Ireland v Italy Match Tracker and Match chat
Feb 6th
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New Year New Rules
Feb 5th
A new law or interpretation of a law to watch out for in this years six nations is:
Tacklers must now give their prone victims time to release the ball before attempting to steal possession.
What does this mean?
For players like BOD who are masters at tackling a player,getting to their feet and stealing the ball, all in one quick sweeping move, can no longer do so. Now a player who tackles an opponent must first relaese him, get to his feet then try and rob the ball.
This has its good points though. It gives the attacking team move of an advantage and we may see more players willing to have a go with the ball in hand instead of the aimless kick game.
Over the last few months players have been flopping on the tackle area and there’s been penalties given to the defender. This should prevent that as players will need to make a serious effort to get the ball.
England v Wales will be the first game to be played under these new rules
The Down side to all this.
How the ref will interpret this. The break down is such a grey area at the moment that this will either help make refs more consistent or more likely more inconsistency.
The best refs in the world are Irish so we can never get one.
Cullen called into Action
Feb 4th
Leo Cullen has been called up to the ctarting 15 to face Italy after Donncha O’Callaghan suffered a setback with a knee injury on Wednesday. This makes room for Donnacha Ryan who has been added to the replacements
Ireland Womens team to face Italy
Feb 4th
Ireland Womens team takes on Italy this Friday at at Ashbourne RFC (kick-off 7.30pm). Ireland coach Kevin West has included four new caps in his side
Getting to Ashbourne: The Bus Éireann 103 Bus leaves Beresford Place, accessible by the Luas Red line, every 20 minutes. Bus tickets cost €6.80 Adult day return and €4.20 child day return tickets.
Match tickets are available on the gate, priced at €10 (adult) and €5 (child).
Womens Team is as follows:
15. Niamh Briggs (Clonmel – Munster)
14. Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere – Leinster)
13. Grace Davitt (Blackrock – Leinster)
12. Shannon Houston (Blackrock – Leinster)
11. Alison Miller (Portlaoise – Connacht)
10. Joanne O’Sullivan (Richmond – Exile)
9. Tania Rosser (Blackrock – Leinster)
1. Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians – Leinster) (capt)
2. Chris Fanning (Highfield – Munster)
3. Emer McManamly (Blackrock – Leinster)
4. Kate O’Loughlin (Clonmel - Munster)
5. Marie Louise Reilly (Navan – Leinster)
6. Carol Staunton (Galwegians – Connacht)
7. Claire Molloy (Bristol – Connacht)
8. Joy Neville (UL Bohemians – Munster)
Replacements:
16. Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians – Munster)
17. Lauren Day (Cooke – Ulster)
18. Caroline Mahon (UL Bohemians – Leinster)
19. Louise Austin (UL Bohemians – Munster)
20. Louise Beamish (UL Bohemians – Munster)
21. Helen Brosnan (Highfield – Munster)
22. Eliza Downey (Cooke – Ulster)
Wolfhounds team to face Scotland A
Feb 4th
Chris Henry will captain the Ireland Wolfhounds at Ravenhill on Friday night for their clash with Scotland ‘A’
Tickets for Friday’s international clash in Belfast are available from the Ravenhill Ticket Office (Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm), the Ticket Hotline (tel: 028 90 493 222, Option 2 (Monday-Friday, 10am-12pm)), SS Moores (6 Chichester Street, Belfast, tel: 028 90 322966) or by clicking here.
15 - Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
14 - Johne Murphy (Leicester Tigers)
13 - Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
12 - Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
11 - Ian Dowling (Shannon/Munster)
10 - Ian Humphreys (Ballymena/Ulster)
9 - Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
1 - Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
2 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
3 - Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
4 - Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster)
5 - Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
6 - Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)
7 - Shane Jennings (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
8 - Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster) (capt)
Replacements:
16 - Nigel Brady (Dungannon/Ulster)
17 - Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
18 - Ed O’Donoghue (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
19 - Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster)
20 - Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster)
21 - Ian Keatley (Galwegians/Connacht)
22 - Keith Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Ireland team to face Italy
Feb 2nd
Team just announced
15 – Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
9 – Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
1 – Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 – Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
3 – John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 – Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Replacements:
16 – Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
17 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 – Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
19 – Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
20 – Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
22 – Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
Unavailable due to injury:
Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
Few surprises. Jerry back in, no game time. Trimble deserves to be there playing well. Kearney has been making a lot a mistakes lately but making up for it with trys. Good team overall
Ireland Team Announcement Live
Feb 2nd
The Ireland team will be announced live on www.irishrugby.ie/tvlive today around 1:30. There are some rumours that Kevin McLaughlin is stating at 6 due to Ferris not recovering from injury.
Big boots to fill
Wolfhounds Squad Named
Feb 2nd
Ireland team manager Paul McNaughton has announced a squad of 20 players to face Scotland ‘A’ at Ravenhill on Friday night.
Vacancies have been left in the back row and at hooker pending the announcement tomorrow of the Ireland team to play Italy in the opening game of the RBS 6 Nations.
Denis Hurley and Johne Murphy see a return to fitness and to the squad. This leaves no room for Fionn Carr who was one of Ireland’s stand out players against the Saxons and in my opion should have been included in the side at the expense of Hurley.
Marcus Horans inclusion suggests lack of match practice is keeping him out of the Senior side. It will be interest to see how the Ireland senior scrum hold up without him against a very strong Italian pack. Healy will have his work cut out for him.
Full Team:
Lansdowne Road could it be a Financial Failure?
Feb 1st
There has always been a lot of talk about Lansdowne Road and its capacity. Everyone asking, is it too small?
A recent article in one of the Newspapers has suggested that when the IRFU’s agreement with the GAA ends at the end of this years 6 nations, the IRFU could be earning less money in the new Aviva Stadium.
Experts predict that the IRFU can earn up to €5m per match after paying for match day costs and rental to their hosts, the GAA. This is double what they made in the old Lansdowne Road which had a capacity of 49000.
The new Avia Stadium, which will host rugby internationals from autumn onwards, will hold a capacity of only 50,000.
Will the overheads that were involved in Croke make up for the 32,300 reduced capacity in Lansdowne?
Should they have tried to go bigger?
One thing is certain though. Many fans will be without a ticket next year.