[Six Nations 2018] Round 3: Ireland vs Wales (24/02/2018)

[Jockstap]

Farrell left the wings in no man's land a lot. If we think he can play 12 I'd have Ringrose at 13, we need a brain in midfield.

Ringrose has showed no form this season, he doesn't deserve it.

 

[Groundhog]

I don't want to sling mud, but Kearney was very poor in defence and Biggar bossed the kick game. I'd like another option to step up now. The guys who came in as replacements for some of our top players stood up

 

[Groundhog]

I don't want to sling mud, but Kearney was very poor in defence and Biggar bossed the kick game. I'd like another option to step up now. The guys who came in as replacements for some of our top players stood up

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Ringrose has showed no form this season, he doesn't deserve it.

Few enough coached pick on form anymore. Ringrose has the defensive skillset we need.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I don't want to sling mud, but Kearney was very poor in defence and Biggar bossed the kick game. I'd like another option to step up now. The guys who came in as replacements for some of our top players stood up

Time to look at Conway, RK did everything I usually defend him for badly today.

 

[ThebigARena]

I thought that Farrell was a monster today . Always made yards can't see how Ireland could drop him an absolute talent

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Farrell left the wings in no man's land a lot. If we think he can play 12 I'd have Ringrose at 13, we need a brain in midfield.

Fair point. Suppose that will come with experience. Has Farrell ever played 12 before?

Dan Leavy deserves a mention too. There's a lot of talk about the Welsh back row, but they got decimated at the breakdown by Leavy and co.

 

[munstermuffin]

I the first to slate RK but F it after today.

I said Leavy is a world class defensive 7. Proved it.
Ringrose will be 23 next day. Farrell proved he has class. Great game.

And Keith Earls. The average wing my hole. What a winger.

Great performance by pack too

 

[Leinster Fan]

If Farrell can play 12 I'd definitely move him there and put Ringrose at 13. Aki has been very poor so far this year in all honesty. Even for his try today he really should have passed out wide where there was about a 15m gap between two of the Welsh defenders.

Ringrose was excellent last night (admittedly against very poor opposition) and he wasn't fully fit earlier in the season so it seems unfair to judge him based off that. It wasn't a coincidence that almost all of our line breaks today happened when Sexton and Murray worked it without throwing it to the centres.

Aki/Farrell are defensively solid but there's even less attacking spark there than our 0 line breaks combo in Paris. Ringrose is the obvious way to rectify that and Farrell has been vastly better than Aki.

Edit: Forgot to say it but fair play to Keith Earls. Didn't want him anywhere near the team five years ago but over the last year or so he's transformed and is playing some genuinely world class rugby at the moment.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

If Farrell can play 12 I'd definitely move him there and put Ringrose at 13. Aki has been very poor so far this year in all honesty. Even for his try today he really should have passed out wide where there was about a 15m gap between two of the Welsh defenders.

Ringrose was excellent last night (admittedly against very poor opposition) and he wasn't fully fit earlier in the season so it seems unfair to judge him based off that. It wasn't a coincidence that almost all of our line breaks today happened when Sexton and Murray worked it without throwing it to the centres.

Aki/Farrell are defensively solid but there's even less attacking spark there than our 0 line breaks combo in Paris. Ringrose is the obvious way to rectify that and Farrell has been vastly better than Aki.

Reckon the 0 linebreak game might be forgotten about now! 5 tries against the side who conceded the least points in their first two rounds would suggest we can play ball!

 

[munstermuffin]

Reckon the 0 linebreak game might be forgotten about now! 5 tries against the side who conceded the least points in their first two rounds would suggest we can play ball!

The key is keeping balance. Farrell and Ringrose are ball playing 13. Farrell can do the bash role too. But with an Aki at 12 Farrell better option.

Backrow now today looked scarily awesome too

 

[Leinster Fan]

Reckon the 0 linebreak game might be forgotten about now! 5 tries against the side who conceded the least points in their first two rounds would suggest we can play ball!

Agree but my point was that most of the ball playing was from Sexton/Murray/Earls with some help from Farrell and Stockdale. We still need a more creative presence in the center and Ringrose is the obvious answer.

 

[corny]

I heard Schmidt after the game blaming new partnerships for our defensive frailty but i'm not having it. Farrell did nothing wrong as a 13 in the game. He didn't make poor reads and he was connected to the defence on the inside at all times. Us defending too narrow is a systemic issue and stems from our new, aggressive line speed. We're coming up hard and freezing before making the tackle. The Welsh midfielders had ample time to pick us off.

Also, our lack of creativity in the midfield has nothing to do personnel either. Since when have our midfield ever carved up teams? Henshaw on the crash ball and Ringrose maybe sniffs a gap in broken field. Thats our lot. If Sextons not involved players won't be put into space off brilliant play. Also, I'd argue Farrell is the best midfield passer we have so.....

 

[dullonien]

Bit late watching the match.

Congrats Ireland, thoroughly deserved the win. Pinned us back in our own half for 60min, and forced errors and poor kicks.

Really annoyed with Biggar's selection. His whining is really annoying, and once again he showed that all he's good for is catching high balls. Granted he's bloody good at it, but he's supposed to be our play maker! Patchell next game please.

Halfpenny also had a poor game outside kicking, whilst Liam looked rusty. North looked hungry, and Staff continues to impress with ball in hand, even if he's still not quite replicating his Scarlets form yet.

Up front, we looked a little lightweight and passive today. Hill and Moriarty really struggled, whilst Shingler and Navidi were second best at the breakdown.

I hope that now the championship has gone, Gats takes the opportunity to try a few players out. I'd like to see Patchell given a run at 10, either a North, Liam, Staff back 3, or possibly North tested properly at 13. Up front I think we need to give James Davies an opportunity to see if he can bring his all round game (inc breakdown) onto the international stage.

I'd like to see the following team v France.

Evans, Owens, Lee.
AWJ, Hill
Shingler, Davies, Faletau.

Davies, Patchell.
Parkes, Williams.
Staff, Liam, North

Dee, Smith, Francis, Bradley, Tips, Alex, Anscombe, Halfpenny.

 

[Genghis]

Another cussed and tenacious Welsh performance. How we were still in the game at 75 minutes is amazing. Yet again, we might have stolen a match that we didn't really deserve (but didn't)

Am I the only one who is sick of Biggar's *****ing and whining at the referee, and his constant throwing of hands into the air?

Well played Ireland, thoroughly deserved the victory. Your pack monstered us and you dominated the breakdown. Good luck for the Slam

 

[Leinster Fan]

Am I the only one who is sick of Biggar's *****ing and whining at the referee, and his constant throwing of hands into the air?

The moment where he started shouting at the ref while in midair and then lost the ball was brilliant.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

.

Really annoyed with Biggar's selection. His whining is really annoying, and once again he showed that all he's good for is catching high balls. Granted he's bloody good at it, but he's supposed to be our play maker! Patchell next game please.

Anscombe surely?
Patchell was terrible vs England and Wales have made mmmaaassssssiiivvveee improvements when anscombe went to 10 the last two games

 

[munstermuffin]

Anscombe surely?
Patchell was terrible vs England and Wales have made mmmaaassssssiiivvveee improvements when anscombe went to 10 the last two games

There was great analysis before game done on TV3 of Biggar. He is very easy to read what he will do by body language. Patchell is arguably the best for being flat line but issue I think is Wales are not fully settled on what they want from 10

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Anscombe surely?
Patchell was terrible vs England and Wales have made mmmaaassssssiiivvveee improvements when anscombe went to 10 the last two games

Anscombe is not a Patch on Rhys at club level over the past two years. He also ballsed up his only start at 10 for Wales (against Japan I think).

Patchell wasn't that bad against England (arguably stiffer opposition than Japan) in my opinion and consider himself very unlucky to find himself out in the cold. Gatland seems like a nice fella and has achieved a lot, but his selection decisions are often unfathomable to me.

 

[corny]

Yeah the English line speed just spooked Patchell on the day. It can happen to a player not used to international rugby.

Bringing in Halfpenny and Biggar sends all the wrong messages to the squad. Anscombe performs his job and more and gets the chop.