The shame is of the irish I'd only take Healy, POC and Sexton over their welsh counterparts if they were all playing at their best. But its a team game and Ireland are currently a better team.
My instinct is to agree with this and I see Ireland as the better collective group of players at the moment too. What we easily forget is that Sexton, O'Connel, BOD etc's limited game time lately too and/ or ongoing injury concerns are not different really to similar thing within the Welsh team. Sexton's hamstring has been up and down lately for example and who knows how he is really doing (despite a good break last weekend).
I think the game is so tough nowadays and injuries so frequent that you can't really be a club player and international player at the same time. Roberts, Warburton, Gethin, etc are prime examples of players who give everything come international time but spend most of the club season injured.
Interesting that everyone predicts an Irish win. Sadly I too have the same prediction 😥
I'd only take the two Jones', Roberts, North and Halfpenny from the Welsh side. Looking at the forecast it looks like it could be 10 man rugby which will suit us very well. Ire by less than one score
Top international stadiums with shite pitches.......extraordinary?
Ulster Ospreys on bbc2
Murrayfield tomorrow..rain wind pitch cut to bits..........expecting forwards battle with high ball bombs looking forward to
Hogg vs Brown ( this tournament has some outstanding 15s)
Fusaro vs the referee ( not seen the lad play on real time but heard a fair bit from Scottish friends)
Hamilton defending himself against Hartley
Scotland cannot cross the gainline and really do not a 10 thankfully they are not playing Hogg there
I expect it to be closer than predicted but England will win by 10
Wales to beat Ireland by 3.......irish were not good last week and Hibberts tackling was dominant
Wynn Jones vs O'Connell
Welsh front row will be dominant
France to beat Italy.............unlikely but I do think the Italians could be winners here, more I hope they will than a reality I am afraid to say
Hibbard is better than Best both have shite darts but Hibbard is a machine. Faletau is better than that show pony you have. Id have both Tips and Warbs over Henry (but not SOB to be fair). Scott Williams is better than the player BOD currently is too. Your 9 would get the nod over Phillips in much the same way I suppose. Oh and neither of your wingers are better than Cuthbert for all his faults he does score lots of tries, Trimble and the fullbacks bro are honest triers but nothing more.
As you say it'll be won and lost upfront and Wales only having one decent lineout option in AW Jones and a scrum that has gone from being a strength to a liability with the new rules dont fill anyone with much hope.
In other news, how good was Hogg v Ireland, shame about the dross in front of him 🙁
In terms of form this season I agree on Tips but He isn't starting. Henry has been in outstanding form as has Heaslip, Best and Trimble. I'm far from Heaslips biggest fan but he has been playing very well.
Hogg was Scotland's only player last week.
Henry has been storming lately and will be hard for the Welsh to keep quiet. A guess a lot too depends on how the breakdown is refereed. What is the forecast on that front?
Heaslip... I'm less convinced. He might well do a lot of work that goes largely unseen but he always looks like he plays with the physically of a five foot nothing 9 but in an 8's body.
Wayne Barnes is ref so plenty of pens!
I hope it isn't like Ulster Ospreys currently, blowing a gale and pissing down making for very poor watching
its a 3 nil thriller at half time in the u20's!! the kick from the wales 10 is the most incredible thing I've ever seen, it turned 90 degrees when the wind caught it and took it over.
Ospreys 7-3 up at ht. Morgan looks very sharp at 10, best player on the pitch. It's getting really rough over here
Very much enjoying the u20 game!
Worcester v Leicester is a decent game. 19 - 17 to Worcs.
Hogg is very very good, saw a good few times last year and impressed could be a real superstar
Brown is what England need, edgy in the face player great runner and much more disciplined
r Kearney is better than a just a honest trier good under the high ball
but all pale in comparison to Halfpenny.
The art of the hooker....actually hooking in the scrum and being able to throw in has been lost......
r Kearney is better than a just a honest trier good under the high ball
I was talking about the winger brother.
How many chances are the Ospreys going to butcher?
Looks like Eli Walker bust his hamstring again. If he had given that pass Ospreys would have won.
****ing hell trebaldi you stupid ****.
Sad to see Eli come on almost score and then go off again, hope its not the hamstring again.
Ulster had too much composure and class.
That was satisfying 🙂
godammit, we went down 23-22!
That as close to a win as we'll see the rest of this season then 🙂
The boys loved it though (took a load of U7 lads from the club)
Stoner, was at the Sale game - when they announced the result of the Wuss game a groan went up around the ground, people seemed to really feel for Wuss.
Worcs actually played alright. They even scored a try this time! 🙂
But not even Loser's bonus points is going to salvage the season for us
Hoping for a Scottish win today but fully expect England to win by 12 to 15 points :|. Even the weather is against Scotland today. Only thing we can ask is that the Scottish team leave the pitch having given everything.
Why is the weather against you gordi? What's they local take on Brown not even making the bench. He seemed ok last week.
Forecast says gales and hail so since Scotland are prone to handling errors anyway I think we will struggle to keep posession.
I haven't seen last weeks game by all accounts Scotland were poor and Brown was no worse than many. Slightly puzzling decision to drop him.
Remember Andy Nichols blue lips and hope. Of course, I will be hoping that it goes to form but a wet M'field always makes me nervous. Instead of the usual marketing BS, don't you think the SRU should just run a video of CMD from yesterday!!! 😉 Lancaster has already asked wee eck to talk to the English team!!
Scotlands secret plan is to get John Swinney to give his budget speech to the england pack just before kick off in the hope that they fall asleep 🙂
Anyway don't want to hijack the thread.
Let's hope it's a good game and the weather/pitch aren't too bad. Relishing the starter in Dublin more though. Great afternoon. Just need to get as many jobs done now so that the "boss" doesn't complain if I am watching both matches later!!!!!
His many brownie points can I get in in just under 3 hours?
It is a bit puzzling as why Brown was dropped, given he was selected as captain after Johnson said he would only be named captain if he warranted a certain place in the team and also puzzling because Ryan Wilson was totally outplayed last week.
I know Kelly, having taught him at school and he will be philosophical about this and when he is next given a chance he will show his usual work rate, commitment and determination to prove the doubters wrong.
I'd have thought his "inside Knowledge" of the English players may have been useful today?
Despite getting MOM last week, Heaslip was poor IMO.
Played like he wanted to be a back hanging round on the wing.
Gave passes so others took the contact when he did get it close and generally fannied about all through. First time I noticed him actually put head down and bash the gainline was 79th minute when he'd just been tannoyed for his award. He's got away with it with SOB in the side but was shown up by Denton last week. Not saying Henry had a bad game at all, he didn't, but Heaslip really needs to play like a proper 8 in this line up.
Last time I remember him fannying about so much was when the Ozzies battered Ireland in the autumn. Looked like he didn't want to break a nail then too. Thing is, next game he matched Kieran Read so he can do it when he really wants to.
Never captain material though - his inconsistency looks down to commitment not skill.
I for one am just looking forward to the respectful cheers from the Irish crowd when Y Gat arrives. After all, no one likes boo-boys, do they?
😉
Sounds like the Welsh can't shut up about their coaches' decicions last summer.
Not just the internet experts but now Howley's on it too this week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/26076932
No surprise if they don't get a little bit back today. 😉
I loved it two years ago when the "silent for the kickers" irish crowed booed halfpennies winning kick!
I expect England Scotland to be close, England rarely run away with the game at Murrayfield - add in weather and pitch problems and I think we are looking at a 0-5 point margin, hopefully to England.
biggest question of the day is who has the best beard?
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Anyone not getting sound on the BBC online coverage?
I wasnt but then was when going thru the watch live page rather than the sports pages.
Weather looks better than expected.
Enjoy.....
Lets hope Barnes doesn't spoil this. He tends to a bit pedantic and likes to be the main attraction!
Errrrrrr, penalty errrrrr.......against green????
Guessing at the highest level!!!!
Wales doing well to hold this to 6pts so far. Needs a spark???
Oh dear what a line out.
Good kick, good line out - easy try.
Wales playing like clowns 🙁
