2012 Six Nations

Sport
501

What’s all this shit about a 9pm kick-off being to blame and they should have foreseen it - the FAI representative team and fans got on just fine in Paris with a 9pm kick-off as has everybody else that’s ever played at that time.

And we got on just fine with a 9:45PM kick-off in Estonia which is north of the Arctic circle.

In fact the whole of association football across the continent has no problem with 9pm kick-offs. The NFL has no problem playing games in December up to near midnight in places like Green Bay. - the Irish rugby supporters are are just making excuses because they’re complete fannies.

502

In the middle of a cold snap the week before over there you’d imagine they’d have the foresight to bring the game foreward an hour or two.

Generally it would be less likely to freeze in the middle of the afternoon.

503

Same team as before, was never going to change really.

504

Ireland forwards coach Gert Smal has been ruled out of the remainder of the RBS 6 Nations because of an eye condition.
He will be replaced by former Ireland international Anthony Foley, who does the same job for Munster and the Ireland Wolfhounds (‘A’ team), for the remainder of the tournament.
Foley will link up with the Ireland squad after Munster’s RaboDirect Pro12 against Cardiff tonight. Ireland face Italy in tomorrow bidding to recover from an opening day defeat to Wales.
Smal has been Ireland forwards coach since 2008.
His playing career was ended when an injury to his left eye suffered when playing for Western Province in 1993 caused his vision to be permanently impaired.
Ireland’s coaching structure has already been the subject of discussion during this year’s competition with defence coach Les Kiss and kicking coach Mark Tainton combining to coach the team’s attack.
Smal was linked with the head coaching job with South Africa. He was forwards coach under Jake White from 2004 to 2007, and won the Rugby World Cup with the Springboks.
But he brought an end to speculation in relation to that post, signing a contract with the IRFU until at least the end of the 2012/13 season at the end of January.
Commenting on the announcement, Ireland head coach Declan Kidney said: "Our hope is that Gert will make a quick recovery and that he will be back working with the squad as soon as possible. The medical advice given to us is that he needs rest and that he would not be with us for the rest of the championship.
“We felt that Anthony (Foley), as Munster and Ireland Wolfhounds forwards coach was the best person to help us out in Gert’s (Smal) absence and we are delighted that both Munster and Anthony have agreed to our request.”

505

Predicting a comfortable enough win here for us. Castrogiovanni being out is a huge bonus for us, you would expect the scrum to at least break even and the lineout to dominate. Ireland by 20+

506

By 20! I’m not so sure about that. The Italians have looked frustratingly hard to break down so far this championship. Sextons boot will pick up most of the scores I reckon.

507

Not an inch of room so far, the Italians pushing right up.

508

Stream link lads?

509

Where you watching, RTE player has it I think or try this http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcone/watchlive/

510

Aboy the kid! :clap:

511

Awful shit so far.

512

Trying to play far too much rugby in our own half

513

FFS, took the italians long enough anyway.

514

:lol: :clap:

515

Sextons game management really being called into question here

516

Good response. They’re making serious hard work of this, a few big kicks in behind the defence wouldnt go astray.

517

Martin Castrogiovanni’s hair is magnificent.

518

:rolleyes:

519

Good to see the bench being used early. Ryan and Reddan have certainly brought plenty of impetus to our play

Kearney looks very sharp today

520

D’arcy has had a decent game at 12. Has carried very well