RWC trials for 6N teams & discussion of NH squads

[Larno]

Selection of the scrummies and hookers for the squad, and later for crunch games, remains interesting.

This in particular is a common topic for discussion in the rugby media over here at the minute. You'd have to think Reddan has done enough to earn his place and TOL will get in on past exploits but who do you bring as the the third? I'd reckon Murray could get it as a bolter.

 

[Thomond78]

Reddan is a gaping defensive wound; Stringer's more effective than him. He has also been as erratic as all get out. TOL is a fine athlete, but the shift to faster ruck ball means that, like Mike Philips, his decision making has been exposed as the game has shifted away from their ninth-forward style. Boss is nothing amazing, but solid enough in all areas. Stringer is what he is, but is the best of them all for decision making and whipping a pack down the final furlong like a demented jockey. Murray is the future, no question; we'll see is he the present.

At the moment, I'd have TOL as the weakest of the five, as he was poor against Scotland. Personally I'd then have Reddan as next for the chop; we'll see.

 

[Thomond78]

No Delve? It's a farce. Sometimes Gatland really lives up to the rumor that he has no clue.

Is that all the Poms can come up with as a back row? I know Moody is injured but that's not a great back row. Wood is a solid player and Easter is experienced but Fourie?

After picking that front five, he then termed it a must-win.

Half his first team are injured, and there's suspicion his beasting of them at Spala hasn't helped.

It may yet end up like Ireland 2007. Gwlad has christened him "Cement Head" and is stocking up on firewood for the ritual coach-burning...

 

[Thomond78]

Cracking game. 13-0 down just before half time, back to 13-12, France won 19-12 but under massive pressure on their line. Great game, though; the French attacking patterns are worth watching just for the aesthetics of it.

 

[Larno]

The little slow-mo sequence of Paulie's face while defending a maul was beautiful. Geez Fitzgerald had a bad day at the office though.

 

[Thomond78]

Nothing compared to Rory Best's, though. Because of his throwing, we couldn't get possession or position for love nor money in the first half.

ROG was very good. Leamy and DR have booked their tickets, I reckon. Murray and Felix Jones look like they're going to go all the way in the next few years. And POC is a horse of a man.

 

[BDA]

England and Wales both looked average last night. nowhere near the tri-nations standards right now. France were okay and Ireland are going to have to improve immensely to challenge the wallabies at the world cup.

 

[TheNextBigThing]

Did anyone catch Italy vs. Japan. Judging by the score it sounded like an absolute cracker.

 

[tigerland12]

I only caught the first half of France vs Ireland, but France looked like they were dominating all aspects of the game. But from the score line it suggest the Irish turned it around after the break.

Another note, Thierry Dusatiour would have to be one of the best opensides running around (behind Richie and BamBam), he hits hard and is a tackling machine.

 

[Tim&Bingo]

I spent most of yesterday afternoon in the Millenium Stadium and, as a neutral, enjoyed a fairly solid and intriguing test match.
England have solid set piece quality, especially the scrum. Wales need to spend more time on their lineout and scrum.
The England 9-15 yesteday were clueless. Flutey and Cueto certainly did enough for most observers to agree that both should be
returning to their AP squads sooner rather than later. 10,12 & 13 were especially numb-nuts.
Fourie did well and Mears seemed to bring more to the front 3 when he came on than Thompson delivered. Easter? was he on the pitch?
Apparently Haskell was also on during the 2nd half somewhere.
Wales have exceptional defensive organisation, discipline and execute accurately and with power.
Wales have also unearthed some exceptional young potential in North, Priestland, Faletau, Knoyle and Scott Williams who will not look out of place
at high Test level.
England again seemed only capable of playing for 65/70 mins and are unfit. The Welsh seemed like a pack of Butcher's dogs.
Gatland must be relieved that his strategy is starting to deliver something and Edwards is certainly earning his corn.
MJ and his entourage must be wondering how they've managed to transform the cream of the RFU player register into the quivering
clueless XV (that can scrumage) - I think they need to call Brian Ashton to pop round and give the squad a few clues about heads-up rugby
and playing what is in front of you rather than trying to remember which match play is applicable.
Consider my comments also against the fact that Wales played 20 minutes with 14 players.
My final observation is that there is no noisier stadium anywhere when the final whistle goes than in Cardiff on a Wales victory over England, especially
with the roof closed.

 

[Gnostic]

Did anyone catch Italy vs. Japan. Judging by the score it sounded like an absolute cracker.

It was a pretty good game with Japan's second try an absolute pearler of a set move. Just beautiful.

wasn't that impressed with Ireland and France, terrible handling in near perfect conditions and kicked pretty poorly. Some very good defence though from the backrows. The new French number 8 on Debut was pretty good and looks like one to watch. I still think that Dusatoir is probably 3rd best 6 in the world and Dennis Leamy is perhaps the best player in the Irish team.

 

[Thomond78]

Gnostic, the handling last night was levels above Durban. The French try was great hands, with a killer, undefendable, offload from Pallisson. The kicking from both sides was excellent; ROG's tactical slides to the corner second half, Jones' excellent chip and chase for a lineout we nearly mauled over, Yachvili's kicking all night, a lovely chip at full speed from Earls that if it had sat up at all would have seen him in; again, far better, more purposeful, than a lot of the aimless hoofing in Durban.

 

[Thomond78]

As a digression, I desperately want to see POC and Hairydonkey play on the same team. Baabaas selectors, make it so.

 

[Gnostic]

Gnostic, the handling last night was levels above Durban. The French try was great hands, with a killer, undefendable, offload from Pallisson. The kicking from both sides was excellent; ROG's tactical slides to the corner second half, Jones' excellent chip and chase for a lineout we nearly mauled over, Yachvili's kicking all night, a lovely chip at full speed from Earls that if it had sat up at all would have seen him in; again, far better, more purposeful, than a lot of the aimless hoofing in Durban.

You should put IMO in there somewhere. I agree the kicking from the Boks was bad, and so was the handling at times from both sides in what was a much more intense game played in windy and wet conditions.

I agree regarding the French try by the way.

Apart from that the game was pedestrian, with nothing unexpected in near perfect Rugby conditions for us SH types anyway.

 

[macg101]

You should put IMO in there somewhere. I agree the kicking from the Boks was bad, and so was the handling at times from both sides in what was a much more intense game played in windy and wet conditions.

I agree regarding the French try by the way.

Apart from that the game was pedestrian, with nothing unexpected in near perfect Rugby conditions for us SH types anyway.

I actually thought it was a cracker.. rustiness was sure to be a factor.. both teams first game of the season (barring a few Irish players). Combinations and attacking strategy was in place for France, they just didn't execute as well as usual.

Les Kiss has that defence looking nice.

On another note, I not sure If I really saw this right but did Paddy Wallace play a half decent match.. certainly fronted up for a few tackles as did Rog.

Kicking was good.. SOB was a bit off the pace I thought.. the loosies looked a bit slow at ruck time in the first half..

Paul O'Connell.... :yay

 

[macg101]

Murray and Jones... on the plane please

 

[Lee Grant]

France 19 Ireland 12

This was a bloody good game considering the teams had only one game between them beforehand and both would have been several times better than a Wallaby team playing about 6 months ago before the Super season started.

Ireland looked decent in this match that not too many expected them to win – after all, they had won only one game against France away in 29 years. They had trouble getting possession in the first half hour mainly because of their crap lineout, but also because the French forwards showed up to play.

Ireland looked better in the 2nd half when POC and Heaslip came on but in the last 4 minutes they lost two set pieces near the France goal-line and had to forgo any chance of winning or drawing the game.

France looked brilliant in the first half for a team playing their first match of the season then seemed to remember that they weren't supposed to be consistent for the whole game and lost their way after oranges. The matter of who will start at scrummie in big games, Parra or Yachvilli, is still not resolved.

For Ireland 15. Kearney, looking very fit now, earned his plane ticket for NZ and the two props, Healey and Ross confirmed their 1st string status. It looks like O'Brien and Heaslip will be the 7 and 8 – but who the starting 6 in big games: Leamy or D. Wallace?

10. ROG played a lot better than Sexton last week and it will be very interesting to see who starts against Australia: the young pup, or the old dog? 9. Reddan did his quest for a RWC gig no harm, in stiff company, and when he came on Murray, 3rd string Munster scrummie earlier in the year, showed us why he could be a bolter. Another Munster player, F. Jones, had an incisive gig when (I think) Kearney went off, and could be in NZ too.

How close is 12, D'Arcy to coming back – anybody know?
.

 

[Tim&Bingo]

MJ says everything is Hunkey Dory?
Positives-agogo emanating from Twickers it seems, according to Lurch!

 

[Thomond78]

LG, SOB is a blindside (who can also play 8). He was playing open the other night essentially to see if he can cover if - God forbid - Wally gets injured. Leamy has played 6 and 8 so far, so he covers that; Donncha Ryan 4 and 6, and he's covering that (and may well oust Cullen). Wally will be the 7.

BTW, that was Murray's international debut. You'd never have thought it, would you? And Felix Jones looks the right job on only his second cap, too.

 

[Lee Grant]

Yeah I know the positions that SOB and Wallace usually play but to me O'Brien is more a natural ball winner. Wallace is a fellow who pushes folks out of the way to get the pill. I would have SOB play 6 on the Ireland put into the scrum though to take advantage of his ball running down that way.

Ireland have many good backrowers but no elite fetchers and I think that SOB has shown enough at 7 to play there. Maybe it's not good to change at RWC time though.