Ireland - England @ New Landsdowne Road, Dublin (27-08-2011, 14:30 GMT)

[big ginger 8]

New Landsdowne Road, Dublin (27-08-2011, 14:30 GMT)

Big match Ireland need a win and England want to actually beat Ireland. Also IMO biggest rivarly in world Rugby so big big match. Bearing in mind the 30 man squad will already have been named here's my Ireland team.

1. Court (need to rap Healy in cotton wool in case the minor injury turns into a major one)
2. Flannery (needs to start a game and Best has had 2)
3. Ross (if we want to be competitive we need him depending on score would take him off after 50)
4. O'Callaghan
5. O'Connell
6. Ferris (see Flannery)
7. Wallace (same again)
8. Heaslip (don't really have a choice O'Brien's already played his games)
9. Reddan( barring a miracle Murray won't be here so Reddan's the best available)
10. O'Gara
11. Fitzgerald/McFadden (whoever's named Timble's had his game time)
12. Sexton (might as well see if it works would mean D'arcy started the U.S.A. match)
13. O'Driscoll (needs more gametime)
14. Bowe (same as BO'D)
15. Murphy (Keqarney's had games if Jones' injury is serious he needs a top level test)

16. Cronin
17. Horan (Buckley's more likely)
18. Ryan
19. Leamy
20. Boss
21. D'arcy
22. Fitzgerald/ McFadden

 

[JW.]

Big game, I think it's all going to come down to the breakdown and ofcourse if England can ignite the backline. England should dominate the scrum and the lineout should be even, the breakdown is were they're going to have to fight very hard and that's where the match is going to be won.

Hoping on Wilko, Flutey, Tindal (Tuilagi on at 50/60). Hope either Sharples or Monye get a run. Seeing Banahan was dreadful last match.

 

[cyRil]

IMO biggest rivarly in world Rugby so big big match.

... Hmmmm

 

[big ginger 8]

Did you watch the last match.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Pfft, impatient, couldn't wait for me to make the thread....


Also Wales vs England is biggest rivalry in the Six Nations/Northern Hemisphere/The World

 

[cardassian]

Ireland to find form, after all wasn't the last time England beat them 1966?

 

[OnTheBall]

I think McFadden should be given a go in the midfield with BOD. ROG will probably start and as long as TOL is nowhere near the team I'll be happy enough. I'd have Fitz, Bowe and Murphy in the back three and Earls on the bench for versatility. Agree with the rest really.

Hope to God that Healy's injury is as minor as they're saying. We'll need both him and Ross fit if we're in with any shout at the RWC. That said Court wasn't too bad when he came on I thought. I think people underestimate our scrum now, with Healy and Ross. We put a lot of pressure on the French yesterday and were on top against england last March until Ross came off.
Let opposition teams underestimate it all they want I say.

 

[gingergenius]

at the risk of hijacking the thread, i'd say england/ france; nz/ sa; or nz/aus just on the basis that the teams are almost always close in quality and the rivalry is intense still.

england vs *insert celtic team* is more one-way, most of the hatred is aimed at the english.

anyway, ireland need a win and england need a performance. both look like teams with some good players who underachieve.

i reckon ireland by 5.

 

[Leinster+]

agree with most selections. cronin would be best suited to the game. he has dynamism, pace, strength etc. flannery also needs time so i would give flannery a half then put cronin on because flannery is vital to be fit. heaslip also needs to be rested and so does o brien but i would love to see o brien at 8. he played a lot at 8 for leinster and was brilliant but its too late now. still could give him a chance but o brien and heaslip needs to be rested. mclaughlin, fez and jenno are the only ones who could fill in for them. dont rate leamy, ryan and mccarthy at all. fez and wally both need time. since the game will be physical, i think Boss would be our best scrumhalf to play because reddan cant get injured. since boss has been ignored he wont get played. dk will either play murray or oleary. ogara and sexton cannot play together, too different, pretty obvious. mcfadden has been cruely ignored. hopefully will start either on the wing or 1st centre. d'arcy needs a rest. bod needs game time. fitzy has been given enough games. didnt really impress but made a big impact against france yesterday. trimble has had enough games. earls is useless. so the left wing will be a bit of concern. dk will probably play earls.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

My Ireland team:

1. Healy
2. Flannery
3. Ross
4. Ferris (I don't think we can take out O'Brien and we need Ferris, worth a shot)
5. O'Connell
6. O'Brien
7. Jennings
8. Heaslip
9. Murray (or anyone but O'Leary)
10. O'Gara
11. McFadden (If Bowe isn't fit Trimble otherwise)
12. Sexton (agree with BG8)
13. O'Driscoll
14. Trimble (Bowe if fit Trimble to 11)
15. Murphy (Needs game time)

 

[calculon]

Big game, I think it's all going to come down to the breakdown and ofcourse if England can ignite the backline. England should dominate the scrum and the lineout should be even, the breakdown is were they're going to have to fight very hard and that's where the match is going to be won.

Hoping on Wilko, Flutey, Tindal (Tuilagi on at 50/60). Hope either Sharples or Monye get a run. Seeing Banahan was dreadful last match.

I don't think it's that big a game, or at least it shouldn't be. It's a friendly... I hope Ireland experiment a bit. If they lose, it's nothing new. They've got good at losing lately. Problem is, they both have something to prove. Ireland's warm-up games have been lack-lustre. England have lost 7 of the last 10 internationals against us and the last 3 years in a row, albeit by narrow margins in 2 of them. I'm hoping to see changes at the back midway through. I don't know what Kidney will do. I'd worry about some sort of injury-inducing show to put demons to rest at this point. Unnecessary.

 

[big ginger 8]

Why wouldn't it be a big game it's the last match before the world cup? Also there's a reason I said IMO it my opinion so doesn't mean it's everyone's e.g. cyRil's opinion Henson is the greatest person to walk the earth IMO that's ****ing hilarious.

Cmac doubt Trimble will play he's played 3 matches already.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Oh, I didn't know that I was away and didn't see or hear about anything in those two games.

What do you think about Ferris playing 4, I remember you saying he should play there.

Also I'm not voting in the poll until I know Tomas O'Leary isn't playing.

 

[big ginger 8]

Oh, I didn't know that I was away and didn't see or hear about anything in those two games.

What do you think about Ferris playing 4, I remember you saying he should play there.

Also I'm not voting in the poll until I know Tomas O'Leary isn't playing.

I did think that but it's a probably too late now so give him a run out at flanker. Maybe in the 6 n he's 6 4 so just about tall enough and has the enforcer qualities of a good 4.


Also I'd agree with the Tomas O'Leary thing. Hopefully some of our crimelords make themselves useful and kidnapp him till after the W.C. then release him realising no one wants him.

 

[HenryChinaski]

I love England matches against the home nations. What I really DON'T love on the other hand is england being trounced by ireland which is what tends to happen these days and what I imagine will happen this weekend.

Without trying t be at all biased I genuinely think England have the better scrum and COULD have an edge there. The problem is that Ireland get so psyched up against us that they get these incredible hits on at scrum time and drive us right back. On even footing, though, I think some combination of cole, stevens or corbisiero should have what it takes.

Main problem is the breakdown where we will get minced. incidently though I think moody will help steady that bearing in mind he's psychotic.

 

[big ginger 8]

One of the reasons Ireland's scrum was better was Healy Cole likes to scrummage quite high but Healy forced him to drop lower. Of course the scrum nerd that is Mike Ross certainly helps. Going back to the previous post if Ferris played 4 that would give our scrum even more power.

Can see what you're saying about emotion but our starting props at least are very good technicians in the scrum. However I think the first scrum was when the English fans tried to sing "Swing Low" but we drowned them out with "The Fields".

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Not sure about the England side, can't really make a full judgement until the 30man squad is announced tomorrow, but I think something like:



1. Sheridan (if fit, Corbs if not)
2. Hartley
3. Stevens
4. Lawes
5. Palmer
6. Croft
7. Haskell
8. Easter
9. Youngs/Wigglesworth (not sure if Youngs is match fit yet)
10. Wilkinson
11. Cueto
12. Hape/Tindall
13. Tindall/Tuilagi
14. Ashton
15. Foden

Thompson
Cole,
Deacon,
Wood,
Wigglesworth/Simpson (depending on Youngs starting),
Flood,
Armitage



We'll get dicked - If both Ashton and Tuilagi start then there's a 50/50 of us getting a try (and that'll be from a Foden counter finished off by one of them, as whoever writes the gameplan for England forgets about the ball getting past 12), if one/both don't, then we'll get a couple of penalties on the board at most

 

[gingergenius]

scrum wise, Ireland will push England backwards once and the entire crowd and Irish rugby public will say that Mike Ross is God. England will push Ireland around for the rest of the game, and sufficient reward via penalties and then yellow cards and penalty tries will depend entirely on the referee.

Not that the scrum is an issue, since England need to learn that rugby is about scoring the most points, not about pushing people around in the scrum and telling everyone you're stronger than them.

On that basis, expect to see England scoring maybe one try from an interception on 80 minutes.

 

[Feicarsinn]

scrum wise, Ireland will push England backwards once and the entire crowd and Irish rugby public will say that Mike Ross is God. England will push Ireland around for the rest of the game, and sufficient reward via penalties and then yellow cards and penalty tries will depend entirely on the referee.

Not that the scrum is an issue, since England need to learn that rugby is about scoring the most points, not about pushing people around in the scrum and telling everyone you're stronger than them.

On that basis, expect to see England scoring maybe one try from an interception on 80 minutes.

Too bloody right.

 

[OnTheBall]

I think we'll pull a performance out this weekend and get a much needed win. TOL being left out would really help in this regard of course.
Don't know if we could be playing better opposition next weekend. There's something about a red rose that tends to drive Irish performances up a few gears.
Real shame about Jones though.