Comments on: Rate the match: Ireland v Australia

By: B

Mon, 18 Nov 2013 21:45:23 +0000

I think we are missing the point here. Over the past five years, Ireland are regularly competing for grand slams and six nations at the under 20 level. These players are then given game time in their provinces. However, there seems a reluctance due to the success in previous years of aging players to continue with them.

For example, Wales played Allen (aged 20) this weekend against Argentina. We continue to play O Driscoll and Mike Ross for example and claim that replacements arent ready. Yet we have Marty Moore, Henshaw and Darren Cave playing in heineken cup games. How can we know that they cannot step up to this level if they are not given game time against Somoa.

Look at this prospective squad for the World cup:

LH Healy McGrath Kilcoyne
HK Best Cronin Struass
TH Moore Fitzpatrick
Locks O Connell Touhy Henderson McCarthy
Back row: Ferris (I hope) O Brien Henry McLaughlin O Mahoney Ruddock
SH Murray Marmiom Marshall
FH Sexton Jackson Madigan
Centres Marshall Olding Payne Henshaw
Wingers/FB Gilroy Zebo Bowe Fitzgerald Kearney Kearney

There are a lot of good players. They need big game experience though.

By: bakkies4

bakkies4 — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 17:08:40 +0000

I’m not sure how we’re going to respond or what to expect, I think we have to take everything into consideration regarding a new coach, but I can’t believe how lackluster we were, regarding BOD whether we have anyone better yet or not is debatable, but why not use the likes of Dave McSharry and Darren Cave? BOD is currently living of legacy, an amazing player yes but we’re not ruthless enough in this country, we seem to think we have like a 2 year thank you period where we stick them in the team no matter how they are playing, you wouldn’t see it in New Zealand! can’t wait till Jared Payne is Irish qualified, he is handy at 13 aswell as 15 and I really think he could be a class player for Ireland and maybe the one to fill the void left by BOD?

By: bakkies4

bakkies4 — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 17:02:31 +0000

Yeah I do agree it is a shame that we don’t have quite the young talent of other nations, but I still would love to see us at-least try to develop them, it is sad, but you are right about the good players, could any of our players get in the springbok or AB starting xv? even against the other home nations there is a real lack of depth in our team and we don’t seem to produce the same amount of talent as others, it amazes me how Wales have so many young players for a country with 3 million people, we have no shortage of school rugby and clubs, atleast in the North i’m not so sure about the South?

By: Ding Dong Denny

Ding Dong Denny — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 14:01:37 +0000

WTF – If we play the ABs like that it will be Ali V Holmes all over again. We have always held on to our players tool long. The Claw Closshey comes to mind – opposing teams used be delighted when they saw he was still around. Time to hand on – Paris 2000 comes to mind – give the young lads a shot at it. Can it get worse than 60-0? Nothing to loose!

DDD

By: Blub

Blub — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 11:59:08 +0000

Aussie scrum – hats off to them. I think that the Aussie scrum did OK against England. It wasn’t the one sided contest that many expected, and indeed I think a couple of the refs calls were debatable.

They then went well against the Italians, which is no mean feat in itself, so I don’t think anyone would be surprised about them giving Ireland a contest in the tight.

Unfortunately (for Ireland) it was barely a contest for parts of the game, with the Aussies quite dominant. Didn’t see that coming, but fair play to them for this level of improvement.

In Ireland, its going to be a long week before they face New Zealand. Not quite sure where they go from here. It is easy to say “Drop BOD, because he is old” but is there a better player to replace him?

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 09:07:46 +0000

Ireland played like a team that beleived their own hype. Too much was read into the Samoa result (it was more Samoan Barbarians than a fully prepped national side).

Again too much is being made of BOD, all this “one thing he has never done is beat the all blacks” talk is again making this like some elongated farewell testimonial season. You can’t keep making it all about 1 player however great he was, treat everyone equally and pick on merit. Aside from one flash of brilliance against Wales BOD hasn’t produced a good international performance in the last year. Continuing to pick him on sentiment may actually tarnish his legacy.

Australia have been taken apart in the scrum by every side who has faced them under the new rules. Losing the scrum battle to Australia shows where the main issues are though, the tight 5.

By: bazzar

bazzar — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 06:32:03 +0000

Australia also beat Argentina 54-17 in Rosario beat Italy 50-20 and scored 3 tries against the All Blacks in New Zealand, Australia will beat any team they have forwards parity with.

By: Mitchell

Mitchell — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 04:10:44 +0000

agree 100%. I hate to say it but we aint winning squat for the next 5 years and beyond..

By: Mitchell

Mitchell — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 03:53:25 +0000

I agree 100% with everything u said. However,we just don’t have a new young guard to replace the old imo. We have lots of good players but no real great ones. I would play Dave Kearney against the AB’s. It will be a rout in any case.

By: bakkies4

bakkies4 — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 22:44:41 +0000

Agreed, the sad fact is that players can’t maintain the same standards for ever and it is about time we start looking past the old guard, we have some young talent, I’d love to see Olding, Marmion, Henshaw, in-particularly Iain Henderson, definitely think we need him to go down the 2nd row route, we’ve a lot of strength in the backrow so I think we could use him in the engine room. The All Blacks is a free game, so why not take a few risks, the only way we can find out if the young players are up to international level is to give them the chance?
My team for abs
1. McGrath
2. Cronin
3. Fitzpatrick
4. Tuohy
5. O’Connell
6. O’Brien
7. O’Mahony
8. Coughlan
9. Murray
10. Madigan
11. Kearney
12. Marshall
13. O’Driscoll
14. Bowe
15. Henshaw

By: RP

RP — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 20:22:03 +0000

4 tries to nil against a tired SH team that is supposed to be struggling. The Aussies beat Argentina by 1 point in the 2013 Championship and suffered heavy home defeats to both AB and SA.

Irish International Rugby has had a pretty awful 2013. 6Ns was really poor.

Too many foreign players in the 3 provinces in important positions.

Things do not look great for the future and clinging to past glories of a rapidly ageing ‘great’ are not going to help either.

By: B

Sun, 17 Nov 2013 19:27:52 +0000

I have to agree with a lot of what you have said.

That was one of the most disappointing Ireland performances I can remember including much of last year;s six nations.

A few points:
-There needs to be an influx of new players as some people (who could previously) are not preforming to the prescribed level. Most noticeably it is O Driscoll, Heaslip and Ross to name but a few. Players like Olding, Marmion, Henshaw should be in the starting 23 instead of persisting with players like Reddan, d’Arcy and BOD.

-Paul o Connell had a very poor game. The new technical level of the game format under schimidt may be a struggle for him.

-Agreed Toner is such a liability with ball in hand. And although he had heart, Archer isn’t of the necessary quality for this level.

-Marshall showed why we should be bringing young players through. He looked more at ease on that pitch than some 50 plus capped players.

All isn’t lost as Ireland have enough quality players, the question is whether Schmidt can be brave and take a policy of blooding new players sooner rather than later as this succession planning had been a frailty in both the previous Ireland coaches.