The Front Row Union Sport - Under Milk Wood Part 2: Wales 19 Ireland 13

Under Milk Wood Part 2: Wales 19 Ireland 13

Mar 14, 2011

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We had predicted after the reasonable display against a miss-firing France that Kidney would stick pretty much with the same team and that team would inevitably loose to either Scotland or Wales. As it happened it was Wales that we lost to but it could so easily have been to both.

Ireland are a team playing out of fear of losing. Yes they can raise their game occasionally, and the match against England may be just the occasion, but against our Celtic cousins with all the familiarity of the Magners League we are bottling it.

It’s something that, here in Ulster, we’re pretty familiar with over the last few seasons. Yep we’ve had the big gung-ho games and we’ve put away all the big European teams with something to spare only to be turned over the following week with alarming ease.

You could just about live with that if Ulster had been beating the teams they should have been beating but for every European night of magic we’ve also had a Magners League business end night of dross where Ulster stopped thinking about winning and concentrated on not losing with the inevitable outcome.

Teams playing with fear don’t play well, and once they get into that mindset it can be very difficult to change. Ulster had to carry out major surgery with foreign imports before they could bring through the youth into a environment where they could thrive and Ireland need to do something similar.

Obviously they can’t bring in foreign players but the set up needs a dramatic change to get out of this rut before the next generation of Irish rugby are ruined by the fear of losing.

Unfortunately, I think we’ll beat England next Saturday and nothing will change ahead of a depressingly disappointing World Cup.

Brian O’Driscoll

One response to “Under Milk Wood Part 2: Wales 19 Ireland 13”

the mote

March 14, 2011

there are several aspects to the game

The Welsh Try

The line out was in the wrong place with the wrong ball for it to be considered a quick line out and the line out had not been formed and the thrower had a foot in play when the ball was thrown for it to constitute a proper line out — was anything right about it .No my view is that both Kaplan and Allen were mesmerised by an act of audacious Welsh opportuntunism compounded by Irish indignation.

Tactics
Both teams wanted to play the game in opposition half the Welsh were total scared of the Irish backrow playing in their 22 thus kicked anyball they had in their own half down field Fitzgerald is no Kearney when it comes to kick tennis and O Gara’s kicking was failing to find space or touch and it led to his substition on 50 mins.

Players

Firstly Rory Best
Put that red scrum cap in the bin the last thing any forward should be in a ruck or maul is easily identifiable in any 50/50 situation the call will go against a player who is easily identifiable.

Fitzgerald / Earls/ P Wallace/ Humphreys
I have stated before he is overrated a talented liability waiting to happen . he panics before/ in contact.

The four players above -all very talented each and everyone of them can see a gap quickly and have the pace to make it through on occassion in the normal league game against normal opposition . An International XV is not normal opposition the players are the physical elite- gaps close quicker and the space on the pitch is greatly reduced and the players don’t go to ground in a tackle quickly.

I would pick each and everyone them for an Interrnational VII side where they can use their talent and pace in space the game provides but pace is of little value without power when the space is not available.

What changes would I like to see ?

Firstly
Earls to full back Trimble on the wing Earls is an aggessive runner and less prone to panic than Fitzgerald

Boss as scrum half — England play possession rugby and Ireland will be lucky to have 30/40% of the possession and will therefore be defending 60% of the game. Boss plays scrumhalf as a second number 7 better than any other scrum halfs available.

Sorry Paddy but if DK was putting you on the bench to cover full back its a mistake and your place would go to either McFadden or Fitzgerald or Duffy in the absence of Kearney and Murphy

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