Ireland vs Wales, 8th February 2014

First topic message reminder :

IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster), Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster); Jonathan Sexton (Racing Metro 92), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster) (capt), Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster).

Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster), Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster), Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster), Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster), Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster), Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster), Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster).

WALES: Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues); Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro 92), George North (Northampton Saints); Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Mike Phillips (Racing Metro 92); Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Richard Hibbard (Ospreys), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Andrew Coombs (Newport Gwent Dragons), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Racing Metro 92), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues) (capt), Toby Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).

Replacements: Ken Owens (Scarlets), Paul James (Bath), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), James Hook (Perpignan), Liam Williams (Scarlets).

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referees: Glen Jackson (New Zealand), JP Doyle (England)
Television Match Official: Graham Hughes (England)

   

He shouldn't have missed that...

Poor gats though ...

Awww

Well happy with that but Wales can easily score 2 tries and will be right back in it. Next score is really important, this one is a long way from over.

Gatland needs to give the players a rollicking at half time. Wales a schoolboys, nothing acceptable in this performance.

glamorganalun wrote:Liam Williams looks lost  like Preistland, must start winning set piece ball.

What!

RP is he only Welsh player who applied pressure on the Irish with some great kicks, and the only one who has covered the defence.

Ireland has the right tactic here, it may not be spectacular but it is effective.

Wales is struggling in the line outs and Sexton keeps pushing them back. So Wales can't kick for goal when they get penalties.

Hopefully they can continue the territorial dominance in the second half.

Priestalnd again not impressing, granted he has less ball to work with, but he isn't controlling the little he is getting.

Liam Williams seems to be struggling a bit and Cuthbert and North aren't getting into the game at all.

irish tactics are very effective: whatever we do don't give it to the centers

Wood is an idiot sure anyone who knows Schmidt and how Ireland have been playing could have predicted these tactics.

I think Boss will come on though and we'll attack more like we did last week against Scotland in the second half.

Awful from Wales. Lydiate having a stinker - 3 or 4 penalties, penalty against for running behind his own man, etc.

Just horrible to watch.

Ireland kicking an awful lot but it's nice to see them kicking with a purpose,the execution hasn't alwasy been perfect but we're kicking for a reason.If Wales start to cover the kicks more I'd say we'll keep it in hand more and try to use the space that leaves.

Oh how refreshing to see an Irish team playing to an intelligent gameplan.

Ireland win the first half quite easyly. But Wales do have an habbit of coming back in the second half. can Wales come back in the second half today?

Will Gethin Jenkins last the full eighty minutes? He took a knock in the first few minutes in the game. He seems all right at the moment. I guess we will see.

O'Connell has really dominated Alun Wyn Jones, would that be fair to say?

Wales' succes rate when they are behind is about 15%, I did the stats the other day, can't remember the exact number.

Ireland will have to stuff up badly to lose this one.

Pretty disappointing game. Fine if you're an Irish fan with Sexton, Trimble and the pack playing well. Pretty awful from Wales. They just can't get continuity from their errors. The Irish fans will want much the same but selfishly this game needs Wales to get back into the game to make it interesting.

Biltong wrote:
Ireland will have to stuff up badly to lose this one.

That's what I thought at half time against the ABs too ....   

Biltong wrote:Wales' succes rate when they are behind is about 15%, I did the stats the other day, can't remember the exact number.

Ireland will have to stuff up badly to lose this one.

Aah but no team stuff's up better than Ireland

What's all this taulupe instead of Toby stuff on the beeb?


It's a bit one sided isn't it!

This is Wales of old.

No desire, ill discipline and brainless….why arm wrestle up front when we have power in the backs.

Just not a Champions display

Well I enjoyed the first half.  The scoreline is a bit of a surprise but Wales are by no means out of it.  They will need to score first tho.

Ireland playing great tactics and execution.  they really do look like a team who know they can beat anyone.  Breakdown work is great.  A few turnovers already.  Sextn playing well with a couple of lovely kicks.  Wales have hardly had any ball.

Will Gatland tell his back three to counter?  

I expect to see Wales do a bit more in the secondhalf - but will it be enough?

Oh = and from this neutral its not Wales loosing - they are not playing badly but Ireland winning with a very good display all round

Shush, Biltong! Ireland have been stuffing up badly in international rugby union since before any of us were born!

I think Liam Williams is carrying an injury he took a bang as soon as he came on.

The welsh forwards in the main have been anonymous in the main, Lydiate apart from giving away so many pens is looks sluggish and blowing, AWJ well is he on?, Coombes has looked good on the deck and in the linout, Faletau whilst making the breaks has had two occasions to make the final pass but has held onto the ball

why play gatball when your forwards keep giving away the ball?

better to try spinning it wide quicker and use the awesome welsh 12-14.

MP off and Wales have a small chance in the second half. If he stays on its hard to see Wales scoring tries

Wales will come back, you can bet your house on that. They have that amazing ability to score tries very quickly. If they score first then I think they will win.

Scrumpy wrote:What's all this taulupe instead of Toby stuff on the beeb?

Well his name is actually Taulupe... Toby is sort of a nickname/abbreviation. I guess its like being called Andy and deciding you want to be known as Andrew. It's hard when everyone knows you as the abbreviated form.

Wales have been behind at halftime by 13 or more points 3 times against Ireland.

In 2002 3-24
In 2004 3-24
In 2013 3-23

Their best effort was last year when they eventually lost by 8.

Great kick POM

Excellent hit by Best. He'll have enjoyed that!

Bestie really dominating Hibbard too. Most of the big match ups are going Irelands way right now.

Perfect.

When are the refs going to start noticing that hibbard isn't throwing in straight at the lineout?

Maul time again

Biltong wrote:

Notch wrote:Shush, Biltong! Ireland have been stuffing up badly in international rugby union since before any of us were born!

Believe!

Aye aye Cap'n!

O'Connell having a massive game again.

That's too much advantage! Ireland got over the gain line 3 times and the ref still brings it back?!

flyhalffactory wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:Liam Williams looks lost  like Preistland, must start winning set piece ball.

What!

RP is he only Welsh player who applied pressure on the Irish with some great kicks, and the only one who has covered the defence.

Just like the charge down.

Erm . France looking likely for the gs by the looks of this game..

The BOD of old would have tackled Roberts there.

Close now for Wales.

POM You legend

Well played lads, great stuff by O'Mahoney!

WRUburton turned over

He wasn't exactly on his feet there, eh?

O'Mahony, brilliant

Where are the knockers now??

We are we insisting on the tight stuff??? Stupid, stupid wales. We cannot compete at the breakdown. So we need to offload and keep the ball off the floor!

thats the first thing i have seen warburton do

get philips off or wales are guaranteed to lose

PoM is having an unreal tournament so far,really stepping up as a top class flanker.   

Biltong wrote:He wasn't exactly on his feet there, eh?

He was by NH rules!

Fantastic from Ireland - if Wales had scored then it might have opened the flood-gates.

Will Wales score?

Scrumpy wrote:

Biltong wrote:He wasn't exactly on his feet there, eh?

He was by NH rules!

Oh, OK.   

Well done warburton won zero turnovers lost two, the back row for Wales have been poor.