France - 6N Squad
- Thread starter Lee Grant
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tranquility
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Sorry to continually talk about the odds, but they are truly unrepresentative of this match. France 1.25.
I am tipping France, but I have little doubt the Irish could ambush them, especially if the going gets tough with a slippery seed.
I am tipping France, but I have little doubt the Irish could ambush them, especially if the going gets tough with a slippery seed.
qwerty51
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Not just that, in the last 15 matches I think Ireland have only won twice.
I don't see how Ireland will contain the French backs, every time the Welsh backline got the ball that made plenty of metres and threatened. I didn't think they would miss BOD much but his defense is really missing.
I don't see how Ireland will contain the French backs, every time the Welsh backline got the ball that made plenty of metres and threatened. I didn't think they would miss BOD much but his defense is really missing.
Jethro Tah
Bob Loudon (25)
The sun is out and the sky is blue but the temp is sitting at about -5 downtown which means it will be about -10 at the Stade. Snow is not forecast so the game will go ahead.
Allez le Bleus. Frogs by 10.
Bardon
Peter Fenwicke (45)
One of the problems for any Irish centre replacing BOD is that fact that he's been carrying D'Arcy both in attack and especially defence for years. So Earls or McFadden coming in might do well defensively in their own channel but BOD's defensive duties ranged much further than just worrying about his own channel. Also he's a very aggressive defender. Whereas against France D'Arcy and McFadden were happy if they actually got the Welsh ball carrier on the deck. That would have been only job half done for BOD. He would have gone after the ball either causing a turn over or penalty or at the very least slowed the Welsh ball down.
But Ireland's defensive alignment had problems all over the place against Wales and although BOD has a knack of turning up to cover just at the right time and place I still think Wales would have gotten through. Backs have games when almost everything they touch is golden and that was one for the Welsh.
I think Ireland's defence will be better against France. But France will find a way to get at least 1-2 tries. So I think the task for Ireland is find something in attack that we've been missing for a while. For a long time now Ireland's decisive scores have come when the pack has fronted up and/or from a piece of individual brilliance from a back. It's been a very long time since the Irish backline as a unit has carried any real threat and that's a damning verdict on Gaffney's tenure. Ireland are crying out for a dedicated backs/attack coach with some fresh ideas.
Ireland have shown in the past that it's possible to defend your way to a win but against France in Paris such a game plan can go out the window if France have one of their 10-15 minute spells where they are on fire. Ideally the Irish team should be the best of Leinster's flare coupled with hard work, passion and dogged determination of Munster liberally sprinkled with some Ulster granite. That's in terms of philosophy as with regard to the individual players they're all Irish once they pull on the green and I don't care if the flare comes from Earls, Bowe, Trimble, Sexton or whoever. Just get the mindsets right and have a better plan than we'll give you 60% possession to see how many tries you can run in.
In the past the one off performances would stir the nation, but for this group of players that's not good enough anymore. Don't get me wrong if we pull off a miracle and win in Paris I'll be shouting, cheering and celebrating with the best of them. The difference is that for the Italy game there'll be no free pass for the lads, winning in Paris then falling over the finish line against Italy by one score would just highlight the problems even more.
But Ireland's defensive alignment had problems all over the place against Wales and although BOD has a knack of turning up to cover just at the right time and place I still think Wales would have gotten through. Backs have games when almost everything they touch is golden and that was one for the Welsh.
I think Ireland's defence will be better against France. But France will find a way to get at least 1-2 tries. So I think the task for Ireland is find something in attack that we've been missing for a while. For a long time now Ireland's decisive scores have come when the pack has fronted up and/or from a piece of individual brilliance from a back. It's been a very long time since the Irish backline as a unit has carried any real threat and that's a damning verdict on Gaffney's tenure. Ireland are crying out for a dedicated backs/attack coach with some fresh ideas.
Ireland have shown in the past that it's possible to defend your way to a win but against France in Paris such a game plan can go out the window if France have one of their 10-15 minute spells where they are on fire. Ideally the Irish team should be the best of Leinster's flare coupled with hard work, passion and dogged determination of Munster liberally sprinkled with some Ulster granite. That's in terms of philosophy as with regard to the individual players they're all Irish once they pull on the green and I don't care if the flare comes from Earls, Bowe, Trimble, Sexton or whoever. Just get the mindsets right and have a better plan than we'll give you 60% possession to see how many tries you can run in.
In the past the one off performances would stir the nation, but for this group of players that's not good enough anymore. Don't get me wrong if we pull off a miracle and win in Paris I'll be shouting, cheering and celebrating with the best of them. The difference is that for the Italy game there'll be no free pass for the lads, winning in Paris then falling over the finish line against Italy by one score would just highlight the problems even more.
Cardiffblue
Jim Lenehan (48)
At least the Irish can say they came away from Paris without losing! I heard the replay is 2nd March. Are the French clubs going to release the players for an exra weekend?
Jethro Tah
Bob Loudon (25)
Obviously, i am the expert in this regard.
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
You'd think so but all the power in French rugby is with the clubs; so you never know.
There's a big game on 24 hours after the test match: Clermont v Toulouse. There will be some whingeing about many of the players being unavailable for it.
Cardiffblue
Jim Lenehan (48)
Clubs ain't going to be happy if forced to allow players to do three internationals in three weeks with the Heineken Cup straight after. Gotta love the instruction to spectators to hold onto their tickets. No thought of offering refunds to 10000 Irish then
Bardon
Peter Fenwicke (45)
I can't see as many Irish supporters travelling to Paris for the rescheduled match if it's pushed back after the end of the rest of the 6N. By then for Ireland it could very well be a nothing game in terms of our chances to win the 6Ns. Having forked out on flights, accommodation and ticket for the first non-starter many wont want to travel even if they're one of the few who kept their ticket.
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