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'He's gutted, Bundee. He is good mates with Billy as well'

Bundee Aki walks off after his latest red card /Getty

Andy Farrell has claimed he will need to review the video footage further before definitively having an opinion on whether referee Mathieu Raynal was correct in his decision to red card Bundee Aki in the 64th minute of Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations win by Ireland over England in Dublin.

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Red-carded at the World Cup for Ireland against Samoa 17 months previously for a high tackle, Aki found himself in a similar sort of bother when he tackled Billy Vunipola in the second half at Aviva Stadium.

Ireland were comfortably leading 26-6 when they suffered their second red card of this Six Nations campaign, Peter O’Mahony having been red-carded and banned for three weeks for his elbow to the head of Tomas Francis in the round one loss to Wales.

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Former Ireland and Lions back-rower Stephen Ferris guests the latest RugbyPass All Access

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Former Ireland and Lions back-rower Stephen Ferris guests the latest RugbyPass All Access

Despite ‘losing’ the closing 16 minutes of play by 12-6, with England grabbing a pair of consolation tries, Ireland comfortably held on to their lead without having Aki in the midfield.

Asked for his take on the red card decision, Farrell said: “It’s a tough one. I have just been speaking with the referee who was asking my thoughts and obviously I will analyze it properly to have a good look at it.

“It’s tough, isn’t it? The rules are the rules but at the same time, it is very tough. I’ll look at it again but Billy seemed to be on a downward motion certainly with his head, but if there is any contact they are stringent with that at this moment of time.

“He’s gutted, Bundee. He is good mates with Billy as well. He is in the tunnel making sure they are still friends which they definitely are.”

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England arrived into the 2021 Six Nations with their coach Eddie Jones claiming he wanted 20 of his players chosen by Warren Gatland for the upcoming Lions series versus South Africa. That bloated number will now be revised downwards with Ireland’s potential representation likely to enjoy a generous spike.

“100 per cent,” beamed Farrell. “Warren came in during the week and watched our training session. It was a great tonic for us. There were a lot of good individual performances at the start of the competition and some lads have just carried that on. Some lads are dead certain to get on the plane and I have no doubt there will be one or two more headaches after this game.”

Under pressure last month following the worst start to a championship by Ireland since 1998, Farrell rebounded with three wins on the bounce to put them in second place before next Friday’s final fixture featuring France versus Scotland.

It has left the coach with a pep in his step that was difficult to foresee following the early-round losses to Wales and France. “To win any last game in the tournament is always pleasing because it is a long time between drinks until the next one.

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“To finish off with a W is pleasing but I’m just delighted for the lads. They have come in for a bit of stick, we have lost a couple of games, but the lads have always believed in how they are progressing and they always felt a performance like that in them. There is still a lot to work on but I’m so pleased for them. They got over the line with a nice victory against a very good side.

“The lads really believe they are making good strides and attack is always the one that gets put under the most pressure. It’s always the last piece of the jigsaw and I’m delighted they went through so many phases and held onto the ball and broke them down.

“I thought Jack Conan was very good. He has not started an international for quite some time, but he was just himself and it was pretty fitting that he finished that try off.”

Switching to the opening Ireland try, a peach of a lineout move that sent Keith Earls through the England cover, Farrell added: “It’s something that we have worked on all week. You are always trying to find a way to, first of all, win the lineout cleanly and, secondly, how you can manipulate a defence on the back of that.

“We worked all week and we practised it hard on Friday with our timing with Keith Earls. I thought Jack Conan was outstanding too to deliver the ball because Tom Curry had read it very well. That was very pleasing. And I actually thought if Keith Earls’ second try had stood (early in the second half), that would have been pretty special.”

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J
JPM 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 1 hour ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

12 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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TRENDING Four Ireland talking points as Aki axed and two rookies make bench Four Ireland talking points as Aki axed and two rookies make bench
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