O'Sullivan Loses The Plot

harryp · Post by **harryp** » February 9th, 2006, 1:07 pm

jezzer wrote:White and Taylor are mobile backrowers - no question. Taylor in particular is a great footballer on top. Hogg perhaps less so, but he certainly managed to beat France to the ball. Our most mobile backrower likes rucks as much as I like Tony Ward's "He had no right to score that try, Ryle - that was pure vintage Brian O'Driscoll, straight out of the very top drawer" Ron Atkinson-esque commentary!

Scotland rucked France out of the game and made a horses-for-courses scrum half selection. Their players fit the bill for the tactics. If we were going to emulate those tactics, I'm raising the point that the Ireland selection from 6-9 isn't the best to do it.

We all know the Irish selection from 6-9 isn't the best to do anything But we would be weakening ourselves if we were to focus on such a one dimensional game around our Back Row. The scots have no other game plan options, Blair was the difference. We have options, just not at 9!

jezzer · Post by **jezzer** » February 9th, 2006, 1:55 pm

harry,

Agree totally we don't want to copy Scotland's entire gameplan. That would be just too much to bear!

But NZ (and Romania for most of it) rucked 7 shades of shinola out of us in the autumn as well as quick offload, and used the quick ball it produced to release the backline. We're talking now about offload in contact but the backrow seems neither to tick that box nor as a rucking outfit.

harryp · Post by **harryp** » February 9th, 2006, 2:05 pm

Jez,

Are we talking about EOS Backrow, or the Backrow that we have all pretty much settled on for the Summer Tour thru to the WC?

The one player I have any regard for currently occupying 6-8 is Wallace. In saying that, I have never thought of Wallace as being an International Standard 6 or 7.

Duff Paddy · Post by **Duff Paddy** » February 13th, 2006, 6:14 pm

I'm lifting this from PR forum cause it's worth reading:

This is the opinion from Benezech, former French International, a mobile prop ahead of his time. He is reviewing the 6N teams and is conluding with Ireland:

Quote:

L'Irlande enfin : pour moi la plus grosse déception de ce début de Tournoi. Pas à cause de son potentiel joueur ! Au contraire ! Plutôt à cause de son entraîneur. En effet, avoir voulu faire jouer son équipe au Stade de France comme l'Ecosse une semaine avant avec un jeu débridé et à haut risque contre une équipe de France qui allait obligatoirement réagir, notamment en défense, était suicidaire. Ne pas essayer de mettre la pression sur Christophe Dominici, ailier jouant exceptionnellement à l'arrière, par du jeu au pied soit en chandelle, soit de déplacement, était d'une stupidité incroyable ! Eddie O'Sullivan a fait exactement ce qu'il ne fallait pas faire stratégiquement ! L'Irlande a deux superbes potentiels avec les avants du Munster et les trois-quarts du Leinster. Malheureusement, tant qu'elle restera avec cet entraîneur, le pays se contentera de regrets au lieu de résultats...»

Short translation: Ireland is the most disappointing team of the tournament, for me. Not because of the players' potential but because of the coach. Indeed, to have chosen to play a wild attacking game against a French team which we were all expecting to react strongly (after the Scotish game) especially defensively, was like committing suicide. Not to elect to test Dominici using a kicking game was incredibly stupid. EOS has done exactly what was to be avoided at all costs. Ireland has got a wonderful potential with Munster forwards and Leinster backs. Unfortunately, as long as Ireland will stay with this coach, the country will only feed on disapointment rather than good results...