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

[munstermuffin]

I think Olyy is making a fair point.
O'Brien did alot of good and well had a fine game but it was more his effectiveness in defense and superb try saving tackles that stood out. He wasn't running riot offensively.
Agree also that O'Brien is a top player but is still gradually improving and settling in to the green shirt and when he does I think he has the potential to be easily the best backrow in the world.
But last Saturday he earned the plaudits for his defensive work and work around the fringes and not for his usual stampede runs bowling guys over

 

[Teh Mite]

I think Olyy is making a fair point.
O'Brien did alot of good and well had a fine game but it was more his effectiveness in defense and superb try saving tackles that stood out. He wasn't running riot offensively.
Agree also that O'Brien is a top player but is still gradually improving and settling in to the green shirt and when he does I think he has the potential to be easily the best backrow in the world.
But last Saturday he earned the plaudits for his defensive work and work around the fringes and not for his usual stampede runs bowling guys over

Careful now you bloody Limerick turnip, you will unleash the wrath of the Dublin lady boys.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I think Olyy is making a fair point.
O'Brien did alot of good and well had a fine game but it was more his effectiveness in defense and superb try saving tackles that stood out. He wasn't running riot offensively.
Agree also that O'Brien is a top player but is still gradually improving and settling in to the green shirt and when he does I think he has the potential to be easily the best backrow in the world.
But last Saturday he earned the plaudits for his defensive work and work around the fringes and not for his usual stampede runs bowling guys over

I agree with this. O'Brien played more like a 7 on Saturday than he ever has before and had a huge game, he showed that he was is arguably best all round back row in the world.

 

[ckell]

I agree with this. O'Brien played more like a 7 on Saturday than he ever has before and had a huge game, he showed that he was is arguably best all round back row in the world.

Steady now.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Meh I can't think of anyone else who can play 6, 7 and 8 as well as him.

 

[Teh Mite]

Meh I can't think of anyone else who can play 6, 7 and 8 as well as him.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Meh I can't think of anyone else who can play 6, 7 and 8 as well as him.

See Log on 'Why Versatility isn't all that and a Bag O' Chips'.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Did you spend all that time thinking of a better player, finding a suitable picture then photoshopping it into that just to prove me wrong?

Well I'm not mad I'm impressed.

 

[Teh Mite]

Did you spend all that time thinking of a better player, finding a suitable picture then photoshopping it into that just to prove me wrong?

Well I'm not mad I'm impressed.

If by that do you mean I had it sitting in a picture dump file (already shopped) for multiple months waiting for an appropriate moment to make its debut, yes!

Edit: I bet psychic duck neg reps me for it! :lol:

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

If by that do you mean I had it sitting in a picture dump file (already shopped) for multiple months waiting for an appropriate moment to make its debut, yes!

Edit: I bet psychic duck neg reps me for it! :lol:

Ugh, Now I am kind of mad (imagine me in an epic storm out of a room with a door slam so hard the door breaks in half that doesn't include me falling over or crying)

EDIT: I do not get the psychic Duck reference.

 

[munstermuffin]

Careful now you bloody Limerick turnip, you will unleash the wrath of the Dublin lady boys.

I had to make a big statement to get you in man
Long time since you posted here

 

[taibhe]

F****s sake, I said Ireland deserved the win - I'm not allowed to say that SOB didn't make many/any breaks?That's just a fact (as agreed upon by others) - However he got through a bum load of work in the tight, so it all evens out in the endSome people are far too precious...

Reading Aussie media, Silver Fern etc. would indicate that our SH friends think he had a stormer. On watching the match twice, I would concur. Commentators often have a blind spot during a match and neglect to mention certain players. O'Brien had a huge game and was everywhere. You chirped all through the thread about how Ireland were getting away with stuff, fairly clearcut refereeing decisions being wrong and then claimed Sean O'Brien had been "found out". Ireland indeed deserved to win but coming along after the thread a stating the bleeding obvious after all sorts of snide, chippy comments, means sod all. No preciousness here. Just making a point.

 

[big ginger 8]

This match made me...content.


BTW whats with people saying aw Ireland did a load of illegal **** at the breakdown and won't get away with it next time. Every team does as much illegal stuff as it can get away with also there main way of slowing ball down was the choke which is legal.

Hopefully my final post on this thread and my final statement it seems that it didn't occur to Alexender that Cian Healy who he played on his debut as a 22 year old would have improved with 22 caps as a 24 (pretty much) year old.

 

[munstermuffin]

This match made me...content.


BTW whats with people saying aw Ireland did a load of illegal **** at the breakdown and won't get away with it next time. Every team does as much illegal stuff as it can get away with also there main way of slowing ball down was the choke which is legal.

Hopefully my final post on this thread and my final statement it seems that it didn't occur to Alexender that Cian Healy who he played on his debut as a 22 year old would have improved with 22 caps as a 24 (pretty much) year old.

Better way to put that Ginger is simply people may not like it but Ireland for once have adapted superbly to law variations and use this choke tackle (100% legal) to great effect and I for one am delighted because we usually are slow to adapt to law variations but now it seems Les Kiss has us 1 step ahead.

 

[lucky number 7]

Just thought I'd throw in the ratings from a few media outlets around the world (and Ireland). The majority of which had him as man of the match, or close to it.
Again Olyy, this is what you do. Scream "precious" everytime an Irish poster dissagrees with you. If you want us to stop challenging you, stop talking shite. Its predictable, its far too easy to counter and its becoming a little pathetic.

Sydney morning herald match ratings: Sean O'Brien. Got the Irish going forward with his muscular carries and huge work rate. Man of the match. 9

Stuff.co.nz had O'Brien as MoM. Sean O'Brien (Ireland) - His tight five deserved much of the plaudits but the flanker produced a high work-rate around the park and displayed a heap of defensive desire.

RTE put him just behind Cian Healy - Sean O'Brien - Supremely dynamic alongside Ferris, making fantastic yardage and showing his unique brand of ball-carrying to a new audience. Try-saver on Genia (again) has to get a mention too. 8.

The Independent (UK Site) - Sean O'Brien : Man of the match. The European Player Of The Year was immense. Not considered a natural 7, he will have benefited from David Pocock's absence, but no taking away from the Carlow native - he blew the heralded Wallabies back row away. Unstoppable when in full-flow, he continually punched massive holes in the Aussie defence and made big tackle after big tackle. 9

Irish Independent - SEAN O'BRIEN: Grew in influence as the match progressed, performing a try-saving tackle on Will Genia and carrying well. 8

This is in contrast to Ferris who was instead Carrying Will Genia well

 

[ZeFrenchy]

I'm just back from a weekend without internet so I hadn't checked the forum. First thing: congratulations to the Irish. They proved many of us wrong.

I haven't read the entire thread, though from the pages I've read, my comments are:
- I didn't see any Irish predicting they would win the cup. I was surprised by that (some Irish posters are quite easily carried away) and it is obviously tha right thing to do.
- No bitter comments from the Aussies.
- No comment whatsoever about SOB's game that is not "he was freaking awesome!!" is allowed. If I said "he played pretty well, but he didn't score a try" or "he didn't earn any of the scrum penalties", I think I would get yelled at.

Anyway, I had predicted an Italian win over the Irish before the cup started. If that happenned, this poool could turn even more interesting...

 

[Logorrhea]

- No comment whatsoever about SOB's game that is not "he was freaking awesome!!" is allowed. If I said "he played pretty well, but he didn't score a try" or "he didn't earn any of the scrum penalties", I think I would get yelled at.

Now thats not quite fair. O'Brien carried more than any other forward, carried further then any other forward, made more tackles than any other forward (joint with Horwill), and contributed to most of the successful choke tackles. Now in response to that performance Olly said;

"Have to say, SOB has been well found out by Aus - completely ineffectual in his runs tonight, just gets dropped straight away"
"I think that SOB had as quiet a day as Heaslip"
"Truly appalling performance by Bryce Lawrence though, pretty much gifted Ireland that match on a plate" (thought I'd throw in this beauty)

I think its fair enough to call him on what was a ridiculous stance, yet here I/we am being called precious?

Just thought I'd throw in a few other press outlets and their opinions of O'Briens performance.

Telegraph.co.uk ratings (Ackford) : Wonderfully, stupendously, magically magnificent. A warrior to his bootlaces. 9
Belfast Telegraph: Sean O'Brien: Grew in influence as the match progressed, performing a try-saving tackle on Will Genia and carrying well. 8

These are of course in addition to the other ones already set out, but I'll repeat again for the slower members.

Sydney morning herald match ratings: Got the Irish going forward with his muscular carries and huge work rate. Man of the match. 9
Stuff.co.nz had O'Brien as MoM: His tight five deserved much of the plaudits but the flanker produced a high work-rate around the park and displayed a heap of defensive desire. MoM
RTE put him just behind Cian Healy: Supremely dynamic alongside Ferris, making fantastic yardage and showing his unique brand of ball-carrying to a new audience. Try-saver on Genia (again) has to get a mention too. 8.
The Independent (UK Site): Man of the match. The European Player Of The Year was immense. Not considered a natural 7, he will have benefited from David Pocock's absence, but no taking away from the Carlow native - he blew the heralded Wallabies back row away. Unstoppable when in full-flow, he continually punched massive holes in the Aussie defence and made big tackle after big tackle. 9
Irish Independent: Grew in influence as the match progressed, performing a try-saving tackle on Will Genia and carrying well. 8

 

[dangandan]

Just wana say that the official match statistics say O'Brien made the most tackles with 13, Ben McCalman 12 and Dan Vickerman with 11 so he did well considering he was playing 7 in a defense orientated game. The Aussies did manage to take him down every now and then but he still did make a few busting runs as well. I don't think he got found out at all when you think that he actually managed to mix his responsibilities as a 7 along with his usual bruising runs.

 

[munstermuffin]

For what it's worth Paul O'Connell made as many tackles as Sean O'Brien (both 13) but that O'Connell was the better defender as he made 2 turnovers to SOB's 0.
That is info from Sydney Hearld

 

[Ruaidhri]

No I agreed that it was foul play and it shouldn't have been left unpunished, But why I dislike the guy so much is that he carried on whining about it for months and ultimately resulted in a decent guy being subjected to ridicule, judgement and "thug" labelling, when at the end of the day, we all know, there is a bit of ugliness in the beautiful game we all love and you just take the good with the bad and move on, we keep getting told to stop whining about a certain forward pass, and you didn't see any of the All Blacks complaining even after the match, they knew that s*** happens and you move on. But the dude expected a heartfelt apology and a hand full of flowers-hospital visit

You're a ****