There have been several false dawns in French rugby throughout the past decade, but there is something different about the clear-out that Fabien Galthié has done since RWC 2019. France gave a good account of themselves in that tournament, and were a moment of ill-discipline away from reaching the semi-finals, but Galthié decided that personnel … Continue reading Tall Order
Category: Ireland
Back With A Bang
The biggest question mark hanging over Ireland going into this match was whether or not they would heed the lessons of their hammering from England and uninspiring win over Scotland and adjust their game plan accordingly. That’s no disrespect to Italy; there were glimpses of what they are capable of back in the spring, but … Continue reading Back With A Bang
Brick Wall
Yesterday was a classic example of Murphy’s Law for Ireland. Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong; their pack were battered, their half-packs underperformed, their attack was limited (partly by aggressive defensive line speed and partly by their midfield personnel), their backfield cover was dreadful, and across the board, their error count … Continue reading Brick Wall
Fork In The Road
In the wider context of their overall Championship performance, this Sunday’s clash with England is a hinge game for Ireland. Momentum is essential for success in the Six Nations and if Ireland don’t go to the Stade de France brimming with the confidence that being unbeaten brings, it’s unlikely that they will knock over … Continue reading Fork In The Road
