Italy Vs Ireland Match thread 27-02-2021

[eirebilly]

Line Ups

Italy:

15-Jacopo Trulla, 14- Luca Sperandio, 13-Ignacio Brex, 12-Carlo Canna, 11-Montanna Ioane, 10-Paolo Garbisi, 9-Stephen Varney; 1-Andrea Lovotti, 2-Luca Bigi (capt), 3-Marco Riccioni, 4-Marco Lazzaroni, 5- David Sisi, 6-Sebastian Negri, 7-Johan Meyer, 8-Michele Lamaro

Replacements:

16-Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17-Cherif Traore, 18-Giosue Zilocchi, 19-Niccolo Cannone, 20- Maxime Mbanda, 21-Callum Bradley, 22-Federico Mori, 23-Mattia Bellini

Ireland:

15-Hugo Keenan, 14-Jordan Larmour, 13-Garry Ringrose, 12-Robbie Henshaw, 11-James Lowe, 10-Jonathan Sexton (capt), 9-Jamison Gibson-Park; 1-Dave Kilcoyne, 2-Ronan Kelleher, 3-Tadhg Furlong, 4-Iain Henderson, 5-James Ryan, 6-Tadhg Beirne, 7-Will Connors, 8-CJ Stander

Replacements:

16-Rob Herring, 17-Cian Healy, 18-Andrew Porter, 19-Ryan Baird, 20-Jack Conan, 21-Craig Casey, 22-Billy Burns, 23-Keith Earls

[eirebilly]

As i said on another thread, i actually think this will be a lot closer than many may think.

[profitius]

All the focus has been on the attack lately. That has to improve in the coming weeks.

[RiscaGame]

I like the Ireland warm up top. Don’t know how I haven’t seen that yet.

[eirebilly]

BOD sums up Ireland's negativity perfectly. Sexton playing at 80 to 85 percent is still the best option... No, if he is not fit and in form another 10 should be used. Let alone the fact that he will be too old to play at the next RWC...

[eirebilly]

Poor discipline from Ireland already...

[eirebilly]

TMO said Hendo lost control of the ball? Not sure what he was looking at...

[Heaf]

TMO asleep on the job by the sounds of it  ...

[eirebilly]

Try now at least

[Collapse2005]

TMO said Hendo lost control of the ball? Not sure what he was looking at...

Only thing I cant think of was it was short when grounded, otherwise a mad decision.

[No 7&1/2]

Good job it's only against italy. How on earth wasnt he in control?

[Collapse2005]

Like watching Kilcoyne play, always brings a lit of energy

[eirebilly]

The Italian line out is the best I have seen from them... well... ever.

[Collapse2005]

Unforgivable at the maul

[eirebilly]

That was a nice try and excellent offload from Ringrose

[eirebilly]

This is much better from Ireland, very good attacking lines.

[westisbest]

Good try from Connors. He’s having a good game. Great stuff from Ireland.

[eirebilly]

That was actually a decent try from Italy

[bsando]

Garbisi is a classy player.

[eirebilly]

I really enjoyed that first half of rugby. Ireland showing some intent and good attacking rugby whilst Italy have been very decent as well, especially in the line out and scrums.

[westisbest]

He looks a good prospect

[bsando]

Best I've seen Ireland attack for a while. Connors seems to be the in form seven for Ireland at the moment, he is having a great match. Should be an easy win for Ireland if they reduce the penalties a bit and keep Italy honest up front.

[eirebilly]

As much as I love POM and Murray, I am struggling to see if they should be picked again. Plenty of cover there.

[bsando]

Such a cheap way to give Ireland the initiative, Coaching team have got that exit strategy all wrong and ref is punishing Italy for it.

[RiscaGame]

Raynal is so bad and he is not being helped out by Poite.

[Collapse2005]

Garbisi is a classy player.

Yeah quality

[asoreleftshoulder]

Really enjoying Kellehers footwork, hard carries but making it a bit easier for himself with little sidesteps.

[whatahitson]

This game is really dragging. The lack of fans isn't helping but these are the two worst teams to watch in the six nations by some margin.

Italy play some nice rugby and then go and ruin it because they lack the skills to put together their coached moves or know what to do when they make a break. Ireland can cut through Italy like a hot knife through butter when they want to but seem determined to play a slow game of drudgery the rest of the time.

Not a good game for the neutrals.

[whatahitson]

TMO said Hendo lost control of the ball? Not sure what he was looking at...

The officiating has been atrocious.

[Collapse2005]

Baird and Casey, tasty subs.

[eirebilly]

Italy have completely lost all discipline now.

[eirebilly]

Connors again, what a game he is having.

[westisbest]

Good try again from Connors.

[RiscaGame]

Well at least Raynal is being helped now.

[Pete330v2]

1 clear score missed and 2 disallowed, this is just like watching Ulster last night but with less skill

[westisbest]

Good win. Like the look of Casey.
Connors had a good game.
Shame Larmour didn’t make it out for the second half.
Keenan reminds me a bit of Dempsey.
Cut out some silly mistakes, could have been around 60-10.

Good win again. I thought it would have been closer.

[eirebilly]

Well I am happily surprised. I was expecting this game to be much closer but a very good game for Ireland, that would have blown a few cobwebs away.

Connors was a star today, what a player he is

[doctor_grey]

Just got back in - was called in to work for a bit. How did Ireland look? Any real highlights? Saw the comments Sexton might still be only 80-85%? I think youse guys need some younger blood at 10. Is JJ still in the mix? Paddy Jackson at London Irish still beyond the pale?

[asoreleftshoulder]

Unfortunately Sexton showed he is still far and away the best 10 available. We need to hope Carbery can rehabilitate fully and rack up some solid game time now that he's back.

PJ is just not going to happen.

[westisbest]

Just got back in - was called in to work for a bit.  How did Ireland look?  Any real highlights?  Saw the comments Sexton might still be only 80-85%?  I think youse guys need some younger blood at 10.  Is JJ still in the mix?  Paddy Jackson at London Irish still beyond the pale?  

Paddy Jackson has been playing well at London Irish, but won’t get called up.
Carbery was back last night.
Harry Byrne.

[doctor_grey]

So Carberry then?
Harry Byrne is just a kid. I think I have seen him play for Leinster. Is he getting a lot of game time?

[Maine man]

Harry Byrne needs more game time but he looks the part. Carberry just needs to stay fit and he'll be in with a shout next year.

[asoreleftshoulder]

Yeah long term HB will be very good but I think it'll be after the next WC before he'll be ready.

[majesticimperialman]

I did expect Ireland to win today. but the style of their play was some thing i was not expecting. What now for Italy? they cannot go on shipping 40 odd points like this.

[LeinsterFan4life]

I did expect Ireland to win today. but the style of their play was some thing i was not expecting. What now for Italy? they cannot go on shipping 40 odd points like this.

Of course they can they've been doing it for 21 years now.

[profitius]

Just got back in - was called in to work for a bit.  How did Ireland look?  Any real highlights?  Saw the comments Sexton might still be only 80-85%?  I think youse guys need some younger blood at 10.  Is JJ still in the mix?  Paddy Jackson at London Irish still beyond the pale?  

We've been jinxed with our 10s.

Paddy Jackson was banished because some groups put pressure on the irfu sponsors who then threatened to pull out.
Carbery has been crocked since the World Cup warmup.
AJ McGinty slipped through the net and got capped by the USA.
Johnny Holland burst onto the scene with munster and looked to have it all but got an injury that first season and had to retire.
Ian McKinlay was very highly rated until he was blinded in one eye. I don't know how he managed a career at 10 with only one eye.

Harry Byrne was supposed to start against Northampton but hurt his back and missed a few crucial weeks.

Long term its probably between Harry Byrne and Jack Crowley in munster but there are others knocking about.

[eirebilly]

I was very impressed with Ireland's approach to the game yesterday. Henshaw and Ringrose were sublime and nailed on Lions for me.

Still not convinced by Lowe's defense but my god, he is a powerful ball carrier.

As i said earlier, i am struggling to see if POM or Murray can come back into the Irish squad. Very good and younger options are available for Ireland so for me, their time is up.

[asoreleftshoulder]

Both will definitely be in the squad, Murray will still be first choice for a while yet.
PoM might not be first choice anymore but backrow is such a tough position that even 3rd choice players can rack up a lot of caps.

[eirebilly]

I cant see why Murray would be first choice myself. He is not as good as he once was and Ireland are definitely doing far better with the quicker service they receive from the 9. Making Murray first choice going forward is a backwards step for me.

As for POM, as great a player as he is/has been, he is surplus to requirements now for me. If he were made Captain (which i believe he should have been) after Best retired then it would be a different story. As it is, there are more and more young players pushing him out which is sad for him but good for Ireland rugby.

[geoff999rugby]

Harry Bryne will not get a look in till he is playing regularly; same for a number of others.
Carty and Ross Bryne aren't good enough.


Its Sexton backed up by Burns and if fit Carbery - Farrell will not look beyond that

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