KevinO
John Hipwell (52)
Your going for France so we don't get to kick your ass in the semi final you mean.
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RWC: IRE v FRA (POOL D) Mon 12th@2:45am
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I like to watch
David Codey (61)
I agree with you about style.
But they are good enough to strangle France without chancing their arm.
I hope all the negative teams bow out in the quarters.
They will learn nothing from it,but I'll feel better!
correct me if im wrong but, if ireland beat france and then france beat nz in the quarters we could be looking at a run of
Scotland quarters
Ireland Semi
France / SA final
Assuming we knock off wales of course.
Obviously its all a bit more difficult in the northern hemisphere, but after a rough pool that seems like a dream run to the WC final.
Scotland quarters
Ireland Semi
France / SA final
Assuming we knock off wales of course.
Obviously its all a bit more difficult in the northern hemisphere, but after a rough pool that seems like a dream run to the WC final.
qwerty51
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Because it was engineered for England.
the plastic paddy
John Solomon (38)
Don't underestimate Argentina the way they are playing, but I think Aus have a battle on their hands against Wales. Aus looked very good against England but, trust me, England were even worse than I thought they would be; they could have been stood at the wall all night and no piss would have come out such was the extent of their stage fright.
Cardiffblue
Jim Lenehan (48)
No team sheets for this one either? Ireland have been a class outfit for years. France are a rabble that can put one game together occasionally. Just hope it's not this one. Don't think Schmidt will play the box kick game this time. Time for Ireland to give France plan b
Cardiffblue
Jim Lenehan (48)
Think there's only one easy game in that route
mxyzptlk
Colin Windon (37)
A folkism?
mxyzptlk
Colin Windon (37)
The French squad are taking some media swings at Sexton, including some of his former Racing Metro teammates. Apparently they didn't like being told what to do on the field by the notoriously irascible fly half, and didn't think he was nice enough. One player called Sexton the Zlatan Ibrahimovic of rugby, which left some Irish players bemused -- Sexton can be a hot-head, but he's hardly a flaming egomaniac. Besides, the French club scene tends to use the scrum half as the on-field general over the fly half, which makes you wonder why they would bring someone like Sexton over in the first place.
But anyway, it was never a good fit, and the French are turning that history into fightin' words. They want to make him pay, and think they can get under his skin if they pressure him (which -- wouldn't you do that in any case?). So expect to see Bastareaud try to send Sexton off with a concussion some time in the first half, and Sexton probably trying to meet Bastareaud head-on.
The French are really raising some stakes for themselves by speaking out like this. Sure, they're capable to dominating any team on their day, or going absent in the middle of a phase. But they're layering on some unnecessary pressure on themselves with this call-out. And if it comes down to the mental strength of their respective fly halves, no doubt Ireland are willing to test that.
So it sounds like it's going to come down to a game of collision and ruck dominance. Maybe Papé will try to bust his knee off in someone's back again. Oh joy. #BlameBurgess #ThanksObama
I'll just leave this here again.
But anyway, it was never a good fit, and the French are turning that history into fightin' words. They want to make him pay, and think they can get under his skin if they pressure him (which -- wouldn't you do that in any case?). So expect to see Bastareaud try to send Sexton off with a concussion some time in the first half, and Sexton probably trying to meet Bastareaud head-on.
The French are really raising some stakes for themselves by speaking out like this. Sure, they're capable to dominating any team on their day, or going absent in the middle of a phase. But they're layering on some unnecessary pressure on themselves with this call-out. And if it comes down to the mental strength of their respective fly halves, no doubt Ireland are willing to test that.
So it sounds like it's going to come down to a game of collision and ruck dominance. Maybe Papé will try to bust his knee off in someone's back again. Oh joy. #BlameBurgess #ThanksObama
I'll just leave this here again.
The_Brown_Hornet
John Eales (66)
I think if Ireland are serious contenders at this tournament then they really need to put France to the sword. I think they're a quality outfit but haven't really hit top gear yet or anything like it. This match should be a decent barometer of where they're at in terms of their credentials for going a long way.
mxyzptlk
Colin Windon (37)
Pretty much feel the same way. Ireland can unleash hell, but tend to only when necessary. (Heard something similar about Tim Horan -- that he'd only run as fast as he needed to.)
If Ireland doesn't let it all go and try to bury France in this game, they likely won't be anywhere near ready for the quarterfinals. Facing Argentina in the Pumas current form, or New Zealand in any form, are not good prospects when a team isn't clicking.
Relance
Herbert Moran (7)
Wow, that article is quite a load of crap, trying to stir the pot with hearsay.
Where have you seen the French "speaking out like this"? The only French player who's talked about Sexton so far is Eddy Ben Arous, who vaunted his kicking game and game management and said they would target him "because he's the key player in their team"...
Now, let's get real: Sexton had maybe one great game and 3-4 good games in 2 years at Racing Metro, otherwise it was ho hum at best. Not exactly the kind of contribution you'd expect from the supposedly best NH flyhalf. The game plan might not have suited him, but as average a 10 as Benjamin Dambielle dealt with it better. The scrumhalf general argument didn't seem to bother countless 10s plying their trade in the Top 14 and organizing the game very well without their 9.
I really hope we don't use the same rubbish tactic of trying to knock out Sexton with Bastareaud crashing it, it didn't work at all in the last game, besides showing how clueless we were in attack.
Where have you seen the French "speaking out like this"? The only French player who's talked about Sexton so far is Eddy Ben Arous, who vaunted his kicking game and game management and said they would target him "because he's the key player in their team"...
Now, let's get real: Sexton had maybe one great game and 3-4 good games in 2 years at Racing Metro, otherwise it was ho hum at best. Not exactly the kind of contribution you'd expect from the supposedly best NH flyhalf. The game plan might not have suited him, but as average a 10 as Benjamin Dambielle dealt with it better. The scrumhalf general argument didn't seem to bother countless 10s plying their trade in the Top 14 and organizing the game very well without their 9.
I really hope we don't use the same rubbish tactic of trying to knock out Sexton with Bastareaud crashing it, it didn't work at all in the last game, besides showing how clueless we were in attack.
mxyzptlk
Colin Windon (37)
That article was in Midi Olympique. I don't really speak French, nor do I subscribe. Any chance you could see/verify it? I've only seen one French speaker say it was on the up and up, but that was just a random commenter. (As are we, but at least we've seen each other's posts before.)
I watched maybe a third of Sexton's games at Racing, and didn't see the kind of organization he had going in Ireland. Nothing like the backline and strike plays he set up with Leinster. (Most of their play-off games I watched were completely frustrating.) And I don't watch enough Top 14 to know first-hand if it is in fact the 10's running the show at other teams, or if it's the 9's -- but from what I've seen, scrum halves tend to have larger roles. Maybe it was a cultural thing; the point was that the RM team didn't respond to how Sexton wanted to direct them, which just irritated him, and Sexton didn't adapt well to how they played.* It'll be interesting to see how they go with Dan Carter. Funny that the most cosmopolitan French team, Toulon, is the one that succeeds with the strongest 10's (which I know will include Michalak this season, but will also have Tom Taylor coming from structure-strong Canterbury in New Zealand).
To be honest, after Murray's last game, I'd be more concerned with how Parra will play, if he's starting. He's assertive and can get his forwards rolling. Last game, that was not Murray. I'd almost rather see Reddan at scrum half if that's how Murray's going to play.
* (That's something I've heard Bernard Jackman talk about with Grenoble; it's a different attitude than what a lot of Irish and British players are used to, which is more about structure and organization and less reliant on individual ability and fervor to make a play work. Jamie Roberts too. Jackman's said his players have teased him about his Anglo-Saxon mindset, but that's also a mindset the club wanted to introduce, which is why they gave him the job -- to be a coach that can find the sweet spot between those two positions and make the best of their comparatively limited resources. Plus its probably good for Jackman to learn the different approaches to coaching he's picking up at Grenoble. Same with O'Gara at Racing Metro. Both of them seem pretty content with where they're at.)
Cardiffblue
Jim Lenehan (48)
But at least they're saying something! The silence from Wales and Australia is killing me.
Don't get France when it comes to #10. Surely they can see that when Michelak fires, France play well. When #10 fails then their game falls apart. Wracking my brains to think of a French outside half who could be classified as world class - haven't come up with a name, even from the glory years, Skrela, Lacroix were the only ones I could remember as good but even then it was the outside backs that shone
Cardiffblue
Jim Lenehan (48)
I'll just leave this here again.
Now that's what I call a clean out!
mxyzptlk
Colin Windon (37)
He uses his arms and everything.
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