Wales were very impressive indeed and they're preparation for this, training camp in Poland, conditioning the players which included 3 minutes in a freezer at -140 degrees is maybe the kind of level the Irish setup needs to be at for the next world cup. They barely missed a tackle the whole game and frustrated Ireland up front so much. I think they can take France but cant see them beating NZ/Oz in the final. The reason for that in my opinion is they should have beat us by more and should have beat SA so they are not as clinical as a team needs to be to beat NZ/Oz

stranmillis29 (Antrim) - Posts: 788 - 09/10/2011 14:01:51    1048995

09/10/2011 14:01:51
stranmillis29
County: Antrim
Posts: 699

1048995 Wales were very impressive indeed and they're preparation for this, training camp in Poland, conditioning the players which included 3 minutes in a freezer at -140 degrees is maybe the kind of level the Irish setup needs to be at for the next world cup. They barely missed a tackle the whole game and frustrated Ireland up front so much. I think they can take France but cant see them beating NZ/Oz in the final. The reason for that in my opinion is they should have beat us by more and should have beat SA so they are not as clinical as a team needs to be to beat NZ/Oz

Ireland have been there, done that with regard to going to spala in poland and doing the cyrotherapy training in -140 degree temperature.
It was in use by ireland for several years but under kidney it was decided that the players were better off without going there
I think France will beat Wales but the winner will come from the southern hemisphere

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 09/10/2011 15:00:09    1049016

Still, you cant argue with the Welsh fitness and conditioning, they're clearly one of the fittest teams out there right now. Id be surprised if France, who looked pretty average against England can get past them

stranmillis29 (Antrim) - Posts: 788 - 09/10/2011 15:12:13    1049021

09/10/2011 15:12:13
stranmillis29
County: Antrim
Posts: 701

1049021 Still, you cant argue with the Welsh fitness and conditioning, they're clearly one of the fittest teams out there right now. Id be surprised if France, who looked pretty average against England can get past them

France are capable of pulling performances out of nowhere and the welsh will not scare them. France had never beaten england in a world cup game before this weekend(excluding a 3rd/4th place playoff in 95) so getting over a hurdle like that will do wonders to the french who can appear flaky at times
England draw teams into dogfights and france came out of it.
Our play in the final 3rd was pathetic to be honest & Wales showed us how to convert chances into points, they took their chances which is why they won not due to superior fitness or anything else. they took their chances and we didnt which is why we are going home and they are in auckland for a semi next weekend

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 09/10/2011 15:45:53    1049032

roysh goys ROG, POG and BOD folded like a well conditioned towel fresh from the tumble dryer, get over it and move on, is there not a rugby forum for youse?

CheFinny (UK) - Posts: 1358 - 09/10/2011 16:20:11    1049049

Disgraceful result. Our Goys should have won. The other team scoring more is a ridiculous way to decide a match. Ah well they can now sing Ireland's bawl.

Real Kerry Fan (None) - Posts: 2957 - 09/10/2011 19:49:42    1049166

ormondbannerman
County: Clare
Posts: 319

I dont care who you are, BOD, ROG or POC... if you pass up 3 kickable penalties in the first half of a tight quarter final of a world cup you have no place on a rugby pitch. Choosing not to kick any of those really hurt us

as i explained in a previous post 2 of these penalties were in the one attack. if rog had kicked the first, the second wouldn't have happenned. and he actually kicked the third. so only really 1 penalty declined.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5522 - 09/10/2011 21:20:40    1049228

One team clearly wanted it far more than the other.

"it" being an extra week in a country with 42 million sheep.

stranmillis29 (Antrim) - Posts: 788 - 10/10/2011 09:28:13    1049272

Still absolutely gutted.

Horrible weekend. Wake up early all excited then to have Wales steam roller us. Words cannot express the feeling when the whistle went and we were put out of our misery. I hope this isn't the end of the road for the likes of O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, O'Connell, O'Gara. Hopefully they'll stick around for the 6 Nations and will be reinvorgorated when they go back to the provinces.

I have a funny feeling France will be taking the W/C home to Paris. All of a sudden every ruby player in New Zealand is coming down with something. There battle with the Aussies will be huge but i think the injuries will take their toll and Australia will win. Welsh rugby will be on a high, but it's just typically french that they can't even be bothered to listen to their manager anymore, get beaten by a team like Tonga, then go and win the thing. I think if France turn up, they beat Wales.

Ah well, to quote George Gregan, Four more years boys, four more years.

tribeinbrum (Galway) - Posts: 4155 - 10/10/2011 09:38:16    1049275

Not too much I can say about the game that already hasn't been said, it was absolutely horrible stuff to watch but full credit to Wales they were far hungrier than we were and fully deserved their victory. Before the World Cup I was adamant that we'd get knocked out at the QF stage but with the victory over Australia I was fully convinced that we'd get to a semi-final at least.

Ironically beating Australia could have been our ultimate downfall as Wales seem to be in far better form than South Africa at the moment and we may have had a better chance against them in a QF, I say this with the benefit of hindsight of course. Anyway we're out now and all I can say is fairplay to the lads who gave it 100%, its very tough for us to take so we can only imagine what its like for the players themselves.

Finally what is very sad though is all the so called 'Irish people' who were delighted to see 'their' national team being knocked out of such a huge international competition. These idiots should hang their heads in shame and never have the nerve to call themselves sports fans, gloryhole sheep of the highest order yes but not sports fans.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 10/10/2011 11:25:20    1049336

BOOZY England rugby star Manu Tuilagi was arrested yesterday after he jumped from a ferry following a day trip with defeated World Cup team-mates.
The 20-year-old swam to the ferry terminal as the ship prepared to dock.

He was immediately collared and spent an hour at a police station in Auckland, New Zealand.

Tuilagi was given a formal warning before being handed over to team bosses.

yet another shameful episode from the England rugby team and Johnson to get another four years ?

fortyfive (Tyrone) - Posts: 5929 - 10/10/2011 12:39:34    1049386

What's shameful about it really? Seems like just a bit a crack.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12452 - 10/10/2011 12:42:33    1049390

You're right Bref just a bit of craic, the sort of role model I want my kids to follow.

spyboy (Antrim) - Posts: 343 - 10/10/2011 14:19:11    1049481

"What about the children?! Won't somebody please think of the children!?"

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12452 - 10/10/2011 14:27:59    1049491

I am a GAA fan first and foremost and Rugby threatens our national games. I also find many rugby players and fans odious snobs. Same as people who join golf clubs in the hope that it gives them some sort of enhanced social status.

CheFinny (UK) - Posts: 1358 - 10/10/2011 14:59:46    1049523

Che rugby does not threaten and never will threaten the Gaa. Your posts are becoming farcical.

jonny1951 (Mayo) - Posts: 1431 - 10/10/2011 15:16:15    1049531

I feel sorry for Johnson, compare the England team he played in in '03 to the bunch of absolute idiots he is now manager of. England have let themselves down time after time in this World Cup. As for Ireland it's all been said. We will never have a better chance to reach a World Cup final and we simply couldn't cope with Wales. Well done to them but they're a team I detest and I hope they get hammered in the semi. The end of an era for some of these players and it feels like an anti-climax, we need to start blooding other players asap

pplocal (Tyrone) - Posts: 5878 - 10/10/2011 15:36:54    1049543

Yeah I always liked Wales and they fully deserved to beat us, but I wasn't impressed with AWJ and Philips mouthing at O'Driscoll and O'Connell. No class there.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12452 - 10/10/2011 15:46:57    1049549

che I agree re snobs, I disagree re threat.

Real Kerry Fan (None) - Posts: 2957 - 10/10/2011 15:48:19    1049551

CheFinny
County: UK
Posts: 1231

1049523 I am a GAA fan first and foremost and Rugby threatens our national games. I also find many rugby players and fans odious snobs. Same as people who join golf clubs in the hope that it gives them some sort of enhanced social status.

Jaysus youve some chip on your shoulder there lad.
You should get out and play a bit of golf, in my experience most golfing people are as nice as any youd meet.
Ive played with random hackers all over and never had a bad experience.

You dont have to pay big money to join a club nowadays anyway.

Horse (Laois) - Posts: 1146 - 10/10/2011 15:58:20    1049559