England V Ireland 6 Nations 2014

[Fireworks]

Tick Tick Tick Tick. Clock keeps moving slowly towards kick off. Probably a bit early in the week to start a count down.

[flustered]

Thank you Fireworks, might be a plan to go there! the women might need a seat tho!

[simonokeeffe]

George Ford is officially going to be on the bench too

A. we have them worried/they have a fitness worry
B. looks like Farrell is covering centre and 23 will be a back 3 player but looks like an imbalance there
C. Ford's goalkicking is suspect from what Ive seen even, though his volume of goals is high I dont think he has good percentages

[flustered]

I'd say we might see Ford come in at 10 at some stage and Farrell to 12 (where his long term future will be IMO). Still have Farrell to kick the goals and leave Ford to concentrate on other jobs. Ford is very very good! I don't think they have a fitness worry, he is probably coming into the bench for Barritt, if they are losing and need to change things having Barrett as an option off the bench is not good! I see Ford/Farrell at 10/12 by the end of the competition!

[flustered]

Brian O'Driscoll is expected to be fully fit for this weekend's Six Nations clash at Twickenham despite missing training on Tuesday due to illness.

The 35-year-old was reportedly 'under the weather' but is likely to take part in full training this Thursday, according to Ireland's assistant coach Les Kiss.

Kiss said: "Brian has a slight little bug but he will be fine for Thursday - and Saturday's international.


"Brian has a slight little bug but he will be fine for Thursday - and Saturday's international."

Les Kiss



"We're just managing it now, so we expect him to be fully fine by Thursday. He's not feeling the best - put it that way."

Kiss also said the Irish management team is delighted that Munster lock Donnacha Ryan was fit again.

He added: "It's great to see Donnacha back. He's come back in and trained the house down.

"He's a definite option. We've just got to consider everything and what our stocks are in that area.

"But it's certainly timely for him to be back after Dan Tuohy's injury (broken arm).

"Probably some pluses with Donnacha are that he's worked a lot with Paul (O'Connell, Ireland skipper) in terms of the line-out, and the calling systems are not too far removed in terms of that type of transfer, so that knowledge is a plus.

"In terms of the defensive and attack changes we've made since Joe's come along, he's got to get his head around those pretty quickly, but Donnacha's a smart boy."

Organised

And Kiss has singled out Billy Twelvetrees as being a key performer for England.

He went on: "I think he has developed that nice, organised mindset in his game very well.

"He's like a New Zealand second-five eighth, and does facilitate what they are trying to achieve in attack and offers them the ability to go both sides of the ruck, and so do (Jack) Nowell and (Mike) Brown and even (Jonny) May.

"It keeps you alive across the field, and I think Twelvetrees' game is critical for that, because it helps (Owen) Farrell as well.

"And that allows the brilliance of some of their individuals to come to the fore.

"Young Jack Nowell for example has been encouraged to throw himself into different moments of the game.

"That may look a little unstructured but they set that part of it up, even Danny Care having a dart here and there.

"And when you've got guys like Twelvetrees, Brown and May there, they can shift their game when they need to.

"They will eke out or look for the weaknesses and mismatches in your defence, so we just need to have our heads-up this week, that's for sure."

[Oldschool]

Think we need 22 points to win.
Where will we get them?

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I'd say we might see Ford come in at 10 at some stage and Farrell to 12 (where his long term future will be IMO). Still have Farrell to kick the goals and leave Ford to concentrate on other jobs. Ford is very very good! I don't think they have a fitness worry, he is probably coming into the bench for Barritt, if they are losing and need to change things having Barrett as an option off the bench is not good! I see Ford/Farrell at 10/12 by the end of the competition!

He is but it'll be hard for England to hide him in defence the way Bath do given that he's not a regular member of the team. I don't think he's ready to run a game like this yet to be honest. Talented guy though.

[Lar]

Think we need 22 points to win.
Where will we get them?

Try: Healy
Con: Sexton
Pens: Sexton (4), Jackson

[CiaranIrl]

Think we need 22 points to win.
Where will we get them?

Try: Healy
Con: Sexton
Pens: Sexton (4), Jackson

Screw that...

Try: O'Driscoll (3)
Con: Sexton (2)
Pens: Sexton

[No23]

I was wondering if the current fate of Zebo wrt to the Irish extended squad has been predicated by his performance on the N. American tour last year. If I recall just prior to his departure for the Lions in Aussie, he had a dreadful game against the USA and maybe this is the real reason why he is excluded from the squad.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Don't remember Zebo being poor as such but I think I had about as much impact on the game as I watched it from Dublin. He was due to fly out to the Lions after the game and just did his best to avoid getting injured, don't blame him to be honest. It was a cr@p Ireland performance all round. If anything, staying away from the ball probably made him look better than the others.

[simonokeeffe]

I'd say we might see Ford come in at 10 at some stage and Farrell to 12 (where his long term future will be IMO). Still have Farrell to kick the goals and leave Ford to concentrate on other jobs. Ford is very very good! I don't think they have a fitness worry, he is probably coming into the bench for Barritt, if they are losing and need to change things having Barrett as an option off the bench is not good! I see Ford/Farrell at 10/12 by the end of the competition!

He is but it'll be hard for England to hide him in defence the way Bath do given that he's not a regular member of the team. I don't think he's ready to run a game like this yet to be honest. Talented guy though.

Farrell to 12 pushes 36 to 13 and dont think he has ever really played there
Farrell to 13 BOD can defend with his pipe and slippers and theyll (have to) play Saracens style rugby without the platform to do it
GT is tipping Alex Goode in 23 jersey so they end up with 2 15s in back 3 if he replaces a winger which I would happily take (as an irishman)

I cant see a substitution permeatation in that backline that doesnt unbalance and weaken it
Plus if Ford is ready for international rugby why wasnt he given his babysteps in Murrayfield?

[Vamos los azules]

Plus if Ford is ready for international rugby why wasnt he given his babysteps in Murrayfield?

That match became too important after England lost to France in round 1. The sight of men in white shirts and songs about chariots usually whips the Scots up to a higher level of performance and I don't think Lancaster could risk a rookie when the rest of the backline are also so inexperienced.

Imagine what an Ireland team with all of Healy, Ferris and O'Brien in it would do to teeny weeny Ford though

[suisse]

Tick Tick Tick Tick. Clock keeps moving slowly towards kick off. Probably a bit early in the week to start a count down.

Annoying, isn't it? I can't believe it is just Wednesday morning.

[simonokeeffe]

Plus if Ford is ready for international rugby why wasnt he given his babysteps in Murrayfield?

That match became too important after England lost to France in round 1. The sight of men in white shirts and songs about chariots usually whips the Scots up to a higher level of performance and I don't think Lancaster could risk a rookie when the rest of the backline are also so inexperienced.

Imagine what an Ireland team with all of Healy, Ferris and O'Brien in it would do to teeny weeny Ford though

Scotland (under SJ) essentially paraphrase that Marilyn Monroe quote: if you think we're woeful at our best you don't want to know about us at our worst

Rev. Trimble, Church etc would love a run at Ford; no amount of Premiership rugby can prepare him for POM's angry face

[suisse]

Unsurprisingly, according to Gerry T, Ireland will name an unchanged XV for the game.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/i ... -1.1696355

Whereas England have been denied the opportunity to stick with the same team in the opening three games of the Six Nations for the first time since
2000 due to Dan Cole being hors de combat, Ireland have every opportunity and incentive to stick with the same starting XV which impressively accounted for Wales.

On Simon Zebo:

“Simon is playing well,” admitted Kiss. “He just needs to keep putting his hand up because we are very cognisant of the fact that he is improving and getting back into some form . . . we always keep an eye on him but the guys who have been in there have performed well and also Fergus (McFadden) has been good for us too so those guys have earned their stay.”

Gerry doesn't lnow the make up of the bench though and this is evident by naming three second rows as possibilities.

[desperado]

Has anyone studied/observed whether Hartley is a good striker of the ball? I haven't looked at this aspect in Englands scrums from the AI's or first games in this 6N. Recall that Best has a good strike in this lost art of hooking and got at Hibbard once or twice? (also that Cronin can't or at least is not comfortable at it).

[domhnallj]

Has anyone studied/observed whether Hartley is a good striker of the ball? I haven't looked at this aspect in Englands scrums from the AI's or first games in this 6N. Recall that Best has a good strike in this lost art of hooking and got at Hibbard once or twice? (also that Cronin can't or at least is not comfortable at it).

I think both himself and Youngs have adapted well to this aspect of the game. Youngs seems to have picked up the yips with his throw and can't shake them.

[flustered]

I'd say we might see Ford come in at 10 at some stage and Farrell to 12 (where his long term future will be IMO). Still have Farrell to kick the goals and leave Ford to concentrate on other jobs. Ford is very very good! I don't think they have a fitness worry, he is probably coming into the bench for Barritt, if they are losing and need to change things having Barrett as an option off the bench is not good! I see Ford/Farrell at 10/12 by the end of the competition!

He is but it'll be hard for England to hide him in defence the way Bath do given that he's not a regular member of the team. I don't think he's ready to run a game like this yet to be honest. Talented guy though.

Farrell to 12 pushes 36 to 13 and dont think he has ever really played there
Farrell to 13 BOD can defend with his pipe and slippers and theyll (have to) play Saracens style rugby without the platform to do it
GT is tipping Alex Goode in 23 jersey so they end up with 2 15s in back 3 if he replaces a winger which I would happily take (as an irishman)

I cant see a substitution permeatation in that backline that doesnt unbalance and weaken it
Plus if Ford is ready for international rugby why wasnt he given his babysteps in Murrayfield?

Burrell will stay at 13 and 36 off the pitch (I don't rate him!! - 36 that is)

Keep Care and Vunipola quiet, penalty count low and high balls away from Brown (he is good under the high ball - not RK good tho) and we will go a long way to winning this match. Ireland by 6!! (I think!!!)

[Fireworks]

Tick Tick Tick Tick. Clock keeps moving slowly towards kick off. Probably a bit early in the week to start a count down.

Annoying, isn't it? I can't believe it is just Wednesday morning.

Annoying is putting it mildly. A least the game tomorrow will break it up a bit.

So much talk so little action.