Wales v Ireland

[dundeesmiffy]

Wales did a good job.
Ireland did a good job.
Scotland did a bad job, with some ok bits.
England did an ok job.
France did an ok job.
Italy did a terrible job.

Where the teams rank doesn't matter.

 

[Ozzay]

Wales finish 4th after like.

Ireland came out strong start of the 2nd half, and thats what won it for them

I was confident of the championship at half time.

 

[JohnBE]

also.. to be fair, I and many others were saying it would come down to Jones/O'Gara.. and O'Gara won, he didn't choke and he did it under pressure


that last kick by Jones was never going to make it.. it's out of his range....infact, Henson should have gone for it

but if Wales had won, it would have been a travesty because,honestly, Ireland deserved it.

I'm delighted!!!.. O'Connell and O'Driscoll, what about them!

 

[An Tarbh]

it's amazing in hindsight how with a 17-4 penalty count we actually won that game and if there was one thing that deserved us to lose this game it was that one facet, the one time all season we didn't play the ref and it nearly cost us and we couldn't have had too many complaints.

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cymro @ Mar 22 2009, 12:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Both Welsh Props destroyed the the Irish props today, so we will probably see both going on tour with Jenkins starting!

Henson was good until he was asked to move to Fullback, as he had been keeping the Irish centers quiet until then![/b]

yet no lost scrums and neither prop had the workrate in the loose of our 2.

 

[durbutter]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JohnBE @ Mar 22 2009, 08:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

also.. to be fair, I and many others were saying it would come down to Jones/O'Gara.. and O'Gara won, he didn't choke and he did it under pressure[/b]

No way. Yes O' Gara slotted the drop goal,a dn yes Jones kicked into the full at a critical time, but it was a difficult kick and he had been good other than that, unlike O'Gara who is only very slowly coming back to form.

 

[An Tarbh]

I'm glad I called it right in that Wales would be on top in the opening half and you'd get an Irish response in the second as has happened all tournament, it was almost Kilkenny like the way they started the second half though. Just didn't expect quite as tense a finish as we got.

 

[Fa'atau82]

I wouldn't pick O'Gara for the Lions XV. O'Gara is not really a natural leader.. he cannot seem to orchestrate his backs like other 10's. He comes across as timid and is solely a confidence player and that's why the Welsh yesterday just kept smacking the crap out of his channel. But to be fair, he dealt with it and made the killer blow.

Perhaps because of how Munster play their forwards game gives him this flaw. His football skills and that pack are a great compliment. But Ireland and the Lions are not Munster.

How many times i saw him land so easily flat on his ass vs Wales was quite just something else! O'Gara couldn't tackle a wet paper bag.

I know he is a key player and his defence is woeful in the main, but he proves his usefulness generally with his football skills, which when he is good he is great and when he is bad he is woeful.. and he showed both vs Wales. I know 9's and 10's are not selected for their defence, but unfortunately, you need to be a superb all-rounder to be a Lion on a winning tour and that's why i'd use him as a back-up only.. he'd be exploited big time, when he hasn't got others to carry his defence duties.

I think he should tour, but i wouldn't pick him in the XV over Stephen Jones.

 

[Bluemoon]

I know its a bit late, but congratulations to Ireland on a well fought campaign! Not only as the scores suggested, but there really wasn't that much between two teams at all and a fitting, dramatic end to a decent tournament! Im a tad upset with 4th, I don't think its a fair reflection, even with 3 away games. The next test for Ireland will be to see if they can defend this trophy, something that Wales have found very difficult!

 

[Meh]

Yeah. Didn't log on last night as I was too depressed.

Now I can wake up and congratulate Ireland on only their second grand slam! They deserved it!

Although 4th place doesn't make good reading because we certainly aren't 4th best in the NH.

 

[Meh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (danny @ Mar 21 2009, 11:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sir. Speedy @ Mar 21 2009, 10:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Gatland interview

No pessimism from him and I'm glad; there's little reason to be.[/b]

No your right 4th is excellent after last years grand slam.
[/b][/quote]


Or Joint Second.

The only place it matters is financially.

 

[Bullitt]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sir. Speedy @ Mar 21 2009, 09:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

EDIT: Has any body at any point in the past year said Wales are the best side in the world? Enlighten me, please.[/b]

Lora!

 

[Sir Speedy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JohnBE @ Mar 22 2009, 08:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

also.. to be fair, I and many others were saying it would come down to Jones/O'Gara.. and O'Gara won, he didn't choke and he did it under pressure[/b]

Oh please no merciful God. If Steve didn't kick the ball out on the full we'd all be singing his praises rather than ROG's.
And the penalty was hardly out of his range. He'd kicked one from that distance earlier I remember.

EDIT:^ Lora doesn't count.

 

[gingergenius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dundeesmiffy @ Mar 22 2009, 02:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Wales did a good job.
Ireland did a good job.
Scotland did a bad job, with some ok bits.
England did an ok job.
France did an ok job.
Italy did a terrible job.

Where the teams rank doesn't matter.[/b]

Ok Wales slammed it last year and lost 2 games this year; good job?

England lost 2 games, both narrowly away from home, ok job?

If I were Welsh I'd view this 6N as a big failure. And I'm not trying to wind Wales up, but they looked like the only outstanding team in the NH in the Autumn and now they've regressed to be level with France and England and been overtaken by Ireland.

 

[Sir Speedy]

Meh, I view it as a learning curve. Not a Gareth Jenkins "We have to learn from our mistakes... again" learning curve, but one where we can make disappointments work for us in the long run. Contrary to popular belief in England (FAO: danny), a narrow loss against a rampant France and a game lost in a 10-minute period against Ireland where poor play from a certain player cost us aren't things to be distraught over. Gatland and Edwards are good coaches, and if they aren't mentally scarred by the Lions tour this year - like every body seemed to be after the last tour - then I think we'll hit back in the Autumn.

And I think the competition Wales faced this year was far better than what we faced last year, even though the general standard was ****.

 

[shtove]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JohnBE @ Mar 22 2009, 08:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

O'Connell and O'Driscoll, what about them![/b]

My favourite bit was BOD's two tackles on Shanklin and Henson - he hit the first one like a cart horse and the second like a pickpocket.

 

[shazbooger]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shtove @ Mar 22 2009, 12:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

My favourite bit was BOD's two tackles on Shanklin and Henson - he hit the first one like a cart horse and the second like a pickpocket.[/b]

Yeah certainly put those comparisons to bed once and for all.

 

[shazbooger]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cymro @ Mar 21 2009, 11:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Point being ...
oh John Hayes with the trophy ... hardly counts for doing well! His team mates were outsdanding but neither Hayes or Horan were excellent today![/b]

Initial point was I doubt he or any of the Irish front row gives a rats arse, but .......

Your basing that assumption on their performance in the scrum in which we got pinged once or twice (by Wayne Barnes who is a f***in idiot) but you mention nothing about the 6 lineouts that went against you. 6 of them! Over 33%, and that doesnt count the other 6 that were slapped anywhere. Who throws the ball? Who do you think gets O'Connell up above or ahead of Jones every time? Hayes eye was cut by O'Connell's BOOT (his boot ffs!) coming down after making another mess of your lineout.

Adding to that your three lads were invisible in the loose and played as tackle bags for the game. Even Hayes got on the ball two or three times yesterday for us.

So "Destroyed"? Me thinks you should remove your blinkers.

 

[Sir Speedy]

Henson complaining about tactics again.

Just reeks of 'arrogant ******'. Gatland needs to put him in his place immediately.

 

[Cymro]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Logorrhea @ Mar 22 2009, 03:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cymro @ Mar 21 2009, 11:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Point being ...
oh John Hayes with the trophy ... hardly counts for doing well! His team mates were outsdanding but neither Hayes or Horan were excellent today![/b]

Initial point was I doubt he or any of the Irish front row gives a rats arse, but .......

Your basing that assumption on their performance in the scrum in which we got pinged once or twice (by Wayne Barnes who is a f***in idiot) but you mention nothing about the 6 lineouts that went against you. 6 of them! Over 33%, and that doesnt count the other 6 that were slapped anywhere. Who throws the ball? Who do you think gets O'Connell up above or ahead of Jones every time? Hayes eye was cut by O'Connell's BOOT (his boot ffs!) coming down after making another mess of your lineout.

Adding to that your three lads were invisible in the loose and played as tackle bags for the game. Even Hayes got on the ball two or three times yesterday for us.

So "Destroyed"? Me thinks you should remove your blinkers.
[/b][/quote]

Urm no if you watch the game again you will see both Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins dominated the scrum, the fact that Barnes 'pinged' the Irish front row was correct even if you do not like it, hardly the props fault for the lineout really, so your point there is invalid as the problem lied solely with the lineout jumpers and Matthew Rees and Huw Bennett! So I wont take the blinkers away im afraid!

Had I have said the pack destroyed the Irish pack then you have a case but I was merley looking at 2 players who did well who played in a poor Welsh team yesterday!