agree

the whole defensive, don’t lose at any cost, play safe approach is stifling

having said that, the increasing similarities between rugby and american football and rugby league aren’t helping matters (might make similar connection between the increasingly boring spectacle of gaa and a defensive ethic allied to a game that is beginning to resemble an amalgam of handball/basketball)

probably see some better rugby this evening at the superbowl!

He was thinking ‘consistency’ in his refereeing, following the Wales tackle earlier.
The Wales player was lifted in the tackle and was brought beyond 90degrees, meaning he was driven into the ground head first, when being brought to ground.

That is a red card offence as it is extremely dangerous.

I can’t see how the two incidends can be compared to be honest. One of the feet of the player that was tackled by Ferris seem to stay on the ground.

The two tackles were completely different…

@reg, it doesnt matter about the tackled player, its the tackler who caused the offence

@ Damien,
Can you explain what you mean by different ?

i.e. not the same…. Welsh player turned the Irish player beyond the horizontal and dropped him. Ferris did not. He was not beyond horizontal and he grounded him. Not dropped. A joke of a call by Wayne Barnes.

@damien,

Yes I can see your point and have replayed both tackles numerous times.
My own view is;

The first tackle – Wales was a red, and for 2 reasons.
-it was a dangerous tackle as defined in Law 10.4j
- The tackled player was no where near the ball as it had long gone (this is really a supporting point to the one above)

The Ireland tackle was a penalty as the body was turned through 90 and driven towards the ground.
I personally wouldn’t have awarded a yellow because of extenuating circumstances ;
-as the player had one leg free and it only left the ground for a few seconds.

-In addition the tackler made an effort to go to ground himself as he tackled

However a referee makes a decision in a heartbeat on what he sees.

Oh I know. He’s still a better fit for 13 than earls but it was driving me crazy how many ppl were berating earls’ defence and comparing him negatively to McFadden when it showed today that he isn’t really any better defensively.

Underachieving in the sense I think this team should have done better in 2010 and 2011 six nations. Plus the world cup, we should have done better. And now again we lose to a weakened Wales team. Expectations are higher for this rugby team versus other sports where there is credit for simply turning up. These players are that good. The gameplan and intensity today though was not good enough. Would England accept another year of disappointment?

My point exactly,the gameplan,there was all this talk about the Leinster centres,when the two of them posed no threat when they had ball in hand..The backline for the France game has to be ROG, D’Arcy (even though he is barely hanging in there) Bowe,Trimble and Earls on the 2 wings and Kearney(who was Irelands best back today)…The backow needs serious re-adjustment,i hate to admit it but Hook was right today,yes there good indivuals and gel well with their clubs,SOB needs to be given time at 8 ,then POM or someone else in at 7,Heaslip to be dropped and given a wake up call,then maybe he will stop focusing on twitter and start playing the rugby we know he can

There may have been Leinster players in the back line, but there wasn’t a Leinster game plan… Clearly kidney told Murray and Sexton to kick the ball a lot to try and pin back Wales, but it didn’t work. Kicked it straight back to them. Why didn’t he change this tactic at half-time? I’ll tell you why. He hasn’t a clue if his plan A doesn’t work…

And starting ROG against France? They’ll steam roll through him! Do you not remember previous games against them where he was targeted as a weak defensive link and kept on running at him? Rougerie, Fafana, Picimoles, Dussatior will have a field day… ROG is a good player… an Irish hero on doubt, but against big beefy fast paced attacks he’s a liability.

Teams have been targeting ROG for over years,but it hasn’t stopped him,and when they target ROG he will have another 2 players in with him tackling,it would be the same with Sexton,and Sexton is no tackling monster either,he got run over once or twice Sunday..What we need for France is a cool head,something Sexton has yet to develop while Playing international rugby

Exactly! He needs bodyguards… Sexton doesn’t and is a very good tackler…

Well ,no,your completely wrong,no matter who was tackling in the 10 channel,2 or 3 players will be sucked in,its,and Murray saved sexton from being run at a lot Sunday ,he was basically another 10/12 in defence…Sexton will panic ROG will have to save the day if sexton starts

Just LOL!

I’m not blaming the ref, Ireland failed to close out the game and paid the price. I stand over my comment above about the the penalty and yellow card though.

Cheers Barry. I’ve added it in at the top.