6 Nations 2021

[wixfjord]

Good outing.

We showed way more in attack and some very good performances.

Our lads in the backline showed some lovely touches, particularly in first half.

Hope the knocks to Larmour, Tadhg & Kelleher aren't serious. All three had good games.

Robbie is in the form of his career. It goes under the radar how good he is.

[blockhead]

Sexton was everywhere today. Great performance.

[wixfjord]

Sexton was everywhere today. Great performance.

He is still head and shoulders above the rest.

[OTT]

I thought we played really well and earnt the right to bring on the young lads like Baird and Casey and let them play in the second half without much pressure, big positive.

Just listening to virgin (Matty particularly) there and it kills me how they want to bracket things to suit some point they have built up themselves about our play. Eg they just talked up Casey there as in what he brought in this specific match which was the unknown, he doesn’t just pass it, unlike our other sh’s. Whatever any of us think about JGP or whether he is good enough against the better sides one thing he does is keeps defences honest, today he played really well, today he kept the Italians very busy in defence, today he laid the route for Casey to come on and not have to worry about anything.

I really like Casey and I think he should have been brought on against France even just for fresh legs but the need to build up players and knock others (by lack of acknowledgement) is f%~king sick.

Well done to the 23 and coaching team, hammered Italy in Rome, had the game wrapped up by the 30th minute left some more points out there and blooded some young lads. They were not able to even nearly get at us like some in the media and other sources had thought.

[Ruckedtobits]

For 45 mins, possibly the most effective back-row we've fielded for 3 seasons. A decent performance from the front five, except for Kelleher's darts in second-half. Very good mid-field running and cohesion. Lowe just hasn't the pace for an international winger. Larmour a great threat in broken field but not a good defender. Earls & Stockdale should be first choice wingers. Keenan good going forward but needs to concentrate on positioning. JGP & J10 controlled tempo well in first half.

However, many of the substitutions seemed like experiments. Cooney would probably have scored, or assisting in, two tries with the ball that Casey had (and wasted). 6N games are not for giving young players experience. They are for playing your best team of the present against your opponents of the day. Accordingly, I do not agree with selecting Casey or Baird and devaluing selection on the Ireland XV.

A decent win, with one try not awarded and two more chalked off for sloppy forward passes that could have been legit. A very inaccurate last 30 minutes, partially caused by selection, but largely the fault of poor substitutions.

[fourthirtythree]

Yeah, Matt's man love for Casey was over the top. He was pretty mixed and JGP was streets better than him. He did a lot to keep the defence honest today.

Sexton was excellent and the back row was fantastic. Beirne has to play and I'm happier with him as 6 leaving a more heavyweight second row. Two decent sets of front rows though questions still with the hookers.

Our winger stock wouldn't trouble any other team in the top 8

[cormac]

Lovely decision from the IRFU to also award a cap to the mascot

[wixfjord]

I do not agree with selecting Casey or Baird and devaluing selection on the Ireland XV.

Picking two of the most exciting young players in Irish rugby, both of whom have played in Europe, is 'devaluing' selectioin?

Give over RTB.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Decent performance overall but I didn’t see much improvement in our attack really. We were better at attacking the space and a bit more direct in the sense that we didn’t hesitate when there was a gap to run into but there was lots and lots of really terrible play to balance it out. We were slow to realign off turnover ball or after a few phases and still crabbed or kicked the ball away a bit too often.

Thought Casey and Baird were both excellent for the most part. Surprised at any criticism of Casey, put real pace into our game and was a big threat. Baird didn’t have many highlights as such but he was everywhere. Took at least three lineouts, made loads of tackles including one where he just picked someone up like they were a child, and had some really good clearouts. There were two difficult ones very similar to the ones last week that he missed but he nailed them. He had to go backwards to come through the gate for the first one and the second was close to the line when an Italian was really low and on the ball but he creased him. Really impressive.

Kelleher added an awful lot, really hope he’s not seriously injured and can start the next two games.

Henshaw and Ringrose both very good too. Nice to Ringrose get more ball in hand and really back himself. Robbie is probably in the form of his life, great to see.

Hard to read too much into it because Italy were so poor but I’m still left with the feeling most areas of our game are on the right track but our attack is still poor. I’ll be looking out for some of the stuff we saw today in the next two games (attacking the space, Switching the play, flankers getting the ball out wide) but we haven’t seen any consistency over the last 12 months so I can’t say I’m too optimistic.

[blockhead]

Sexton was everywhere today. Great performance.

He is still head and shoulders above the rest.

That's bleedin obvious to anyone without an agenda.

[Keith]

Sexton was everywhere today. Great performance.

He is still head and shoulders above the rest.

That's bleedin obvious to anyone without an agenda.

It's easy to look good against this Italian team, but yeah he is the best 10 by a mile still. I still can't believe we are in situation where Burns is in the squad, I remember laughing when he mentioned a couple of years ago, one of the reasons he joined Ulster was to try break into the Irish team but here we are.

[blockhead]

England woz robbed
Well not really.
Wales are having the luck of the Devil this season.

[Oldschool]

Sexton was everywhere today. Great performance.

He is still head and shoulders above the rest.

That's bleedin obvious to anyone without an agenda.

Whether you have an an agenda or not (I don't know if you do) what was bleedin obvious was that when they were down to 13 men our OH consistently took the wrong option.
As far as the game itself is concerned we were playing Italy, end of.
CJ offers nothing.
We need a sniping//breaking SH, with Murray at SH we're never going to get that fast running onto the ball that we could see both JGP and Casey trying to set up.
POM shouldn't be in the 23 again.
If we don't play the likes of Casey and Baird against the likes of Italy then we should pack it in as a rugby playing nation.

[blockhead]

I do have an agenda.
Pick the best 10.
It's pretty clear whom I think that is......Johnny!
Who would you go with?

[Twist]

He is still head and shoulders above the rest.

That's bleedin obvious to anyone without an agenda.

It's easy to look good against this Italian team, but yeah he is the best 10 by a mile still. I still can't believe we are in situation where Burns is in the squad, I remember laughing when he mentioned a couple of years ago, one of the reasons he joined Ulster was to try break into the Irish team but here we are.

I actually thought we looked good with the two 10s on the field. Granted the game had gone sloppy and Italy were beaten at that stage, but it increases my desire to Frawley in green

[Twist]

England woz robbed
Well not really.
Wales are having the luck of the Devil this season.

Wales have been injected with the luck virus from Red Dwarf

[blockhead]

England woz robbed
Well not really.
Wales are having the luck of the Devil this season.

Wales have been injected with the luck virus from Red Dwarf

Classic Red Dwarf (with a mention of the welsh)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa_gZ_7sdZg

[Keith]

That's bleedin obvious to anyone without an agenda.

It's easy to look good against this Italian team, but yeah he is the best 10 by a mile still. I still can't believe we are in situation where Burns is in the squad, I remember laughing when he mentioned a couple of years ago, one of the reasons he joined Ulster was to try break into the Irish team but here we are.

I actually thought we looked good with the two 10s on the field. Granted the game had gone sloppy and Italy were beaten at that stage, but it increases my desire to Frawley in green

It might be necessary to eventually have two 10s on the field if we want to improve our attack because Mike Catt sure isn't going to come up with anything.

[Oldschool]

I do have an agenda.
Pick the best 10.
It's pretty clear whom I think that is......Johnny!
Who would you go with?

We have the same agenda then although I'd expand that to the best 23.
Carty, Madigan and R. Byrne are the only viable candidates with R Byrne being the one to lose out.
Carbery not considered for the moment.

[Fan with smartphone]

Impressed again with Connors. His tackle technique is something that’s valuable with the stricter rulings. He is able to lasso the ankles and get out of the way to leave room for a jackal to come in. Potentially you are going to see a bit more of that in the defensive line rather than trying to meet people on the gainline with riskyish tackles. Certainly when defending in the opposition half.

The Ryan-Henderson-Beirne axis has passed the first (albeit not difficult) test too. I like it. Henderson in the row means it feels like we have 4 backrows in the pitch; Beirne at 6 means it feels like we have 3 locks. He’s taken on the front jumping lineout of O’Mahony no bother, and then does a bit of everything else. In this match we were able to compete on their lineout ball fairly aggressively, but without giving anything up in the maul if we didn’t get it. We’ll give bother for anybody’s lineout.

Stander is a turnover threat on the ground too as an 8, but he could fit anywhere in the backrow imo. He’s been like that for Munster a lot on the ground this year. In my book he’s been unlucky to give away a few penalties for them when jackaling. He was maybe lucky not to give one or two away today! But it means we have plenty of men who can go after the ball effectively on the deck. With Keenan covering the backfield quite well for whatever type of kick might come, there’s the makings of a decent defence there that can quickly switch to be a weapon then itself.

Our own attack was far more relaxed. Particularly sexton. Theres no way I could say he’s been going well this last while, but they were giving him all day today and it was like the old days running whatever play he chose. And he was enjoying that. JGP was setting a good tempo for him. Was prepared to have a go too. Larmour I liked! Lowe was probably the one that was still probably over eager, but I still think he’s worth persevering through the current frustration.

Look, Italy are cat at the minute, but whaddya do? It’s the momentum that we were looking for, now just have to use it!

England Wales was hilarious really and great entertainment. It’s been a good championship so far, some smashing games. Although still so weird. 6 points in it, England - Wales, last 5 minutes, and it’s totally silent.