RWC QF 3 IRE v ARG (Millenium Stadium) 18th Oct 2300 AEDT
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Cardiffblue
Jim Lenehan (48)
Totally agree. Especially with pro 12 as mechanism for developing new methods and tactics. Central contracts already helping. We've see what the free market has done to England and France.
Great clip of north! Epitomises the issue with gatlandball. Watched the abs last night. It's not a complicated game. Just question of having forwards out wide able to handle the ball. What's happening at the moment is that we re too afraid to run the wing for fear of being isolated so as you point out north comes inside.
Bardon
Peter Fenwicke (45)
The good thing is that when you think of the likes of Gilroy, Cave, Maddigan, Jackson etc. There are plenty of players around who would probably be more comfortable playing with ball in hand.
Also on the point of players adapting styles and improving their skills. Trimble is a prime example of this. He was so frustrating to watch for so many years. But then a season focusing on his handling skills and he looked a world beater before his injury.
The strides made by the Aus scrum also show that good focused coaching with buy in from the players can make a huge difference.
I've every confidence that if Schmidt decides we need to be more expansive then he'll make it work. Fingers crossed he decides it what we need to do and the the IRFU aren't gutless wonders during the transition.
BabyBlueElephant
Darby Loudon (17)
By my logic if all the provinces have been able to play attacking, passing rugby recently, then so can the national team. Teams like Canada and Japan have had some of the best attacking rugby this world cup and have turned many top tier defence inside out.
I don't believe the Ireland team needs tearing apart to do this, but it'd be interesting to see the options available at 13 and the outside backs for the next few years. Fitzgerald seriously needs more utilisation he has that special quality about him. I'd love to see him at 13 over Earl's as the second is too light on his feet as Argentina brutally exposed, a fantastic winger but not OC material perhaps at top level. I'd love to see how Ringrose, Reid, McCloskey and JJ perform over the next two seasons. I'm still livid JJ was allowed to leave, hopefully he continues to grow over in England, sure was wasted with bench time in Munster the last two seasons.
I don't believe the Ireland team needs tearing apart to do this, but it'd be interesting to see the options available at 13 and the outside backs for the next few years. Fitzgerald seriously needs more utilisation he has that special quality about him. I'd love to see him at 13 over Earl's as the second is too light on his feet as Argentina brutally exposed, a fantastic winger but not OC material perhaps at top level. I'd love to see how Ringrose, Reid, McCloskey and JJ perform over the next two seasons. I'm still livid JJ was allowed to leave, hopefully he continues to grow over in England, sure was wasted with bench time in Munster the last two seasons.
Chunderstruck
Alex Ross (28)
From this analysis it seems like almost every Argentina try came from the Kearney Bros getting beaten
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...tralia-at-Twickenham-and-reach-the-final.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...tralia-at-Twickenham-and-reach-the-final.html
mxyzptlk
Colin Windon (37)
I'd like to see some of the younger guys being brought through as well, and being trained to play a more attacking style -- Marmion, Ringrose, Reid, Hanrahan, McGrath, there are a few centers from Ulster in need of a few hit-outs, apparently Bundee Aki is still looking to become Irish qualified, and if both Rhys Ruddock and Tommy O'Donnell can stay healthy and partner with CJ Stander, the Irish backline should be okay.
mxyzptlk
Colin Windon (37)
Gilroy needs to work on his defense, but that guy can ghost through some tacklers. I asked this somewhere a while back, but who's the better passer now, Madigan or Jackson? From what I've seen of Jackson lately, he's becoming one of the better passers Ireland has to offer.
Funny thing -- Gordon D'Arcy said in his column that he thought Noel Reid is Ireland's best passer at the moment.
I've only seen about three Leinster games this season, but it looks like Leo and Dempsey are getting them back to running funky angles, passing early and often, and not being afraid of the offload. People like Isa Nacewa are helping with that, and it looks like Ben Te'o is starting to partner well with Reid and Ringrose. It's good to see, and I hope Cullen's tenure keeps on that track.
Liam Toland was recently talking about the differences in provincial cultures that he noticed when he'd go out to work with kids. When he'd ask the kids from Limerick what they wanted to work on, it was all ruck and tackling. When he'd ask the kids from Leinster, it was "double-round, skip-float and score in the corner." At some point, those different cultures are going to have to merge somewhat.
Especially if they ever hope to make it through a World Cup, or even a Six Nations, relatively fit and healthy. Another take-away from this tournament is that the sides who went looking for space instead of contact didn't leave half their starting side in the hospital by the end of the second or third week. The sides who looked for nothing but contact either got burned or left the field riddled with bodies. In Ireland's case, they don't tend to be big enough to risk taking on the orcs, the Saffers, the Welsh, and sides with big Polynesian giants head-on. They'll need to work to their strengths, and those strengths don't reside in their natural immensity. They'll want to play a little more like how Brian O'Driscoll and Shane Williams did, and how Nehi Milnder-Skudder, Ben Smith, Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell are today. A little less bash, a little more flash.
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