[quote author=Rafa4PM link=topic=38718.msg1068934#msg1068934 date=1268499216]
Well done to the Irish on a deserved victory!
Another ref goes onto my hate list though! We get a yellow for a minor offence, yet the Irish get away with conceding about 150000000 penalties without any further punishment.
*Runs off to put his kilt on*
[/quote]
I have to say he's the worst ref I've ever seen in an international game. Byrne's yellow card was ridiculous, even worse was the penalty we got when Sexton held onto the ball on the ground a few metres out from the Welsh line with three Welsh defenders on him. I had it tallied it at 8 points we got that we shouldn't have and six that you got that you shouldn't have (going by a normal referee).
That said we were the better team throughout. Wales seemed to lack ideas, every move was a crash ball to Roberts and even though most of the time he made yards it was so predictable that we were able to set our defence well for second and third phase possession and ensure we we're never really stretched.
As for our own game, the scrum held up quite well despite the significant amount of weight we were giving away, the lineout was just as good as usual, our play on the deck was quite good, the backline functioned quite well but our kicking game was not as good as usual. So many kicks were sliced out into touch on the full.
Individually Healy and Best had big defensive games, O'Connell showed some soft hands in the try for O'Leary. Heaslip was quiet but Wallace and Ferris had beastly games, both carrying a lot of ball to great effect. O'Leary, despite his shite passing technique, had a superb game for us - his own try was a feat of sheer determination but his heads up play for Earls' second try was excellent as well. Sexton had a mixed game, too many sliced kicks from hand but he ran the line pretty damn well and showed some excellent hands and steps during the game (I don't get as upset as others about kicks missed from the touchline). O'Driscoll had a solid game in defence but did little going forward, D'arcy added further weight to the theory that drummers in Spinal Tap have better life expentancies than the Irish no.12's. Earls had a very good defensive game at both wing and centre and finished both tries very well, he also put in a couple of superb kicks and had the moment of the match (for me) when Dricco gave him a pass to the bootlaces which he managed to knock up into his hands. Bowe was his usual excellent self and Murphy showed despite the fact that he looks like a throwback to the amateur days that he's just so far ahead of others with his reading of the game and his all round skills that it never really matters. Kearney wasn't great when he came on, and his form this season is reason for concern but I think he'll come around with more game time.
*satisfied*
