Wales v Ireland

[coonor]

May I ask you who were the Magners League Champions Last year? Also, who won the Amlin Cup last year? Finally, who won the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 2008 and 2009?

May I ask you where the first try scorer comes from :lol:

 

[King_D'Arcy]

I do look forward to seeing SOB make a *** of Lydiate

 

[dullonien]

I do look forward to seeing SOB make a *** of Lydiate

A little more subtlety needed....

 

[King_D'Arcy]

I do look forward to seeing the Irish blindside flanker make a fool of the Welsh blindside flanker

I do look forward to seeing the Irish blindside flanker make a fool of the Welsh blindside flanker

Ferris? Leamy? O'Brien?

Lydiate? Jones? Powell?

What's going on? Who am I even talking about??

~subtlety~

 

[TRF_RC]

Just don't take Lydiate's rookie status for granted. He won't be an O'Gara...sorry, i meant a pushover.

 

[TrueSlawter]

Both blindsidse are "rookies" Lydiate has had a good start to international rugby imo where I havent seen much of O'brian tbh :/ Eithern way looking forward to this game tbh

 

[TRF_RC]

Hey, TrueSlawter, you're ruining my O'Gara joke!

 

[durbutter]

Just don't take Lydiate's rookie status for granted. He won't be an O'Gara...sorry, i meant a pushover.

You cut me deep!

 

[King_D'Arcy]

To offer a neutral opinion on back rows...

Lydiate's a fine player, if a little raw, as is Warburton. Not a lot to choose between them and the Irish flankers. O'Brien's probably the best loose carrier out of those who will be on the pitch but Warburton's by far the best ball hog. If Ryan Jones has genuinely recaptured form there's not a lot in it at 8, but Heaslip gets through a lot of work compared to anyone. Hard to call an advantage. Ireland will look like dicks if they can't shunt Warburton off of the ball, but Wales are going to look like dicks when the counter-rucking starts and as per orders there's one guy trying to protect Philipps.

I also assume both teams will have tools on the bench in Powell and Leamy. I look forwards to that tooltastic showdown which should answer the question of "How best to give a penalty offence at a ruck when the other team have knocked it on and you're going to get it anyway".

In an ideal world, the best thing that could happen for this fixture is for both coaches to somehow get locked into the toilet so they can stop sucking the life out of their teams and let 30 very good rugby players actually get on with doing that.

I take issue with this. That's like me saying there's not much in it at loosehead between Healy and Jenkins

 

[munstermuffin]

Who said the Amlin is a trophy to brag about
Don't be ridiculous it a mickey mouse trophy where French teams don't turn up and it's a big dip from Heineken Cup.

As for game I know we respect welsh backrow but feel we can take them there. And I know people call ROG a pushover but no team has beat us by constantly attacking his channel. And if Sexton starts he'll be solid defensively so I really think if our front 5 can get on top then we can put a serious dent in Welsh hopes.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Who said the Amlin is a trophy to brag about
Don't be ridiculous it a mickey mouse trophy where French teams don't turn up and it's a big dip from Heineken Cup.

Guarantee that Munster fans will be bragging about if Munster win it

 

[Logorrhea]

BOD - awesome player that he is - hasn't been firing on all cyclinders this championship and Jamie Roberts is a beast of a centre capable of getting over the gainline of any defence competing in this years 6 nations: Including Ireland's.

Why do people continue to post in here when its clear they havent a clue what they are talking about. I mean seriously, Roberts hasnt been a decent inside centre since O'Driscoll stopped making him look like a decent inside centre on the Lions tour.

Lydiate has been pretty decent ................ by Welsh standards. No other team in the six nations would select him or Warburton in their squad, never mind their first team. Their rise is a reflection of where Welsh rugby is, and has little to do with their rather limited ability to compete against Italian teams in the Magners League.

Ryan Jones has been dropped, stripped of the captaincy at national level and moved from number 8 into the second row by his club because ................. well because hes a **** number 8 (and a pretty **** number 4 too). I find any comparisons between himself and Heaslip offensive.

Oh and Stephen Jones is starting to look like a poor mans Damien Traille.

 

[Peat]

I take issue with this. That's like me saying there's not much in it at loosehead between Healy and Jenkins

At his very best, Ryan Jones is a very good player. Granted, this hasn't been seen for a long time, and I can't actually comment on whether its the case at the moment as I haven't been watching them closely but if he's in form he's no weak link. I would still call advantage Heaslip in case I didn't make that clear. If you still take exception, fair enough.

Also, if Healy consistently scrummaged at his top ability, there wouldn't be a lot in it between him and Jenkins.

 

[WetAndCold]

Why do people continue to post in here when its clear they havent a clue what they are talking about. I mean seriously, Roberts hasnt been a decent inside centre since O'Driscoll stopped making him look like a decent inside centre on the Lions tour.

I want to know how you can talk about players as if its a fact It's only your opinion. If you haven't noticed, everyone here is simply stating their opinion. There isn't really a right or wrong:

You think Roberts is rubbish. OK, fair do's
I think He's a good centre. Stop talking about rugby as if it's a science: What do you mean I know nothing of what I'm talking about?? I think Roberts Is good. Just because you think he isn't does not mean I don't know what I'm talking about.
Now calm down dear. It's only a game of rugby.

 

[cyRil]

Why do people continue to post in here when its clear they havent a clue what they are talking about. I mean seriously, Roberts hasnt been a decent inside centre since O'Driscoll stopped making him look like a decent inside centre on the Lions tour.

Lydiate has been pretty decent ................ by Welsh standards. No other team in the six nations would select him or Warburton in their squad, never mind their first team. Their rise is a reflection of where Welsh rugby is, and has little to do with their rather limited ability to compete against Italian teams in the Magners League.

Ryan Jones has been dropped, stripped of the captaincy at national level and moved from number 8 into the second row by his club because ................. well because hes a **** number 8 (and a pretty **** number 4 too). I find any comparisons between himself and Heaslip offensive.

Oh and Stephen Jones is starting to look like a poor mans Damien Traille.

This is weird. I thought you were one of the better posters on here? Why have you started acting like some geezer from Bargoed has shoved a stick up your arse?
Or have I just bitten? =/

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Why do people continue to post in here when its clear they havent a clue what they are talking about. I mean seriously, Roberts hasnt been a decent inside centre since O'Driscoll stopped making him look like a decent inside centre on the Lions tour.

Lydiate has been pretty decent ................ by Welsh standards. No other team in the six nations would select him or Warburton in their squad, never mind their first team. Their rise is a reflection of where Welsh rugby is, and has little to do with their rather limited ability to compete against Italian teams in the Magners League.

Ryan Jones has been dropped, stripped of the captaincy at national level and moved from number 8 into the second row by his club because ................. well because hes a **** number 8 (and a pretty **** number 4 too). I find any comparisons between himself and Heaslip offensive.

Oh and Stephen Jones is starting to look like a poor mans Damien Traille.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Logorrea lots of your (tenuous)criticisms of the welsh team can be made of your own side. If you're going to attack Jamie Roberts, why not remember how poor D'arcy has been? How average BOD has been. Players are only as good as their form. Yet D'arcy keeps his place....? Is that the state of play for Irish rugby that there's noone better to come in? You rightly identity that number 8 is a problem position for Wales. So what, number 9 is a problem position for Ireland(Let's not forget that according to Kidney Tomas O'Tool is your first choice scrum half!!!! And Reddan is nothing special), just as number 12 is a problem for England, and 9 and 10 traditionally a problem for Italy. Personally, I think Ireland have a number of other problem positions such as 4, where DOC has been a permanent fixture for god nows how long despite periodic moments of mediocrity. Whereas in AWJ and Bradley Davies Wales have a good second row.

I don't know why you're ripping into Lydiate and Warburton. Personally I think Warburton is better than Wallace and that if Ireland had to pick a backrow this saturday composed of both Wales and Ireland it would be SOB Warburton and Heaslip(who despite great ability has probably been the 4th or 5th best 8 so far this six nations)

Most of these criticisms of Ireland should be taken with a generous amount of seasoning, its just to show that if you want to say that about Wales by the same token it can be said of a number of teams.

 

[WetAndCold]

Why have you started acting like some geezer from Bargoed has shoved a stick up your arse?
Or have I just bitten? =/

Yes, he does appear to have some sort of estrangement with the Welsh :huh:

 

[Logorrhea]

Edit

 

[Logorrhea]

I want to know how you can talk about players as if its a fact It's only your opinion. If you haven't noticed, everyone here is simply stating their opinion. There isn't really a right or wrong:

Opinions are usually based on some sort of fact. The fact in this case being that Roberts hasnt crossed the gainline in about 2 years. Add to that the fact that he cant pass, and he cant kick. You may as well stick Joe Worsley in there for all the good he is currently doing. Your opinion is based on what hes done in the past, mine is based on the present.

Logorrea lots of your (tenuous)criticisms of the welsh team can be made of your own side.

Of course they can. The difference being the those ones dont really stand up. Mine though, while obviously annoying a minority are hard to argue with because they are true. Fact!

I don't know why you're ripping into Lydiate and Warburton.

Thoguht I explained myself quite clearly. They are playing in poor teams, at a poor level and have achieved nothing. Beating Italy and Wales is not an achievement.

Heaslip(who despite great ability has probably been the 4th or 5th best 8 so far this six nations)

FFS another classic example of semi-informaed opinion. Heaslip has played one game, scored a try, and was part of the backrow that dominated the "Killer Bs". Does anyone on here actually watch real rugby?

Personally I'd say a Backline of 9. Bergamasco, 10. Traille, 12 Worsley would probably be more effective then the crap that the legends Philips, Jones and Roberts are going to serve up in two weeks time.