New Zealand 66 vs Ireland 28 FT

[nickdnz]

I would like to point out the the AB side is equally injury ravaged - over quarter of the team are on debut! The ABs have some exciting young players, but I wouldn't call it a particularly strong All Black side by any means- if we were playing South Africa or Australia (or a full strength Ireland) I would be worried.

Yeah, Ireland seem to think they're going up against our strongest team. We have a few exciting prospects, but we're hardley at out best. Just to recap on the injured list for NZ (some may return for Tri Nations after game time):

Luke McAlister
Andrew Hore
Isia Toeava
Tom Donnelly
Mils Muliaina
Steven Donald
Mike Delany
Ali Willaims
Sitivini Sivivatu
Ma'a Nonu
Richard Kahui

 

[munstermuffin]

My prediction is Trimble will struggle and his head will drop.
Have a feeling lineout will function but scrum will be destroyed.
Buckley and Sexton will make impact and we will loose at least 1 player to injury for Aus game.

Call me Mystic Muffin

 

[Hurricane Nate]

Yeah, Ireland seem to think they're going up against our strongest team. We have a few exciting prospects, but we're hardley at out best. Just to recap on the injured list for NZ (some may return for Tri Nations after game time):

Luke McAlister
Andrew Hore
Isia Toeava
Tom Donnelly
Mils Muliaina
Steven Donald
Mike Delany
Ali Willaims
Sitivini Sivivatu
Ma'a Nonu
Richard Kahui

Ireland think they are facing the top AB team? with there injury ravaged squad? are they making excuses for losing before they even play or is it just me.

 

[Conal]

you may have injurys but yous have far more strength in depth
all but two of are players play in ireland and the entire squad bar three (two of them there because of injury) are from three clubs
new zealand have 5 s14 teams i think
and then the air new zealand cup is a high standard argubaly the highest standard of domestic rugby about
im not saying that there not injury ravaged but new zealand are better equipped than ireland to deal with it

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

I would like to point out the the AB side is equally injury ravaged - over quarter of the team are on debut! The ABs have some exciting young players, but I wouldn't call it a particularly strong All Black side by any means- if we were playing South Africa or Australia (or a full strength Ireland) I would be worried.

The under-dog tag is as highly prized as a four-leaf clover around these parts by the looks. The Irish face a tough assignment yes, but when have they ever had an easy one against the All Blacks? One draw in 70 odd years is not evidence of happier times gone by is it?

These guys just have to play a blinder and maybe perform an ambush via good quick hands and some razzle dazzle. If the bounce of the ball proves crucial and they play out of their skins we could get a shock ala France at Carisbrook.

Not saying that will happen, but if the fans have any say here, Ireland will get their asses handed to them.

 

[Conal]

i think we will sadly
if we hads a full team we still would probaly lose but it wouldnt be a score to be ashamed about lose by less than 15 i reckon
but with this team today god knows but hey mabey a new bout of swine flu or somthing makes the entire alll black team unable to play then we could scrape a win with this team
pity zac guilford is of with the u20s ( well i think he is is he????

 

[nickdnz]

Zac is on the bench.

I think you wont be so lucky that the AB's all become ill, that hasn't happened in 15 years...

 

[Conal]

its happend?? fair enough ah didnt see zac there sorry

 

[Haysie]

-cough- New Zealand's 1995 WC campaign choke -cough-

 

[Conal]

lol sorry but i was only like 3 then

 

[Feicarsinn]

Yeah, Ireland seem to think they're going up against our strongest team. We have a few exciting prospects, but we're hardley at out best. Just to recap on the injured list for NZ (some may return for Tri Nations after game time):

Luke McAlister
Andrew Hore
Isia Toeava
Tom Donnelly
Mils Muliaina
Steven Donald
Mike Delany
Ali Willaims
Sitivini Sivivatu
Ma'a Nonu
Richard Kahui

You call that an injury list? Try this on for size:

Paul O'Connell [1st choice lock]
Leo Cullen [2nd choice lock]
Donnacha Ryan [4th choice lock]
Devin Toner [5th choice lock]
Stephen Ferris [1st choice blindside]
Denis Leamy [2nd choice blindside]
Sean O'Brien [3rd choice blindside]
Kevin McLaughlin [4th choice blindside]
Jerry Flannery [1st choice hooker]
Rory Best [2nd choice hooker]
Keith Earls [1st choice centre/wing]
Luke Fitzgerald [1st choice centre/wing]
Shane Horgan [3rd choice lock, probably in or around the 22]

We don't exactly have New Zealand strength in depth either.

 

[nickdnz]

You call that an injury list? Try this on for size:

Paul O'Connell
Leo Cullen
Donnacha Ryan
Devin Toner
Denis Leamy
Kevin McLaughlin
Sean O'Brien
Jerry Flannery
Rory Best
Keith Earls
Shane Horgan
Luke Fitzgerald

We don't exactly have New Zealand strength in depth either.

Haha, that list would be more impressive if it was more than 1 extra injured player, lol. You can argue depth, but that isn't really a valid excuse for losing, "we don't have good enough backup!".

 

[MunsterMan]

Stephen Ferris :O Only the best blindside in the Six Nations like, no need to add him to your list.

Pretty dissapointed with the Irish team. Especially because we are going to play shitty rugby, kick the ball to Dagg, Jane and Roks and get our ass handed to us. If we had picked Sexton at 10 and Wallace at 12 we would be able to attack NZ but it will happen very rarely with that selection.

Mick O'Driscoll, I'd be willing to bet NZ have a minimum of 15 better locks available than him.

P.S: WHY THE **** IS JOHN HAYES STARTING????

 

[Conal]

well its true irelands population isnt that much bigger than new zealands
rugby is our 3rd mabey 2nd sport at a push ( we seem to play more gaelic irish games)
and all are players are basicly from three clubs so we only have one or two in each position getting game time

 

[Feicarsinn]

I do enjoy this fight over excuses.

"Our Lads are all injured we can't win"

"Pah, we're far more injured and we have less depth*"

"Oh yeah, well that's no excuse"

"It is!!!!"

*I know that I actually said that. But still

 

[Haysie]

P.S: WHY THE **** IS JOHN HAYES STARTING????

Oh ****... you woke Nate up...

 

[candybum]

Andy Ellis showed his class by leaving du Preez unmarked at a crucial time in the Super 14 semi and sometimes loses any vision of what he's trying to do in the game. Playing behind New Zealands best forward pack in the Super 14 and he can't do anything dynamic.
.

F'n brilliant

 

[munstermuffin]

Trimble only starting so Ulster have a representative me think.

Also I think Cullen and Earls are probably our 2 biggest losses on tour as Earls has probably been the most dangerous back apart from Tommy in last few weeks of season and well I think at moment Cullen is best lock in uk and Ireland with donnacha and Bradley davies behind

Fionn Carr deserved a shot even if it were at Maoris and call me mad but would Stephen Keogh be allowed feel bit down that well he wasn't considered a contender for 6 given circumstances as he'd a good end to season

 

[Iron Mike]

Luke McAlister - 29 caps
Andrew Hore - 47 caps
Isia Toeava - 26 caps
Tom Donnelly - 5 caps
Mils Muliaina - 82 caps
Steven Donald - 19 caps
Mike Delany - 1 cap
Ali Williams - 61 caps
Sitivini Sivivatu - 46 caps
Ma'a Nonu - 42 caps
Richard Kahui - 9 caps

Total caps lost = 367

Paul O'Connell - 76 caps
Leo Cullen - 19 caps
Donnacha Ryan - 0 caps
Devin Toner - 0 caps
Stephen Ferris - 16 caps
Denis Leamy - 41 caps
Sean O'Brien - 1 cap
Kevin McLaughlin - 1 cap
Jerry Flannery - 36 caps
Rory Best - 34 caps
Keith Earls - 10 caps
Luke Fitzgerald - 13 caps
Shane Horgan - 69 caps

Total caps lost = 316

A lot of those caps come from Shane Horgan aswell, who is hardly in the top 4 wingers in Ireland.

Both teams have lost a lot of players, stop making excuses.

Jimmy Cowan is also very underrated, he might not be as dynamic as Genia, but I rate him as higher than Fourie Du Preez. Fourie Du Preez plays with the Boks how he does with the Bulls, plays loose due to a dominant forward pack and will often join in the kick and chase game. I have never seen Fourie Du Preez play well when his forward pack is under fire, the Ireland and French games show this perfectly. While Jimmy Cowan, the All Blacks were completely buggered last year by the Boks and still played extremely well. You should give him more credit, he is solid and it doesn't matter how the forwards play, he will still do his role unlike Fourie Du Preez or Genia.

 

[munstermuffin]

Iron mike you'd want to recalculate as on quick look Donnacha Ryan is capped.
Also take in to account the Lions tour caps and maybe consider it about the now and not the past so number of caps doesn't mean much in a settled team. Earls, Ferris and Fitzgearld might not have buckets of caps yet but they still vital to us as is others