Digby's Minute-by-minute (to save the Ireland thread)

[Digby]

I'm a little conscious I'm essentially about to spam this thread, and did even wonder about starting another thread, but with the Scots already going overboard I've decided to show restrain on the thread opening front and to simply not care about spamming this thread [Mod - I started a new thread for mine, so we may as well keep the match thread for other comments as well. So sod authorial intention; we're having a new thread], so to

Minute 1

Ireland set up to kick off right, but go left and make a kick to Manu, Manu carries into contact and wins a little ground, England set a ruck and prepare to exit with a box kick. Youngs spends a little time doing nothing waiting for a forward to create a longer ruck that he can clear from behind. Ireland have Henderson and Stander stood alongside the ruck and oddly it's Stander trying to effect the chargedown, why you wouldn't want the taller player doing that I don't really know. Youngs puts up a reasonable kick, we can't compete but do put the receiver straight down.

Ireland run a couple of phases going one out and making a little ground. Before Kleyn is tackled by Itoje and Underhill, Best and Furlong clear out Underhill leaving Itoje (who's very quick back to feet) to simply pick up the ball, England with the ball get it back to Farrell who makes a left footed clearance down the left hand side of the pitch, where May is able to break onto a ball which rather bobbles away from Kearney covering across, May tries to find Ford in support but the ball goes forward off Ford, Ringrose gets hands on the loose ball and kicks down into the England 22

[Digby]

Minute 2

Farrell trots back to dot the ball down for a 22

Youngs taps and goes from the 22, nice play, and he finds Sinckler with a nice pass with Sinckler able to more or less run straight past Furlong once Furlong is held by May coming off his wing running an inside line. POM puts down Sinckler, we get a nice fast play the ball but being in our half elect to kick, Youngs making a box kick down the left touchline.

Ireland set about making ground back down the touchline in a series of one out phases, they almost manage to drag our defence out of shape down the shortside, but there is a lack of space and it would take a series of incredibly well timed passes to make anything of it which almost nobody will execute ever.

Minute 3

Ireland still pottering about near the touchline get dragged into touch. I think perhaps Kearney was trying to pass the ball backwards to keep it alive, and thus it rolls free as he goes into touch allowing Sinckler to pick up and make a quick throw, had Kearny but held on that didn't need to happen. England unusually for them have had Youngs tap and go from a 22 and now make a quick line out, it's nice to see.

Sadly the pass isn't to hand, Daly has to trap the ball with his foot and then pick up, at which point he's not interested in more than kicking the ball back to Ireland. Ireland feel sorry the quick lineout didn't come to anything so throw a forward pass to simply give the ball back to England.

[Digby]

Minute 4

It's a scrum, and it'd be easy to say nothing happens, but actually the first scrum is a big effort from both sides that ends with Owens asking for a reset, England came very close to being turned over, on another day that'll swing momentum.

There is only one attempt though in this minute

[Digby]

Minute 5

England start to push Ireland back and the scrum skews, Ireland manage to reset and then push England back on a slightly different angle. Owens pings Ireland for their angle of scrumming, given they were pushed off straight I suspect they will not love that decision.

And yet again the scrum fails, more than two minutes given over to a restart for a handling error ends in England asking for a shot at goal.

[Digby]

Minute 6

Nothing happens bar the ball falling off the tee, not knowing how on earth they calculate the 60 seconds Owens gives Farrell time.

[Digby]

Actually does anyone know how the 60 seconds rule is supposed to work for a kicker?

England take around 120 seconds from the awarding of the penalty, and around 110 seconds from the request to take a shot at goal. At what point does the 60 second countdown actually start?

[Digby]

Minute 7

Taking as little time as possible Farrell makes the 3 points, interesting he's taken the kicking duties back off the chap kicking at 100%, that's called leadership no doubt

Ireland restart kicking to Manu, this can't be a mistake, I assume they want him unavailable for the next carry?

Tuilagi carries up for a few metres outside the England 22, he's excellent into contact again

[Digby]

Minute 8

Not such a good kick from Youngs, also down the right touchline he's got George and Cokanasiga chasing, and that's not the same as May. Underhill closes fast on Kearney, but unlike the nice tackle from a few minutes back this time Underhill only flattens some grass as he hits the floor without troubling Kearney. Billy can't stop Kearney hooking the ball back to Larmour, Kearney having run across the pitch, and Ireland are moving with some purpose down their right.

Sadly there's something of a muddle from Ireland, and rather than heading back to the open side Murray gets scragged and dragged into touch.

England win the lineout, but Henderson reaches through and rips the ball back for Ireland

[Renniks]

Actually does anyone know how the 60 seconds rule is supposed to work for a kicker?

England take around 120 seconds from the awarding of the penalty, and around 110 seconds from the request to take a shot at goal. At what point does the 60 second countdown actually start?

60 seconds playing time from asking to take it.

Who knows why it regularly gets ignored

[Digby]

Minute 9

Ireland play from right to left, and Kearney floats an at best straight pass out to Stockdale. Stockdale makes his familiar chip kick ahead into the in-goal area, Stockdale can't get there ahead of the England defence but the ball sits up alarmingly for England evading all 3 players in white and allowing Larmour an easy finish.

[Digby]

Actually does anyone know how the 60 seconds rule is supposed to work for a kicker?

England take around 120 seconds from the awarding of the penalty, and around 110 seconds from the request to take a shot at goal. At what point does the 60 second countdown actually start?

60 seconds playing time from asking to take it.

Who knows why it regularly gets ignored

It's what I assumed, but this one went miles past whichever way one counts up. Frankly the points should not have been allowed

[16th man]

Minute 9

Ireland play from right to left, and Kearney floats an at best straight pass out to Stockdale. Stockdale makes his familiar chip kick ahead into the in-goal area, Stockdale can't get there ahead of the England defence but the ball sits up alarmingly for England evading all 3 players in white and allowing Larmour an easy finish.

It was a bit frustrating watching all 3 of the defenders running back in a straight line, u10s style. Surely at international level one of them should have thought to drop off a bit in case of that sort of bounce.

[Digby]

Minute 10

Ireland kick the conversion a sprightly 72 seconds after scoring the try.

[Digby]

Minute 11

England restart deep to Larmour, Ireland work the ball to their openside, unusual from Ireland, and the handling from Best is not the best. The ball does get to Kearny though to clear over the left touchline, not a great kick with a lineout short of the 10m line, but it's not easy to clear from in front of the posts. This would all have seemed much easier to simply box kick down the right, perhaps Murray doesn't want to box kick owing to a niggle, maybe they abandon that thinking when the winger is at the bottom of the ruck

England get a hand on the lineout with Kruis, very untidy, and then Sinckler and Itoje both flap at the loose ball. Then Youngs either on purpose taps the ball back along the ground toward Cokanasiga or also rather flaps at the ball and gets lucky. At the next ruck Youngs does do well, there's pressure on him and he gets the ball comfortably to Farrell who drops the ball off to Ford coming back on the inside. Ford gets dumped, and England run another one out phase with Marler.

Youngs is moving the ball quickly from the base, and the clearout work is much better than it was against Wales, some of which is down to Ireland no doubt. Also much improved is the ball presentation from England

[Digby]

Minute 10

Ireland kick the conversion a sprightly 72 seconds after scoring the try.

[Digby]

Minute 11

England restart deep to Larmour, Ireland work the ball to their openside, unusual from Ireland, and the handling from Best is not the best. The ball does get to Kearny though to clear over the left touchline, not a great kick with a lineout short of the 10m line, but it's not easy to clear from in front of the posts. This would all have seemed much easier to simply box kick down the right, perhaps Murray doesn't want to box kick owing to a niggle, maybe they abandon that thinking when the winger is at the bottom of the ruck

England get a hand on the lineout with Kruis, very untidy, and then Sinckler and Itoje both flap at the loose ball. Then Youngs either on purpose taps the ball back along the ground toward Cokanasiga or also rather flaps at the ball and gets lucky. At the next ruck Youngs does do well, there's pressure on him and he gets the ball comfortably to Farrell who drops the ball off to Ford coming back on the inside. Ford gets dumped, and England run another one out phase with Marler.

Youngs is moving the ball quickly from the base, and the clearout work is much better than it was against Wales, some of which is down to Ireland no doubt. Also much improved is the ball presentation from England

[Digby]

Puja is now an honorary Scot having sent me over here to be ignored in peace.

[Digby]

Minute 12

Youngs gets a very good box kick away, again it's Stander looking to put pressure on Youngs, the two locks are nearby, but Ireland take a very different view to Saracens on which players you resource into putting pressure on the 9.

Kearny just gets to the kick ahead of May, but loses the ball forwards. Kearney is better under the high ball than that, hopefully it doesn't encourage England too much.

I did think watching it live May was so far up he was probably offside at the kick, but actually as the camera pans out he's basically level with Sinckler who was onside, and I'd risk a small wager May can keep up with Sinckler. And to further note it's again striking how often George and Sinckler get stuck into the work when it comes to chasing up after kicks, exceptional work rate for the fat lads.

England hook the ball back from Youngs' squint feed, but not all the way to the 8's feet, nonetheless Owens is asking for the ball to be used so Billy has to reach into the scrum for the ball. A tad harsh from the ref to call use when we haven't actually got the ball out, but whatever.

Billy feeds Youngs, and Youngs is again excellent, he uses the runner on a hard line and his own run across the pitch to fix the Ireland defence and release it to the 1st receiver, Ford, who gets the ball to May, and then a combination of a hard line from Manu further holding the defence and good hands under pressure from May gets the ball to Daly, and Daly just about gets the ball away to Cokanasiga straight enough and early enough to put Joe into space.

[Digby]

Minute 13

Joe keeps running with the ball to score toward the corner, a good quick finish from the big fella. Most of the work though was the hard lines from Farrel and Tuilagi and the decision making and passing from Youngs, Ford and May.

The try was scored in the 5th second of the minute, but that's it for the minute.

[Digby]

Minute 14

Farrell having replaced the 100% kicker misses the conversion a mere 90 seconds after the try is scored. And that's it for the minute.

[Puja]

Puja is now an honorary Scot having sent me over here to be ignored in peace.

That's a horrible thing to say! And I am reading, even if you are still behind me.

Puja

[Digby]

Minute 15

Ireland kick off left again, but this time to Curry. England run the ball up out of their 22, Youngs makes the exit with a box kick, Ireland do this time add a lock to what passes for an attempted chargedown, but Youngs makes an excellent kick which is so close to the touchline Kearny chooses not to play and it's out for an Irish lineout on halfway, compared to last week when too many exit plays struggled to make the 10m line it's just a big momentum shift from getting the basic things right.

Ireland win the lineout, and England having putting up two jumpers aren't able to defend the maul awfully well, Ireland marching up the pitch as the minute ends.

[Digby]

Puja is now an honorary Scot having sent me over here to be ignored in peace.

That's a horrible thing to say! And I am reading, even if you are still behind me.

Puja

Behind you? I'm comfortable enough in my own sexuality to be stood behind a man, or do you mean in qualifying as a Scot?

[Digby]

Minute 16

Excellent work from George to shear off the front Irish players in the maul, exposing the ball carrier to Kruis and Itoje, England look to hold the ball up having stopped Ireland's momentum but Ireland do well to recover by getting the ball down.

Ireland make a decent cross field kick to the right touchline, Daly gets up well but can't control the ball coming back down into contact from Larmour, and Ireland have an attacking lineout as the ball spills into touch. Worth noting Daly could get just this kind of kick if he played left wing rather than fullback, and there's only so much you can get away with getting the ball and contact coming down from a jump.

[Puja]

Puja is now an honorary Scot having sent me over here to be ignored in peace.

That's a horrible thing to say! And I am reading, even if you are still behind me.

Puja

Behind you? I'm comfortable enough in my own sexuality to be stood behind a man, or do you mean in qualifying as a Scot?

http://www.rugbyrebels.co/board/viewtop ... f=2&t=3851

I was doing mine at 1am cause I couldn't sleep, although I only posted it this morning cause I didn't want to look like a weirdo. You know, more than I already do.

Puja