Ireland Pool 2019 RWC

[Ruckedtobits]

I wouldn't have brought both Kearney and Earls in but I guess that barring injuries (Sexton, Henshaw, and presumably Aki) that's pretty much the team that Joe wanted to start last weekend so can understand why he'd want them playing ASAP.

Big vote of confidence in Carty. I'd have started Joey but it's great for the squad that Carty is trusted.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how our pack starts the game. Have a feeling that we'll be pretty fired up given that we reacted to the Japanese comments about Healy's scrummaging.

The Irish Squad are aware from their own interpreter that the Japanese player did NOT make any accusation against Healy's scrummaging. That was done solely by the Japanese team's interpreter and waz intended to pressure the referee group in the game on Saturday.

The Irish journos with the Squad are aware of this but there appears to be some agreement to do nothing that might give offense to their Japanese hosts. There is an all-out charm offensive in this regard at all times.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

The Irish Squad are aware from their own interpreter that the Japanese player did NOT make any accusation against Healy's scrummaging. That was done solely by the Japanese team's interpreter and waz intended to pressure the referee group in the game on Saturday.

The Irish journos with the Squad are aware of this but there appears to be some agreement to do nothing that might give offense to their Japanese hosts. There is an all-out charm offensive in this regard at all times.

Nope.

“Certainly, what was said by Kizu was a big surprise for us.

“It will probably provide a little motivation for Cian when it comes to the game on Saturday.”



https://www.the42.ie/schmidt-ireland-sc ... 8-Sep2019/

[Ruckedtobits]

That's not what the Irish team's interpreter told them after the Press conference (and reported by one of the Irish jounos on the Radio). But wharever the reality, its very unlikely that Angus Gardiner will rely on the opinion of an inexperienced Prop commenting on a player he has never played against.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I'm sure he won't, but I never said he would, I said that I think it shows we'll be fired up.

[Ruckedtobits]

Reviewing both teams, its surprising to find that Japan have only 8 / 9 players who have faced Ireland before, despite the Irish Tour in June 2017 when they had two Test matches. Ireland's 2017 Lions obviously wern't on that Tour but nevertheless we have Earls, Ringrose, Farrell, Carberry, McGrath, Healy, Porter, Kilcoyne, Ryan, Ruddock and Van der Flyer in harness returning to face the Cherry Blossoms at home.

That's the value of long-term planning and building the depth of the Squad as well.

[cormac]

28 of the 31-man squad involved in the first two games.

[fourthirtythree]

Just what did Angus Gardner rely on in the France Argentina match? Because I, like him, had no clue.

I don't know will his pre-match briefing for the teams go something like "watch me on the box the other day? Well we've reviewed the footage and that's what we won't be doing this time."?

[Dexter]

Rey Lee-lo banned for the rest of the group stages.
Six-game entry point reduced to three due to "disciplinary record, good character and conduct at the hearing."
So the same as Hodge basically.

[wixfjord]

That's one less demolition man that Samoa will have to take out one of our lads in the last game at least.

Did the hooker get anything?

[Oldschool]

That's one less demolition man that Samoa will have to take out one of our lads in the last game at least.

Did the hooker get anything?

Our problem is that we don't have any cannon fodder.
Who's Joe going to protect, does he even need to consider it.

[Ruckedtobits]

Interesting comment from somebody, now in Kobe, 'close to' the Irish travelling party. They said that Irish party are generally trying to fraternise with Japanese rugby because they would hope to be 'adopted' by Japanese fans, if Japan don't qualify for Q/F.

Because Japan are in our Pool, Japanese fans hold the biggest proportion of Tickets for both of our potential Q/F games. If we establish very good rapport with Japanese team, coaches and officials and they do not make the Q/F, we hope they will support us, rather than SA.

As it has been suggested that perhaps as many as 9,000 Irish fans may have tickets for Q/F versus South Africa and it is estimated that there may be as many as 10,000 SA supporters at that game, if we could get 50% of the Japanese fans on our side - possibly as many as 12,000 - it would be a great advantage to our team.

The Japanese are big supporters of NZ rugby but the Irish are considered as the 'good little guys from the island beside England'. As such, culturally, Japan sees a lot of paralells with the Irish.

Although it all sounds like geo-politics, I was assured that the Irish Embassy staff and all bodies who are associated with Japanese - Irish trade have bought into this strategy and support it. So, although the email I received may have had an element of 'post-dinner lucidity', it seems that there is a strategic plan in place off the field also.

Whoever would have thought that Joe wasn't the only one who sweats the details

[johng]

That's one less demolition man that Samoa will have to take out one of our lads in the last game at least.

Did the hooker get anything?

Retrospective yellow i heard

[Oldschool]

Reviewing both teams, its surprising to find that Japan have only 8 / 9 players who have faced Ireland before, despite the Irish Tour in June 2017 when they had two Test matches. Ireland's 2017 Lions obviously wern't on that Tour but nevertheless we have Earls, Ringrose, Farrell, Carberry, McGrath, Healy, Porter, Kilcoyne, Ryan, Ruddock and Van der Flyer in harness returning to face the Cherry Blossoms at home.

That's the value of long-term planning and building the depth of the Squad as well.

Wondering what kind of result we should be expecting.
A win and a bp one at that.
What can we expect from Japan, will they have an eye on their winner takes all game against Scotland or will they go for it against us.
Given our fast start and how quickly we settled against Scotland, the only real concern we should have is that we are playing the host nation.
It will be interesting to see how Joe uses the bench if all goes according to plan.
I suppose it will be just as interesting if all isn't going to plan.

[johng]

That's one less demolition man that Samoa will have to take out one of our lads in the last game at least.

Did the hooker get anything?

Retrospective yellow i heard

Correction. Decision coming tomorrow https://www.world.rugby/news/485024

[Ruckedtobits]

Reviewing both teams, its surprising to find that Japan have only 8 / 9 players who have faced Ireland before, despite the Irish Tour in June 2017 when they had two Test matches. Ireland's 2017 Lions obviously wern't on that Tour but nevertheless we have Earls, Ringrose, Farrell, Carberry, McGrath, Healy, Porter, Kilcoyne, Ryan, Ruddock and Van der Flyer in harness returning to face the Cherry Blossoms at home.

That's the value of long-term planning and building the depth of the Squad as well.

Wondering what kind of result we should be expecting.
A win and a bp one at that.
What can we expect from Japan, will they have an eye on their winner takes all game against Scotland or will they go for it against us.
Given our fast start and how quickly we settled against Scotland, the only real concern we should have is that we are playing the host nation.
It will be interesting to see how Joe uses the bench if all goes according to plan.
I suppose it will be just as interesting if all isn't going to plan.

I suspect we have to play this in the same way we approached Scotland, whom we expected to try to play an open fast game. Our defensive outlook and execution was our strongest suit last week and I hope it's the same again.

I'd hope for structured line-out / mauls and disciplined kicking with competition, combined with short-side ball in hand attacks and Carty finding both territory for grubber kicks and diagonal kick-passes. Carty, Farrell and Ringrose to combine judicously to put Earls and Stockdale into one-on-one competitions.

I expect the patterns to be aggressively conservative - solely to minimise the opportunities for Japan to loosen up the game. Murray, Carty and Kearney will direct the game flow and I expect us to play hard and fairly fast with our pack imposing themselves on Japan.

Both SA (3 weeks ago) & NZ have put 50+ points on Japan. We should target the same, but, I expect the majority in the second-half.

[tomthefan]

The official scottish rugby podcast has been coming out once a week like clockwork. This week's one should have been up yesterday.

https://player.fm/series/series-2478239

[wixfjord]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby-world-cu ... says-feek/

Feek doesn't sound hugely optimistic on Conan's injury.

Really hope that it's not a tournament ender. Hugely unfortunate for him to happen when it happened.

I assume we'll want to rest the backrow against Samoa so might be forced into calling in Jordi even if Conan's is a 2 week one.

[wixfjord]

Also interesting quotes from Schmidt here about more 'width' this weekend.

“We didn’t really get the chance to play with too much width in the conditions and while Scotland did a little bit, I think some of the time we profited from that, rather than them, because it was one of those days when you had to be a little bit more measured with your passing.

“They made a few errors and we probably got an opportunity to capitalize on the back of those. So I think you’ll see us play with a bit more width.”

I think that might be a little bit of a double bluff. Not sure we'll want to play *too* wide and open the game up for the Japanese with that pack out there.

[neill_m]

That's one less demolition man that Samoa will have to take out one of our lads in the last game at least.

Did the hooker get anything?

Retrospective yellow i heard

Correction. Decision coming tomorrow https://www.world.rugby/news/485024

3 game ban for Motu Matu'u.

[dropkick]

The official scottish rugby podcast has been coming out once a week like clockwork. This week's one should have been up yesterday.

https://player.fm/series/series-2478239

Was listening to one or two Scottish podcasts last week. They were confident of winning. I always get the impression they think there's very little between Ireland and Scotland.