#IRLvENG
☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️
IRELAND
GRAND SLAM CHAMPIONS 2023
#SixNations2023
#IRLvENG
☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️
As we wait for next weekends Ireland vs England at rugby :ms_rugby_ball:, even as an rival All Blacks 🇳🇿 supporter I'm lost in admiration at how Ireland 🇮🇪 and France 🇫🇷 have been playing. Simply - it's attacking, attractive rugby
Ireland have that ruthless edge of a great side, now losing only twice in 2 seasons - once to NZ at Eden Park, once to FRA in Paris ... best side since NZ in 2013-16?
England seem a side unable to cope with the changes to the game since 2019:
:ms_rugby_ball: Rapid breakdown interpretations: no need to survive the clear-out > lightening fast ball into counter-attack (big uptick in technique and skills needed)
:ms_rugby_ball: 50-22 law: opens up space out wide
:ms_rugby_ball: Increased ball-in-play time: I don't have international stats but SuperRugby in NZ/Oz is already up by an average of ~2 minutes per game vs last season which doesn't seem much, but it's a 6.5% increase & that's *huge* at elite levels. fyi
https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/35756485/super-rugby-pacific-r1-ball-play-improvement-2022