Ireland vs Italy match thread

[WillyGilly]

First topic message reminder :

Ireland:
15 - Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
10 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
9 - Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 - Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 - Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:

16 - Sean Cronin (Leinster)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
19 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
22 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)

Italy:
15 Andrea Masi
14 Tommaso Benvenuti
13 Gonzalo Canale
12 Gonzalo Garcia
11 Mirco Bergamasco
10 Luciano Orquera
9 Fabio Semenzato
8 Sergio Parisse (captain)
7 Mauro Bergamasco
6 Alessandro Zanni
5 Cornelius van Zyl
4 Quintin Geldenhuys
3 Martin Castrogiovanni
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini
1 Salvatore Perugini.

Replacements:
16 Fabio Ongaro
17 Andrea Lo Cicero
18 Marco Bortolami
19 Paul Derbyshire
20 Edoardo Gori
21 Riccardo Bocchino
22 Luke McLean.

Fresh thread. Morning!

Forget what we did to the Aussies (well don't forget it, it was awesome just put it to one side). Still work required. Wales looking good against Fiji so let's hope we're up by halftime so we can start resting the more breakable players. Say a prayer for young Jonny as well should we need his kicking boots.

3 2 1...

Go...

[D24tress]

The three backrows of the apocalypse are an unstoppable juggernaut at this stage

[Thomond]

Can't wait to see Priestland meet the Tullow sidestep.

[rodders]

OK hands up who thinks we need to start with Sexton at 10 to combat North and Roberts bashing down the 10-12 channel?

I think Murray should start at 9 though. He had a cracking game and is the player Mike Phillips dreams he is .

[DRAGONONPARADE]

The three backrows of the apocalypse are an unstoppable juggernaut at this stage
They may well get a puncture against Lydiate Warbs and Toby

[Artful_Dodger]

Our front row has to right up there as well at this stage, beat the Italians in the scrum and destroyed the Aussies in it as well. Healy, Best and Ross is now a brilliant unit.

[Shifty]

I think Murray should start at 9 though. He had a cracking game and is the player Mike Phillips dreams he is .

Ooooo you little Wummer you....

Our front row has to right up there as well and this staged, beat the Italians in the scrum and destroyed the Aussies in it as well. Healy, Best and Ross is now a brilliant unit.

Great now do it to Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones

[rodders]

Ha ha ITV! England to reach the final That will keep the sponsors happy!

[rodders]

I think Murray should start at 9 though. He had a cracking game and is the player Mike Phillips dreams he is .

Ooooo you little Wummer you....

Ha ha you ain't seen nothing yet Alyn!

[Standulstermen]

My take

1. Healy- Excellent again. Turning into a world class prop. Unluckily pinged once when perugini lost his bind. 8/10
2. Best- part of a dominant front row effort and imperious at lineout. Hope to God he is ok. 8/10
3. Ross- Absolutely vital. Dealt with Perugini handily and then beasted LoCicero. 8/10
4. DOC- Another great effort. A couple of penalties conceeded but they came later. 7/10
5. POC- Epic once again. Up there with Ferris for me. 9/10
6. Ferris- Unsurprisingly my MOTM. A beast in contact mincing Casto first up. Lovely hand in Earls 1st. 9/10
7. SOB- awesome yet again. If he gets the better of Warburton next week then I may build a shrine. 8/10
8. Heaslip- More like his old self today. Showed up really well. 7/10
9. Murray- Got scragged a couple of times in the first half but looks to my mind like a cross between TOL/Reddan without the glaring mistakes. 7/10
10. ROG- Kicked the points and should retain his place. Good display. 7/10
11. Earls- I thought he was slightly peripheral in the first half but came into his own in the 2nd. the arch finisher did his job in the 2nd and did everything well. 8/10
12. D'arcy- Again i thought peripheral in the 1st half but what a 2nd half. Welcome back Gordon, you can stay. 8/10
13. BOD- Very good performance. Great try and we looked more threatening this week at least. 8/10
14. Bowe- Our most dangerous attacking weapon. Didnt get the try he deserved but looking threatening again. 8/10
15. Kearney- Solid and is threatening to be spectacular. Looks like he is coming into his 2009 form. 7/10

Ryan did excellently i though
Reddan did grand
Sexton was good to see him kicking the penalties
Leamy was grand again
Court was fortunate to maybe not get pinged at the scrum but it got a good shove in the next
Cronin was very solid and hopefully that is the start of better things from him
Trimble- the unluckiest man in NZ . Great break for Earls try. Shouldnt come into the team but may well be key later

[rodders]

10/10 for O'Brien Stand

[MMC]

Word is that Rory Best went straight to hospital. Devastating if that's his World Cup over.

[nathan]

think i'll avoid these forums next week for the Wales vs Ireland game! lol

[Guest]

ah no that'll be horrible for him MMC, he's such a key player for you. Fingers crossed it's just precautionary.

[ME-109]

Good analysis stand. Hard to chose between sob and 1f.

Murray will start against wales. Once phillips is negated he becomes peripheral. As for rog v sexton. Based on this morning it should be rog.

[Shifty]

Word is that Rory Best went straight to hospital. Devastating if that's his World Cup over.

Yes but reserve came on and casually lobs the ball perfectly into the middle of your lineout... you haven't got a spare hooker in Ireland with a Welsh granny have you?

[Guest]

sorry guys i missed most of the game..what happened with rory best?

[Standulstermen]

DOD

I wont say there isnt anything unwittingly provincial in the SOB/Ferris thing. I love them both

Murray has to start. Rodders makes an interesting point about Roberts running at ROG but for me the team should remain unchanged (obviously hoping on Best)

ITV reported a collarbone injury to Best. I should add that Wales are the side i would least like to face in this half of the draw. Im backing the winner of this QF to make the final

[Shifty]

sorry guys i missed most of the game..what happened with rory best?

He strained his beer drinking arm

[Thomond]

I think Murray should start at 9 though. He had a cracking game and is the player Mike Phillips dreams he is .

Ooooo you little Wummer you....

Our front row has to right up there as well and this staged, beat the Italians in the scrum and destroyed the Aussies in it as well. Healy, Best and Ross is now a brilliant unit.

:

It's not wumming if it's true

[D24tress]

Healys smug smile after he won a penalty in a scrum was my highlight of today, my god we have a scrum. Feek for Prez. We have a super pack at the moment strong in all places.

[mrsuperclear]

Rory Best has been playing the best stuff of his life recently. He'd be a major loss, I hope it's not serious. Cronin may have been solid when he came on, but we all know that solidity isn't a regular feature of his game. As for Varley, dear jebus....Best will be fine though lads, the stars have aligned and we're going all the way dammit. Nothing can stop us now, nothing I tells ya!!!

[Shifty]

Nothing can stop us now, nothing I tells ya!!!

I bet you Wayne Barnes or Kaplan will be the referee
did we tell you the Welsh ball boy is on his way to New Zealand as we speak and also we've given another back hander to that Scottish linesman... how do you think a Scottish team won at the Cardiff Blues last night... it's all give and take!

[Thomond]

Kaplan has it in for us though. Gave the Welsh a try the last day and denied us one today.

[Shifty]

Kaplan has it in for us though. Gave the Welsh a try the last day and denied us one today.

Good I'm glad we agree then, Kaplan to ref, we'll have Barnes on one side of the line and that Scottish guy on the other, with that Welsh ball boy bringing the ball into play. We just need to squeeze another 5 points from somewhere now and Wales are in the semis!

Ahhh I know lets noble the Irish food like South Africa did!

[mrsuperclear]

Nothing can stop us now, nothing I tells ya!!!

I bet you Wayne Barnes or Kaplan will be the referee
did we tell you the Welsh ball boy is on his way to New Zealand as we speak and also we've given another back hander to that Scottish linesman... how do you think a Scottish team won at the Cardiff Blues last night... it's all give and take!

ha I have my hitman on stand by outside the Scottish linesmans house just in case he gets a call up, so no worries on that front! Can't be killing ball boys though, might just break his legs ! Whichever ref gets it let's just hope there's no drama though. May the best team ( ) win!!

[WillyGilly]

Technically Wales owe us 7 points. A more honourable team would let us start with them. Not that we'll need them like.

[Thomond]

We don't need a hitman. We have Sean O'Brien.





We must also steal the keys to Andy's golf cart.

[Shifty]

May the best team ( ) win!!

Yes, or to put it in clearer terms, whatever happens between Wales and Ireland they both have to promise that they wont lose to England in the Semis...

[Cymroglan]

Two sides that are involved in the Pro12 so the ref will probably be Irish

[Guest]

ireland look to be hitting some form at the right time to be honest.

[mrsuperclear]

May the best team ( ) win!!

Yes, or to put it in clearer terms, whatever happens between Wales and Ireland they both have to promise that they wont lose to England in the Semis...

We'll be playing France in the semi's though sure...

[Knowsit17]

I'll put it down in maths for you men and weemen from the valleys. In today's games:

North: 1 try
Earls: 2 tries

Accordingly Wales would need 2 Norths to make 1 Earls. Get the cloning technology sorted out pronto!

Simples

I take it you're also familiar with this then:

Wales - 9 tries
Ireland - 3 tries

The most basic of formulas would bring you to the conclusion that Ireland x 3 = Wales, a conclusion indeed scientifically proven just this very year

[Thomond]

Big difference between Fiji and Italy though. I'm enjoying the banter.

[Shifty]

Big difference between Fiji and Italy though. I'm enjoying the banter.

I agree, at least Fiji kept going for 80 minutes and can pass it along the back line!

[ME-109]

In fairness wales have beaten two teams from the sh in samoa and fiji, we have only beaten one

[Thomond]

They have beaten three SH teams. They beat Namibia too.

[WillyGilly]

We only played one!

[Knowsit17]

And Samoa are a class above the Aussies too

[ME-109]

Well done to them.

[The Great Aukster]

Didn't look good for Rory, happened in the buildup to the first Earls try. It was a fair tackle by Parisse and he just landed heavily (although I'd expect Parisse to get cited for his knee to the ribs of Cronin not long after).

Best will be a massive loss as he's been the standout hooker at the RWC. I'd be tempted to bring Sherry out as his replacement as he has been looking better than Varley for some time.

[Irish Curry]

[quote="DOD"]In fairness wales have beaten two teams from the sh in samoa and fiji, we have only beaten one[/quote]

Wales did not play fiji they played... well I don't know but fiji tackled like fig rolls thats how bad they were.

[ME-109]

That's a serious accusation to make about figrolls.

Anyone think Parisse was trying to do some damage to anyone in a green jersey. Which was disappointing to see

[Irish Curry]

haha Yes I suppose thats offensive to figrolls

I think the way some Italian players behaved was an absolute disgrace by all accounts. Parisse wasn't the worst to be fair but he ain't no saint.

[Standulstermen]

Ghiraldini can at best be described to have made 'unintentional' contact with the eye are. minimum 12 weeks

[Cari]

I've contacted the WRU and have said that I'm more than happy to do my bit for my country and wear out Tommy Bowe before next weekend. That'll stop those pesky paddies!

[Standulstermen]

Taking one for the team Cari!

[hogie]

I've contacted the WRU and have said that I'm more than happy to do my bit for my country and wear out Tommy Bowe before next weekend. That'll stop those pesky paddies!

Cari didn't you know the Irish are all choir boys and wouldn't get involved in that nonsense! But I'm sure the entire English pack would take you on

[Golden]

Good performance. Scrum was on top line out was solid, backrow were immense. Murray and rog went well, darcy had his best game for Ireland since the grand-slam. Kearney was good but still runs straight into contact when he counters.

Great to see sexton getting his kicks. Anyone else notice he has gone back to his old kicking technique dunno why it took so long tbh.

All in all I think the same team will play wales hopefully best is fit for it think he has had his best season. He seems much improved in the loose and his line outs have been very good.

[Shifty]

I've contacted the WRU and have said that I'm more than happy to do my bit for my country and wear out Tommy Bowe before next weekend. That'll stop those pesky paddies!

No children please, we don;t want them nicking anymore Welsh born players!

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