But their game plan wasn’t figured out? They completely changed thier game plan. They barely box kicked this six nations in comparison to last year’s. Murray and sexton will be fine.
You need a bit of luck with injuries. Luck deserted us lto so I’ve a feeling well be very lucky this time out.
Which came first their box kick being figured out or them stopping using it?
Them stopping using it but infairnous their personal did change. I suspect when leavy, toner and henshaw come back they’ll revert to the style of play they used v nz and the oz summer tour.
Unfortunately, the problem is I think we may make our own luck when it comes to injuries to an extent.
True I guess but what happened in 2015 was crazy.
They’ll be fine alright watching the wc on telly, you can’t bring that to a wc. Sexton is finished Murray too. The drugs story ended his career. Small window now to bring in new blood and fuck these off.
They won’t they’ll be probably lining out in the final versus new Zealand. Murray is at about 70 percent fitness. He’ll find his form in the coming weeks no doubt. Sexton was only minding himself. I’d say carberry would have started v France and Wales if he was fit.
It depends on the toughness of the game.
If you play your quarter-final eight days after a brutal final game in the pool, it’s a distinct disadvantage.
If your quarter-final comes eight days after an easy final pool game, not so much.
In 2003 Ireland suffered hugely in the quarter-final because their final two pool games were huge battles against their two main rivals, Argentina and Australia. Unsurprisingly, they had little left to give for the quarter-final, and were fodder for a French team which had coasted through its pool.
Last time Ireland had seven days rest after beating France in the final pool game. It was entirely predictable that a much fresher Argentina team would pick them off.
The fixture schedule is kinder to Ireland this time than it was in 2015, but South Africa have it even kinder.
Ireland missing that X factor in attack (copyright Gerry Thornley)
Interesting to see how Coach Schmidt and the brains trust approach the pre World Cup games.
Use them to give every player plenty of minutes or focus on trying to get a few wins.
Haven’t a hope of a final we’re going backwards at an alarming rate and everyone else has gone forwards.
That’s true I suppose.
Wales have known Gatty is leaving after the World Cup for at least a couple of years now and it isn’t affecting them.
The irony of hurling men slagging off rugby about the number of participants playing the sport is hilarious.
This is the sort of thinking which has the IRFU coining in revenue as they do. Outstanding.
Ireland have had a very bad championship, but six months is a long time in rugby.
France reached the 1999 World Cup final after losing three of their four championship games earlier that year - and they should have lost the one they won, against Ireland.
England had a disastrous championship in 2007 but ended up reaching the World Cup final.
France lost to Italy in 2011 and then lost to Tonga in the World Cup itself before reaching the final.
Hurling doesnt use terms such as best in the world or officer class. Hurling has deficiencies which are well documented. So does rugby but it just choses to ignore these and gets high on superlatives instead.
Saying x is the best in the world at rugby is exactly the same as y the best in the country at hurling.
*They’re.