Women's World Cup 2017

[Hippo]

With all the progress that's been made to the womens game over the last 5ish years tonight shows us where we are against the benchmark.

f%~k 7s. Noone in Ireland cares about it. Better to put that investment into a fully professional womens test squad backed up by a semi-pro interpro championship playing double headers with Pro14 derby days.

The Ireland XV winning 6nations and world cups will matter alot more to the cointry than the 7s team maybe qualifying for an olympics.

Ps: That French no8 is some player!

Yes to all of that. Throughout the tournament the team has looked abysmally coached, that's something which really needs to be addressed.

[scentofgunpowder]

Really want to give anyone involved in Irish rugby who thinks one out runners are an effective strategy a serious shake and then make them watch the first Lions test.

[Dave Cahill]

I have to admit I was wrong. I complained about pulling a number of key players from the Irish six nations squad to play in a sevens tournament, I thought that it undermined the 6 Nations tournament and would undermine our World Cup campaign. But look at the handling and the skills under pressure we saw from the Irish team. That kind of execution is the legacy of sevens, how wrong was I to suggest that skills learned and practiced in twice as much space against half the amount of opposition wouldn't flow like mead from the table of the high king when put under pressure in a game with half the amount of space and twice the number of opposition.

[Dexter]

With all the progress that's been made to the womens game over the last 5ish years tonight shows us where we are against the benchmark.

f%~k 7s. Noone in Ireland cares about it. Better to put that investment into a fully professional womens test squad backed up by a semi-pro interpro championship playing double headers with Pro14 derby days.

The Ireland XV winning 6nations and world cups will matter alot more to the cointry than the 7s team maybe qualifying for an olympics.

Ps: That French no8 is some player!

Yes to all of that. Throughout the tournament the team has looked abysmally coached, that's something which really needs to be addressed.

No doubting the heart and effort, which was immense, but I think the most disappointing thing for me was how they were outsmarted by the French. If we accept that France had superior skills, game management and playing smart would have helped to partly bridge the gap. The whole line-out strategy was a complete fiasco. We should have been much, much, more intelligent around the tactics and strategy side of things.

[Dave Cahill]

Yep, there isn't the tiniest scintilla of quit in that team

[the spoofer]

I have to admit I was wrong. I complained about pulling a number of key players from the Irish six nations squad to play in a sevens tournament, I thought that it undermined the 6 Nations tournament and would undermine our World Cup campaign. But look at the handling and the skills under pressure we saw from the Irish team. That kind of execution is the legacy of sevens, how wrong was I to suggest that skills learned and practiced in twice as much space against half the amount of opposition wouldn't flow like mead from the table of the high king when put under pressure in a game with half the amount of space and twice the number of opposition.

I'd love to know what sort of discussion took place regarding our game plan.

"OK, girls. The French are hugely physical, are really strong around the fringe of rucks and compete hard at the breakdown. So, here's what we will do. We will surprise them with one out runners and pick and go's. They won't be expecting that as that's what we have done in our two previous games and there is no way they will think that's what we will do again."

"But coach, would we not be better going with a fast offloading game and try to target them wider out, away from their huge physical pack?"

"Don't be daft, they have seen that we didn't do that in the last two games so will expect us to do that in this game so we will do the opposite"

Cunning like a fox.

[Dave Cahill]

This World Cup has been a huge success in the field of peace and reconciliation. On opening day I was within arms reach of David Nucifora for a good 10 minutes and yesterday I was same with Stephen Jones.

Both still survive.

I presume I'll get some kind of formal invite to the prize giving ceremony in Oslo.

[scentofgunpowder]

Reading Cummiskey's match report I wasn't sure for a second whether Ladagnous was a French player or another one of the absurd adjectives Irish rugby writers like to throw around.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I have to admit I was wrong. I complained about pulling a number of key players from the Irish six nations squad to play in a sevens tournament, I thought that it undermined the 6 Nations tournament and would undermine our World Cup campaign. But look at the handling and the skills under pressure we saw from the Irish team. That kind of execution is the legacy of sevens, how wrong was I to suggest that skills learned and practiced in twice as much space against half the amount of opposition wouldn't flow like mead from the table of the high king when put under pressure in a game with half the amount of space and twice the number of opposition.

Shouldn't laugh but

I was thinking something similar. It reminded me of playing tag and tip in the summer and then turning up to proper rugby in September and remembering that actually I'm not Carlos Spencer and just getting battered. Just totally different games.

I do think the team lacks quality in certain positions but they looked badly coached and should have done better. They seemed to have no concept of how to slow the game down in the first half (in attack and defence) and the lineout issues were damning. The hardest thing to do in the lineout is get away from the opposition and win clean ball...we did that yet still kept messing up with the maul/poor decision making. Simple messages from the coaches could have fixed that immediately but we looked lost.

Great effort in the second half though and I have sympathy with the one out runner stuff, hard to know how to get go forward ball against a team that's physically dominant.

[the spoofer]

I have to admit I was wrong. I complained about pulling a number of key players from the Irish six nations squad to play in a sevens tournament, I thought that it undermined the 6 Nations tournament and would undermine our World Cup campaign. But look at the handling and the skills under pressure we saw from the Irish team. That kind of execution is the legacy of sevens, how wrong was I to suggest that skills learned and practiced in twice as much space against half the amount of opposition wouldn't flow like mead from the table of the high king when put under pressure in a game with half the amount of space and twice the number of opposition.

Shouldn't laugh but

I was thinking something similar. It reminded me of playing tag and tip in the summer and then turning up to proper rugby in September and remembering that actually I'm not Carlos Spencer and just getting battered. Just totally different games.

I do think the team lacks quality in certain positions but they looked badly coached and should have done better. They seemed to have no concept of how to slow the game down in the first half (in attack and defence) and the lineout issues were damning. The hardest thing to do in the lineout is get away from the opposition and win clean ball...we did that yet still kept messing up with the maul/poor decision making. Simple messages from the coaches could have fixed that immediately but we looked lost.

Great effort in the second half though and I have sympathy with the one out runner stuff, hard to know how to get go forward ball against a team that's physically dominant.

My first suggestion as a coach would be don't give the static or semi static targets to hit. Move the ball before contact.

[scentofgunpowder]

I have to admit I was wrong. I complained about pulling a number of key players from the Irish six nations squad to play in a sevens tournament, I thought that it undermined the 6 Nations tournament and would undermine our World Cup campaign. But look at the handling and the skills under pressure we saw from the Irish team. That kind of execution is the legacy of sevens, how wrong was I to suggest that skills learned and practiced in twice as much space against half the amount of opposition wouldn't flow like mead from the table of the high king when put under pressure in a game with half the amount of space and twice the number of opposition.

Shouldn't laugh but

I was thinking something similar. It reminded me of playing tag and tip in the summer and then turning up to proper rugby in September and remembering that actually I'm not Carlos Spencer and just getting battered. Just totally different games.

I do think the team lacks quality in certain positions but they looked badly coached and should have done better. They seemed to have no concept of how to slow the game down in the first half (in attack and defence) and the lineout issues were damning. The hardest thing to do in the lineout is get away from the opposition and win clean ball...we did that yet still kept messing up with the maul/poor decision making. Simple messages from the coaches could have fixed that immediately but we looked lost.

Great effort in the second half though and I have sympathy with the one out runner stuff, hard to know how to get go forward ball against a team that's physically dominant.

My first suggestion as a coach would be don't give the static or semi static targets to hit. Move the ball before contact.

Well New Zealand did it to great effect in the first Lions test so I'm sure it'll only take the rest of the world a few years to follow suit.

[Dave Cahill]

In the last decade one-out rugby has won Ireland three Heineken cups, a grand slam, two championships and a couple of Celtic leagues. It is an intrinsic part of our game, we just need to do it better.

[Peg Leg]

In the last decade one-out rugby has won Ireland three Heineken cups, a grand slam, two championships and a couple of Celtic leagues. It is an intrinsic part of our game, we just need to do it better.

A bit myopic there dc. It has played a big part but there was a lot more to it than that.

[the spoofer]

In the last decade one-out rugby has won Ireland three Heineken cups, a grand slam, two championships and a couple of Celtic leagues. It is an intrinsic part of our game, we just need to do it better.

It doesn't work against teams that are vastly more physical.

[Dave Cahill]

In the last decade one-out rugby has won Ireland three Heineken cups, a grand slam, two championships and a couple of Celtic leagues. It is an intrinsic part of our game, we just need to do it better.

A bit myopic there dc. It has played a big part but there was a lot more to it than that.

Never said there wasn't, but to pretend it's not an intrinsic part of our rugby dna is deluding ourselves

[Dave Cahill]

In the last decade one-out rugby has won Ireland three Heineken cups, a grand slam, two championships and a couple of Celtic leagues. It is an intrinsic part of our game, we just need to do it better.

It doesn't work against teams that are vastly more physical.

7

maybe, but I don't agree that France were vastly more physical. They exercised their physicality far better than Ireland did most certainly, but thats a different thing. I think thing this team has been poorly prepared physically and tactically (though not mentally)

[the spoofer]

Their fringe defence was excellent in their 22. I was watching their body position at pillar and they were spot on, low, facing in. The continuously drove us back and in on top of the previous ruck. Very impressive.

[Ruckedtobits]

For the first time in more than 18 months, I agree with Comiskey / I Times analysis. Terrible coaching, great heart from Irish pack. Some Irish players (backs) not up to necessary skill level for World Cup challengers but overall just a very poor coaching effort with no innovation or clever use of our resources - Millar or Murphy or Cronin.

Felt sorry for players but no sympathy for Anthony Eddy or Tom Tierney.

[deco]

Horror performance. Reminded me of Munster v any good team.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Horror performance. Reminded me of Munster v any good team.

Irelands performances to date reminds me of RWC 2007. So much expected, so little delivered. You can't fault the heart, application or fighting spirit but the other teams are playing a different game and we have no answers.