Well, fancy meeting youz here.
We’re all getting slowly pumped for Ireland’s second Rugby World Cup fixture, but still have one eye on Irishman Aj MacGinty in action for USA v Scotland.
Whether you’re at Wembley, further afield, or stuck at home watching TV3 like the rest of us, be sure to let us know your pre-match predictions and your thoughts during the game. Comment below, join us on Facebook or tweet us @Rugby_ie.
In case you’re interested. Scotland reduced their arrears straight after the break with a try from Tim Visser.
After 45 minutes, the US lead 13 – 11.
This just in from London, the travelling fans have turned the Irishness up to 11.
Scotland snapped in to gear in the second half and ran out 39 – 16 winners over the Yanks. Here’s the match report.
Here’s a reminder of how Ireland have lined up for today.
Joe Schmidt has decided not to run his traditional second-choice out-half and has given Ian Madigan some much needed game time at number 10 instead of Paddy Jackson.
Tommy Bowe is on the wing and can hopefully strike form and put a really bad day out at Twickenham behind him.
Remarkably, it’s Ireland’s oldest ever Rugby World Cup team, here’s hoping they make the experience count.
Ireland
15. Simon Zebo
14. Tommy Bowe
13. Jared Payne
12. Darren Cave
11. Keith Earls
10. Ian Madigan
9. Eoin Reddan
1. Cian Healy
2. Richardt Strauss
3. Nathan White
4. Donnacha Ryan
5. Devin Toner
6. Jordi Murphy
7. Chris Henry
8. Jamie Heaslip (captain)
Replacements:
16. Sean Cronin
17. Jack McGrath
18. Tadhg Furlong
19. Paul O’Connell
20. Sean O’Brien
21. Conor Murray
22. Paddy Jackson
23. Rob Kearney
Romania
15. Catalin Fercu
14. Adrian Apostol
13. Paula Kinikinilau
12. Csaba Gal
11. Ionut Botezatu
10. Michael Wiringi
9. Valentin Calafeteanu
1. Andrei Ursache
2. Andrei Radoi
3. Paulica Ion
4. Valentin Poparlan
5. Ovidiu Tonita
6. Viorel Lucaci
7. Mihai Macovei (captain)
8. Daniel Carpo
Replacements:
16. Otar Turashvili
17. Mihaita Lazar
18. Alexandru Tarus
19. Johannes van Heerden
20. Stelian Burcea
21. Florin Surugiu
22. Florin Ionita
23. Florin Vlaicu
Referee: Craig Joubert (SRU).
The teams are out, Wembley is on its feet and about half of Ireland’s squad are singing Ireland’s Call.
And we’re off
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Keith Earls takes the kick-off and after a phase of hard carries, Ireland look to go wide with Zebo in the Sexton playmaking role rather than Madigan.
OFFLOAD Klaxon. Jared Payne popped up a beaut after he broke through on an inside line from Bowe’s pass.
3 mins: A really powerful set of phases took Ireland 50 metres up field, but Bowe knocks on five metres out and Romania hack clear.
5 mins: Ireland’s second set of phases isn’t half as impressive as the first. Another break down in handling. But we’re soon invited back into the Romania half with a tidy kick from T Bowe.
Romania get their hands on the ball for the first time. The possession of Ireland made them reluctant to kick away and they end up running in to trouble.
PENALTY! Ireland 3 Romania 0 (Madigan ’7)
That’s why Madigan’s in the team. He’s an excellent goal-kicker and makes no mistake.
Craig Joubert pings Jared Payne for not rolling away. He looked like he was doing his best though. Romania can pull level here.
PENALTY! Ireland 3 Romania 3 (Calafeteanu ’10)
Excellent strike from the scrum-half, bent it in with a right to left curl from the left touchline.
Oof. Ian Madigan has his kicked charge down after Ireland fail to run it over halfway.
Ireland get pushed back in to their 22, but manage to turnover and break through with a quick pass from Henry…
14 MINS: Wow. Excellent skill from Simon Zebo, knocking the ball past the last defender and collecting the ball before crashing in to the corner.
We’re with the TMO.
No try. The Corkman just couldn’t spring off his foot quick enough and is done for being in touch at the instant he regathered the ball.
Brilliant invention though.
17 mins: There’s the first notable CIan Healy carry. Great to see him trucking it up again, but the two tacklers stopped him gaining any ground.
Joubert sounds like he’s getting stern with Romania. After Ireland’s latest attack breaks down we go back for a choice of penalties.
PENALTY! Ireland 6 Romania 3 (Madigan ’6)
Keith Earls is having a stormer. He gathers in the air and sends Ireland away again. The green shirts have Romania stretched and the long pass comes out to Tommy Bowe who comes up with an excellent finish.
TRY! Ireland 11 Romania 3 (Bowe ’19)
Terrific try from Ireland sweeping effortlessly from left to right after Earls claimed the box kick. Madigan adds the extras.
Ireland 13 Romania 3
23 mins: Romania try to truck it up again and on the eighth phase Ireland slow the ball to a crawl and Joubert pings the eastern Europeans for hanging on in the tackle.
We’re back to halfway.
Our tamed scrum analyst is missing something from the contest so far…
26 mins: No Scrum, but a big long maul from Ireland replicating what South Africa were let away with yesterday.
Romania go in from the side and Ireland go for the penalty, but the next maul malfunctions and Romania kick clear to 30 metres.
Romania flirt with disaster. Madigan hits a speculative kick in behind and it bounces horribly for the fullback. Payne and Bowe give chase and wrap up the last man, but he struggles long enough to give a platform for a clearing box kick.
TRY! Ireland 18 Romania 3 (Earls ’28)
Keith Earls shows his electric pace on the finish, but it’s Simon Zebo who made the score with a gorgeous long pass along the 22.
The fullback is taking over some out-half responsibility today and he has been excellent. Madigan misses the conversion.
34 mins: Ireland pack down for the first scrum with a 19 kg advantage over their opponents.
35 mins: Eoin Reddan having a quietly effective game. A nice variety of passing from the base of the ruck, varying the threat Romania have to deal with by picking new runners.
36 mins: Ireland go back to the corner off a penalty and AGAIN Romania pull a Wales and defend the maul brilliantly to force the penalty.
Off the back of another scrum Ireland kick wide for Bowe and he shows brilliant basketball skills to claim and feed Zebo. Again though, we contrive to break it all down with a knock-on.
Half-time: Ireland 18 Romania 3
The second half is kick-started by a kick-off catch by the rampaging Devin Toner.
He gallops all the way up to the 22, but Chris Henry makes his first mis-step of the day and is pinged for taking a defender by the neck at ruck time.
BOOM! Cian Healy picks up the pill after a turnover an unleashes A MONSTER kick down field. That shows what he’s been working on during his five months without contact training.
TRY! Ireland 23 Romania 3 (Earls ‘ 43)
Made in Limerick. Reddan sneaks around the blindside of Ireland’s maul, takes a quick look up and slides a grubber through the defence and Earls gobbles up the chance.
Madigan hits the extras too.
Ireland 25 Romania 3
45 mins: Now, Ireland are one score away from making this a five-point win. Can the 15 on the field get it sorted without the bench?
Cian Healy still looking slower off the mark than the prop we all know and love. But he’s getting through the minutes and that’s all that matters for now.
Just as I say that, the loosehead is pinged at the breakdown for not rolling away.
Even worse news, Keith Earls is down and it looks like he’ll go and take some concussion protocols.
50 mins There’s a big cheer from the crowd as the tannoy announces a new Rugby World Cup record attendance.
Rob Kearney comes in for Earls while that cheer is ringing around and Paddy Jackson will soon come in at 10.
52 mins: Ah, excellent chase and block down from Kearney to force a line-out five metres out.
He’s a great man to add some urgency into a game that could easily become pedestrian.
Jack McGrath is in the game, so Cian Healy’s day ends after 53 minutes – bit by bit, he’s coming back.
54 mins: Ach no. Ireland get a decent maul platform in the middle of the field, but Madigan opts to run himself in search of the gap and only finds trouble.
Heaslip ends up conceding the penalty and Romania are off the hook. Decisions need to be better now approaching the fourth quarter.
59 mins: Another poor intervention. Madigan is on the back on the back foot, but his kick is a big cross-filed hoof that makes five yards and gives the line-out to Romania.
Paddy Jackson will steer the ship home from here. The Ulsterman replaces his provincial team-mate Payne which means Cave will shift to outside centre with Madigan moved to 12.
59 mins: Awful timing in the tackle as Ionita ploughs in to Jackson as he rises to claim a high ball in midfield.
Somehow, they need to go to the TMO to rule it a penalty.
Sean Cronin and O’Brien are in the game now. SOB is in at number eight with Heaslip withdrawn. Exciting.
61 mins Ireland attempt a power play off the line-out with big consecutive carries from Madigan and then Cave. The latter makes the break and comes very close to grounding the ball against the post.
Csaba Gal plays the scrum-half under the posts and gets a SIN BIN.
Ireland struggled to re set the base once Reddan was roped in.
TRY! Ireland 30 Romania 3 (Bowe ‘ 61)
That’s better from Ireland’s back-line. Jackson and Reddan combine for a Sexton loop with the scrum-half handling twice before putting Bowe in for his second and Ireland’s fourth.
Madigan adds the conversion
Ireland 32 Romania 3
Job done? Not with Paul O’Connell coming off the bench fresh as a daisy.
TRY! Ireland 37 Romania 3 (Kearney ’65)
Beautiful pass of the left from Jackson to kick-start that move. Zebo makes the break out left and he unselfishly pops it back in to Rob Kearney who crashes over.
He limps away in celebration. Hopefully that knee is ok.
Ireland 37 Romania 3
Here comes Ireland’s 23rd of 23 players today. Conor Murray replaces Rob Kearney. So we have three scrum-halves in the back-line now.
73 min: Darren Cave, unsurprisingly, has been a different man since moving to outside centre.
He makes a good break in midfield and advances to the 22, before Romania give away a penalty.
TRY! Ireland 42 Romania 3 (Henry ’74)
With Paulie on the field, the green machine get their maul together and skate over the line with Chad at the back to get a deserved score. He’s been excellent today as usual. Perhaps the best forward on the park.
Ireland 44 Romania 3
TRY! Ireland 44 Romania 8 (Tonita ’77)
The big lock goes under the posts. Paddy Jackson found himself mismatched against the 110kg man and Paul O’Connell watches on as his direct opponent touches down.
Ireland 44 Romania 10
Ireland set an intent maul. And Reddan peels off and attempts to slip Bowe through on that trademark line of his. He’s held up though.
No hat-trick for Bowe, but a bonus point for Ireland. 10/10 before we go for the decisive matches in the pool.
FULL-TIME: Ireland 44 Romania 10
