RWC: Japan v Ireland (Pool A)
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@rotated I reckon we are further down the line with our new pod play (cheers 1014 for analysis).
We've kept advancing the dual pivot approach in spite of losing DMac. While losing him sucked I actually think it's got more bite as we now have two first choice 1st fives on the pitch. RM is making every post a winner and BB at the back is lethal.
Add in our clear shift to a more up tempo and ball playing front row, plus our flying loose trio and it all starts to feed off each other.
I guess aside from the pod structure and any yet to be seen tactics it's more personal tweaks. But to me it does feel different to last year.
Screw 11, Shag wants our lads to crank it to 20!
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To me, where Ireland were at in the game was summed up by how they finished the game. Time was up, a converted try needed to draw the game, so they kicked it out.
Reminded me of Leon McDonald forcing the ball under similar circumstances. At least have a go!
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@Kirwan said in RWC: Japan v Ireland (Pool A):
To me, where Ireland were at in the game was summed up by how they finished the game. Time was up, a converted try needed to draw the game, so they kicked it out.
Reminded me of Leon McDonald forcing the ball under similar circumstances. At least have a go!
Given they had (what might be) a crucial bonus point, and at no point in the second half looked like breaking the line, I'm surprised he kicked it downfield instead of just dead.
The lack of direction from the midfield was a problem. Ireland have been playing Sexton so long they've little else in the cupboard for 10. The kid who started was OK but the replacement was awful. By that stage, Ireland's forwards were shot. That big 5 that they've talked up so much was barely above walking pace going into contact, and easy meat for Japan's forwards.
"Oh the feckin humidity!" some are saying - but when it rains in the British Isles teams are told to suck it up.
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@NTA interestingly tackle stats are prety similar, I thought Japan woulda been way ahead.
Ireland made 171 missed 18
Japan made 176 missed 14Top individual was Moore (Jap) with 24 made, 0 missed, next was Flier (Ire) with 20 made, 1 missed.
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Schmidt is on to "Hometown."
Ireland are usually the most disciplined team on the pitch but they came out on the wrong end of a 9-6 penalty count, with Schmidt hinting at some frustrations at referee Angus Gardner – who the Ireland head coach had curiously decided to criticise as recently as Thursday.
“We’ll go back and have a look at it,” said Schmidt. “I certainly understand the frustrations of some of the players and in discussing things with them based on what I saw on the monitor, it’s not too dissimilar from the last time we had this referee.
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@NTA said in RWC: Japan v Ireland (Pool A):
The lack of direction from the midfield was a problem. Ireland have been playing Sexton so long they've little else in the cupboard for 10. The kid who started was OK but the replacement was awful. By that stage, Ireland's forwards were shot. That big 5 that they've talked up so much was barely above walking pace going into contact, and easy meat for Japan's forwards.
"Oh the feckin humidity!" some are saying - but when it rains in the British Isles teams are told to suck it up.
https://www.yr.no/place/Japan/Saitama/Kumagaya/hour_by_hour.html
Don't know what the weather was yesterday, but if it's like today it was probably something like 28"C when that game kicked off. I recall the Sunwolves embarrassing the Blues in the heat a couple of years ago (and the Chiefs knocking over the Crusaders in Fiji).
If we play Ireland in a QF we'll be three weeks further into autumn and the kick-off is three hours later. Heat and humidity less of a factor.
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@Frank said in RWC: Japan v Ireland (Pool A):
Schmidt is on to "Hometown."
Ireland are usually the most disciplined team on the pitch but they came out on the wrong end of a 9-6 penalty count, with Schmidt hinting at some frustrations at referee Angus Gardner – who the Ireland head coach had curiously decided to criticise as recently as Thursday.
“We’ll go back and have a look at it,” said Schmidt. “I certainly understand the frustrations of some of the players and in discussing things with them based on what I saw on the monitor, it’s not too dissimilar from the last time we had this referee.
"Our brand of cynical bullshit finally got called on us. It happened with this referee last time but we were too stupid/arrogant/complacent to understand and rectify this either in our preparation, or during the game"
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Both teams scored all their trys under penalty advantage , so true penalty count is Jap 8, Ire 10.
Ireland just weren't very disciplined yesterday, not that 10 infringements is a shocker or anything, at one point Murray offended 3 times for a single penalty (2 advantages and then the final action when ref blew was him offending again).
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@booboo said in RWC: Japan v Ireland (Pool A):
More gold from our haka hating Irish kickball guy.
Is he the Ratpoo of Ireland?
It gets better.
Yes this guy is a certified twat. The Irish Twattue.
Thankfully people screenshot his deleted tweets.
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@MrDenmore said in RWC: Japan v Ireland (Pool A):
@booboo He’s ‘branding’ himself, admittedly as a clueless, ignorant and offensive arsehole but that’s the ‘brand’
So yes, the Irish Ratpoo. Best to ignore. Check.
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@Machpants said in RWC: Japan v Ireland (Pool A):
They're up and down like the Assyrian Empire during RWC, as games are worth double points
Surprisingly most moves are only by one place up or down.
It was the pre-tournament games in the NH where highly ranked teams played each other in 'friendlies' as preparation that put things out of alignment.
An Australian win against Wales would put the Convicts up to either 2nd or 3rd and drop Wales to 6th which is a big shuffle though. -
@Crucial said in RWC: Japan v Ireland (Pool A):
@Machpants said in RWC: Japan v Ireland (Pool A):
They're up and down like the Assyrian Empire during RWC, as games are worth double points
Surprisingly most moves are only by one place up or down.
It was the pre-tournament games in the NH where highly ranked teams played each other in 'friendlies' as preparation that put things out of alignment.
An Australian win against Wales would put the Convicts up to either 2nd or 3rd and drop Wales to 6th which is a big shuffle though.Its tight in around 2-6 with only a tick over 3 points separating the lot. Beat someone above you and with double points....
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One last gloating post before I move on, another post from an Irishman on pr
Well, Japan chose this game to be played at the hottest time of the day in their most humid part of Japan because they understood very clearly it would give me an advantage against heavier opposition who all live and play in a temperate climate and who would not be able to fully acclimatize to the conditions. And they were right.