RWC: Australia - Ireland (17-09-2011 20:30)

[SportsSpread]

Eden Park, Auckland (17-09-2011 20:30)

Referee: Bryce Lawrence

[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR][TD] Australia [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] Ireland [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Kurtley Beale [/TD][TD] 15 [/TD][TD] Rob Kearney [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] James O'Connor [/TD][TD] 14 [/TD][TD] Tommy Bowe [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Anthony Faingaa [/TD][TD] 13 [/TD][TD] Brian O'Driscoll [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Pat McCabe [/TD][TD] 12 [/TD][TD] Gordon D'Arcy [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Adam Ashley-Cooper [/TD][TD] 11 [/TD][TD] Keith Earls [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Quade Cooper [/TD][TD] 10 [/TD][TD] Jonathan Sexton [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Will Genia [/TD][TD] 9 [/TD][TD] Eoin Reddan [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Radike Samo [/TD][TD] 8 [/TD][TD] Jamie Heaslip [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] David Pocock [/TD][TD] 7 [/TD][TD] Sean O'Brien [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Rocky Elsom [/TD][TD] 6 [/TD][TD] Stephen Ferris [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] James Horwill (c) [/TD][TD] 5 [/TD][TD] Paul O'Connell [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Dan Vickerman [/TD][TD] 4 [/TD][TD] Donncha O'Callaghan [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ben Alexander [/TD][TD] 3 [/TD][TD] Mike Ross [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Stephen Moore [/TD][TD] 2 [/TD][TD] Rory Best [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Sekope Kepu [/TD][TD] 1 [/TD][TD] Cian Healy [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Tatafu Polota-Nau [/TD][TD] 16 [/TD][TD] Sean Cronin [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] James Slipper [/TD][TD] 17 [/TD][TD] Tom Court [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Rob Simmons [/TD][TD] 18 [/TD][TD] Donnacha Ryan [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ben McCalman [/TD][TD] 19 [/TD][TD] Denis Leamy [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Scott Higginbotham [/TD][TD] 20 [/TD][TD] Conor Murray [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Luke Burgess [/TD][TD] 21 [/TD][TD] Ronan O'Gara [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Drew Mitchell [/TD][TD] 22 [/TD][TD] Andrew Trimble [/TD][/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[i tickle ur tum]

im not writing them off...im talking them off!! i really hope all this reverse physcology works

 

[munstermuffin]

Seems the Irish Team is:
Healy Best Ross
DOC POC
Ferris Heaslip O'Brien
Reddan Sexton
D'Arcy BOD
Bowe Kearney Earls

That the team doing the rounds down in New Zealand.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Seems the Irish Team is:
Healy Best Ross
DOC POC
Ferris Heaslip O'Brien
Reddan Sexton
D'Arcy BOD
Bowe Kearney Earls

That the team doing the rounds down in New Zealand.

Not sure how I feel about Heaslip who's been rubbish recently. DOC shouldn't be there. Hopefully Reddan and Sexton work well together.

Don't know I feel about the backrow. Seems to lack any sort of balance. It's all power and nothing to deal with Pockock...

p.s. Not happy about the undroppable D'Arcy. But there's nothing that can be done about that now. Maybe CMac suggestion. But I don't think Australia is the right time for Sexton at 12 experiment.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Ugh, He should start R'OG and maybe Sexton at 12 instead and possibly Trimble at 11 instead of Earls.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'd like to see (though not for this match, just at some point):
11. Trimble
12. McFadden
13. Bowe
14. Earls

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I'd like to see (though not for this match, just at some point):
11. Trimble
12. McFadden
13. Bowe
14. Earls

I don't see this happening, firstly it won't happen this weekend, it won't happen against Russia because they'll rest Bowe and Earls, Kidney will then go back to his Grand Slam winning team for the all or nothing match vs Italy and then we'll be out.

 

[munstermuffin]

Can I ask this - Why is so many people calling for Earls to be dropped?
Now don't get me wrong if Trimble were to start he earned it. But Earls performances on the wing for Ireland have been good and well again last Saturday he was one of our better backs.
Things to consider also are Trimbles had 1 ok performance against England in 11 jersey and his good performances were in 14 shirt. And well I do really believe there is a difference between playing on left wing and right wing. But we have to be straight up and say Bowe got 2 tries and is a finisher ut other than those 2 tries he was poor Sunday.
My ain point is simply I don't think Earls is playing as bad as people make him out.
D'Arcy, DOC, BOD and Heaslip are much bigger concerns in my eyes

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I've been calling for a lot of change including McFadden or Sexton for D'Arcy, Cullen for Donkey and O'Brien for Heaslip. I think O'Driscoll will pick it up, he didn't perform vs USA or a friendly against England, not big games and if you've been playing as long as he has it'll be hard to get up for these. I just don't think Earls has performed to international standard since the 6nations and he should be dropped.

 

[munstermuffin]

I've been calling for a lot of change including McFadden or Sexton for D'Arcy, Cullen for Donkey and O'Brien for Heaslip. I think O'Driscoll will pick it up, he didn't perform vs USA or a friendly against England, not big games and if you've been playing as long as he has it'll be hard to get up for these. I just don't think Earls has performed to international standard since the 6nations and he should be dropped.

As I said I wasn't making argument as I felt Trimble has good form but on opposite wing and well I'd disagree about Earls comment as I'm basing his performances on the wing and he has only played 2 and had moments in French game and was 1 of our best against USA.
Agree on calls too except Heaslip will stay because Jennings was terrible and nowhere to be seen on Sunday and deserves to drop out of 22. But if we had Wallace fit I think Heaslip would be sweating.

 

[kicklikeaprop]

My team for this game would be:
1. Healy
2. Flannery
3. Ross
4. Cullen
5. O Connell
6. Ferris
7. O Brien
8. Heaslip
9. Reddan
10. Sexton
11. Earls
12. BOD
13. Bowe
14. Trimble
15. Murphy

 

[RuckinGoodStats]

While I'm meeting lots of awesome Irish supporters on line, Ireland will need to address a some key areas. While Ireland made 5 turnovers when USA took the ball into a ruck/maul and had 62% of the contestable ball (64% 1st half 59% 2nd half) for a 10 point win. Looking at their posssion and territory charts by 30 second grabs they seem in both havles to be onto it for the first 12 mins and last 12 mins of each half. Or USA are onto it during the 13th minute to the 28th minute of both halves. USA missed 17 tackles, but Ireland spent 21% of the game inside USA's 22 for a ten pont win. They will get chances in the game regardless of the oppostion, so Ireland need to take them more convincingly than they did against USA.

 

[Peat]

Trimble has played both wings convincingly, I wouldn't worry about which wing he was on. He's also got far better form than Earls at the moment.

 

[profitius]

Decent team if thats the one he picks. DOC and D'Arcy are the lucky ones to be there. Earls had a good year overall.

While I'm meeting lots of awesome Irish supporters on line, Ireland will need to address a some key areas. While Ireland made 5 turnovers when USA took the ball into a ruck/maul and had 62% of the contestable ball (64% 1st half 59% 2nd half) for a 10 point win. Looking at their posssion and territory charts by 30 second grabs they seem in both havles to be onto it for the first 12 mins and last 12 mins of each half. Or USA are onto it during the 13th minute to the 28th minute of both halves. USA missed 17 tackles, but Ireland spent 21% of the game inside USA's 22 for a ten pont win. They will get chances in the game regardless of the oppostion, so Ireland need to take them more convincingly than they did against USA.

I think they only have to improve in certain areas by small margins. People are reading too much into the score. Ireland missed around 5 kicks at goal and near the end when they were leading 22 - 3 a USA player carried the ball over his own goal line and touch it down. The ref said it was a 22m drop out but it should have been an Irish scrum 5m from the line. The score could have been 29 - 3 instead of 22 - 10. That would have looked an ok result considering the conditions. Credit to the USA too for their defensive efforts.

 

[big ginger 8]

I'll stick with my former prognosis Ireland will win. Call me crazy if you want. Like all of you I agree Heaslip is shite it's not like he's one of our world class players who's just not reaching his high standards at the moment I mean he couldn't possibly be our best forward at the breakdown our anything could he? He's not a born leader who changes the team simply by playing? Nah.

Trimble will start so that our left winger can tackle cmacs God.

Everything is set up for these players the way they seem to like it. They must come out all guns blazing. Ireland have been concentating on how to beat Aus for over a year. The main reason the stuck with ToO'L wasn't Munster favouritism but a hope that he could counter Genia.

P.S. Typical Aussies, Ioane's out and who can they play instead only Drew ****ing Mitchell.

 

[coonor]

I really couldn't even consider dropping Heaslip. He is clearly a key member of the team and although his game hasn't been up to great standard he has had good glimpses. He is now a central part of the lineout and he is still strong at the breakdown. I just think a he adds so much to the team and the back up options do not contend with him.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I hope Drew Mitchell plays (I reckon he'll be in the 22 shirt) - my favourite Wallaby by far

 

[jovialjonny]

I think Ireland CAN win, if they play like they did v England in 6n.

Anything less and they won't. On our day we can win any game, it's being at that level consistently that seems to be beyond us.

 

[JW.]

The only way I can see Ireland winning this is if there forwards front up and destroy the Aussies in that department. And retain fast ball for there backs, the Aussies backs are obviously better but there forwards are not!

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I think we have to shut down Quade. Last time I can remember seeing him being closed down was against Force in week 1 of the S15 and he was absolutely awful and seen as that was really the first time I saw Quade, I don't rate him too highly and I think he can be shut down easily.