Six Nations
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[quote author=Kenny4PM link=topic=48142.msg1477532#msg1477532 date=1328460659]
Best game of the weekend by far.
Fully deserved win for Wales i thought.
We've been crying out for years to be able to win one of these close games and finally we've done it.
I simply love George North.
[/quote]
Yeah. Wales should have gone in at HT in front but didn't. Keep playing like that & we'll be hard to stop.
Best game of the weekend by far.
Fully deserved win for Wales i thought.
We've been crying out for years to be able to win one of these close games and finally we've done it.
I simply love George North.
[/quote]
Yeah. Wales should have gone in at HT in front but didn't. Keep playing like that & we'll be hard to stop.
[quote author=vantage link=topic=48142.msg1477549#msg1477549 date=1328461658]
[quote author=Kenny4PM link=topic=48142.msg1477532#msg1477532 date=1328460659]
Best game of the weekend by far.
Fully deserved win for Wales i thought.
We've been crying out for years to be able to win one of these close games and finally we've done it.
I simply love George North.
[/quote]
Yeah. Wales should have gone in at HT in front but didn't. Keep playing like that & we'll be hard to stop.
[/quote]
I'm a little concerend about how our second row will go next week (Bradley is going to get a ban). Good news about Sam only having a dead leg + Lydiate and Gethin could well be back in contention for the Scots game as well. Gatland also stated that A W Jones isn't too far away which will be a big bonus.
Good to see the 2 new boys come in and not look out of place.
I liked the look of the Irish scrum half, he looks to have the makings of a top class player.
[quote author=Kenny4PM link=topic=48142.msg1477532#msg1477532 date=1328460659]
Best game of the weekend by far.
Fully deserved win for Wales i thought.
We've been crying out for years to be able to win one of these close games and finally we've done it.
I simply love George North.
[/quote]
Yeah. Wales should have gone in at HT in front but didn't. Keep playing like that & we'll be hard to stop.
[/quote]
I'm a little concerend about how our second row will go next week (Bradley is going to get a ban). Good news about Sam only having a dead leg + Lydiate and Gethin could well be back in contention for the Scots game as well. Gatland also stated that A W Jones isn't too far away which will be a big bonus.
Good to see the 2 new boys come in and not look out of place.
I liked the look of the Irish scrum half, he looks to have the makings of a top class player.
The half-back partnership for Ireland today lost control of the game for large parts with simply ghastly kicking (both number 9 and 10). Whilst each of them had excellent parts of their game, the overall game management just wasn't there for me. Priestland may have missed some goals, but he was a different class in his tactical kicking.
Six Nations 2012: George North the inspiration as Wales beat Ireland in dramatic fashion
Here was a breathtaking, blistering, barnstorming afternoon, a game with more searing rugby in its first 15 minutes than seen throughout the entire 80 at Murrayfield on Saturday, a match absolutely deserving to be settled by a good old-fashioned hero, not by questionable officiating decisions.
So let us not allow the late dramas to steal the thunder from a thunderous young champion.
No, not the nerveless Leigh Halfpenny, who reckoned that final pot-shot was the hardest kick he had ever had to take; no, not even a pumped up man of the match Mike Phillips, who spent much of the afternoon looking as if he fancied the idea of taking on all 15 of the Irish single-handedly.
No, we are talking about a teenager who rose to this great occasion with a towering performance to match, a display which once again identified him as surely European rugby’s most remarkable young talent.
Yes, George North was monumental. “A freak,” as Rhys Priestland shrugged. It didn’t sound much of a compliment but it felt spot on.
When the man who had already made one glorious try for Jonathan Davies, ploughed over in the corner, with green shirts hanging off him like leaves clinging desperately to a giant oak in galeforce winds, he became the youngest player in rugby history ever to score 10 Test tries.
Yes, and he is not even 20 until April. History, you suspect, is going to pursue this giant rather more effectively than opposition defenders.
And to think this was supposed to be the afternoon that both these sides were going to have discover how difficult life was going to be without their iconic match-winners, Brian O’Driscoll and Shane Williams.
For the first time in a decade, there were no signs of the fabled ‘In BOD We Trust’ banners as Ireland, who have never beaten Wales , England nor France in the Six Nations era without O’Driscoll at the helm, tried to break this duck with the great man enjoying canapés in the IRFU President’s box.
Again, it was tough to say this of his replacement as captain Paul O’Connell, who led by magnificent example, but, ultimately, he was guilty of a bit of pressurised, unclear thinking which may well have cost Ireland victory.
Holding on to a six-point lead in the dying minutes and awarded a penalty, he handed the ball to Jonny Sexton to shoot for goal from his own half.
Crazy. It seemed obvious Sexton did not have the range.
Finding touch in an attacking position, pinning Wales back near their own line was the obvious strangling strategy with the clock ticking down. Instead, Wales were given a glimmer of an escape route as Sexton fell woefully short. Hey presto, North did the rest.
Here was the difference. Replacing Ireland’s irreplaceable one is still a trick Ireland cannot pull off, as poor old Fergus McFadden probably knew.
The number 13 did a solid enough job but it is hard to imagine O’Driscoll would not have done a better job of shackling him when North marauded infield.
Williams, Wales could now be comforted here, is not irreplaceable, though. A giant youngster is going to quickly help a nation forget the pain of an old hero’s absence if he carries on like this in what was only his second appearance in the Six Nations.
It had been said that North had lost a bit of his spark of late since returning from his World Cup adventure, that he has seemed a bit weary.
Compared to the unknown kid who scored those two tries in a scintillating debut against South Africa, some international defences had also now cottoned on to the danger, so the theory went.
Yet North swore the recent Welsh training camp in Poland had rejuvenated him and from those early moments in the first half, when, first, he roared through Irish tacklers, playing a major part in almost setting up a try for Ryan Jones and then broke up one Irish attack by bundling McFadden over like a rag doll near the touchline, he was irresistible.
Sure enough, once the Scarlets’ star popped up menacingly into midfield in the second half, it was no contest against McFadden, as North bounced him aside almost contemptuously.
He may not be a Williams-like will o’ the wisp and more like a crazed rhino with tunnel vision but the way he offloaded with Sonny Bill Williams-style panache to set Davies free was delightful skill.
Poor old McFadden; here was inspiration beating perspiration hands down.
“George was absolutely world-class,” said Warren Gatland, applauding his teenage phenomenon. How Williams, now earning his crust in the commentary box here, must have laughed.
Gone for five minutes and already out of mind.
Wales’s wing maestro used to be a little wizard; now he’s just a rampaging monster.
Here was a breathtaking, blistering, barnstorming afternoon, a game with more searing rugby in its first 15 minutes than seen throughout the entire 80 at Murrayfield on Saturday, a match absolutely deserving to be settled by a good old-fashioned hero, not by questionable officiating decisions.
So let us not allow the late dramas to steal the thunder from a thunderous young champion.
No, not the nerveless Leigh Halfpenny, who reckoned that final pot-shot was the hardest kick he had ever had to take; no, not even a pumped up man of the match Mike Phillips, who spent much of the afternoon looking as if he fancied the idea of taking on all 15 of the Irish single-handedly.
No, we are talking about a teenager who rose to this great occasion with a towering performance to match, a display which once again identified him as surely European rugby’s most remarkable young talent.
Yes, George North was monumental. “A freak,” as Rhys Priestland shrugged. It didn’t sound much of a compliment but it felt spot on.
When the man who had already made one glorious try for Jonathan Davies, ploughed over in the corner, with green shirts hanging off him like leaves clinging desperately to a giant oak in galeforce winds, he became the youngest player in rugby history ever to score 10 Test tries.
Yes, and he is not even 20 until April. History, you suspect, is going to pursue this giant rather more effectively than opposition defenders.
And to think this was supposed to be the afternoon that both these sides were going to have discover how difficult life was going to be without their iconic match-winners, Brian O’Driscoll and Shane Williams.
For the first time in a decade, there were no signs of the fabled ‘In BOD We Trust’ banners as Ireland, who have never beaten Wales , England nor France in the Six Nations era without O’Driscoll at the helm, tried to break this duck with the great man enjoying canapés in the IRFU President’s box.
Again, it was tough to say this of his replacement as captain Paul O’Connell, who led by magnificent example, but, ultimately, he was guilty of a bit of pressurised, unclear thinking which may well have cost Ireland victory.
Holding on to a six-point lead in the dying minutes and awarded a penalty, he handed the ball to Jonny Sexton to shoot for goal from his own half.
Crazy. It seemed obvious Sexton did not have the range.
Finding touch in an attacking position, pinning Wales back near their own line was the obvious strangling strategy with the clock ticking down. Instead, Wales were given a glimmer of an escape route as Sexton fell woefully short. Hey presto, North did the rest.
Here was the difference. Replacing Ireland’s irreplaceable one is still a trick Ireland cannot pull off, as poor old Fergus McFadden probably knew.
The number 13 did a solid enough job but it is hard to imagine O’Driscoll would not have done a better job of shackling him when North marauded infield.
Williams, Wales could now be comforted here, is not irreplaceable, though. A giant youngster is going to quickly help a nation forget the pain of an old hero’s absence if he carries on like this in what was only his second appearance in the Six Nations.
It had been said that North had lost a bit of his spark of late since returning from his World Cup adventure, that he has seemed a bit weary.
Compared to the unknown kid who scored those two tries in a scintillating debut against South Africa, some international defences had also now cottoned on to the danger, so the theory went.
Yet North swore the recent Welsh training camp in Poland had rejuvenated him and from those early moments in the first half, when, first, he roared through Irish tacklers, playing a major part in almost setting up a try for Ryan Jones and then broke up one Irish attack by bundling McFadden over like a rag doll near the touchline, he was irresistible.
Sure enough, once the Scarlets’ star popped up menacingly into midfield in the second half, it was no contest against McFadden, as North bounced him aside almost contemptuously.
He may not be a Williams-like will o’ the wisp and more like a crazed rhino with tunnel vision but the way he offloaded with Sonny Bill Williams-style panache to set Davies free was delightful skill.
Poor old McFadden; here was inspiration beating perspiration hands down.
“George was absolutely world-class,” said Warren Gatland, applauding his teenage phenomenon. How Williams, now earning his crust in the commentary box here, must have laughed.
Gone for five minutes and already out of mind.
Wales’s wing maestro used to be a little wizard; now he’s just a rampaging monster.
All I have to say is LOL at Ireland!!!!!
The powers that be are in danger of turning the game soft.
On the rugby field you are going to get mismatches and Sam was in a lot of peoples eyes harshly punished for nailing a french back, with the Bradley tackle it's clear that he knew what he was doing and as such the intent was there and he should of been given a straight red. Ferris, well i can't really understand how a penalty was given (Evans had one foot on the ground at all times) let alone a yellow card.
IMO they should bring back rucking, it would improve the game no end.
On the rugby field you are going to get mismatches and Sam was in a lot of peoples eyes harshly punished for nailing a french back, with the Bradley tackle it's clear that he knew what he was doing and as such the intent was there and he should of been given a straight red. Ferris, well i can't really understand how a penalty was given (Evans had one foot on the ground at all times) let alone a yellow card.
IMO they should bring back rucking, it would improve the game no end.
Dangerous tackles should be punished, the Irish binning wasnt a yellow at all. Seems like if the feet go above the head, youre going off. No one is going to place you nicely on the ground and dust you off.
Will they ban all tackles on the upper body next? There were a few half shoulder blocks in the game (and most), that could be deemed just as dangerous.
Will they ban all tackles on the upper body next? There were a few half shoulder blocks in the game (and most), that could be deemed just as dangerous.
And i hate to say it, but here's how i see it finishing after the first weekend.
1- Wales/France
3-Ireland
4-England
5-Italy
6-Scotland
Think England will struggle to get anything from the first 3. Still, this is what Johnson should have done in his build ups to WC's. Build a squad for the future, it might be painful this 6N's, but we'll be better for it next year.
1- Wales/France
3-Ireland
4-England
5-Italy
6-Scotland
Think England will struggle to get anything from the first 3. Still, this is what Johnson should have done in his build ups to WC's. Build a squad for the future, it might be painful this 6N's, but we'll be better for it next year.
[quote author=Kenny4PM link=topic=48142.msg1479233#msg1479233 date=1328702438]
The powers that be are in danger of turning the game soft.
On the rugby field you are going to get mismatches and Sam was in a lot of peoples eyes harshly punished for nailing a french back, with the Bradley tackle it's clear that he knew what he was doing and as such the intent was there and he should of been given a straight red. Ferris, well i can't really understand how a penalty was given (Evans had one foot on the ground at all times) let alone a yellow card.
IMO they should bring back rucking, it would improve the game no end.
[/quote]
The powers that be are in danger of turning the game soft.
On the rugby field you are going to get mismatches and Sam was in a lot of peoples eyes harshly punished for nailing a french back, with the Bradley tackle it's clear that he knew what he was doing and as such the intent was there and he should of been given a straight red. Ferris, well i can't really understand how a penalty was given (Evans had one foot on the ground at all times) let alone a yellow card.
IMO they should bring back rucking, it would improve the game no end.
[/quote]
Wales lock Bradley Davies banned for rest of Six Nations. Here's the story here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/16898415
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/16898415
