France - close but no cigar.

[Dixie]

Having missed a simple kick and butchered a scoring pass, all they needed to do was drop a goal to win at the end. So why did they run the ball into Ireland's choke defence? Had they dropped that goal, they would have beaten both the primary contenders for the championship at the last ditch. As it is .... they were sunk by poor kicking, poor passing and poor options. Grrrrr.


Ireland (and particularly BoD): many congratulations on a fine Championship.

 

[Ricardowensleydale]

Congrats indeed but the Championship wasn't handed to them by France it was Wales' poor performance in Dublin that gave them a significant points advantage over England....which is why it should be shared rather than the ridiculous notion that we must have a winner.

 

[Account Deleted]

Agreed Ireland worthy winners. Congratulations.

 

[FlipFlop]

Am wondering why nothing was done about Healy's diving head butt? Anyone else think that Walsh should have gone upstairs at least for that?

Citing to come?

think France were the better team, but Ireland managed to win ugly.

 

[Loïc]

I think Healy should have been yellow carded.

Anyway, Ireland deserves this tournament, O'driscoll too, even we were close to the win.

 

[Browner]

Am wondering why nothing was done about Healy's diving head butt? Anyone else think that Walsh should have gone upstairs at least for that?

Citing to come?

think France were the better team, but Ireland managed to win ugly.

Immediately it happened I thought yellow card, for the offside & the slowing down of french possession. Then on the replay I changed my mind, I thought at 'least' :yellow: flying into ruck recklessly, led with head & butted an opponent :rc: i agree how did it not deserve a TMO inspection. SW cant surely escape that question in debrief

As for the forward pass, it was likely forward, but we never got to see a close up of the ball release. Unless im mistaken the TMO had a few looks at it & couldn't come up with a decision, so how can it be C&O'ly forward?

Overall England lost the championship on their inability to convert Red Zone possession into points/Try's in earlier matches .... Scotland should have been dispatched by 40+points, & France put out of sight earlier in the match.

Pleased finally Nowell scored, but our return 1 in 10 ratio for winger trys is awful and hampers our - I said previously that Tuilagi should be on the wing, 1v1 he'll beat his man 60% of the time IMO.

 

[irishref]

There seems to be a distinct lack of appreciation of an Irish team that have come from almost wooden spoon to champions in a year in the comments above. We can of course focus on incidents but Ireland's current form and manner of playing speaks for itself.

Imagine, if we had a #10 who didn't spend most of the game kicking away hard-won ball, we may be a serious team!

France were not the better team today, IMHO, but they did have a suggestion of being able to take the on-field conditions, react to them and step outside the gameplan. Ireland were playing numbers rugby all day. In the end, sticking to the gameplan won the day.

I'm quietly envious of England though...

 

[Red Cap Ref]

Over the championship Ireland deserved it, great six nation s in part. Some mediocre games but most very good to watch.
Only two teams did not put in a bad performance and they were one and two. Rest were curates egg performances.

But a question, why do we have Garces using the big screen without apparently calling for a review to change his call and Steve Walsh not calling for a review when a quick look would have seen Healy walking,

 

[Browner]

You don't win championships accidentally, of course Ireland have been good, their win v wales was impressive, and ANYONE who goes to paris & gets a result in the 6N must be applauded, history says so..

England have built great momentum, sadly for us the French game came too early IMO.

The saddest result of the day was Scotland scoring 3 points, & so avoiding the Lowest points total ever , a 'title' their play deserved ! :biggrin:

 

[irishref]

Red card for Healy would have really been a travesty, IMHO. Yellow, for sure as an isolated incident but in the course of the game and how it was reffed, a fair enough call to just give the PK.

I thought the breakdown was poorly managed today. But it's easy for me to be critical from my luxury chair.

 

[Toby Warren]

I think Healy should have been yellow carded.

Anyway, Ireland deserves this tournament, O'driscoll too, even we were close to the win.

Healy left the ground, led with his head, didn't use his arms and made contact with an opponents head with his own head, with enough force to knock his opponent off his feet and backwards.

 

[Loïc]

I agree with you Toby, but I thought that if I was claiming for a RC on Healy it would have been seen as whine because I'm :france:

:biggrin:

 

[Phil E]

Red card for Healy would have really been a travesty, IMHO. Yellow, for sure as an isolated incident but in the course of the game and how it was reffed, a fair enough call to just give the PK.

So charging into a ruck with no arms (dangerous play); head butting an opponent so hard he needs medical attention (serious foul play); and trying to kill the ball 2m out from the goal line (synical play); and you would only give a PK!!!!!!!!

What do you have to do in your games to get a YC? Kill someone?

 

[Skids]

:rc: for me anyway.

 

[Account Deleted]

Head butts are Red and work down form me. So having not seen it yet. That is my only comment.


To win a championship in Paris is never easy and with all the If buts and maybes flying around It is safe to say that as an outsider the right team has been crowned champions.

 

[Browner]

Head butts are Red and work down form me. So having not seen it yet. That is my only comment.


To win a championship in Paris is never easy and with all the If buts and maybes flying around It is safe to say that as an outsider the right team has been crowned champions.

Outsider yes, but the anti englishness is deep rooted , even when it comes to crediting England. ...?????? ..

 

[Account Deleted]

Outsider yes, but the anti englishness is deep rooted , even when it comes to crediting England. ...?????? ..

Sorry but I really don't understand your point.
Personally if Wales don't win the championship I am not bothered who does. That said, for me Ireland have been the best side in the 6N. Going forward I think England can take more from the championship in terms of development toward next year's RWC. A far bigger prize I think you'd agree.

Ireland destroyed Wales. England out played Wales but Wales were a lot closer at the end and but for some terrible decision making there were a couple of tries Wales should have scored. So with a bit of luck Wales could have gained an underserved win. Ireland choked (in the best sense) the life blood out of the Wales team.

Against France England blew what should have been a fairly easy win. Ireland, even though suffering from the pressure of the day won against the French and the England Vs Ireland game could have gone either way. Ireland can count themselves unlucky. Having no axe to grind and having, in other threads, stated a preference for Welsh clubs to play the English and not our "so called" Celtic cousins. I have no hesitation in saying the best team finished top.

A lot of people need to leave the banter alone if they can't understand that there is no anti English sentiment. On the field of play we are all enemies.

France are in a shambolic state. Perhaps the lack of French players in the T14 is coming home to roost? Scotland continue to suffer and that is sad. Italy seems unable to make the break through. And it is perhaps, the failure of Wales in that game to run up a big win that said more about Wales problems than the defeats to the Irish and the English. A poor side exposed us after all those games were expected to be tough. The Italians were there for the taking and we were poor that day.

 

[Toby Warren]

Sorry but I really don't understand your point.
Personally if Wales don't win the championship I am not bothered who does. That said, for me Ireland have been the best side in the 6N. Going forward I think England can take more from the championship in terms of development toward next year's RWC. A far bigger prize I think you'd agree.

Ireland destroyed Wales. England out played Wales but Wales were a lot closer at the end and but for some terrible decision making there were a couple of tries Wales should have scored. So with a bit of luck Wales could have gained an underserved win. Ireland choked (in the best sense) the life blood out of the Wales team.

Against France England blew what should have been a fairly easy win. Ireland, even though suffering from the pressure of the day won against the French and the England Vs Ireland game could have gone either way. Ireland can count themselves unlucky. Having no axe to grind and having, in other threads, stated a preference for Welsh clubs to play the English and not our "so called" Celtic cousins. I have no hesitation in saying the best team finished top.

A lot of people need to leave the banter alone if they can't understand that there is no anti English sentiment. On the field of play we are all enemies.

France are in a shambolic state. Perhaps the lack of French players in the T14 is coming home to roost? Scotland continue to suffer and that is sad. Italy seems unable to make the break through. And it is perhaps, the failure of Wales in that game to run up a big win that said more about Wales problems than the defeats to the Irish and the English. A poor side exposed us after all those games were expected to be tough. The Italians were there for the taking and we were poor that day.

Whilst I don't doubt for a second that this is your view, it does ignore the well known ABE principle.

 

[Account Deleted]

ABE principle? If that's the Anyone but England nonsense, that says more about you than me. Why care who wins if your side does not?

I support my team and then rugby. sorry if that does not fit with people's view of me and my nationality.

 

[dave_clark]

Why care who wins if your side does not?

i'm with you on that, but suspect we're in the minority.