I think today we saw flashes of how good the English backs can be with an assertive 9 and when they are allowed to play a little rugby.
Also, Sexton and DOC for France. Not bothered on Earls/Trimble.
Was doing a bit of a nixer today so only saw bits and pieces of this. Great pass from ROG in build up to first try and also a touch of BOD class. TOL looked slow and indecisive as always. Atmosphere seemed spine tingling 
decent opening 10 minutes here
Chris Paterson 
world class :ph34r:
Its going to be tough in Paris on Saturday. French front five could really do a job on the Irish pack.
Hopefully Kidney will have the courage to make the brave calls and select the correct personnel. Following is the team that should start:
- Rob Kearney
- Tommy Bowe
- Drico
- Paddy Wallace
- Andrew Trimble
- Jonathan Sexton
- Eoin Reddan
- Cian Healy
- Rory Best
- John Hayes
- Leo Cullen
- Paul O’Connell
- Stephen Ferris
- David Wallace
- Jamie Heaslip
The crucial call will be at fly half. O’Gara has routinely failed in Paris and we need Sexton for his size, defence and ability to make breaks. I think he can match O’Gara’s tactical kicking game too.
Eoin Reddan has been utterly horrible this season. He shouldn’t even be on the bench, Boss should be.
Wouldn’t disagree too much with that team but I can’t see Reddan starting in Paris, granted O’Leary is slow off the mark with his passing but he is far better than Reddan at pretty much every other aspect of play and I would say that Kidney sees him as a nailed on starter these days…Wouldn’t mind seeing Wallace at 12 for a bit more creativity and a passing option but I would say that D’arcy will be retained as the two french centres are massive and he will be needed defensively…Cullen should keep his place, did his chances no harm at the weekend with a decent shift, was excellent in the line out, he needs to up his work rate a bit more in the lose to keep the spot full time…
The lazy consensus seems to be that O’Gara played well yesterday. Is kicking a few handy penalties and failing to get a backline moving against a hopeless Italian team the barometer for playing well?
Seems to be
Although he wasn’t well served by O’Leary who is a chronic passer
Reddan would be a much better bet at 9, at least he can manage to pass the ball accurately and quickly, something TOL seems unable to do.
Ye guys…
Reddan would not have scored the try that O’Leary scored yesterday. He’s not playing well enough to warrant a starting place. ROG played his best game in Croke Park in about 3 years I thought. The bit of pressure has done him no harm. Fairly awful game. A win is a win is a win.
Yeah as much as Sexton was in pole position after the November internationals, ROG took it back yesterday. Wasn’t spectacular but didn’t have to be and played a game time designed to get a win, not to beat a bookies spread.
O’Leary did some fine things I thought. I was more disappointed with him after South Africa for example. He wasn’t spectacular yesterday and some of his passing was far too slow but he mixed it well, kicked well (which he doesn’t always do) and did attack well from the fringes.
<_<
No one that has watched Reddan play over the last few months would suggest he should start. And Tomas moved the ball quickly enough when the ball came out fast out of the ruck.
Is TOL the worst Irish scrum half since Chris Saverimutto?
TOL cant pass the ball well off either side. He has two weak sides so to speak. Also very slow getting the ball out of the rucks and is generally ponderous.
You’re having a laugh. An unspectacular performance against a p*ss poor Italian team wins back poll position? Sexton is operating on a different level to O’Gara.
Leo Cullen had a great game I thought. This bollox about O Callaghan & O Connell having a great relationship will have to be stopped. The better player should be selected.
Tomas O’Leary’s inability to pass the ball is scary. It just shows how little talent is nessecary to play Rugby at the highest standard.
The Bull Hayes did the sum total of nothing during open play on Saturday. I think its a fair comment to make that if some 22/23 year old coming through is able to survive in the scrum and do good ‘lifting’ in the line out there is an Irish International career ahead of him.
There isn’t too many lads that can push and lift though tipper. I know a few good pushers and a few good lifters, but good at pushing [size=“5”]and [/size]lifting those fellas are impossible to find.