Stage Fright When Ireland played Scotland in the penultimate round of the Six Nations in 2009, they looked nowhere near ready to go out and beat Wales the following week. They were hesitant and error-prone for the majority of that Test, only taking control when Jamie Heaslip scored off the back of a Peter … Continue reading A Job Half-Done
Category: Scotland
Ireland v Scotland: Match Preview
The words ‘banana peel’ have been used to describe this weekend's clash with Scotland in certain quarters of the Irish media since before this tournament kicked off. It’s a bad mindset for any Irish supporter, player or coach to be in, because Ireland have been guilty of not showing Scotland enough respect in years … Continue reading Ireland v Scotland: Match Preview
True Grit
The mark of a good team is the ability to win even when they are not at playing at their best, and Ireland’s hard-fought victory over France on Saturday night was a prime example. Ireland’s game plan was apparent from the opening minutes: control possession and territory, dictate the tempo, kick to the corners, and … Continue reading True Grit
Déjà Vu
“How many years you spend pi**in’ on a toilet seat before someone told you to put it up?” -Warden Hal Moore - The Green Mile Ireland’s loss to Scotland on Saturday was, in many ways, a mirror image of their defeat to Wales in the opening round of the 2012 Six Nations, when narrowness … Continue reading Déjà Vu
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