Tracey Piggot just said it’s the first time we scored three trys against France in over 100 years.
She must mean at home.
Sure Driscoll scored a hat trick against them in Paris and they scored at least 3(if not more) in 2006 in Paris…
Must be at first time at home…
O’Gara’s passing and ability to get the line moving was excellent. He’s had better kicking days though.
Smashing game of rugby football and a great effort from both sides. It’s great for D’Arcy after his injury nightmare too - very happy for the affable Gordon.
A great game alright and superb performances from O’Driscoll and Heaslip in particular.
Great to see top class players like D’arcy and Leamy coming off the bench as well.
Grand slam maybe?
They were good today in fairness. Decent game of rugby. Not a bad sport when the French are involved I suppose
9/2 the Grand Slam, could be worth a few bob, we should definietly expect to win the 3 games between now and Wales anyway.
Thought Hookie’s comment about Ireland being “powered by Munster” was extremely disinginuous in the context of some of the individual performances today.
In the main a great performance today. For the first team in ages the Irish backs looked dangerous and tries followed as a result.
Thought we were comfortably out played at half back though. O’Leary’s decision making was poor as is his step. O’Gara’s tackling was abysmal and his kicking was poor. Kearney was excellent at full back, our wings worked well and Darcy made a fine impact when introduced. Not sure if Wallace has done enough to stay in. I thought he actually tackled well. But surely if he is a second playmaker he should be more of an influence on the game. I’d start him again though the next day and leave Darcy in reserve. The pack were good with O’Connell and Heaslip to the fore. In a fine team performance one man stood out. BOD gave one of the greatest individual displays in a green jersey today and led by example. The abuse he gets is nothing but pure begrudgery. His try was individual genius.
[quote=“Sledgehammer”]
Thought Hookie’s comment about Ireland being “powered by Munster” was extremely disinginuous in the context of some of the individual performances today.[/quote]
thought the very same thing sledge. I said it to the aul lad after the game that in spite of all the shite about how great Munster are, that win today was backboned by Leinster players being to the fore, in Heaslip, Kearney, O’Driscoll and even Darcy showing his worth when he came on. And then to hear Hook going on about how much Ireland rugby needs to thank Munster for?
My thoughts exactly. O’Connell and Munster have won two ECs, no-one can take that away from them, but some of this eulogising is getting seriously tedious.
The lad that reported the game on RTE 9 o’clock news said the same also-“won in Munster fashion”.
Lads
Just back in the door from the game
Delighted we won- we did well in the second half and seemed well in control except for the period when they came back at us and got the penalty.
Good game by Heaslip, thought Kearney did well though some of his kicking was short. O Driscoll took his score well and had a few hits, also put a good kick into the corner in the second half, however he was easily turned and brushed off in the first half. Dare wriggled over to take his score really well.
I know we should be delighted but some last gasp tackling aside and some French indifference in the second half was the difference between us winning and them cutting loose on us. They seemed to run through us at will in the first half, and there were some mighty tackles that saved us. I seriously thought our goose was cooked after 25 min or so. Thought we lacked a bit of leadership in the first half that should have seen us keep the ball in the pack and away from the French. We didn’t do that though.
Half backs were poor- O leary didn’t really have much positive impact. O Gara was pretty poor. They really targeted his defence, and he was run over a few times. Didn’t think P Wallace was up to much, but I’d like to see the game again.
Anyway delighted we won but won’t be counting the slam just yet!
WBY
Harsh on O’Leary, clearly he was told to kick, kick, kick, a rather dubious tactic. Everything else he did was excellent, distribution getting better all the time.
O’ Gara as well, his passing was exceptional. He can’t tackle, but we’ve known that for years and he is a 10.
What a load of shite. Reminds me of what people used to say about Paul Scholes - ah sure he can’t tackle but he is still a class midfielder.
O’Gara’s inability to tackle means that he is less of a player. Wilkinson was a 10 as well and was a monster in the tackle.
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]What a load of shite. Reminds me of what people used to say about Paul Scholes - ah sure he can’t tackle but he is still a class midfielder.
O’Gara’s inability to tackle means that he is less of a player. Wilkinson was a 10 as well and was a monster in the tackle.[/quote]
Farmer apart from Johnny Wilkinson and Dan Carter(the two best) can you name me any other out half in the last 10 years that was a superb tackler ?..
Even the likes of Spencer. Michalek and Larkham who are class acts with ball in hand are very average defenders…
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]What a load of shite. Reminds me of what people used to say about Paul Scholes - ah sure he can’t tackle but he is still a class midfielder.
O’Gara’s inability to tackle means that he is less of a player. Wilkinson was a 10 as well and was a monster in the tackle.[/quote]
9 and 10’s usually can’t tackle. There are some exceptions, but generally must are shit defensively like O’ Gara (and Wallace for that matter).
O’Gara has been compared to Wilkinson and Carter though as being top, top class.
His inability to do one of the basic and most important aspects of rugby surely counts against him as a player.
You can’t just say - ‘ah O’Gara is a rubbish tackler but it’s alright because he is an out half’.
I know most #10s aren’t renowned for their tackling but I think he should definitely be a better tackler than what he is. He doesn’t appear to have developed/improved his tackling at all over the years.
What do people think of the Wallace/O Driscoll partnership? Wallace was largely anonymous, besdies a shit pass to Kearney’s feet and some missed tackles, but in fairness O’ Leary was kicking so much he wasn’t given much of a chance.
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]O’Gara has been compared to Wilkinson and Carter though as being top, top class.
His inability to do one of the basic and most important aspects of rugby surely counts against him as a player.
You can’t just say - ‘ah O’Gara is a rubbish tackler but it’s alright because he is an out half’.[/quote]
No one thinks this outside of Munster though. Say the above to an English or Welsh fan and they’ll laugh their asses off.
His tackling should be better, but considering his size and position, it shouldn’t suprise anyone when French center’s are steamrolling over him.
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]O’Gara has been compared to Wilkinson and Carter though as being top, top class.
His inability to do one of the basic and most important aspects of rugby surely counts against him as a player.
You can’t just say - ‘ah O’Gara is a rubbish tackler but it’s alright because he is an out half’.[/quote]
Fair enough farmer but like I said the likes of Spencer. Michelak, Giteau, Larkham etc were/are all considered world class but are/were poor defenders also…
Wilkinson(before the injuries) and Carter are in a league of their own…Especially when it comes to defence…
Pretty much every rugby team attacks the out halfs channel for the simple fact that they know it is normally the weak part of the defence…O Gara is a poor tackler, of that there is no doubt but he does try his best and puts his body on the line, unlike other Fly halves who pull out of tackles(Charlie Hodgson)…
David Humphries couldn’t tackle either