Irish eyes: smiling or tears?

[SerjeantWildgoose]

Well to be fair, you shut the roof two years ago and still swamped the pitch with sprinklers before hand. This way we can blame Providence for fecking up our fast handed, flowing game instead of having to resort to that tired old bollocks of blaming Gatland (Himself, incidentally, a tired old bollocks).

I was there two years ago and I'm told it was shyte, but I had tried to drink Kiwi's dry so can only rely on reports. I was in Sarajevo feeding drink into a Welsh corporal from the Int Cell when you won it in 2005 and that was great. I was in Monrovia feeding drink into myself in 2009 when we won it - that was even greater.

Really have mixed feelings about tomorrow. I want to see Ireland win and think we might, but there's a fecking huge chunk of me that wants you to win the Slam.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Smiling or tears? There'll be no way to know in all this rain.

Feel sorry for the fans getting drenched. Wind predicted to reach 41mph around 5pm. Nice.

Normally it's a no brainer for the opponents to want the roof open, but in this weather I think it shows a lack of confidence, wanting the conditions to drag everyone's level down.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Well to be fair, you shut the roof two years ago and still swamped the pitch with sprinklers before hand. This way we can blame Providence for fecking up our fast handed, flowing game instead of having to resort to that tired old bollocks of blaming Gatland (Himself, incidentally, a tired old bollocks).

Really have mixed feelings about tomorrow. I want to see Ireland win and think we might, but there's a fecking huge chunk of me that wants you to win the Slam.

The sprinklers thing is a pretty weak excuse from Schmidt. Surely in dry conditions every home team waters the pitch so as to suit their game. And wet grass isn't the same as playing in the rain (let alone a gale).

Re mixed feelings, just repeat: If you win, you give the championship to England. If you win, you give the championship to England. If you win, you give the championship to England.
Ireland's duty is clear at this time.

[Buggaluggs]

If the pitch becomes a bog, it will come down to which team is better equipped to trot on it

[Sourdust]

Normally it's a no brainer for the opponents to want the roof open, but in this weather I think it shows a lack of confidence, wanting the conditions to drag everyone's level down.

The flipside of having no control over our own stadium, is how the opponent's decision can be spun.

In the psychology of any match build-up, it's always useful to be able to cast the other guy as being better-off. "They chose to have the roof open" puts a little extra pressure on visitors, while ensuring column inches about how they will play, rather than Wales. If they choose "closed", you can point to their "arrogance" in apparently assuming that a purer, faster game will suit them. If they opt for "open", then clearly they feel inferior and are looking for a "leveller". Gatland will get his usual moan about Ferraris in but I suspect he wouldn't want this any other way.

[SerjeantWildgoose]

If the pitch becomes a bog, it will come down to which team is better equipped to trot on it

It’ll only become a bog if the rain leeks in.

[SerjeantWildgoose]

Re mixed feelings, just repeat: If you win, you give the championship to England. If you win, you give the championship to England. If you win, you give the championship to England.
Ireland's duty is clear at this time.

I say again: Scotland by 3.

[Buggaluggs]

You can't take that chance. We'll make it up to you.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Re mixed feelings, just repeat: If you win, you give the championship to England. If you win, you give the championship to England. If you win, you give the championship to England.
Ireland's duty is clear at this time.

I say again: Scotland by 3.

I'll drink to that.

(But not as much as you've been drinking)

[Son of Mathonwy]

Forecast is improving marginally. Still expecting rain throughout the match, heavy for the second half, but the wind prediction has reduced to an average 22mph "fresh breeze".

[normanski]

Forecast is improving marginally. Still expecting rain throughout the match, heavy for the second half, but the wind prediction has reduced to an average 22mph "fresh breeze".

That’s good news for the game and fans.

Getting very nervous now; can’t wait for kickoff.

[bruce]

Well, happy enough with the first half. Not getting carried away just yet.

[Buggaluggs]

Has a team ever come back from 16-0 down at half time to win in the 6Ns?

[morepork]

Sexton and Murray just look constantly frustrated and angry.

[Sandydragon]

Cracking start. I expect a different Irish side to emerge after the break, but we have been putting them under all sorts of pressure.

I really hope we don’t try to shut up shop.

[Buggaluggs]

Sexton and Murray just look constantly frustrated and angry.

[morepork]

They look broken. A back line of slow pale dudes with no spark.

[bruce]

Gareth Davies is a feckin liability

[bruce]

Could even afford a pity try at the end.

[Buggaluggs]

We held them to zero for 80 mins!

[morepork]

A solid "fuck you till you love me" rogering. Well done.

[Sandydragon]

That’ll do nicely! Lovely performance in crap weather.

Up yours to the world press who have done this team down.

[BBD]

Well done and congratulations Wales.
Great performance, energetic and aggressive defence, clinical with your opportunities and spoiling absolutely everything we created before we ever got it going
Enjoy your evening lads

[normanski]

OMG! That was close!

[Spiffy]

That was a thumping and a half. Ireland not at the races. Top performance by Wales and congrats on the Grand Slam.