Wales v Ireland, 02/02/13

[TRF_Olyy]

Millennium Stadium
13:30, 02/02/13

​

 

[big ginger 8]

Can't wait. Good to have a day in front of the tv the day after a big match.

My Team based on the squad for Wales.

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Ross
4. Ryan
5. McCarthy
6. O'Brien
7. Henry
8. Heaslip
9. Reddan
10. Sexton
11. Fitzgerald
12. D'arcy
13. O'Driscoll
14. Gilroy
15. Kearney

16. Cronin
17. Kilcoyne
18. Fitzparick
19. O'Callaghan
20. O'Mahony
21. Murray
22. Jackson
23. Zebo

 

[jcahill1]

A starting fifteen with one Munster player seems unlikely.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

A starting fifteen with one Munster player seems unlikely.

Yeah it'll be that team with Murray and Zebo at 11. Possibly even Earls at 12, 13 or 14, I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[big ginger 8]

A starting fifteen with one Munster player seems unlikely.

I know but a boy can dream can't he?

Yeah it'll be that team with Murray and Zebo at 11. Possibly even Earls at 12, 13 or 14, I wouldn't be surprised.

Yeah probably I'd say Bent as well.

I feel bad leaving Court out.

 

[jcahill1]

I saw the team you put up, didn't find anything I disagreed with, quickly realised the problem.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

[TABLE="width: 500"]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Cmac's super Awesome World beating Squad[/TD]
[TD]Kidney's average team which comes out with 1-2 good performances every year[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]Healy[/TD]
[TD]Healy[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]Best[/TD]
[TD]Best[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]Ross[/TD]
[TD]Ross[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]Ryan[/TD]
[TD]Ryan[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD]McCarthy[/TD]
[TD]McCarthy[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]O'Brien[/TD]
[TD]O'Brien[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]Henry[/TD]
[TD]O'Mahoney[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]Heaslip[/TD]
[TD]Heaslip[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]Reddan[/TD]
[TD]Murray[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]Sexton[/TD]
[TD]Sexton[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]Zebo[/TD]
[TD]Zebo[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]12[/TD]
[TD]D'Arcy[/TD]
[TD]Earls[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13[/TD]
[TD]O'Driscoll[/TD]
[TD]O'Driscoll[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]14[/TD]
[TD]Gilroy[/TD]
[TD]Gilroy[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD]Kearney[/TD]
[TD]Kearney[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]Cronin[/TD]
[TD]Cronin[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]17[/TD]
[TD]Kilcoyne[/TD]
[TD]Kilcoyne[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]18[/TD]
[TD]Fitzpatrick[/TD]
[TD]Bent[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]19[/TD]
[TD]O'Callaghan[/TD]
[TD]O'Callaghan[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]20[/TD]
[TD]O'Mahoney[/TD]
[TD]Henry[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]21[/TD]
[TD]Marshall[/TD]
[TD]Reddan[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]22[/TD]
[TD]Madigan[/TD]
[TD]O'Gara[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]23[/TD]
[TD]McFadden[/TD]
[TD]D'Arcy[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[coonor]

1) Healy
2) Best
3) Ross
4) Ryan
5) McCarthy
6) O'Brien
7) Henry
8) Heaslip
9) Murray
10) Sexton
11) Gilroy
12) D'Arcy
13) O'Driscoll
14) Zebo
15) Kearney

16) Cronin
17) Court
18) Fitzpatrick
19) Stevenson
20) O'Mahony
21) Reddan
22) Jackson
23) Fitzgerald

 

[Big Ewis]

ey where are all the Welsh posters ?!! Not too convinced about this one it seems !
(kdg kdg, don't assassinate me please...)

My...ahemm..."views" on this test have been quite mixed...Wales at home and with the highest stakes so far of not allowing a longer losing streak...but all the injuries...and Ireland looks good this year. Who the hell knows...don't think I'm going to bet on this one.

 

[TVH11]

I'm gonna go out there and say it. We are as a nation and as a sporting team a "confidence side".

We lose first match, tend to spiral into a bleak darkness with a ton of media scrutiny and public backlash.

We win first match, then we tend to grow from strength to strength.

It'll be a very interesting match. Don't think we'll be as bad as people might make out (and by people I mean ourselves). I haven't seen much of Ireland of late, but they will always provide a cracker of a game.

Team selection is key.

Would like to see a Warburton/Tupuric 6/7 combo (you choose who goes where). Tupuric is arguably in the better form, but Warburton is capatain and always puts in a good shift. Navidi is also a contender due to his good form over past 8-12 months, but knowing coaching staff they won't take any risks.

Not gonna attempt to call this one, I have no idea :S :S :S Would like to say Wales, but thats just the optimist inside

 

[irelandfan123]

I'm gonna go out there and say it. We are as a nation and as a sporting team a "confidence side".

...

Would like to see a Warburton/Tupuric 6/7 combo (you choose who goes where). Tupuric is arguably in the better form, but Warburton is capatain and always puts in a good shift. Navidi is also a contender due to his good form over past 8-12 months, but knowing coaching staff they won't take any risks.

The Irish are the complete same, I mean look at EOS wins triple crown and gets third in the world has a bad world cup and a average six nations and we kick him out on his arse, if Ireland lose this the dogs will be out for blood in the irish press (I expect Heaslip to be the blood).

I think it would be the wrong choice to omit Jones for another 7, this was the reason Williams and Warburton never worked amazingly for the blues. If I was to go for one with Lydiate out Warby acts as more of a defensive rock which is what Wales need.

Strange to see a full strength Irish squad not teeming with munster players, but with Ulster playing the way they are and Leinster being well Leinster the future looks Blue and White for Ireland. Interesting to see Kidney pick McSharry in the 33 although I don't expect him to get much game time during the six nations. Also no Paul Marshall is a daft decision from Kidney, Ireland have very few "spark players" in the squad and needed to light the fire in the squad. I reckon Gilroy will be omitted to make room for Earls, Fitzgerald or Zebo, he has suffered from nor selection in the past. I also expect O'Mahony to get the up on Henry because he is from Munster.

I think Jackson is the future, not just because he is from Ulster, but because that is the way Ireland play safe and because he has a couple of years on Madigan. Also because we have such a conservative group of Irish coaches his omission from favour looks unlikely. I don't expect him to get in the 23 until scotland (if he does at all).

I expect Ireland to do well, its not a bad squad at all I pip us by 1-6 because all these matches between wales are close.

 

[Feicarsinn]

The Irish are the complete same, I mean look at EOS wins triple crown and gets third in the world has a bad world cup and a average six nations and we kick him out on his arse, if Ireland lose this the dogs will be out for blood in the irish press (I expect Heaslip to be the blood).

I think it would be the wrong choice to omit Jones for another 7, this was the reason Williams and Warburton never worked amazingly for the blues. If I was to go for one with Lydiate out Warby acts as more of a defensive rock which is what Wales need.

Strange to see a full strength Irish squad not teeming with munster players, but with Ulster playing the way they are and Leinster being well Leinster the future looks Blue and White for Ireland. Interesting to see Kidney pick McSharry in the 33 although I don't expect him to get much game time during the six nations. Also no Paul Marshall is a daft decision from Kidney, Ireland have very few "spark players" in the squad and needed to light the fire in the squad. I reckon Gilroy will be omitted to make room for Earls, Fitzgerald or Zebo, he has suffered from nor selection in the past. I also expect O'Mahony to get the up on Henry because he is from Munster.

I think Jackson is the future, not just because he is from Ulster, but because that is the way Ireland play safe and because he has a couple of years on Madigan. Also because we have such a conservative group of Irish coaches his omission from favour looks unlikely. I don't expect him to get in the 23 until scotland (if he does at all).

I expect Ireland to do well, its not a bad squad at all I pip us by 1-6 because all these matches between wales are close.

Nah, we aren't the same tbh. Wales over the past 8 years or so have fluctuated between terrible and excellent. They're currently going through one of their terrible phases based on the AI's, but should they win their first game they could easily do a slam. If they lose it they could finish second bottom.

Ireland by contract are usually slightly to one side of meh. We'll finish somewhere between 2nd and 4th, but anything outside of those limits is pretty damn unusual.

 

[Big Ewis]

hmmmm....so no one's taking a shot at calling this one ?...
I srsly don't know. It's true Wales will be terrible out of the blue while being excellent the previous season, almost like an infinite loop; their performances are the most fluctuating of the tournament by far from year to year. This would be their terrible segment, or is it already done with the 7 straight and this is the new cycle beginning ?...

Wales wins, totally on par with that. Like I've said a 1000x already (sorry for repeating !): at home, stakes are high, first match of the year etc...
If Ireland wins: yeh sure, Wales is playing bad these days and Ireland's promising...

I can see both easy, easy...

Ireland should win the scrum fight with all these Wales injuries...and even that isn't certain at all really.

 

[smb64]

Definitely the hardest match of the round to call.

If it was at the Aviva i would probable go for Ireland. But it's been so long since we've seen Wales in action against a northern hemisphere team they're somewhat unpredictable.

I would of said that home advantage would carry Wales through, but that didn't exactly help them in the AI.

Hm Irish win I reckon, but it will be close. Complete guess though, really have no idea on this one.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I've rated Ireland slightly higher over the last few years and that combined with current form makes me go with an Irish win if there were a VBookie. VBookie?

 

[tompaton]

My Welsh team:

1. Gethin Jenkins
2. Richard Hibbard
3. Adam Jones
4. Olly Kohn
5. Ian Evans
6. Justin Tipuric
7. Sam Warburton
8. Toby Faletau
9. Mike Phillips
10. Dan Biggar
11. George North
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Jonathan Davies
14. Eli Walker
15. Leigh Halfpenny

BENCH: Matthew Rees, Paul James, Craig Mitchell, James King, Josh Navidi, Lloyd Williams, James Hook, Lee Byrne

Tipuric and Warburton in tandem is our best option. Warburton for all the criticism he's getting is in good form and is playing well for the Blues, whilst Tipuric is playing amazingly.

Gethin Jenkins should play instead of James for this one. Him and Healy are similar players and both contest hard at the breakdown, so they will counter each other. If it was France, I pick James for scrummaging reasons. Hibbard is the in form hooker in Wales by far. In the locks we need big powerful guys. Kohn is a mountain of a man and will go toe-to-toe with Donnacha Ryan hopefully and Evans if he can find form will hopefully start doing the dog work he's renowned for.

In the backs, I've picked Phillips as he always raises his game for Ireland (man of the match last two matches and the winning try the match before those). He does need to perform though. Lloyd Williams performed well against Sale for the Blues and earns a bench spot. Biggar is the in form 10 and deserves a run of games without question. Out wide, Eli Walker has been amazing. He's the most exciting player in Europe and in my opinion we have every reason to pick him. He offers something other than the bash and burn attack we've used in 2012. Those that criticize his defence should look at Cuthbert's tackling. We've got nothing to lose in that department. Finally he has awareness of his options. Cuthbert is liable in that department; on occasions instead of cutting inside, he runs into touch or doesn't pass.

On the bench we've got King and Navidi to come on in the last 20 to speed things up. King is an athlete and tackles and carries hard. He's a natural 6 in my opinion but can cover lock off the bench. Navidi is a workhorse and is everywhere, absolutely ideal impact player. I know it's strange to have 3 opensides in the 23, but even if Ryan Jones was fit, he doesn't add that much in my opinion. He drops off tackles a bit too much. Shingler is another option but if we use Shingler, we should use him from the start.

What do you guys think?

 

[lynam1104]

No idea where this will go 50/50 IMO. The unpredictable nature Irish and the up and down of wales of the the last few years make this a very hard one to call.

Team i'd like to see:

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Ross
4. Ryan
5. McCarty
6. SOB
7. Henry (Will likely be POM)
8. Heslip
9. Redden (Likely Murray)
10 Sexton
11. Fitzgerald
12. D'Arcy ( On great form this year very impressed all season, really stepped after getting a lot of flak over the last few years)
13. BOD
14. Gilroy (will likely be Zebo)
15. Kearney

Should be a cracker all in all.

 

[martinspoonboy1]

My Welsh team:



Gethin Jenkins should play instead of James for this one. Him and Healy are similar players and both contest hard at the breakdown, so they will counter each other. If it was France, I pick James for scrummaging reasons. Hibbard is the in form hooker in Wales by far. In the locks we need big powerful guys. Kohn is a mountain of a man and will go toe-to-toe with Donnacha Ryan hopefully and Evans if he can find form will hopefully start doing the dog work he's renowned for.

In the backs, I've picked Phillips as he always raises his game for Ireland (man of the match last two matches and the winning try the match before those). He does need to perform though. Lloyd Williams performed well against Sale for the Blues and earns a bench spot. Biggar is the in form 10 and deserves a run of games without question. Out wide, Eli Walker has been amazing. He's the most exciting player in Europe and in my opinion we have every reason to pick him. He offers something other than the bash and burn attack we've used in 2012. Those that criticize his defence should look at Cuthbert's tackling. We've got nothing to lose in that department. Finally he has awareness of his options. Cuthbert is liable in that department; on occasions instead of cutting inside, he runs into touch or doesn't pass.

On the bench we've got King and Navidi to come on in the last 20 to speed things up. King is an athlete and tackles and carries hard. He's a natural 6 in my opinion but can cover lock off the bench. Navidi is a workhorse and is everywhere, absolutely ideal impact player. I know it's strange to have 3 opensides in the 23, but even if Ryan Jones was fit, he doesn't add that much in my opinion. He drops off tackles a bit too much. Shingler is another option but if we use Shingler, we should use him from the start.

What do you guys think?

OOOOO controversial! .

My Welsh team:

1. Gethin Jenkins
2. Richard Hibbard
3. Adam Jones
4. Olly Kohn
5. Ian Evans
6. Justin Tipuric
7. Sam Warburton
8. Toby Faletau
9. Mike Phillips
10. Dan Biggar
11. George North
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Jonathan Davies
14. Eli Walker
15. Leigh Halfpenny

BENCH: Matthew Rees, Paul James, Craig Mitchell, James King, Josh Navidi, Lloyd Williams, James Hook, Lee Byrne

Tipuric and Warburton in tandem is our best option. Warburton for all the criticism he's getting is in good form and is playing well for the Blues, whilst Tipuric is playing amazingly.

Gethin Jenkins should play instead of James for this one. Him and Healy are similar players and both contest hard at the breakdown, so they will counter each other. If it was France, I pick James for scrummaging reasons. Hibbard is the in form hooker in Wales by far. In the locks we need big powerful guys. Kohn is a mountain of a man and will go toe-to-toe with Donnacha Ryan hopefully and Evans if he can find form will hopefully start doing the dog work he's renowned for.

In the backs, I've picked Phillips as he always raises his game for Ireland (man of the match last two matches and the winning try the match before those). He does need to perform though. Lloyd Williams performed well against Sale for the Blues and earns a bench spot. Biggar is the in form 10 and deserves a run of games without question. Out wide, Eli Walker has been amazing. He's the most exciting player in Europe and in my opinion we have every reason to pick him. He offers something other than the bash and burn attack we've used in 2012. Those that criticize his defence should look at Cuthbert's tackling. We've got nothing to lose in that department. Finally he has awareness of his options. Cuthbert is liable in that department; on occasions instead of cutting inside, he runs into touch or doesn't pass.

On the bench we've got King and Navidi to come on in the last 20 to speed things up. King is an athlete and tackles and carries hard. He's a natural 6 in my opinion but can cover lock off the bench. Navidi is a workhorse and is everywhere, absolutely ideal impact player. I know it's strange to have 3 opensides in the 23, but even if Ryan Jones was fit, he doesn't add that much in my opinion. He drops off tackles a bit too much. Shingler is another option but if we use Shingler, we should use him from the start.

What do you guys think?

I think Howley will stick with North and Cuthbert on the wings, as there is so much riding on this Ireland game. He may think putting Walker in is too much of a risk. Thats not to say he won't being him on if wales are 4 points down with 10 mins to go! He can create something out of nothing!

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Boys just remember to edit your posts and not double post please.

 

[martinspoonboy1]

Boys just remember to edit your posts and not double post please.

Think ive been put on the naughty step !