Ireland v England - Six Nations Round 4, 9 March 2024

First topic message reminder :

Ireland supremely confident of having any answers to questions that England will pose, according to Bernard Jackman.

Stephen Jones wants lots of bish and bosh and no training.  Stuart Barnes wants Ben Earl in midfield.  Dallaglio wants them to get in some players faces and annoy them a lot.

Farrell doesn't know yet if he'll have Ringrose and Keenan back to consider for squad selection and thus the make up of his bench for 6-2 or 5-3.

Borthwick has two players back for his half-back partnership and the opportunity to continue with Furbank at 15.

No real shots have been fired yet but it's only Monday.

Teams

England
Furbank, Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Lawrence, Freeman, Ford, Mitchell
Genge, George, Cole, Itoje, Martin, Chessum, Underhill, Earl
Dan, Marler, Stuart, Cunningham-South, Dombrandt, Care, Smith, Daly

Ireland
Keenan, Nash, Henshaw, Aki, Lowe, Crowley, Gibson-Park
Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Beirne, McCarthy, O'Mahony, vd Flier, Doris
Kelleher, Healy, Bealham, Henderson, Conan, Baird, Murray, Frawley

That was an Ireland knock on under the posts - in fact arguably deliberate ...

Wow an offload. Maybe Borthwick has realised his first 14 months were wasted.

OK so now's about the time England go to sleep ...

IFW is a bit special isn't he

lostinwales wrote:IFW is a bit special isn't he

Class player.

Heaf wrote:OK so now's about the time England go to sleep ...

And start giving away pens ...

He can hardly come from the back when there's an Ireland player laying off feet all over the ball

Great by Chessum there. And again by Feyi-Waboso who seems to be everywhere.

Heaf wrote:He can hardly come from the back when there's an Ireland player laying off feet all over the ball

Very harsh call. I think the ref was a bit unsighted. Had he been in the other side of the ruck then I don't think Lawrence gets pinged.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Heaf wrote:He can hardly come from the back when there's an Ireland player laying off feet all over the ball

Very harsh call. I think the ref was a bit unsighted. Had he been in the other side of the ruck then I don't think Lawrence gets pinged.

He makes he tackle and goes off his feet. Once he stands up, he has to retreat.

Way England are playing suit Smith more than Ford.
Wonder if energy be there by time he's on

We are asleep at rucks.

No 7&1/2 wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Heaf wrote:He can hardly come from the back when there's an Ireland player laying off feet all over the ball

Very harsh call. I think the ref was a bit unsighted. Had he been in the other side of the ruck then I don't think Lawrence gets pinged.

He makes he tackle and goes off his feet. Once he stands up, he has to retreat.

But Ireland should have been pinged for sealing off first

Lawrence's reaction told the tale.

Heaf wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Heaf wrote:He can hardly come from the back when there's an Ireland player laying off feet all over the ball

Very harsh call. I think the ref was a bit unsighted. Had he been in the other side of the ruck then I don't think Lawrence gets pinged.

He makes he tackle and goes off his feet. Once he stands up, he has to retreat.

But Ireland should have been pinged for sealing off first

He wasn't on the ball. If he was Lawrence couldn't have picked it up from an offside position. If you're saying he was impeding someone onside coming in then....

Yeah could see in real time was knock on but England are best been for years

Close one - you could argue it was knocked out of his hands by the Ireland player

Genge very unhappy about that double tackle on him. Be interesting to see the replay of that.

No 7&1/2 wrote:

Heaf wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Heaf wrote:He can hardly come from the back when there's an Ireland player laying off feet all over the ball

Very harsh call. I think the ref was a bit unsighted. Had he been in the other side of the ruck then I don't think Lawrence gets pinged.

He makes he tackle and goes off his feet. Once he stands up, he has to retreat.

But Ireland should have been pinged for sealing off first

He wasn't on the ball. If he was Lawrence couldn't have picked it up from an offside position. If you're saying he was impeding someone onside coming in then....

That

Should be a penalty Ireland, you cant pick up the ball if your team mate knocks it on.

And we're not even going to look at that one. Oh yeah, it's Jonker.

Collapse2005 wrote:Should be a penalty Ireland, you cant pick up the ball if your team mate knocks it on.

If you're in front of the ball because you're then offside. He was behind the ball so play on until the ref blows the whistle.

Collapse2005 wrote:Should be a penalty Ireland, you cant pick up the ball if your team mate knocks it on.

You can if you come from behind him

Jonker is bunker TMO. Whitehouse is match tmo so same rules apply....

Referee : Nika Amashukeli
Assistant Referee 1 : Andrea Piardi
Assistant Referee 2 : Craig Evans
TMO : Ben Whitehouse

Lawrence a different player from last match.

Martin is carrying excellently.

The pressure is MILES better.

No 7&1/2 wrote:Referee : Nika Amashukeli
Assistant Referee 1 : Andrea Piardi
Assistant Referee 2 : Craig Evans
TMO : Ben Whitehouse

Not much better tbh

Ford's kicking not great today

Ford has sliced every kick so far

No 7&1/2 wrote:Ford has sliced every kick so far

He's not kicking to touch either, I wonder if he's got a bit of a niggle.

We can't afford to keep missing out on points.

No 7&1/2 wrote:Ford has sliced every kick so far

Get Smith on.

Heaf wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:Referee : Nika Amashukeli
Assistant Referee 1 : Andrea Piardi
Assistant Referee 2 : Craig Evans
TMO : Ben Whitehouse

Not much better tbh

Look back at England's try. Slade in front looking at the tackler and blocking. They're not biased against England. Feyi-Waboso tackle knocking the ball forward and England scrum called around the 22. People make mistakes the officials aren't out to get anyone.

mountain man wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:Ford has sliced every kick so far

Get Smith on.

Think he's statistically our best place kicker including Farrell so yeah. Whack him on at half time. If we are looking to actually play put him on asap. As Ford is not doing much at the mo.

No 7&1/2 wrote:

Heaf wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:Referee : Nika Amashukeli
Assistant Referee 1 : Andrea Piardi
Assistant Referee 2 : Craig Evans
TMO : Ben Whitehouse

Not much better tbh

Look back at England's try. Slade in front looking at the tackler and blocking. They're not biased against England. Feyi-Waboso tackle knocking the ball forward and England scrum called around the 22. People make mistakes the officials aren't out to get anyone.

You just want England to lose

No 7&1/2 wrote:

Heaf wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:Referee : Nika Amashukeli
Assistant Referee 1 : Andrea Piardi
Assistant Referee 2 : Craig Evans
TMO : Ben Whitehouse

Not much better tbh

Look back at England's try. Slade in front looking at the tackler and blocking. They're not biased against England. Feyi-Waboso tackle knocking the ball forward and England scrum called around the 22. People make mistakes the officials aren't out to get anyone.

Just coz we're paranoid don't mean they aren't out to get us

Aki hands on the floor there. Gets away with it and a huge let off for Ireland who've created not very much so far.

mountain man wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:

Heaf wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:Referee : Nika Amashukeli
Assistant Referee 1 : Andrea Piardi
Assistant Referee 2 : Craig Evans
TMO : Ben Whitehouse

Not much better tbh

Look back at England's try. Slade in front looking at the tackler and blocking. They're not biased against England. Feyi-Waboso tackle knocking the ball forward and England scrum called around the 22. People make mistakes the officials aren't out to get anyone.

You just want England to lose

Honestly if Borthwick is about to realise his game plan doesn't work and try to change it I'll switch from criticism to loving him. Even if we lose today. It's been decent so far.

Best half of rugby as I can remember for years

No 7&1/2 wrote:

Heaf wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:Referee : Nika Amashukeli
Assistant Referee 1 : Andrea Piardi
Assistant Referee 2 : Craig Evans
TMO : Ben Whitehouse

Not much better tbh

Look back at England's try. Slade in front looking at the tackler and blocking. They're not biased against England. Feyi-Waboso tackle knocking the ball forward and England scrum called around the 22. People make mistakes the officials aren't out to get anyone.

Take a look at the Mitchell 'knock-on' under their posts - Ireland knocked that on, possibly deliberate = PT and YC

Hmm Furbank a few errors

FFS!

Martin has played very well both sides.

I can't really see England maintaining the energy levels for the full 80 to win this, I really think they needed to convert more of the opportunities created. But, that said this is the best performance yet by a country while, and whatever the final result it's a good start to build on. The difference it makes actually having some dangerous players in the back 3 is immense - very impressed with FW, and really good to see Lawrence showing last round was just a rusty first game back.

Well much better from England - Ireland lucky with some decisions and Ford leaving his kicking boots at home ... can England can do the same in the 2nd half?

Well best 40 by England for years. Real intent.
Martin, Lawrence, Mitchell all excellent. Feyi-Wasobo already showed he's up to it.
Might still lose but progress is there

Good to be in the lead when you arent playing well.

Think we're pretty unlucky to be going in behind, I think we've left a couple of tries out there.

Feyi Waboso has looked so much more dangerous than Daly.

Just looked back at the Porter knock-on under the posts - 100% deliberate. Without that Genge is under the posts - should have been a PT and YC - not a peep from the TMO of course.