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RWC: IRE v FRA (POOL D) Mon 12th@2:45am

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KevinO

John Hipwell (52)
So Pool D has been the group with no surprises, Ireland and France will both progress into the Quarter Finals.

This match still has a lot riding on it as the loser will face New Zealand.

So I like most of you want France to face New Zealand in the Quarter finals and do the rest of us a favour.
 

Dewald Nel

Cyril Towers (30)
Strange, on form Ireland have played same teams, scored more trys and had less scored against. So what form are you talking about?

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Did you see the Italy game you guys played yesterday? Otherwise, what are you talking about?
 

KevinO

John Hipwell (52)
Did you see the Italy game you guys played yesterday? Otherwise, what are you talking about?
I did,but also sore a Italian side that played there best game in w years.

I also see Ireland sitting top of Pool D not second so form is even. Its going to be a cracking game and would not go on the Italian game when we used two attacking moves with the ball all game.

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Dewald Nel

Cyril Towers (30)
I did,but also sore a Italian side that played there best game in w years.

I also see Ireland sitting top of Pool D not second so form is even. Its going to be a cracking game and would not go on the Italian game when we used two attacking moves with the ball all game.

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OK. Should be a good game then, if France decide to pitch up. Though lately they have been less unpredictable.
 

Bardon

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Ireland should beat France in this one. But over the last decade there have been many times that we should have beaten France and haven't. Given our record against NZ this game is almost a knockout game for us.

Ireland really haven't impressed me so far this RWC. I guess I'm waiting for Joe Schmidt's Ireland to play the way Joe Schmidt's Leinster did. They have the personnell to do it but so often we lack the ambition.

We've acheived a lot in recent years by backing our defence and being clinical in take the chances we do create. But we'll need more than that to make a first RWC SF.

It's not that the players have played badly it's that the game plan means we so often play within ourselves in attack. When we do need to turn it on to chase a team down I'm very worried the valve is going to be rusted shut.

It would be a pity to see such a good Ireland team flop out at the QF stages again. On form over the last few years Ireland should be at least a SF team.

Only Australia have really looked the whole package so far. But NZ are still NZ and they can beat most teams even when they're misfiring. SA have had their scare and gotten away with it. Of the NH teams Wales have looked the best so far.

It's time for Ireland to really announce their presence at this RWC.
 

Cardiffblue

Jim Lenehan (48)
On the plus side for Ireland, the ref is Nigel O'Wens. He seems to love being advised what to do by SOB shouting out 'soir, soir' all the time
 

the plastic paddy

John Solomon (38)
On the plus side for Ireland, the ref is Nigel O'Wens. He seems to love being advised what to do by SOB shouting out 'soir, soir' all the time
Whereas the Welsh pet Barnes ignores clear red card offences and manages to award a penalty in favour of a man who has collapsed a scrum because his Achilles has ruptured.
 

the plastic paddy

John Solomon (38)
Anyway, back to the game, France are massive favourites and Ireland are lucky to be in a position to be able to play them to top the group.
 

BabyBlueElephant

Darby Loudon (17)
Since the last RWC France have not beaten Ireland in four attempts. Ireland have won two 6N's while France have progressively become worse.

That said France's defence is still looks shakey, the set piece is looking average for a side their size, however: They look more ambitious in attack and they are for me, the most dangerous side at the breakdown in world rugby. Pocock and Hooper may be the best at stealing ball but France easily have six specialists on the pitch when they field their best team. Not just threats, specialists. How frustrating it is to run at the French midfield only for Bastareaud to flop on the ball and force the turnover.

All rugby logic dictates to Schmidt planning out this game in meticulous detail. France however, look them typical selves at RWC time. Could easily go either way.
 

Cardiffblue

Jim Lenehan (48)
Anyway, back to the game, France are massive favourites and Ireland are lucky to be in a position to be able to play them to top the group.

Haha. You're not gonna get anyone to believe that's what you're really thinking. Ireland are a pro outfit. France under PSA have been consistently shambolic for last 4 years
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
The thing with France at these tournaments is that the players spend so many weeks together, they can work out their own game plan irrespective of the coach. See Lievremont 2011.

Expect the French to be much better than they have been in the intervening 4 years.
 

Relance

Herbert Moran (7)
As I've said elsewhere I think Schmidt will target our wingers heavily. None of them has impressed, none of them seems safe enough under the high ball: see Grosso being shown up by his opposite number in a restart against Canada. That's why I believe he persisted with Dulin on the wing, and why we might see him again there on sunday. It also gives us a good left boot to exit our camp, and PSA loves a percentage game.

I'm sure Schmidt will have kept a few of his pivot Leinster moves up his sleeve. That's where we'll see whether our up-and-hold defence still looks shaky. Apart from the occasional pilfer by Ben Arous or Bastareaud, I expect us to stick to the pattern and prioritize realignment over breakdown work. When well-executed (usually equated with 'when we are not passive because we face a stronger team on paper than us'), that constantly refuelled wall of blue brings about weariness in the attacking team, forcing it to lose its shape, make mistakes, turn the ball over, etc.

Not sure whether I agree with Babyblueelephant on our set-piece looking average. I would rate our scrum as one of the best in the comp, and I can see Healy taking a few steps back against Slimani. Our LO is very dependent on the presence of Chouly though, who as excellent as he is there goes missing in the tight channels.

I really don't know what to expect tbh. We've become a depressingly predictable side under PSA, never losing by many but almost always losing. Yet we've got 5 consecutive wins in the bag for the first time since his appointment, our set-piece is looking stronger than it ever has (thanks to Bru), our goal-kickers are on song (thanks to "robocop" Teulet) and some of our key players are looking damn sharp - the front row, Maestri, Picamoles, Dusautoir, Michalak, Fofana.

Bring on Ireland, let's make that 4 / 4 against the paddies on the world cup stage.
 

Dewald Nel

Cyril Towers (30)
Another factor is that it will be close to a home game for Ireland in terms of support.


See, I thought that for the SA-Scotland game in Newcastle - so close to the Scottish border, it was supposed to effectively be Murrayfield-like. But that clearly wasn't the case - it was about 50-50, if not slightly in our favor.

And France is a helluva lot closer to Cardiff than South Africa is to Newcastle.
 
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