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

[the plastic paddy]

It appears SOB has escaped being cited:
http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/111671
All that is appearing in the news today is 2 citings for Scotland (Ross Ford and Jonny Gray) and a warning for Pocock.
SOB escapes by the skin of his teeth (or fist)

Not yet Seanie hasn't. Still a few hours to go I would say.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Not yet Seanie hasn't. Still a few hours to go I would say.

If Pocock was given a warning, can't imagine O'Brien would get much more, especially since he hit with an open hand.

Still, I wouldn't want to be hit by Sean O'Brien's open hand.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I'm not going to offer much in the way of analysis, but I can say that last night was the most i fun I've ever had a game of rugby. I was there in my French jersey surrounded by Irishmen and enjoyed it immensely. Great banter, many rounds of drinks bought for each other and the most electric atmosphere I can remember at a test match. I can't imagine a better occasion that doesn't involve the Wallabies winning a major trophy.

 

[BabyBlueElephant]

I'm not going to offer much in the way of analysis, but I can say that last night was the most i fun I've ever had a game of rugby. I was there in my French jersey surrounded by Irishmen and enjoyed it immensely. Great banter, many rounds of drinks bought for each other and the most electric atmosphere I can remember at a test match. I can't imagine a better occasion that doesn't involve the Wallabies winning a major trophy.

It was a fantastic occasion. The many Aussie, French, English Welsh and other Irish supporters were fantastic. Have to say the French are great fans too, they're never dull with the choice of outfits, songs and so often great grace and humour post game. They really add something to the sport.

 

[mxyzptlk]

I'm not going to offer much in the way of analysis, but I can say that last night was the most i fun I've ever had a game of rugby. I was there in my French jersey surrounded by Irishmen and enjoyed it immensely. Great banter, many rounds of drinks bought for each other and the most electric atmosphere I can remember at a test match. I can't imagine a better occasion that doesn't involve the Wallabies winning a major trophy.

Whenever France plays Ireland, or one of the provinces goes to someplace like Clermont or Toulon, the word is the fans from both sides always have a good time together and end up drinking and singing together after the games. I'm on a different continent so can't experience that, but it sounds fantastic.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Totally agree. I was at NZ v France in the pool stages in 2011 and the French fans were fantastic, hence the reason why I targeted this game. A great time had by all.

The RWC is truly the greatest sporting event in the world.

 

[Alex]

Looks like Seanie did get cited. I just looked at a frame by frame and unless he has no fingers it unfortunately doesn't look much like an open palm to me? Bosch also cited for a tackle it seems.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Looks like Seanie did get cited. I just looked at a frame by frame and unless he has no fingers it unfortunately doesn't look much like an open palm to me? Bosch also cited for a tackle it seems.

Yep, cited. I'll leave the frame-by-frame stuff to the judiciary, but on the reverse angle, it looks like he has an open hand. (And he has blunt, club-like hands.)

 

[the plastic paddy]

Looks like Seanie did get cited. I just looked at a frame by frame and unless he has no fingers it unfortunately doesn't look much like an open palm to me? Bosch also cited for a tackle it seems.

Open hand or not is a red herring. Praying for a week.

 

[mxyzptlk]

I just looked at a frame by frame and unless he has no fingers it unfortunately doesn't look much like an open palm to me?

Here you go -- fingers are out when he makes contact. Thick, stubby fingers, to be sure, but fingers are out, not a fist.

But that doesn't mean he didn't hit him.

 

[BabyBlueElephant]

Here you go -- fingers are out when he makes contact. Thick, stubby fingers, to be sure, but fingers are out, not a fist.

But that doesn't mean he didn't hit him.

Citing office is only a bus ride away from me. If I can raise a bit of money I'll print that off in A1 paper snd cover the whole building in it before the hearing.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Citing office is only a bus ride away from me. If I can raise a bit of money I'll print that off in A1 paper snd cover the whole building in it before the hearing.

It was in The Sun, so you may be able to find a copy.

 

[Cardiffblue]

Yep, knee.

Bugger

 

[Cardiffblue]

Looks like Seanie did get cited. I just looked at a frame by frame and unless he has no fingers it unfortunately doesn't look much like an open palm to me? Bosch also cited for a tackle it seems.

Grey and ford cited. Scotland are buggered. Well they always were

 

[BabyBlueElephant]

http://www.benchwarmers.ie/videos/watch-iain-henderson-ruining-le-rouxs-day/

Henderson 's dynamism and power continues to stump me.

 

[the plastic paddy]

http://www.benchwarmers.ie/videos/watch-iain-henderson-ruining-le-rouxs-day/

Henderson 's dynamism and power continues to stump me.

Massive legs and Arse. Also highly intelligent and a scientist to boot so probably has an understanding of levers.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Did bloody well under the circumstances didn't he.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Whenever France plays Ireland, or one of the provinces goes to someplace like Clermont or Toulon, the word is the fans from both sides always have a good time together and end up drinking and singing together after the games. I'm on a different continent so can't experience that, but it sounds fantastic.

You need to experience it at least once my friend. You won't regret it.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Massive legs and Arse. Also highly intelligent and a scientist to boot so probably has an understanding of levers.

 

[mxyzptlk]

http://www.benchwarmers.ie/videos/watch-iain-henderson-ruining-le-rouxs-day/

Henderson 's dynamism and power continues to stump me.

I was just skimming over the game again, and a couple things like that really stood out.

For one, almost all of them had great body position when they went into contact. None of them were too upright, they kept their base (hips) under them, and chopped their legs. Even Toner -- even Toner.

Keet was a lot more effective than many might have realized. He was very busy and physical at the rucks. Around the 14th minute, he cleans Slimani a meter out of a ruck on his own. About five minutes after that, Henshaw is carrying and gets hit by Pape and Bastareaud; Earls flies into that ruck and takes Pape about a meter past Henshaw, giving him plenty of space to present the ball.

Trevor Hogan is also imploring people to go back and watch Henshaw in that fifteen-minute period from around when O'Connell gets hurt and then into the second half around Kearney's try. A lot of it isn't flashy work, but he's comparing it to as being as influential a performance as O'Driscoll's star performance in Paris when he was young. When Ireland are down to 14 (no POC), Henshaw ups his workrate and gets the turnover from Chouly. That secures the rest of the first half for Ireland. In the second half, a lot of his work leads up to Kearney's try; he steps Bastareaud at one point to make a break, and then beat two more French defenders to get the ball out wide to Bowe, which led to the lineout. Off the lineout he took an against-the-grain line to carry the ball over the gain line, and it's off that they get the scrum. Off that scrum, it's his quick inside pass to Bowe in a backs play that sets up the phases leading to Kearney's try, and in the middle of that he also gets a leech onto O'Brien to get him over the gain line.

And I thought I must have hallucinated it, but nope -- at 46:50, Heaslip clears three French forwards off a ruck on his own, toppling them all over a la SOB in the 6N, and that leads to a turnover. It wasn't quite as explosive as O'Brien's, but it was good enough.