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Ireland v Wales
Ireland v Wales
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But the key is has his pace improved from last season ? If you remember the incident, he was caught badly for a fresh winger off the bench when you'd expect a wingers to finish with ease. Bowe had just run 90 meters after 80 mins of rugby, different circumstances.
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Cant remember that incident redroar tbh.
Fitzgerald's sprint stats are off the charts. Proper athlete. What was it about playing 15 that you think knocked his confidence Dunc? |
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Would that be top of the pops charts icbd ?
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I'd have George North over Fitzgerald any day of the week to be honest (and not in a sexual way either).
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Arguably our quickest ever international player, I would have thought. Him and Hickie.
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I hadn't noticed but will keep an eye out for him.
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I'd be inclined to agree big dunc,you would have imagined those same qualities would have made 15 a good option for him but he didn't really look comfortable there. Similar to McFadden he can do a good job on the wing but we're not getting the most out of him there.
Regardless he needs to pick/or be put into one position consistently because all this switching positions is stunting his progress |
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I'd imagine the high ball knocked his confidence. He dropped a few to start off with and things got worse from there as he found himself trying too hard to compensate for the errors and forcing the play too often.
He said that he wanted to play 15, but the coaches should know better and pick him where he can play to his strengths. Ireland have a conveyor belt of back three and back row players, but it seems little is being done to convert any of these players into props, second rows or centres, which is where we are lacking most. Agree on McFadden as well, redroar. He is definitely a centre, just like I think Earls is a winger. The one thing not open for debate on Earls is that he know where the tryline is and that he's a lethal finisher. |
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PS In the World Cup Bowe was carved down by O'Connor, who came from the other side of the pitch and had also played the full 80 mins.
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I thought Ireland were out-coached in the RWC game and didn't adapt enough during the game to Wales tactics. Ireland also defended poorly for a couple of the tries. I think Kidney will have worked very on hard on the areas that went wrong in NZ so Ireland should put in a better performance.
Wales are missing key players and regardless of the mind games about injuries, Roberts can't be anywhere near match fitness after over 6 weeks out. Home advantage and respective form at club level is also favours Ireland. |
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Paranoia is kicking in I am afraid;
- They have beaten us last two times - Their backline terrifies me - Everyone v confident Ireland will win which is usually recipe for disaster for us  |
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As a Welshman I'm expecting Ireland to win this time, but would be delighted if we somehow fall over the line.
Dublin is a tough assignment first up and I feel Wales will need a couple of games and some returning players before hitting their straps (they could beat France at home and get up on England at Twickers). The bigger picture is positive though with a few young players being given the game time that they'll need if we're going to be a force again at RWC 2015. |
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Personally I think Wales are a great price. It's a shame Lydiate, A.Jones and Jenkins are out but there is so much young quality in the side that they can really open up Ireland.
Cant wait to see Faletau as he has been man of the match for the dragons in almost the last 3 hes played in. Unbelievable form at the moment and even if Roberts isn't that fit, there's Scott Williams on the bench. |
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Ireland will play a conservative game based on forwards dominance. If they gain the upper hand there then Wales' backline talent becomes less of a factor. I'm still not convinced by Rhys Priestland. He had an exceptional World Cup, but still throws in far too many blunders for my liking.
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not many fancied england yesterday
not many fancy wales today |
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Ireland should have the majority of possession from the lineout, just depends how they use it.
Looking forward to seeing if Alex Cuthbert can make the transition. He's a big unit on the wing. |
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ok dumb question - why are wales shorter than ireland to win the 6 nations, but ireland shorter than wales for this match?
is it purely down to home advantage? |
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it'll be the fixtures following this
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NonShy..
it'll be the fixtures following this what about them though? they are both playing the same teams after all |
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or could it be something to do with the lack of depth in the Irish squad if they pick up injuries?
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Wales have three home fixtures left after this one.
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yes JOCI but we havent played this match yet have we
at this stage, both teams have 3 home fixtures and 2 away fixtures... the only difference i can see is that wales have france at home, ireland have wales at home otherwise their fixture list is identical, both have italy/scotland home and england away so is that single fixture difference enough to skew the odds that much? or am i missing something? |
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Ireland play England and France away. Ireland have not won in France for around 30 years.
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big_dunc
Ireland play England and France away. Ireland have not won in France for around 30 years. both play england away. but yes that France record must be a big part of it i guess. |
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Apart from BOD's 3 try day of course.
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If you were to select a combined backline from the team on show today, how many Irishmen would get in? Not many!
Bowe, probably. Though I think Cuthbert could turn out to be very useful. Kearney, well, maybe. Though Halfpenny is quicker and arguably more exciting. So, I make that 1 Irish back in a combined backline, possibly 2 |
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Thanks for correcting me, icbd. I think it was around 30 years up to that win so that's one victory in around forty years on French soil.
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Trimble would be the only Irish back that I would definitely have in a combination. Probably Sexton too.
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Ya, '72 also, so 2 wins in 40 years. Very hard to see us making it 3 next week.
Not sure you can rank Trimble ahead of Bowe, though I know where you are coming from. Bowe's strike rate at the top level, in big games is very impressive. He simply gets the job done. He may not be in scintillating club form but somehow seems to have the X factor when he steps up a level. I like Trimble and would pick him for Ireland, but for all his attributes, I don't think he is the greatest footballer. I never fancy his chances of taking a difficult pass. Not a great distributor either (and I know that's why he play on the wing, but still there are ****s, not as rounded a player as Bowe). |
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* c hinks
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Wales being shorter in the outright and GS seems obvious.
The price for them to beat Ire today is shorter than Ire are to beat Fra next week. Their remaining fixtures, as you say, are the same. Other than that the two teams are broadly rated as being on a level par by the layers before the tournie starts. |
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come on ICBD - not the old "who makes it into a combined side" again nonsense......
Hardly any dogs would win on that basis and Eng wouldn't have won a game since 2003  |
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Sorry, I see you are putting it in a different context looking at the backs only and picking most Welsh players. I'll retract my comment other than to say it's how they work as a team that counts - individual talent counts as nothing - see Osp fans for details.....
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I agree with all of the above, icbd. Bowe is a bit like Vincent Clerc for France. Often outshadowed at club level, but consistently gets the job done on the biggest stage. I was talking purely from a form perspective at the moment. If we're going on what I think would be the best combination in general, then it's:
Phillips, Sexton, North, Roberts, Davies, Bowe, Kearney. |
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As Vis says though, it has little relevance as it's all about combinations and how players gel. Roberts & Davies must be one of the best centre pairings in world rugby.
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Really like us to win again here,Gatland not picking Byrne is worth at least 5 pts and Roberts and Davies will smash through the lightweight Irish defence.KO scheduled for 3.00 call it half past by the time the Irish have sung all 6 of their anthems and generally tooled around.
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If Ireland lose today I won't post here for the rest of the year. Everything teed up well for them and can't possibly have any excuses.
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Clerc is an excellent analogy.
I guess the thing is Vis, it's a very long time since a combined backline of 2 'Home Nations' teams would not have included a majority of Irish players. This is a serious Welsh team emerging. Gatland has beaten Kidney 3/5 times, and one of Kidney's wins was that GS game where Jones had the kick to win it at the end. And speaking of it all being about combinations and players gelling, somehow Wales seem to be better than the sum of their provincial parts and Ireland less than the sum of theirs. I've seen worse bets than Wales north of 2/1. Should provide an excellent trading position as well; this is going to be tight. |
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If Ireland lose today I won't post here for the rest of the year.
 We won't hold you to that! |
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No value in Ireland. I think well just edge it but I wont be backing at 1.54
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