RWC 2011: Pool C: Wallabies v Ireland (updated & finalised team lists)

[Geeves]

Well yes it about time I started stirring them that wear green by launching my typical one-eyed view on the upcoming match.  Despite these negative beginnings I’ll troll my myopic vision over each sides efforts so far, injuries, the team list and then launch into my predictions.  Any guess on what I’m thinking?  As this game will determine the winner of the Pool it’s a vitally important win.

So let’s look at each side’s previous game.  Well the Wallabies played to the conditions in the first half and were nervous.  They did however, get themselves well and truly into the swing of things in the second half and let’s face it slaughtered the Italians in a brilliant attacking display and finished with a score of 32-6 including 4 tries.  The wallabies asserted forwards dominance but there were some questions still asked about the scrum and the lineout once Polota-Nau came on as he still can’t throw the ball properly.  The wallabies are the tri-nations champion and no we should not give up the trophy to NZ as next year SANZAR (a new acronym needed) includes the Pumas and a new trophy to stamp wallabies on.

As for Ireland, they defeated the USA 22 to 10 and scored 3 tries.   But to be brutally honest (I’ll keep pretending) Ireland were their own worst enemy in that game.  Yes the USA defence was sound to good but hell if you drop the ball that many times while controlling territory you have got to wonder if they really had their mind on that game or this one.  As let’s face it Ireland did not do well in the warm-up games the side is unsettled and lacking confidence.  Despite the saying a win is a win the Irish players could not have taken a huge amount out of that game apart from the fact that their scrum works.

There are two injuries we need to talk about.  Firstly from the side that will win this weekend, Digby Ioane broke his thumb against Italy.  This poses a number of issues for the wallabies.  Ioane has been arguably the Wallabies best back and go to player.  Not only does he cover Cooper’s defensive issues in defence but his ability to smash his way through the first line of attack and either score a try or set someone up reduces the wallabies attack.

Jerry Flannery calf decided to separate forcing him to be sent home and Cronin takes his spot on the bench.  This like all injuries is unfortunate however Digby is a starting player and Flannery is a reserve so the injury toll to the wallabies is worse.


So the lineups:  Let’s talk about the losing side first, why well we should be somewhat nice and Deans hasn’t released the team list at time of posting.
Ireland: 1. Cian Healy, 2. Rory Best, 3. Mike Ross, 4. Donncha O'Callaghan, 5. Paul O'Connell, 6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Sean O'Brien, 8. Jamie Heaslip, 9. Eoin Reddan, 10. Jonathan Sexton, 11. Keith Earls
12. Gordon D'Arcy, 13. Brian O'Driscoll (c), 14. Tommy Bowe, 15. Rob Kearney

Replacements: 16. Sean Cronin, 17. Tom Court, 18. Donnacha Ryan, 19. Denis Leamy, 20. Conor Murray, 21. Ronan O'Gara, 22. Andrew Trimble

I hate to say it but it’s a decent side.  A bit long in the tooth and due to put out to pasture (or stud if still functioning) after the RWC. Let’s face it these player’s still have a few good games in them but the frequency of the good v bad is increasing (as per the 4 losses in the row before they arrived).  The pack is solid and will test out the wallaby pack especially at scrum time.  While Sexton gets the run on at 10, O’Gara is there on the bench to pull their arse out of the fire with tactical kicking for territory.  Bowe and especially Kearney and very good at the back three and well yes the centre combination of D'Arcy and O'Driscoll used to be legendary and they can still pull out a decent move every game, it just not the multiple good moves as in their prime.  Did I mention that these blokes were getting old?

Wallabies: 15. Kurtley Beale, 14. James O'Connor, 13. Anthony Faingaa, 12. Pat McCabe, 11. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 10. Quade Cooper, 9. Will Genia, 8. Radike Samo, 7. David Pocock, 6. Rocky Elsom, 5. Dan Vickerman, 4. James Horwill, 3. Ben Alexander, 2. Stephen Moore, 1. Sekope Kepu

Res: 16. Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17. James Slipper, 18. Rob Simmons, 19. Ben McCalman, 20. Scott Higginbotham, 21. Luke Burgess, 22. Drew Mitchell

Well the wallabies have been announced and the difference to the side that ran out against Italy is that Mr Brand starts in place of Digby and Mitchell returns via the bench.  This looks to be a bloody good side and I think A. Faingaa is going to be tracking Brian O'Driscoll to get a decent tackle on him.




Prediction:  Aus struggles against Ireland.  Let’s face it they generally play like shit against this side especially in Ireland (check out this old game review).  Thank f##k we are not in Ireland.  I’m expecting Ireland to play it close and in the forwards and really turn this into a slow paced game to play to their strengths (or so that their pace makers don’t give out, your pick).  When in the wallabies half they will then attack but not until then.  Since chucky decided that forwards are non-essential in play it has taken until now for the wallabies to put together a decent pack.  Take note the rest of the world we are back.  While the transfer of captaincy to Horwill has improved his game and at the same time allowed Elsom to rediscover his.  The scrum has improved out of site in the last few years and although still a work in progress it should not get a penalty try awarded against it.  Despite the loss of Ioane I think the Genia, Cooper combination will unleash the backs once the grunt has been done up front.  For me the wallabies will win by 8-12 points.

[megweya]

Oooh, where do I start - thanks Geeves, plenty to chew over . . .

... some questions still asked about the scrum and the lineout once Polota-Nau came on as he still can’t throw the ball properly. 

I'm pinning most of my hopes on the Irish pack getting a lock on the game - but the US game inevitably made them look much better than they really are

next year SANZAR (a new acronym needed)

New-ArSA-Pu?


Pumas should have gone into 6N and based themselves in Barcelona - no globe-trotting for their players based in Fra/Eng, it means those guys don't have to extend their playing into an off-season, and us NH fans get another excellent away-weekend to add to Dublin, Paris, Rome - plus Cardiff as its stadium is based 200m from the city-centre and the atmosphere in the ground & the town is terrific.

Ireland were their own worst enemy in that game . . . the side is unsettled and lacking confidence

Correction, I'm pinning almost all my hopes on the belief that the Irish backs have been faking their bad handling,  poor decision-making, lack of confidence and witless shipping of the ball from side-to-side to nullify video-analysis. But as we all know, sport is about 'being in the groove' & top-quality performance is not something that can be turned on/off at will.

There are two injuries we need to talk about.  ... Ione ... Flannery ...

I agree that Ione is more crucial, unlike Flannery (who, though a very good player before his long injury sequence starting as far as the pre-tour warm-up for the 2009 Lions, has been 50/50 with Rory Best)

I'd say Kidney's selection is far more the issue for Ireland.
Kearney back in after very few games this year - and his hamstring tightened up after one of the warm-up games, causing him to miss games v Fra & US. He is superb under the high ball and a good strike runner, but if he can't get into top gear on his comeback, or worse, his hamstring goes, it could be a big factor.

Ferris can be a terrific player (and showed more than many against the US) but he too has had a terrible time with injury (knee). His presence at 6 means that O'Brien will play at 7. O'Brien, from the town of Tullow, was named player of the whole Heineken Cup competition as a result of many bullocking runs by the 'Tullow Tank'.

However it is impossible to be in 2 places at once - O'Brien is going to spend most of his time chasing after Pocock, arriving 2nd to the breakdown and getting buried by the rest who turn up. Unless he has a teleporter under his shirt, how is he going to get out from the pile-up to receive the ball for his trademark carries?
(Geeves, how come no mention of Pocock - he's rated as important as Genia in the Eng/Ire press).

Besides if Pocock gets there first all the time, there will be precious little ball coming back on the Irish side (and if Pocock arrives second, then the ball coming back on the Irish side will be slowwwwwww.
A longer-term issue has been developing a player to be an effective 7. David Wallace has been immense over the years, but more as a ball-carrying back-row than a proper 7. (He often plays 8 for Munster).

Shane Jennings could have fitted the role, but he needed to be picked a year out, rather than sticking him in at the last minute when Wallace was injured. Kidney has blooded a number of new players (see below), but a proper 7 has not been one of them.

We did unearth a proper 8 in Heaslip, but he has been below his high standards for several games - time for him to deliver; he has the talent (& ego) to be a world-beater, he has to be consistent in his performance level.

In the backs there are questions over Earls (promising but error-prone - Trimble would be far better bet, more direct/forceful in attack & strong in defence) and, the one 'over-the-hill' comment that I will concede, D'Arcy.
D'Arce has been superb over many years in defence and attack, but this year he has missed first-up tackles (notably to concede the match-winning try to France in the 6N) and lost his sharp hands and knack of spinning out of tackles. Kidney has persisted with him, but many people think that McFadden should have been given a run (and maybe a new partner would have helped inspire BOD to reach his very best - much like Jamie Roberts did with the Lions in 2009 in SA).

Even more adventurous opinions suggest bringing Bowe into the centre (where he plays for his club & one test for the Lions). I think that moving Bowe takes a player out of a position where he regularly gets tries in the hope that he will bring a quick fix to a problem area.
I'd have had McFadden at centre in 1-2 games in the 6N and 2-3 games in the warm-ups. If it didn't work out, D'Arcy could have come back in (and not had his disastrous run of games) - our opinion of players gets better when they are sitting in the stands.

Ireland: Healy, Best, Ross, O'Callaghan, O'Connell, Ferris, O'Brien, Heaslip, Reddan, Sexton, Earls
D'Arcy, O'Driscoll (c), Bowe, Kearney
Replacements: Cronin, Court, Ryan, Leamy, Murray, O'Gara, Trimble
a decent side.  A bit long in the tooth and due to put out to pasture ...
... Did I mention that these blokes were getting old?

_Some_ are, but there are 6 starters aged 26 or under,
and only 5 starters 31 or over. (Shock! The 5 31+ pensioners includes 2 locks and a prop).
That seems to me to be a pretty good spread of ages- pretty equal split between  below-26, 27-30 and 31+

BOD is 32 by the calendar, but closer to 34 if you had in the ravages of injuries, but he still has an exceptional ability to make a decisive play (not necessarily a break) in a big game.
D'Arcy no longer has the impact on games that make his age not a factor.

The bench shows a similarly varied range from Murray at 22 (the RWC is probably 6-12 months too soon for him to have gained even the beginnings of the experience needed to cope with someone like Genia) through to ROG at 34, but ROG shows not just that experience beats youth, it also 'outweighs' kilos and massive bench-presses.

I remember the "Dad's Army" quotes in 2003 about Johnno's white orcs on steroids - experience is often as decisive as youthful vigour.

These player’s still have a few good games in them but the frequency of the good v bad is increasing (as per the 4 losses in the row before they arrived) ...Sexton gets the run on at 10, O’Gara is there on the bench to pull their arse out of the fire with tactical kicking for territory.  Bowe and especially Kearney and very good at the back three and well yes the centre combination of D'Arcy and O'Driscoll used to be legendary and they can still pull out a decent move every game, it just not the multiple good moves as in their prime. 

Absolutely agree on all these points.

Wallabies .... looks to be a bloody good side
and I think A. Faingaa is going to be tracking Brian O'Driscoll to get a decent tackle on him.

The Wobblies are definitely back to mount a major challenge for Old Bill ...
however, Faingaa is the latest in a long-list of guys hoping to do that - a list I think going back as far as Tim Horan (and that's just the Australian list, let alone the other top nations!
Tuilagi was supposed to be going to do the same in the Heineken Cup this year (Leicester v Leinster) and the young whipper-snapper was left all confused by a master of his craft in attack and defence.
 
Besides, these days the best way to get a decent impact on BOD is to take the ball in the backline and wait for BOD's charge out of the defensive line to launch a kamikazi tackle - see his self-destruction on Russow in the 2009 Lions 2nd test. BOD now talks of getting 'stingers' after such collisions with the frequency that Wilko did in the year leading up to England's 2003 win.

Prediction:  Aus struggles against Ireland.  Let’s face it they generally play like shit against this side especially in Ireland (check out this old game review).  Thank f##k we are not in Ireland. 

If I remember right, that day was a superb exhibtion of handling by the Irish backs despite weather much like in game the other day against USA.

I’m expecting Ireland to play it close and in the forwards and really turn this into a slow paced game to play to their strengths
(or so that their pace makers don’t give out, your pick).

V good dig - LMAO

I think the Genia, Cooper combination will unleash the backs once the grunt has been done up front.  For me the wallabies will win by 8-12 points.

I fear the same - but as ever, I remain ludicrously optimistic of everything going right for Ireland on the day.

Cheers

Megweya

[irishcure]

But as we all know, sport is about 'being in the groove' & top-quality performance is not something that can be turned on/off at will.

I dunno. You hear this alot. And we can obviously all agree that if you don't have the skills or the power then you can't turn it on on match day. But some teams and individuals (and I'm not talking solely about rugby here) find it very difficult to bring the unified intensity that provides the magic pixie dust of their play into regular competitive games. The french have always been a bit like this. And counter-intuitively it gets more pronounced the older you get as an athlete. You gain more of a broad take on life and you find it harder to treat every game as the be-all and end-all of your world. We Irish don't like to think ourselves like this. We like to think we give 110% passion and commitment to every game in green. But it's really not about passion... passion without that concentrated focus on who your facing and what your competing for is rarely helpful. Ireland were absolutely abysmal for most of the 6 nations. They were dropping everything. Playing all the wrong tactics. Against Italy they were rudderless. But they still out of the blue produced two top class performances against France and particularly England. And that England game was the last competitive game this team played - not some joyous memory of 2-3 years ago!

Things are all going to be very different come Saturday. The players are not going to need any motivation to stay focussed. Individual players are not going to be thinking about proving themselves for selection. And I may be grasping at straws, but I don't think the build-up has been that problematic psychologically for Ireland. Last time there was the whole BOD injury saga and expectations were high that Ireland were going to tear up everything they came in contact with. From the first game, every dropped ball seemed like headline news. This time noone has any delusions about how tough it will be. Expectations are very low. Australia meanwhile have stepped out of the trench. And good on em. Obviously that's the way any team would want to be. But when your fans and some of your players are talking 15 point wins. And are saying things like they expect their opponents can maybe hang on for 50-60 mins. Well your psychologically setting yourself up for trouble. Whether they produce in this Australia game or not, I don't think these Irish lads (POC, BOD, and even Darc) are gonna simply fade out of international rugby. 

I'm pinning most of my hopes on the Irish pack getting a lock on the game - but the US game inevitably made them look much better than they really are

Agreed. But I'm struggling to see how we're gonna outdo the Ozzies on the floor. And I don't think we're gonna blow them away in the scrums. What I am hoping is that the fabled back-three combination of Ferris, SOB & Heaslip can give the old lads in the back line what they've been missing these past few years: front-foot possession. Everything works different on the front foot: rehersed plays come off much easier, balls go to hand and stick, and gaps are easier spotted with players coming on to passes. With Reddan and Sexton finally paired together again, then I think BOD may finally give us a glimpse at why he's still the best around. (Provided he's not carrying an injury - which is the rumour doing the rounds over here at the moment!) On that point, I agree with you completely Meg. There is just no way that Darcy is going to bring the impact that is required to give BOD's 32 year old legs a chance. Trimble is a big quick fella, has been in form and done little wrong.  No idea what Kidney is thinking on that. I guess he's just hoping for the old water-tight leinster defence in midfield.

For me the wallabies will win by 8-12 points.

Yep. Despite all my pullavar, I'd agree that all the impartial evidence points to a Oz win. Pocock haunts any Irish thoughts of victory. Funnily enough, if it's raining then I don't fancy our chances at all. And I do fear that if the Oz get in early on or if Ireland don't start with huge intensity and have the basic ball-handling skills required then we will be blown away by more than just 8 points! But on the other hand if Ireland do start well and are still in the game or ahead with 20 mins to go... then I think, quite the opposite to Oz players and commentators, that we have the experience (in ROG, etc) to turn the screw on the favourites. I don't think we will do what Wales did last week.

Prediction: Ireland by one score.  Belieeeeeeeve!


 

[Geeves]

Yes I deliberately stayed away from the loosie discussion.

It will be key to the win the Elsom, Pocock and Samo combination has only had 2 previous runs but they are all very good players.  Samo has revitalised the wallabies back three and it now finally has balance.  Despite being the oldest wallaby he is still one of the quickest forwards.  The kiwi’s might remember his try against them at Lang Park recently it was awarded as the best wallaby try at the John Eales medal awards last month.
Elsom is now playing rugby after losing the captaincy and finally getting match fit after being injured al year.  While Pocock pilfers exceptionally well and links into the backline with ease.
The Ferris,  O'Brien and Heaslip combination is good as well with one of them being named as the best European player lately.  Their combination to rip the heart out the English 6 nation’s grand slam was something else.

At the moment I call them fairly even and we will have to see who actually steps up for this game.

[Geeves]

next year SANZAR (a new acronym needed)

New-ArSA-Pu?


Megweya

I'm going to have to keep this somewhere if the whole things fails miserably

[megweya]

Irish radio commentator Michael Cocoran has brightened by day with 2 tweets . . .

(MichaelC_RTE)

• David Pocock missed Australia captain's run with a tight back as a precaution. He'll be checked again tomorrow morning

• Keith Earls sat out Irelands captains run at Eden Park, (defence coach) Les Kiss says he is fine, just resting
  

.

Irish Cure: I agree about sportsmen (often those who have reached the heights) finding it hard to get up for 'mundane' games, but the genuine competition for places (both for the 30 and the 15) should have increased the importance of the warm-up games for the players. Several of the 23-30 can feel hard-done-by not to get into the 15 (Cullen, MacFadden, Murphy) and missing the 22 by not being sufficiently versatile.

Besides, while slacking off is something that is easily done, turning back onto a top game is not so predictable. I agree tha the French do come up with exceptional examples, and far more than most, but they are universally characterised as unpredictable. If it was true more often than not that experienced teams could rise to the occasion then we would all make money from the bookies.

I do believe Ireland can win, but it requires an awful lot to go our way - the various match-ups (Genia/Reddan, Sexton/Cooper, the back-rows, the centres), no repetition of the handling errors seen throughout 2011, no moments of madness (Earls, or BOD kamikaze tackling), no witless kicking to the Aus back-3, goal-kicking at 85%+, and the team quickly working out what the ref will / will not accept in the scrum/breakdown.

Today will be long anxious day. Roll on kick-off tomorrow morning!

Cheers
Megweya

[irishcure]

 but the genuine competition for places (both for the 30 and the 15) should have increased the importance of the warm-up games for the players. Several of the 23-30 can feel hard-done-by not to get into the 15 (Cullen, MacFadden, Murphy) and missing the 22 by not being sufficiently versatile.

Yup. We're basically in agreement as usual Meg. +K for reading my mind. I'd say THE big disappointment of the warm-ups has been the familiar failure of peripheral prospects to disturb the usual suspects in Kidney's eyes. That is a problem that you and I both know well from 4 years ago. And to a large degree I would blame the management for that. But in a way that's kinda my point. Some players (like BOD, DOC, Bowe, Sexton, Darc, POC, Heaslip, etc) had very different goals and ambitions in those warm up games than others (Earls, Trimble, Jones, Jennings, Best, ROG, etc). Some were out to prove themselves on their own while others were there to make sure they did little wrong and were clearly psychologically and physically holding back. Remember how Earlsie got caught on his outside because he was trying to cover that extra inside yard against England. And my gut feeling (and it is just a hope rather than a fact) is that it has been that mismatching and shuffling of mindsets and players that has led to the disjointed problems on the pitch. Earls, Trimble et al can give it their everything but if you've got Heaslip, Darce, Donnacha or Bod refusing to make their biggest hits or holding off a bit physically then France & England's manpower wealth and even the US's physical size is going to put you on the back foot. Look at what happened poor Wally - a hero of a man who has never given but 110% physicality in every game he's played.

I refuse to believe that if Ireland had really put 100% of their selection and effort into that US match that they wouldn't have been driving the yanks backwards at every maul, breakdown and line-run at a rate of knots throughout the game.

Whether that was the right decision (ie. whether they can wake themselves up from that slumber in just one game), is still to be decided. But in any case I don't think it was a conscious one. And even if they don't actually topple the Ozzies tomorrow, I'm still confident (unlike 4 years ago) that they'll be building towards their peak in the knock-out stages and the Italy game. With our limited manpower and resources, I think it's about building towards that big unified performance when the big day comes. But I do think they now have to give everything to this Oz game in order to get to that level.

Now. There you have it. As you can see, with less than 20hrs to go, I'm towing the party-line and my blinkers are now well and truly on!

 

[irishcure]

Yes I deliberately stayed away from the loosie discussion. ...The Ferris,  O'Brien and Heaslip combination is good as well with one of them being named as the best European player lately.  Their combination to rip the heart out the English 6 nation’s grand slam was something else.

Actually, due to Ferris' longterm injuries, I'm pretty sure this back three have never played together before. Wallace played 7 against England and was subbed for Leamy towards the end. The debate in the run-up to the WC was who to play if Wallace, SOB and Ferris had all been fit. Neither Ferris nor O'Brien are natural open-siders. And when SOB has played there before he didn't look quite the same player. He looks mentally pulled apart by his natural inclinations to charge at everything and the extra obligations he knows he's been put in there for. 

A sign of how perplexed the issue has become is the latest posting from one of Ireland's favourite TV rugby pundits, Kiwi Brent Pope:

"This may sound a little radical but looking forward to a potential quarter-final match against South Africa, (as long as Ireland qualifies) I would consider moving Ferris to partner O'Connell in the second row, O'Brien to No 8, Heaslip to blindside flanker and either Shane Jennings or Denis Leamy at No 7." 

That kind of team-change seems completely crazy for a team in the middle of a WC. But the fact that he even suggests it shows how poor our ball-carrying options are and how desperate we are to get both Ferris and SOB into their running natural game. In any case, this is the first time that our two most ferocious ball-carriers, Ferris and O'Brien, will be paired together to knock lumps around the edges of the breakdown. Hence the excitement mixed with equal trepidation for Irish fans! 

[jules]

Such avid discussion boys, anyone would think the result of this one was important to you.

After reading your words of wisdom (aside from Geeves at least) I am now suitably intrigued to make an effort to watch the game live, and give Ireland my full support!

Go Ireland!

Jules 

[megweya]

Joyously received Tweet:
MichaelC_RTE (Irish radio commentator)
David Pocock is out of Aus team for game v Ireland, Ben McCalman comes in2

You know that stuff that the players say about always wanting to play against the opposition's best 15?
They might ... but from a fan's point of view, it's shit.

I readily admit that I cheered when I saw that news - not very sporting, but a fan's perspective is the same as the most hard-nosed manager/coach: A win's a win

Any Oz fan would have had the same reaction if BOD or O'Brien had dropped out.

Over the last day, the anticipation has meant that I have moved in a bizarrely euphoric way from trepidation to optimism.

Now cheers (more than fears)

Megweya

[irishcure]

Just about to fall asleep for the night and I nearly drop me laptop after reading about Pocock's withdraawal! And I see Meg still got here before me. 

I'm never quite as celebratory when I hear the best players withdrawing through injury. I really hope Pocock is only temporarily afflicted and makes it back for the next rounds. But no doubt its a massive boost for our chances and in a way that is just evening things up as regards the loss of our experienced No. 7:

""Although Ben (McCalman) isn't a recognised openside, he does have some recent background there and has trained in the role on a regular basis with us this year. We were looking to give him an outing on the openside before our Pool program concluded. It's now just come a bit earlier than wed originally planned."

Sounds familiar alright. However if the Wallabies did have any complacency about the Irish game that has surely just evaporated! So it could work both ways. 

[megweya]

. . . anyone would think the result of this one was important to you . . .

Arrrrrgh - I can't begin to explain how much this game means to me.

I've followed the Irish rugby team for 40 years - I've had a lot of lows (though perversely when my expectations were highest) and a surreal transition from an unexpected win of a game to an unexpected completion of a series of games (several Triple Crowns and evvvvvventuallly a Grand Slam)

The current team has a blend of youth, experience and in one case legendary talent - so NOW is the time.
They won't achieve something by waiting to beat Italy to get out of the group (and based on this year's 6N game, Italy can approach that game with confidence).

To me for Ireland to achieve, (remember Greece in the footy Euro 2004), it is not about avoiding the best teams - it is all about beating the best teams (or the best 15 they can put out, shame not about Pocock.

So beat Aus, beat Wales (hoping they somehow subdue the '2011-version-of-Argentina' ie Samoa), get to a semi and then "anything can happen!"

But thinking of creeping out of Pool C by beating Italy - that's just crap. Win by winning! (Not that Ireland followed that approach in August, or for much of 2011)

Cheers Megweya

PS I hope I have unambiguously given away the fact that this game is important to me.

[megweya]

I'm never quite as celebratory when I hear the best players withdrawing through injury. I really hope Pocock is only temporarily afflicted and makes it back for the next rounds

Apologies to anyone who read my previous post and felt I felt joy about an elite athlete getting an serious injury.
(My earlier reply was fuelled by beer/wine (and now Irish malt whiskey.) 

I only enjoy the reduction of anxiety of some players not being available for 10-80 minutes (whether by binning, being caught on CCTV or short-term injury)

""Although Ben (McCalman) isn't a recognised openside, he does have some recent background there and has trained in the role on a regular basis with us this year. We were looking to give him an outing on the openside before our Pool program concluded. It's now just come a bit earlier than wed originally planned."

Fez, SOB and the Ego@Eight have just cancelled breakfast, lunch and dinner - they will feed ravenously in the SH night . . .
Rocky will rage against the dying of the light, but even he will find it a Herculean task now.

3 cheers
 Megweya

[Geeves]

Such avid discussion boys, anyone would think the result of this one was important to you.

After reading your words of wisdom (aside from Geeves at least) I am now suitably intrigued to make an effort to watch the game live, and give Ireland my full support!

Go Ireland!

Jules 

Jules I think it rhymes with get rucked.  We will see you in the final and then have three titles embroded on the jersey in 4 years time.

Arrgh the Pocock saga.  As I have stated before ( here  ) the lack of a proper back up 7 (i.e. Robinson) is an issue.  But I have no concern that those who have been drinking celebrated over the fact.  You will not be the first, nor last who has celebrated over the demise of a rival. I think the ARU got pissed when Sheridan headed home.

Well Pocock is but one player in the 22 team players that line-up.  The Irish will not experience what those in the shaky isles have experienced.  A side full of QLDers cleaning out the silver.  Lets bring it on and send the Irish crying in to the malt.

Its going to be a classic..

By the way well done to the Pumas dishing it out this afternoon.  I'm already looking forward to seeing them more often.

[Geeves]

ARRRGH!!!!! Firetruck!!!!!