Emerging Ireland

[LeRouxIsPHat]

It's great to see Gilroy backing himself like that. He's been much better over the last few months, good that he'll be heading off on his holidays with a spring in his step.

I remember NZ sending Rokocoko off to play 7s years ago in order for him to get his mojo back. If that's all that this tournament does for us then so be it, that will qualify as a success for me.

[ronk]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q32sdA8GO_Y#t=517

Ironically enough considering where the discussion have gone, it is as close as these lads will get to playing sevens. Break the line and you're in under the posts.

It's nice to have highlights, a lot of that time was spent not on rugby. They replayed Hanrahan's conversion three times.

[Donny B.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q32sdA8GO_Y#t=517

Ironically enough considering where the discussion have gone, it is as close as these lads will get to playing sevens. Break the line and you're in under the posts.

It's nice to have highlights, a lot of that time was spent not on rugby. They replayed Hanrahan's conversion three times.

Yeah, annoying as hell, I had to skip through them myself to see the tries.

[Ruckedtobits]

The local focus in Bucharest tomorrow will be on the Romania v Russia encounter. This is as big a rivalry as Ireland v England and the Romanians have held the whip hand for the last 5 years. Russia still have the capacity to qualify for RWC2015 and Romania are already qualified, so expect the Red bear to put ion a big effort.

The Irish team to play Uruguay, who nearly surprised them last year in Georgia, has 10 changes as Dan McFarland gives the entire Squad a run-out in the first two games. John Murphy captains the team from right-wing where he switches position with Gilroy, who will wear No 15.

Half-backs Hanrahan and McGrath will be pushing their cases for selection in the final game against Romania ahead of Marshall and Keatley. In the back-row, O'Donnell and Dougal may be in competition for the No 7 jersey on Sunday.

Another strong Irish performance expected with the arrival of Assistant Irish coach Les Kiss as further incentive for these players to impress

[Ruckedtobits]

Good interview in Irish Examiner by Barry Coughlan on Johne Murphy, who captains Emerging Irish team today against Uruguay. Set's out the player viewpoint fair and square and good to see that they are really focused on winning this Tournament. The Nations Cup is a fairly big deal in European (non 6N rugby) and apparently a decent trophy on its own right, which Ireland have yet to win.

by Barry Coughlan

Johne Murphy has a burning desire to win a full international cap but, if that doesn’t happen, leading out the Emerging Ireland side against Uruguay tomorrow will be a huge compensation.

The Kildare native racked up appearances for Leicester Tigers (99), Munster (80) and 11 more for Emerging Ireland but it’s his first big break as captain.

“I’ve captained teams at schools level a couple of times, but this is my first professional experience of it,” he said.

“It’s a massive honour, something I will probably look back on at the end of my career and really cherish. This is probably as close as I will get to winning a cap, to get that feeling.

“When Dan [McFarland, coach] spoke to me I was absolutely delighted and it makes it more special for me given the quality of the players that I’ll be leading out, guys that are really going to be pushing for places in the World Cup next year.”

Ireland’s opening game in this IRB Nations Cup was a lopsided affair with Murphy featuring in a side that routed Russia 66-0 before the tie was abandoned due to a thunder and lightning storm.

“We took our opportunities when we were given them,” he said.

“We were accurate. We had one set-piece after two phases and scored in the first minute and it all took off from there.

“Essentially, we’re trying to replicate exactly what the senior lads are trying to do. It’s all about learning new terminology, getting it all down and I think we did a fantastic job on that. A pre-tour get together in Ashbourne really stood to us when it came to getting our details right.”

Murphy believes the grand plan for Irish rugby is gradually coming together.

“Ireland have just completed a tour to Argentina, the U20s are in New Zealand and we’re here. Les Kiss is coming out here and Joe [Schmidt] is heading to Auckland to see what’s happening there. It shows he is putting in a structure so that guys can slot in and out and know the roles they have.

“In our case, a fair amount of players were involved in the accompanying tournament in Tbilisi last year and that has helped the group because it means you get to know the players around you.

“Last year, I think people are fuelled because they let that competition go, we didn’t perform as well as they expected against the Springbok A side. That desire is really driving this group. The guys really want to win this competition. It’s not an end of season jolly. We’re here to do a job.

“Five of the players came through to play in the Six Nations and eight travelled to Argentina so there is hope for the players. First and foremost we want to win the tournament but players will naturally see it as an opportunity, and another goal is that we want to help guys get on the plane over to England [for the World Cup] next year.

“It’s massive. There are opportunities and I suppose it’s quite a cliché to say that every time you wear an Irish jersey is an opportunity but, given the sense of the structures that Joe has put in, it’s really a fact. We took our first opportunity and there are two more.”

© Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved

In a late change to the Irish squad, Robin Copeland comes onto the bench for Tour Captain Dominic Ryan who withdrew due to illness.

[Alternative Ulster]

Any streams for this?

[paddyor]

22- 3 after 36mins

http://www.vipboxeu.co/sports/rugby.html

[cormac]

Ireland won 51-3.

[Donny B.]

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingne ... 33815.html

[simonokeeffe]

stream cr@p/freezing for anyone else?
wouldnt work for me at all in firefox, had to switch to chrome

[Dave Cahill]

stream cr@p/freezing for anyone else?
wouldnt work for me at all in firefox, had to switch to chrome

The official one was rubbish alright, found a more stable on on wiziwig

[Donny B.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB2LZZ0x7QY

Waring: First five minutes are the anthems and prepare to see multiple replays of conversions!

Seemed a more forward orientated win than the cake walk the other day.

[Ruckedtobits]

Good result if not performance from a much changed Emerging Ireland team which also took a few casualties. If Friday's performance against Russia was of the Ferrari variety, this was distinctly from the Bin Lorry tradition, three houses fast, stop, two more houses, stop....etc. Distinctly lack lustre, but 5 match points in the bag and another 7 tries with the following scoring timeline@

RESULT: URUGUAY 3 IRELAND 51

Scoring Timeline

4 mins: Penalty Uruguay from mid-field 10m line, for not releasing by O’Donnell, 0-3

7 mins: Try Ireland, from line-out off the top from Kearney, backline 10-> 12 -> 14 inside, rucked ball, grubber lick by 10, try on outside by Gilroy, convert by Hanrahan 7-3

21 mins: Dougal was replaced, injured, by Copeland on 8 mins. From a missed Uruguay penalty, Copeland regained possession from restart and made 40 mtrs, then carried by O’Donnell, Butler, to breakdown, Hanrahan messed up a short-side break but was awarded a penalty from 35m 10-3

27 mins: Multi-phase play by Ireland from restart led to a Uruguay line-out 30m from their own line. Ireland stole possession and Copeland broke through fed O’Donnell who fed Kearney for the try. Hanrahan converted. 17-3

39 mins: Following a mid-field penalty kick to touch by Uruguay which they kicked dead, Ireland were awarded a scrum on half-way and Uruguay penalised. Irish kick to touch led to a 5m maul from which Butler scored wide-out on right. Convert missed by Hanrahan 22-3

Half-Time: Ireland 22 Uruguay 3

49 mins: Irish pressure yielded a 5m scrum and after two scrum penalties, a pushover try was awarded to Butler. Hanrahan converted. 29-3

61 mins: Following another scrum penalty for Ireland on own 10m line, a quick tap by Marshall was obstructed and led to a further penalty and a yellow card 15m from Uruguay line. The resultant scrum was driven by Ireland, collapsed by Uruguay. Penalty try. 36-3

67 Mins: Another Uruguay mid-field penalty led to an Irish attacking line-out 5m out on the left. Throw was won off the top by Holland moved by Marshall, Keatley and Macken, following the ruck, Marshall and Butler handled smartly and put O’Donnell over in the corner for Ireland’s sixth try. Hanrahan converted. 43-3

73 mins: Following 5 mins of concerted pressure on the Irish line from Uruguay, Marshall orchestrated a blind-side break-out, carried on by captain Johne Murphy, whose intelligent kick ahead was scrambled into touch 15m from Uruguay line, Thinking quickly, Murphy took a quick throw in to Marshall who scored Ireland’s 7th try. 48-3

80 mins: Keatley closed the game with a 20m penalty 51-3

Hard to categorise the good, the less good and the ugly, with the possible exception of Copeland, who definitely fitted the good category throughout. As last year the Emerging Irish found the Uruguay hard-hitting style difficult to cope with and there was little or no flow to their game. Marshall's arrival after half-time as replacement for the injured McGrath improved matters but only when he was re-united with Keatley did the Irish display reach any of the quality of the performance against Russia.

Satisfying scoreline, unsatisfactory performance.

In the other game this evening, Romania scraped home against Russia with two late penalty tries, having faced into the last eight minutes 6-18 behind. The Referee may certainly be enjoying Romanian hospitality tonight as a succession of Russians saw yellow in the second 40 minutes.

Ireland face Romania in the final game on Sunday (k.o 5 pm Irish time). The Nations Cup trophy will be brought back to Dublin if they can obtain at least a draw.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Thanks again Donny.

The forwards obviously did well, good support of the ball carrier, and some nice touches and variety on the gainline.

I despair at Macken's missed tackle, that's just embarrassing. I've defended him many times before and always felt positioning and line speed were the real problem as opposed to actually missing tackles but I look at that and can't think anything other than he bottled it.

[cormac]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB2LZZ0x7QY

Waring: First five minutes are the anthems and prepare to see multiple replays of conversions!

Seemed a more forward orientated win than the cake walk the other day.

Looks like it was edited by a local TY student.

[Donny B.]

67 Mins: Another Uruguay mid-field penalty led to an Irish attacking line-out 5m out on the left. Throw was won off the top by Holland moved by Marshall, Keatley and Macken, following the ruck, Marshall and Butler handled smartly and put O’Donnell over in the corner for Ireland’s sixth try. Hanrahan converted. 43-3

Billy Holland scored that try.

[Donny B.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB2LZZ0x7QY

Waring: First five minutes are the anthems and prepare to see multiple replays of conversions!

Seemed a more forward orientated win than the cake walk the other day.

Looks like it was edited by a local TY student.

Yeah but it's nice to be able to see the tries even if you have to skip through it.

[Ruckedtobits]

Thanks for correction Donny

[Donny B.]

More concussions

http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/32085.php#.U6M6AJRdXag

[simonokeeffe]

More concussions

http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/32085.php#.U6M6AJRdXag

good to see though theyre taking no chances even if its is for non major fixtures

O'Donohue out for wolfpuppies too