Victory for the Irish!

Waking up at half eight on a Saturday morning is not something that would happen to often. But in the end it was well worth it. Ireland and Australia was due to start at half nine which is pain. I wasn't expecting much of the Irish side as we have not be doing the best lately actually we have been just awful. Sexton missed the post from just past the half way but got another chance four minutes later to but the scores back on even terms the Lenister man got it and everything was square. Two minutes later sexton sees a chance for a drop kick and gets it making it 6-3. It was a disappointing game for sexton. Darcy was then taken off and sexton moved back and O'Gara came on. O'Gara took the next two kick nailing both. The game looked finished as Murray went in for what looked a perfect try but was called back for a penalty. The game ended with alot of pressure from the Aussie before tommy bow intercepted a pass running the pitch before being caught two meters from the wallabies line to the disappointment of the Irish fans. The game ended 15-6. Great performances from O'Driscoll Bowe O'Connell Healy and best along with other good performances. It was proud day to be Irish and will go down in Irish rugby history.   Ireland: R Kearney; T Bowe, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, K Earls; J Sexton, E Reddan; C Healy, R Best, M Ross, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell, S Ferris, S O'Brien, J Heaslip. Replacements: S Cronin, T Court, D Ryan, D Leamy, C Murray, R O'Gara, A Trimble.

Ireland's rugby world cup team named today

Declan Kidney named the Irish squad that would be travelling to New Zealand for the rugby world cup in a couple of weeks. Two high profile players Munster scrum half Tomas O'Leary and Leinster full back Luke Fitzgerald have been left from the squad. After the display of Tomas O'Leary on Saturday against France I wouldn't be surprised to have heard about doubt about him going to the world cup. Instead Eoin redden has been named as the Irish scrum half with Isaac boss and Conor Murray as back up. But being Ireland's main scrum half since peter stringer pretty much fell of the screen it came as a bit of a surprise to most people.

Luke Fitzgerald was a bit of a shock though normally a great player for Ireland and put in a fantastic performance for Ireland against France on Saturday setting up sexton for an easy try. Luke ran from close to the half way line to the try line only to be taken down a yard from the line. Fitzgerald has been plauged by injuries over the past year and was a bit of a disappointment in the six nations. But at twenty three he has plenty of time to get his chance.

Two defeats to France in a row doesn't give confidence to supports and players going into the world the come back against France to lose 22-26 with late trys from Sexton and O'Brien where the few plus points to take from the game.

The game against England is a game I feel we must win to give the team and the fans confidence that we can go far it is also the last game Ireland will play before heading to New Zealand.



IRELAND 2011 Rugby World Cup Squad:
Backs (14) -

Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster)  
Tommy Bowe (Ospreys) *
Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) *
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) *
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster) *
Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers)
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) *
Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster) *
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)


Forwards (16) -

Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Tony Buckley (Sale Sharks) *
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster) *
Sean Cronin (Leinster) *
Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster) *
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) *
Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster) *
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster) *
Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster) *
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster) *
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)