Irish player ratings vs France - 2021 Six Nations
Irish player ratings: They say forwards win rugby matches but this was maybe a case of Ireland’s backs being unable to capitalise on their pack’s dominance.
Ireland paid the price for a scrappy, directionless start and were ultimately unable to contain a clinical French side in Dublin.
A titanic encounter in Dublin! ? pic.twitter.com/0LdM24BDD8
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 14, 2021
IRELAND PLAYER RATINGS
15. HUGO KEENAN – 7
Like the caretaker at the Overlook Hotel, Keenan looks like he’s always been Ireland’s fullback. Not only is he a safe pair of hands, he seems to convert every touch of the ball into a potential attacking opportunity.
14. KEITH EARLS – 5
Spent his afternoon kick chasing and as is the depressing trend for Northern Hemisphere three-quarters, saw very little ball in attack – looked dangerous the odd time he did.
13. GARRY RINGROSE – 6
The Rolls Royce of Ireland’s backline remains a calm head, even when all around him is falling apart. Did well with nothing but dirty ball and made an impressive 68 carry metres, second only to Keenan in the Irish ranks. France marshalled Ringrose and his comrades well.
12. ROBBIE HENSHAW – 5.5
He acted as first receiver so often in the first half that you could be forgiven for thinking he was wearing the 10 jersey. Ireland’s form player was asked to shoulder too much here.
11. JAMES LOWE – 6
His ability to effortlessly hoof the ball up the field was deployed as a major defensive weapon for Ireland, his massive quads clearly a major element of project ‘Mind Billy Burns’. A huge presence on the field but started to wain in the final third and his defence is still a work-on.
10. BILLY BURNS – 5
After the headlines this week, it was perhaps unsurprising that he took time to settle, shanking a kickable 18th-minute penalty, before correcting the error a few minutes later. Ireland were too eager to shelter Burns from responsibility and it cost them any attacking direction. A few up-and-unders aside, a crisp pass in the lead-up to an early attack was all there was to judge him on, but it can’t be ignored that Ireland looked at sea in a group effort to protect him. Left for a HIA shortly after half time and didn’t return.
9. JAMISON GIBSON PARK – 5.5
Failed to control an errant ball which lost Ireland a promising attacking platform in France’s 22. At times Ireland felt like a car careening out of control, such was the lack of direction offered between Ireland’s 9 – 10 – 12 axis in the first half. A few too many missed tackles and unforced errors, but he played better off the more familiar Ross Byrne.
1. CIAN HEALY – 6
A typically solid shift from the grizzled centurion. The ageing prop remains a wall in defence and a consistent winner of collisions for the men in green, other than his brutal friendly fire incident with Henderson, which left him floored and bloodied.
2. ROB HERRING – 5
Lucky that a knock-on didn’t lead to an intercept for Gael Fickou. Deserves credit for Ireland’s setpiece dominance but needs to contribute more around the park to make a long term claim for the jersey.
3. ANDREW PORTER – 7.5
Porter’s low scrummaging technique really upset Cyril Baille, with the Leinster tighthead really going after the Frenchmen. Powerful in defence. Furlong will struggle to dislodge him.
4. TADHG BEIRNE – 6.5
Beirne and Ruddock dominated the lineout early on. The Munsterman’s ability over the ball shone again with three turnovers won but against that were three penalties conceded. Still one of Ireland’s best performers.
5. IAIN HENDERSON – 7.5
A first-minute charge down echoed Itoje’s efforts against Scotland a week before; Henderson it seemed – who had yet to lose to the French – was up for this one. Ireland matched France up-front and the Ulsterman lead from the front.
6. RHYS RUDDOCK – 6
The hulking Leinster workhorse had a point to prove coming into this one, having been overlooked by Farrell in the past. Carried competently and an ever-dependable defender.
7. JOSH VAN DER FLIER – 5
A couple of decent carries aside, it was a quiet afternoon for van der Flier, who struggled to impose himself on proceeding.
8. CJ STANDER – 7
After a sluggish start, Stander left the field with a staggering 93 metres chalked up. That figure maybe flatters to deceive, as it wasn’t quite the high watermark that he set against Wales last week.
REPLACEMENTS
16. RONAN KELLEHER – 7.5
Super-sub Kelleher blasted his way over for his first Test try moments into the game. Putting real pressure on Herring now for a starting spot.
17. ED BYRNE – 5
Has been quietly grafting away at Leinster for years. A relatively modestly sized prop, the loosehead has bulked up to 114kg and the resultant effect on his mobility doesn’t suit him.
18. TADHG FURLONG – 6
Not back to full fitness or form but it will warm Irish hearts to see him stalking the paddock.
20. WILL CONNORS – 7
Brought huge aggressive energy. A marked improvement on JVDF.
22. ROSS BYRNE – 6.5
Ireland looked better with Byrne on, even if old man Sexton’s presence is painfully missed.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
26 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
26 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
26 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
26 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
26 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments