Saturday, February 09, 2008
And so to the rugby..
After last week’s eventful matches, Wales welcome Scotland to Cardiff and should probably expect home field advantage to win through, 2pm start - MinuteByMinute here Meanwhile.. Ireland travel to Paris to face France.. kick-off 4pm - MinuteByMinute here - I’m not making any predictions.. but it’ll be a real upset if Ireland can win that one. Italy host England tomorrow. The BBC’s iPlayer will have the matches here later. And, this time, let’s keep the discussion to the actual games themselves. Update Wales 30 - 15 Scotland. A reasonably solid home win for Wales.. with a little bit of help from the video ref.. And Unluckily for Ireland, France score first on 16mins. But Ireland get a penalty shortly after. Bah 19mins in. Ireland asleep. France score again. 29mins Ireland pull another 3 points back. 37 mins An error-strewn Irish attack ends with a French counter.. and a try. Half-time A tale of missed opportunities and errors for Ireland. France 19 - 6 Ireland. 47mins Lost lineouts abound. But the Irish defence holds. Still France 19 - 6 Ireland. 50mins Spoke too soon. France break through for another try. 58mins Pressure from the Irish forwards eventually tells. Penalty try. 61mins Suddenly Ireland are back in the game. Another try! 75mins O’Gara takes the penalty! Full-time France 26 - 21 Ireland. So close at the end. Over ambitious chip was gathered into touch. But it was [overall] a much better performance from Ireland.
Pete Baker @ 02:57 PM
peteb I’ve a feeling Trimble/O’Driscoll are going to put on a good show. 7/2 at the bookies, so that’s worth a fiver anyday. Wales looking confident, just scored!
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 03:15 PMI can’t believe that there was no comment about the monumental cock up by the English management allowing Shaun Edwards to go to the Welsh.They will regret that if they don’t already. Gatland and Edwards have coached alot of the top flight players and their combined knowledge will make the Welsh a very formidable outfit.
Very scrappy game but i think the Welsh will see the Scottish off tho it’s 17-15 at the mo.
As for the boys in Green....they can only get better right?Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 04:16 PMWe might have to wait for their next game to find that out, moochin.
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 04:24 PMWe are going to miss Darcy i think and the line out HAS to improve otherwise we could be in for a drubbing today by 2 or 3 tries.
I hope they prove me wrong.
Bit of a dubious try there now so much for technology!!Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 04:32 PM“Bit of a dubious try there now so much for technology!!”
It’s always the human element that gets it wrong, as ever..
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 04:36 PM“Bit of a dubious try” - Never ! Twinkling Shane knew exactly what he was doing. Not an entirely convincing performance from us....and this could turn out horribly for Ireland.
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 06:13 PMPenalty try hmmm I’m giving up this prediction lark.
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 06:16 PMC’mon Ireland!
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 06:20 PMTrimble man o match, camon
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 06:25 PMShane - Reddan needs to eliminate that step he makes before passing.
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 06:44 PMAnother minute and we might’ve taken the French.
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 06:58 PMaye overall we had the better game, scrum and pressure good, line-outs bad and somewhat unlucky 3 times with an excellent french wing
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 07:04 PMIreland played well in first half, France just took their chances, but we threw it away at the end - should have kept it tight. Murphy out and Bowe in. O’Connell back for Wales - otherwise same agian. Fantastic peformance.
We will kill Scotland and lightly thrash Wales if we play like that and probably edge the fatboys at Twickers.
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 07:08 PMAn excellent French wing who they had dropped for the game. O’Driscoll doesn’t seem the player he was I have to say.
GeniusPosted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 07:08 PM“and lightly thrash Wales” - You and whose army Sammy?
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 07:09 PMDewi,
just because you got a Jimmy Saville sound-a-like as defence coach and Kiwi who tells the players a few home truths doesn’t mean Wales are going to become a good rugby team. Players, Players, Players as Blair might have said.
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 07:34 PMSammy - would you like a small wager? A fiver on the game?
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 07:40 PMDewi,
of course I would, but to be fair - Ireland will start favorites with the bookies and so I will get the better end of the deal - so I’ll give you the draw.
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 07:57 PMI may have had a few Guinness too many while watching the game but I could have sworn that the commentators (on several occasions) referred to Andrew Trimble as David Trimble? Anyone else notice that or do I have politics on the brain?
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 09:25 PM“so I’ll give you the draw” - generous indeed Sammy- I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth - it’s a deal.
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 09:38 PMNo ex pat pat, I heard Phillip Matthews do that at least once. If only Andrew could have danced a jig over the French line with BOD, eh?
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 09:39 PMCome on France!!!!
Ireland (Republic of, one should say!) do not represent me as a British Citizen. Why should we be expected to stand for an international / foreign country’s national anthem (if you can call it that) and their flag!!!
Come on England, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 10:45 PMWell, we managed to get to 21 comments before the inevitable flags’n’anthems bullshit started.
That’s an improvement on last week, which in itself is in tune with what happened on the field of play.
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 11:11 PMThis shouting about being a British citizen is hilarious. It really is protesting too much. Step off the boat or plane in Britain from Ireland (North & South,) open your mouth and you are a Paddy. Everyone in the British Forces from here gets Paddy as in Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne. The British public DON’T recognise Northern Ireland, Six Counties, The Province etc. or Unionists as British and want to see the back of it ASAP. When will people start realising this? Also get rid of that Irelands Call dirge, how embarrassing was that today? Soldiers Song or Danny Boy it has to be.
Posted by on Feb 09, 2008 @ 11:43 PMCome on France!!!!
Ireland (Republic of, one should say!) do not represent me as a British Citizen. Why should we be expected to stand for an international / foreign country’s national anthem (if you can call it that) and their flag!!!
Come on England, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy!!!!!!!!!!!!
---Italy and France represent you as a British citizen?
Posted by on Feb 10, 2008 @ 12:50 AM
