[RWC19 Warm-Up] - Wales vs. Ireland

[Leonormous Boozer]

100% agree. The question is at what

Rugby, women and sex

 

[Rinkadink]

Ireland favourites here, I hope Jonah Holmes gets a chance to impress though. Underrated player for years IMO, was never really given a chance.

 

[Bluemoon]

Decent back three for Wales very dangerous in attack. Not 100% sure about Amos at fullback in defence at this level. Very unusual centre partnership but right decision to give the others a rest. Wonder if we may see Lane at 13 in the game at some point, as that level of utility may get him a spot in the squad.

Jarrod is a lovely 10 in attack but worried playing him in such a makeshift team and learning the international ropes here. Last shout for Shingler and Davies to put their hand up for a space and they'll need to improve based on the other performances.

Ireland should win comfortably here, no doubt.

 

[bushytop]

Rugby, women and sex

We talking about the same Kearney?

 

[rugga658]

Well at least we now know Dave Kearney, Rhys Ruddock, Tommy O'Donnell, Rob Herring and I would say Jack McGrath will know they are not going to Japan.

Schmidt said the squad will be finalised by Tuesday morning but not released to public until after last warm up game.

A chance for some to regain a bit of rep and others there is still a last minute fight.

JVDF would also be in danger if POM shows he can adequately cover #7

Jordi Murphy covers all 3 backrow positions well & has played #7 before

JVDF is 3rd choice #7 when SOB + Leavy are healthy

JVDF only cover #7 & is a midget at Int'l level at #7

I can see Schmidt leaving him out of the 31

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

JVDF would also be in danger if POM shows he can adequately cover #7

Jordi Murphy covers all 3 backrow positions well & has played #7 before

JVDF is 3rd choice #7 when SOB + Leavy are healthy

JVDF only cover #7 & is a midget at Int'l level at #7

I can see Schmidt leaving him out of the 31

VdF is 1cm shorter and 1kg heavier than Sam Underhill...

 

[Leinster Fan]

JVDF would also be in danger if POM shows he can adequately cover #7

Jordi Murphy covers all 3 backrow positions well & has played #7 before

JVDF is 3rd choice #7 when SOB + Leavy are healthy

JVDF only cover #7 & is a midget at Int'l level at #7

I can see Schmidt leaving him out of the 31

SOB hasn't been ahead of Vdf for years and will never play for Ireland again. Jordi Murphy likewise is miles behind Josh and has been in the pecking order since 2016. Vdf is in absolutely no danger of not going. You're underrating him here, he's an excellent 7 who has put in some amazing performances for Ireland and Leinster for years (as well as being a model of consistency). Barring injury he'll go to Japan and start at 7.

As for Leavy, Leinster's go to option on the rare occasion they're both fit is to play both of them together, as they're both too good to leave out. If Leinster had had Josh Vdf available to start against Saracens and hadn't been stuck with a horribly past it SOB I'd bet decent money on that game being much, much closer.

 

[bushytop]

Yeah the moment Leavy got injured, VDF was a nailed on starter for me.

 

[rugga658]

VdF is 1cm shorter and 1kg heavier than Sam Underhill...

Tomas Lavaninni is supposedly 130kg as well I'm calling BS on that

I'm dubious of Player's heights and especially their weights which fluctuate throughout
a season for many reasons

Underhilll is JACKED UP Underhill makes JVDF look very small in comparison as well as being a
better player

Even Curry has beefed up I'm sure our forum Sale fan can confirm this

Stephen Ferris also made an interesting point on the Rugby Pod this week
Bearing in mind Ferris was most physical Irish backrower of his generation
An absolute brute of a man who crushed guys for fun

He stated he was grateful to not be playing last week vs Eng He was surprised by
how huge English player were Mentioned Curry & Underhill w/o prompting
'
Moreover he stated that the biggest Irishmen on the field in Henderson who's a
real lump of a guy was outsized by the English forwards

Imagine the Irish taking on the Boks pack: Marx Bongi Beast Kistshoff PSDT Eben
RG Synman Vermulean

Lord have mercy on the Irish pack

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Tomas Lavaninni is supposedly 130kg as well I'm calling BS on that

I'm dubious of Player's heights and especially their weights which fluctuate throughout
a season for many reasons

Underhilll is JACKED UP Underhill makes JVDF look very small in comparison as well as being a
better player

Even Curry has beefed up I'm sure our forum Sale fan can confirm this

Stephen Ferris also made an interesting point on the Rugby Pod this week
Bearing in mind Ferris was most physical Irish backrower of his generation
An absolute brute of a man who crushed guys for fun

He stated he was grateful to not be playing last week vs Eng He was surprised by
how huge English player were Mentioned Curry & Underhill w/o prompting
'
Moreover he stated that the biggest Irishmen on the field in Henderson who's a
real lump of a guy was outsized by the English forwards

Imagine the Irish taking on the Boks pack: Marx Bongi Beast Kistshoff PSDT Eben
RG Synman Vermulean

Lord have mercy on the Irish pack

I'll take numbers online over your eye with all due respect.

Van Der Flier has beaten NZ twice, played a big part in the grand slam and Heineken cup etc... I wouldn't swap him for any available 7 in the NH right now, he's the most accomplished of any of them.

Since Ireland ended the 40 year drought without a win v South Africa in 2004 we have a winning record over them, include the series in 04 before that and it's still level. I doubt once we had the more physical pack. It's not how we play the game here, give Ireland parity in the pack, which is often achieved with clever backrow play, and get Sexton on the pitch and they have more than a puncher's chance v anyone, and it's not a big fix to get that, rare you see a good team be beaten like they were in the two 6n matches for long.

There's a lot of people dismissing Ireland right now, it's a bit much, we're going to top our group and go to a quarter final very prepared, it might not be enough because we'll face one of the two favourites and a lot of our players haven't looked as good this season as last season but they've got 6 weeks to peak.

 

[bushytop]

Van Der Flier... I wouldn't swap him for any available 7 in the NH right now, he's the most accomplished of any of them.

He is a very good player but THAT is a big shout right there!

 

[Groundhog]

Imagine Ireland having to deal with South Africa's pack?? Didn't we beat a South African pack with Marx, PSTD, Etzebeth, Mtawira and De Jager, with Kitschoff and Mbonambi on the bench 38-3 in 2017? Not even the presumptive World Cup winners England could hold lowly Ireland to 3 points. Lot of focus on size, are you projecting mate? Wouldn't take it out on Van der Flier though, unlike Underhill he's actually won something in his career.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

He is a very good player but THAT is a big shout right there!

He's definitely the most accomplished with SOB and Warburton gone, GS, 2 NZ scalps, Heineken cup, Pro 14 x2.

As for not swapping, I don't necessarily think he's the best around but there's no one so much better than him to get rid of him.

 

[bushytop]

He's definitely the most accomplished with SOB and Warburton gone, GS, 2 NZ scalps, Heineken cup, Pro 14 x2.

As for not swapping, I don't necessarily think he's the best around but there's no one so much better than him to get rid of him.

I'd agree with most accomplished but that can have as much (or more) to do with the team than the player but if I were to pick the Lions team tomorrow I'd pick Curry at 7. I know he has been playing 6 for Wales but Navidi is 'really' a 7 and I'd make him the next cab of the rank. Then Underhill, Watson, VdF and Tipuric would be vying for the third choice... it's possible I'm being a bit biased with Navidi as I am a massive fan of his though.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I'd agree with most accomplished but that can have as much (or more) to do with the team than the player but if I were to pick the Lions team tomorrow I'd pick Curry at 7. I know he has been playing 6 for Wales but Navidi is 'really' a 7 and I'd make him the next cab of the rank. Then Underhill, Watson, VdF and Tipuric would be vying for the third choice... it's possible I'm being a bit biased with Navidi as I am a massive fan of his though.

I agree with Curry right now, I don't think VdF would make my current Lions squad. But I don't think anyone thrown into the Ireland team this year would look better.

 

[bushytop]

I agree with Curry right now, I don't think VdF would make my current Lions squad. But I don't think anyone thrown into the Ireland team this year would look better.

Don't get me wrong, I think I said this earlier (somewhere) that as soon as Leavy got injured VdF had to be first choice 7 for Ireland. Still if Leavy was fit I think VdF might struggle to make an Irish 23.

Saying that mind, IF Leavy was fit, picking Curry as my Lions 7 may not be so nailed on.

 

[Not Eddie Jones]

How important do people feel the win is for this match, and for the rematch in a week's time? I know there's all the talk of Gatland and Schmidt agreeing beforehand to field 2nd-string sides (for whatever reason you'd make such an agreement ), and it's all a bit of a phoney war with all these warm-up games, but if Ireland were to lose the next two they would go into the World Cup on a 3-game losing streak, while Wales would go in with a ton of momentum having won 17 out of 18. On the other hand, if Wales were to lose the next two, they would go in stuttering having lost 3 out of 4, while Ireland would go in with back-to-back wins and 3 wins in 4 games, giving them some decent momentum. On the third hand, if the two games are split, both sides go into the World Cup at a pretty meh 2-2 over the last 4 games, with neither side having a lot of momentum. Or am I just reading too much into the importance of winning World Cup warm-up games?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Don't get me wrong, I think I said this earlier (somewhere) that as soon as Leavy got injured VdF had to be first choice 7 for Ireland. Still if Leavy was fit I think VdF might struggle to make an Irish 23.

Saying that mind, IF Leavy was fit, picking Curry as my Lions 7 may not be so nailed on.

I think the only disagreement here is that you rate Curry a bit more highly than I do!

 

[bushytop]

I think the only disagreement here is that you rate Curry a bit more highly than I do!

No disagreement Alf... just two salty bros chewing the fat is all

 

[bushytop]

How important do people feel the win is for this match, and for the rematch in a week's time? I know there's all the talk of Gatland and Schmidt agreeing beforehand to field 2nd-string sides (for whatever reason you'd make such an agreement ), and it's all a bit of a phoney war with all these warm-up games, but if Ireland were to lose the next two they would go into the World Cup on a 3-game losing streak, while Wales would go in with a ton of momentum having won 17 out of 18. On the other hand, if Wales were to lose the next two, they would go in stuttering having lost 3 out of 4, while Ireland would go in with back-to-back wins and 3 wins in 4 games, giving them some decent momentum. On the third hand, if the two games are split, both sides go into the World Cup at a pretty meh 2-2 over the last 4 games, with neither side having a lot of momentum. Or am I just reading too much into the importance of winning World Cup warm-up games?

Not really much importance from the Welsh perspective, sure it'd be nice but we're just giving the squad a chance to prove themselves at a level that they, either haven't been at for a while, regularly or never been at.

You would have to make the Irish favourites and that is fine by me.