[2025 Six Nations] Ireland vs France - 8/3/25

[McTallshort]

Scoreline flattered Ireland. French pack completely dominated the Irish pack. Prendergast struggling without a good platform. Stick him in the Welsh side and definitely wouldn't be getting the praise he has been.

No fly half plays well behind a retreating pack

 

[big ginger 8]

I mean, POM, Murray and Healy are outgoing, so no.

Felt like Nash and Osborne were worth 14 points in France's favour, they're second choice and in for lads who'll be around a year or two yet (Lowe, Hansen longer).

Feel like Jimmy O'Brien is worth a return, shown more than either winger today in green.

Yeah the three lads retiring all have a few promising lads vying to replace them.

Wing is a problem position in terms of depth Osborne is better as a centre or 15.

Because of the system it can be harder to judge how wingers around the province will perform, but while there's a few I like there's no one I'm really excited by.

 

[Reiser99]

No fly half plays well behind a retreating pack

True, but even then he didn't have any influence on the game. Not saying it's his fault, but can't help but feel he's been overhyped when he's been given an armchair ride up until now.

 

[Jimbo]

I mean, POM, Murray and Healy are outgoing, so no.

Felt like Nash and Osborne were worth 14 points in France's favour, they're second choice and in for lads who'll be around a year or two yet (Lowe, Hansen longer).

Feel like Jimmy O'Brien is worth a return, shown more than either winger today in green.

It's defiantly the depth where Ireland struggle in a way France and SA don't, in most positions.

 

[McTallshort]

True, but even then he didn't have any influence on the game. Not saying it's his fault, but can't help but feel he's been overhyped when he's been given an armchair ride up until now.

Your pack have to give you dominance for your game plan to work. If you don't have that your play makers can't make the play.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I agree with this, I don't think Nash or Osborne are anything more than squad filler.

Osborne will come in at centre amd be very good. Utility needed now but not showing his level. Nash is a pure, breakout in case of emergency. Shayne Bolton from the bits I've seen looks promising. But yeah, weak point and the fact neither starter is Irish developed (nor Bolton) is a worry.

 

[ChicagoKid]

It's defiantly the depth where Ireland struggle in a way France and SA don't, in most positions.

Imagine if Porter gets a ****le. At this point, you can't trust Furlong to make it to 2027.

 

[Amiga500]

Pendergast is not physically ready for this. He looks slow, weak, and overall a massive defensive liability.

This.

It's not shown up by most teams as most teams aren't good enough to highlighting it. But today it's stood out a mile.

I can only assume aki was injured coming off??

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Imagine if Porter gets a ****le. At this point, you can't trust Furlong to make it to 2027.

Loosehead won't be an issue come 27.

 

[Jimbo]

Atmosphere was great first half...

The knives out for Prendergast, when he wasn't the biggest issue, will be disgraceful now.

Prendergast was far from the main issue, jury is still out on him, he will have learned a lot from today, I might be proven wrong just feels like he's amongst the best of a pretty good not excellent bunch, certainly not currently worthy of being talking about in the same conversations as the greats, when your pack is so badly outplayed very few are going to look good at ten, especially when they are not used to playing that way.

 

[big ginger 8]

This.

It's not shown up by most teams as most teams aren't good enough to highlighting it. But today it's stood out a mile.

I can only assume aki was injured coming off??

Aki regularly comes off around 55-60 for Ireland, obviously usually we have Henshaw or Ringrose to come on but I think they don't back his fitness.

 

[ChicagoKid]

Loosehead won't be an issue come 27.

And tighthead?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Prendergast was far from the main issue, jury is still out on him, he will have learned a lot from today, I might be proven wrong just feels like he's amongst the best of a pretty good not excellent bunch, certainly not currently worthy of being talking about in the same conversations as the greats, when your pack is so badly outplayed very few are going to look good at ten, especially when they are not used to playing that way.

Spotlight on an international 10 isn't really his fault, Lions year makes it chronic. He's accounted himself well until the second half there. The Smiths are experiencing the same through their flashes of excellence without putting complete games together.

Farrell has only ever spoken about him as a "great young 10", which he is. Good chance everyone will be raving about him again by the time the champions cup final comes around.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

And tighthead?

Porter's not a tighthead.

 

[Wasps92]

Well i thoroughly enjoyed that.

The real question is could Ireland beat a French team with only 12 players in it?

Also thought Pendergast was gash.

Ta-ra.

 

[ChicagoKid]

Porter's not a tighthead.

But Furlong is and can't stay healthy.

 

[IT157]

It's defiantly the depth where Ireland struggle in a way France and SA don't, in most positions.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

But Furlong is and can't stay healthy.

Not this year no, will see what happens. Clarkson has got a lot of minutes amd has looked mostly serviceable with a few good options in the recent 20s years to come. But we'll probably need one of Furlong or Bealham to be about in 27.

Don't really get the knives coming out, it's going to be another 4/5 6 nations. Most pundits had us losing to England and France at the outset. Like Ireland aren't and shouldn't be expected to be contenders / favourites in a world cup, we're comfortably 5th in terms of resources. We tend to work in 8 year cycles and try to stay top 6 in between, it's why we're near the top of the list in centurions.

2007, 2015 and 2023 have been the best squads we've sent to world cups, cowboy coach, injury crises and losing one of the highest quality games ever played by fine margins have followed. Staying top 4 in the next 2-4 years would be huge and we're still a way ahead of England / Argentina for now.

 

[IT157]

Not this year no, will see what happens. Clarkson has got a lot of minutes amd has looked mostly serviceable with a few good options in the recent 20s years to come. But we'll probably need one of Furlong or Bealham to be about in 27.

Don't really get the knives coming out, it's going to be another 4/5 6 nations. Most pundits had us losing to England and France at the outset. Like Ireland aren't and shouldn't be expected to be contenders / favourites in a world cup, we're comfortably 5th in terms of resources. We tend to work in 8 year cycles and try to stay top 6 in between, it's why we're near the top of the list in centurions.

2007, 2015 and 2023 have been the best squads we've sent to world cups, cowboy coach, injury crises and losing one of the highest quality games ever played by fine margins have followed. Staying top 4 in the next 2-4 years would be huge and we're still a way ahead of England / Argentina for now.

They did? Being in Ireland that is surprising.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

They did? Being in Ireland that is surprising.

Not so much in Ireland but every English pundit and I'd say most Welsh and Scottish I listened to did.