Northern Hemisphere/6N Rugby

[molman]

Think I should watch this game definitely did not tip that result

Ireland needed to convert all that early pressure and territory into points. They looked good in that openning stanza and had every opportunity, but for all their efforts France's defence held. Doris really needed to ground that early ball. You could see by the 50-60min mark how many of the Irish players were starting to look fatigued, they'd expended all this effort and racked up so few points. They started to slow and France started to find a bit of space and some of their individual talent really took advantage.

I felt with the Irish attack that they really missed players like Lowe and even Hansen (at his best) acting as a second pivot to unlock something. They look a little too predictable with Prendagast running the show (who I'm still undersold on outside his goal kicking). You could see the French players being able to pick him out and they even got an intercept on one of his shovels. Players like Osborne out wide also just didn't offer enough. He got himself caught out too many times without much to show for it.

Anyway, congrats France, well played and well deserved. I was happy to see some pride from the Irish at the end in trying to close the gap on the scoreboard, but really not good enough.

 

[Wilson]

I rewatched it a few times. I think the judiciary would be hard pressed to say that was more than a rugby incident, but maybe they have some angles we don't that paint a clearer picture. Berne comes in, Porter I believe it is, is latched. right in over him and looks to roll Berne somewhat when he settles. Duponts leg is in the unfortuate place where they roll. It's not reckless, there is no obvious explicit targeting of Duponts leg, no movements that arn't part of the dynamic actions of the clearout to my eyes.

I don't think there's any intent from Beirne - he's not really looking anywhere near DuPont when (or before) he hits him, but it's very easy to see how it would be classed as reckless, given the way Beirne charges in head down. I don't think he should cop a ban (a yellow feels about right to me), but there's enough there for the judiciary to give him one and it's a roll of the dice if he ends up there. If it comes to that it probably depends on how much they put it down to the second Irish player instead of Beirne.

 

[Derpus]

Also its one thing for dickheads like us on meaningless forums to take a shot at the referee but it is, in my opinion, unacceptable for coaches to be doing so. Fuck Rassie.

 

[molman]

I'm still challenged to see how it's reckless. He doesn't go flying in out of control, he bends to come in below the French 5 (exactly as we're asking our players to) who is at the back of the ruck and with Porter driving in over him, which looks to be a pretty major factor in the outcome. Honestly looks like every other ruck but in this one Dupont's leg was in an unfortunate spot.

Anyway, I guess we'll see.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Beirne tucking his right arm against his chest rather than attempting to wrap with it will surely count against him: if he wraps he's much more likely to drive Dupont back than skim past then fall on him.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Beirne tucking his right arm against his chest rather than attempting to wrap with it will surely count against him: if he wraps he's much more likely to drive Dupont back than skim past then fall on him.

Kind of encapsulates the problem with rugby doesn't it.

He charges in without any attempt to bind on to another player.

He was making no real attempt to stay on his feet.

He dropped his weight onto an opposition player

But this happens probably at half the rucks in every pro game so we all just kind of ignore those silly laws, it's just this one incredibly unluckily caused a severe injury to a star player

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ totally agree. But the footage & esp the still of him going in with a tucked arm is damning & I just don't see how they can write it off as accidental.

 

[JRugby2]

Kind of encapsulates the problem with rugby doesn't it.

He charges in without any attempt to bind on to another player.

He was making no real attempt to stay on his feet.

He dropped his weight onto an opposition player

But this happens probably at half the rucks in every pro game so we all just kind of ignore those silly laws, it's just this one incredibly unluckily caused a severe injury to a star player

This probably encapsulates it the best. A lot of very minor stuff that is ignored 99% of the time (for good reason) but this time it's ruined someone's season.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

How good were France last night. That was a real statement performance, both in the tough stuff (especially defensively) and out wide.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Dupont has confirmed ACL rupture & that he'll be out for several months.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

That's bloody terrible news. Looked bad at the time too.