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What Ireland camp made of Scotland win over Romania
Ireland’s coaching staff insist Scotland’s ruthless Rugby World Cup win over Romania has not impacted their side’s mindset.
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Gregor Townsend’s men were expected to ease to a bonus-point victory on Saturday evening in Lille and duly delivered to set up a Pool B shoot-out in Paris next weekend.
Andy Farrell’s squad enjoyed a team meal in the centre of their base city of Tours before tuning in to watch their rivals run in 12 tries in a 84-0 success.
Ireland have won 12 of the past 13 meetings with the Scots over the past decade and, depending on bonus points accumulated, can progress to the quarter-finals even if they suffer defeat in the French capital.
Speaking of Scotland’s display, performance coach Ciaran Ruddock said: “Certainly they played really well and they’re a very good side.
“It’s something we’ve been focusing on for more than just the result last night.
Head-to-Head
Last 5 Meetings
Wins
5
Draws
0
Wins
0
Average Points scored
26
13
First try wins
80%
Home team wins
60%
“It’s the next step and we’ve been building towards it but they did play very well.
“We didn’t all watch it together. Everyone watched it but a few of us watched it in different parts of the room or with different people.”
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Ireland have all 33 members of their squad available for the pivotal Stade de France showdown, with number eight Jack Conan in contention to return from a two-month injury absence.
Former Ireland Under-20s player Ruddock, brother of ex-Test international Rhys Ruddock, praised the application of players but is aware the good fortune can end at any time.
“Look, with all of this stuff, there is an element of luck to it,” he said. “There always is.
“Likewise, where there are injuries, you look at it and always try to figure out why these things happen.
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“Sometimes there is luck, sometimes there are things that could have been done differently. That can always change next week.
“I think there has been a lot of really good work from everybody, from rugby coaches, S and C (strength and conditioning) department, medical, nutrition, mental performance, the wider support team – and obviously most importantly, the players.
“I feel like the guys have really applied themselves all pre-season, the attitude that they’ve brought in, which is always incredible, has continued.
“We’re in a good place but we’re still focusing on continuing to develop and get better as a team.
“We keep kind of chasing that potential now and that’s what we’re really focusing on doing.”
Flanker Peter O’Mahony could win his 100th Ireland cap against Scotland.
Ruddock, who was captained by the Munster skipper during his Under-20 days, said: “That would be amazing for Peter.
“He’s an incredible leader, he’s a great bloke and he’s worked incredibly hard over his whole career to be where he is. He deserves every bit of it.
“I remember playing with him for the first time and I was incredibly impressed with him, some of the things he could do, some of those one-handed line-out takes.
“At the time, I don’t know what he weighed but he didn’t weigh nearly what he weighs now.
“He was 18 years of age and I couldn’t get over how much of a punch he packed for a guy his size.
“It will be incredible to see if he does do it and he deserves all the success he’s got to this point.”
Comments on RugbyPass
We need a system of transfer fees. A club shouldn’t just get to sign Will Harrison when he’s been funded in NSW his entire rugby life because they have more money.
73 Go to commentsThat the pain experienced by SH clubs poached mercilessly by NH friends being now felt by the non-elite NH clubs delivers me an element of schadenfreude but if it expands the amount of poachees and opens the eyes of those new to the group then it serves a purpose. In my pessimistic (realistic?) moments I see Oz clubs in the future acting solely as feeders for France and Japan. It’s a real possibility without change
73 Go to commentswhy is this garbage rival sport that’s poaching rugby talents being promoted on a rugby website backed by world rugby again?
3 Go to comments“Ou Lem” leading that ‘98 team to a 13-3 victory was the stuff of legend! Especially since we hadn’t beaten them for many years. 10/12/13 combo of Honiball, Pieter Muller & Andre Snyman were tough as nails! I remember screaming my head off in the early hours of the morning & my brother hitting a hole through one of the bedroom doors🤭😂
1 Go to commentsWhatever about 2017 - it's seven years ago and irrelevant now. In 2021 New Zealand needed a numerical advantage for 75% of the game and what was then the largest home advantage crowd in the history of the sport in order to just _barely_ beat England.
3 Go to commentsBoth cards were harsh. Yet again highlighting rugby's inconsistencies and the absurd effect of cards
2 Go to commentsExcellent game management in the last 15 or so minutes to close it out. Aussie got a bit panicky.
2 Go to commentsWhile all this is going on… I’ve been thinking more about the NFL draft system and how to make the commercial elements of the game more sustainable for SA teams who precariously live on the fringe of these developments. SA teams play in Europe now, and are welcome, because there’s a novelty to it. SA certainly doesn’t bring the bucks (like a Japan would to SR) but they bring eyes to it. But if they don’t perform (because they don’t have the money like the big clubs) - it’s easy come easy go… I think there is an element of strategic drafting going on in SA. Where the best players (assets) are sort of distributed amongst the major teams. It’s why we’re seeing Moodie at the Bulls for example and not at his homegrown Western Province. 20-30 years ago, it was all about playing for your province of birth. That has clearly changed in the modern era. Maybe Moodie couldn’t stay in the cape because at the time the Stormers were broke? Or had too many good players to fit him in? Kistchoff’s sabbatical to Ireland and back had financial benefits. Now they can afford him again (I would guess). What I am getting at is - I think SA Rugby needs to have a very strong strategy around how teams equitably share good youth players out of the youth structures. That is SA’s strong point - a good supply of good players out of our schools and varsities. It doesn’t need to be the spectacle we see out of the states, but a system where SA teams and SA rugby decide on where to draft youth, how to fund this and how to make it that it were possible for a team like the Cheetahs (for example) to end up with a team of young stars and win! This is the investment and thinking that needs to be happening at grassroots to sustain the monster meanwhile being created at the top.
73 Go to commentsGreat win - but very poor officiating yet again. Even the Aussie commentators slammed the YC decisions.
1 Go to commentsThe game where it felt like RSA was going to lose the most was the England game in my view. Heart in throat after the Farrell drop-goal…Amazing that the boks overcame 3 times in a row…not likely to be repeated ever in my view Also the boys looked emotionally spent in the England game in the 1st half That said, why was World Rugby and Beaumont allowed to stack the pools in England’s favour? Toughest opponents on that side of the draw were Fiji, Argentina (implode central) and Auckland Girls 2nd team
54 Go to commentsOnline trolls - the only ppl who the Crusaders can beat
2 Go to commentsDefinitely some greater nous by the Walleroos and it will take a bit of time for Jo Yapp to have a lasting affect. Canada are a forward dominated physical team and only the top 3 teams can match them, though not so sure about BF’s forwards. Many of Canada’s forwards earn their living in the English PWR, the breeding ground for the Red Roses amazing strength in depth. The next PAC4 matches will be interesting.
1 Go to commentsIs the Club World Cup and the World League, in combination, going to make or break world Rugby? I personally think it’s too much. Established tournaments and competitions’s significance is going to be drowned out by “the new shiney Mall built just down the street”.
73 Go to commentsLoved Carr‘s post match interview. “No, I don’t think so Jean. But thank you.” Good kid. Louw a certain feature for the Boks this year.
1 Go to comments“Where is the challenge to Leinster, Toulouse and La Rochelle likely to come from in future?” Racing 92 ? This has not been a good season for them this year, but they have a very strong squad……players like Woki, Nyakane, Kolisi, Le Roux, Lauret(these two older now), Le Garrec, Fickou, Tuisova, Arundell. With the addition next year of Owen Farrell, that is some firepower to mount a serious challenge ? And with Stuart Lancaster having a year under his belt, things should go better. Northampton will be a year wiser, more streetwise too. And I would expect one or two of the South African sides to mount a more serious challenge, but that would depend on keeping more players at home
73 Go to commentsWow, have to go but can’t leave without saying these thoughts. And carlos might jump in here, but going through the repercussions I had the thought that sole nation representatives would see this tournament as a huge boon. The prestige alone by provide a huge incentive for nations like Argentina to place a fully international club side into one of these tournaments (namely Super Rugby). I don’t know about the money side but if a team like the Jaguares was on the fence about returning I could see this entry as deciding the deal (at least for make up of that side with its eligibility criteria etc). Same goes for Fiji, and the Drua, if there can be found money to invest in bringing more internationals into the side. It’s great work from those involved in European rugby to sacrifice their finals, or more accurately, to open there finals upto 8 other world teams. It creates a great niche and can be used by other parties to add further improvements to the game. Huge change from the way things in the past have stalled. I did not even know that about the French game. Can we not then, for all the posters out there that don’t want to follow NZ and make the game more aerobic, now make a clear decision around with more injuries occur the more tired an athlete is? If France doesn’t have less injuries, then that puts paid to that complaint, and we just need to find out if it is actually more dangerous having ‘bigger’ athletes or not. How long have they had this rule?
73 Go to commentsHaha he does the exact opposite of what you’d expect any receiver to do, Brilliant!
3 Go to commentswell the favourites dont always win and let scott robertson chose his number 8
4 Go to commentsthats great for cam miller and the highlanders the crusaders have got problems within there systems that were proberly covered up astheywere winning when scott robertson was in charge
2 Go to commentsThe last time Plumtree coached the sharks they sucked the same when with the hurricanes now back with the shark Springboro. They still have no game plan
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