The Left Wing: Ireland’s big win, questions for France and Scotland’s collapse
Ireland could not have asked for a better start to the 2024 Six Nations after taking Five Points from five in marsel on Friday night furthermore they made history with their biggest ever win in France and it sets Andy F’s men up for another crack at a grand slam
Welcome to the latest leftwing podcast will SL here with you plenty to discuss tonight I’m delighted to be joined in Studio by Keen Tracy and L for St for our chat and I’ll go to you first you got to go to Mar obviously a memorable occasion I’m sure atmosphere wise it
Looked brilliant on TV but the performance I don’t think anyone was expecting although Luke to be fair to him did tip an Irish win as you said before we started I don’t think he even you thought it would be by by that much but that was I was off air on that that
Was not to be quoted I broke your confidence um but for you K what was the stand out element you know that backbone that Victory so many things to choose from but ultimately what do you think drove AR into such a comprehensive and dominant Victory it was an amazing okay occasion
Like you said will I mean real novelty the fact that it wasn’t in Paris um I was at the Champions Cup Final a couple years ago ler larell and that was such a great occasion too but this felt um a little bit different um you know like
Even we walked from the stadium it’s about an hour outside the this kind of city center and we walked and you could see all along the walk all the bars were absolutely packed you know the fact it was in the south of France so like it
Felt like I was making this point um in the piece I did after it felt like someone had just pressed restart on the World Cup it felt like we were just transported back into the World Cup had that very similar feel you know big opening night um my own sort of night
Got off to a false start because when I got to the stad vome and went to pick up my accreditation my name was nowhere to to be seen and one of my fellow colleagues said oh my hotel is like 20 minutes away if you need to work in my
Bedroom and I was going this can Happ this cannot happen would I cannot report on this in in a hotel room but but um I was very fearful because the amount of red letter that tape that the French usually like so but I had all the emails
To prove it and about 45 minutes later I eventually got in but like I was sweating so how was your pigeon French was it it’s okay Petty FR got me got me by but there they didn’t have much English the the guys in the door and you
Know like you you know what I mean the French are real like strict at times when it comes to rules but um if I had missed what unfolded it would have made it even worse so H yeah the occasion was absolutely magic not quite as many Irish
People there I think there were guessing around 7 to 10,000 people it wasn’t like the 40 50,000 people that we had um at the World Cup but that made it I think even better the fact that ardan went um and were able to beat France there the
The the rendition of larcier was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before they cut it off halfway through and the crowd sang it and Ireland’s ability to silence that crowd from so early on I think is what really set the the platform for what was an incredible
Victory I know Luke had the foresight to predict a an Irish win but I don’t think anyone saw the how comprehensive um the victory was in the end I know you know we get on to touching it the red card did obviously play into it but I think
Ardan were a far better team in terms of yeah like from 1 to 15 really or 1 to 14 in in France’s case um France looked like they were still suffering from a World Cup hangover and I know like the French clubs have been playing really
Well but as a collective I mean it was real like obvious afterwards as well in the press conference like the questions and the the type of questions that were being asked of Fabian galtier he is a man under serious pressure even talking to someone who’s Bas in France today um
There’s a lot of the big kind of Talking Heads in France coming out speaking against him as well so for Ireland to go I suppose and and bounce back from that World Cup quarterfinal I mean it was always a bit of the unknown how were they going to play but they just
Slaughtered in as and didn’t miss a beat with new faces and that to me was the most impressive aspect of it you got a new out half you got a basically a new second row I know Joe McCarthy came on in the quarterfinal you’re a new Winger
We all know how important the Wingers are to the way arand play and look it wasn’t Perfect by any means but God it was just so so impressive and even watching the back a couple of times since um I was even more impressed every time I watched the back so um like you
Said will they’ve kind of set themselves up now for another grand slam I know that probably doesn’t fit well with the psyche of Irish people because it’s not even being arrogant it’s just being confident that fix look at the fix list but also like what happened at the World
Cup like the narrow margins that Ireland were beaten on on the night in all against the All Blacks not to go over all all ground but they didn’t suddenly become a bad team because they lost at that game but still it took a lot of mental resolve to pick up where they
Left off and I thought it was exceptional what stood it to you like why do you think Ireland were able to you kind of bully France put them to the sword you know a 21 Point margin is is crazy considering going into the game everyone expected it to be at least a
One score game like even if I were to win um I think the Rook stood out to me uh I thought they were really really aggressive there and they managed to like I think McCarthy made a big difference in that he was able to have a
Few more of those carries um you know that kind of you traditionally might go backwards if there’s two big French forwards coming out he seems to just even stand his ground which actually means quite a lot if you can commit to cuz of sometimes they’ll be very
Aggressive in the in that kind of internal area um you know kind of Defenders 1 three four that kind of area and they’ll commit too heavily there you know to try and send you backwards which is really great for defense but awful for attack um and arand were able to
Kind of withstand that threw some clever play as well it wasn’t just McCarthy I thought the pack you know were brilliant and took massive pressure off Crowley uh throughout the game um and I thought that that’s probably one of the things that stood out to me um I think
Ireland’s creativity like look I suppose I’ve been fairly consistent listen in that I I wasn’t harsh in Ireland after that New Zealand game there was always going to be like I think the top four teams in the world there’s they’re fairly narrow margins between them and I still thought Ireland should have won
That game having had quite poor periods in it and some really bad moments against New Zealand like kind of silly on the back of the line at that try um you know um you know and then obviously not not finishing off the driving mall at the end I mean they’re kind of two
Clear opportunities I actually thought Ireland had more of that game so I thought they dominated large ads of that game and I thought the same against France and I thought that might that was what might transpire because I think the team has a way of playing that if the
Game was anyway quick or there’s kind of large periods where the ball isn’t play Ireland are very very hard to beat that was always New Zealand’s kind of trait that just said you know what let’s really avoid those long periods where the balls in play I think you have to
Avoid that against arand now I think there’s too many guys who are good um at playing with the ball at being in good positions at exploiting space too many ball handlers rooking is too good all the key things that you need to play that game AR are really really good at
That so I’d be avoiding that like the plague if I was playing against them and I thought France at at points couldn’t control that against Ireland and looked really really exposed particularly if you go down always against New Zealand as well the great New Zealand teams you
Go down a man against them they really really expose you and that’s what Ireland did at times now to to on on the flip side of that so there were more other more Allens but I think I’m going to run out of time we’ve only got an
Hour but I do think the French defense was very very poor I mean there were periods in that where they made some really rookie errors and it didn’t look like a Shawn Edwards type defense to me like there was periods when it did but then there was periods when it really
Did not have any of the traits that you’d associate with him um very very passive um looked really you know the the basic rules of that defense like letting guys go through you you know I know we’re going to talk about some of those moments later on the show as we’ve
Discussed but the tig burn one that’s a defense got three or four guys out inside you you know um to to let someone go on the inside you there it is a testament to th those abilities that I talked about the Ireland team having everyone in good positions people making
Good decisions on the ball that exploit those holes but still really really bad mistakes you wouldn’t expect from from these kind of French players or the caliber of players these are world-class players so they were things I thought that that France did poorly but Ireland
Did capitalize on them and as I said to round off the point they had more of that game they were the better team the defense is a good point like especially for that TIG burn try obviously kind of a systems failure at the end Dante and
Moaka burn us goes between the two of them but from the line out in the 10 meter line to Detroit it was nine carries before burn gets the ball and as you said like each time an Irish Ford took the ball they were making yardage you just wouldn’t when you usually see a
French team up against Ireland or lenser in some of those big games that’s where they’ve really struggled to get that bit of purchase McCarthy got the ball a few times but it was guys fer Fleer carried really well dorus didn’t I was a surprise as you say a Shawn Edwards
Defense and the French defense which has been pretty good since he came in was just allowing so much yardage from from the Irish forwards yeah I thought the the danty what would you say attempted tackle on Ty burn I know wasem I think he looks he looks like he makes a bad
Read on it to me he’s not getting out of the way of it but like was his hands for a second I watch to replay again you just got you just see you see you know what it is though that that’s the quality of burns line Burns line is so
Good but it’s low as well at the back it’s a genuine option you know and AR can EXP there it’s also it’s also Crowley scanning um if you watch back on the replay you can see that Crowley isn’t even looking at the ball at the breakdown a phase before he’s calling to
To burn because he spots on The Fringe that maaka is just too slow and falling across so that helps create the Gap as well and I thought for I know we’ll get on to obviously talk about crowy but his ability to do that in that kind of environment I thought was exceptional
Really and but that’s the shape the team get in so like I to my so I’ve always had a different view on that I feel like that’s the responsibility yes he’s got a pick the decision and he did that really really well lovely bit of skill but actually there’s massive responsibility
On other guys to get in position to do that so like that’s I think if you look at Ireland they they always get in good positions to do that so that’s why last week sry the reason I I say that because I always felt like as an outside back
Particularly it was your job to spread the field to create those scenarios for someone like a Crowley a sexon to be able to pick the right pass at the right time and I think that’s where the decision Li of course he scans but the the guys are in position there already
And I think this AR team do that really really well and that’s why they’re so hard to play an open Play because people are in good positions giving good options which take advantage of situations like that it it’s a sign I was writing about this yesterday to me
That’s a sign of how exceptional the Irish system is that you have a new 10 I fully agree with the points that you’re making it’s the animation off the ball with low out the back but that to me is such a brilliant s of the system in the
Coaching as well as obviously the skills of the players that you can drop a new out half into it and nothing changes because if that’s Johnny seon running that line we’re all going wow that was brilliant but Crowley is doing it obviously in his first six nation start
And it wasn’t just atro there was so many there was so many different aspects of the performance and like each of the five Tri came from the line out obviously the line out was hugely positive source which it it wasn’t at the World Cup and you can see how much
Confidence Ireland get when it goes well but it’s the it’s the ability of guys to step in and a first receiver and take the pressure not take the pressure off crowdly but to make Ireland’s attack a little bit less predictable and Ireland’s attack hasn’t been predictable
For the last few years but you think you think of Calvin Nash’s try it’s Hugo Keenan who’s stepping in at first receiver there because Crowley goes in there’s another time where Robbie Henshaw is stepping into the first receiver like all of these different guys being comfortable on the ball James
Low did it a couple of times off line outs as well we know like Calvin Ash actually did it as well off another lineer so all these different guys stepping in to take responsibility is such a like I said a brilliant sign of the system but also how comfortable guys
Are I think at slotting in and out of it and defenses are still struggling to to figure it out that’s I was just going to say the same thing it’s that’s the that’s the key element with this is that they spread the pitch well but they also
Against Rush defenses you can see they have guys who have they they sit in a little bit tighter to the ball carrier which gives them an opportunity to yes hide a little bit longer if you need to but if you you know if you see that there’s opportuni you can go a little
Bit earlier um but also it gives you the opportunity that there’s a guy coming in they can still and and everyone can ball play everyone can ball play that’s a real that’s that’s the Keystone that the team is built around I think is that
Everyone now on the team 1 to 15 or 1 to 23 everyone can pass the ball so it means everything is a live option which was always I go back to this and people will will get annoyed probably but it’s always what New Zealand were so good at
Is that wherever there was a space the ball was able to get there and they were able to expose any mistake someone taking a half second break they’re tired from the previous look they go okay I don’t think the ball’s coming I can take a little break or I don’t don’t have to
Get off the line with my team and that’s what France said at times in the weekend and they got exposed badly because of it because AR can get the ball there and I think what I said about Crowley last week was that I didn’t think he needed
To have like look he was always going to have a few moments where he was going to try things and you do like to see that in a player but there was some kind of big mistakes in International Rugby there we expected that or I expected
That at least what I thought he did brilliantly well was he reacted really well to them but also his best moments in the game were where he fit in to the team when he wasn’t that cuz I think he has that in his game to have the special
Moment but I think what’ll come to him over time is that the moment will present itself rather than him searching for it and that’s that’s what you get that’s where you get to the saon level and was where you’re making way more good decisions than bad decisions but he
Was good when he was fitting in when he was using the International Players around him that had got themselves in good positions that were able to take pressure off him by taking an extra ball in by be by being the extra distributor and I think he’s in a really good setup
At the moment to really flourish and I think he’s got the personality to do it and the and I think he’s also got the physical abilities to do I was really impressive I thought his tackling was really good and even that ball he has that ability as well to take the ball to
The line and be a threat himself which I think is something that might really work well for this team in in a in a way and I agree with you he did make a few errors and everyone will remember him the chip true like that was never really
On the cross field kick I mean that was it seemed like a breakdown of communication but in a way I really liked that he brought his own personality to it cuz I totally agree with with Luke and I say I’d be shocked if that wasn’t the brief he was given
Last week you don’t need to be a hero here just slot in and do do the basics well which he did but he was also trying to be himself like he didn’t try and come in and try and be can I ask you that one do you think Farrell kind of
Says a little bit of that to him as well do I I feel like he’s a real go and play enjoy K Nash Bas said that after want to hear you say it I think said do what you’ve done today like that’s why I picked you you know so and
The Calvin Nash thing is such I’m glad you brought her up will Andy farl did not have to tell us that in the press conference he was just asked oh Calvin Ash did really well didn’t he um explain like I’m paraphrasing and he gave you this little insight um that I don’t know
If you didn’t see it well or if people didn’t hear it basically Calvin Ash was really nervous all week from what I heard as well he maybe didn’t train the best all week um and farell still had the conviction to to pick him number one but after the
Captain’s run he had thoughted that he was a bit nervous and Calvin Ash you know they sat down and they had a chat and he said yeah look I am and he asked him a couple of questions and he had all the answers and he said from then on I
Just actually felt confident but it’s just goes back to the emotional intelligence of of the guy doesn’t he I mean I would say a lot of a lot of coaches if a player a rookie player wasn’t playing well in training during the week they’d be like okay maybe he
Isn’t ready we can just go there on you select terrible well that’s depends how late I suppose they selected but you know what I mean a real feel to that absolutely there is and like I would say he did the same to to Jack Crowley you
Know what I mean just go out and be yourself don’t be afraid to to play your own game and what a what a boost that must be for young players to come into that system like you said which is so well oiled but also to express themselves and and beat themselves it’s
Just hugely positive but there’s lots of great players will as well like you know if you think of like Sheen has got to be the best in his position in the world I think if not very very close uh you think of dorus like if you can’t stop
Dorus you can’t stop arand I don’t think he was outstanding everything he touched in the weekend I was like Jesus when he took two of theen players unbelievable but even the it’s the carrying it’s the extra yard he gets it’s a little bit of footwork it’s the ball playing as well
You know he that was no stress to him to throw that pass out off the Henshaw it was like the one last year against France for ring rosev it was like a real awkward like kind of floater but it got it was perfect actually we I was sitting next
To rod and I as that try happen we both said turned to each other at the same time said God that was similar enough now the one last year was exceptionally even better but yeah skills very good like and he’s got great that’s the that
Is the key point for him is that he I think he’s I you know I said I said this last week well I think he was I think if he can just slot in there’s a great inter there’s really good International Rugby players there not just good
Players there’s like guys who are like the top at the top of their game in the world there so um facilitating that will create its own like opportunities for him and I think the more he has in the position um you know I think the better
He will get he looks like a guy who’s build first and a lot of the good work that you would have touched on in the last couple of minutes was underpinned by the line out and the kind of the reemergence of it as a real weapon like
All five tries came from the line out irand were 100% on their trow obviously got some nice Steals on the French thr but also disrupted some as well you can’t underestimate not that anyone is but how massive that is like you know Paulo conell was I think getting
Criticized for not getting criticized in the build up to the game but what a way to kind of get that back on track cuz it was such a weapon yeah it is yeah and like I said so much of Ireland’s good play and confidence clearly illustrated
By the fact that all five tries came of it came from line outs but um yeah like the the Irish line out was under pressure um we had danin in the mix Zone afterwards and I asked him what I thought was a fairly was that you asked
Him I heard someone describe his answer and I didn’t Fair thought was annoying that it was the problem like it was a massive did he watch the but in hindsight he didn’t play some match yeah he didn’t play I think he was going no I don’t think he did didn’t he know he
Came back in but theine had improved like a little like it wasn’t not my he was like was it bad and I was thinking afterwards I was cuz I didn’t have this stat to hand that it was the 14th worst line out at the World Cup which is like
A disgrace for an Irish team really when you think about it but um so I didn’t want to like you know after a great Victory like they to go they they had to start going to two all the time like I like that with to my when I heard them
Defending the stats I was like hold on a second here everyone knows that Ball’s no good like you know what I mean particularly for the backs like it’s really difficult to get anything going and keeps them all in the game like it looked way more decisive it looked like
They’ve gone all there was looked like there was a lot of movement at the World Cup to me they were getting red looks like guys weren’t even moving positions they weren’t like they’re Shifting the opposition it looked way more decisive on the weekend and I wonder as well did
France did they regret some of the selections definitely not puke that was well flagged in advance I was saying this all last week that I just couldn’t understand MOA and Walky and sure enough I saw in mid olymp earlier that Walky and I know obviously vams is going to be suspended and Louis
Broy are going to be coming in to start this weekend so they’re going to play the team that should have played against arand look to me it beggared belief how they didn’t pick Cameron Wy like a struggling arish line out one of the best line out operators in the world I
Just had no idea why they didn’t pick it they wanted to double down on the power game but as we discussed Ireland were were well a for a couple of issues obviously at the scrum which we can get into but um yeah they got their team
Selection wrong in my mind and I thought they they seem to simplify the line out but they also had a different caller in TIG burn they had Dan shean who I would agree is the best hooker in the world and fully fit obviously he was coming
Back from that injury at the World Cup and they varied it as well in terms of the options like to burn called the first couple on himself you got Joe McCarthy who you know coming into the game that was the one maybe area where I was you know wondering how would he fa
Against the French line out particularly if they picked Cameron Walky but they used him at the line out Peter omy obviously an exceptional jumper as well and they stole four of Ireland sorry France got two key on just before yeah like I mean exceptional and there you
Could feel the air go out of the stadium when things like that happen you know what was Dan’s like demeanor when he he was just surprised he’s like was it bad why are you talk com I respect that I respect like it was bad I respect him blindly saying I
Wasn’t bad when he just didn’t want the book to stop at him because he was injured for a lot of work cup which I had kind of Forgotten at the time but no he he he wared to task in but um clearly it was bad but it was a big Improvement
One thing that uh also I thought was pleasing was obviously you look at the final score and it did feel like irand were pretty dominant for the whole game but at the same time France cut it to just before halftime I got a little sh they could one score then and so but
Then I score a try very early in the in the second half but then you know they get that that TMO given try which looked fairly dubious that was definitely not try didn’t think but then anyway Ireland that cuts seven points G we get TIG bur sealing a line out in
Halfway then a few minutes there James L holding them up on halfway and from that scrum irel end up getting their bonus Point try so there was some moments that Ireland I think showed good kind of fortitude and kind of wrestling back the momentum even though I did think they
Were the better team for the majority they still had the kind of a couple of key moments fight their way back into kind of a ascendency probably normal away from home in Six Nations as well I thought you’re probably going to have a few of those moments for the most part
And not not probably not as bad a shake of Scotland but uh yeah know I thought they dealt with those really well and actually I think as well Crowley deserves massive credit because I thought that penalty before I was like oh God is he going to be nervous now
Standing off the other ones cuz he clearly should have got that penalty before half time and and then he got those two from the touch line which I really thought that’s a big time player to me like so that was class to see that
To see the BS back there so um yeah I think across the team they had guys good like I say it again like good players they’ve like Top Class International Rugby players playing on that team like the best in their position a few of them
And they kind of stood up in the KE moments which is what you really need and and I thought um you know I was really pleased for them cuz that’s that was a tough game to to go ahead to go and deliver and I think um it kind of
Put a lot of things like I I’ve been saying that I thought Ireland like actually didn’t do that badly at the World Cup and still should have won the game put a few of those things to rest in my mind I thought they delivered on
What I think this team is which I think is a really great team you say that but like one thing I definitely did consider as you know by the end of the game when Ireland had it well in hand was like why couldn’t they have delivered a performance like that in the
Quarterfinal like why couldn’t they have been as efficient as ruthless when the tri scoring chances came they were 13-0 behind against the All Blacks for they started to play they still made mistakes across the game but they still should have won the game well and that SC
Without a scrine so you’re going to have those periods as a team where you’re like they’re not going well for you like and and they still you just think it happened think they should won you think that it happened to come in the quarterfinal you don’t think there’s any
Reason no I didn’t think so I thought they I thought they battled through a really challenging period for them there was the referees clearly have a color on on uh the on our scrum like they have a color there they were having trouble like I thought it was nothing to do with
Calling or anything like that it was clearly to me or Personnel they were clearly having an issue with with how they were strategically going about their line out that’s that’s what it looked like to me just lots of movement looked clunky looked I just didn’t feel
Like it was it looked as decisive as it was on the weekend I’d love to really talk to someone like a Quinn and or I’d love to talk to Paulie even better and say what what did you change what was the thinking on that because it look
Line what are you talking no but yeah but like I’d love to know and go look what did you change cuz it looks like you’ve changed like strategically what you were trying to achieve there and it really made a big difference and I think um I I thought despite all that they
Showed their quality because they still should have won the game like it was a one moment of like how did you not finish that like it was it was a crazy moment it’s a fair I think it’s a fair question to to ask though because I know
Look I know everyone is sick of talking and thinking about the World Cup but I had similar feelings as I was watching it’s an obvious question to ask they absolutely destroyed France in France one of the big things as well which they got um on Friday night which they didn’t
Get in New Zealand and I would say has been a calling card for Andy far particularly on those U mad Runner games Runner wins that they got was the fast start and they didn’t get that fast start in New Zealand and I don’t know but they didn’t get it because they came
Out of the blocks very poorly they made giving but I don’t think that’s I don’t think that’s like a quarterfinal thing I think like newand start Terri as well but New Zealand were very good they were terrible at the start remember the first five minutes they were like first yeah
We gave stinking penalties they were 13 after play they played very well in that game New Zealand did and like Luke said Ireland still probably should have won the game but like I agree with your previous point about the the mental resilience that they showed in game but also before
The game to to bounce back because like that took a lot out of the players because they put so much into it and I think we saw the result of France and whatever Ireland put into it France put so much because it was obviously on in
France and I think you could see that the players mentally weren’t weren’t over what happened so I think like Gary Keegan’s obviously done a lot of work over the last couple of years in terms of the mental skills and that and I thought the same being in the stadium on
Friday night France came out um after and when Thomas ramas missed that penalty that was a big moment as well because if he gets that it’s back to a four-point game then you’re getting nervous because you know they’re going to have a Purple Patch even with 14 men
But I thought big leaders stood up I thought it was interesting that um when Peter om manney uh went off was was substit shoot it off after the in bin that it was kayin Daris uh took on the captaincy um and he was the one at the
Very end of the game who decided to go for that fifth try win they could have taken the points and run down the clock even more but I was having a look back in it uh yesterday you can see the body language of France they’re out in their
Feet they loads of players down at their hunches and Craig Casey actually runs on with the kicking te so I assume the call must have come from the coach’s box but darus had already called to Carol Dixon that we want to go for the corner
And look I love that I mean the game I know the result was pretty much um Beyond any doubt at that stage but like this Championship could come down to points difference in the end and for him to go and to get two M tries against a
French pack in France and another game was over there but that is like a serious psychological advantage for this Aron team going forward we discussed the absence of D Pond and you know how obviously luchu didn’t play well but he came in with good form and people were
Friends were hopeful that he would fill that void he obviously didn’t but and we discussed this a few weeks ago like it really magnified the decision that I think is crazy the captain of the team like what kind of message that that sent and how big an impact that had that he
Was like I’m not playing the Six Nations that’s not my priority I’m doing this sevens thing like that’s that that’s a statement and then playing for too playing for T playing out half and doing these unbelievable flicks grounded but it’s like why that made it worse I I
Thought the fact that Dupont actually played for too cuz my my understanding was that he was going to be away in like in Seven’s training and then you see him ripping it up I was just like how is this allowed and we were discussing this off air look you can understand why
France like if luku is going to be there for the whole thing they want to get him the game time but in my mind opening night in Marse the toughest game you’re going to have if Andrew Dupont is in the country Anton Dupont in My Mind is
Playing well it just show it send a message s a message to the Six Nations that it was just like it wasn’t a big deal like you know this defeat could be just do it well just do it it reminds me a little bit of Ireland against England
In 2019 when like Ireland came in obviously wasn’t post the World Cup but came in with the big aspirations of winning another grand slammer of Six Nations got destroyed the team fell to pieces like you were reading out some uh French Med clippings earlier like they
Already turned on G like some some big Personalities in France like Philip San Andre and a few other Internationals already kind of questioning you know whether he’s the right man to lead them forward all of a sudden and the captain is off chasing a sevens medal which they
Won’t win they have no history in sevens like they’re going to be mive wonderdogs so I don’t know the whole big fat paycheck though for for Dupont so well he’s getting a big one anyway surely I mean to my mind like it feels like a
It’s a kind of a to place that kind of lack of emphasis on an international cap like a six nations I think is really weird I’m not going to lie I think I don’t get the sevens thing I I never have um I know it’s worked pretty well
For Ireland to have a few guys there I don’t rate it I don’t rate it like 15s is 15s that’s where the that’s where the that’s where the real rug played it’s 15s you know that’s where the you know people who end up in sevens generally
Can’t cut it in 15s and that’s where that’s where the big money players are that’s where the reputational stuff is that’s where your legacy built not going to be on Seventh and as you say France have no real history doing that yes they’re hosting the tournament but like
I won’t I won’t watch it like I don’t watch I like the sevens I have to say for what it is I mean for the big events and it’s like be like and like yeah to be fair like I mean the guys who aren’t in the kind of lmel the Irish guys I
Mean the amount of work that they put for I’m not I’m not I’m not having to go the work I’m just saying they can’t generally quot it at 15s yeah yeah I think some of them though yeah I don’t know can you name one who can’t who has
I can’t who cut it at 15s who’s caugh like who have you named someone who’s ever gone from 15 to sevens like and like really flourished or it the Irish guys will not going rabbit hold of that like new Sephora is obviously green lighted one player from each province so
Yeah was right we don’t to kind of go off top we’re really gutting the Sens I really don’t want to do that but I just think it’s I I don’t like it I think he’s team he’s a team captain just like you know post World Cup I would have
Thought he should be front and center of a re not a Rebuilder kind of you know a reenergy Reen Six Nations this is am am I going crazy like this is six nations like this is huge this is massive to me this is your bread and your butter of
Being an international rugby player in Europe is that you play six nations games I just can’t believe that you wouldn’t want to be doing that it’s it’s it’s I can’t doesn’t compute for me that you’d be going off to play sevens like that’s like Airy Fairy stuff to me
Versus the hard like rugby is about six nations I would be interest to know you know you read a few clippings earlier like what do the French supporters think are they like happy to see him playing sevens do they want to see them win a
Gold medal or are they like us kind of scratching their heads being like like why is the team captain not involved I Sor he’s involved playing for too doing outside the you know behind the back flicks at out half there going to be 80,000 people packing out I know it was
Will be 100% tickets are like gold oh yeah tickets for for seven olyp o that’ be sold out sold out for ages yeah yeah um to go back to to the game you one of you mentioned Andrew Porter earlier and how like it’s funny we did the thing before the World Cup
Like who’s the player you could at least afford to lose a lot of people say Porter but like referees have decided almost on mass that he is an illegal scrummage and it’s a massive issue for IR at the moment it is yeah um I don’t know if you saw BJ
Bz look be honest I mean I’m going to speak for myself like like I don’t know what goes on in a front row in terms of the intricacies and we were talking to Andrew Porter about this um a few weeks ago would have been kind of a couple of
Months after the the World Cup and he was saying there’s times where he’s watching a scrum and a ref could give a penalty like on TV or whatever and he doesn’t know what it’s given for either so to me it’s a big issue in rugby trying of attract people like if if
You’re if you’ve got a someone who doesn’t really watch the game watching on TV and a penalty is given and commentators are struggling to explain why it is like that’s not a good look but the porter issue yeah like I mean sorry to go back to BJ Bas Clips he
Maintains that Porter was hard done by so if a guy like that at one of them so if a guy like that is saying at who is like a scrum expert like that’s the only stuff that I can go off Mike Ross has been pretty strong on this as well like
These are like the the epitom of scrum nerds Alex Corby siero was another so like why I just don’t understand if they’re all saying like why would why would different referees across Europe and the world all be thinking the exact opposite because coaches are obviously
In in their ears but it’s up to Ireland to to change that is in off the pitch because obviously you guys um like Andy farell will have a chance to talk to the referee this week you’ll get a chance to put different messages across Joe Schmidt obviously was a big kind of
Advocate of that and it’s perfectly perfectly entitled to do it so I would say opposition coaches are coming loaded with Clips on Andrew Porter whether whether it is legal or not but they’re portraying it as he he is illegal so um to me it seems like it is a bit unfair
Because there’s no way you can’t have Andrew Porter in this in the ardan team because I’ve seen the the kind of argument that oh you know ardan should change the picture by bringing on Kean Healey earlier or whoever is on the bench but that’s to me not because he’s
An unbelievable player I don’t get S the one thing I thought that was was interesting was that about B’s analysis there was more than one thing but one of the things I found interesting was that the referee seems to be on the wrong side of the scrum making the call as
Well so I can’t see yeah so I can’t I can’t see how the referee’s making the call that quickly uh based on a touch judge who could be 20 or 30 me away think one of the penalties for sure he Dixon gave a reset and then it came in
His air from the touch judge and then he went so far but is that kind of do you think that I would you say that’s kind of good enough I I would say like if you’re if that’s an area where well this one was quite near the touch line so the
Touch H is looking right out of okay well fair enough I don’t know if that’s the BJ B one to be fair as well the Keen Healey one apparently in the second half apparently was quite and I at the time watching I was like oh we look like we
Got a shove on here against a pretty heavy packs I remember and and both also said that that looked like a penalty now Conan did lose the ball at the back I think or lost control of it at least and I think maybe that might have taken away
From it but there was other ones we kind of going look that looked pretty clear like that that might be a penalty so whatever’s happening in there they don’t seem to be getting the rub of the green anyway and certainly seemed to have a like the referee seemed to have a
Raised awareness of us and it doesn’t seem to be working in AR’s favor so I agree with Keen I do think that they do need to find a way back onto the good sides of the referees whether that’s changing technique or whether that’s getting in before the games in here
We’re seeing this you need to tell us what what like how we can fix this not how we can fix this but what you’re seeing and give us an idea of how we can fix it that’s that’s I think needs to happen because it’s not like they’re
Those players are too good to have this kind of issue and they’re too strong it’s not like they’re young props now you know I mean we have like experienced props they’ll know they have a sense of what what’s going on in there and I think um it doesn’t make sense to me and
I’m sure it doesn’t make sense to them why it’s been consistently viewed you know to be an issue for Ireland I don’t think it should be like it could end up costing Ireland you know a massive game like I think back to the twickingham
Game a couple of years ago I think it I think it was Ral wasn’t it was the ref and he apologized afterwards but that’s no good like five scrum that’s no good if Ireland end up losing that game so I remember at the time John Fogerty who’s
The scrum coach um was saying because in the first in New Zealand the scrum didn’t go well at all and you were kind of going okay have they learned their lessons cuz they speak a lot about you know there’s no point in the coaches showing you on a Tuesday or Monday
Morning in the review oh you should have done this you should have done that if a referee particularly the French ones make up their mind early on you if the onus is on you within that game to change your Technique but that’s obviously easier said than done if
You’re if you’re Andrew Porter and if you feel like you are scrummaging legally I’m trying to put myself in there mind how like how do you adjust yourself to go okay I’m going to do something differently even though I feel like I am scrummaging legally so um it
Is a big issue but like it’s not as if every penalty being given against them is incorrect no no I’m sure like me there’s probably dark going it doesn’t look like it’s been it looks like it’s like if is it 9 to one like it looks
Like it’s around that that kind of area will maybe maybe it’s 8 to2 but it’s certainly not it’s certainly not 50/50 no but like every every referee can’t be wrong like but is if he is he 50 like well no sorry they Maybe not maybe not
But it doesn’t look to me like people who are watching the game who do know are think that he’s wrong as consistently so it doesn’t look like the balance is right there somewhere um and like generally like if you just think about him as a player like it doesn’t it
Doesn’t seem like something at particularly he’s like 30 or 40 caps in at this stage isn’t he if not more is he 50 caps in at this stage you know he’s not like a young prop anymore he like scrummaging isn’t going to be this kind
Of issue for him to kind of to to have to figure out and I just feel like something’s wrong there um whe whatever message they’re getting across or whatever message they’re not getting across seems to be an issue I wonder could would would rugby ever end up in a
Situation whereby you know because the the clips with the spider Canam from above you can really get a good sense of angles and people like changing their binds and thing like that I wonder would there be a sort of a TMO who’s almost like looking at
This and not you don’t get the spider cam obviously in every but when you do you need a prop there every time but that’s what I mean oh could be a job for BJ both in my they not busy enough as it is but clearly not with all those videos
They’re put up but yeah like it is they’re so helpful though they’re so educational for like even people like myself like you know who’s trying to understand what’s going on they’re fascinating insights yeah um one thing i’ like to ask you about you know Karen fry obviously picked in the bench it was
62 split so he was there to cover you know the whole backline basically but he only came on for one minute at the end you know we had R noar was G last week he was saying he saw much more of like you know Crowley 50 minutes froley 30
Minutes I I would like to have seen froley get a bit more game time like obviously Jack Crowley deserved to start the game and battled back into the second half really well after a couple of first half mistakes but I would like to I don’t think he’s at a stage where
He should be playing 80 minutes which is what he did and not giving one of the other out halfes a chance like they’re all young they’re all battling for Supremacy I think Crowley played well and maybe 65 minutes I would like to have seen fley get up at a game time I
Know maybe Andy FR was mitigating against the late in y in the backline but at that stage there was a 14-point margin there was like 10 minutes to go I would like to see fry given 10 minutes at out after run the backline yeah I probably would have too but I do think
There is a case to say you know you you don’t want to end up in a situation where like you’re kind of like New Zealand where you don’t know who your number one 10 is now they might have said they figured out but I really don’t think they have and bow Barett
Consistently always says I want to be whatever they call a first 58 but he always wants to be in that position when he comes back from Japan he’s he’s quoted as saying that because he’s just signed that new contract hasn’t he up until the next World Cup uh to play in
New Zealand so look you wouldn’t want to end up that way I think sometimes you do have to nail your colors to the mask on it you know England have had the same issues as well with um you know Ford and Farrell over the last couple years um
You know so part of me thinks you know you have to give Crowley the time in there let him settle in he’s got to feel the good and the bad in the game can’t be coming off on 50 minutes haven’t done a good job and not feel the pressure in
The last 30 so um I’m torn on that one will you also don’t want to end up in a situation where you only have one guy who can do the job so um I think maybe Italy is probably a good a good opportunity to get that 30 35 minutes in
Um for him and it’ll be good probably for Crowley if he has a good 55 minutes or whatever it is 45 minutes even and you just say you know what get him off the pitch now he’s felt 80 minutes in you know against France you know we can
Save his legs here he’s still you know he’s got enough experience under his belt he’s got a second game under his belt he has he’ll have felt what it feels like in a really you know tense environment than one where maybe it’s a little bit looser this weekend upcoming
You know so uh I think now is probably the good time to get for that time but I would be thinking of getting him a like a good portion of the game like that will be important even if it’s in the balance I think yeah like I didn’t have
An issue with it I have to say I think time in the S I think it’s quite clear that Jack Rowley is going to be Ireland’s 10 I think all things going well for the next few years and I think time in the saddle in an environment
Like that is so important and you hit the nail on the head as well will it was to mitigate against an injury cuz Calvin Nash went off injured which kind of gets forgotten about a little bit and Hugo Keenan was the one who went to the wing
And Kieran froley went to fullback so when you go for a 62 you obviously Less in what you can do but I would agree I would be surprised if Ireland I I would expect them to pick a similar enough team this weekend but I’d be surprised come 50 55 minutes if they weren’t
Comfortably ahead now that could come back to to bite me but that would be an ideal opportunity I think to get fry half an hour or whatever it is you think he should be comfortable ahead this is probably where I I’m I’m thinking that maybe AR have made mistakes in the past
Where they’ve kind of gone oh no the game’s in the balance we can’t trust the guy like i’ I’d be thinking you know what like let’s let’s let’s roll the dice just a little bit and I’m that’s not to say I’m not placing importance in
The game but I think you have to trust your guys and I think though so you want to get know but you know do you know we’re brilliant at that Nar is brilliant at that like they they will whip you if it’s not feeling right or even if it’s
Even if it’s going well like say the guys in their pack like etth comes off on 50 minutes you’re going he’s the best player in the world probably you know now I know they’re bringing on great players after being dumped by James love no but you know what I mean I feel like
They plus they like they pick their 23 and go we’ve got 23 top guys and ler haven’t done it over over the years to be fair no but they start they’ve looked like they’ve started they did over L I thought it was a really big thing for
Them they were able to you know they trusted the people that they had on the pitch and then they trusted the bench they trusted and they said you know what this is in the balance we’re two points behind we’re three points ahead bring on
Fley see what he can see can he do it like he’s a great player like he is a great player uh bring on burn when he comes back into the fold so I part of me thinks maybe we we it will be a good time to trust what we have well even to
That point I was surprised I don’t think I made a change into like the 602nd minute like so after all the talk of 62 and the power off the bench like I thought they actually should have went to the bench a bit earlier because France had gotten back into the
Ascendency I think they’d cut the Gap to seven points at that stage I just thought I was surprised that after all the like there was a lot of good players in that bench con and B Ryan kellerer like Ryan and con had a big but I would
I would have liked to see I would like to see them five five minutes early it doesn’t seem like a lot of time but the reason you’re stu brch with all these forwards but they scored two doing but they scored two two tries like in the
End like I mean I I we being a bit too nitpicky here I thought the bench had a good impact in AR pulled away in the end it have to be nitpicky it was a great performance well well that’s the thing like the thing about like not I’m not
Saying they didn’t trust Kieran fraer not giving them more game time but one of the big conversations afterwards um amongst the the Press pack I suppose over the weekend was um you know should jack Rowley have come on in that World Cup quarterfinal not to go back to it
Again but that was another example of maybe AR not trusting their guys now we know you had Johnny seon and all that and not to go overall ground but he sat in that bench for for 80 minutes and a few months on he’s propelled and he’s
The the main man so to round that point off I can understand why the Ireland coaches are Keen to get him as much game time as possible over next year that’s the thing like he wasn’t good enough for a minute against the All Blacks and now they’re saying he’s he should play every
Single minute now like not you have no choice now but also as well there is an argument as well to to say that giving people 80 minutes of international rug is very important I know Roger saying like there’s a new world out there whereby you know you’re thinking of the game like you’re
Thinking of two people filling filling it no but you think about two you think about 80 minute blocks and you’re thinking about okay well there that’s a two-player position or that’s you know he he can had a different sway on that I thought which was which was very
Interesting um but part of me also thinks that you need you need everyone to be able to play 80 minutes and it is you like like everything in life the more you practice doing the 80 minutes the better you get at doing that you know and the fitter you get because you
Know you cover extra meters every isn’t that every minute you cover an extra like kind of 5 to 10 meters or something versus like he or CH Champions Cup so um part of me thinks those things are good for you to do 80 minutes as well particularly younger in a career but
When you know someone can do it I think maybe there’s definitely an argument to say well let’s get someone else on so they can feel the heat but um yeah it’s it’s an interesting conversation we’re going to have about it to be fair either
Way are do will you do no but it was something that I consider I was like he’s on the bench for a reason now I know he was there in case there was an injury as we that like he he might be need certainly in the forwards you’re
Making a good point like absolutely absolutely like that’s and they’re good players there lions that the point like you have you know bar Conan and Ryan who can really beef up that back five to scrum and like they were good when they came out I just would have thought after
All the feror about picking them You’ go to them at 55 to really start I can’t think of the minutes end you know from the 55 I might have played a part po when he came back but see I need to go back minute by minute and stuff like
That but it did it just struck me I was like when are they get when are they take going to you’re not going to kind of spring them all yeah because you don’t have to just match with the others dud you know way sometimes you’re always thinking
Okay well they’ve got what what have they got on their bench we bring our guys on at the same time um whereas part of me thinks that maybe you could be a bit more proactive with it but that’s ultimately it was kind of like well are
We going to take off Dar she and V They’re all playing they’re all on fire like but I used so that fre point they did that see I don’t always know if it actually was why they won in the end you know I think they were like as you said
That’s bit off of 50 is that why they ended up winning some of those games I would argue maybe not that it just coincided with their Victory rather than propell yeah but I think the argument is always going to be that a lot of it can
Be in the Unseen stuff do you know like when Fords are like driving their legs into the ground in a mall or things that you know definitely having some doing readings aren’t they it’s all monitored so if they see someone’s numbers or whatever flagging they’re gone yeah so
That’s the stuff we don’t get to see yeah yeah we could talk about the irand game all evening but I just wanted to touch some of the other matches Scotland W obviously was you know hilarious exciting equal measur Scotland think I’d rather ask you a question about this
This is really buil for you I mean it was mixed emotions Scot were the last te in my accumulator but also the comedy of them losing I was really it was a selfie choice for me so ultimately I think I got to have the hilarity and a bit of
Money in my back pocket but uh what what do you what do you make of that like that like like never you know what we were saying Johnny SE and we lost but we won this was like we won but we lost like is in they got their they ended the
Drought they finally won card of you know they can go into France with a win on the board and and potentially build but God like they almost throw it away from that position like what what do you make it what how it unfolded I don’t know there’s mentally something there
That’s I know I saw John Barkley going at Ian Madigan I think was was F and I don’t know who else was in studio yeah yeah they were in studio I think they had a bit of a cut off them which I think is fairly Justified I was I was
Kind of surprised he was defending like he kind of said oh this is outrageous or something like that in a tweet um when he saw the quotes now they’re very concise quotes and I’m sure there was a bigger discussion but still he came out fairly strongly what does want him to
Say but to my mind I was that’s what I was thinking I was like how are you kind of defending this it was like a complete collapse in the second half they their their discipline like you know just fell apart and once you do that like cff is a
Funny place as well though like they’re so passionate about the rugby and the game can turn like i’ I’ve played some great games there but it has turned on like a Sixpence you know some some moment and momentum is fickle in sports but particularly in Carter for whatever
Reason they have had some teams where going we are definitely a better team than these guys but they are playing out of their skin here and so cohesive and together and the noise in there so knowing that and those a lot of those players have played a lot there knowing
That those things can happen there you would have thought they would have said well we need bloody 15 on the pitch at a minimum for the whole thing just to close it out so they made it a lot Shaker than it should have been after a brilliant first half performance and I
Think it’s a pretty average welge team if and that’s generous generous so look I don’t know I was surprised to hear any kind of Defense to that performance they should have been caning themselves haven’t put haven’t done all the hard work in the first half
So um it was was it surprising I don’t know um probably haven’t given it that much thought I think it probably isn’t when we see what they delivered I think against Ireland particularly in the World Cup you know oh I just like saw it’s like Hugh Jones calling like we can
Go on and win the Grand Slam I’m just like oh H you were playing I don’t know if you guys saw Finn Russell’s interview afterwards he like really was like kind of criticized his own which is unusual kind of he was like I was I was telling
Them off to do W listening to me like my great my great plan like don’t go into the Rook they were going into the Rook like some guys need to have a long hard look at themselves like neck this guy po kettle black the man who goes off script the whole time
Yeah guy only never listen to a coach in his life is all of a sudden like Gregor said this and we should be I did kind of like it though I have to I like no point there’s no point pretending that like the drought is over that was a very very
Abject second half like he’s a new captain in the role like he’s trying to like stamp his authority on it and I know it is yeah bit Rich coming from from him but I liked it I liked it and know Harman yeah exactly yeah and you
Can be sure right and if he said it publicly you can be sure what was said in the dressing room behind closed doors so yeah it was such a like a mad game that like if you had offered Scotland a winning card if they obviously would
Have taken it like if even if it was a onepoint win but not in the manner mentally could be exactly what they need if if you think about like so they could have come out of that thing thinking oh we pumped well in card of 30 points if
That finished 27 n but crawling out of there with a point win kind of going this could be the perfect thing for them where they go you know what let’s hang on a second here maybe we actually do need to have a look at some of these
Issues that we that we’re having in the big games so definitely a glass half full approach because I would think that these issues are TR to the Scottish listeners like to to offset Wills uh we can’t CL them we’ve got them in the last match we could this
Could be crucial that’re they’re coming in overconfidence yeah or angry I don’t want them coming in yeah like that last game yeah but um Scotland France is now really fascinating this weekend like will there be a massive kick in France cuz I could see like the big kick in
France but I could also see like their campaign disintegrating in G you know getting even more Abus in the French press and I I really don’t know how to call this one this weekend it’s set up to be a cracker I think they’ll just have too much for that Scottish pack
Won’t they um but yeah look there are traditionally uh can be quite uh tempestuous we’ll say with this you know that that French mindset and they can kind of go from one extreme to the other uh possibly we might see a period where they where they you know are a bit
Challenged particularly with that half pack pairing that they kind of built a lot of the success on not being around for the tournament I think so um yeah like will they flip-flop with selections when we see some of the old things that that have happened with French teams
That have caused them to you know not deliver on the on the unbelievable potential that they have I suspect not I I think they get this thing right um I think galtier settles the settles the ship and I think they the quality is too much for the for for the Scottish team
But um stranger things have happened Scotland have caused them issues they caused them issues just before the World Cup started albe it not a full French team but this isn’t a full French team either so um yeah a fascinating encounter coming up and if Scotland can
Get their head right for well at least 60 or 70 minutes and not just 40 they’ be tough to beat no because like if they win this game they have a week off then they have England at home like you know there is a path for them certainly to
Get to the Aviva at the end with a Chance of maybe potentially winning the Six Nations they definitely won’t but like they could they could conceivably get to that part um the England Italy game as well was an intriguing one like I’ve I’ve been enjoying reading the
English coverage of like the New England like their smallest ever winning Marin over Italy has been heralded as this new Progressive England which I just I just find it hilarious like like defensively they were at se in the first half now obviously they’re betting in a new defensive system with the new defense
Coach Felix Jones we all know that but still I don’t think that excuses like how ridiculously po anywhere defensively and they did try the ball around a little more but at the same time they were playing Italy who conceded like almost 100 point points was it to you to
The All Blacks and also got know absolutely destroyed by by France like so I don’t get the positivity Stuart BRS was the only one who called it out the way I described it there the way I saw it everyone else seemed to be just much more positive about it what did you make
Of it I think we should give Italy some credits because they were awful at the World Cup like so so disappointing um and you think of all the good work that they’ve done over the last couple of years and it just came to nothing obviously at the World Cup I’ll be in in
A tough pool so they deserve credit obviously they’ve got a new head coach I thought some of the trys they scored very good clearly England’s defensive system is a work in progress and it’s going to take a while because Felix Jones has brought in the kind of the the
Springbox mentality um interesting to see actually Jerry flanner has obviously been announced today as the new spring box offense coach which is is an unbelievable move for him so I don’t see on on England I’ll believe it when I see it that they’re going to move in a New
Direction in terms of their attack because I was fascinated to see I so unfortunate that Marcus Smith got injured because I was fascinated to see how were they going to use Marcus Smith who’s been very good again for Harley quins we’re still waiting for that kind
Of form to translate to the test stage does it translate to the test stage but was Marcus Smith going to be asked to a bit like we were talking about Jack Crowley and Andy farell you know fit into the system but bring your own game
To it while you do that but in my mind borwick is always going to be about that kick heavy like direct approach forward orientated and that’s pretty like what a lot of what England is about as well so when Marcus Smith got injured last week I was kind of thinking this is probably
A blessing in disguise in a way for for borwick because now he can go back to George Ford who’s fit again even though Finn Smith could could end up overtaking Marcus Smith he looks like a serious player and a little bit probably more like a bwick player like he an English
Player yeah he has the X Factor but he’s a bit more pragmatic as well look at the way he saw out the game for Northampton and Tom Park so I do think though you do at some stage have to try to I don’t know build a team right marus Smith he’s
Too much skill to not at least give it a concertive effort to and fair enough if after like a full season or two seasons he’s not delivering at the national level then maybe not but he’s kind of small as well though will he’s small for internal Smith’s small as well he’s not
That small he’s not as small as Marcus Smith George Ford is small yeah but that’s always been an issue for him in my mind I agree they should they should definitely give Marcus Smith time absolutely I mean he’s just s so good to watch and every neutral would say that
As well but he inj he would have started yeah but but but was he going to be started and asked to bring his own game or was he ask to be playing this thing so I’m waiting like you will to see this New England approach defensively fair
Enough but in terms of attack I like I’ll believe it when I see it under Steve bwick yeah I’ll be to see how they got on against Wales this weekend like like they’re massive favorites in The Bookies I’m just like what am I watching I that says more about Wales though I
Know you would will will they be able to build on that second half performance I just don’t think they have the quality in their team sheet if it wasn’t as if it was a good team playing badly it was a bad team playing badly their halfbacks improved it when The Replacements Lloyd
Is is a real Dynamic you know ball player but I don’t know if he’s a six nations L Thomas Williams you know played well when he came George nor think might be back for this game which will add a bit of as his experience into the backline but it’s a very callow
Looking team like you know they’re missing the good players they do have like Jack Morgan George Nord injured you know last weekend so be and and they need them yeah they need those guys like they’re they’re bare bones I think at the moment and a little to my to my mind
I think England as well though like they don’t look like they like the star power like Marcus Smith is a bit of star you go he’s special but England have always had a few of those guys and I just look at them and I think where’s the really
Exciting player like you know and I just don’t see that at the moment T lagi has probably not been at his best you know for injuries injy is a top player I think oh jees well I don’t know yeah like he’s always he’s injured injur I think the injuries are really him at
This point but he’s still it’s it’s a very good point though there is Marcus Smith is you’d probably say the poster boy but he hasn’t had time in the saddle to show that he is the man like it to you know isn’t the same player so he signed a new contract
With Saron I was a bit surprised I thought he might go answer me is there one player so if you had six nations one to 15 is there one English player that that starts for you no no I don’t think so either which I don’t think I’ve ever ever said about
An english team I would say a lot of English fans would even admit that like who who I don’t even know who you’d be who you’d be talking Alex Mitchell would be pushing but Gibson parti is and you could I don’t know if you could go further and say they wouldn’t get in
A lion team but I think it’s pretty close I don’t know at the moment there would there would no English player would start in a lions test team sorry that’s what I was thinking of I was even considering there’s no way at the moment at the moment not even and you think of
Like there’s not even one guy and you go wow like that that really is an amazing thing to to say G maybe I don’t know want to chance not who’s he getting in ahead of no chance porter pen Porter be that be no but everything else in in the
Pitch he’s so much better I know I know he’s very Dynamic carrier gen but the turnovers the tackling like he’s way better if far was still playing I think there’d be an argument for for maybe but like he’s not so you don’t think so the
Only that’s that that is a real I think like that shows you where welr is at that they can’t that that you’re looking at them as not being bookie’s favorites for for or not even with like close to this english team who have been playing absolutely terribly now you know could
The english team like I think they probably have to be fairly I think if they want to be successful which is not what they want to hear um I probably will not suit someone like Marcus Smith but um I don’t know like I I I think
Like do you know what I I feel like what what was surprising to me in the weekend was that they had periods where the defense was brilliant and you could see that’s that African element but they had periods where the I thought the one-on-one tackling like they just were
So bad like some of those tries that itally ran really exciting awful awful I know the game was done but like still basic skills hands low getting hand off like really really basic stuff not getting feet close to contact head in wrong positions basic stuff for international rby players if I’m being
Very honest you know so I think Felix Jones is the perfect guy to get in there to try and change things but it looks like it’s a bigger job than maybe even he thought so um we wait and see if they can improve that part of it because if
They can do that and English teams generally can can do that pretty well um you know will they be able to turn things around and put pressure on other teams they probably can but U at the moment it looks like a bigger it look took a fairly big job to get them back
To being you know a very very competitive and a strong team in the six Nation Banas Ireland gold there they tweaking him though 100% they’ be difficult to beat 100% yeah and like you know England will be you know their Mass favorites we said against Wales like that England Scotland game they could
Well be three from three each or two from two going into a three from three and then like irand could be playing an England team with their taals up so who knows there’s a lot a lot of rby still be played in six as even though irand
Are big favorite just before we finish up you were the 20s game on Saturday night and ax and provance the only guy to stay on uh fair play to you um great win obviously to be fair France were missing a number of guys who could play
They were playing top 14 like two lagi obviously was playing against Ireland the night before but still great for you know it looks like another grand slam potentially in the offing yeah I was making this point in the match report will I mean to have two Irish wins in
France in 24 hours is amazing I mean and it should never be taken for granted because I think we’re all so scared from you know growing up in 30 years before when before Brian got like we’re also used to just being scarred when AR teams play in France and yeah they were
Exceptional will um like it was a brilliant game to watch they they got a Bonus Point as well just to mention a couple of guys I thought Jack Murphy who’s the son of Richie um the head coach his kicking display that he put on was one the end was serious was an
Unbelievable kicker yeah like it’s no surprise I mean you imagine am of hours that they must have put in together um but like I don’t know if it came across in TV but there was 8,000 people there and they were mooing and Howling and hissing like mad the classic kind of
South of FR South France atmosphere and for a guy who think he’s like 19 to to handle that was amazing you had Brian gleon who look everyone would have seen him playing last year would have seen him playing for Monster the guy is like
A freak of a talent at this level um I was tweeting during the game that he looked like an overage player playing 20s rugby he is he is the real deal it’s only a matter of time before he’s the monster number eight in my in my opinion
And Hugh Gavin in Midfield a guy who played in the wi last last year for the 20s was exceptional as well looks like he’s piled on a few kilos really powerful yeah yeah really powerful strong a contact and similar enough to Andy farell Senior Team it does open up
A little bit now England are supposed to be pretty good at they’re not going to have to play England over there but they won a grand slam last SE season as well got to the junior World Cup final so the future is bright and what a weekend for
Rish rugby like I said to have two wins in the south of France it was amazing and a privilege to be there as well yeah really was a great weekend for R rugby not often you get two wins not not just one and just before we finish up guys
We’re going to do the bank of Island moment of the week on the left wing podcast might want to know we discussed a lot of these moments earlier but we it’s worth going back over them again to Burns try for me you know the the 10
Kind of phase set leading up to it the carries were just you don’t see French team or this French team certainly put back in their heels the way the Irish forwards are punching holes and then there a lovely little pop pass from Crowley and burn Galloping through
Untouched as well as as the defense Parts was just a brilliant moment and it kind of has rubber stamped their dominance at the time putting them two scores ahead and you know set the scene for for the second half and to bur I think we didn’t really touch him you
Know hugely in terms of his individual performance you know maybe struggling a bit for form post World Cup I thought he was back to his absolute best the weekend and when he plays well the whole Arland team plays well he’s a real galvanizing player because his impact is
Always like big moments like you know a huge steal or you know big moment at the line out and stuff like that so delighted for him and you know a really good try yeah I fully agree we should have given to burn um more credit than we did
To or Joe McCarthy seemed to get all the plotus but to burn was exceptional um my moment of the week was Calvin Nash’s try um what I liked about it was it came at a time when France were enjoying their Purple Patch after halftime Thomas ramas
Had just missed the kick at goal like I said it would have made it a four-point game and you would have been really nervous then but the character that Ireland showed to go straight down U the other end of the pitch and for like I said about the multi-layered attack
Really came to fruition you had Jack Crowley going in clearing out a breakdown you you’d Hugo Keenan stepping in as first receiver lovely pass out wide to Robbie Hena who did really well and that little offload to kayin Daris who pops it in for Calvin Nash who we
Discussed was really nervous all week what a moment on your six nations debut to score a Troy in that atmosphere and to me that was the winning of the game there was no coming back from that from France and yeah just a moment he’ll never forget I thought he played well he
Didn’t get a huge amount of ball but he had one really good carry I think it was actually in the leadup to Ty burn Tri potentially where he took it off a l out know in the middle and made like 10 me but he looks like you know what I loved
About it he looked like a Season Pro like he looked like a guy who I believe he’s very hard worker and all great trainer in great shape and all that but he looked like a guy who didn’t overthink anything he just looked I’m good at this and and he did all the
Basics really well I thought he played really well without without having big moments really by the try I just thought he was really really good so I was really pleased for him he’s a guy who I was making this point a couple of weeks
Ago in a PO I think it was with chenade that I think we underestimate guys who you think are gone to a certain level but the next level they can kick on to with they get time in international camp with the likes of Andy far Mike cat Paul
Connell I think we we can kind of forget that there are no another levels because look we all know the freakishly Talent guys like Joe McCarty Kay and darel the talent is obvious but Calvin asash has had to work so hard for everything he’s got not that the others haven’t but
Wasn’t fancied by Johan van Gran he was talking about retiring because he was injured he wasn’t getting game time and to like I said to have a moment like that himself was just exceptional and the funny thing was I thought his impact might come in the air like he’s really
Good at like you know getting the ball back and you know winning back especially by picking Mna you know I thought he he might be like someone who might be getting on the end of some of those but you know it didn’t really materialize in the game Luke he defended
Well as well really good Defender and like that requires a bit of calmness and and toughness so he was that’s great to see for him uh yeah my moment was actually a kind of different one it was and I couldn’t pick two of these for hero Keenan but I’m going to pick the
Pano one down the left the left uh the left touch line because he’s been stoppable I see Shane Horan picked him as his like player his favorite player at the moment in the Six Nations um you know and I’m not surprised because he’s clearly been watching Bor out like he’s
Magic and he’s really really slippery and hard to stop they got a little bit of AIT a bit of leeway was our left hand side their right hand side obviously where he’s playing and um Keenan he kind of tries to stand him up and go outside
Keenan and he gives a lovely little low tackle into touch and I just thought that’s a real class player because it’s not it won’t seem like a massive moment but it was a big moment to put him down there moment like cuz if they score a try first couple of minutes like the
Atmosphere is completely different well the obvious one is probably the one where he gets the shot and the stones and it was a huge tackle but that was a b bit I don’t know I don’t like it was a bit dirty was it like when Peno kicks
His leg back I actually didn’t notice any of that I didn’t I missed it to be honest with you I was think that was a great tackle but exceptional tackle unbelievable that kind of tackle is it going to tackle where your teammate feed off that and go they’re not I mention
That one cuz the other one there was like the one a little minutes later where Peno goes through I was like I just felt like it kind of took away from that massive tackle but the other one where Ireland were kind of in the ascendency France look like they got a
Little bit of leeway down that side I’m thinking oh no here’s that moment that France run mon from 40 chops him down no big deal and that’s well that’s to my mind is a guy you can really rely on I think he I think he might be the best
Fullback in the world I love watching him he’s got everything to me and I think the tackling was the last little bit for me never that he was not up for it but I told he made a few mistakes for lanster a couple of years back particularly the the rude try in the
Finals you remember that Rond R try he should have got he should have laid a glove on him at least there but and I criticized him for it at the time but he now to me is a polished polished player he’s got the he’s he’s the full package
He’s got everything got the kicking game the catching game the tackling and he’s magic obviously going forward I’m glad you picked it as your moment because he is he has become one of these guys who we don’t probably focus a huge amount on because you just expect him to be a n
Out of 10 every week he is probably most consistent performers um over the last few years and yeah great moment I was very temped to pick that fin Russell interview as my moment proba should big something in the game the bus is reversed overall as teammate in his first ever like moment
As his captain on BBC On th TV no less but I think it speaks of the performance you know we picked out three moments we could have picked out 10 different ones and that’s the key fixture in the competition the key fixture but you know
They it was a real great way to kick off the tournament I’d like to thank keen and Luke for joining me on tonight’s episode of the leftwing podcast we’ll have another show later in the week reacting to the Ireland team announcement for the game against Italy
And in the meantime you can subscribe to us on Spotify Apple podcast or listen on independent. so until next time thanks so much and goodbye
Luke Fitzgerald, Cian Tracey and Will Slattery break down Ireland’s record-setting win over France on the latest episode of The Left Wing.
Andy Farrell’s men were ruthless in Marseille on Friday night and the lads pick out a number of areas where they felt Ireland got the upper hand.
Luke and Cian heap praise on the Irish attack and say that France head coach Fabien Galthié faces serious questions after an awful performance.
Scotland’s near-collapse against Wales, England’s win over Italy and Ireland’s latest U-20 triumph are all up for discussion too.
Join The Left Wing again on Friday for our team news episode as well as the post-match special on Sunday with Sinéad, Rúaidhrí and Cian.
Listen & follow on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
28 Comments
Please please please pronounce both letter 'S's in the French anthem.
This poor lad has a personal trial for every event
I love this analysis. Guys you really read the game so well. And you enjoy describing players’ skills and their rugby intelligence. Well done .
Nobody cares whether Luke likes 7s. Dupont is doing it to get a gold for France.
World cup is over…move on lads..
great stuff lads
Very good analysis, especially from Luke Fitzgerald. Shows real insights into WHY Ireland do well in games like this.
New Zealander, Ethan Roots is the English player to watch in this 6 Nations.
Slattery is not a rugby man
The 7's is gaining traction coz it suits media shorts atm. Keenan is a 7's product QED
It's pronounced la mar sy eze!!
Italy be NO pushiver
Two days less turnaround time compared to NZ for the quarter final, and also having played SA and Scotland rather than Italy and Uruguay in the previous two games may have had something to do with Ireland being a bit more off their game than NZ were. And we still could, and probably should have won. The scheduling did not do Ireland any favours there. NZ by contrast could afford to lose their first game, and coast to the quarter finals, rotating all their players.
good luck against boks in South africa,will see how strong your forward pack is away from home
Luke Fitz STILL can't pronounce Crowley's name, and nobody else can finish a sentence because of him.
Will, they didn't do it in the quarter final because there wasn't enough strength in depth and the first 15 were tired. Lineout was shocking as mentioned.
Did Bod once say a few years ago he wouldn't pick one English player over am irish player and the beat us out the park the next day 😂
Sick of them fawning and not addressing elephant in room. Selfish sexton held this team back, Crowley always ready. If he had come on last 30mins of QF then ireland would have won. So selfish by sexton
Utter irish cockiness again. How should they have won the AB game ffs. AB had 14 men for 20mins. AB fully deserved, no wonder world getting sick of Irish
D'Arcy Graham 7 to 15s
I'm hoping now people will stop talking about the world cup
I've been a fan of Crowleys for years. He has the potential to become the 'perfect' 10. He doesn't seem to have any weaknesses.
Luke's take on 7s rugby vs 15s was a good laugh. Couldn't agree with him more. Dupont should be captaining France in this 6nations, not chasing some 7s gold medal that not many people care about. Can anyone name any player from the last 7s olympic winning side?? I doubt it.
Ignoring Rugby. Its the left wing is Irelands biggest problem.
A rejuvenated France will win in Murrayfield and nix all this rubbish about Scotland being grand slam contenders
Lukes feedback is phenomenal
Sorry what's the BJ Botha thing? Was that on Twitter a few months back?
Poor comments re 7s.
7s does not make the case that it's better than 15s, it's a very different sport that uses a subset of rugby skills. A day of 7s it's a brilliant day out.