June Internationals: United States v Ireland (8/6/13)

[big ginger 8]

08/06/2013, 19:30 (Local), 13:10 GMT

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Hope a mod won't mind fixing it up.

Kick off local time is 19:30 and 1:30 G.M.T. .

Will be shown on TG4 for Irish viewers at the time of the match and delayed coverage at 12.

Looking forward to this hopefully we don't pick Ross or McCarthy who apparently it looks like will be playing.

http://www.irishrugby.ie/rugby/match_centre.php?section=overview&fixid=182745

 

[big ginger 8]

http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/29293.php

Look at the size of Watt!

For cmac there's a nice little clip in the video linked in the link of Small Paul from about 4:30.

 

[Groundhog]

I don't know watt you mean BG8.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

JJ Watt is Chris Henry.

 

[Peat]

You guys looked at the Nasa video? Henderson actually looks like an 11 year old. Until you look at all the other people around him...

 

[big ginger 8]

You guys looked at the Nasa video? Henderson actually looks like an 11 year old. Until you look at all the other people around him...

Yeah and Kevin McLaughlin looks like he's average height.

 

[Draggs]

Yeah I'll add the graphics once I get back and on the laptop. Ipad is terrible for basic HTML, very amateur there Apple.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

https://twitter.com/irfurugby/status/342762580781174784
Ireland: Henshaw, McFadden, Cave, Olding, Zebo, Madigan, Boss. Kilcoyne, Strauss, Ross, McCarthy, Toner, Henderson, Henry, O'Mahony <s>#</s>USAvIRE

Ireland Replacements: Sherry, Hagan, Court, Tuohy, O'Donnell, Marshall, Jackson, Jones <s>#</s>USAvsIRE

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I like that, I want to see Marshall and O'Donnell off the bench and maybe a Jackson Madigan 10-12 axis.

 

[big ginger 8]

So as reported. Would rather Boss, Ross and McCarthy weren't starting can undersatnd why but still rather they weren't.

Anyway fairly stong side hope America put out their strongest side possible and we get a good game.

 

[admartian]

JJ Watt would do well in rugby. He seems the type that can go the full 80mins unlike some NFL stars.

 

[psychic duck]

USA team, full strength apart from Paul Emerick. I'd back roughly 4 or possibly 5 of that are better than their Irish counterparts. But the coaches seem to be stupid enough to think they can win without a goal kicker. They need one desperately. This will lose them the game. Big test for the poor scrum, good opportunity for Doyle and Hume to prove themselves. USA are lucky, not as many injuries as Japan and Canada unfortunately have.

Meanwhile, off the pitch, this has been an unprecedented success for USA rugby. Sold out BBVA Compass Arena apparently in Houston, 22,000 crowd expected the highest ever for a match in the USA, breaking the 17,000 set against Italy last year. The USA did a good job marketing this game.

1. Shawn Pittman
2. Chris Biller
3. Eric Fry
4. Brian Doyle
5. Louis Stanfill
6. Samu Manoa
7. Scott LaValla
8. Todd Clever (C)
9. Mike Petri
10. Toby L'Estrange
11. Takudzwa Ngwenya
12. Andrew Suniula
13. Seamus Kelly
14. Luke Hume
15. Chris Wyles
16. Zach Fenoglio
17. Nick Wallace
18. Phil Thiel
19. Peter Dahl
20. John Quill
21. Robbie Shaw
22. James Paterson
23. Adam Siddall

 

[big ginger 8]

Which players out of interest?

I'm guessing you're thinking Ngweya, Clever, Wyles and maybe Manoa...?

Anyone know who it was that was playing AIL and got called up this year.

 

[LittleGuy]

I look forward to seeing how the States do, good for them getting out a side which is essentially a 95% of their best possible team. And an excellent crowd as well, going to go with Ireland by 7 in this one though I would not be shocked if we saw a scalp. As PD says the lack of a good Eagles goalkicker has been a weakness for a while and is leaving them points on the board in a lot of games.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Seamus Kelly!? Ha, that name is more Irish than any of Irelands players!

 

[Draggs]

I look forward to seeing how the States do, good for them getting out a side which is essentially a 95% of their best possible team. And an excellent crowd as well, going to go with Ireland by 7 in this one though I would not be shocked if we saw a scalp. As PD says the lack of a good Eagles goalkicker has been a weakness for a while and is leaving them points on the board in a lot of games.

They should bring back Hercus the Circus, the man who holds the distinction as possibly the worst outside half to represent a Welsh club.

 

[psychic duck]

Which players out of interest?

I'm guessing you're thinking Ngweya, Clever, Wyles and maybe Manoa...?

Yes, apart from Hume not Ngwenya. Zebo is a smarter player than Zee, understands the game better and support play to get opportunities. Or there could be an argument for Ngwenya hence why I said possibly 5.

I look forward to seeing how the States do, good for them getting out a side which is essentially a 95% of their best possible team. And an excellent crowd as well, going to go with Ireland by 7 in this one though I would not be shocked if we saw a scalp. As PD says the lack of a good Eagles goalkicker has been a weakness for a while and is leaving them points on the board in a lot of games.

It was the goal kicking that cost them the Canada game last year IIRC?

Some shocking kicks missed by Wyles. Can't believe they haven't shoe horned a kicker in somewhere. Wyles at 13 and Siddall at 15 would have been more sensible, although I'm astonished they didn't put in Madison Hughes in the squad at all. He is the reason they are getting thrashed in the JWC this year.

They should bring back Hercus the Circus, the man who holds the distinction as possibly the worst outside half to represent a Welsh club.

The other contenders:

 

[LittleGuy]

Yes, apart from Hume not Ngwenya. Zebo is a smarter player than Zee, understands the game better and support play to get opportunities. Or there could be an argument for Ngwenya hence why I said possibly 5.



It was the goal kicking that cost them the Canada game last year IIRC?

Some shocking kicks missed by Wyles. Can't believe they haven't shoe horned a kicker in somewhere. Wyles at 13 and Siddall at 15 would have been more sensible, although I'm astonished they didn't put in Madison Hughes in the squad at all. He is the reason they are getting thrashed in the JWC this year.

Yes the Kingston game they could have had if Pritchard hadn't have been a huge step above the Eagles goalkicking, also an argument they could have beaten us at BMO in 2011 with a good goalkicker.

 

[Draggs]

SNK was primarily a fullback, and passable for the Blues there.
Bowen would be hard to judge. You never hear him brought up, but I think when you consider that Hercus was an international and Bowen not, it puts things in perspective.

SNK had a good tackle on Heaslip, about all I saw him do, in the Farce match.

 

[norcalbuff]

Comments about Hercus: while he was probably the worst flyhalf in Welsh region history, he's also the best flyhalf in American rugby history. That should be telling as to how weak we've historically been at 10. While L'Estrange doesn't seem like a world beater (and can't kick for goal), he's a big step up from anyone we had playing 10 between Hercus's retirement and last November. Seems like Siddall could be an OK 10 (who can kick) and Will Holder and Will Magie are good younger prospects.

As for the lineup, it's our first choice team besides Emerick so this should be a good litmus test for how we'll do in August against Canada in the RWCQs. Looking forward to another record crowd in Houston. We should be playing at least 1 test there every year until other cities and regions prove they can match Houston. In fact, if this does sell out, as it is expected to, there has been talk of using Reliant Stadium in the future. While it might feel a bit cavernous with a crowd nowhere near capacity there, it would have the benefit of being indoors in Houston in June and could handle a bigger crowd than 22k.