Ireland v Australia

[USARugger]

My two favorite international sides, one by blood and one by what can only be described as fate, going head to head - this is easily my favorite fixture of the test season each year.

Not much beats an excuse to burn some long distance minutes giving the cousins an earful of shit, either.

Time to get to bed so I can get nice and cozy for the 11:30am kickoff.

Which shirt I'm going to pull on may become a match-day decision

I can't wait.

 

[Brumby Runner]

2015 is not a great year to be blooding new players but it is what it is.

That's exactly right Lee. It's a pity that some like Paul Alo-Emile and Caderyn Neville weren't blooded this year and Laurie Weeks wasn't given another go when it was obvious that we had problems at THP and lock. It seems that our coaches/selectors are not overly prepared to experiment in the couple of years leading into RWCs and we just have to rely on some of the incumbents to leave for overseas to see some change up and renewal. Of course, I can understand and sympathise with the coaches' positions when their future is so married to successful performance from test match to test match. It probably needs a shift in philosophy by the ARU and acceptance by the fans that there will be more chances given to developing players without an absolute expectation of needing to win each and every test match, or just more use of the bench for developing players especially where there is a recognised need.

Now could be an ideal time to move towards this kind of philosophy with Cheika appointed for three years and quite a few of the current Wallabies' squad expected to leave our shores after RWC 2015. Be up front about the desire to blood and develop test quality front rowers, locks, No 8s, No 9s, No 10s and No 15s (where I think we will be very thin on the ground after the RWC) and use the following two years to rotate a number of prospective players through each position in order to build up a bank of good test players for the next RWC.

Off topic so I'll just leave the thought drifting out there.

 

[Train Without a Station]

BR put it in context. Of those 3 players, one debuted in 2014 and the other two were not able to be first choice for the entire season at their province,

 

[Quick Hands]

My two favorite international sides, one by blood and one by what can only be described as fate, going head to head - this is easily my favorite fixture of the test season each year.

Not much beats an excuse to burn some long distance minutes giving the cousins an earful of shit, either.

Time to get to bed so I can get nice and cozy for the 11:30am kickoff.

Which shirt I'm going to pull on may become a match-day decision

I can't wait.

And there seems to be a fair bit of love going on in Dublin between Chieka and the Leinster connection as well.

EDIT: If you're really desperate to watch Australia play Ireland, I bleieve that the is and International Rules fixture on somewhere tonight

 

[Mr Doug]

Ok . seriously?

I am a mother of a small child (think nappies, cot and bottle). She sleeps for about 4 or 5 hours at a time, especially when she is teething as she is now. I have not had a full nights sleep in 18 months. I sleep when I can during the night, as I said usually in 4 or 5 hour chunks.

So no. I will not get up at 3 am to watch a rugby game, no matter who is playing. If I am having trouble settling her back to sleep I will watch it while I am up with her, but the moment she goes back to sleep, so do I.

Sorry if that doesn't make me a big enough rugby fan for you.

I love rugby, but my health and my daughter are my priorities. Sorry for being such a poor quality supporter.

Before you generalise about the commitment and quality of fans how about thinking that some of us have things going on in our lives which put the Wallabies on a lower priority than those like yourself who are able to give up a few hours sleep and can probably just sleep in in the morning to make up for it.

No I didn't get much sleep last night. Yes I am cranky and no I'm not sorry.

There are of course exceptions to every 'rule', (as in the 'rule of being a good supporter'), SammyP.
Many members on this forum do put the Wallabies near the top of their priorities, or they wouldn't be here.
I can't recall mentioning any member by name, let alone singling out any with young children, nor asking them to compromise the health and well being of their family. If you and a couple of others have taken this personally, then that's unfortunate.

 

[qwerty51]

Expecting a big one from McCalman, he didn't get the play Ireland last year so his last match against them is the infamous WC pool match. He'll be fired up after all the criticism he received from that one. Good signs last week that he's taken up the enforcer role that Cheika has probably given him.

 

[Mr Doug]

A comment to G&GR staff:
Should we limit voting on the "post-match rankings" to members only?
I can't believe some of the figures I see on these lists, and suspect that "alien forces", possibly from across the Ditch, and elsewhere, are endeavouring to contaminate these lists.
Alternatively, after over 50 years of watching all levels of Rugby, I'm still a bad judge of a player's performance!
Examples from the last test:
95 people on this forum thought Slipper played badly, 151 ditto Kuridrani, 182 ditto Fainga'a, and most disturbing of all, (to me), 257 thought Folau played well!
I have brought this up in this thread because the next list of ratings will apply to this Test Match.

 

[Tomikin]

Wallabies by 14 in a great game big game from Jones Hooper and big dog

 

[cyclopath]

There's a good reason I take the rankings given there with a large plate of salt. It seems more than a few have worked it out.

 

[MrTabua]

Just don't take anything the mob does too seriously (we all know what can happen in elections here and elsewhere).

 

[MrTabua]

Getting very excited about our incursion to Aviva! May have to watch the highlights of last year's triumph before Sunday morning's game.

 

[Quick Hands]

Getting very excited about our incursion to Aviva! May have to watch the highlights of last year's triumph before Sunday morning's game.

I'm jealous

 

[MrTabua]

I'm jealous

damn! I meant "our" as in our Wallabies. Wish I was going to D4!

 

[Biffo]

Just don't take anything the mob does too seriously (we all know what can happen in elections here and elsewhere).

if the mob were even usually right, there'd be no richer or poorer or more or less or more powerful people.

turn down the volume of the mob and listen to the very few who know.

 

[MrTabua]

if the mob were even usually right, there'd be no richer or poorer or more or less or more powerful people.

turn down the volume of the mob and listen to the very few who know.

Exactly why I turned off The Roar and embraced G&GR

 

[tragic]

There are of course exceptions to every 'rule', (as in the 'rule of being a good supporter'), SammyP.
Many members on this forum do put the Wallabies near the top of their priorities, or they wouldn't be here.
I can't recall mentioning any member by name, let alone singling out any with young children, nor asking them to compromise the health and well being of their family. If you and a couple of others have taken this personally, then that's unfortunate.

Mr Doug with all due respect to the usual quality of your comments, and your obvious wallaby connections that is pretty half arsed non-apology for a post that was utter rubbish.
The time we chose to watch the game has nothing at all to do with how committed a supporter we are or how much we contribute to grass roots rugby in this country. Personally the highlight of my week is watching the game in the morning with my rugby playing boys who are young, and are not at their best at 0230. Does that make me a lightweight supporter?
I think you'd find everyone on this forum would watch the game live if there were not good reasons for them not to - otherwise they wouldn't be here.

 

[Athilnaur]

And... Back to the game! I confess I struggle to see us winning but I am hopeful. If the boys have really tuned into the coach (and Grey!) they will make a grand fist of it, that is certain.

Looking forward to seeing Luke play, I have been a believer since seeing him at AAMI vs Tahs in 12, where I was saying who the hell is that, he is everywhere!

Good luck boys, this promises to be a damn fine game.

 

[BellyTwoBlues]

I can't watch the game at 2.30 am mainly because if I'm up at that time of the night there's a better than average chance that I'm in no condition to be able to comprehend wtf is actually happening. I much rather watch the recording of it in my Wallaby jersey with my kids on my knee on Sunday morning. Hope that doesn't make me a lightweight supporter

 

[BDA]

Chek picks the team. Obviously Blades has imput but the decision is Cheks.

to be fair to cheika, i don't think he actually picked the squad

 

[Shelts89]

Got to admit I am backing Ireland here. One, because they are a home nations side so therefore I back them anyway, but I do genuinely think they will win this one.