De Grand Finale match - begorrah! England v Ireland 17 March - Hic!

First topic message reminder :

The stage is set for a humdinger of a match next week today with the final match of the Championship hosting a revitalised England fresh from victory in France against their bogey team, Ireland.



Despite a recent run of victories - home and away - against England, Ireland never seem to have a problem in getting up for this match. The fact that it's in Twickenham on St Patrick's Day will give it that little extra edge.

Lancaster and his troops will want to sign off their first season in charge with a flourish. Kidney's Ireland, having been unlucky in the Welsh match, and kicking themselves after their draw in Paris, will want to put another good score and victory on the board.



Ireland will be without O'Connell again who did a lot of the pre-match talking in the build-up to last year's victory for the men in green. England seem full of confidence and it looks like Lancaster has found the right mix and belief that's going to make this grand finale a belter.

Are English fans feeling confident? Irish ones a bit more doubtful of continuing their English streak?


England: 15 Ben Foden, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Manusamoa Tuilagi, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 David Strettle, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Lee Dickson, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Chris Robshaw (capt), 6 Tom Croft, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Mouritz Botha, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Alex Corbisiero.
Replacements: 16 Rob Webber, 17 Matt Stevens, 18 Tom Palmer, 19 Phil Dowson, 20 Ben Youngs, 21 Charlie Hodgson, 22 Mike Brown.

Ireland: 15 R Kearney (Leinster), 14 T Bowe (Ospreys), 13 K Earls (Munster), 12 G D'Arcy (Leinster), 11 A Trimble (Ulster), 10 J Sexton (Leinster), 9 E Reddan (Leinster); 1 C Healy (Leinster), 2 R Best (Ulster, capt), 3 M Ross (Leinster), 4 D O'Callaghan (Munster), 5 D Ryan (Munster), 6 S Ferris (Ulster), 7 S O'Brien (Leinster), 8 J Heaslip (Leinster)
Replacements: 16 S Cronin (Leinster), 17 T Court (Ulster), 18 M McCarthy (Connacht), 19 P O'Mahony (Munster), 20 T O'Leary (Munster), 21 R O'Gara (Munster), 22 F McFadden (Leinster)


[strike]

Thomond wrote:

roddersm wrote:.... what if I was to say....England are bad loooooserrs and we have a better team???? eh???? ..... .....

You would be stating the truth

You are an Irish back rower and I claim my ten pounds.

And yes ireland by 378. England to explode.

RubyGuby wrote:I'm on fire again Billy, glad you could come on board - have about 20 minutes left beore I head back to Truro - Have to get my 5 year old a fecking toy gun on the way home - Hows you, I'm geting a little manic, just glad its not showing in my posts

Truro, a fine city, produced some lovely people, and me.

Ahaaaa! That's why you diss English hopes and ambitions with gay abandon Trebbs. You're Cornish. Thought so.

Its another Ancient Celtic province. The thlot pickens.

Buggrit, rumbled.

My Cornish compatriot already revealed our welsh leanings down here, can't hide it now.

Grad slam tomorrow will certainly make many of my friends here very happy and I shall smile a bit to be sure.

although a nice place how is truro a city????

It's got a Cathedral...

...it has 3 spires too, one of only 3 such cathedrals in Britain, one of the other 2 is Lichfield in Staffordshire, but I'm not sure where the third is.

Thirsk rings a bell, but I don't think that's right - it's up north somewhere though, I'm fairly certain of that bit.



Don't mention it.

Embra - that's the other one!

Where did I get Thirsk from?

Terwat.

Morning all. So this is it, crunch day of the 6N.

Really hoping for a Scotland win over the Italy

I just want Wales to win for themselves but also for Mervyn.

Ireland to beat England by 11, i hope

by 11!!

in your dreams billy.

cant wait for the game, will france blow this tourny up and allow another team in with a shot! i doubt it , but anythings possible

Top o' de mornin' to yis all!

Ireland by 59! Hic!

Morning. mates. Drinkin early mate?

doctor_grey wrote:Morning. mates. Drinkin early mate?

I think drinking late might be more accurish.

Winners today

Scotland

France

England

And of course England to win the tournament.

Pot Hale wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Morning. mates. Drinkin early mate?

I think drinking late might be more accurish.

Good man! Enjoy the day.

Morning all. Tis the day.

I felt the earth rumbling today. The giant that is Sexton must be stirring.

Fairwell young English players, it was good to watch you this year.

I felt the earth rumbling today.

Could be flatulence. Have you checked satellite coverage of the Irish Sea?

ha. No, must admit it didn't occur to me. It seemed louder facing East, toward the area that the Kraken is currently devouring.

OMG Sexton's eating Brown Willy????

Genuine lol

Crikey, I overdid it last night in Chelters for the Gold Cup finale. I've had my share of Irish fun for one year. Will be watching today from home I think...

Nah - head to the pub. You'll be fine by 5pm

Well Triangle me old mucker, I don't think Mystic Meg has anything to fear from you or me.

and as for Sexton.. i think he must have gotten indigestion dining out on Brown Willy this morning

majesticimperialman wrote:Winners today

Scotland

France

England

And of course England to win the tournament.

Oh dear Madge your predictions are on par with your knowledge of the game

Watched the game in Oneils.
Slight sense of smug satisfaction after standing through a room full of "irishfolk for a day" booing the national anthem.

Still slightly in shock from it. Dont think anyone really expected that to happen.

SeaB, wish I had been in an Irish bar, but they are good folks. Yes. better than my expectations today.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Watched the game in Oneils.
Slight sense of smug satisfaction after standing through a room full of "irishfolk for a day" booing the national anthem.

Still slightly in shock from it. Dont think anyone really expected that to happen.

That is quite shocking - booing a national anthem is the preserve of the ignorant.

booing a national anthem in o neills. haha what else do you expect in an oneills. few irish peed getting mouthy on paddy day.

dont take it personally mate just choose a better place to watch game i reckon.

Dublin not many places bar oneils show the ruggers down south- and they would be the best place's to watch the game- esp on paddys day!

them guys were obviously just divs- Knowing they can get away with murder down south because they out number english rugby viewers.

and as for Sexton.. i think he must have gotten indigestion dining out on Brown Willy this morning

...giggle...

dublin_dave wrote:booing a national anthem in o neills. haha what else do you expect in an oneills. few irish peed getting mouthy on paddy day.

dont take it personally mate just choose a better place to watch game i reckon.

Err, and if the English had booed either of Ireland's anthems we would be called 'arrogant'.

Can't win, can we.

Hound_of_Harrow wrote:

dublin_dave wrote:booing a national anthem in o neills. haha what else do you expect in an oneills. few irish peed getting mouthy on paddy day.

dont take it personally mate just choose a better place to watch game i reckon.

Err, and if the English had booed either of Ireland's anthems we would be called 'arrogant'.

Can't win, can we.

No, the people who who would have done would equally be in the minority and ignored for their ignorance. Never let the actions of a ignorant few determine the standing of the majority. There was respect from both sets of fans and players today. Let that be the abiding memory as opposed to focusing on a very small number of drunken idiots.

Ireland......... our own worst enemy.

Lads i wasnt massively offended by it, just mildly amused. It was largely done in a panto style. And as I said the majority of the crowd was made up of " I once went to Dublin" types rather than anyone actually irish, which is why it was funny.
I dont think that many English people take our own national anthem that seriously anyway. Its not like theyd made thew Prime Minister walk on the grass or something heinous like that

...in his heels as well.

imagine the reaction if you had ripped theres up!

Tell you what, that lays the ghost of 2007 and every defeat since. Hoodoo over.

PJHolybloke wrote:...in his heels as well.

I bet he has a pair (of heels that is).
Or maybe those silly bicycle shorts........

Yeah Doc. I reckon he's got a pair of killer sling-backs with kitten heels for when he's kicking-back from acts of state-sponsored terrorism.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Watched the game in Oneils.
Slight sense of smug satisfaction after standing through a room full of "irishfolk for a day" booing the national anthem.

Still slightly in shock from it. Dont think anyone really expected that to happen.

Irish people always boo the English anthem. Not very nice I'll agree but personally I wouldn't except that it is a particularly annoying anthem and bad song.

I was in Oneills too.

They muted the last part of GSTQ in the pub where I was. Doesn't bother me tbh. The look on a group of oldies decked out in red when I sang 'god save YOUR queen' at the end was a laugh tho...

Breadvan what you on about? they don't let 12 year old's in to a bar.

Place was full of kids yesterday view.