neill_m wrote: ↑February 12th, 2021, 11:51 am
15. Hugo Keenan 14. Keith Earls 13. Garry Ringrose 12. Robbie Henshaw 11. James Lowe 10. Billy Burns 9. Jamison Gibson Park 1. Cian Healy 2. Rob Herring 3. Andrew Porter 4. Tadhg Beirne 5. Iain Henderson CAPTAIN 6. Rhys Ruddock 7. Josh van der Flier 8. CJ Stander
16. Ronan Kelleher 17. Ed Byrne 18. Tadhg Furlong 19. Ultan Dillane 20. Will Connors 21. Craig Casey 22. Ross Byrne 23. Jordan Larmour
This team does not I still confidence at all.
The bench is probably one of the weakest we have had for a good while.
Our back 3, primarily our wingers will be targeted massively, and I don’t think Larmour will add any strength to that area.
Saying that, I hope to be proven wrong.
Not at all worried about Earls and Keenan defensively. I'm more concerned that Earls was awful coming forward last week. He made 10meters to 118 for Lowe and I thought Lowe had a quiet enough game by his standards.
The principle worry I have is not the selection, it's more the distribution from 10 and(mainly) the fact that Mike Catt is our backs coach. Even with 15 men on the pitch last week, our attack plan (such as it was) showed no visible shape or pattern and our kicking game was appalling.
I don't see us winning this but if we can take the good bits from November and last week (the lineout, ball protection, getting our carriers into space and not just using one out runners to run into people) then I'll be a lot more confident about the team and the coaching ticket going forward. I'm not too bothered by individual mistakes (Lowe being in the right place but making a bad call for example) because they can be ironed out with selection and just gaining confidence in the game plan over time.
Also hope that we're not so wrecked from last week that we never get going or run out of steam early on.
Blue not red blood wrote: ↑February 12th, 2021, 1:56 pm
Interesting comment on Ringrose as a kicker, he only missed one kick in SCT year and has kicked the odd conversion for Leinster.
I suppose odd is right - one is an odd number after all
#LiveLifeLoveLeinster
#BeSeenBeHeardBeBlueBELIEVE
I'm a Book Mark and damn proud of it. Storm 1:08 forever
if the weather in the Aviva on Sunday is anything like it is in Dublin 15 right now, I wouldn't fancy being anyone who's job involves kicking a football
I am filled with hope rather than confidence. I think that for us to compete with the top teams we need to be close to full strength. Right now we are not there and it shows on our bench. If this was a selection for Italy I that would be good but France is a different beast.
BB looks good for Ulster but I worry that the step up is too big. I hope the pressure has a positive effect on him.
As others have said the pack looks a little light in the 2nd row and I think they will do well to lock out the scrums. The benefit is that we have 5 back rows in the pitch and hopefully they can cause the French ruck lots of difficulties. The more bodies they have to put in the ruck to defend the ball the easier it is for us to defend when it comes out.
France 4/7 and Ireland 2/1 with a draw priced at 25/1.
Those odds are even more optimistic than I feel about this game and in truth I expect a score something like 13 - 28 because of the French teamwork and confidence.
Even looking at the forecast, it appears that although it will rain for more than 24 hours from tonight in the Dublin area, it is forecast to end at about noon on Sunday and be sunny by 2 p.m. with a temperature of about 11C.
Dave Cahill wrote: ↑February 12th, 2021, 6:00 pm
if the weather in the Aviva on Sunday is anything like it is in Dublin 15 right now, I wouldn't fancy being anyone who's job involves kicking a football
Keith wrote: ↑February 12th, 2021, 8:20 pm
At least Earls has proved what we've known for quite awhile now, in that no matter how bad you play it's impossible to be dropped.
Ruckedtobits wrote: ↑February 12th, 2021, 6:45 pm
France 4/7 and Ireland 2/1 with a draw priced at 25/1.
Those odds are even more optimistic than I feel about this game and in truth I expect a score something like 13 - 28 because of the French teamwork and confidence.
Even looking at the forecast, it appears that although it will rain for more than 24 hours from tonight in the Dublin area, it is forecast to end at about noon on Sunday and be sunny by 2 p.m. with a temperature of about 11C.
When the team was announced I had a similar feeling in my gut that we are in for a hammering tomorrow. I hope to God I am wrong, I just don't think Farrell is the guy for the job and his shop own brand back room (read cheap AF) hardly inspire confidence. Far too many journeymen in that team. We've never really replaced Rory Best who was IMO one of the best leaders we've ever had, and I think that shows on the pitch, we need someone who galvinises the players on the field, nobody in that XV fits that role
Meh, we've been aware that everything we do runs through 10 (apart from Murray's box kicking) so if the ball is slowed down, we are an easy team to defend against. England have had a field day against us as a result of this. We are not subtle in how we attack, Johnny doesn't really mix it up at all, Murray offers nothing (with ball in hand) and there isn't a second playmaker to offer any variety.
Squidge is not really saying anything new there. Just playing to his audience with the overplay on his name.
Take away: (A) Billy Burns is much better than Sexton and (B) Ireland (And our Provinces) generally win when we a get a man sent off so it was more of an advantage than a disadvantage.
So we are sorted for (A) tomorrow so we just need (B) a sacrificial lamb early in the game tomorrow to give us a fighting chance, maybe Rhys could clothesline Dupont or give him a suplex or something, take one for the team. Ireland by 5?
"Horrocks went one way, Taylor the other and I was left holding the bloody hyphen!"
Prediction time.
England to beat Italy.
Scotland v Wales.
No Idea, which Scotland will show up is the real issue.
Ireland v France.
No idea, our pack can match the French pack.
A good start is vital and no soft scores would make it interesting.
France to win.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who's the greatest player of them all? It is Drico your majesty.
Oldschool wrote: ↑February 13th, 2021, 1:27 pm
Prediction time.
England to beat Italy.
Scotland v Wales.
No Idea, which Scotland will show up is the real issue.
Ireland v France.
No idea, our pack can match the French pack.
A good start is vital and no soft scores would make it interesting.
France to win.
England 5 tries to 2 versus Italy. Penalties a mystery.
Scotland to shade Wales 3 tries to 2 with equal penaltiees. A nail biter.
France to get ahead early and win comfortably with lots of penalties.
So, Joy Neville having a kip in the van in the Carpark as, first, Jonny May knocks on and then Jonny Hill crawls over the line after being tackled short. Appalling officiating.
