by Brendan Cole
Radio: Listen live (Ireland only)
RTÉ Rugby: Facebook
Twitter: #rterugby
E-mail: RWC@rte.ie
INTERVIEW: Declan Kidney: Wins are what you are judged off. It was never going to be easy, especially the way they filled the midfield first half. We are a bit disappointed we didn't get the bonus point. Scrums and lineout were good but Ireland were overdependent no them and need to bring more variation into the Irish play.
INTERVIEW: Eddie O'Sullivan: Ireland were the better team but he is proud of his team who fought from minute one to minute 81, even though they took a bit of pounding. USA kept battling on and he can't speak any more highly of his team.
INTERVIEW: Brian O'Driscoll says Ireland didn't play well, turned the ball over too much and couldn't get any continuity, adding that the performance was typified by the last play. Huge roar as BOD thanks the fans and asks them to 'stick with us'.
STATS:
Ball possession 55% - USA 45%.
Territory: Ireland 70% USA 30%.
Tries: Ireland 3 – USA 1.
Conversions: Ireland 2, missed 1 – USA 1.
Penalties: Ireland 1 from 4 – USA 1 from 1.
Scrums: Ireland won 5, lost 1 – USA won 5, lost 2.
Lineouts: Ireland won 17 – USA won 11 and lost 4.
Turnovers (at ruck and maul): Ireland 1 – USA 2.
Tackles: Ireland 65, five missed – USA 101, 13 missed.
Clean line breaks: Ireland 3 – USA 0.
Handling errors: Ireland 14 – USA 5.
Penalties conceded: Ireland 9 – USA 12.
Full-time analysis:
George Hook: I am deeply saddened. This is my country, this is my national team. A disaster World Cup is happening again. The amateurs of the era that I love and adore would not have done this. This is a very sad day for Irish rugby.
Brent Pope: USA should have been beaten out the gate. Ireland will go out and perform against the USA. Never give a sucker an even break.
Conor O'Shea: Ireland should never get bored doing the simple things and should have forced home their advantages. USA are the worst pack in the competition. The USA deserved their try.
80 mins FULL-TIME And that's the end of that. Ireland have the win but not much else, dominating the US setpiece to claim the win. A good day for Tommy Bowe, who got two tries, and the Ireland tight five did their job well.
Analysis to follow.
80 mins TRY! IRELAND 22-10 USA And the try is scored, but it is a try for the USA. Running the ball from off the top ball, Emerick picks off Gordon D'Arcy's pass and races in under the sticks from halfway and they get the conversion too.
78 mins The maul is set again off O'Connell's take but the US disrupt this one. O'Gara puts a chip up for Earls but it does not bounce for him and the US get a 22 as Joubert decides they did not carry it over.
The 22 is booted long to Trimble who returns it long. And running the ball back, Ngwenya is tackled into touch on the US 10m line.
10 seconds left.
77 mins Ireland get the ball again and win another penalty - not rolling away - which O'Gara kicks up to inside the USA 22m line.
76 mins A penalty is given straight away as Moeakiola goes down. Second scrum is also dominant from Ireland but it flies out the side and Clever grabs it. Suniula completes the escape, clearing to up near the USA 10m line.
Best scores:
75 mins Ireland set up a maul and start driving at the line. A penalty advantage is soon given as Ireland almost make it to the US line.
Suddenly, there is a minor schmozzle as Stephen Ferris gets involved in a row. But it fizzles out and Ireland decide to scrum from 6m out.
73 mins Ireland drive forward through the scrum and get the penalty, which O'Gara punts to touch inside the USA 22. Can Ireland get a bonus point try?
72 mins The US lineout off that penalty is good but the back drop the ball attempting a switch. Ireland scrum on halfway.
70 mins Ireland attack but errors cost them ground. First, Reddan passes behind his men and the ball goes to deck. Some big hits from the US rock Ireland and Flannery then fails to clear a ruck over Ferris and is penalised. Penalty USA.
69 mins A messy scrum wheels 90 degrees and pops out the back. Ireland get the put in. Leamy is packing down at seven.
68 mins Ireland set up a maul from that lineout but sub prop Moeakiola gets through the Irish maul and blocks the ball from coming out. Scrum USA is called.
67 mins USA win that scrum under pressure and sub scrum-half Danahy kicks to touch.
STATS:
Ball possession 52% - USA 48%.
Ball possession last ten minutes: Ireland 45% - USA 55%
Territory: Ireland 64% - USA 36%
Territory last ten minutes: Ireland 68% - USA 32%
66 mins O'Connell almost gets this one but the US get it down on the deck and Petrie clears with a box kick. Bowe can't catch - was he hit in the air? - and Ireland then go wide, to where Brian O'Driscoll's attempted pass inside slips to the deck. USA scrum.
Trimble is on for Ireland with Earls moving to full-back and Murphy coming off.
65 mins Paul O'Connell disrupts that US lineout and Donncha O'Callaghan grabs the loose ball. After a couple of phases, O'Gara takes the ball and clips a lovely kick into the corner. USA lineout 8m from their own line.
64 mins Joubert pings Court for going to ground. Penalty USA and Suniula clears to near the USA 10m line. Tony Buckley is in now, with Court going off.
63 mins Flannery's first throw is good and Ireland set up a good maul before Flannery breaks from the back. But the ball slips out the back of the ruck as he sets it up and Joubert ends a very messy breakdown by giving a scrum to the US.
Time for Arnie to step up again. Moeakiola is on in the US front row.
61 mins Flannery and Leamy are on now for Ireland.
STAT Ireland have won three lineouts against the throw (USA have won zero).
USA have gained control of the ball from the restart but Ireland get it back at the ruck for a not releasing call, O'Callaghan involved in that one. O'Gara punts up to the USA 10m line.
60 mins TRY! Ireland 22-3 USA Another try for Ireland! Brian O'Driscoll and Tommy Bowe link up in the middle after turning the ball over at the US lineout.
The ball was moved to O'Gara, who took it on the run and fed D'Arcy. Bowe arrived behind the main line of backs and took D'Arcy's pass, broke the gainline and fed O'Driscoll, who passed it back inside to the Osprey.
Super try and O'Gara converts.
59 mins Good restart sequence from Ireland. Reddan box kicks, Earls gets under it and catches and it is then moved right to O'Driscoll who kicks a low bouncing ball to touch near the 22m line.
58 mins O'Gara misses that kick by a fair bit from out on the wing, pushing it across the posts.
Tommy Bowe scores:
57 mins TRY! Ireland 15-3 USA The maul is set up off another O'Connell take and Ireland drive it forward after initially being shoved back. Best then takes it down the wing and Clever and Ngwenya both slip off the tackle and let him in for a try in the corner!
55 mins O'Gara's restart is good, bouncing in the US 22. And Ireland keep the pressure on, forcing a weak clearance by Suniula. Ireland lineout 10m from the US line.
54 mins PENALTY: Ireland 10-3 USA And the wing Paterson knocks that kick over to close the gap to seven.
53 mins That is the end of Murray's involvement. He and Sexton go off as the US opt to kick that penalty to the corner.
They win the lineout try some pick and goes. Very slow, and Ireland's defence is good. But the US gradually build the pressure and Ireland start to lose yards. They then win a penalty against Donncha O'Callaghan for not rolling away.
Twitter:
RTE Rugby analyst Frankie Sheahan: Twenty mins very shaky start for Ireland in particular some of the backs, very wet there #RWC2011 #rugby.
Selene Alford: 20 mins very shaky start for Ireland in particular some of the backs, very wet there #RWC2011 #rugby
STATS:
Ball possession 56% - USA 44%.
Ball possession last ten minutes: Ireland 72% - USA 27%
Territory: Ireland 68% - USA 32%
Territory last ten minutes: Ireland 92% - USA 8
50 mins USA win the ball and move it Emerick, who is tackled by D'Arcy. They then kick high and Bowe takes well. Sexton then kicks long, as he slips, and Blaine Scully gets it and counters strongly. Conor Murray then gives up a penalty for not releasing the tackled player.
48 mins And Sexton again misses left and the US have another 22 metre dropout. O'Connell takes that and sets it up. Keith Earls then gets it up but is wrapped up. Sexton tries a dummy in midfield as Ireland go wide but the attacking is very lateral until a Ferris pick and go gets Ireland 10m.
But a strong counter ruck gives the US the ball on their own 22m line and they then get a penalty on their 22. And they clear to halfway.
44 mins Ireland go to Heaslip and off the top ball is moved to Ferris, who is hit by Clever. Clever is then pinged for not rolling away and Sexton will have another shot from the US 10m line.
42 mins Sexton has missed this one and the US run it out. They kcik to Murray who feeds Sexton and he chips to the corner. Not a great one as Scully catches but his kick is equally bad and is only to near the US 10m line.
41 mins USA win that lineout but a knock on in midfield gives Ireland a scrum on the US 10m line. The scrum has been Ireland's saving grace so far and it yields more with a penalty given for a collapse.
Sexton will have shot and the conditions have improved.
40 mins Eoin Reddan, Ronan O'Gara and Andrew Trimble were the only men warming up at halftime.
Suniula starts the half with a long kick and it is quickly punted back up the halfway line. US lineout there.
Analysis: Conor O'Shea is underwhelmed and Brent Pope reckons the US are the worst team at the tournament.
George Hook says: "The USA pack is dreadful. Tom Court is like Arnold Schwarzenagger against the USA scrum. It is a dreadful Ireland performance. A shambles!"
40 mins TRY! Ireland 10-0 USA And Ireland blast through the US scrum. Heaslip picks and feeds Sexton who opts to go himself instead of feeding O'Driscoll. He is tackled by Scully and Ireland go into phase attack.
D'Arcy and Bowe are both tackled as they run at the US. And then a backline move just about comes off to put Bowe in under the posts.
Ferris fed Sexton, who flipped it back inside to the trailing Bowe and despite a near fumble he raced in for the score to give Ireland a healthy lead after a very tough half. Sexton converts.
37 mins The US manage to win the lineout and after more scrapping at the breakdown, Petrie kicks it downfield. Ireland lineout 15m from the USA 22 metre line.
Heaslip wins it and from off the top ball, Ferris almost breaks clean through but is just hauled down. At the ruck, an Irish hand knocks it on. Scrum USA.
36 mins Ireland disrupt the lineout again and Ferris carries it into the US half. Heaslip then breaks forward but without support goes down. Murray goes next and Ireland are keeping it tight and relying on their contact play.
But then, Sexton opts to loft a high kick for Bowe in the corner. He chases gamely but the kick is a little too long and he can't get to it as it goes straight out. USA lineout just outside the USA 22.
Dr Anthony Buckley on Twitter: Three tackles missed by O'Driscoll, team is not on form, a better team would have us punished by now #rwc2011 #irlVusa
33 mins USA overthrow the lineout and it finds Shane Jennings boot and he kicks up to halfway. Ireland win the ruck there but Conor Murray throws a speculative pass into touch to give the US another letoff.
Possession: USA 48/52 Ireland.
Handling errors: USA 2 Ireland 8
32 mins USA clear and win scrappy ball from the lineout. They look unsure what to do until Petrie puts up a box kick behind Murphy. Under no pressure, Murphy drops the ball into touch.
US lineout on the Irish 22 and the crowd is going crazy for them.
31 mins Huge scrum from Ireland but USA get it out through Nick Johnson at the base, and then Tom Court gives up a penalty for offside. Chance for a good clearance.
30 mins Ireland win the lineout again and Heaslip gets his hands on the ball and rushes forward. Sexton and D'Arcy try a switch off the next ruck. Ireland are getting hit hard but they make ground.
And a series of shovelled offloads eventually give them a chance on the wing, but D'Arcy attempt at a reverse flick for Murphy is too hard and it goes forward.
Petrie clears - long enough for the ref to say advantage over. And Ireland get back for another go at the line, Ferris leading the charge. But the ball goes to ground again, before Keith Earls gets over the line. And the ref calls it back for the knock on.
27 mins Ireland go off the top from O'Connell this time, launching Ferris up the middle but Clever tackles him well. Sexton then kicks downfield. Blaine Scully is there and he clears long to the halfway line.
25 mins O'Connell claims again. A fourth take and the maul is set. But the US drive it to the touchline and Best decides to take it on. Murray then kicks for Bowe but the ball ends up in touch for an Irish lineout.
24 mins USA win the lineout and after one hit at the Irish centre, grubber the ball into touch in the Irish 22.
STUFF:
Infostrada Live: Brian O'Driscoll becomes the first Ireland player to play at four Rugby World Cups. His 14 RWC matches are also an Irish record. #RWC2011
Justin Flitter, Analytics and Insights for Social Media: There are some phenomenal social media stats building around the #rwc2011 but it's still only contributing to 0.001% of @Twitter traffic.
Freely Speaking on Twitter: Dear America, in 1 hour you will play Ireland in the #RWC2011. Unfortunately you don't wear safety pads so you guys aren't very good.
23 mins USA win the scrum on the retreat and Ngwenya has a run but is caught. Emerick then spins out of an O'Driscoll tackle and rushes forward but D'Arcy saves his captain's blushes. USA keep attacking but end up losing metres and Suniula kicks in behind Earls from halfway.
Earls turns and gathers and feeds Murphy, who clears to halfway.
22 mins Ireland get their hands on that 22 dropout after good work by Jennings, but Murray's pass to D'Arcy hits the deck and is knocked on. Scrum USA.
"We're OK lads" says Donncha O'Callaghan.
21 mins O'Connell takes his third of the day but Murray's kick is charged down and the US are quickly on the attack!
It goes to US out-half Suniula and he feeds Clever. Suniula wraps round and tries a grubber, which is blocked but Best gets on it. However, he does so from an offside position and it is a penalty to the US.
But with wind swirling, Suniula pushes his kick too far right. Ireland 22.
20 mins USA have run a tidy sequence there, winnning their lineout, crashing a couple of runners at the Irish defence before Petrie kicked to the corner. Lineout Ireland, 15m from their own line.
18 mins Ireland got up into the US half from the kick-off but gave away a penalty at a ruck and Blaine Scullly has kicked up to the Irish 10m line from that.
STUFF: Graham Love on Twitter: #rwc #rterugby Right, time to put some respect back into Irish rugby & purge the devils of France 2007!
Whiff of Cordite, the Rugby Nerd’s Blog, on Twitter: Excellent defence from the States. Ireland need to be a bit smarter.
Whiff of Cordite on Twitter: Jonny. Dan. Quade. Sexton. Even the Pumas. Lots of missed shots at goal from the best within their range. New Gilbert balls? #RWC2011
Meghan Mutrie: Jonny. Dan. Quade. Sexton. Even the Pumas. Lots of missed shots at goal from the best within their range. New Gilbert balls? #RWC2011
Mike McCarthy: Is the ball not spiralling from place kicks? that could be the problem.
16 mins PENALTY Ireland 3-0 USA Sexton has knocked it over from dead in front of the posts.
15 mins Ireland set a maul again, with Best controlling at the bakck. Murray then takes the ball on and is grabbed but Clever gives away a penalty as he tries to get the turnover.
Sexton will have his easiest kick at goal yet.
14 mins USA win that one at two. An elaborate passing play in midfield doesnot quite work out. Emerick has another go at O'Driscoll on the wing but the USA commit an offence at the resultant ruck and Sexton kicks up the line and to the US 10m line.
Is the ball causing a problem for kickers?
13 mins Bowe has dropped the 22 and knocked it on as well. Scrum USA on halfway. USA win their scrum and move it Emerick, who barrels through O'Driscoll and makes 10 metres.
Clever takes the next ball and a chip for Ngwenya then almost sees him get in with O'Driscoll outpaced down the wing but it bounces into touch. Ireland win the lineout and Murray kicks up to touch near halfway.
STUFF: Cian Healy posted this snap from the stands in New Plymouth: http://yfrog.com/mgpeghj
Ben Dirs of the BBC is in Wellington for the Wales v South Africa match, he writes on Twitter: Shocking weather in Wellington, just what the Welsh boys would have preferred not to see.
STATS: Ireland have scored 80 tries in the RWC prior to today’s match against the USA.
10 mins And he misses again - push to the right.
9 mins But Blaine Scully did not find touch, and Geordan Murphy runs it back to near halfway. Ireland move it right to Ferris and then get another offside call. Sexton will have a shot from the US 10m line and central position.
Teeming rain now in Yarrow.
8 mins Ireland win the lineout but can't maul it and pick and go for a few phases. But when they go wide a huge tackle from Ngwenya on O'Driscoll saves the US. Ireland try a chip over the top through Murray next but are offside and US clear.
7 mins Earls was stunned for a few minutes their after a clash of heads - well, head to jaw - with Shane Jennings. But he will play on.
Ireland win the lineout and set a maul which the USA collapse after givin up 10 yards. Ireland opt to kick the corner with lots of momentum in their favour.
6 mins Keith Earls made a nice break through the middle and into the US 22 but his attempted pass was disrupted and went to ground, and a US player managed a long clearance.
D'Arcy tidies it up and sets up. Ireland move it across the line to O'Driscoll and he kicks a long grubber into the US 22. A US clearance reaches their 22.
4 mins Sexton misses it USA 22.
3 mins An error at the lineout hands Ireland a scrum, just as a large black cloud nears the stadium. The first two scrums have had to be reset by referee Craig Joubert.
A huge drive from Ireland at the scrum as the US retreated and it is a penalty for Ireland. That was a savage scrum and Ireland will have a shot at goal from about 35m and the right of the posts.
1 min Sexton gets it underway and Jamie Heaslip takes the return box-kick very well. Sexton then kicks crossfield for Bowe and he can't quite it but does enough to disrupt the US catchers. USA lineout on their own 10m line.
0703 Ireland looked to have good intensity during the warm-up and conditions are perfect despite a series of downpours in New Zealand today.
0702 Teams:
Ireland: 15 Geordan Murphy, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O'Driscoll, 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Shane Jennings, 6 Stephen Ferris, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Rory Best, 1 Tom Court.
Replacements: 16 Jerry Flannery, 17 Tony Buckley, 18 Donnacha Ryan, 19 Denis Leamy, 20 Eoin Reddan, 21 Ronan O'Gara, 22 Andrew Trimble.
USA Team: B Scully; T Ngwenya, P Emerick, A Suniula, J Paterson; R Suniula, M Petri; M MacDonald, P Thiel, S Pittman, J van der Giessen, H Smith, L Stanfill, T Clever (capt), N Johnson.
Replacements: C Biller, M Moeakiola, S LaValla, P Danahy, T Usasz, N Malifa, C Hawley.
0700 The teams have come on to the field and lined up for a minutes silence prior to kick-off to commemorate 9/11.
The anthems follow - Ireland first, and the the USA players put their hands on their hearts and turn to face their flag for The Star Spangled Stadium. Lots of emotion on their faces, and Todd Clever looks ready to give something special in particular.
Kick-off next.
0657 Some pre-match facts for you:
The USA won the gold medal in Olympic rugby in 1920 and 1924, however, men’s rugby then stagnated and failed to grow. Only in the 1960s and 1970s did the sport begin to grow again.
USA Rugby was founded in 1975 and joined the IRB in 1987.
Former England captain and scrum-half Nigel Melville was named CEO and president of operations of USA Rugby in 2006.
Former Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan is USA head coach and Matt Sherman is the current backs coach. There is a documentary covering the 135 years of American rugby entitled: A Giant Awakens: The Rise of American Rugby.
0655 "This match is over now, before it even starts!" says George Hook. Conor O'Shea also predicts a landslide win for Ireland. Brent Pope reckons it will be much tougher than that.
0650 George Hook says that the word in the USA is that Eddie O'Sullivan has been over-training the team, getting them out on the pitch twice a day. He adds that Eddie is making exactly the same mistake as he did with Ireland in France in 2007 and does not expect a big performance.
0645 Declan Kidney and Eddie O'Sullivan speak to Hugh Cahill.
The weather is poor in New Zealand. Kidkey He says is always important for an Irish team to be intelligent.
Eddie O'Sullivan says that his team are fired up. The trick is containing our emotions with a late kick-off.
He adds that the key is to do the simple things well. Hold on to the ball, make tackles and win set pieces. Stay in touch and be competitive until the last quarter of the game.
0643 Key battle could well be the back-row, which has been decisive in two games so far.
Jamie Heaslip is usually Ireland’s most effective breakdown forward but Shane Jennings has a chance to prove he can make a contribution to protecting Ireland’s ball. This is Stephen Ferris' best chance to establish the global reputation his talent deserves.
Ireland will need to match the fearsome Australian unit - particularly the ferocious David Pocock - next week.
0639 The TV show is underway (click the screen above to watch - RoI only).
George Hook says that the main problem for the USA is at number 10, adding that have lacked a good out-half since Mike Hercus quit. US will also have trouble in the scrum. Eddie O'Sullivan has made a monumental selection mistake, he adds. He'll tell us more later.
We can see shots of the Ireland squad arriving off the bus. It is cold and wet in New Zealand - a challenge for scrum-half Conor Murray.
0620 Australia have sealed the win over Italy (32-6). Italy made 104 tackles to Australia's 70, and the Aussies also dominated the territory.
The sides went in level at 6-6 at half-time. But an excellent performance from Wallaby openside David Pocock helped Australia fight off the Italians in the opening 50 minutes, and the quality of Ioane, Ashley-Cooper and O'Connor shone through once the Australians got on top up front.
0610 TV coverage begins at 0630 this morning. Tom McGurk with George Hook, Brent Pope and Conor O'Shea are in studio with 30 minutes of in depth analysis before kick-off.
You can also listen live on RTÉ Radio from 0645, where Damien O'Meara has lined up a host of stats to digest with your breakfast. They include the fact that Ireland have the heaviest forward (Tony Buckley 137kg), the two most capped players in the tournament (Ronan O'Gara and Brian O'Driscoll) and the squad with the highest average age. Many others are promised.......
Michael Corcoran will be commentating live from New Zealand with RTÉ.ie analyst Kurt McQuilkin alongside.
0600 Predictions for Ireland v USA have been coming in all night long on the RTÉ Rugby Facebook page.
Expectations range from a very tight Ireland win to a blowout 70 plus victory. Nobody has predicted a USA win yet.
Ioane has added another try for Australia - that is their bonus point. A perfect start for them.
0545 Good morning and welcome to the Ireland v USA tracker. We'll be building up to the big match all morning.
Ireland's pool rivals Australia and Italy were engaged in a dogfight in the opening match of Pool C but Australia to forged clear in the last few minutes.
The Wallabies have went ahead through a Ben Alexander try after Digby Ioane's break put Australia on the attack inside the Italian 22.
Adam Ashley-Cooper and James O'Connor have followed up with further five-pointers. O'Connor has put over two of the three conversions and they are 25-6 up with 20 minutes to go.
