Rugby matters

[Mick Mac]

Fitzgerald and O Gara dropped for Saturdays St Patrick's weekend chariot bonfire.

Trimble and Sexton in. Trimble should have been in the team anyway for Darcy. Earls at fullback is a surprise choice but he is such a speed merchant it should stop England kicking the ball deep to him.

[Narnia]

Darcy is a centre. You saying Trimble plays in the centre?

[Narnia]

Preview: Ireland as the Zulus

[Mick Mac]

Grand slam me arse.

Sent with love from Dublin.

And yes declan trimble has played centre for Ireland before.

[Mick Mac]

Amazing Heineken cup final turnaround today. Leinster winning after trailing 22-6 at half time.

Nothhampton are feeling the pain today but character is built on days like this.

Brian O Driscoll now has a grand slam and 2 european cups to his name. Not to mention an Irish team beating an English team again.

[Alan Medic]

Nice post Mick. I put a tenner on Leinster at half time. I'm slightly richer now.

[????]

...Looks like the Egg Chasers are getting as bad as the Kevballers

[david_carnell]

Whilst many aspects of this report are shocking they are hardly on the same scale as football.

And whilst Moody didn?t have a great World Cup, and has never been the greatest talent, I don?t think it is in dispute how much he put his body on the line time and time again for England.

Nevertheless, heads have to roll from top to bottom. The core of English Rugby is rotten. If we want to avoid embarrassment in 2015 and the next three six nations we need radical reform and soon.

[Alan Medic]

I bought The Times today just for this story. I haven't managed to read all of it yet as the coverage is extensive but one quote I liked went along the lines " The Irish were in Queenstown too and they were worse than us, but they invited the press along".

[Mick Mac]

It does not seem that long ago when I was heading to Dublin with my English mate for the formality of England sealing the Grand Slam as a light warm up for the World Cup, which they would probaly make the final of again. Its a major fall from grace.

Don't forget however that you won the six nations this year.

[Alan Medic]

What an exciting day for rugby fans. Munster must have surprised everyone with their display against Northampton given they conceded two penalty tries.

[Mick Mac]

Who will win the 6 nations this year? The bookies suggest the following order...France Wales England Ireland Scotland Italy.

[Alan Medic]

It's written in the stars Mick. Ireland's last match at Twickenham on Paddy's day. Triple Crown at least. I'd expect Ireland to win their 3 home games, lose to France as we always do in Paris and beat England as we usually do. The question is who will beat France. Possibly Wales or even Scotland who are improving. England are in transition and I can't see how the bookies rate their chances better than Ireland's.

Putting my neck out I predict France to win 4 games and win the Championship on points difference from Ireland.22 to be more precise!

[taper]

There's no way you can see England winning anything, which means they'll put France and Ireland to the sword and lose the other three.

[Huguenot]

Early second half for me at the moment, England looking very free and impressive in parts. Liking the new style, will even accept a defeat if they're moving in the right direction.

[taper]

I thought the front row was good. With lawes in the second row and Wood returning at 7, croft on the bench aNd Morgan at 8, the pack will go better.

[Alan Medic]

I thought England looked like a new team which will take time to develop.I don't know how Scotland failed to win. They gifted England a try and missed a few great chances.

Italy looked better than both at the moment.

[Alan Medic]

Wales deserved to beat Ireland, though a bit lucky how it came about in the end. Both teams will get better but Wales with 3 home games to come cound face the French in Cardiff for the GS.

[Mick Mac]

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Wales deserved to beat Ireland, though a bit lucky

> how it came about in the end.

I was at the game Declan, it was a fantastic match apart from the first 20 mins whihc was a bit slow. Great finish, unfortunatley we were on the wrong end of it this time. Can't diagree with you about Wales being the better team, but Ireland are developing a losing habit in the 6 nations and a win would have been nice. Looked good at 23-15 with 10 mins to go.

The Life without Brian....looms large.

[Mick Mac]

Citings ...

[Alan Medic]

I think Ferris was unlucky to be penalised never mind carded. It cost Ireland the game. As for the Welsh chap. That was brutal.

[Mick Mac]

Agreed Declan. Dont think anything will come of the Ferris citing. Davies will be upgraded to red I reckon.

[El Pibe]

By the letter of the law it was definitely a penalty, he was lifted and his upper body hit the ground, even though the card was questionable. You can nitpick but it was stupidly unneccesary in the dying seconds of a game with a narrow lead within kicking distance but that far from the touch line.

Though it was no where near as bad as the Davies tackle.

[Mick Mac]

Law 10.4(j) reads: Lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground whilst that player?s feet are still off the ground such that the player?s head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground is dangerous play.

A directive was issued to all Unions and Match Officials in 2009 emphasizing the IRB?s zero-tolerance stance towards dangerous tackles and reiterating the following instructions for referees:

- The player is lifted and then forced or ?speared? into the ground (red card offence)

- The lifted player is dropped to the ground from a height with no regard to the player?s safety (red card offence)

- For all other types of dangerous lifting tackles a yellow card or penalty may be considered sufficient

El Pibe - for it to be a penalty it has to be dangerous. If you watch it, the tackled player had his foot on the ground before falling to the side. It's questionable as to whether it is dangerous, but I'm all in favour of safer rules, I guess there is no reason to lift a player.

[david_carnell]

Rob Kitson in today's Guardian makes an interesting point:

"....even schoolboy physics teaches you that what goes up must come down. If you are 6ft 6in tall and your feet and ankles are whipped from under you, the chances are that your torso will rapidly obey the law of gravity. If you stick an arm down to break your fall, the tipping process will be enhanced still further regardless of what the tackler is up to. Equally, if you weigh 12 stone and you are tackled by someone considerable stronger and heavier, you will be upended more easily. Centres of gravity can vary massively from individual to individual.

"All of which makes adjudicating on tip-tackles a minefield. On the one hand you have the IRB insisting anything around the horizontal is a heinous crime. On the other you have forwards giving everything for their countries in the final minutes of epic contests. If the referee, or his assistant, overreacts in the heat of the moment it can ruin games ? and tarnish careers ? in an instant."

Minefield.