Planet Rugby Forum

Gauss wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:24 pm

Ulsters Red Hand wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:18 pm Cocks on blocks lads, who is our 10 next week?

Paddy Jackson wearing a sombrero and Groucho glasses.

Ulsters Red Hand wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:18 pm Cocks on blocks lads, who is our 10 next week?

Winnie wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:53 pm You would hope that perhaps Farrell will target the Italian game to try some of the younger lads out

feckwanker wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:58 pm

Winnie wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:53 pm You would hope that perhaps Farrell will target the Italian game to try some of the younger lads out

Not a hope. If he didn't do it during the made up autumn cup, he's sure as hell not going to do it in the 6N.

earl the beaver wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:39 pm Tom O'Toole hasn't missed a tackle since October 2019.

CM11 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:12 am

feckwanker wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:58 pm

Winnie wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:53 pm You would hope that perhaps Farrell will target the Italian game to try some of the younger lads out

Not a hope. If he didn't do it during the made up autumn cup, he's sure as hell not going to do it in the 6N.

10 non first 23 played against Georgia. Plus two experimental changes with Stockdale at FB and Beirne at 6.

ZuLu wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:34 am

CM11 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:12 am

feckwanker wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:58 pm

Winnie wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:53 pm You would hope that perhaps Farrell will target the Italian game to try some of the younger lads out

Not a hope. If he didn't do it during the made up autumn cup, he's sure as hell not going to do it in the 6N.

10 non first 23 played against Georgia. Plus two experimental changes with Stockdale at FB and Beirne at 6.

Against Georgia He clearly means against proper Test sides and rightly so

CM11 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:08 pm Lowe ran for the most metres over the weekend from all 3 matches.

RWC2015 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 2:23 am

CM11 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:08 pm Lowe ran for the most metres over the weekend from all 3 matches.

Watched it again. Lowe was brilliant. Second try he could have done better.

That was Earls' worst performance in an Ireland shirt ever. Every single moment he had was a critical mistake.

DOB wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:22 am

RWC2015 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 2:23 am

CM11 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:08 pm Lowe ran for the most metres over the weekend from all 3 matches.

Watched it again. Lowe was brilliant. Second try he could have done better.

That was Earls' worst performance in an Ireland shirt ever. Every single moment he had was a critical mistake.

First try, Lowe stayed out on his man. 2nd try, Lowe rushed in. Apparently both his fault, though.

DOB wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:22 am

RWC2015 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 2:23 am

CM11 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:08 pm Lowe ran for the most metres over the weekend from all 3 matches.

Watched it again. Lowe was brilliant. Second try he could have done better.

That was Earls' worst performance in an Ireland shirt ever. Every single moment he had was a critical mistake.

First try, Lowe stayed out on his man. 2nd try, Lowe rushed in. Apparently both his fault, though.

DOB wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:22 am

RWC2015 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 2:23 am

CM11 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:08 pm Lowe ran for the most metres over the weekend from all 3 matches.

Watched it again. Lowe was brilliant. Second try he could have done better.

That was Earls' worst performance in an Ireland shirt ever. Every single moment he had was a critical mistake.

First try, Lowe stayed out on his man. 2nd try, Lowe rushed in. Apparently both his fault, though.

irishrugbyua wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 8:58 am Owen Doyle: Peter O’Mahony’s act of thuggery deserves tough sanction: https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.4479181

Duff Paddy wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 9:21 am

irishrugbyua wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 8:58 am Owen Doyle: Peter O’Mahony’s act of thuggery deserves tough sanction: https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.4479181

Wow. We don’t usually get that from the Irish media. After the match it was all “ah he didn’t mean it”.

jezzer wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 9:10 am

DOB wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:22 am

RWC2015 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 2:23 am

CM11 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:08 pm Lowe ran for the most metres over the weekend from all 3 matches.

Watched it again. Lowe was brilliant. Second try he could have done better.

That was Earls' worst performance in an Ireland shirt ever. Every single moment he had was a critical mistake.

First try, Lowe stayed out on his man. 2nd try, Lowe rushed in. Apparently both his fault, though.

? So the sign of a good defender is if he does the opposite thing the second time to what he did when he got burned the first time?

On the first one he held the outside because there was RZ (iirc) outside North, which was fair enough. But he turned his back on North who stepped inside and Lowe was then glacially slow to turn and face up to North again, by which time he was past Lowe without a finger being laid on him.

The second one Lowe and Ringer don't spot Wales have a man over. Then Lowe compounds it by angling in to take North when Ringrose already had him. Keenan is folding around to take the extra man but decides his only chance is to rush up and take man and ball, not realising North has skipped his man. Simple pass and score, Furlong almost saves us.

The try was a symptom of being a man down, but if Lowe doesn't angle in and Keenan arrives a step quicker, we maybe fill the gap.

rialtoblue wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 9:32 am

Duff Paddy wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 9:21 am

irishrugbyua wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 8:58 am Owen Doyle: Peter O’Mahony’s act of thuggery deserves tough sanction: https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.4479181

Wow. We don’t usually get that from the Irish media. After the match it was all “ah he didn’t mean it”.

Care to post it?

Jotting down a few words on Saturday evening, I noted how enjoyable and exciting the rugby had been.

By 5pm on Sunday all had changed, utterly. Cardiff was ugly.

The day had started badly with the concerning news of Caelan Doris’s visit to a concussion specialist in Birmingham. He is only 24. It finished with Johnny Sexton sitting in the stand, having failed another Head Injury Assessment (HIA). Ten years older than Doris, he has taken a hell of a battering over a long career. Ireland may want him back as soon as possible, but it may be more prudent, wiser, not to ask him to put his body or head on the line anymore.


Owen Doyle is a former Test referee and former director of referees with the IRFU
‘Avoidable’ is a new word in the refereeing lexicon, and Wayne Barnes initially chose this – as in ‘unavoidable’ – when Peter O’Mahony kamikazeed into the breakdown. It was an incorrect interpretation; it was perfectly avoidable. It needed TMO Tom Foley to ensure that this was looked at properly, and the correct red card decision followed.

It was an act of thuggery, and if the judicial panel do not put this at the higher end of offences, then they are failing in their job. No chance, I suppose, that Ireland will impose their own suspension. Now, that would send a message.

While everyone is agreed on the sanction, the talk of O’Mahony’s arm being in the ‘chicken wing’ position seems to talk down the action. Let’s call it what it was – a very hard shoulder smashed to the head of Tomas Francis.

There will now be more talk of replacing red-carded players, or letting them come back after some time in the sin-bin, and be put on report. I have a lot sympathy when teams are down to 14, but such solutions will lead to the targeting of key players. So, you lose your outhalf and are forced to bring on an early replacement. The offenders replace the red-carded player – which is the most disadvantaged team?

Gerry Thornley: France may learn it’s a bad week to run into this Ireland team
O’Gara advises Burns to dust himself down and get ready to go again
Andy Farrell backs Ireland players to put things right against France
It was not an easy match for Ireland’s Andrew Brace but he will have left Twickenham somewhat happier than he did in December
As the game continued I lost count of the number of HIAs, concussions – who was going off, who was coming on, who was coming back. It was carnage, an awful advertisement for the game.

The penalty awarded by Barnes against Tadhg Beirne was a lot more than dubious. I cannot see why Beirne was not entitled to play it. The resulting three points put Wales two scores ahead. Poor call.

Every second year since 1983 hordes of kilted Scotsmen have descended on Twickenham in hope of victory, and every time they have returned home ‘tae think again’. That is until Saturday when, with no tartan in sight, their team turned over the old enemy. I’ll bet Scotland was awash with single malt moments after the final whistle.

And it was deserved by a country mile. It was also achieved despite what was a very mixed performance from Finn Russell. He might as well have pulled on an England shirt at times, particularly when sin-binned for a foot-trip on Ben Youngs. That is the sort of thing you risk at your peril when eagle-eyed Joy Neville is on TMO duty.

Referee Andrew Brace watches a replay before sending Scotland’s outhalf Finn Russell to the sin bin during the Six Nations match against England at Twickenham. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images
Referee Andrew Brace watches a replay before sending Scotland’s outhalf Finn Russell to the sin bin during the Six Nations match against England at Twickenham. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images
It was not an easy match for Ireland’s Andrew Brace but he will have left Twickenham somewhat happier than he did in December, following England v France. England made life very hard and tested him to the limit at the breakdown, where he needed to be firmer.

The match was barely four minutes old when Maro Itoje illegally slowed a Scottish drive under the English posts. It was the fourth penalty against England, and a yellow card here would have sent out a clear message. Contrary to received wisdom, a formal warning first is not necessary. A warning did come later, and then Billy Vunipola was binned.

France enjoyed a spring-like day at the Stadio Olimpico, waltzing in seven tries. But for some reason their pack looks a mite vulnerable
At that stage the penalty count was mounting, at one point it was 11-1. Indeed with a no-arms tackle being missed, and Johnny May ‘killing’ advantage by falling on the ball after he had knocked on, it could have been more. The referee’s approach continued into the second half, with England getting two more warnings but no more cards. Much too soft when strong decisions were needed.

For some reason, both sets of backs were allowed, encouraged even, to break the 10 metres at lineout mauls long before it’s permissible. That was at odds with expectations, and what we saw in Rome and Cardiff.

France enjoyed a spring-like day at the Stadio Olimpico, waltzing in seven tries. But for some reason their pack looks a mite vulnerable. Italy were awful, and we can only hope that the Championship is not decided by who beats them by the most.

Referee Matt Carley didn’t have too much on his plate and was overall pretty efficient. From texts received there are plenty who find his constant thanking of players grating.

TMO Karl Dixon decided to get involved with a forward pass decision which denied Italy a try. It was not clear and obvious; the camera angle, and the passer being stopped, were misleading.

World Rugby’s Joe Schmidt and Joel Jutge have been transparent and open in sharing their referee playlist with the media; it’s welcome, informative, educational.

In all three matches we heard less (which is a key WR diktat) from the referees, particularly at the breakdown, and this – together with ensuring players enter correctly – led to faster ball availability. Obviously not yet perfect, but Rome wasn’t built in a day and it’s a start of the dog wagging its own tail for a change. At last.

Mullet 2 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:19 am Its amusing how often we do it but only notice it when it's our own lads.

The Nordies want Stockdale back in when the time comes. The initial target was Keenan but he is playing like a boss so it shifts to Lowe.

We all do it.

DOB wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 9:44 am

jezzer wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 9:10 am

DOB wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:22 am

RWC2015 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 2:23 am

CM11 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:08 pm Lowe ran for the most metres over the weekend from all 3 matches.

Watched it again. Lowe was brilliant. Second try he could have done better.

That was Earls' worst performance in an Ireland shirt ever. Every single moment he had was a critical mistake.

First try, Lowe stayed out on his man. 2nd try, Lowe rushed in. Apparently both his fault, though.

? So the sign of a good defender is if he does the opposite thing the second time to what he did when he got burned the first time?

On the first one he held the outside because there was RZ (iirc) outside North, which was fair enough. But he turned his back on North who stepped inside and Lowe was then glacially slow to turn and face up to North again, by which time he was past Lowe without a finger being laid on him.

The second one Lowe and Ringer don't spot Wales have a man over. Then Lowe compounds it by angling in to take North when Ringrose already had him. Keenan is folding around to take the extra man but decides his only chance is to rush up and take man and ball, not realising North has skipped his man. Simple pass and score, Furlong almost saves us.

The try was a symptom of being a man down, but if Lowe doesn't angle in and Keenan arrives a step quicker, we maybe fill the gap.

The 2nd one was a bad read, he shouldn't have stepped in; Ringrose had it covered, and it left them shorthanded out wide. Wales had a penalty advantage under the posts, so even if the attack had been stopped at that phase, the most likely outcome was 3 points.

The first one, there wasn't much else he could do. Henderson, Stander and Beirne all got sucked in by Navidi's offload. If any one of them had stayed heads-upfield, they could have taken North. If Lowe had come in on North, he would have had to be very lucky to get in the way of any kind of offload to 1/2p.

Again, Wales had a penalty advantage under the posts anyway. The 2 tries made a 6-point difference to the scoreline.

Actually, the sign of a good defender would have been to realise that he did the right thing the first time. I'm sure there was an element of "I won't let him do that to me again" when he came in on North for the 2nd.

camroc1 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:47 am It was how cheaply we let them into our 22 for both tries that grated most. We started with the possession both times.

shabadoo wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:53 am Keenan should make the Lions.

feckwanker wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 11:42 am

shabadoo wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:53 am Keenan should make the Lions.

Ah here. Bit early on in his career to be getting carried away.

Mr. Very Popular wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 11:53 am Conan called into the squad.

Jumper wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:03 pm

Mr. Very Popular wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 11:53 am Conan called into the squad.

And Coombes dropped.

Mullet 2 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:19 am Its amusing how often we do it but only notice it when it's our own lads.

The Nordies want Stockdale back in when the time comes. The initial target was Keenan but he is playing like a boss so it shifts to Lowe.

We all do it.

camroc1 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:47 am

DOB wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 9:44 am

jezzer wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 9:10 am

DOB wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:22 am

RWC2015 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 2:23 am

Watched it again. Lowe was brilliant. Second try he could have done better.

That was Earls' worst performance in an Ireland shirt ever. Every single moment he had was a critical mistake.

First try, Lowe stayed out on his man. 2nd try, Lowe rushed in. Apparently both his fault, though.

? So the sign of a good defender is if he does the opposite thing the second time to what he did when he got burned the first time?

On the first one he held the outside because there was RZ (iirc) outside North, which was fair enough. But he turned his back on North who stepped inside and Lowe was then glacially slow to turn and face up to North again, by which time he was past Lowe without a finger being laid on him.

The second one Lowe and Ringer don't spot Wales have a man over. Then Lowe compounds it by angling in to take North when Ringrose already had him. Keenan is folding around to take the extra man but decides his only chance is to rush up and take man and ball, not realising North has skipped his man. Simple pass and score, Furlong almost saves us.

The try was a symptom of being a man down, but if Lowe doesn't angle in and Keenan arrives a step quicker, we maybe fill the gap.

The 2nd one was a bad read, he shouldn't have stepped in; Ringrose had it covered, and it left them shorthanded out wide. Wales had a penalty advantage under the posts, so even if the attack had been stopped at that phase, the most likely outcome was 3 points.

The first one, there wasn't much else he could do. Henderson, Stander and Beirne all got sucked in by Navidi's offload. If any one of them had stayed heads-upfield, they could have taken North. If Lowe had come in on North, he would have had to be very lucky to get in the way of any kind of offload to 1/2p.

Again, Wales had a penalty advantage under the posts anyway. The 2 tries made a 6-point difference to the scoreline.

Actually, the sign of a good defender would have been to realise that he did the right thing the first time. I'm sure there was an element of "I won't let him do that to me again" when he came in on North for the 2nd.

We were a man down.


Everytime they got the ball into our 22, if they went through a few phases, they were always going to have a 2 on 1 out wide. It was how cheaply we let them into our 22 for both tries that grated most. We started with the possession both times.

earl the beaver wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:43 pm Ed Byrne still there too somehow.