Ireland v Australia 22 Nov 2014: Dog v Cat: Ali V Foreman: Beauty v Beast, Xavier v Wolfman

First topic message reminder :

Have they ever met?
Sure they have.  And they're meeting each other now every second of every day in the lead up to the weekend's encounter - Schmidt even dreaming tactics whilst asleep at night, as there are not nearly enough hours in an atomic-clock week for him.  A meeting of brainwaves as one tries to look into the other's head and plan victory or defeat.

Schmidt doesn't rate the number 3.  Neither does Cheika.  But Cheika will still want the number back out of a sense of pride  He got no time for Ranking nonsense but he'll take it as his pound of flesh anyway given that the rules of the game forbid real flesh being taken.

Schmidt is the scientist; birdlike, almost timid, edgy and nervous when tension grows.  Cheika is the brick wall that needs no door to make a space for itself in a fight.  He has a nice smile, especially when he's happy, and that's usually when his fingers are around someone's neck and squeezing

Schmidt is considered pedantic, perfecting and getting on for being an infuriating perfectionist.  That can often be a problem as the word has noting to do with achieving perfection and everything to do with simply never being satisfied.  Perfectionism can often cloud the path to an easier fulfilling life.  Schmidt is driven but I don't think he'll ever find peace.

Cheika seems more like a company CEO.  Goals adopted, timeframes given, pie charts done, costs analysed, work done, work done, work redone with shouts and screams to make people listen and goals achieved.  Next project.  First project forgotten, yesterday's news.  Little genuine emotion for the victory or the initial goal that rapidly sinks into his history and falls into his junkbox.  
Schmidt wants to win - yes - but he wants to play chess.  Cheika just wants results.

And of course both coached Leinster.  One began the journey but had a temperament that wasn't conducive to a long partnership with the players.  Schmidt continued the journey and honed it but also had a temperament that didn't seem to want the relationship to last long.
This will be a brief encounter for both men - just the way they like it.  Brief encounter but the makings of a very long day for both sets of fans.

Ireland are 2 point favourites with the bookies. I know we are at home and just went ahead of them in the world rankings (which are pointless except for that month the rwc pools and tiers are determined). I just don't have the confidence yet to think of Ireland as odd-on for this game. We can definitely win it, absolutely we can. I would have thought though that the spread would be Ireland +2.

SecretFly wrote:

Pete330v2 wrote:Yeah but Wallabies are the cute, small and fluffy version of a kangaroo.
Rugby teams are named after lions, sharks and.......emmmm.......springboks which are also cute little creatures....ok what's with the cuteness SA and OZ?

Deception?

We should give ourselves a name too.  But I guess we were waiting for the right era to happen, when hopefully we'd have been winning enough to justify a noble name.

So, we could call ourselves The Bulls (Ancient Irish cultural mythology deals a lot in Bulls and Cattle) - yeah, yeah...no Bullschmidt jokes please, they'll be considered cliched.

But because of my bias to all things equestrian - I'd call us The Stallions.

If we lose big time at the weekend, forget I ever posted this nonsense............ please.

according to wikipedia , the Irish national animals are meant to be the wolfhound (but already taken), the stag (not possible because of suspicion of Munster bias) and the lapwing (so that's would be the one)

Yes, bandwagon, I of course share your reservations.  

We keep saying to ourselves that the next big win will allow us to settle some and not be too tense about the following one.  But the string of wins still need something extra before Irish fans will truly put aside the fear of rapid implosion that we've had to live with now for some years.

So I think we're back again to this point - again we have the game needed to make us fully certain that there is truly a more positive revolution in operation.  Two wins against SH sides would be proof that we really are past our inconsistency days........................................ until the first game of the 6N, when it would need proving all over again!

whocares wrote:
according to wikipedia , the Irish national animals are meant to be the wolfhound (but already taken), the stag (not possible because of suspicion of Munster bias) and the lapwing (so that's would be the one)

Dangerous! A lot of ammo there for journalists on a bad day at tyhe office for Ireland. Slopwings, Crapwings, Taking-a-napwings.

Do you have mayflies in Ireland?

Yeah.

The Mayflies? Hmmmm................ not very 'Roar' is it?

We do have some very dangerous mushrooms.

Pete330v2 wrote:Yeah but Wallabies are the cute, small and fluffy version of a kangaroo.
Rugby teams are named after lions, sharks and.......emmmm.......springboks which are also cute little creatures....ok what's with the cuteness SA and OZ?

Maybe its an inverse thing. After all the AB's are also known as wierd looking flightless birds.

SecretFly wrote:

whocares wrote:
according to wikipedia , the Irish national animals are meant to be the wolfhound (but already taken), the stag (not possible because of suspicion of Munster bias) and the lapwing (so that's would be the one)

Dangerous!  A lot of ammo there for journalists on a bad day at tyhe office for Ireland.  Slopwings, Crapwings, Taking-a-napwings.

Lapwings are very common where my parents live, by Strangford Lough. I heartily approve of it.

Having said that I am still very envious of Scotland, whose national animal is the Unicorn. They should adopt that as their nickname immediately!

What beast can spear a Springbok, ride down a Kiwi and trample a Wallaby? The mighty Unicorn of course. Massive missed opportunity by the guys over at the Scottish Rugby Union.

lostinwales wrote:

Pete330v2 wrote:Yeah but Wallabies are the cute, small and fluffy version of a kangaroo.
Rugby teams are named after lions, sharks and.......emmmm.......springboks which are also cute little creatures....ok what's with the cuteness SA and OZ?

Maybe its an inverse thing. After all the AB's are also known as wierd looking flightless birds.

Ever had your big toe pecked by one?



I haven't... and I certainly would want to be another one of its hapless victims.

Is Israel Folau a walaroo I wonder? Given that he has played for the Wallabies and the Kangaroos.

GunsGerms wrote:Is Israel Folau a walaroo I wonder? Given that he has played for the Wallabies and the Kangaroos.

probably technically a kangaby but waleroo sounds better

Notch wrote:

SecretFly wrote:

whocares wrote:
according to wikipedia , the Irish national animals are meant to be the wolfhound (but already taken), the stag (not possible because of suspicion of Munster bias) and the lapwing (so that's would be the one)

Dangerous!  A lot of ammo there for journalists on a bad day at tyhe office for Ireland.  Slopwings, Crapwings, Taking-a-napwings.

Lapwings are very common where my parents live, by Strangford Lough. I heartily approve of it.

Having said that I am still very envious of Scotland, whose national animal is the Unicorn. They should adopt that as their nickname immediately!

What beast can spear a Springbok, ride down a Kiwi and trample a Wallaby? The mighty Unicorn of course. Massive missed opportunity by the guys over at the Scottish Rugby Union.

yeah and they could also bring one (or rather a wgite horse with a plastic thingy stuck to its head) at their home game to parade all over murrayfield pitch (like we did with these poor cockerells back in the days before bird flu outlawed it).

Wallaroo guys.

whocares wrote:

Notch wrote:

SecretFly wrote:

whocares wrote:
according to wikipedia , the Irish national animals are meant to be the wolfhound (but already taken), the stag (not possible because of suspicion of Munster bias) and the lapwing (so that's would be the one)

Dangerous!  A lot of ammo there for journalists on a bad day at tyhe office for Ireland.  Slopwings, Crapwings, Taking-a-napwings.

Lapwings are very common where my parents live, by Strangford Lough. I heartily approve of it.

Having said that I am still very envious of Scotland, whose national animal is the Unicorn. They should adopt that as their nickname immediately!

What beast can spear a Springbok, ride down a Kiwi and trample a Wallaby? The mighty Unicorn of course. Massive missed opportunity by the guys over at the Scottish Rugby Union.

yeah and they could also bring one (or rather a wgite horse with a plastic thingy stuck to its head) at their home game to parade all over murrayfield pitch (like we did with these poor cockerells back in the days before bird flu outlawed it).  

A Foghorn Leghorner joins the debate! The classy aspect of this thread is going downhill fast....

SecretFly wrote:

whocares wrote:

Notch wrote:

SecretFly wrote:

whocares wrote:
according to wikipedia , the Irish national animals are meant to be the wolfhound (but already taken), the stag (not possible because of suspicion of Munster bias) and the lapwing (so that's would be the one)

Dangerous!  A lot of ammo there for journalists on a bad day at tyhe office for Ireland.  Slopwings, Crapwings, Taking-a-napwings.

Lapwings are very common where my parents live, by Strangford Lough. I heartily approve of it.

Having said that I am still very envious of Scotland, whose national animal is the Unicorn. They should adopt that as their nickname immediately!

What beast can spear a Springbok, ride down a Kiwi and trample a Wallaby? The mighty Unicorn of course. Massive missed opportunity by the guys over at the Scottish Rugby Union.

yeah and they could also bring one (or rather a wgite horse with a plastic thingy stuck to its head) at their home game to parade all over murrayfield pitch (like we did with these poor cockerells back in the days before bird flu outlawed it).  

A Foghorn Leghorner joins the debate!  The classy aspect of this thread is going downhill fast....

Didn't realise le coq had been banned due to bird flu. I thought something was missing in that last match in Paris.

The Loaded Dog wrote:
Didn't realise le coq had been banned due to bird flu. I thought something was missing in that last match in Paris.

Keep your eyes on the game Loaded! The game.

SecretFly wrote:

The Loaded Dog wrote:
Didn't realise le coq had been banned due to bird flu. I thought something was missing in that last match in Paris.

Keep your eyes on the game Loaded!  The game.

Yes, yes... but it doesn't hurt to notice these important little things.
Like the goat at MS... and the other one on the grass bank at Manukau. Poppy?

I don't................................. okay, so I'm admitting something here, but my observations are very selfish usually.  Meaning that if a famous man is in a room full of non-famous beautiful women - I'll never have seen him, never remember him -even if I'm presented with a photo of me sharing a selfie with him. I only remember the bits that..............well, I only remember the bits

So yeah, I've noticed Goats somewhere over the years but.................. I really don't know where.  I know it's not us, not Scotland, not New Zealand, not Australia, not France, not SA.  But have I seen goats at both Welsh home and English home games?  And if so, why?  But I suspect I'm just mixing venues up and it was one or the other but not both.

SF, maybe that's Billy the goat from the royal regiment of Wales. was quite famous in his days, hanging out at various events and often seen with other celebs

Hold on.

Lapwings????

No way, we can be the Wolfhounds.......oh no that's.......yeah.....I'll get my coat!

You don't get much goat these days. They were eating them left right and centre in the bible. Had one at a barbecue in South Africa years ago and it was surprisingly delicious.

Submachine wrote:You don't get much goat these days. They were eating them left right and centre in the bible. Had one at a barbecue in South Africa years ago and it was surprisingly delicious.

............................ lamb with horns?

Pete330v2 wrote:Hold on.

Lapwings????

No way, we can be the Wolfhounds.......oh no that's.......yeah.....I'll get my coat!

The problem with Wolfhounds though.................... is that their temperament seems to be more reflective of a big cuddly puddy tat.   Maybe they just miss Wolves.

whocares wrote:

Notch wrote:

SecretFly wrote:

whocares wrote:
according to wikipedia , the Irish national animals are meant to be the wolfhound (but already taken), the stag (not possible because of suspicion of Munster bias) and the lapwing (so that's would be the one)

Dangerous!  A lot of ammo there for journalists on a bad day at tyhe office for Ireland.  Slopwings, Crapwings, Taking-a-napwings.

Lapwings are very common where my parents live, by Strangford Lough. I heartily approve of it.

Having said that I am still very envious of Scotland, whose national animal is the Unicorn. They should adopt that as their nickname immediately!

What beast can spear a Springbok, ride down a Kiwi and trample a Wallaby? The mighty Unicorn of course. Massive missed opportunity by the guys over at the Scottish Rugby Union.

yeah and they could also bring one (or rather a wgite horse with a plastic thingy stuck to its head) at their home game to parade all over murrayfield pitch (like we did with these poor cockerells back in the days before bird flu outlawed it).  

I have it on good authority that the Scots are going to parade a real Unicorn around the pitch when they achieve their goal of winning the Rugby World Cup

SecretFly wrote:

Submachine wrote:You don't get much goat these days. They were eating them left right and centre in the bible. Had one at a barbecue in South Africa years ago and it was surprisingly delicious.

............................ lamb with horns?

Goat is lovely. Went to a Jamaican restaurant in Edinburgh once and had goat. So good.

Ireland have failed to score a try v Australia in four of the last five games aparently. not a great stat.

GunsGerms wrote:Ireland have failed to score a try v Australia in four of the last five games aparently. not a great stat.

Last years game was bizarre. Ireland dominated possession and territory and made more meters with ball in hand etc but Australia scored 4 tries to Irelands 0 so I'm sure the defence will be much different tomorrow.

http://www.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/match/180661.html

Forget the stats.
Australia dominated where it counted - on the scoreboard. They got out of the blocks fast and never looked back.
The final try was the sweetest icing on the cake though. It was one of our better performances last year.
Hopefully they can do the same later on today.

For all the ups and downs that the W's have been through this year Loaded I fear for them tonight. Ireland are hungry and the Bok win wasn't a fluke. Last match, most of the side stuffed from the loss to France...a bridge too far I think. Irelands structure will strangle them I think. I'm going for 13 + now, purely because its this late in the year, and Ireland are peaking.

I think the Wallabies are also hungry and keen to improve on last week's performance, Taylor.
There's also a sense of desperation but at the same time there seems to be a certain confident coolness about them judging from the interviews I've seen this week.

Also good to see Hooper carrying that rather large shiner (from training) and still with a smile on his face. So I reckon Clarence the Cross-eyed lion will be really looking forward to making a big statement in this match.

Agree, the win against the Boks wasn't a fluke but by the same token it's not often you see them caught off guard like that. They did much better last weekend after that shock loss. Hoping Australia can do the same. Not saying it will be as big a win as last year - went for a +9 in the other thread.... 27-18 or something like that.

The Loaded Dog wrote:I think the Wallabies are also hungry and keen to improve on last week's performance, Taylor.
There's also a sense of desperation but at the same time there seems to be a certain confident coolness about them judging from the interviews I've seen this week.

Also good to see Hooper carrying that rather large shiner (from training) and still with a smile on his face. So I reckon Clarence the Cross-eyed lion will be really looking forward to making a big statement in this match.

Agree, the win against the Boks wasn't a fluke but by the same token it's not often you see them caught off guard like that. They did much better last weekend after that shock loss. Hoping Australia can do the same. Not saying it will be as big a win as last year - went for a +9 in the other thread.... 27-18 or something like that.

yep, will be interesting. Picking this years W's results would have been as difficult as picking Hansens side versus Scotland.

Nice enough day for rugby gents.

View from your window? Looks nice mate.

Best of luck today... maybe your prediction will come true.

Just watched the International Rules match. Was quite an exciting finish. Oz won by 10 in the end... so maybe 1-1 after the rugby?

Thats my girlfriends balcony view of the aviva. Its bright and dry. So all good. Missed the football but heard Oz put out a good side this year. Will check out the highlights soon. Enjoy the game. Spare a thought for me when Im freezing my nads off in Landsdowne.

GunsGerms wrote:Thats my girlfriends balcony view of the aviva. Its bright and dry. So all good. Missed the football but heard Oz put out a good side this year. Will check out the highlights soon. Enjoy the game. Spare a thought for me when Im freezing my nads off in Landsdowne.

Thanks, you too.
Might have to have a quick nap, 11pm here and match starts at 3am (need to double check).
It's going to be very hot here tomorrow - they're predicting 42 degs C. Could do with a winter blast even for 10 secs. It will be like hell here!

It should be a good test to see where Ireland and Australia are. A loss here and all the hype will have been misplaced. I think they'll win but they have not got a great record against the Wallabies so its a match where anything could happen and wouldn't surprise me to see one team win well.

Key man will be Sexton. He needs to nail his kicks and kick well from hand.

Aussies are going to win this, they will adapt and play much better than the Boks did

Oh mate, I'm feeling less and less confident but I hope you're right.

Just for the next 80 minutes, come on Ireland!

At times I think Aus and Ireland play a similar game (storming the breakdown, throwing it around in the backs, kicking a lot if the opposition/conditions dictate it) - they both execute all that in a similar manner IMO. I think Wallabies are more adaptable, so Ireland will need to try something different to last weekend. Aus will be ready for it, and will be testing your midfield.

Too many mistakes already from the Wallabies. Just can't afford that.

Think Murray tried to do a bit too much there

Lovely kick and chase

There we go... Zebo!

Zeeeeeeeeeebooooooooooooooo

Great start from Ireland. Much smarter play. Australia so naive and falling into "the traps" again.

Certainly one of the best interceptions I've ever seen.

POC should have been penalised for the lazy running that messed Australias timing up before interception.

Come on!!!