@Gavin Delves: Murray doesn’t decide the game plan to box kick. That is the way Ireland and Munster have played under Joe and now Farrell. Blaming Murray for box kicking is naive. Do you think he has been going against the game plan for the last 6 years?

@Tombmunster: cos no one will ever watch another ireland match if we have to watch any more box kicks

@Tom Cunningham: your 100%right

@Tombmunster: I can help you there JGP is in form and Murray is living on past glory, regrettably we all have to move on:(

@Tombmunster: so the gameplay is kicking when it’s Murray but passing quickly from the breakdown when it’s anyone else?

@Tombmunster: if you believe murrary box kicks because hes told to then i am afraid you are the naive one.

@Tombmunster: Last time we played New Zealand with Murray on the field we got hammered, last time we played New Zealand with Murray not playing we won, so I think one player is not really going to make much of a difference. It’s more about the collective but ya I don’t think Gibson Park is the best scrum half in the country I would have Marmion, Blake or Casey ahead of him but Farrell seems to like him.

@Chris Mc: so u think players go out and do their own thing?

@Dave Moran: horrific is a bit of a harsh description for a lions captain

@Macca1986: most teams have playmakers at 9 and 10, maybe 8 and a few more positions but mainly 9, 10 and the captain make decsions on the pitch . Plently of Coaches tell those players to play what they see, when your a slow 9 all you see is boxkicks and one up runners then thats what happens. If like JGP you get to the breakdown very quickly and only see a box kick as a last resort then you run with the ball.

@Chris Mc: the same naysayers are back about Murray. They all hopped the fence when he was named Lions captain and were all about him. Good to see the natural order of things returning.

It’s easy to play a high tempo game when your forwards are dominating the opposition. I think JGP is alright but this weekend is the real litmus test and I hope he has a blinder. Should be a cracking game regardless of who’s at 9

@Leroy Jenkins: any forward will tell you when they win the ball the last thing they want is for the backs to give the ball back to the team they just took the ball off.
For front foot ball you need to give your forwards something to run on to and keep them going forward.
If your 9 slows down the play allows the other team set defensively then its much more difficult to keep on thr front foot.
If you dont beleive me rewatch last weeks game and see what happens to frontfoot ball when your 9 slows everything down.

@Chris Mc: this weekend will tell a lot where ireland are, a lot of players last week got an arm chair ride as it was Japans 5th match since the last World Cup

@Mehall: that’s a load of bollox Murray was playing in Chicago when we played some great rugby and won if losing to the all Black’s was a reason to be dropped then by your reasoning Sexton shouldn’t be on the field either. Murray was selected on the Lions, GP wasn’t. Selecting a team based on a performance against a seriously underpar Japan is crazy. I can’t see how people are not up in arms over the dropping of Beirne it’s a disgraceful decision and makes absolutely no sense. He’s mobile, powerful and great on the ground and is playing very well. James Ryan is living on his reputation here, hope he proves me wrong

@Leroy Jenkins: tbf that’s not at all true, all the munster fans were going nuts, everyone else was in shock, it made more sense when he was dropped from the starting team

@Tombmunster: nonsense , Murray too slow at rucks, passing etc. Losing valuable space & time for backs & forwards. And box kicking isn’t the answer any more – JGP is the right call if we want to play at pace. Maybe play Murray if you want to be conservative with lots of rucks and lots of kicking and rely on set piece

@Michael McGrath: I’d have gone for Beirne & Henderson too to be fair – more mobility. The days of the big slow lock are gone except when the lock is particularly big & powerful – unfortunately for Ryan the game has moved on and he’s neither quick nor particularly powerful… at least not yet. We saw this champions cup last year – a monster of a lock can be an effective weapon but if you haven’t got that then you’re going to need pace

@Michael McGrath: I’d have gone for Beirne & Henderson too to be fair – more mobility. The days of the big slow lock are gone except when the lock is particularly big & powerful – unfortunately for Ryan the game has moved on and he’s neither quick nor particularly powerful… at least not yet. We saw this champions cup last year – a monster of a lock can be an effective weapon but if you haven’t got that then you’re going to need pace. The JGP call is the right one

@k mcnamara: Glad your happy to see me back mate. Would you believe i was banned the night Leinster beat Munster in the Pro 14?? Anyways, you can say im a troll but i only speak the truth, although some do not agree with my opinions

@Sam Murray: Its a rugby test match and they kill each other as if its a world Cup final.
A soccer friendly is a soccer friendly they literally don’t touch each other

@Dave Moran: ah here, i wouldnt be for banning anyone save personal abuse. I have no issues with opinions, but you know theres 50% of trolling in your posts. Murray is arguably our best ever 9, well past his best but deffo not “horrific”, but JGP deserves his start based on last week but maybe not even the best 9s in ireland now. Youre issue with earls is trolling or not based on fact. As a winger (hes not a centre), hes up there with one of our best and still has something to offer at this level as was evidenced last year…nearly always beats the 1st man, is good in the air and is a good defender. Compare that to lowes international form thus far…when up aginst top level opositon..lets see how hes does on the turn and when hes facing different points of attack.

@Chris Mc: no he doesn’t! Has never shown up for Ireland in attack. Last weekend was a joke of a game the Japanese were nowhere to be seen.

@guineon: I have to agree – I think he’s shown very little (if any) of his attacking abilities for Leinster in Green. His defence has been woeful on the International stage. I’ve a feeling he’ll be hung out to dry on Saturday – I sincerely hope I’m wrong!

@James Maguire: maybe you need to rewatch the game last Saturday? He made 6 offloads from a total of 17. His passing was right on when attacking. Can’t see what you see…

@Con Cussed: He was better in attack, I’d agree – but Japan were dreadful. He wasn’t tested defensively – he will be on Saturday.

@guineon: so when ireland play well the other team are rubbish. So no matter when we do there’s no credit in it. If you cant admit lowe had a good game last weekend then your just showing bias and really lose credibility in your argument.

@Chris Mc: It doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive!
IMO Ireland played well and Japan did not – they didn’t look anything near the side that played the Lions or Australia recently. How much of this was a credit to Ireland nullifying their gameplan in attack remains to be seen, and we’ll know more on Saturday.

@Chris Mc: I’m not bias at all. I just want the best players to play and nobody can realistically argue based on James Lowe’s Ireland career that he is one of the top 2 wingers. Any time he plays against a half decent and switched on team he’s shown up as a poor defender and doesn’t do enough in attack to cover that.
Balcoune is a more exciting attacker and to my knowledge has never been a shambles in defense. Earls rarely ever lets the team down, larmour has struggled at 15 defending but is much better on the wing. Brings more in attack too.
It’s reasonable for people to be disappointed he’s selected

@baw baw: some man to go selling the house!

@baw baw: I’m assuming you are a man with strong GAA routes as that level of misery takes time to bed in. Head back to that parochial village of yours put the house on the market as you never know you might just get lucky and if not, it’s not like your going to lose much!

@Pol Mac An Sionnaigh: I’ve never played it and nope rugby is the sport I play and have played from small.
No misery just sheer disbelieve at how much of a pigs ear can be made of the one sport we should be there thereabouts in.
And to answer the above I’m hoping for change so will hang in watching and if I deem so commenting on irish rugby thanks. And the other comment i was being factual in saying the all blacks have dropped off their standards and considering ireland beat them at a higher point that this will be a measure of how poor Andy farrells ireland are put together. Performance and style wise it’s much better selection wise it’s horrendous and the mantra of harder to get off the team than on it is coming back ten fold.
Cheers lads great chat

@baw baw: how much for the house?

@baw baw: pigs ear??
OK our world cups have been terrible but we have been at the top of Europe on many occasions in the last 20 years.

@This time its personable!: 4.8million and its 2 bed in city-west so shes priced to sell

@baw baw: nice and reasonable, does it have single glazing? I suspect at that price it probably does?

@baw baw: OK I see your clear appreciation for the sport and my comments were mainly for a bit of comedy and a dig at the ever increasing gouding gga fan. I think cycles happen in international rugby but the down turn rarely lasts in NZ. They regenerate faster and better than anyone. Their head coach is not there to create but guide the best fifteen rugby players in the world. Their pro structure is there to produce the best in coaching and players to insure cream rises. The world cup only happens every 4 years so timing is everything but if it was a yearly league NZ would be undefeated. That’s to be expected against a country which has higher playing numbers, understands the sport better and has best 3 academies in the world… Figí, Samoa and Tonga!

@Hugo: this is an utterly disgraceful post and I’m delighted the lads proved the likes of you wrong.

@Michael Murray: Aye. A know a comment like mine does not age well!!

@Padraig Corcoran:
..5h!t happens……can’t see you losing sleep !!