Ireland 23
Georgia 10
GEORGIAโS SEARCH FOR a first-ever win against Ireland continues but this fixture had a bang of the sidesโ meeting at the 2007 World Cup off it.
On that occasion, Ireland limped home on a 14-10 scoreline in what was a doomed campaign. This 23-10 victory was every bit as lifeless, sloppy, and worrying for Irish supporters.
Fresh off a defeat in Twickenham, Andy Farrell had hoped this fixture against Georgia, ranked 12th in the world, would allow his side to pick up some momentum and confidence again but instead it may well have done exactly the opposite.
Irelandโs victory does mean they advance into what is essentially the Autumn Nations Cupโs third-place play-off against Scotland next weekend, but Gregor Townsendโs men will be licking their lips at the prospect of coming to Dublin โ where they really should have won earlier this year in the Six Nations.
As with last time out against England, Farrellโs side had real breakdown problems against the Georgians, giving up a string of second-half turnovers, while Mike Cattโs attack failed to spark after a few promising signs in the opening 40 minutes.
On a dry, crisp Dublin afternoon, there werenโt any excuses in the conditions. Scoring only three points in the second half was damning.
Ireland had led 20-7 at half time and could have been further ahead but for three possible tries being chalked off, but they were simply dire in the second half as they made a string of errors to allow the Georgians to grow in belief.
The sight of Ireland kicking three points off the tee with the visitors genuinely back in the contest in the third quarter will linger.
Farrellโs experiment of shifting Connacht tighthead Finlay Bealham across for his first Test start at loosehead prop was a disaster as referee Mathieu Raynal pinged him several times in the scrum.
Shane Daly made his Ireland debut off the bench with just over 15 minutes remaining but this must have felt a whole lot different to what he would have imagined Test rugby being like.
As for Georgia, they deserve credit for being so competitive despite poor preparation for the tournament. Having made life difficult for Wales, this was another good outing.
Farrellโs men had frustrations early on as their maul was repelled from 10 metres out, Stuart McCloskey lost the ball forward in contact, and then they conceded a scrum penalty to let the Georgians out of their own 22.
There was a missed chance soon after when Tadhg Beirne earned a clean breakdown turnover deep in the Georgia half but CJ Stander failed to pass the ball to an overlap wide on the left, Jacob Stockdale losing the ball on the next phase as he attempted a grubber kick.
But the first Irish score arrived in the 10th minute as man of the match Iain Hendersonโs carry gave them momentum and Keith Earls almost got over in the left corner. With penalty advantage playing, outside centre Chris Farrell played a lovely pass out the back for out-half Burns to loop onto and dart over to the right of the posts, converting himself for 7-0.
Burns tacked on another three points off the tee three minutes later but Georgia responded with a stunning score by outside centre Giorgi Kveseladze as he bursts onto fullback Soso Matiashviliโs clever inside pass to break in between Beirne and Stander.
Kveseladze accelerated beyond Andrew Porter, dummied a pass to force Stockdale to sit off him, stepped past Burns, then finished through the despairing challenge of McCloskey and Stockdale for a superb try converted by out-half Tedo Abzhandadze.
Burns extended Irelandโs lead out to six points with 23 minutes gone with a second penalty shot and with Hugo Keenan impressive in the air under Conor Murrayโs box-kicking and the Irish lineout applying pressure, Farrellโs side were in the ascendency.
Their second try came in the 34th minute after an extended passage of pressure inside the visitorsโ 22 โ which included a possible Rob Herring maul try being ruled out โ and concluded with Burns and Stockdale flashing the ball wide to the right for Keenan to cross, the out-half converting again for 20-7.
Ireland thought they had another just before the break as a sweeping sequence saw Beirne and Stander surging down the right and into the Georgia half before slick passing from the 10-15 connection of Burns and Stockdale saw the ball shifted immediately wide left for McCloskey to surge through the last tackle and score from 45 metres out.
However, referee Mathieu Raynal ruled it out as he adjudged Stockdaleโs excellent long skip pass to have been forward.
There was more frustration in the dying seconds as Raynal felt Ireland captain Ryan had been held up over the tryline even when the ball looked playable.
Farrellโs team had a poor start to the second half as Finlay Bealham โ starting at loosehead for the first time in his Test career, rather than in his usual tighthead spot โ was penalised at scrum time. Scrum-half Murray got Ireland out of trouble with a choke tackle turnover close to their tryline.
Out-half Abzhandadze soon had a shot at goal after back rows Tornike Jalagonia and Beka Gorgadze combined for a breakdown turnover penalty and the former Terenure College RFC man duly slotted it for a 20-10 scoreline.
Georgia suddenly sensed a chance and were boosted by another big scrum penalty inside their own 22 with 25 minutes left โ Bealham being replaced immediately by Cian Healy after that decision.
Replacement out-half Ross Byrne extended Irelandโs lead to 23-10 just before the game entered the final quarter, Farrellโs players clearly feeling that they couldnโt turn their noses up at the points on offer.
Irelandโs next visit into Georgia territory ended in shambolic fashion as Will Connors chase Byrneโs over-hit chip kick from an offside position, allowing the Georgians to exit from a cheap penalty.
There was a lengthy pause soon after as Georgia number eight Gorgadze was eventually carted off with a nasty knee injury, his screams having rung out around the empty Aviva Stadium after he collapsed to he ground without being tackled.
When play resumed with an Ireland lineout attack just outside the Georgian 22, a loose pass from Connors saw Merab Sharikadze pounce for a turnover penalty as the Irish lethargy continued.
That was to be it for the Irish challenge as Georgia continued to turn them over in their 22, the game ending in thoroughly dispiriting fashion with another penalty concession just five metres out.
Ireland scorers:
Tries: Billy Burns, Hugo Keenan
Conversions: Billy Burns [2 from 2]
Penalties: Billy Burns [2 from 2], Ross Byrne
Georgia scorers:
Tries: Giorgi Kveseladze
Conversions: Tedo Abzhandadze [1 from 1]
Penalties: Tedo Abzhandadze [1 from 1]
IRELAND: Jacob Stockdale; Hugo Keenan, Chris Farrell, Stuart McCloskey, Keith Earls (Shane Daly โ63); Billy Burns (Ross Byrne โ45), Conor Murray (Kieran Marmion โ57); Finlay Bealham (Cian Healy โ57), Rob Herring, Andrew Porter (John Ryan โHT); Iain Henderson, James Ryan (captain) (Quinn Roux โ62); Tadhg Beirne (Peter OโMahony โ62), Will Connors (Dave Heffernan โ67), CJ Stander.
GEORGIA: Soso Matiashvili; Akaki Tabutsadze, Giorgi Kveseladze, Merab Sharikadze (captain) (David Niniashvili โ67), Tamaz Mchedlidze (Demur Tapladze โ65); Tedo Abzhandadze, Vasil Lobzhanidze (Mikheil Alania โ74); Mikheil Nariashvili (Lexo Kaulashvili โ50), Shalva Mamukashvili (Blood bin โ Giorgi Chkoidze โ10 to โ20, permanent โ65), Beka Gigashvili (Giorgi Melikidze โ70); Nodar Cheishvili (Giorgi Javakhia โ62), Lasha Jaiani; Beka Saginadze, Tornike Jalagonia, Beka Gorgadze (Mikheil Gachechiladze โ63)
Referee: Mathieu Raynal [FFR].
Ireland officially the most overrated side in world rugby.
@Danny OโRiordan: not sure anyone rated us to be honest, weโre fairly aware we are muck
@Danny OโRiordan: By who?
Ran into brick walls all day last week, done the very same today. Shambles of a Coaching set up.
We need to get rid of Joe Sโs assistants and get in a real coach.
@Chris Mc: Couldnโt agree any more. Letting a man who has never been a head coach in charge of our national team was always a bad idea. Farrell and Catt out.
@Chris Mc: Joe Schmidt?
@Chris Mc: not a fan of calling blood so early in a managers role. Performances have been poor on the basics and have lacked innovation. Theyโll persist with this coaching team for 18 months which weโll probably stagnate in the worlds top 8 teams. The reality is that weโre lacking ball carriers (not much has been produced since Ferris, SOB, Healy came on the scene), a back up to Sexton, guile (Ringrose and Larmour badly missed) and real speed in the backs. If I was going head hunt anybody Iโd go after Pat Lam.
@PScald: hopfully someone whoโs never even landed in dublin airport but has some knowledge of rugby union.
@Aidan Prior: we started today with 3 secondrows and 2 tightheads. Burns played well today but again expecting a player surrounded by one up carriers to be the answer is daft. seriously if Harry Byrne was at 10 and frawley at 12 we would have moved them all over the pitch and scored 50 points.
@Chris Mc: looking like a MOC like regime after king joe, I hope Iโm wrong
@Chris Mc: ah so playing 2 10s on top of the 3 second rows 2 tightheads wouldโve done the trick would it
@Aidan Prior: That would be correct if technically he was a new manager but the reality is he was picked on Joe Schmidts recommendation no interview process so in reality itโs just a continuation of a management that had well gone stale. Canโt see one bit of improvement in attack from Mike Catt we have all the creative imagination of a concrete block. Change now, bring in someone like Conor OโShea or Lancaster rather than trundling along to another poor six nations.
@Chris Mc: most sensible and true comment of the day
@Chris Mc: the Leinster team with its young guns would have score 6 or 7 tries today against that Georgian side
@BMJF: no they wouldnโt. Trashing Pro 14 sides is one thing, international rugby is another.
3-3 in the second half against Georgia. Also, who could have foresaw not playing a loosehead would lead to problems at scrum time?? Really uninspiring game, not sure where this Irish team is going at times but itโs certainly not forward.
@Ruckinโ Hell: totally agree, bealham is a good mobile prop so why play him out of position? I like Farrel giving new prople caps but maybe the coaching team just isnโt up to it. Shocking shocking stuff. Wasnโt helped by the refereeing. Thought Keenan, stander, henderson, mccloskey, murray, burns, john ryan were ok, but jeez that was awful stuff
@Agrippa: he was made a fall guy today. Terrible from the coach. He could easily have given porter the day off
@Agrippa:
Bealham decision just doesnโt make senseโฆ The guy deserves a bit of respect from Farrell, at least Porter has played on the other side but Bealham has never gone over in Connacht gamesโฆ
I thought Marmion was refreshingโฆ He brings so much speed but Ross is terribleโฆ He just doesnโt take it to the gain line so when we have momentum, Ross just wastes time and allows the forwards to regroupโฆ You can have that luxury in a Pro 14 game for Leinster but most Out halves know you have to twist the thumb when you have them under pressureโฆ
Carty would give Ross or Burns a run for there moneyโฆ Would like to see Cooney with Burns for a half and also Marmion and Carty another halfโฆ
@Ruckinโ Hell: shambolic decision โ IRFU will have to step in if this shocking stuff continues โ Leinsterโs young guns not involved in ireland camp would have put 40points on the Georgians today easily
Absolutely septic from everyone involved. The players, coaches, kit man, the whole bloody lot of em.
@Jim Demps: imagine if youโd payed in to watch that
@Jim Demps: Ah thatโs a bit harsh Jim. I thought the kit man had them jerseys lookin fine altogether.
@Thomas Quinn: and the announcer! Why have an announcer there, I get the crowd soundbites but having him on today was hilarious
@Thomas Quinn: he did the best with what he was given I suppose.
I think itโs time to question Andy Farrell already. I usually want managers and coaches to be given time but thereโs no sign of progression under him. Ireland have bags of talent available. Iโd give him the next six nations to prove himself.
@แดแดแด49: It would be great to see an Irish person lead the team too. McCall has an unbelievable track record. A promotion of the Leinster ticket wouldnโt be a bad shout either. If Farrell gets the full run to RWC, then it would give time for OโGara to gain head coach experience too.
@SomeGuy: OโGara has stated that he will not be back coaching in Ireland until all the players he has played with have retired or moved on. Could be a while before that happens with Ireland considering Murray, OโMahoney etc still have a few years left on their contract.
James Ryanโs form has fallen off a cliff. Captaincy not sitting well
@Emmet Martin: the elephant in the room.. Beirne and Henderson next week but it wonโt happen
We got physically bullied by Georgia. Turning into a real issue.
@RhinoDino: tier 1 and tier 2 teams working out that physically dominating Ireland causes serious problems for us. Very worrying to see.
Jamie heaslips โcommentaryโ and ross Byrnes โplayingโ were absolutely septic and they came together beautifully at one stage heaslip says marmions passing has sped the game up noticeably and ross byrne should add to it by not playing as deep as burns in the first half hahaha
Few came out with credit after that game Henderson, stander, burns, keenan, mccloskey and theres arguments for stockdale marmion and beirne who showed glimpses of what they can offer the rest just didnt do enough whether it was gameplan related or not it was all sub par
@baw baw: Henderson, burns and keenan played well, lots of effort from everyone one else but not much more.
@baw baw: I completely agree with the commentary piece. Really poor. He refused to call out the obvious low quality of our play. Lacks credibility as a result.
@Brian OโDriscoll: not to mention heโs an insufferable รงรบรฑt
@baw baw: Heaslip is a look on the bright side of fella, canโt blame him for that. Probably a better co-commentator when we have a decent team, Donal Lenihan is the only man when we are dirt.
Unbelievable that we consistently insist on this boring one man carry rugby , we donโt have the players to play that sort of power gain game plan , we have no creativity .
All we seem to be able to muster is poor straight hands in the backline .
About 10 of that squad shouldnโt be anywhere near international rugby
Whatever gloss the media and cliched interviews will put on it , when a tier 2 team can defend so easily against you you have big big problems
@Luke OโMahony:
This what happens when you pick 10s who donโt attack the line and crash merchants in midfield. You need better hands in midfield, just shows how important henshaw and bundee are, they can crash but also create spaceโฆ
@Cowboy Paddy: realistically our two 10โs for the next RWC are Healy & H.Byrne so I would imagine unless their skill set isnโt crushed by playing boring rugby we should be ok
It shows without out an out 13โs our only option is playing two 12โs in the centre , due to Irish rugby from grassroots to international obviously not focusing on skill set we will always struggle unless we have a 12 & 13 in there
@Luke OโMahony: I thought the centres played fine. Burns should have been on for longer as he was playing well. In fact if any Irish player was to get MOTM it should have been him.
@Con Cussed: I think Burns was injured
@Con Cussed: McCloskey played well , Farrell played like a 12 at 13 really . No idea even for Munster why they think he is a 13 .
Good back ups for Aki at 12 I suppose but at this stage itโs looking at henshaw at 12 Ringtose at 13 .
I would probably if all fit look at 9. Casey 10. Healy / H Byrne 11. Conway 12. Henshaw 13. Ringrose 14. Larmor 15. Carberry for RWC 2023
@Cowboy Paddy: burns regularly takes the ball to the line and takes the ball very flat playing for Ulster so itโs not that he wonโt do it heโs a brave 10 and although not the best tackler he doesnโt shirk them unless heโs being asked to play differently for Ireland and just shovel the ball on to the crash runners
@Cowboy Paddy: weโve learned a lot โ Farrell isnโt an international centre and either is McCloskey โฆ at least that debate is over. if Carbery canโt get and stay fit I think weโre also going to have to parachute Harry Byrne into squad .. the alternative to Sexton was supposed to be Paddy Jackson but I donโt see IRFU going there
Shocking game. They learned nothing from the England game by the looks of it. Same mindless play. Ireland were poor across the board. Doesnโt matter whoโs playing. Itโs the same terrible game plan every time. Coaches need to provide answers.
Farrell out. Absolutely clueless
@Donnacha Shaughnessy:
Honestly every time he plays Tom Farrell for Connacht he gets beatenโฆ Tom is a real 13 and Chris is 12 trying to pretend he is a 12โฆ
Honestly I thing the two lads today are a good bit behind the top 3 (Bundee, Henshaw & Ringrose)โฆ Those three offer a lot more in creating space and then exploiting itโฆ
Saying that when any of them play with Ross they get killedโฆ
@Cowboy Paddy: He meant Farrell the coach
Biggest problem this Autumn: the anthem.
Irelandโs call not a great song at the best of times, but at least 40,000 odd drunk people belting it out is kind of fun.
Hearing a tinny recording echo around the stadium โ and that recording sounds like a fake song made to take the piss out of Ireland, played by an amateur band in someones garage, is cringe inducing.
Maybe the players arenโt up for the fight because they have to spend the first 10 minutes shuddering in embarrasment.
@Farz Saadat: รl Canto degli Italiani is one of the best anthems going and it hasnโt turned them into world beaters. Agreed that Irelandโs Call is absolute dirge though.
@Shane McGettrick: I donโt actually think this is why theyโve been so dire.
It just worth pointing out how especially awful hearing this recording around the empty stadium has been, and whoever chose this particular version should never have a job again.
@Farz Saadat: the only thing is, we always win the singing competition by 2-1
Again Andy Farrell is not a highly rated Rugby Union coach. He is more Rugby League than Union and has never coached a highly rated Domestic rugby Union side. He doesnโt have a CV. The Irish side look to basic and simple with some RL movements. Bad move of the IRFU
That was a terrible game! Players, tactics everything seemed off. A bit worrying going into a game against Scotland now. If we lose that I donโt know where it leaves us.
Our second string are mostly not up to it. Iโm saying that there has been no game plan and a serious drop in the basics since Farrell took over. Iโm not going to pick out any players as it will only cause the usual nonsense about which Irish team should have more players playing for Ireland but about half of todayโs team are nowhere near international standard.
Time to bring on the youth.
@Batster: 100% bring in the younger guys with energy, speed and enthusiasm- too many of the 2nd 15 in camp arenโt at the races and never will beโฆ blood the next generation! The basic skills and speed of play is truly shocking! The game plan of one up runners is awful and when we do go wide we pass the ball too early with not attempt to run straight hard lines to fix & commit defenders โ itโs like training passing. The local U18โs wouldnโt do it โ just donโt get it
Dreadful, dreadful game and performance. No game plan. We look a very badly coached side. Predictable, no subtlety, inaccurate, really poor at breakdown, easy to defend againstโฆ Stockdale again is embarrassing for their try. Afraid to tackle, itโs unacceptable at this level. At any level in rugby. Lots of poor individual performances. Tadhg Beirne was good in the lineout and showed well. Would like to see him being a proper option at 6 going forward. Good to see Henderson back and going well.
@Carmine Lorenzo: even the couple of bright spots that I agree with you Carmine โ beirne Henderson and stander for me โ look good against the weaker teams but when up against the English and the all blacks โฆโฆ
I donโt need to finish the sentiment as itโs looking bleak
And it should not be that worrying
@Carmine Lorenzo: lol at 6? How about replace the 2nd row whoโs horribly out of form..
@PScald: canโt drop golden balls heโs out saviour
@PScald: Yeah at 6. It would hasten the exit of the other spoofer backrow that was pointlessly brought on today.
@William Mills: yawn.
@John Lowry: Fully agree with everything there John
@Carmine Lorenzo: i think Ryan is a class player just not in form.. Iโd be a critic of POM myself but itโs foolish and obtuse to call him a spoofer
@PScald: You are right in so far as that is the wrong way to describe POM, heโs been a fine servant. But the sentiment stands that there are other, better, move viable options missing out on game time or not in the squad altogether that should be there instead of him. On Ryan, heโs not quite been at 2018 or 2019 levels since the restart, not just this block of games. There is talk he is carrying a minor injury. But I donโt think it warrants him being dropped. Still offers so much.
Players look and behave like they donโt believeโฆ..any one who has ever coached a team knows that feeling.
@Michael Murray: Michael I think you have nailed it. Thatโs my view as well.
@Michael Murray: agreed I donโt think they buying into it
@William Mills: there nothing to buy into โ itโs Joe lite ..except for much of Joeโs tenure he set really high standards and accuracy was phenomenal โ yes it all get too intense and ran out of steam but at its best he had a machineโฆ Farrell has picked up where Joe left off and seems happy to let standards slip. He must be demoralising them at HT team talks cause theyโve come out and played shite every second half
Brain dead performance
Agreed with most comments here โ for a change
The basic passing when we actually did go out the back line was so laboured was the biggest worry
My under 17s taking too much out of the ball and not just flicking it as speed drives me nuts but happened here all day
And against a team made up 50pc of a semi pro team based in Georgia
At least IF we had picked a team of 22 year olds if would have been some hope for the future
We are just too one dimensional. We were under JS and still are. When we had success under Joe it was because our set piece was almost always perfect and our ball retention excellent. But once teams figured us out we had no plan B. We donโt have the physicality to live with certain teams so we need to be able to move the ball around better and faster. That means two play makers in the backs. Carbury at fullback could be a game changer when heโs fit. Crawley does well at 12 inside H Byrne for Leinster but Iโm not sure heโs ready to do it at test level. H Byrne is though. Ireland had front foot ball today but neither Ross Byrne or Burns controlled the game. We need to prepare for Sextons departure now so itโs time Harry was given a chance.
@Ger: @Ger: ah no Ger
Thereโs playing poorly against the very top teams and being outmuscled and then thereโs today โฆ
Just saying bring in the pretty much unproven younger Byrne ( who I do like the look of but needs to be tested at a much higher level and play regularly )
And as for Cadbury โ big fan but to me thereโs a huge question marker now over him coming back and then holding down a position โ just seems to brittle physically and thatโs a real shame
And to me he would perhaps have been the answer at 10 โฆ
Yikes. Weโre getting devoured in the breakdown. Getting sick of this phrase โplaying into the oppositionโs handsโ. Maybe these empty stadiums are taking a mental toll.
Is it me or is James Ryan carrying an injury?
@Owen Taaffe: James Ryanโs the most over rated second row in the world. Heโs not a patch on whitelock, itoji, AWJ, etzebeth etc , yet the irish media rave about him
@Paul Murphy: Heโs an absolutely brilliant player but needs support on the pitch. We made basic errors today but still won, thankfully.
Best pass was the one that got us the first try. Also the second try which McCloskey indicated to throw wider, great gamesmanship.
@Paul Murphy: 1year ago Iโd have said you were wrong but witness today how he was held up by a Georgia defence, even the AB would not have stopped a fully firing Ryan. The question Iโm asking is why is that?
@Paul Murphy: ssssshhhhh
@Con Cussed: but heโs not unfortunately heโs a good solid player but heโs not world class not a game winner or game changer heโs just a good steady player heโs been hyped up by the Irish media and I think itโs starting to take its toll on him and affecting his form
@Paul Murphy: you canโt say things like that lol
@William Mills: Ryan is getting demoralised playing with muck in muck system with a muck coaching ticket โฆ you could see it in the English game at times when he was trying to carry the team on his own. I think if the team fires around him youโll see him at his best โ heโs also being over played โ no reason to start him today
@Owen Taaffe: Think a combo of perhaps a small injury and being overplayed. Heโs not been at his 2018 or 2019 levels since the restart of rugby. Fair few clueless bluffers on here chiming in and putting a brilliant young player down because of the province he plays for. Toxic stuff.
@Owen Taaffe: They are all carrying knocks. One only has to read any rugby players autobiography to know that they are rarely at more than 80%! No Irish player today would play if he knew that he would let down the side because of a preexisting injury.
@Carmine Lorenzo: take your blinkers off and actually watch what the guy does
First half showed promising results for second half which never materialised. Ireland got pushed back every time they had the ball.
Great display by Georgia but we should have put 40 plus points between us and them.
Good to see some chipping in first half but what happened in the second one?
No skills on the pitch. Stander, POM, were weak and playing Bealham out of position crazy. Needed Baird, Doris. JGP should have been there instead of Murray, even with Marmion starting. No one on the Irish side deserved MOTM!
@Con Cussed: POM did nothing wrong when he went in, agree with most of the other stuff but balance required.
@Con Cussed: what happened second half? Thatโs easy, Ross Byrne
@PScald: spot on
@PScald: Unfortunately for Byrne every time he comes on the forwards are getting bashed
@Con Cussed: it was an abject performance but ironically the individuals you name were among the best of a poor lot. To name check Stander and stay silent on James Ryan is looking at the game through blue tinted glasses!
@Anton Phelan: burns still did better behind the same pack.
@Anton Phelan: burns still did better behind the same pack.
@Brendan: Yeah, James Ryan was off too. I thought McCloskey and Farrell played ok. But Stander was poor.
Need to test young guys and today was the day to do it. If that was against New Zealand Iโd say it was a great win. However, it was against the weakest team in the tournament. In the tournament we are lower than Scotland!!!
@Con Cussed: first half was muck
Looks like they were on the beer night before. They canโt even use that excuseโน
Yes, that was an absolutely brutal performance.
And yet, on another day, another referee might have decided that the ball left Stockdaleโs hands travelling flat, so McCloskeyโs try would have stood, and he might have decided that Herring had got the ball down on the line, so that would have been given, and you are looking at four tries before half time.
What this and last weekโs performances seemed to have in common is a lack of confidence. In both, Ireland started the game mixing carries with kicks and backline moves, but as it wore on, they became more and more one dimensional
@Lesidees: That ball was clearly forward as was the direction of his hands.
Herringโs could in fairness have been given.
All that aside our second half display was grossly inadequate
@TL55: I agree it was forward, but you sometimes see them given
How about an Irish coach once again. Leo Cullen maybe. It sits uneasy with me seeing our team play england where our coach is the father of their captain, I know it shouldnโt but it does.
The rugby team are as bad as the soccer team. Give the country a lift for Godโs sake
@Simon Dwyer: and do what? Eliminate the virus?
Just like Munster a pothetic attacking game plan, line out , smash smash smash !!
@Darren Mullins: pothetic comment
@PScald: had to write pothetic it was deemed toxic :D
@Darren Mullins: pretty toxic and pothetic to somehow blame this on Munster. Donโt ya think?
@Darren Mullins: you could have said โbadโ
Henderson played well so fair enough but for me the clear man of the match was Rob Herring.
I canโt think of one line out that he didnโt nail the throw and for that alone amongst the rubbish happening around him then he is my nomination
Never put a foot wrong
A lot of those players should never wear the green again having said that they would not have been picked if we didnโt have so many injuries in critical positions
@Anton Phelan: What planet are you on?
@Con Cussed: you the one con cussed
@Anton Phelan: There are no great injuries bar Sexton. He wouldnโt be expected to play today fit or not. We have the greatest depth that weโve ever had. So injuries not an issue. Remember we were playing the weakest team in the tournament.
@Con Cussed: greatest depth but quality of that isnโt as good as everyone thinks
@Con Cussed: Larmour, Ringrose, Furlong, Sexton, Carbery, Leavy (just back) to name some
Second division team made of players playing in a second division league
pro 12 is a level below English premiership and French top 14 as each week they play tough competitive matches
Canโt be said at present in pro 12 unfortunately
And on the stockdale question โ if a player is not good enough of a defender for fullback โ would the all blacks or springbok or English pick that player on the wing โ I very much doubt it
@John Lowry: Itโs been the Pro 14 since the 2017/18 season. I agree the standard is not as high as the French and English leagues but despite that Irish provinces have been regularly reaching semi-finals and finals of the European Cup over the last number of years which would suggest we have the players necessary.
That was absolute muck
Stop panicking Itโs a substitute competition!
Try your Youngbloods and if they win, they win.
Get ZEBO back.
Stop Stockdale kicking.
Keep Herring at Hooker.
Fix Carbery somehow.
Get McCall installed somehow.
On a crisp dry day in Dublin Ireland floundered about like driverless plough-horse in a bog. Rugby League is mindless boredom.
BORING!!!
@T Dawg: thatโs right, snooze
How about โgiving it a lashโ a la Mick Doyle ? Canโt be any worse than this robbish and might entertain us a bit
Itโs getting tedious now but if we keep doing the same thing, weโll get the same result. What is it with the one out runners crap? It clearly doesnโt work so why have we not changed it? What is Mike Catt doing? Where is the attack? Our scrum has struggled for some time now. Discipline & accuracy were very poor again. A captain who is not ready yet & an inability to finish from 5 metres out. Itโs beginning to feel like the Matt OโConnor era at Leinster. Pretty shambolic stuff.
Get Leo in heโs doing a super job at Leinster just go and get him in with his backroom teamโฆ He ticks all the boxes at the moment Andy , Mike & co. are off to a dreadful startโฆ Time for some real Irish blood in their or some real pedigree
Honey suckle was impressive
I can hear the drums of change at the top. At least I hope I do