[2019 Six Nations] Italy vs Ireland (24/02/2019)

[Leonormous Boozer]

Wasn’t entirely sure where to post this but for those of you with Instagram go and have a look at willaddisonfeedsducks. It got me good

Saw that, it absolutely has to be someone within Ulster rugby! So strange!

 

[MikeTheNative]

italy: 15 Jayden Hayward, 14 Edoardo Padovani, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Luca Morisi, 11 Angelo Esposito, 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Tito Tebaldi; 1 Andrea Lovotti, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini (c), 3 Simone Ferrari, 4 Federico Ruzza, 5 Dean Budd, 6 Jimmy Tuivaiti, 7 Maxime Mbanda, 8 Braam Steyn.

Replacements: 16 Luca Bigi, 17 Cherif Traore, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 David Sisi, 20 Alessandro Zanni, 21 Guglielmo Palazzani, 22 Ian McKinley, 23 Tommaso Castello.

 

[Leinster Fan]

IRELAND: Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray; David Kilcoyne, Seán Cronin, Tadhg Furlong; Ultan Dillane, Quinn Roux; Peter O’Mahony (capt), Seán O’Brien, Jordi Murphy. Replacements: Niall Scannell, Jack McGrath, John Ryan, Iain Henderson, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Jack Carty, Andrew Conway.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Negri and Parrise are losses in the pack.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Conan, Larmour, Henshaw and Carbery are injured. Ulster are the big winners of the Six Nations so far, if Leinster players keep going at their current rate Ulster will be up against our U20s in March!

Delighted for Cronin though.

 

[munstermuffin]

Carty next up. I'd gueas Blenyandaal next in line maybe just based on who's a natural 10 if Byrne and 3 lads in squad were out.

Team rumoured
Kearney
Earls
Farrell
Aki
Stockdale
Sexton
Murray
Jordi
Sean O'Brien
POM
Roux
Dillane
Furlong
Cronin
Kilcoyne

Best
McGrath
Ryan
Henderson
Van Der Flier
Cooney
Carty
Conway

I was on money except Scannell for Best as 16.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

A fair few enforced changes by the sound of it. I'd have liked rotation in the back three but Italy aren't conceding as much as last year and we don want a BP win regardless of our championship hopes or lack thereof.

 

[munstermuffin]

A fair few enforced changes by the sound of it. I'd have liked rotation in the back three but Italy aren't conceding as much as last year and we don want a BP win regardless of our championship hopes or lack thereof.

A few injuries but not many knock ons in terms of starters.
Sexton was starting regardless I feel. As it is a worry his form as well as Murray and both are now in need of a boost this week in confidence.
To be fair Jordi is in form and could possibly have got ahead of Conan for this game. Conan wasn't bad last week just a rotation I felt was coming.
Henshaw we are told is fit but not being risked.

Interesting bit also is no back is being thrown in. I know Larmour is injured as is Joey but neither were starting regardless I feel. Henshaw is the only one that would be brought in IF 100% fit. We are told he is 90% and it's more they are afraid he will break. And Ringrose obviously if fit.

It's a good game to really see how the frontrow especially Killer and Cronin go. Yes Italy are poor but at the scrum they are good.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I'm keen to see Mbanda as he has slipped down the pecking order but initially showed a fair bit of promise. As mentioned by Chetto, Ruzza at lock is a bright young hope. Rob Kearney would beat the Italian back three in a foot race - so could Cronin possibly (not even a joke) but I'm holding on to a flicker of hope that I miscalculated a seemingly dismal performance against Wales and that it was actually a defensive masterclass!

As I keep saying, scoring three tries and conceding less than 50 points should be an achievable objective for the best Italian 23, so if that is achieved I'll keep my criticisms around selection and coaching to myself.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Rob Kearney would beat the Italian back three in a foot race - so could Cronin possibly (not even a joke)

Cronin is definitely faster than Kearney, and far, far, harder to stop.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Hot off the heels from yesterdays morale lifting 50 point victory by Benetton, combined with home advantage, there is only one possible outcome here.

Ireland by 37

 

[big ginger 8]

Hot off the heels from a morale lifting 50 point victory by Benetton there is only one possible outcome here.

Ireland by 37

43+ is going to be the aim to get better points difference than England. Sceptical of that happening but yesterday's results do probably change the mindset slightly as the chance of winning something increased slightly.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

43+ is going to be the aim to get better points difference than England. Sceptical of that happening but yesterday's results do probably change the mindset slightly as the chance of winning something increased slightly.

I'd actually put down 43 as my prediction but upgraded it in an attack of unbridled optimism! It better not be a sign.

I'm not looking to rub salt into wounds, but the horse has bolted on that one. Ireland had to go hell for leather for the BP against Scotland, even if it meant risking the victory. The fact we could predict they wouldn't do that was a bit infuriating as a neutral. So I don't think Ireland will go mad pushing for a 40+ win. I think making sure you dont get injuries will be in the back of the mind too.

If my arithmetic is right, you now need England to avoid two BP wins against Scotland and Italy to stand any chance (even ignoring that you'd need a BP win against Wales).

 

[big ginger 8]

I'd actually put down 43 as my prediction but upgraded it in an attack of unbridled optimism! It better not be a sign.

I'm not looking to rub salt into wounds, but the horse has bolted on that one. Ireland had to go hell for leather for the BP against Scotland, even if it meant risking the victory. The fact we could predict they wouldn't do that was a bit infuriating as a neutral. So I don't think Ireland will go mad pushing for a 40+ win. I think making sure you dont get injuries will be in the back of the mind too.

If my arithmetic is right, you now need England to avoid two BP wins against Scotland and Italy to stand any chance (even ignoring that you'd need a BP win against Wales).

Oh yeah, absolutely don't expect any silverware but it will be on their minds. Maybe a bit less than usual due to it being Schmidt's last year no matter what but the 6N is the IRFU's main source of income and a better finish bring in more money (as does making sure another team doesn't get a Grandslam). I don't think it'll be some mad all out approach as they're confident in the usual approach getting them in a position to put the necessary score on but I'd be surprised to see Carty on for example if the difference is less than 30 and there's more than 5 minutes left without an injury.

Absolutely agree we're not winning a Championship this year though.

 

[g6mcg]

The extra money for denying a grand slam is a great system!

 

[big ginger 8]

It’d be nice if we just held the ball.

 

[g6mcg]

Unusually sloppy.

 

[big ginger 8]

That’s better, wouldn’t want to be trying to stop Roux from that far out.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

That's it, he's evolved from Quinn Poo to Quinn Roux. His final form is Quinn Le Roux.

 

[g6mcg]

Nice steal from Budd. Much better from Ireland, if they keep this up Italy will be off their feet in the last twenty.