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France v Ireland

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bullitt @ Feb 12 2010, 11:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Sooner be a Tory then vote for that c*** Brown.[/b]
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Not a Brown fan myself, but I fail to understand why anyone can think of Cameron without vomiting. He's the slimiest, oppurtunistic, bandwagon jumping, vacuous c*** there is.
 
Maybe so, but a vote for any of the other parties is a wasted vote. Cameroon (for all his faults) still isn't the c*** that's brought this country to it's knees as chancellor then (unelected PM) over the past 13 years.

Voting for Brown, or even giving him a chance of staying in, is a stupid a move as voting for Rob Andrew to remain in the RFU.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (George Hook on RTE Website)</div>
Ireland are going in to this match with the best chance of winning in Paris than they have had in my lifetime. However, I think that this is a French side that is going to win the championship and I think the French are going to win on Saturday.

Why? The first thing you have to say is that our record in Paris is terrible and on that basis alone it is going to be very difficult for Ireland to get a result there.

Against Scotland, the French returned to a very traditional style for them and the interesting thing about Lievremont is that the only changes he has made have been caused by injury. He is sticking with a tried and tested style and he is sticking with tried and tested players.

That is not to say Ireland are without hope. They are undefeated for over a year and this team will take the field in better psychological shape than any Irish team that has gone to Paris in a long time.

How much of that confidence is justified?

One aspect of it that will be severely tested is the scrum. The Italy game gave a lot of people a false sense of security about the Irish front row. We saw France really get on top against the Scottish scrum and we are in for a really rough ride in that area. It is all about where the match is played.

Ireland have the backs, but can't win an arm-wrestle

Brian O'DriscollThe French will be aware that Ireland have what is probably the best strike force in the championship and with the way the French defend, there is clearly space for Brian O'Driscoll. They will be very concerned about that.

On the other hand, we cannot win an arm-wrestle and they know that too. They will play true to their traditions but the basis for their gameplan will be strangling us up front.

From the Irish perspective, I'm not worried about Matthieu Bastareaud or Yannick Jauzion and I don't see the French backline as a huge threat. If it functions well it will be because Ireland have been stuffed up front, not because their backline is better than ours.

The French could also have problems at half-back. I think Morgan Parra, the scrum-half, is a poor decision-maker with poor awareness of the game. I admit that Francois Trinh-Duc surprised me against Scotland by playing much better than I thought he was capable of doing, but he is still a potential weakness for them.

But Ireland also worry me. The sheer threat of needing to survive will force them to move the ball away from the French areas of strength and that brings its own risks. We must move the ball as a matter of practicality and if we are to win I think O'Driscoll must score two tries. The French defence is made for our midfield, principally Ronan O'Gara's ability to put O'Driscoll in space.

Kearney's form a concern for Ireland

Rob KearneyBut the backline must hold its nerve because if there is one place that will expose a player it is Paris and the backs as a whole will have to play better than they have done in any match during the unbeaten run.

We cannot beat the French with any one of our backs playing below par and on that basis the form of our full-back is a concern. Rob Kearney's performance against Italy was about as bad as any in his international career and he hasn't been playing well coming into this tournament either.

Of course the French full-back can also have his off days and in that sense Kearney and Clement Poitrenaud are similar: they are both slightly flaky and they both have a reputation for delivering in-and-out performances.

On the wing, I am thrilled by Keith Earls' return to the team. I was surprised that Declan Kidney picked Andrew Trimble in front of him but I was equally surprised he dropped Trimble for this match and as usual we never know what he is going to do.

Paris could be ideal for Irish rugby's premier speedster

Keith Earls - pace to trouble French. He has got it right on this one because Earls is the quickest back in Irish rugby at the moment and there is going to be space for him when the French defence allows space out wide. I'm delighted that Earls is in the team.

Of the selection decisions in the pack, I've never seen that much difference between Donncha O'Callaghan and Leo Cullen. I would be a fan of Cullen's and I think he has been hard done by and under-rated during his career.

On the other hand, I consider Stephen Ferris absolutely vital to Ireland's chances and that is why they gave him every chance to be fit for this game. This French back-row is so strong and aggressive and physically in your face and we need someone like Ferris to match it. Kevin McLaughlin, for all his talents, does not provide the same physical presence.

As I said at the outset, Ireland have great confidence and a chance, but I think the French are going to win.[/b]
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So basically we have the edge up front but **** halfbacks, a **** center pair and a **** fullback but we're still going to win.
His sentence on Trinh Duc is really a classic case of pundit who has no idea what he is talking about. He has never watched a Montpellier game since they don't play the H-Cup and maybe he has seen him play once or twice with France so he thinks he knows the guy. TD played much much worse than what he is capable of in Scotland, not better!
 
BBC Sensationalism at it's finest

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>
Parra claimed that Declan Kidney's side "cheat every weekend".[/b]
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>
Ireland have the added motivation of revenge as the country is still smarting at the way the Republic of Ireland football team was defeated by France in the World Cup play-offs following Thierry Henry's infamous handball.[/b]
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IT'S ABOUT THE RUGBY, STUPID!
Stupid cockney journalists...
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bullitt @ Feb 12 2010, 02:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
BBC Sensationalism at it's finest

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE
Click to expand...
Parra claimed that Declan Kidney's side "cheat every weekend".[/b]
Click to expand...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>
Ireland have the added motivation of revenge as the country is still smarting at the way the Republic of Ireland football team was defeated by France in the World Cup play-offs following Thierry Henry's infamous handball.[/b]
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IT'S ABOUT THE RUGBY, STUPID!
Stupid cockney journalists...
[/b][/quote]

Did you see their attempts to make the Welsh hate Guscott? 'Wales need to play quicker' turned into 'Guscott criticises 'stodgy' Wales'; and 'the Welsh, psychologically, are not where they should be' becomes 'Guscott questions Welsh rugby mentality'.

The only good thing about the BBC's sport website is Ben Dirs.
 
Parra is some FOOL he's average and has got a big shitty mouth the interview in EQUIPE is shocking. Hands in the ruck and to enable the oppositin to get quick ball is part of rugby.

The refs are not always agains the french remember Croke Park 2007 Steve Walsh!!!!!!, Cardiff 2007 vs AB "forward pass" Barnes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ireland are no cheats they know how to play the game.

Anyway well take that as motivation.

Are the French trying to build a rivalary.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (seanAF @ Feb 12 2010, 03:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Parra is some FOOL he's average and has got a big shitty mouth the interview in EQUIPE is shocking. Hands in the ruck and to enable the oppositin to get quick ball is part of rugby.

The refs are not always agains the french remember Croke Park 2007 Steve Walsh!!!!!!, Cardiff 2007 vs AB "forward pass" Barnes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ireland are no cheats they know how to play the game.

Anyway well take that as motivation.

Are the French trying to build a rivalary.[/b]
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You're now blaming the ref for that one?????

:lol:


Anyway, if you read it propperly, Parra is actually praising them for it - The same way everyone (except butthurt Australians and Welsh) praise McCaw. It's the BBC who are stirring **** up.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (seanAF @ Feb 12 2010, 04:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Are the French trying to build a rivalary.[/b]
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Ask Keith Earls. Plus the newspaper's name is L'Equipe.

EDIT: Read Vincent Clerc's interview on rugby365.fr, he says he loves th Irish, how they play and how they have developed as a team. Parra was answering to the K. Earls provocation. As usual, journalists are the ones trying to build a stupid rivalry, not the players
 
That said, Earls is the prick who's harping on about the football...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>
"I suppose victory would be all the sweeter given t happened in the football. If we won by cheating, it would be payback," said Earls.[/b]
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http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3...5934745,00.html

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Selectivew memory is selective
 
Im totally impartial towards the thierry henry handball incident being half irish half french and to be honest my opinion is that if thirry did it and got away with it fine who cares if kevin doyle did it all of ireland would have had a good laugh and been chuffed about the win praising doyle or keane as a"sly fecker " but laughing and still happy about the win...whereas the frenche were appalled at it and embarrassed ..i for one am all for cheating to win as long as its not dangerous or cowardly

and el grino about the comment on calling the irish small you have obviously never come up against the cork full back line...youve been watching too much of darby o gill and the little people methinks
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lucky_number_7 @ Feb 12 2010, 04:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Im totally impartial towards the thierry henry handball incident[/b]
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So am I. Who's a footballer to call anyone a cheat? It's a sport that is obsessed with controversy. Football is almost as artificial as WWE.
 
Keith Earls is a hero (not for comment but for been Munster's new hero)

Anyway as for the game itself looking at teams i think vutal match-ups are:

Heaslip vs Harinordoquy.
BOD vs That Beast
ROG vs TD
Wally vs Dusautoir
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bullitt @ Feb 12 2010, 11:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Sooner be a Tory then vote for that c*** Brown.[/b]
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I swear, a Tory government is all it takes to push Scotland over the edge into independence.
Nobody up here wants to be run by the fourth most popular party in the country. They still remember Thatcher. Brown's a cnut but at least he's not a Tory cnut.

Anyway, just had to get that in. I will henceforth shut up and let youse talk about rugby. ;)
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (munstermuffin @ Feb 12 2010, 05:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
BOD vs That Beast[/b]
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Errrrrrrrrr....

article-1196120-0582ABE7000005DC-695_468x590.jpg


:huh: :mellow:
 

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