[June Tests 2018: 1st Test] Australia vs. Ireland (09/06/2018)

[RoosTah]

No, the TMO protocols don't work like that

For Foul Play, the Referee, ARs and TMO can go back as far as the last time the ball was dead (e.g. in touch or the game was stopped for some other reason), but no further.

For other types of non foul play infringements such as a knock-ons, forward passes, offside, hands in the ruck, not rolling away, side entry, not releasing etc, they can only go back two phases (being the current phase at the time the call is made, back to the second most recent ruck, maul. In the examples below, they can only go back as far as the red ruck

ruck : open play (knock on) : ruck : open play (try scored)
- Try disallowed for the knock on

However..

ruck : open play (knock on) : ruck : open play : ruck : open play (try scored)
- Try stands

Also, of course, you cannot adjust the score without affecting the play. If you retrospectively disallow a try, this would have resulted in the game restarting in a different place (penaty, 22 droput, lineout instead of a halfway restart). This means you cannot predict how that change will affect the rest of the game.

I get how they work mate. I just think it's a f#cking stupid system. You can disagree if you like, but the logic of reversing a try over an incidental infringement several minutes before your side has even had the ball could very reasonably by revised to extend it to revising scores at the end of the match as well. It's just that moronic in nature to begin with.

 

[corny]

Seen it said now quite a bit that Beirne or Leavy are our answer to dealing with Pocock. Its really simplistic thinking. They're good at competing for opposition ball yeah but they're nothing special on the clear out. The return of Healy, Cronin and especially Furlong is far more important. They're going to be the ones removing him from the ruck the majority of the time.

Also, Dev Toner would be a better change to make than Beirne. His ruck stats are always impressive.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Seen it said now quite a bit that Beirne or Leavy are our answer to dealing with Pocock. Its really simplistic thinking. They're good at competing for opposition ball yeah but they're nothing special on the clear out. The return of Healy, Cronin and especially Furlong is far more important. They're going to be the ones removing him from the ruck the majority of the time.

Also, Dev Toner would be a better change to make than Beirne. His ruck stats are always impressive.

I think you're being overly simplistic too to a degree. I agree on Toner and have said he should be in but bringing Beirne and Leavy in means we are bringing in two faster men. We struggled massively with the pace of the Aussies and Pocock and Hooper were probably the biggest difference there, they were everywhere and our backrow and locks just couldn't keep up. While I disagree that Leavy isn't impressive on the clear out anyway, he is a lot quicker than Jordi who does struggle with the pace of games when played from the start, Beirne is also more mobile than Henderson and should make a difference too. The front row hasn't been mentioned because it's pretty obvious we'll improve there, Herring is a guy battling to be third choice this time next year and Ryan is the established third choice so there's going to be huge improvement there regardless of who replaces them and the same goes for Healy in for McGrath on this season's form.

I said it earlier in the thread that I don't think we could have picked a side less suited to counteracting the Aussies. The pack and Ringrose were the main reason for that and while I'd be surprised if any player from Saturday's starting XV doesn't feature again in any capacity, Ryan, Herring and Aki are the only possibilities in my mind, I'd be far more surprised if any of the pairings we saw are repeated, second row the only possible exception.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Considering they won a league together Aki and Henshaw looked like they never played together before, it was slightly odd to be honest, didn't click in defence or attack. As alpha bro said above the back row selection was a mistake against the flanker pairing of Hooper and Pocock which is probably of one the most mobile in the world while still retaining test match physicality. I thought Carberry showed himself well, it's going to be an impossible task living up to Sexton but he didn't look out of place and it was quite ironic that it was Sexton who missed an decisive kick to touch when he came on.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Considering they won a league together Aki and Henshaw looked like they never played together before, it was slightly odd to be honest, didn't click in defence or attack.

Henshaw has bulked up a fair bit since moved to Leinster, where he's playing 12 instead of 13. It makes him a better 12 but a worse outside center and throw in his lack of game time there and you're effectively starting two boshers which is never going to work against competent opposition at international level. We looked woefully inept in attack the last time they played together as well. (Against France, Italy doesn't count.)

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Aki lubing his hands before international games really doesn't help. He drops everything and anything, Henshaw is probably in the next bracket of most vital player after Furlong, Sexmachine and Murray.