O’Donohue; D Rogers, A Flavin, R Ah You; M Swift, M Kearney; J Muldoon, R Ofisa, G Naoupu.
Replacements: TJ Anderson for Kearney (49); M Jarvis for O’Halloran (55); J O’Connor for Ofisa (55); E Reynecke for Rogers (64); D Buckley for Flavin (64); T O’Halloran for Tuohy (64); J Loxton for McCrea (69); D Moore for O’Donoghue (74).
Referee: P Fitzgibbon (IRFU).
Read more: http://examiner.ie/sport/kiss-just-the-game-we-needed-164760.html#ixzz1VSRW9WFz[/left][/left]
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They’re very competitive up front and at the breakdown.
Odd decision to move Jennings to the first XV I think. It will make sense if he plays but if Wallace is starting then Jennings will have missed out on 80 minutes for nothing.
[quote=“myboyblue, post: 588442”]
They’re very competitive up front and at the breakdown.[/quote]
Who was that other minnow team that caused Ireland trouble in 2007? They were on my mind yesterday. Georgia, was it?
which probably means he’s going regardless as they couldn’t fuck a guy over like that. Especially DK to a Leinster player, there would be murder.
Wallace is confirmed out. Needs a game next week or theres serious question marks.
Great work there Bandage but to be fair everyone gave Ireland problems last time out.
Have had a speculative punt on the Argies +9.5 against the Welsh at 10/11
have also had a small cut off them outright at 5.5
Important preparatory game for us in Cardiff here and one I’m expecting us to win. And Felipe puts us 3-0 up. We’re in total control at the moment.