WRC


Argentina were never pushovers and now that they have someone who can kick the ball they can convert their strong pack performance into points.


The coverage on TV3 is crap and ITV is worse.

I miss RTE and the BBC. Even Sky would be better.
 
Jazz01 said:
Whoever Ireland get in the knock outs (of course we'll get out of our group!), it'll be tough games all the way! But before we get there, some exciting games ahead...
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We'll have some nice, designer Italian kitchen sink thrown at us first!!
 
Purple said:
I miss RTE and the BBC. Even Sky would be better.
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I don't mind TV3 to be honest. I find the analysis a lot better than what George Blabbering Hook & Co come out with (except Conor O'Shea). It's the picture quality that gets me - can barely see the ball!
 
Firefly said:
I don't mind TV3 to be honest. I find the analysis a lot better than what George Blabbering Hook & Co come out with (except Conor O'Shea). It's the picture quality that gets me - can barely see the ball!
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I agree on the picture quality and on George Hook but the rest of the panel/panels RTE use are good.
 
Today's game was fought with the intensity of a knock out match when all that was at stake was to avoid NZ and play Argentina. The organisers were taking a risk. Imagine Argentina had finished on top of its group - we would have had one hell of a strange game today. FIFA avoid this by ensuring final games in groups be played simultaneously.
 
Yes, but getting a perceived "weaker" team to play against in the knock out stages, then there is that extra motivation to top your group. Everything & anything to progress Wales V Australia was the same, look at the intensity at that match & the desire to top the group, option of playing Scotland...

Some mighty weekend of ruggers all the same ... & hopefully more to follow this coming w'end... some fantastic atmosphere in Cardiff ...
 
My point is that the organisers were taking a chance with the scheduling. Obviously not much of a chance - but Scotland could have topped that group (if Leper hadn't backed them to do so). I don't think I have ever seen any game played in any code were both teams wanted to lose but that is what would have happened if either Scotland or Argentina had topped their groups. A game with both teams wanting to lose would have brought rugby into serious disrepute.
 
I dunno, I suspect Schmidt is not as fearful of NZ as some other people would be. They have to be faced by someone and they are neither indomitable or unbeatable. I think he would have prioritised rest for the physical benefit and topping the group for the psychological benefit. One place it would have made a difference is I think the butcher's bill. If winning had meant facing NZ I think France and Saint-André would have been less inclined to risk their own players in injuring ours.
 
Duke of Marmalade said:
My point is that the organisers were taking a chance with the scheduling. Obviously not much of a chance - but Scotland could have topped that group (if Leper hadn't backed them to do so).
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I know I put the hex on Scotland. But, my 25/1 bet on Wales (to win)is still alive albeit hanging by a thread. So having seen Paddy Power's odd for a draw in each of the (quarter finals) Ireland game (18/1)and Wales game (18/1) I think I'll have a little bet on both. Well, we haven't had a draw in this tournament yet!
 
This morning's Gift Grub was, I think, the funniest one I have ever heard! Really cracked me up & well worth a listen.
 
Anyone else find the lack of build-up re the Argentina match a bit weird? Almost as if it's a done deal. We could be in for a longer day at the office than we think. Argentina put it up against NZ and they must surely be gunning for a semi-final spot themselves....
 
wondering if there is a lack of build up as there are no mid week games?

Far from a done deal against Argentina, who look impressive in their overall play so far... it will be a very tough game and no doubt they aren't taking us lightly either... it'll be another savage battle, expecting more injuries after this one though. Wondering what's up with Cronin & his lack of game time - would think his ball carrying & running would be needed with O'Brien, O'mahony out...
 
I don't know too much about rugby (as can be seen from my failing small wagers in Paddy Power). However, I am caught up in the managers of different teams. I read in today's newspaper that Joe Schmidt is a teacher; Stuart Lancaster is a teacher also. Then Cheika etc all have tales to tell. Then I read that when Joe Schmidt was at Leinster and informed his team that there would be no wearing of jeans going to Away matches (track suits only) and blazers and neat dress were required after the game. In the current campaign some Irish player(s) lost their hotel room keys (which were found by staff) and nicely Schmidt informed them that if you are sloppy off the field you are sloppy on the field. No big deal, but our Joe pays a lot of attention to detail. Where there is friction between players he matches them during training sessions. He is big on discipline too. Stupid mistakes are pointed out in a matter-of-fact way. He informs his players of their weaknesses and strengths. The week starts on the negative aspects of the team and incrementally ends on all things positive. His management team compile five strengths and five weaknesses of each player of the opposition. Joe Schmidt appears to be an ordinary decent guy who gets the best out of his players. I must say I have got caught up with the tournament and look forward to today's and tomorrow's games.

I looked at Stuart Lancaster too. How can he remain almost motionless and expressionless at each of England's games. It appears he has no support from England's Rugby Body. The England supporters thought they would win the Rugby World Cup. The money poured into the England set-up was greater than any other team. England has the greatest choice of players. They have talent also. They beat Ireland in the warm-ups, lost to France and although performed well against Wales in the WC but for some reason stole defeat from the jaws of victory.

I think Joe Schmidt is right - Being sloppy off the field means being sloppy on the field. We all could learn valuable lessons from the Irish Coach.
 
Irish rugby....all hype and no substance. A triumph of Marketing, with the help of the Irish media.

So much talk, so much noise for the past few months. Rinse and repeat in 3yrs, 6months from now
 
Delboy said:
Irish rugby....all hype and no substance. A triumph of Marketing, with the help of the Irish media.

So much talk, so much noise for the past few months. Rinse and repeat in 3yrs, 6months from now
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A bit harsh I think. Any team losing their talisman captain, one of the top 3 out halves and a worker-bee would have struggled against that side. Credit due to Argentina, they were great today, but I've always felt that 1-15 we are great, but the dept isn't quite there.

Going mad for Scotland too.

Seems like a big gulf has opened up (again) between North & South hemispheres too.
 
Fair Dues to Argentina; they went into the game as underdogs while Ireland were 1/2 and still won handsomely with lots more in the tank. I hope they go on more and send more fancied teams home.

Would I condone decisions to allow my grandchildren play rugby? From what happened to O'Connell, O'Mahony and Sexton (and let's throw in O'Brien) in the same match versus France I would have to say "No" - Sport is Sport, what those four suffered could not be even remotely called Sport.
 
Very harsh Delboy. We badly missed O'Mahony, O'Brien and Sexton out there today. We probably coped ok without Paulie on the day but who knows what difference his leadership on the pitch might have made as well. We don't have the depth to cope with those losses.
However all that said, I think what this weekend showed is that the Six Nations teams need to rethink their style of rugby. This idea of slamming into each other for 80 minutes can't really be sustained, especially against teams who can not only match the physicality but who then have players who can play a bit as well! Fair play to Argentina, their ball carrying yesterday was brilliant. They had runners all over the pitch. I do think if we have O'Brien and O'Mahony in there we would have won more ball and with Sexton we could have controlled play better but ultimately I think we were always going to struggle to contain Argentina yesterday.
 

Few days late with this but there's nothing that could be done about this. FIFA play the final group matches in each group simultaneously, not the final group matches of every group so the exact same scenario could just as easily happen in a FIFA World Cup
 
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