EOYT: Ireland XV v Fiji, 17/11/2012

[big ginger 8]

I fecking love you Gilroy.

 

[Peat]

Congrats to the Irish. Some savaging.

When I picked Ulster to pick, my thought was I didn't want to be one of those Glory Hunters who picked a team who won lots of trophies.. thank gods I picked them a few years ago and established my bona fides before this lot turned up!

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Congrats to the Irish. Some savaging.

When I picked Ulster to pick, my thought was I didn't want to be one of those Glory Hunters who picked a team who won lots of trophies.. thank gods I picked them a few years ago and established my bona fides before this lot turned up!

Yeah they've had a radical improvement compared to say 3 years ago to point out the obvious.
How come you don't support an English team if you don't mind me asking?

 

[coonor]

I would love Gilroy to start next week. Straight swap for Trimble and keep McFadden on the bench. A back three of Bowe, Gilroy and Zebo would be awesome!

Cronin had a good game but I think we need the solidity of Stauss, Cronin is better for these types of open games.

DOC and Touhy were both solid especially in defence, but considering the opposition I don't think either should be selected to start next week. I would play Touhy on the bench though. DOC is rubbish as a replacement.

Heaslip and Henderson both had great games.

The 10,12,13 combo was the best I've seen for Ireland in a long time. Cave is far better than Earls at 13 and Mashall had a great game. If ROG starts on the bench ahead of Jackson I will be seriously p*ssed off!

 

[Tribesmen-ce-123]

I have little to complain about tonight, but the lineout was a shambles once again, the sole dark spot on what was an otherwise excellent performance.

 

[Big Ewis]

oh God no...53-0 ?!!!!!!!!
that's impossible !! It's an international side there, sure Tier 2, but wtf ?!!!

Dang, the only NH teams to hold their own so far have been France and Ireland, huh...

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

oh God no...53-0 ?!!!!!!!!
that's impossible !! It's an international side there, sure Tier 2, but wtf ?!!!

Dang, the only NH teams to hold their own so far have been France and Ireland, huh...

Alas, praise from a Frenchman.

 

[Big Ewis]

what's wrong with praise from a Frenchman ?!
no but srs, I still can't believe that performance against SA, on form obviously (confirmed by the game in Murrayfield) - that IRE would lead for a majority of the game only to lose by merely 4 little points when 3/4 the roster has been eradicated by the black plague...or, "injuries" or wtvr...
And now this ?! Fiji scored a couple tries against England - and the Irish XV go perfect and finish with 53...
DAYUM.

 

[profitius]

I was very impressed with Luke Marshall. He showed why he was being hyped up a few years back. I'd start Cave next week too. He looks more comfortable in the center than Earls.

Jackson played well but I think Madigan is a better player and he can feel hard done by. Kidney likes the safe players which is why Ireland are so predictable.

One other thing. It was raining during the match. That should have kept the scores down but the handling from Ireland was superb.

 

[irelandfan123]

Remember the opposition was a crumbling Fiji side
Good:
-Great to see so many Ulstermen
-Gilroy... That boy is an utter champ! He was great first half only thing letting him down was taking the high ball and he went out and fixed that in the second.
-P Marshall,Jackson,L Marshall, Cave, Gilroy... All worked really well together! great to see the future of the Irish backline is not all Leinster!
- Heaslip... Picked up on form and showed why he is captianing Ireland after a few unconvincing games
- Brent, Healy, Strauss... Loved it, could all run and all scrum fantastic to see as I was a little upset over Brent coming in sooo fast
-DO'C... To be fair to him he played really well, seemed to be everywhere doing the dirty work made almost every tackle he was in a maul
-Henderson... great game really showing his worth with a very collected and composed proformance
-Defence... to nill any team is an achievement, an example of the determination was Herdersons steal on Irelands 5 metre line.
-We won... Thank christ, I know it was a 'glorified A match', but thank god we won made my day

Bad:
-Mike Ross... His scrumaging had me peeping out of one eye was really badly preforming, which is a concern
-Murray...One of his brain fart games, was improving in delivery but then he started messing up and running isolated all the time
-Lineout... Big concern as it just didn't seem to function! Began to work better towards the end not sure if it was a change of hooker or having 3 locks in the pack that helped it.
-Scrum... Didn't seem very strong at the start, we really shouldn't struggle especially not against a team outside the big 9
-Dry spells... even with only 14 men to face, Ireland just didn't put together a cohesive play inside the 3rd early 4th quarter. On total we had 14-5 minutes against a 14 man Fiji with no score.
-Decision making... again in the 3rd to early 4th quarter Ireland were too busy thinking they could run everything, Luke Marshall being the only one to take charge with trying to get the ball in the Fiji half.
-Kidney... He won't start anyone we all know it

Ugly (midway between good and bad):
-Fergus McFadden... Great game only problem was he was on the wing, I almost wanted him to do badly so Deccie would consider him moving in field
-Luke Marshall... Great first half and a stringy second, I'll chalk it down to being cocky but in the second half seemed to throw away good ball and just seemed a little too much like he was forcing it.
-Sexton... possible injury could mean that Jackson gets into the 23, only problem means that O'Gara will start. Also Deccie said to RTE he considered Earls as a ten option my mind was blown with shock.

I am probably forgetting a load of shiz

 

[Conal]

Also Deccie said to RTE he considered Earls as a ten option

and source on this?
if so in the name of sweet baby jesus. the 2012 conspiracy must be right

 

[LittleGuy]

Fiji are playing like a Tier 3 side at the moment, they would have trouble with the likes of Spain and Portugal right now let alone Ireland "A". They have got to get their side in order, the politics and player selection issues are crushing them.

 

[Big Ewis]

^ Absolutely man...I was just thinkin about that "how would they match up against even...like....SPAIN ?!"
When I saw England drop 50+ on em, I thought "ohhhhhh boy, they're on form already these guys..." but then Ireland A annihilates them, and don't even concede a try (or two like in Twick)...

I think Samoa, in that regard, has really completely separated itself from the bunch. Tonga is alright, but still very, very much a Tier 2 team. Samoa poses serious problems these days...I'm sure as a Canadian you'd agree ! nahhh, kiddin...

 

[big ginger 8]

and source on this?
if so in the name of sweet baby jesus. the 2012 conspiracy must be right

Nah don't think he said Earls would play 10 just something like you always have a few guys travelling with the squad and they're not always the position you want.

 

[coonor]

I was very impressed with Luke Marshall. He showed why he was being hyped up a few years back. I'd start Cave next week too. He looks more comfortable in the center than Earls.

Jackson played well but I think Madigan is a better player and he can feel hard done by. Kidney likes the safe players which is why Ireland are so predictable.

One other thing. It was raining during the match. That should have kept the scores down but the handling from Ireland was superb.

I agree with that, except for the part on Madigan. Jackson has directed Ulster brilliantly this year, his development has been impressive and look at how he varied the game yesterday. I rate Madigan very highly but Jackson could be a future world class player. I would have had Madigan on the bench for that game but in my eyes Ireland's tens are in this order:

Sexton
Jackson
Madigan
Keatley



O'Gara

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Player ratings:

Denis Hurley 6/10. Solid and unspectacular
Craig Gilroy 9/10. Electric when given space
Darren Cave 7/10. Hugely underrated, a better 13 than Keith Earls
Luke Marshall 7/10. Has all the tools but was quite inconsistent
Fergus McFadden 8/10. Ran Gilroy close as MotM
Paddy Jackson 7/10. Developing well after a difficult season last year
Conor Murray 6/10. Stop box kicking!
Dave Kilcoyne 6/10. Looks up to this level but needs game time
Sean Cronin 6/10. Fairly quiet
Mike Ross 6/10. Went through the motions, Bent should have started
Donncha O'Callaghan 7/10. Not a fan but put himself about
Dan Tuohy 5/10. Anonymous
Iain Henderson 8/10. Top class, love to see him get a run in the second row
John Muldoon 6/10. A good provincial player, nothing more
Jamie Heaslip 6/10. Not especially dynamic

 

[Peat]

Snoopy, I'd put all of Cronin, Tuohy and Heaslip a mark higher.

I am now of the firm opinion that Luke Marshall should start the next Ireland game.

Yeah they've had a radical improvement compared to say 3 years ago to point out the obvious.
How come you don't support an English team if you don't mind me asking?

Never grew up with one, when I went to pick one I felt no connection to any of them, being a Londoner who lives in London who doesn't approve of blood substitute cheating (was the summer of Bloodgate) so I decided to pick one of the Celtic teams, as I'd be able to follow them better on tv (particularly as a guy who still plays Saturdays). So I ended up picking Ulster and the rest is history.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Player ratings:

Denis Hurley 6/10. Solid and unspectacular
Craig Gilroy 9/10. Electric when given space
Darren Cave 7/10. Hugely underrated, a better 13 than Keith Earls
Luke Marshall 7/10. Has all the tools but was quite inconsistent
Fergus McFadden 8/10. Ran Gilroy close as MotM
Paddy Jackson 7/10. Developing well after a difficult season last year
Conor Murray 6/10. Stop box kicking!
Dave Kilcoyne 6/10. Looks up to this level but needs game time
Sean Cronin 6/10. Fairly quiet
Mike Ross 6/10. Went through the motions, Bent should have started
Donncha O'Callaghan 7/10. Not a fan but put himself about
Dan Tuohy 5/10. Anonymous
Iain Henderson 8/10. Top class, love to see him get a run in the second row
John Muldoon 6/10. A good provincial player, nothing more
Jamie Heaslip 6/10. Not especially dynamic

Was at Thomand Park last night and have to say that I thought Marshall was absolutely brilliant, in my eyes the only one close to Gilroy for MOTM.

Gilroy was ridiculous, made some of Murray's Box kicks look like they had some sort of purpose. I'd say it was a 10/10 performance.

Heaslip was better than 6/10 and I think McFadden was actually slightly disappointing. Made a couple of strange decisions on the ball when he had a lot more space and time than he thought he had. Looked short on confidence to be honest. I think he's a bit like Earls in that he's suffered from not being given one position to play and stick with.



Any news on the injuries? Muldoon looked very uncomfortable and the Fijian 14 looked in serious pain.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Good choice then Peat

I think Murray would be lower than 6. He took the ball into contact about 5 times from what I saw - and you could see how slow his delivery really was, compared to Marshall when he came on. There was no need from him to play, he played against SA so what was the point?

 

[coonor]

Murray should be able to stand above the crowd in that game. He played last week, is experienced and supposedly Ireland's best scrum half. However he was probably Ireland's worst player! Makes Jackson's showing even more impressive.

I can't see how anyone can thing that McFadden had a bad game, he looked very strong. Heaslip had a good second half.