Great video here of a young man named Michael Noone.
He's currently plying his trade for Blackrock where he is the starting No. 8.
The video shows clips of some very powerful ball carrying and great turns of speed!
Definitely a man to keep an eye on!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsC8d-R-jTU
Tuesday 22 March 2011
Saturday 19 March 2011
Ireland 24-8 England
Where the hell did that performance come from?!
An immense performance from the Irish team, with big physicality and commitment from 1 to 22. Ireland stopped the English on the gain line all day and were making line breaks all over the field.
For Brian O'Driscoll's try that wasn't to be, it was fantastic work from the Irish with runners offering themselves and quick ball from the breakdown. Pity about the forward pass.
Great stuff from Jonny Sexton for Tommy Bowe's try. He had the vision to see that England were strugging to get back and he raced up to the mark to take a quick tap and sent the ball out to Bowe to sail through the thin English defence.
England only got into the Irish half once or twice and the Irish gave away penalties each time and were punished for one of them. I hope this isn't a continuation from the penalty issue that has plagued them for most of the championship.
It was a great first 40 minutes to watch with the action being non stop throughout.
O'Driscoll's try was almost a carbon copy of the one that was disallowed. Once again runners were offering themselves, combined with quick ball, created the gap for O'Driscoll to cross the whitewash.
It was a very well read intercept by Steve Thompson for his try off an Irish lineout. But it wasn't enough to get the chariot swinging again.
This is the performance that we prayed for all championship and I personnally thought that we wouldn't get. A lot of players that have underperformed really stood up today, David Wallace, Jamie Heaslip, Gordon D'Arcy, Donncha O'Callaghan and Rory Best. I have a large amount of humble pie to eat at the moment and I'm enjoying every bite!!
My Man of the Match is Jonny Sexton. He was brilliant today. Pulling the strings and unleashing the team. Huge credit has to go to Eoin Reddan for his quick service which was pivotal in helping Sexton and the team. It's about time that Sexton had the chance to play off a quick scrum half and it has shown what he, and this team, are capable of. Honourable mentions for Wallace and especially the tight five who were magnificent all around the pitch.
I'm afraid that I can't decide on one Irish player of the tournament, so I have to pick two. The two men in question are Sean O'Brien and Mike Ross.
O'Brien has been immaculate in the loose with strong dynamic ball carrying and support lines. Ireland could have scored a lot more tries if more players ran angles off him.
On the other end of the spectrum is Ross, who has been immaculate in the tight and has to take massive credit for the quantum leap that the Irish scrum has made in this tournament. He got thrown in at the deep end and he was more than able to cope.
The Irish team have to kick on from here!
I'll be back again to talk about The Heineken Cup in the near future.
I'm off to finish this humble pie!
An immense performance from the Irish team, with big physicality and commitment from 1 to 22. Ireland stopped the English on the gain line all day and were making line breaks all over the field.
For Brian O'Driscoll's try that wasn't to be, it was fantastic work from the Irish with runners offering themselves and quick ball from the breakdown. Pity about the forward pass.
Great stuff from Jonny Sexton for Tommy Bowe's try. He had the vision to see that England were strugging to get back and he raced up to the mark to take a quick tap and sent the ball out to Bowe to sail through the thin English defence.
England only got into the Irish half once or twice and the Irish gave away penalties each time and were punished for one of them. I hope this isn't a continuation from the penalty issue that has plagued them for most of the championship.
It was a great first 40 minutes to watch with the action being non stop throughout.
O'Driscoll's try was almost a carbon copy of the one that was disallowed. Once again runners were offering themselves, combined with quick ball, created the gap for O'Driscoll to cross the whitewash.
It was a very well read intercept by Steve Thompson for his try off an Irish lineout. But it wasn't enough to get the chariot swinging again.
This is the performance that we prayed for all championship and I personnally thought that we wouldn't get. A lot of players that have underperformed really stood up today, David Wallace, Jamie Heaslip, Gordon D'Arcy, Donncha O'Callaghan and Rory Best. I have a large amount of humble pie to eat at the moment and I'm enjoying every bite!!
My Man of the Match is Jonny Sexton. He was brilliant today. Pulling the strings and unleashing the team. Huge credit has to go to Eoin Reddan for his quick service which was pivotal in helping Sexton and the team. It's about time that Sexton had the chance to play off a quick scrum half and it has shown what he, and this team, are capable of. Honourable mentions for Wallace and especially the tight five who were magnificent all around the pitch.
I'm afraid that I can't decide on one Irish player of the tournament, so I have to pick two. The two men in question are Sean O'Brien and Mike Ross.
O'Brien has been immaculate in the loose with strong dynamic ball carrying and support lines. Ireland could have scored a lot more tries if more players ran angles off him.
On the other end of the spectrum is Ross, who has been immaculate in the tight and has to take massive credit for the quantum leap that the Irish scrum has made in this tournament. He got thrown in at the deep end and he was more than able to cope.
The Irish team have to kick on from here!
I'll be back again to talk about The Heineken Cup in the near future.
I'm off to finish this humble pie!
Wednesday 16 March 2011
Luke Fitzgerald dropped from the 22, Leo Cullen and Sean Cronin still on the bench, terrible idea!
We all noticed that Fitzgerald wasn't a full back after seeing him playing the first 2 games in that position. Kidney & co. persisted with him and now they drop him. Fitzgerald's confidence is at rock bottom after the Wales match which was his worst. Now he gets dropped just to rub salt into the wound. He is being used as a scapegoat to make it look like the coaches are trying to make a change. I don't have an issue with Andrew Trimble as he is a good player. Fitzgerald should have been moved back to the wing to try and regain some much needed confidence. This could be a crushing blow for both Fitzgerald and Leinster.
Cullen and Cronin must be the 2 most frustrated men in Ireland. They've been sitting on the sidelines watching an underperforming team and yet they have not been given a single opportunity between them, apart from the odd cameo. The 2 men that they would be replacing have not performed during this championship. What do they have to do to get a chance? How can you expect to keep players interested when deep down they think that they don't have a hope of breaking into the team? Especially when the team is underperforming. These guys must be desperate to get back to there provinces/clubs.
The picking of Jonny Sexton over Ronan O'Gara can only be for one reason. Sexton has been picked for his physicality in the tackle area against what is a giant English pack. It has to be for that reason. O'Gara has been playing well and Sexton hasn't coated himself in glory when he has come on. The big postive to this is that Sexton will finally have the chance to play off a quick scrum half, if we can get the ball.
Let's hope the Irish team can put a stop to the marauding chariot.
We all noticed that Fitzgerald wasn't a full back after seeing him playing the first 2 games in that position. Kidney & co. persisted with him and now they drop him. Fitzgerald's confidence is at rock bottom after the Wales match which was his worst. Now he gets dropped just to rub salt into the wound. He is being used as a scapegoat to make it look like the coaches are trying to make a change. I don't have an issue with Andrew Trimble as he is a good player. Fitzgerald should have been moved back to the wing to try and regain some much needed confidence. This could be a crushing blow for both Fitzgerald and Leinster.
Cullen and Cronin must be the 2 most frustrated men in Ireland. They've been sitting on the sidelines watching an underperforming team and yet they have not been given a single opportunity between them, apart from the odd cameo. The 2 men that they would be replacing have not performed during this championship. What do they have to do to get a chance? How can you expect to keep players interested when deep down they think that they don't have a hope of breaking into the team? Especially when the team is underperforming. These guys must be desperate to get back to there provinces/clubs.
The picking of Jonny Sexton over Ronan O'Gara can only be for one reason. Sexton has been picked for his physicality in the tackle area against what is a giant English pack. It has to be for that reason. O'Gara has been playing well and Sexton hasn't coated himself in glory when he has come on. The big postive to this is that Sexton will finally have the chance to play off a quick scrum half, if we can get the ball.
Let's hope the Irish team can put a stop to the marauding chariot.
Sunday 13 March 2011
Sorry
Have to apologise because there won't be any match report from me. I ended up getting hammered yesterday. I'm just going to throw out a few things that are in my noggin.
Ireland were simply awful yesterday and were beaten by a misfiring Wales team. The penalties are still an issue and ultimately cost them the game. There has to be a drastic overhaul in this team, either in personnel or they have to sit down and have a real long hard look at themselves to sort it out. It's 4 games in a row now, something has to change because whatever they're doing just isn't working.
The try that shouldn't have been. We all know that the Welsh try was an awful decision from the touch judge, but it shouldn't be allowed to deflect from the fact that Ireland were very poor. Wales won by 6 points, and if James Hook had kicked all his points (he hit the post with a penalty) Wales would have won even without the try.
Some of the Irish lads didn't play to their best, Luke Fitzgerald and Ronan O'Gara really stuck out. Fitzgerald is no longer a viable option at full back. I would move him back to the wing and move Keith Earls back or bring in Gavin Duffy. O'Gara wasn't at his tactical kicking best yesterday and had quite a few slices off the boot. The fact that the scrum half had to be changed after the first minute also didn't help Irelands cause. Even with all that, Ireland could and should have won this game. The penalty issue must get sorted!
For next week I would like to see both Leo Cullen and Sean Cronin get a chance in place of Donncha O'Callaghan and Rory Best. Both O'Callaghan and especially Best have been serial offenders in giving away penalties. Surely Fergus McFadden has to come in for Paddy Wallace after he butchered a great chance at the end. I can't see Kidney & co. making many changes, if any.
Let's hope for an improvement next week when the chariot swings into town.
P.S. Viva Italia!!
Ireland were simply awful yesterday and were beaten by a misfiring Wales team. The penalties are still an issue and ultimately cost them the game. There has to be a drastic overhaul in this team, either in personnel or they have to sit down and have a real long hard look at themselves to sort it out. It's 4 games in a row now, something has to change because whatever they're doing just isn't working.
The try that shouldn't have been. We all know that the Welsh try was an awful decision from the touch judge, but it shouldn't be allowed to deflect from the fact that Ireland were very poor. Wales won by 6 points, and if James Hook had kicked all his points (he hit the post with a penalty) Wales would have won even without the try.
Some of the Irish lads didn't play to their best, Luke Fitzgerald and Ronan O'Gara really stuck out. Fitzgerald is no longer a viable option at full back. I would move him back to the wing and move Keith Earls back or bring in Gavin Duffy. O'Gara wasn't at his tactical kicking best yesterday and had quite a few slices off the boot. The fact that the scrum half had to be changed after the first minute also didn't help Irelands cause. Even with all that, Ireland could and should have won this game. The penalty issue must get sorted!
For next week I would like to see both Leo Cullen and Sean Cronin get a chance in place of Donncha O'Callaghan and Rory Best. Both O'Callaghan and especially Best have been serial offenders in giving away penalties. Surely Fergus McFadden has to come in for Paddy Wallace after he butchered a great chance at the end. I can't see Kidney & co. making many changes, if any.
Let's hope for an improvement next week when the chariot swings into town.
P.S. Viva Italia!!
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Declan Kidney is, again, sticking with Eddie O'Sullivan's tried and tested.
I'm starting to get sick of looking at the Ireland team sheet. Kidney & co. have been in charge of this team for some time now, but it is essentially the same as when O'Sullivan was around. I know they say a good team doesn't become a bad one over night, but this team has been around for a very long time, with very little change to it. The only changes that have happened are through injury and retirement.
Ireland are going to go to this world cup with the same team that capitulated in France 4 years ago. Every other team in world rugby has blooded new players and experimented with the way they play and the vast majority of them have progressed. Ireland experimented a little with playing Jonny Sexton for a more expansive game, but used a slow, defensive scrum half inside of him for most of that. So for the most part, it seemed that the experiment failed. It only failed because of the poor personnel choice for the game plan to work. For a game like that to work you need a quick scrum half (Peter Stringer/Eoin Reddan), an openside flanker to link play (Shane Jennings) and a general mindset in the whole squad that this is the way forward. When you have that mindset it encourages players to off load and run angles off the ball carrier. The only players running angles are Sean O'Brien and Sean Cronin. And very few players are even looking for off loads let alone executing them.
On another subject, if the penalty issue is still ongoing after this match a radical change is needed in the playing personnel! It probably should have been done already, but if it continues for a fourth game in a row it has to be a case of desperate times, call for desperate measures.
Ireland are going to go to this world cup with the same team that capitulated in France 4 years ago. Every other team in world rugby has blooded new players and experimented with the way they play and the vast majority of them have progressed. Ireland experimented a little with playing Jonny Sexton for a more expansive game, but used a slow, defensive scrum half inside of him for most of that. So for the most part, it seemed that the experiment failed. It only failed because of the poor personnel choice for the game plan to work. For a game like that to work you need a quick scrum half (Peter Stringer/Eoin Reddan), an openside flanker to link play (Shane Jennings) and a general mindset in the whole squad that this is the way forward. When you have that mindset it encourages players to off load and run angles off the ball carrier. The only players running angles are Sean O'Brien and Sean Cronin. And very few players are even looking for off loads let alone executing them.
On another subject, if the penalty issue is still ongoing after this match a radical change is needed in the playing personnel! It probably should have been done already, but if it continues for a fourth game in a row it has to be a case of desperate times, call for desperate measures.
Wednesday 2 March 2011
The Irish team and managment are at Carton House to review the Scotland match and try to sort out the penalty crisis. They are also going to talk to the IRB about some of the decisions that referee Nigel Owens made during the match.
It's about time that this sit down happened, but there are 2 problems with it:
1. Only the starting 15 are at Carton House.
The problem with this is that it doesn't look good for the other lads to get a start for the Wales game. They could easily get it into their heads that no matter how they do for their province during the weekend, the starting 15 has already been picked. That is an absolute confidence sapper and bad for the provinces. Why should these guys give it their all at the weekend if they think there's no competition for places?
Also, there's more than the 15 giving away penalties (anyone remember Denis Leamy before the Scottish drop goal?).
2. Bothering to talk to the IRB about some of the decisions.
The Irish players are professionals and before and after every game you hear them talk about "you have to play the ref". These guys watch videos of the refs before games to see what gets him blowing the whistle. During the game you figure this out too. Even at my level of rugby (J4) we figure out what the ref blows for, and we don't get the benefit of hours of expert video analysis! They shouldn't bother going to the IRB for clarification, they shouldn't be trying to point the finger and move the blame away from themselves. They need to take responsibility and sort it out between themselves as a team.
It's about time that this sit down happened, but there are 2 problems with it:
1. Only the starting 15 are at Carton House.
The problem with this is that it doesn't look good for the other lads to get a start for the Wales game. They could easily get it into their heads that no matter how they do for their province during the weekend, the starting 15 has already been picked. That is an absolute confidence sapper and bad for the provinces. Why should these guys give it their all at the weekend if they think there's no competition for places?
Also, there's more than the 15 giving away penalties (anyone remember Denis Leamy before the Scottish drop goal?).
2. Bothering to talk to the IRB about some of the decisions.
The Irish players are professionals and before and after every game you hear them talk about "you have to play the ref". These guys watch videos of the refs before games to see what gets him blowing the whistle. During the game you figure this out too. Even at my level of rugby (J4) we figure out what the ref blows for, and we don't get the benefit of hours of expert video analysis! They shouldn't bother going to the IRB for clarification, they shouldn't be trying to point the finger and move the blame away from themselves. They need to take responsibility and sort it out between themselves as a team.
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