Spring Tour:New Zealand vs Ireland - 1st Test. (09/06/2012, 08:35 GMT)

[TRF_Olyy]

I'v been impressed with Fitzpatrick for Ireland.
The All Blacks scrum has been on top, no doubt, but he's managed to keep side of the scrum up and steady far better than any other Irish prop (other than Ross) has done recently.

 

[Saintjay]

I know that many of the Irish contributors have said it but, with the unparalleled success of the Irish Provinces, one has to wonder about the Irish management rather than the players as to who is responsible for the lack of comparative success. Must be time for Kidney and the team to consider their positions even though they have come up against the current best International team in the World.

I doubt it. The excuses of losing to the current world champions away, players out, nobody expected us to win, look at the history. All of these things will keep Kidney in the job.

 

[Sker]

I'd thought the AB's would have somebody else than Weepu, he's not that good. Or am I missing something?

 

[killer08]

our prop situation doesnt seem as bad as it was now

 

[Tony Manx]

I doubt it. The excuses of losing to the current world champions away, players out, nobody expected us to win, look at the history. All of these things will keep Kidney in the job.

Exactly the same things....plus "we are building for the future"....as Johnson used to come out with and he eventually had to fall on his sword as he was not up to it any more than kidney seems to be!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Healy off so uncontested scrums now.
Can't wait until there's 23 man squads!

 

[SelimNiai]

Healy off so uncontested scrums now.
Can't wait until there's 23 man squads!

Can't believe it's not been introduced sooner. Been needed for a few years now

 

[TNT88]

Dagg is head and shoulders above every outside back at the moment. Even better than Beale and JOC this year.

 

[killer08]

positives scrum and new props, earls has had some good lines and sexton is kicking well and tactically but just a few errors and NZ get trys,

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Ireland seemed to lose confidence in their ability to run with the ball and threaten the New Zealand line, which is silly because they looked dangerous and were small margins away from crossing the tryline. But the result of losing confidence in your running play is that you get a load of aimless boxkicks from your scrum half which has just gifted New Zealand perfect counter attack material

 

[monkeypigeon]

Dagg is head and shoulders above every outside back at the moment. Even better than Beale and JOC this year.

Aye, you could see that coming last year. He was nearly as good as those two while getting half the credit. Cracking player.

 

[killer08]

cant understand why ireland didnt use the high ball more with RK

 

[osullie6]

I thought we did fairly well up front. I'd have said we matched the AB's there.

The difference was definitely the NZ backline. I also wasn't really impressed with our play with ball in hand, we looked aimless, didn't really show much penetration and our support play was poor. I'm really doubting whether Les Kiss is up to the job as a combined defence/backs coach. I think a dedicated backs coach is definitely needed.

We also kicked far too much, especially in the first half. By comparison I think the ball was kicked to our back three less than five times in the entire match. Some of our kicking led directly to trys for NZ.

 

[smartcooky]

I'd thought the AB's would have somebody else than Weepu, he's not that good. Or am I missing something?

Most of NZ cannot understand how he earns a spot in the AB bench; he turned up to the 2012 season late, fat and out of condition. He can't get a start with the Blues, and we when he does get on from the bench, he looks slow, undecisive and devoid of ideas, just like he did tonight.

Meanwhile we have Andrew Ellis in the form of his life, and TJ Perenara who is playing the lights out for the Hurricanes, and neither can even get into the squad of 30.

WTF!?

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Reffing of the break down was very poor - the Irish tacklers never released the tackled player before going for the ball, which is why they got so many penalties. Have the refs in the north not being pinging players for this? Obviously the two hemispheres have little meaningful contact during the club season to make sure the reffing is consistent.

 

[Tony Manx]

Reffing of the break down was very poor - the Irish tacklers never released the tackled player before going for the ball, which is why they got so many penalties. Have the refs in the north not being pinging players for this? Obviously the two hemispheres have little meaningful contact during the club season to make sure the reffing is consistent.

All about interpretation.....I thought he was bonza!

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

In Super Rugby it's been heavily emphasised that the tackling player must release the tackled player once he is brought to ground, even for only half a second, to give him the opportunity to release the ball. Ireland never did this during the game, so I assume it's a hemisphere reffing difference (which shouldn't exist), as opposed to all the Irish players cheating

 

[SelimNiai]

Most of NZ cannot understand how he earns a spot in the AB bench; he turned up to the 2012 season late, fat and out of condition. He can't get a start with the Blues, and we when he does get on from the bench, he looks slow, undecisive and devoid of ideas, just like he did tonight.

Meanwhile we have Andrew Ellis in the form of his life, and TJ Perenara who is playing the lights out for the Hurricanes, and neither can even get into the squad of 30.

WTF!?

Sounds like Hansen's mindset is "I know Piri, he's played a lot at this level, I'll pick him". Seems silly if there are better options. Is there a sense of favouring one sides players over the others in terms of selection in NZ?

 

[peanuts40]

The Aussies were showing highlights of how good of a game Pocock had against the Scots, in which they showed three separate occasions of him stealing the balll.....He didn't release the player once....at all.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

NH refs do ping that a lot as well, maybe they were just really quick on the ball? More often than not it was the first man in rather than the tackler winning the penalty, so maybe Ireland were just going better at supporting the tackler, rather than leaving him to do the work.