Carded: Jamie Heaslip
Ireland stand-in captain Jamie Heaslip put part of the blame for their 16-12 defeat to South Africa on himself after his charges lost at the Aviva Stadium.
Heaslip was yellow carded when the Boks were trailing 12-3 on 42 minutes, which led to the visitors continuing their good start to the half.
"We started well in the first half and built up a good lead," Heaslip said after the game.
"We came out in the second half and as captain I should lead by example, but being yellow-carded wasn't a good example.
"I put my hand up straight away when we came in afterwards. I'm a better servant on the field than off it."
Ireland's defeat was their fifth in a row in a run that mirrors their dismal spell of 1998 and also backs up their 60-0 negative to New Zealand in June.
"The last game in the summer was unacceptable. This is a step forward in terms of bringing guys through, but we're here to win matches," said head coach Declan Kidney.
"That's what we get judged on and that's what we have to do. You don't pull on the jersey to come second.
"They got better field position and then started their mauling game. They smothered the ball for long periods of time and then we didn't get fast ball when we were in the positions we wanted to be in.
"We lost the game, but four new guys won caps and they'll gain from this experience. This is a tough learning curve and we need to get something out of the match against Argentina here in a fortnight's time."
Comments
melkdave says...
@99Call
I think your missing the point,that match was so poor ,and both sides put in a terrible performance ,that Russia going on their Friday night showing,would have beaten them with some to spare
Posted 19:55 12th November 2012
99call says...
Some of the people on here obviously werent watching the same game as I did, pantreac how can you sat Zebo had a miserable game, OK hes no Rob Kearney but he caught his high balls injected some pace into the back line made his tackles what more do you want.
It very clear that youre a Munster hater from your comments on OMahony, Ryan and Zebo and that you think Toner should be in the 1st team, totally agree that OMahony didnt have a good game but Ryan was as good as anyone on the pitch as and I said Zebo gave a good account of himself, by the way before you start I am an Ulsterman so this is a geniune apprasial of players on the pitch not a provincailly bias view.
We were unlucky we could have and probably should have won the game but the SAFAs are a good side no matter how many injuries they have, we ran them close and showed that we have some real talent coming through in Henderson etc and I wonder how many Mike Bent bashers are eating their words now, the boy can scrummage and showed hes well worth his selection.
Anyway it could be worse we could be welsh that was a dismal performance by anyones standards.
Posted 09:39 12th November 2012
damo says...
Not to be harping on but look at Easter or Morgan or Read as 8s. They dont stand on the wing hoping for an overlap they run hard and fast forward through traffic like Obrien or Ferris. It needs to be pointed out to Jamie he is looking like soneone incapabke of doing his job. Two try haul vs an awful Cardiff side were both with him standing on the wing. For Kidneys Ireland the wing is a no go area as 12/13 should never be International players. Sack the manager as despite injuries Ireland didnt perform again while Sa never got going but bet us at home.
Posted 08:14 12th November 2012
damo says...
I don't blame the yellow card but the fact he has gone from a top 8 about 4 years ago to an average joe is worrying? In training he needs to practice his pace off a standing start as his pace off the back of a scrum is very poor and as such even when we scrummage well it can never be used as an attacking option. SA didn't turn up and the ref was keen to break up the game first half which suited a Kidney led Ireland as their gameplan is lacking like Arioni in the Rabodirect last year. The selection of Darcy and Earls at 12 and 13 was expected and as expected it was a bad call. Earls made a couple of 20 metre bursts when on the wing but his inability to pass the ball from left to right cost us a try for Bowe. Bowe must be getting fed up standing on the wing with 12/13's who cant make hard yards or cause an incision as he knows 100% the 12/13's like Darcy and Earls wont make ground or cause confusion in the opposition defensive line and as such the flying winger is wasted.
Zebo did very well at 15, Trimble was unusually quiet and couple of poor kicks didn't help us. Rog at 10 and $exy at 12 with Gilroy/JJ Hanrahan/Dave McSharry/Eoin Griffin at 13 would have beaten SA.
Healy/Henry/Mccarthy/Strauss/Ryan all did well but Captain fantastic needs to work harder and pay less attention to his social side of rugby!!!
Darcys games to scoring ratio for Ireland is hopeless worst international record of any I can find, Keith Wood has a far better record and he didn't play the rubbish teams Ireland have played so often in his day!!
Posted 13:22 11th November 2012
luv2h8 says...
SA are a quality outfit with huge depth. As an Ireland fan i'm not disappointed...avoiding the cliche of taking the positives but Zebo has now emerged and so has bent.
Posted 13:22 11th November 2012
pantreac says...
I was wrong in the actual score but correct in the result. It was only due to some criminal decisions against the Boks that the Ireland managed to score. I said before the match that Zebo should never have been selected, he had a miserable game. I don't think he made any ground yet received many passes in the course of the game. He cannot pass a ball, witness his blattant forward pass to Bowes which stopped Ireland's best attacking movement of the day. He never seems to hold his feet when given the ball. Unfortunately both Ryan and O'Mahoney were out of their class. We hardly won a line-out in the first half and only won line-outs in the sec half because the Boks stopped competing against Ireland's ball. Further between the two of them I gave up counting how many penalties they gave away, when will they learn that rugby is played behind the ball and a player is offside when coming in in front of the ball or playing the ball on the ground! Someone must have questioned Barnes decisions in the first half and when he started to penalise the Irish indiscretions the balance of the game changed completely.. The penalty try was was justified and after the restart the Boks had formed a rolling maul near the Irish line when the Irish illegally collapsed it, why no penalty try and another yellow card? Tell me that Barnes was not biased! Kidney hasn't resigned, why not? Will he learn from yesterday's perfornance and select the formplayers and how can he ignore the line-out talents of Toner and Touhy?
Posted 13:01 11th November 2012
stevetynant says...
Ireland just look clueless behind at the moment, the sooner they get shmitt involved the better. Healey must surely be the lions test loose head.
Posted 12:36 11th November 2012
heart_of_oak says...
Massive credit to Ireland for coming damn close. Let's not forget how many key players were injured for this game. A brilliant effort and one the Irish can be proud of in my view.
Posted 11:03 11th November 2012
norm says...
You were a handbrake on a canoe Jamie, but that doesn't make you stand out yesterday. You should never have had the armband in thevfirst place as your heart has not been in it for a couple of years now.
Apologies to zebo though. I had no faith and I will in future.
Please Irfu get the chequebook out and give the weeman an early leaving present.
Alternatively declan, your a good man and have done great things wiith Ireland. Leave now with your head high.
Posted 10:54 11th November 2012
melkdave says...
To be honest ,i didnt even miss him on the pitch,went to toilet start 2nd half came back and just didnt release he was gone till he cameback.on.That was how invisable he was the entire match .Once again he had a stellar peformance for Ireland,and was always being mentioned by the commentators NOT(sarcasim there lol)Oh for the return of SOB to play at 8,but even so there must be annother uninjurded 8 in Ireland..One thing is for sure ,those thinking he wil tour with the Lions are dreaming ,he stands as much chance as a snowball in hell.
Posted 09:54 11th November 2012
georgesmith says...
Big words by a quality player J.Heaslip. Irish just unlucky.
Posted 09:51 11th November 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
@latin. Just bigger
Posted 09:37 11th November 2012
DaveJ says...
It wasn't your fault Heaslip it's a lot deeper than that. It can all fall back on Kidneys selections, ineffective tactics and refusal to blood young talent until forced by injury when it's too late
Posted 09:29 11th November 2012
latin says...
dont blame it on yourself heaslip, the SAs are just better
Posted 08:26 11th November 2012