Ireland
Brian O’Driscoll said after the 3rd New Zealand/Ireland test match that speed at the ruck is what matters most and that the scoreboard reflect (60-0 for the All Blacks) in essence what happened at the breakdowns.
McCaw on questioned what did the AB’s rectify, after the second test, to produce the marked improvement in the All Blacks game said: “We kept our line better and were more successful (as compared to the second test) to create forward momentum at the rucks”.
All Blacks (29) 60 / (0) 0 Ireland (Final Score)
New Zealand and Ireland did battle in the 3rd Test of their series at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Ireland (6) 18 / (0) 7 France (Final Score)
Ireland and France did battle in the IRB Junior World Championships, 5th Place Play-off, at Newlands, Cape Town at 14:15 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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The scores from the various matches will be updated here as a live thread. All the games are live on SS1 and SS5
All Blacks (9) 22 / (10) 19 Ireland (Final Score)
New Zealand and and Ireland did battle in the second Test at AMI Stadium, Christchurch at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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All Blacks (23) 42 / (3) 10 Ireland (Final Score)
New Zealand and Ireland did battle in a Test at Eden Park, Auckland at 09:35 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Declan Kidney has picked three uncapped players for the 1st Test with New Zealand in Auckland, with Simon Zebo and Declan Fitzpatrick both starting and Ronan Loughrey on the bench. Keith Earls faces the unenviable task of stopping Sonny Bill Williams at inside centre, with Dan Tuohy and Donnacha Ryan forming a new look second row partnership. Brian O’Driscoll captains the side.
Wallabies (3) 6 / (6) 9 Scotland (Final Score)
The Wallabies and Scotland did battle in the Winter Tours International season at Ausgrid Stadium, Newcastle, New South Wales at 11:30 SA Time (19:30 Australian Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Last might we all felt that the South African game plan was poor and uninspiring. Perhaps we need to be just a little less reflex and hot under the collar in branding South Africans who support various New Zealand rugby causes instantly traitorous. This article by Rob Houwing , sums up my thoughts of the game too.
Could there be at least some element of such people throwing their weight behind teams from that country because they simply seem to play a more vibrant and joyous game so much of the time?
Bokkies (3) 19 / (13) 23 Ireland (Final Score)
South Africa and Ireland did battle in the IRB Junior World Championships at Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch at 16:45 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Veteran Ronan O’Gara will captain an Ireland XV that plays a non-cap match against the Barbarians in Gloucester on Tuesday.
The Barbarians Summer Series proper begins this weekend with the Killik Cup against England at Twickenham, and not much has been spoken about it here.
Ireland and Leinster fullback Rob Kearney has been named as the 2011/12 European Player of the Year after helping Leinster to win the Heineken Cup on the weekend.
Ireland have named their squad for the summer tour game against the Barbarians in Gloucester on May 29th made up of players from Connacht, Munster and Ulster.
Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris has accused an England player of biting his finger in the hosts’ 30-9 Six Nations win at Twickenham on Saturday.
England (9) 30 / Ireland (6) 9 (Final Score)
England and Ireland did battle in the Six Nations at Twickenham, London 19:00 SA Time (17:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 2 on TV in SA.
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France (6) 17 / Ireland (17) 17 (Final Score)
France and Ireland did battle in the Six Nations at Stade de France, Paris at 17:00 SA Time (15:00 GMT, 16:00 Local French Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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France / Ireland (Game Postponed)
France and Ireland were supposed to do battle in week 2 of the Six Nations of 2012 at Stade de France, Paris at 22:00 SA Time (20:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was supposed to be broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Ireland (10) 21 / Wales (5) 23 (Final Score)
Ireland and Wales did battle in the Third Six Nations Test of 2012 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland at 17:00 SA Time (15:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Ireland coach Declan Kidney has made three changes to the team that played Wales in Ireland’s final 2011 Rugby World Cup match for this weekend’s Six Nations opener.
Wales came from nowhere to win it in 2008 with a Grand Slam to boot. Ireland emulated them twelve months later, France followed suit in 2010 and last year England made it to the top of the pile before their World Cup implosion.
There is nothing to beat the RBS 6 Nations and not merely because of its capacity to spread the title around. Four different champions in successive years had last happened long before the Five became Six, a sequence completed in 1982 when Ollie Campbell’s fusillade of seven goals swamped a lone Scottish try to guarantee Ireland the Triple Crown and, ultimately, the championship.
Ireland coach Declan Kidney picked five uncapped players on Monday in his final 32-man squad for his team’s Six Nations opener against Wales.
Declan Kidney has named a 24-man squad for the 2012 Six Nations with six additional players added to their training camp.
The British and Irish Lions have revealed that three of the current Six Nations coaches will effectively be on trial for the Lions head coaching job to be announced later this year.
Almost time for the Six Nations competition. First games will be played in four weeks time. Here is some History of the Championship.
Played annually, the format of the Championship is simple: each team plays every other team once, with home field advantage alternating from one year to the next.
Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss and unlike most other rugby union competitions the bonus point system is not used.
With the international season taking a bit of a breather, I thought some informative statistics would be interesting. I am looking at the home record of the top nations, seeing when was the last time they lost a home test to each of the other nations.
I would think any nation would expect at least a 75% home win record as the minimm standard to attain. anything less would mean your home ground advantage counts for very little and travelling teams do not find it a daunting task to tour.
Chiliboy Ralepelle has been released for provincial duty by the Springboks and will play off the bench against Griquas on Friday.
The succession battle for the captaincy of the Bulls will begin in earnest in the next few weeks as the former defending Super Rugby champions look for a worthy leader to take over the leadership reins from outgoing Bulls captain, Victor Matfield. Continue reading
Some players announce themselves on the rugby scene the moment they take the field in front of our television cameras, some take longer, but it is no less worth the wait!
Springboks Bjorn Basson and Chiliboy Ralepelle will have to wait a while longer before they know their fate in the ongoing doping saga.
Chilliboy Ralepelle and Bjorn Basson will face a SARU judicial committee at 09h00 this morning. Continue reading
People might think we are making a huge fuss about this Springbok “doping” scandal but I guess they do not see the implications of it for us, as sports lovers, and moreso the impact it has on our already tainted reputation as world leaders in Rugby. For me its a major embarassment, especially to think that our whole team may have been exposed. Continue reading
The chances of more positive tests for banned substances on the Springbok tour appear to be extremely slim.