6 Nations 2023 - Ireland

[Schumi]

Baird is an absolute freak of an athlete.

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/sta ... 3719673861

I still remember the insane try he scored against the Dragons in one of the reduced capacity games after COVID. He beat two or three defenders, turned around and went back the way he came, beat some more and got up to collect an offload at the end to score.

[Oldschool]

Freddie Steward Red Card rescinded. Should have been YC.

[tigerburnie]

Some justice done, trial by slow motion replay is ruining the game, doubt the result would have changed, at least he can play for the Tigers.

[riocard911]

Freddie Steward Red Card rescinded. Should have been YC.

I don't agree with this decision at all, one, cos I think it's based on a totally wrong analysis of the facts, and two, 'cos it's grist to the mill for all those numpties, who want to put "the integrity of the game" (sic) ahead of modest attempts to improve player welfare. I'm delighted Steward got a red card and that we beat England. F*** them, the shower of whingers.

[Oldschoolsocks]

MK

Confirmed: Freddie Steward's red card rescinded.

Disciplinary panel decided it was foul play but red down to yellow card for "mitigating factors including the late change in the dynamics and positioning of the opposing player."

They’re not wrong, Keenan did dip into the collision. I thought the red was harsh at the time…

[ronk]

Stewart jumped into the collision. If Keenan doesn't dip he gets a shoulder in the face instead.

[Oldschoolsocks]

Well maybe we saw it differently so?

[blockhead]

OPTA Analyst Team of the Tournament
1. Danilo Fischetti (Italy)
Danilo Fischetti made 10 dominant tackles in the Six Nations this year, at least two more than any other player, while he made the most tackles (56) and beat the joint-most defenders of any prop (eight).
2. Julien Marchand (France)
Julien Marchand hit 67 defensive rucks in this year’s Six Nations, more than any other player. He also slowed down more opposition rucks than any other player (eight).
3. Zander Fagerson (Scotland)
Zander Fagerson was one of just 10 players to hit 100+ attacking rucks in the Championship (103) while no prop won more jackal turnovers than his two.
4. Thibaud Flament (France)
Thibaud Flament was the top-ranking second row for tries (three), metres gained (107), defenders beaten (six), line breaks (three) and tackles (81) in this year’s Six Nations.
5. James Ryan (Ireland)
James Ryan stole five lineouts in this year’s Six Nations, no other player made more than two lineout steals. He also hit the fifth most attacking rucks (122) and scored two tries.
6. Jamie Ritchie (Scotland)
Jamie Ritchie won four jackal turnovers this year – no player won more – while he also ranked in the top three players for attacking ruck effectiveness (94%, min. 30 rucks) and defensive ruck hits (54).
7. Charles Ollivon (France)
Charles Ollivon claimed 17 restart kicks, more than any other player. He didn’t drop a single one, while he was the only back row to score more than one try in the Championship (two).
8. Caelan Doris (Ireland)
Caelan Doris made the joint-most breakdown steals of any player in the Six Nations (four) and ranked in the top five forwards for carries (54), metres gained (173) and defensive ruck hits (55).
9. Antoine Dupont (France)
Antoine Dupont assisted four tries – no player assisted more in the Six Nations – while he made twice as many line breaks (two) and beat twice as many defenders (16) as any other scrum half.
10. Finn Russell (Scotland)
Finn Russell made the joint most try assists in the Six Nations this year (four), while he also averaged the most carries (13) and offloads (1. per game (min. three apps).
11. James Lowe (Ireland)
James Lowe made 10 line breaks in the Six Nations this year, at least two more than any other player, while he was directly involved in five tries (three tries, two assists). Only Damian Penaud was involved in more (6).
12. Bundee Aki (Ireland)
Bundee Aki averaged the most carries (13.4) and won the most turnovers (0.9) per 80 minutes of any centre in the Six Nations this year (min. 200 minutes).
13. Gael Fickou (France)
Gael Fickou made the most tackles of any back and the third most overall (67) while he also beat the most defenders (18) of any centre in the Championship.
14. Mack Hansen (Ireland)
Mack Hansen was directly involved in more line breaks than any other player in the Six Nations this year (14), making seven himself and assisting a Championship-high seven too.
15. Thomas Ramos (France)
Thomas Ramos scored 84 points in this year’s Six Nations, only Jonny Wilkinson has scored more in an edition of the Championship (89 in 2001); he slotted 85% of his kicks at goal, despite having an xGK of 77%.

[Ruckedtobits]

Proof once again that almost anything can be rationalised if you have enough statistics.

[Oldschool]

OPTA Analyst Team of the Tournament
1. Danilo Fischetti (Italy)
Danilo Fischetti made 10 dominant tackles in the Six Nations this year, at least two more than any other player, while he made the most tackles (56) and beat the joint-most defenders of any prop (eight).
2. Julien Marchand (France)
Julien Marchand hit 67 defensive rucks in this year’s Six Nations, more than any other player. He also slowed down more opposition rucks than any other player (eight).
3. Zander Fagerson (Scotland)
Zander Fagerson was one of just 10 players to hit 100+ attacking rucks in the Championship (103) while no prop won more jackal turnovers than his two.
4. Thibaud Flament (France)
Thibaud Flament was the top-ranking second row for tries (three), metres gained (107), defenders beaten (six), line breaks (three) and tackles (81) in this year’s Six Nations.
5. James Ryan (Ireland)
James Ryan stole five lineouts in this year’s Six Nations, no other player made more than two lineout steals. He also hit the fifth most attacking rucks (122) and scored two tries.
6. Jamie Ritchie (Scotland)
Jamie Ritchie won four jackal turnovers this year – no player won more – while he also ranked in the top three players for attacking ruck effectiveness (94%, min. 30 rucks) and defensive ruck hits (54).
7. Charles Ollivon (France)
Charles Ollivon claimed 17 restart kicks, more than any other player. He didn’t drop a single one, while he was the only back row to score more than one try in the Championship (two).
8. Caelan Doris (Ireland)
Caelan Doris made the joint-most breakdown steals of any player in the Six Nations (four) and ranked in the top five forwards for carries (54), metres gained (173) and defensive ruck hits (55).
9. Antoine Dupont (France)
Antoine Dupont assisted four tries – no player assisted more in the Six Nations – while he made twice as many line breaks (two) and beat twice as many defenders (16) as any other scrum half.
10. Finn Russell (Scotland)
Finn Russell made the joint most try assists in the Six Nations this year (four), while he also averaged the most carries (13) and offloads (1. per game (min. three apps).
11. James Lowe (Ireland)
James Lowe made 10 line breaks in the Six Nations this year, at least two more than any other player, while he was directly involved in five tries (three tries, two assists). Only Damian Penaud was involved in more (6).
12. Bundee Aki (Ireland)
Bundee Aki averaged the most carries (13.4) and won the most turnovers (0.9) per 80 minutes of any centre in the Six Nations this year (min. 200 minutes).
13. Gael Fickou (France)
Gael Fickou made the most tackles of any back and the third most overall (67) while he also beat the most defenders (18) of any centre in the Championship.
14. Mack Hansen (Ireland)
Mack Hansen was directly involved in more line breaks than any other player in the Six Nations this year (14), making seven himself and assisting a Championship-high seven too.
15. Thomas Ramos (France)
Thomas Ramos scored 84 points in this year’s Six Nations, only Jonny Wilkinson has scored more in an edition of the Championship (89 in 2001); he slotted 85% of his kicks at goal, despite having an xGK of 77%.

Ireland would beat that team so long as we got the Irish players back and they were replaced by the next best alternative.

[sunshiner1]

Question. How much in terms of finance would the Grand Slam win have added to the IRFU coffers? I'm sure right after Covid it will be a welcome amount.

[FtD]

Question. How much in terms of finance would the Grand Slam win have added to the IRFU coffers? I'm sure right after Covid it will be a welcome amount.

This piece in the IT claims it's worth €5.15m in additional prize money to the IRFU. The same piece states the IRFU's budgets are constructed based on finishing fourth, and getting c. €2.8m in prize money (on top of the tv deals etc).

A lot of the €5.15m (c. €1.5m - €2m is Gerry Thornley's estimate) is paid to the players as a bonus pool.

[Dave Cahill]

And to put the importance of the World Cup to our finances into context, if we win the World Cup it will cost us roughly €10m

[Oldschool]

And to put the importance of the World Cup to our finances into context, if we win the World Cup it will cost us roughly €10m

Any chance you could explain how that works.
Would we lose less if -
We failed to get out of our pool.
Lose a QF.
Lose a SF
Lose Final

[naraic]

And to put the importance of the World Cup to our finances into context, if we win the World Cup it will cost us roughly €10m

Wait.

I know that if we win the world cup we get prize money of something like 300K and pay out a couple of million in bonuses to the players but I don't understand where 10 million comes from.

The bonus pool isn't that large. Are you including the opportunity cost from hosting Autumn internationals?

[Dave Cahill]

And to put the importance of the World Cup to our finances into context, if we win the World Cup it will cost us roughly €10m

Wait.

I know that if we win the world cup we get prize money of something like 300K and pay out a couple of million in bonuses to the players but I don't understand where 10 million comes from.

The bonus pool isn't that large. Are you including the opportunity cost from hosting Autumn internationals?

Yes. No autumn internationals during a world cup year. I did not however include any pre tournament friendlies, so on reflection that 10m would be reduced by those games (which never sell out even at the significantly reduced ticket prices) somewhat.

[blockhead]

Dupont wins Player of the Championship with 26% of the vote.
Ireland have 10 players on the Team of the Championship, 8 from Leinster.

[Ruckedtobits]

Dupont wins Player of the Championship with 26% of the vote.
Ireland have 10 players on the Team of the Championship, 8 from Leinster.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/65115866

The above item names Team of 6 Nations and covers Dupont's selection for Player of the Season (his 3rd)

[Flash Gordon]

And to put the importance of the World Cup to our finances into context, if we win the World Cup it will cost us roughly €10m

Correct. Every 4 years you see people talking about prioritising the world cup and using the 6 Nations as as a prep tournament for the RWC whereas the reality is that the 6 Nations is the richest rugby tournament in the world and the thing that finances everything - not just Ireland but the provinces and all the investment in clubs, schools, womens' game, refs - everything.

Clearly there's an upside in potential commercial revenue but world cup years are not good years commercially for the IRFU.

[riocard911]

And to put the importance of the World Cup to our finances into context, if we win the World Cup it will cost us roughly €10m

Correct. Every 4 years you see people talking about prioritising the world cup and using the 6 Nations as as a prep tournament for the RWC whereas the reality is that the 6 Nations is the richest rugby tournament in the world and the thing that finances everything - not just Ireland but the provinces and all the investment in clubs, schools, womens' game, refs - everything.

Clearly there's an upside in potential commercial revenue but world cup years are not good years commercially for the IRFU.

Pardon my ignorance. I would have thought the income via TV broadcasting rights and advertising rights for the the RWC was huge. Is it not that big? Or where does that money go?