@derm-mccrum O'Mahony will need to have an even bigger game! With Leavy out and no Beirne in the squad, it will fall to O'Mahony to do 100% of the jackling and slowing down of their ball.
VdFlier will tackle all day for you but he's no Leavy at the breakdown.
@scribe Oh likewise I want James Ryan to show big bad Brodie what the new breed of lock looks like while Furlong manhandles your loose forwards around like ragdolls again and Ringrose twists your midfield into knots.
I was feeling good yesterday but now, missing four fellas who would start for the Lions if they were playing tomorrow I'm less bullish on our chances.
We'll be competitive though. If you beat us by more than 10 points I'd be very pissed off.
Hello all! Just logging in to say best of luck for tomorrow and may the better side win.
I've just seen that Dan Leavy has been ruled out with Van der Flier coming into the starting side and Jordi Murphy on to the bench.
Leavy has been superb and I'd have had him in ahead of O'Brien regardless of last weeks injury. It's a huge loss and while I was quietly confident even without O'Brien, Murray and Henshaw - I reckon Leavy is one loss too far. NZ by 8.
@billy-tell Indeed they do. But while winning away in the southern hemisphere despite a handful of injuries is standard fare for NZ, it is a massive sign of progression for ourselves.
I think this tour has shown us that neither Aki nor Henshaw are an option at 13. Ringrose is exceptional and we saw last autumn that Chris Farrell is a quality deputy but if those two are going to continue to pick up injuries, we're going to have to give serious game time to Arnold or another outside centre before the world cup.
I can't wait for the autumn already. I'm excited by the line up of the fixtures which will allow us to try a few new options first against Italy in Chicago, then play a more established side with a couple of wild cards against Argentina in Dublin before hopefully sending out a full XV in the third week against your boys!
@billy-tell In fairness, we've just won a series in Australia without Best, Henderson, O'Brien, Van der Flier, Ruddock and Farrell, with Leavy, Ringrose, Conway, Carberry and today O'Mahony missing serious chunks of the series.
That shows serious depth and while our attacking play has been stunted, I reckon getting a few of those names (Ringrose and Leavy in particular) back into the team at 100% will add a lot. Having no 13 for two thirds of this tour hurt us a lot.
Part of keeping things tight was a counter to Australias ground game. Line breaks and outside breaks are great to watch but against this Oz side, a split seconds isolation will lead to a turnover 9 times out of 10 so keeping things tight ensured we controlled possession.
I don't think our last 3 games against the ABs have lacked attacking endeavour and recent games against South Africa and Argentina didn't either. We're certainly not the best attacking side in world rugby but I don't think we're as one dimensional as you're suggesting.
Also, Carberry has led us to crucial victories over the ABs and England in the last few years. Sexton is important but not as crucial as Murray when you look at the back up.
Reports in Ireland yesterday that Ireland will play New Zealand in Dublin next November, with a potential second match at a neutral venue a la Chicago last year.
Ireland are set to face New Zealand in the 2018 November series and may even get two chances to topple the All Blacks.
Conor Murray: ‘You can usually process death. But I feel Axel should be here’
The Munster scrum-half has been deeply affected by the death of Anthony Foley and, he tells Donald McRae, his coach and mentor continues to inspire him
Just to prove there are a couple of journalists worth their salt up here, this was a well written piece in the Guardian today. Murray comes across well and touches on Foley, the two games against NZ and the Lions tour this summer.
Rassie Erasmus dismisses speculation that Munster are seeking All Black Ben Smith
The Munster coach says he is only looking for Irish qualified players.
It's not us after Smith anyway. I wonder if there have been actual talks with anyone?
It's a long while since a SH star used Munster as bate to try and wrangle a better deal back home. Feels good!
Irish papers full of Ben Smith to Munster for €750k a season today but I can't see it for a couple of reasons.
Firstly even if we could afford that which I doubt, he could comfortably earn double that amount and more in France. We're a long way from where we once were financially.
Secondly, of all the areas Munster could do with a world class operator (hooker, lock, maybe even outhalf), the back 3 feels like the last of them.
Smith is one of my favourite players in the world and it would be a signing as exciting as Howlett was. But we have Zebo, Earls and Conway in that back 3 with a huge prospect in Darren Sweetnam and another good chance in Ronan O'Mahony.
With all the work Nucifora is doing, I can't see him allowing us sign a world class fullback/winger to stand in the way of their progression.
From my experience, Richie was only really disliked by the English and the Welsh up here.
The English probably because he beat them when they thought they were good, which they always struggle with and the Welsh because they don't really like anyone. I've never seen a player or team win more than 10 matches in a season, and not be deemed cheating scum by the Welsh.
In Ireland he was revered far more than Pocock will ever be. In Munster he's considered a spiritual godfather! I've lived in Scotland and France as well, and he's well respected in both countries. Just because the English (and often our own) media bleat louder than most, doesn't for a second mean their views are indicative of the masses.
PS I hope one day that the tackle are gets cleaned up a bit by eliminating crocodile rolls. The whole concept is meant to be attackers and defenders contesting the ball by owning the space over it through forward momentum, not wrestling moves flinging players out the side.
If you remove the crocodile roll as well as policing the head below hips upon entry rule you mentioned, we're going to end up with every side having a Pocock in it and turnovers at every single breakdown. Entire matches would be played back and forth within 10 metres of the half way line!
The other thing I noticed in the game that Kinsella seems to ignore was the other 'tactic' employed of diving head below hips with shoulders targeting Pocockwomble's arms.
Pocock is invariably in a position with his own head below his hips as well though. When he is positioned like that, there is no way of targeting him without doing likewise.
Brilliant analysis as usual from Murray Kinsella at the42.ie
Analysis: Attention to detail and violence help Ireland deny Pocock
We examine each of the Wallabies back row’s efforts to steal Irish possession last weekend.
Really highlights what a demon Pocock is at the breakdown and how well Ireland executed Joe's plan to deal with him.
This could get ugly. Our defence is all over the place and we seem intent on kicking the ball loosely to their back 3.
@kiwiinmelb yeah fair enough. Like I said last week our commentators are garbage.
I'd like to think most of us recognise that selecting conservative, not fit defenders across a backline stifles our attack.
@kiwiinmelb said in Ire v Aus:
@Pot-Hale i think they are forgetting execution , effort will only get you so far
But does that no concur with exactly what the commentator was saying?
The scoreboard doesn't reflect the effort put in. That's as much a reflection on our poor execution as anything else.
Jesus Payne off now . Midfield of Jackson, Carberry, Ringrose is very, very small.
Joe looking a bit foolish for selecting Kearney and Payne with injury doubts now.
Wouldn't mind the pack sticking this up the jumper for 40 minutes now.
OBrien fails a late fitness test for Ireland apparently so Van der Flier starts with OMahony on the bench.
Interested to see how we bounce back this week. Should do well up front but I can see attacking being an issue again.
Sexton, Henshaw and Zebo are our first three playmakers and none of them start. Big performances needed from Jackson, Ringrose and Earls.
@Billy-Tell said in Ireland II:
Yeah that's totally fair, especially given I was born in the 70s! Pent up frustration got the better of me. I don't think NZ could have been more magnanimous after Chicago but the "favour" has not been remotely returned. I've seen hysterical levels of Irish angst about Sam Cane, that the citing process has shown to be a crock of pooh.
Look, I have a number of Irish mates, who have all been much more reasonable, and I apologise for the World War reference which wasn't really on.
I just think it's a crying shame the aftermath of what I thought was a magnificent test match, and I think a few of us are quite jealous of that performance by the Irish backrow, which was magnificent, and should have been match-winning.
I'll settle down no doubt, and I do look forward to the Ire-Aussie game. I would love to see Carbery start and Joe do something different with his back 3, although the loss of Henshaw probably means changes will be minimised.
I don't think I've seen a more exciting emerging NH backrow talent than VDF, he is a keeper.
Fair play and no worries!
I agree with you on the hysteria that's taken over so many of our journalists and internet warriors. It's been embarrassing and has detracted from the excellent effort of our squad and coaches over the 2 games.
I wasn't at this game but I was there for the match in 2013 and I think we were magnanimous in defeat then - most of us left frustrated about kicking poorly to your back 3 at such a crucial time and I don't remember anyone having complaints about the ref.
The Oz game and our selection will be interesting. I often get frustrated at some of Joe's selections, particularly when it comes to our backline, but it's hard to argue with the improvements he's made. Hopefully the more we progress, the less conservative he will become in regard to our attack. I guess the onus is also on our more gifted attackers to work on those less glamorous aspects of their game which Joe values most.
Van der Flier is a cracking player and Leavy behind him looks a great prospect too. With O'Donoghue coming through at 8 we really are blessed in the back row. Peter O'Mahony not making the squad last weekend was a crazy show of strength for us.
I don't think we're too far behind anywhere in the pack or at halfback to be honest. Well as long as Murray stays fit! Where we fall behind is producing backs who can both attack and defend as well as your lads do.
@Billy-Tell said in Ireland II:
I would hate to have fought alongside an Irishman in one of the world wars, "harden up" is just not an Irish characteristic.
I'll probably be labeled another Irish whinger for this but that's a fairly unnecessary comment to throw about when discussing a rugby match and a few clowns on the internet.
Tens of thousands of Irishmen and women gave their lives to those wars and just as those from England, France, New Zealand or anywhere else, they deserve better than having their "hardness" questioned by some fella sitting on a sofa behind a laptop.
It's just a game man. Ye won this one fair and square so just try to enjoy that for a while if you can.