Ireland vs Wales

6 Nations Ireland vs Wales 1/2/13

Match Timeline

1 min-Kick off to Ireland, caught by Gilroy. Well gained space.

10 mins-Simon Zebo try, offload from O'Driscoll. 5-0 to Ireland.

11 mins-Jonathan Sexton conversion 7-0 to Ireland.

12 mins-Penalty to Ireland, high tackle from Wales on the halfway line.

13 mins-Matthew reese subsituted for Ken Owens, due to injury.
13 mins-Lineout lost against the head with bad dart from Best.

18 mins-Irish 5 meter scrum.

19 mins-Drop goal attempt missed by Sexton, but penalty awarded to Ireland.

20 mins-Penalty scored by Sexton.

21 mins-Knock on by Ireland, Scrum down to Wales.

22 mins-Free kick to Wales, turned over by Conor Murray
23 mins-Charge down by Rory Best and well caught by Zebo from a poor pass.
23 mins-Try scored by Cian Healy 15-0 to Ireland
25 mins-Sexton converts try to have a 17-0 lead.
26 mins-Turn over and box kick from Murray to go into opposite 22 meter touch.
27 mins-Penalty to Ireland, from crossing over by Mike Phillips.
28 mins-Penalty slotted by Sexton to give a 20-0 lead.
29 mins-Ball caught from kick off by Kearney and good yards gained in break.
29 mins-Penalty to Wales because of not ball not being released in the ruck.
31 mins- Ball passed out into touch, and all momentum gained lost. Line out to Ireland.
32 mins-Penalty to Wales, ball not being released from Healy
33 mins-Penalty scored, 3-20 to Ireland.
34 mins-Ball lost in lineout, and Wales gain posession.
36 mins-Great break from Wales George North, to get into Irelands 22
38 mins-Penalty to Ireland on their own 5 meter line.
38 mins-Blood injury Gethin Jenkins goes off.
41 mins-Penalty to Ireland, Sexton scores to have the score 23-3 to Ireland at the end of the first half.
                              Half Time
40 mins-Penalty to Ireland, scrum down.
42 mins-Kearney fails to reach the try line, but scored in the next phase by O'Driscoll. 27-3
43 mins-Conversion scored by Sexton, 6/6 so far. The score 30-3 to Ireland
44 mins-Gordon D'ary subbed for Chris Earls
44 mins-Penalty take quick by Wales, due to holding on in the ruck
46 mins-Penalty to Wales, Sean O'Brien not releasing the tackled player on the ground.
47 mins-Wales lineout on Irelands 5 meter line, Wales then score a try by Alex Cuthebert.
48 mins-Leigh Halfpenny converts the conversion
50 mins-Great break by Wales sub Scott Williams
51 mins-Penalty to Wales, O'Driscoll knocked the ball out of Mike Phillips hands from the ruck
51 mins-Wales substitute, Matthew Rees for Ken Owens,
51 mins-Ireland substitute Chris Henry for Peter O'Mahoney
53 mins-Conor Murray knocks the attempted interception ball on, Scrum to Wales from Irelands 22.
54 mins-Penalty Wales, Irish tackler not rolling away. then punted for touch
55 mins-Lineout to Wales, on Irelands 5 meter line.
56 mins-Welsh penalty taken quickly, on Irelands 5 meter line.
57 mins-Huge tackle from Craig Gilroy leaves Welsh player Leigh Halfpenny winded on the floor
57 mins-Rory Best shown to the sin bin, because of not rolling away in the ruck
58 mins-Leigh Halfpenny scores a try in the corner after many phases on Irelands line.
59 mins-Conversion missed leaving the score 15-30 to Wales.
62 mins-Good overlap play by Alex Cuthbert
62 mins-Penalty to Ireland, punted to touch by Sexton
63 mins-Mike Phillips subbed for Lloyd Williams
63 mins-Knocked on by Scott Williams, and caught by O'Brien
64 mins-Free kick to Ireland due to taking too long in the lineout,
65 mins-Welsh player calls Mark in own 22.
66 mins-Penalty to Wales as player was tackled off the ball
67 mins-Lineout by Wales lost and cleared by Ireland
67 mins-Scrum Wales as ball was knocked on by Kearney in effort to catch a kick
67 mins-Rory Best returns from the sin bin into a scrum.
68 mins-Penalty to Wales, the scrum collapsed. Leigh Halfpenny finds Irish 5 meter touch
68 mins-Mike Ross subbed for Declan Fitzpatrick
69 mins-Yellow card awarded to Conor Murray
70 mins-Welsh scrum on the Irish 5 meter line
71 mins-Another Welsh penalty, but taken quickly on the Irish 5 meter
72 mins-Irish scrum on their own 5 meter line
72 mins-James Hook comes on for Dan Biggar, Craig Mitchell on for Adam Jones
74 mins-Welsh lineout inside the Irish 22
75 mins-Try awarded to Craig Mitchell, the score 20-30
76 mins-Conversion scored by Leigh Halfpenny having Ireland leading by 22-30
78 mins-Possession turned over to Irish play by Zebo catching a way ward ball.
79 mins-Brian O'Driscoll awarded Man Of The Match
79 mins-Scrum down to Wales
80 mins-Forward pass from Wales scrum half, Lloyd Williams.
                       

Full Time Whistle !
Final Score Ireland Wales 22-30 Ireland

Rugby's flaw in logic.

Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage, Collapse.

Rugby's scrum rules, have gone from the somewhat countdown, to the spontaneous "set". I think this has worked for the better. For a while scrums was the let down point of our game. This was becoming more of a problem and was reeking havoc to the flow, becoming a stutter in the attack. Something had to be done. That said there still is a problem with prop's binding and maintaining the scrum erect with loosehead's having nothing to bind onto, they're often left dangling. We have come along way from where we were 2 years ago. Now with more wins against the head, it has made the game more exciting and unpredictable.

The lead up to the contact was before a countdown,but is now more of a competitive spring into the hit. Having props being on their toes and alert. Before, the hit was more of a swing into contact, rather than a spring from the legs and back. Therefore having more competition in the initial hit, than a drive. As before it was an impatient leg drive somewhat a swinging running motion into contact. This means that the old fashioned prop has to be less of an anchor for the first hit, and pretty much now to be a train going nowhere but forward.




Traditionally props could play both positions. This is not the case now. Loosehead's have to be leaner, more steady in their core and legs. To have the ability to drive at an upwards angle, their necks strong, but relying more on the lower half of their body for stability and frame. Tighthead's have to be filled out and broad at the chest, having a strong upper body. Being able to drive in a downwards angle. Being top heavy and still remain stable in the hips and legs. To put into perspective, Cian Healy weighs less than Mike Ross. If you were to compare these side by side. Healy has more thick, stable legs in proportion to his body, his chest wouldn't be as broad as that of Ross, or his shoulders. There is more of a slightness to Healys neck, this being in effort to prevent injury to his neck and the upwards motion. Ross is alot more square at the neck, having bigger arms, to motion the loosehead down. These two players are ideal examples of how the structure of the front row should be.

Profile and Background

Manu Samoa Tuilagi profile.

Manu Tuilagi more commonly known, is quite honestly one of the best players to the new style of game. He has been in the public eye a number of times for good and for bad. Renowned for his head knocking right dig to Chris Ashton. In my eyes, he is a young version of Jonah Lomu. He has the physique of that of a prop, the speed of a back, immense amount of strength and the way he carries himself, weaving past weak arms is the same of a winger, and pounces in and out of contact is a phenomenon. He is quite a specimen, weighing at 110 kilos (Thats the same as Cian Healy) and standing at only 6 foot. He still remains only 21. This is one of his incredible feats, as he is considerably young for the starting 15 of an international squad.

He has although got plenty more to come, in terms of play and drama.

                           Tuilagi was born in Samoa. He lived there until he moved to England, on that of a tourist's visa, to 5 of his brothers which played with Leicester Tigers at the time. He was only 12 when he moved. He spoke little English, only of which was learnt in school. His first match was for Hinckley Rugby Club, playing for the under 14's. He says he was smaller and somewhat fatter than the other boys, and his first impression was that he couldn't believe that everybody else was the same age as him. In 2009 he was in risk of deportation, the visa had ran out. His first reaction was that he didn't exactly care, although when his ambitions in rugby came into play, he only became concerned then. Obviously he wasn't deported in the end.
                           He quickly made an impact to the international spotlight in his performance against New Zealand, being one of many to come. He in the match played outstandingly when he needed to, in the 53rd minute he gave an assist on the 5 meter line. 4 minutes later, he broke the midfield channel line, shaking off 3 attempted tackles to which was another assist, funnily enough to Chris Ashton. This was the point of no return, England were ahead by 2 tries with less than 20 minutes left of play. If that wasn't bad enough, he got an intercept, his acceleration shocked me as he beat any contenders. To add salt to a wound, he jogged the last couple of meters, and tapped to ball down. To not only beat them but to do it in this fashion will not be done again, I can assure you. He really is an enjoyment to watch and a player to look out for.

The end of an era for the Prop.

"The Prop stigma"

The way people see props today is as, heavy, unfit, and uncoordinated overgrown men running from ruck to ruck. If anybody were to blame for this, I'd say, Phil Vickery, (ex England International, British Lions, Gloucester and Wasps, tight head prop) Weighing in at 125 kilos, he was quite heavy. He wasn't exactly mobile, compared to the modern prop... This first was apparent when he was playing for the Lions tour in 2009 and was opposed to Tendai Mtawarira, (otherwise known as "Beast") he was to be perfectly honest, beaten without dignity.

"Census Johnston, weighing 138kg"

The new era of  lighter, leaner faster props has began without a doubt began. Undoubtedly one of the best props is Tendai Mtawarira, weighing 116 kilos, however on average prop weigh from anywhere between 105 and 120 kilos, any weight heavier than this will take its toll on the players speed. Having to keep up with today's games speed, props are focusing more on being lean and efficient than pure bulk. Irish prop Cian Healy (Irish International and Leinster rugby player)  is one of the best of his age. Weighing only 112 kilos

he has already made his entry into the spotlight of the media, I personally think he has alot of potential to become one of the best props in the world, in the coming 5-6 years. I think he will make a big impact in this years lion tour in June. (Given he is selected, which he will be)

Tendai Mtawarira.