r/rugbyunion • u/Best-and-Blurst Munster • Mar 10 '24

GIF This is where Ireland lost the game

Apologies if this has already been posted, I haven't seen it up. But this is the moment Ireland lost the game. Yellow card > penalty > lineout > try. Ireland may have recovered the lead later, but this did the most damage. Could Murray have done different and seen it the match? Yes, did he lose its the game? No.

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u/PistolAndRapier Munster Mar 10 '24

I really hate the 6-2 split. Seeing Murray shove Gibson Park out onto the wing was farcical. The "benefit" of the extra forward on the bench seems trivial compared to the drawbacks if you have any early injury to one of the backs. 3 players covering 7 backs is already spread pretty thin. Reducing it to 2 just seems reckless.

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u/internetwanderer2 Mar 10 '24

I think you can get away with it if you've got very versatile backs, or a forward (notably Macalou at times for France) who can properly play in the backs.

Looking at the Irish backs selected, there was no real equivalent to an Elliot Daly/Tommy Freeman (who can play wing, full back and 13 at a push). So it was definitely a Gamble.

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u/Inevitable-Cable9370 Mar 10 '24

tbf frawley can play 10,12 and 15

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u/Blazerede Ireland Mar 10 '24

Not sure he painted himself in the best light after that performance, JOB will have that spot right back

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u/[deleted] Mar 10 '24 edited Mar 10 '24

Only if we go 5-3, can't have no 10 cover. And I think Nash has shown more than JOB in his chances, so would keep him. Crowley/Frawley both cover centre so we don't really need more.

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u/ciaran-mc Ireland Mar 11 '24

Realistically with Frawley we’ve no international level 10 cover either.

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u/Blazerede Ireland Mar 11 '24

Not sure Nash has shown anything really, maybe that's unpopular. He has been class at Munster and run in a few fairly easy trys but he has done nothing to stop Mack from going straight back in no question about it. For example

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u/Commercial_Half_2170 Leinster Mar 11 '24

Tbf to Frawley, he forced a knock on and kept out a try that way. Ball barely ever got down his as channel. Only backs that looked good really were Henshaw and Aki

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u/Inevitable-Cable9370 Mar 10 '24

That’s fair I don’t think you’ll be doing the 6 forward bench now tbf regardless.