Lam is the stand out coach in Europe right now for me, won the pro 14 with Connacht and looks like he will win the premiership with Bristol
His teams play great rugby, the players seem to love him and he carries himself well, just seems a proper leader.
I'm hoping wales ditch pivac and appoint him in the summer
Robertson cv with Canterbury is excellent, he seems a bit miffed he missed out on the NZ job and I reckon he'd jump at the chance to coach a major test nation (unless he thinks the ab's are going to ditch foster shortly)
Someone no body seems to mention is Baxter at Exeter done a great job wins trophy's and seems able to get the best out of players of all ranges of ability, not sure he'd leave but he must be one of the best coaches out there
Pivac's biggest problem is Gattie.
That's a very high ceiling for comparison.
Wales have to go through a major transition because Gattie's players are at or near the end of their careers.
Add in the fact the WRU invested on clearing the debt on the Millennium Stadium to the detriment of the game itself and it is going to take time, no matter who the coach is, to get Wales back up to trophy winning levels.
On the plus side, you (fans) have higher expectations than Irish fans and that feeds into your team's psyche.
Wales this season have a Triple Crown in sight and even in transition the players will respond.
Wales are nearly always better than the sum of their parts, Ireland are the opposite, rarely do we achieve our potential.
If you know how that last bit works please share your secret.
helps when the opposition get men sent off, I have a uncomfortable feeling when we play a full game vs 15 men the results will alter
Well you might be about to get another bit of luck coming your way.
Scotland could be facing a weakened France this weekend due to COVID or and more likely the following weekend. That situation gives any team that still have to play France a decided advantage.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who's the greatest player of them all? It is Drico your majesty.
Pivac's biggest problem is Gattie.
That's a very high ceiling for comparison.
Wales have to go through a major transition because Gattie's players are at or near the end of their careers.
Add in the fact the WRU invested on clearing the debt on the Millennium Stadium to the detriment of the game itself and it is going to take time, no matter who the coach is, to get Wales back up to trophy winning levels.
On the plus side, you (fans) have higher expectations than Irish fans and that feeds into your team's psyche.
Wales this season have a Triple Crown in sight and even in transition the players will respond.
Wales are nearly always better than the sum of their parts, Ireland are the opposite, rarely do we achieve our potential.
If you know how that last bit works please share your secret.
helps when the opposition get men sent off, I have a uncomfortable feeling when we play a full game vs 15 men the results will alter
Well you might be about to get another bit of luck coming your way.
Scotland could be facing a weakened France this weekend due to COVID or and more likely the following weekend. That situation gives any team that still have to play France a decided advantage.
Whether it goes ahead or not is one issue. However, of even more value may be determining the incubation period of various variants of Covid, which may be whether any Irish player tests positive between now and the weekend. Three series of Tests so far and no irish positives which certainly suggests that the French guys picked it up post-Match, but still too soon to be definitive as the suggested 14 day maximum incubation period has not passed.
The fact that the earliest French test was only 4 days after the game but they still got 'new' positives on Monday, almost a week later, is worrying from a medical perspective.
IRELAND (possible) v Italy: Hugo Keenan; Keith Earls or Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (capt), Jamison Gibson-Park; David Kilcoyne, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Iain Henderson, James Ryan; Tadhg Beirne, Will Connors, CJ Stander.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Andrew Porter, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Craig Casey, Billy Burns, Earls or Larmour.
IRELAND (possible) v Italy: Hugo Keenan; Keith Earls or Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (capt), Jamison Gibson-Park; David Kilcoyne, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Iain Henderson, James Ryan; Tadhg Beirne, Will Connors, CJ Stander.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Andrew Porter, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Craig Casey, Billy Burns, Earls or Larmour.
IRELAND (possible) v Italy: Hugo Keenan; Keith Earls or Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (capt), Jamison Gibson-Park; David Kilcoyne, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Iain Henderson, James Ryan; Tadhg Beirne, Will Connors, CJ Stander.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Andrew Porter, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Craig Casey, Billy Burns, Earls or Larmour.
That pack could go on to be the starting pack for the remaining games, assuming that JVF is to start at 7.
Strong and mobile, and gets out best available players in the field.
Saying that, that is assuming that Furlong is match fit and POC has been able to improve Kelleher’s lineouts.
In the backs, I am hearing that Murray has not been ruled out fully just yet, but even if he were fit, I think that this game should be used to get minutes into other options.
The back 3 are primed to run in a lot of tries, very exciting attacking players, but I would worry about Lowe playing against the English and French.
I personally would have liked to see him dropped for his very costly mistakes in the previous 2 games.
My prediction as always when we play Italy, is that it will be tight for 50-60 mins, but Ireland will run rampant over the last quarter and win with ease.
Good team considering the coach would probably lose his job if we lose. I'd prefer to see some longer term options at half back, but it's understandable.
“As you all know first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired.”
What else does Ruddock have to do to get picked consistently at international level?
Ruddock is a better player than VdF or Connors, but I'd pick Beirne ahead of him.
Like the front row, Kilcoyne was ahead of Healy as the pandemic hit, though Healy had his best game in a year against France. With that second row on they should mince the Italian scrum. Good lineout options and more consistent lifting should make our own throw safer and Ryan and Beirne are excellent defensive lineout operators. Would have liked younger halfbacks.
Our wings better score tries. Theirs will.
Datta: what have we given?
My friend, blood shaking my heart
The awful daring of a moment's surrender
Which an age of prudence can never retract What the thunder said to Brian Lenihan
Happy with the team. He's got some young blood in there and enough veteran's to steer the ship. Farrell must be feeling the pressure after two loses but he's still given some new guys a chance to come through. Hope Casey and Baird have good games.
BBC mention moving match to next weekend means Scotland without 10 English and French based players.
Scotland/BBC weren't bothered about France missing 10 players.
If I were Scots, it wouldn't concern me either. Senior French Squad reputed to have mixed with their Sevens Squad when they returned from Dublin, despite Sevens lads having just returned from 2 day break. Why should Scots be penalised for apparent sloppy adherence to Covid19 protocols?
Nobody should take the attacking potential of this Italian team for granted. Based on their stats from first two games, their weakness is defensive. Franco Smith seems like he has a good young half-back pairing and an exciting centree combination. Both wingers can score tries from distance or half chances and their full back is a confident attacker.
Their pack are no slouches either and nothing in the Irish line-up should frighten them. Ireland need to get 10 pts plus ahead and then keep possession rather that kicking back to them.
Seriously, does even the most rabid Leinster fan believe that we are so much better than any other province that we should supply 15 out of next weekend's starting 23. More of the same from Farrell - it's depressing, but it's coming from a coach who feels under pressure to deliver a win against a Tier 3 team like Italy rather than to build for the future. Form means feck all.
Some of the best back line moves from last week's PRO14 games came from Ulster and Connacht - the Hume, Cooney, Lowry link ups for one of Ulster's tries was a joy while Wootton showed what a strike runner he can be given some ball. No problem with Larmour coming back but Lowe is not an international level wing - all he has supplied has been a big left boot and lousy defence, he's had his opportunity but has been shown up. Ditto JGP.
And for those clamouring for Ruddock to be kept on, he was decent in last game but that's about all. Awful shame that Coombs hasn't been given a tryout. Glad to see Casey in the 23 as long as he's given a decent period of time - not come on for the last 10 minutes - minimum of 30 minutes. Has Baird done enough in recent Leinster game to show that he's a better option that Dillane
Impossible to have any confidence in this coaching team - apart from Fogarty and POC running the forwards. Farrell has effectively said that if you play west of the Shannon you can forget about playing for Ireland - with the exception maybe of Aki. Carty is a far better replacement 10 than Burns and both Marmion and Blade are better 9's than JGP. Ulster lads must also be scratching their heads - we know that Cooney just fit Farrell's thinking - for whatever reason - but Ulster has two fine talents in Hume and Lowry (and for those who say Lowry's too small for international rugby think Shane Williams and Halfpenny (no giants). But fast skilful centres other than Henshaw and Ringrose don't fit Farrell's playbook otherwise a bish bosh lump like Chris Farrell wouldn't be in the squad to the exclusion of the likes of Hume and Tom Daly.
Great too see Carbery back in the Munster 23 and young Baloucoune in the Ulster 23 - hopefully we'll see both in green sometime soon
And for those clamouring for Ruddock to be kept on, he was decent in last game but that's about all.
High levels of involvement and positive ruck impacts on top of positive impact on lineout both attacking and defensive as a jumper and lifter. What more do you want? Angry face?
Rhys can count himself very unlucky (as usual), but can see why they've went with Beirne at 6 as it gets two of our best performers over last few games and Ryan onto the pitch.
On the other hand, Baird can count himself pretty lucky based on his form to be in there. Should cause havoc when he comes in as the game loosens albeit.
