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

[TRF_Olyy]

Christ, don't say that

We'll probably start with Sheridan and Corbisiero at tighthead now :lol:

 

[big ginger 8]

It's not bullshit that the saints were tired lol, there squad was to small to play such a long season and they just collapsed. But thats a whole different discussion lol.

We will all see on saturday who has the stronger scrum etc.

OK won't get into it.

Oh we'll see muhahahahahahahehe

 

[Peat]

Logs I'm simply saying it's worth finding out if Ferris can play there 4's are usually more dynamic look at the likes of Lawes.

Also Mike Ross is technically an excellent scrummager and very smart in what he's done. He's handled so many topclass scrums (don't forget the tighthead takes on the hooker and loosehead) and don't remember the Irish scrum going back with Ross on against England. How many tightheads could have fixed their scrum so well at half time? Don't give me the bullshit that the Saints were a bit tired.

Its pretty obvious he'd be no more than a makeshift expedient. 6'4" and 17stone is just too small and light for a lock and while Ferris' power means he'd just get away with it, it would be far from ideal. If he bulked up for it, he could probably do a Brad Thorn role, but then you lose his pace, some of his agility, and probably make him even more injury prone.

Also, while I agree that Mike Ross is an excellent scrummager who's fair underrated this side of the water, its well known that Saints tail off badly at the end of the season due to a refusal to rotate and he still got absolutely mullered in the first half. Every prop has those days and I don't think England have a better scrummager than him, but Ross is far from invincible and it could go either way.

 

[Logorrhea]

At the moment, no

So why dissagree with me? I just said hes the weakest scrummager you have at the moment. Hes not as agressive and destructive as the likes of Stevens. Of course he can scrummage but not at the same standard. With that in mind teams with weaker scrummages like Ireland and Australia would prefer to play against him.

Logs I'm simply saying it's worth finding out if Ferris can play there 4's are usually more dynamic look at the likes of Lawes.

Not in the last game before travelling, not when the player has no history of ever playing there, not when the player is just recovering from a serious knee injury, not when the player is so damned effective in the loose that it would be criminal to tie him up in the tight. You are not the first to suggest it, but its wrong on a few levels.

It's not bullshit that the saints were tired

That defeat was more down to mental fitness then physical fitness. They didnt have it in the top 2 inches.

 

[big ginger 8]

Look back a few posts I said it was to late. Alos you want you're best players on th pitch and we know SO'B isn't as effective at 7.

 

[Logorrhea]

Look back a few posts I said it was to late.

The reason not to try it is not because its too late, its because hes not a 4.

Alos you want you're best players on th pitch

You want your best players on the pitch, playing a position they have a rough idea how to play.

and we know SO'B isn't as effective at 7.

Sean O'Brien is a better 6, but hes actually quite an effective 7. He played 7 very effectively for quite a bit of the season for Leinster, including the final three rounds of the HEC. I prefer to see him at 6, but only when a proper 7 like Jennings is available.

 

[big ginger 8]

Didn't say SO'B's not effective just not as effective I rather Wallace or if he could perform at international level as you say Jennings.

Anyway the Ferris thing is just a theory it's not going to happen so don't worry. I'm not even saying it would work but that I'd like to have seen if it would.

 

[munstermuffin]

Lads have seen it on some sites and well decided to text a few in the know and well it seems the rumours are going to be true and T. O'Leary and L. Fitzgearld are both in great danger of missing out on the RWC squad

 

[big ginger 8]

Good news about TO'L but I'd like to bring Fitzy.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

So why dissagree with me? I just said hes the weakest scrummager you have at the moment. Hes not as agressive and destructive as the likes of Stevens. Of course he can scrummage but not at the same standard. With that in mind teams with weaker scrummages like Ireland and Australia would prefer to play against him.

Fair point, I think I just misunderstood you, and thought you were saying he's a bad scrummager, rather than the weaker of our two tightheads

 

[Peat]

I'd rather have Cole scrummaging than Stevens.

I also think Ireland would be better off benching one of Ferris, Wallace or O'Brien and having a game changing sub than dicking around with their second row. Right now I think that might be O'Brien. Either him or Wallace. Biased I know.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

No ToO'L so I've voted in the poll.

 

[big ginger 8]

Play Murray or else Fr. Kidney.

 

[McTallshort]

Difficult sort of game to get anything out of to be honest.

If Ireland win then they are a shoeing for the WC final and their players are all world class despite anything that's happened in the previous games and England are back to the dark dark days of 2005 or even 1986.

If England win then the tabloid press in England will wet their pants hailing Jonno as a genius "how could we have have doubted Hape!" while the broad sheets will bang on that even winning in Dublin doesnt get away from the fact England are pants and will not beat Geogia while defeat for Ireland will continue the wave of doubt that Ireland always seem to get before a WC.

Still its an excuse for a pint or two!

 

[Logorrhea]

Still its an excuse for a pint or two!

Thats about it really.

Still is an interesting enough game. Nothing to play for but everything to play for. Both sides badly need a win and both sides badly need a performance. I wonder if either of them will actually perform.

 

[gingergenius]

stevens isn't that amazing a scrummager. we can't really judge him against a 2nd string Welsh front row.

Cole's pushed everyone in the world around, fact. Arguably not Healy for both Leicester and England, but when Healy's been shoved through his arsehole by everyone else you've got to question something there.

 

[j-dawg]

Hopefully...

1 - sheridan
2 - Thompson
3 - Cole
4 - Lawes
5 - Palmer
6 - Croft
7 - Moody (c)
8 - Haskell
9 - Youngs
10 - Wilko
11 - Cueto (Armitage on bench cover)
12 - Flood (a kind of Wilko and Catt Partnership. His kicking taking some pressure off wilko)
13 - Tuilagi
14 - Ashton
15 - Foden

16 -Hartley
17 - Stevens
18 - Shaw
19 - Wood (people say we need Easter for leadership but I've never seen his leadership show)
20 - Richard Wigglesworth
21 - C.H
22 - Armitage

Also, does anyone else think Easter looks far too tubby for a professional Rugby player?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Moody won't play - he's not even a definite for the opening round(s) of the WC

Backrow will be Croft-Haskell-Easter with Wood on the bench, I think

 

[Peat]

stevens isn't that amazing a scrummager. we can't really judge him against a 2nd string Welsh front row.

Cole's pushed everyone in the world around, fact. Arguably not Healy for both Leicester and England, but when Healy's been shoved through his arsehole by everyone else you've got to question something there.

There are two answers to your question.

One is Healy looks a lot better when he doesn't have to scrummage with Tony Buckley on the other side.

The other is Healy is a better scrummager for having worked with Greg Feek.

Everyone thinks of the Healy who scrummaged with Buckley and hadn't met Feek. Cole met the version who had, and got to scrummage with Mike Ross.

 

[Feicarsinn]

stevens isn't that amazing a scrummager. we can't really judge him against a 2nd string Welsh front row.

Cole's pushed everyone in the world around, fact. Arguably not Healy for both Leicester and England, but when Healy's been shoved through his arsehole by everyone else you've got to question something there.

You're very harsh there. During the first French game the Irish scrum was a very good match for the French unite - unit Tony Buckle came on. Healy also scrummaged well in the second game before being taken off. It's a department in which he's come on leaps and bounds.