New Zealand 66 vs Ireland 28 FT

[Iron Mike]

Isia Toeava is injured, he is amazing. Can play all positions in the backline, was named Aucklands 2009 back of the season, which is saying a lot as Auckland has a lot of All Black backs.

Then also losing Lelia Masaga to injury,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6IHRcCbBHY&feature=related

 

[King_D'Arcy]

Feic is right. We're missing our 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th choice blindsides, 3 wingers, our 1st and 2nd choice lock, our 1st and 2nd choice hooker. We're just severely weakened in particular positions. We've definitely got more strngth in depth than we did even 2 years ago.

veux, calling Ireland a "**** country" is an outrageous claim

 

[Feicarsinn]

Feic is right. We're missing our 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th choice blindsides, 3 wingers, our 1st and 2nd choice lock, our 1st and 2nd choice hooker. We're just severely weakened in particular positions. We've definitely got more strngth in depth than we did even 2 years ago.

veux, calling Ireland a "**** country" is an outrageous claim

well duh

 

[King_D'Arcy]

I retract that statement!!!

 

[Iron Mike]

Mils - 1st choice fullback
Andrew Hore - 1st choice hooker
Ti'i Paulo - 4th choice hooker - gone overseas
Corey Flynn - 3rd choice hooker
Ali Williams - 1st choice lock
Tom Donnelly - 2nd choice lock
Jason Eaton - 3rd choice lock
Sitiveni Sivivatu - 1st choice wing
Tamati Ellison - 6th choice wing - overseas
Lelia Masaga - 5th choice wing
Ma'a Nonu - 1st choice centre
Isia Toeava - 2nd choice centre
Luke Mcalister - 3rd choice centre
Richard Kahui - 4th choice centre
Luke Mcalister - 2nd choice flyhalf
Stephen Donald - 3rd choice flyhalf
Mike Delany - 4th choice flyhalf

Both teams have problems, don't talk ****. I mean for **** sake, Aaron Cruden can't even kick at goal, and he is the backup flyhalf. Benson Stanley is a huge gamble and the backup hooker to the All Blacks isn't even the Chiefs first choice hooker, and the Chiefs main hooker is absolutely ****.

Really, the All Blacks have more of an injury crisis than Ireland. Ireland is weakened in the three positions, the All Blacks five, Irelands blindside problem is as bad as the All Blacks centre problem.

 

[coonor]

If we win I think Iron Mike might actually have to leave the forum hahahaha

 

[User1245]

Very exciting AB team that.
Good to see Dagg there, was a shining light for the Highlanders in a disappointing campaign. Not surprised to see Whitelock there either, he is definitely one for the future, adding valuable depth to the lock department where the AB's have been a bit thin for awhile now. Really wish Kahui was not injured, I really like his style of play.
Eager to see how Cruden does. He looked sharp in the S14 for the most part.
Should be a good game.

 

[veux]

Yeah, that was a massive overexaggeration, I take it back.

 

[munstermuffin]

Ireland will be fired up though and well I think yeah we're severly weakened but well this Irish team will battle for everything and who knows maybe even grab a win

 

[Conal]

its the plan
we all pretend to be injured so they select a weakend team
little do they know ferris paulie cullen fitzy mc fadden flannery are all hiding at the stadium ready to pounce!

 

[coonor]

15.Robert Kearney- good choice his form is coming back and defensively he is is very strong at the moment
14.Tommy Bowe- provides the main threat from the irish team obvious choice
13.Brian O'Driscoll (captain)- Can't really not select him he is captain but really needs to get back to his best
12.Gordon D'Arcy- would have prefered paddy wallace
11.Andrew Trimble- really the only option we have played well last week though
10.Ronan O'Gara- would have prefered sexton as he will be more of a threat
9.Tomas O'Leary- had a good season IMO. did really well coming of the bench last week
8.Jamie Heaslip- In brilliant form best no.8 in the world at the moment
7.David Wallace- happy with this decision we do need a bit of experience in the team. very solid player
6.John Muldoon- great game last weak. will hopefull give Ireland a bit more power with the ball
5.Mick O'Driscoll- did very well coming in for O'connel during the H cup. I really think we should have been trying to develop anouther lock though or casey may have been better for leadership
4.Donncha O'Callaghan- very solid player shines even more with O'connel absent
3.John Hayes- dreadful decision. not only is he old but he is actually one of the worst irish scrummagers now and you wouldn't realise if he just left the pitch would have prefered Buckley
2.Sean Cronin- good threat with ball in hand an a real prospect
1.Cian Healy- hopefully he can prove that his scrummaging is respectable. glad that Horan was not selected
Replacements:
John Fogarty- only choice left really (except varley) would like to see him get a bit of game time
Tony Buckley- wanted him to start and court on the bench. Buckley must come on ASAP
Dan Tuohy- would like to see him get as much game time as possible
Shane Jennings- very keen player will have an impact in the game
Eoin Reddan- does the basics well but lacks a flare rather him than Stringer although I prefer Stringe
Jonathan Sexton- should have stared must get game time
Geordan Murphy- glad to see him on the bench will hopefully sort things out if we begin to go down hill

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Glanced through the Ireland team, and I had five thoughts:

1). TOMMY!!!!!! And then I said out loud "Oooh, Trimble."
2). 3 Connaught players? Beating a second-string Bourgeion team would be a big win for them, let alone the All Blacks!
3). ROG is in, which makes sense considering the inexpereince of the other side, but is bad because the game is on at 8:30AM, and I'll have to put up with my brothers' fairly convincing O'Gara impression from the early hours.
4). Who the hell is Muldoon?
5). Mick O'Driscol? Really? Well, I guess what other choice is there?

 

[Feicarsinn]

Glanced through the Ireland team, and I had five thoughts:

1). TOMMY!!!!!! And then I said out loud "Oooh, Trimble."
2). 3 Connaught players? Beating a second-string Bourgeion team would be a big win for them, let alone the All Blacks!
3). ROG is in, which makes sense considering the inexpereince of the other side, but is bad because the game is on at 8:30AM, and I'll have to put up with my brothers' fairly convincing O'Gara impression from the early hours.
4). Who the hell is Muldoon?
5). Mick O'Driscol? Really? Well, I guess what other choice is there?

1) Yeah, Tommy is a sexy beast. No real other option on the other wing, save maybe Fionn Carr, but he's at home.
2)That's what injury does to you. Cronin is a quality player, Muldoon isn't bad, maybe not international quality, but quite reliable. Who's the other Connacht lad?
3) I don't know how yet, but Rog is going to contrive to lose us this game. You'll see.
4) Muldoon is the Connacht captain. He's had a very good season and played well against the BaaBaas. There are very few fit 6's left in the country at the moment.
5) No. There is no other choice.

 

[Darwin]

Personally I was surprised to see O'Gara in the team - I thought they would be wanting to get Sexton as much game-time at this level as possible. Obviously O'Gara's experience has helped him get selected (as has been pointed out by a few posters). I also think the absence of Nonu at 12 may have played a part in this selection- while Stanley is a solid player he is nowhere near the threat on attack that Nonu is, and therefore is less likely to exploit O'Gara's defense than Nonu (or other injured 12's such as Toeava or MacAlister).

It was interesting to see no cover for McCaw at 7 on the bench - I was expecting to see Thomson on the bench as he has played in all three loose forward positions at super 14 level. Obviously they are grooming Vito to cover these three positions, however I don't think he has played at 7 at even provincial level, though he undoubtedly has the skills to play there. It seems with the rule interpretations this year Henry and co. don't consider 7 to be a specialist position anymore.

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

Veux made a really good point. Your nations rugby shouldn't merely be judged by the starting XV all the time.

It's merely just the most important factor.
Depth is the next most important factor. You shouldn't be able to wiggle out of losses by using it as an excuse. Take a loss (if they happen) like a man. It's even sadder if you start acting like it's a loss before it's a loss.
New Zealand doesn't have depth in quite a few other sports and I'm sure once in a long time it'd be used as an excuse for those, but in general, overall, we don't. We're in the world cup of soccer, Ireland aren't. There's an excuse for Ireland there too. New Zealand had a much easier path, but in all honesty Ireland also has an all-time advantage with having proximity and opportunity to get players into the worlds best competitions. Scouts don't come out here much. My point? Ireland had an excuse.
Ireland did well at an earlier Cricket World Cup, but in general are a big fail. There's some perfectly valid excuses there too.

Is there a reason and an excuse for losing whenever Ireland has bad luck or circumstances for all sports? I hope not.

I'm not trying to bring in an argument between sporting abilities and countries, as that's totally besides my point. My point is excuses are sometimes valid, sometimes lame, but making the damn things before a match so that every try you do get will feel like an orgasm is just a really defeatist mindset.

 

[MunsterMan]

Ireland are shite at cricket You have ruined my night now CA. I have actually been mocked about Irish cricket team being shite before, but by a stupid Englishman. To be honest before that time they won a few games and got on the news I wasn't aware we had a team, as the first thing I do when I see cricket on the tv is change the channel.

I'm not interested in the "our injuries are way worse man, we will get dicked talk" but I did see someone listed Luke McAllister as 2nd choice flyhalf and 3rd choice centre? I though it was in Graham Henry's eyes only he was rated in New Zealand or has he recovered some form?

 

[Iron Mike]

I'm not interested in the "our injuries are way worse man, we will get dicked talk" but I did see someone listed Luke McAllister as 2nd choice flyhalf and 3rd choice centre? I though it was in Graham Henry's eyes only he was rated in New Zealand or has he recovered some form?

I put him at second choice, for the fact he has played well there before, Stephen Donald has never had a good game for the All Blacks at 10. Luke Mcalister when fit occupys the 21 jersey to fill in for DC or Nonu at 10/12. Whether that would remain the case if he was fit this season, I don't know, but that is how it was last year.

Yes, Victor Vito is being groomed to cover all three, probably more so at 7 as backup to Mccaw as Kaino and Read are still young. He isn't a fetching openside, he is a support running openside, yes there are different ways to play each position.

 

[Iron Mike]

8.Jamie Heaslip- In brilliant form best no.8 in the world at the moment

You had me up till here. While obviously a bias statement, I would say he shares the best number 8 glory with several other plays, such as Kieran Read, Pierre Spies and Imanol Harinordoquy. John Beattie and Richard Brown are on very good form aswell.

It is hard to say who is the best, there are a few top number 8's in the world right now.

 

[lucky number 7]

if your country can't produce more than 22 quality players it's a **** country and you can't call yourself a good team -

you seem to forget this is the same nation that brought you guinness ...repent from your blasphemous ways sinner !!

 

[munster2010]

irelands best chance in a while to beat new zealand