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And here we are for Game Two of Day Two of Rugby World Cup 2015, Ireland vs Canada. Tristan Barclay, who is on the spot, sets the scene: "Saturday's clash is what the Rugby World Cup pool stage is all about - the giants of Ireland facing the minnows of Canada. The Irish will rightfully expect to win the encounter at the Millennium Stadium by a wide margin, placed as they are 12 spots above the North Americans in the World Rugby rankings. In fact, the last Test between the two nations ended a thoroughly lopsided 55-0 to the men in green. Ireland's biggest enemy, therefore, will be complacency. Defeat in Cardiff will ruin their credentials as World Cup dark horses." And here he is in the stadium:
. A pair of self-titled anthems there. Here we go!
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| 1 |
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Sexton kicks off for Ireland and we are off!
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| 2 |
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First scrum and Canada's pack are concertinaed by the Irish, who then swing the ball from left to right. Ireland, btw, are playing in their usual green and Canada are in red, and ireland are playing left to right.
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| 4 |
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Canada hold well and Sexton kicks for position. Canadian full back Evans picks up and boots clear. From the lineout Ireland look to attack but fumble.
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| 6 |
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Canada's Hirayama senses a break but it is snuffed out and Canada turn the ball over.
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| 7 |
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Peculiarly the average age of Canada's starting XV is 29 years and 164 days - the oldest they have ever fielded at the tournament and yet eight of the side are making their Rugby World Cup debuts.
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| 8 |
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Canada have a penalty as Ireland's Heaslip is penalised for not rolling away. Canada are going to have a crack at this one from inside their own half...
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| 9 |
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McRorie's penalty is just short and wide, but not a bad effort. The roof is closed (on a lovely sunny day) so big kicks are possible. Still 0-0.
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| 10 |
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Sexton finds touch deep, deep into Canadian territory for Ireland's first real sight of the endzone. The Canadian throw is awry and ireland have a scrum.
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| 12 |
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The Irish pack more through the phases, the Canadians tackle hard, Ireland now have an advantage and go for the chip to the wing but it's too long and Ireland will have an opportunity for 3-points in front of the posts...
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| 13 |
0 - 3 |
Simple enough for Sexton. 3-0
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| 14 |
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Evans and Sexton are booting it backwards and forwards from deep in their own halves as the Irish and Canadians probe. Until finally Canada are caught a bit lead-footed. Ireland now have the ball in the Canadian 22 and threaten. Murray is held up over the line and from the folliowing ruck Cudmore illegally flicks the ball away and is yellow-carded. Canada down to 14 men for 10 minutes. And now they are 8-0 down as ireland score a pushover try.
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| 17 |
0 - 8 |
O'Brien - try
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| 18 |
0 - 10 |
Ireland's pack too strong for Canada there and O'Brien is awarded the try.
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| 19 |
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Sexton kicks the conversion and it's 10-0.
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| 20 |
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After the closely contested tussle of the minnows earlier, this might end up being a procession.
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| 22 |
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There's not much going on at the moment, but the RefCam is giving us a lovely view of Barkwill's Big Beard.
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| 23 |
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Smooth hands from the Irish get the ball out the way to Earls, and then another mini-break and Ireland over the line, but has O'Connell been held up by that man Barkwill and there will be no try?
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| 24 |
0 - 15 |
TMO time as they look at that tackle over and over again. There is no way that can be seen by any of the sundry TV angles. Scrum five yards out, Irish put-in, short-handed Canada hanging on. The Irish pick and drive and Henderson scores. TRY!
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| 25 |
0 - 17 |
That was efficient by Ireland. Henderson drove off the back of the scrum and was too close to stop. Sexton converts. 17-0.
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| 26 |
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This is all too easy. Ireland have a bit of passing practice in midfield and then a kick to the corner puts Canada under pressure. More passing practice and Sexton is in the corner for a TRY! TMO time, of course...
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| 27 |
0 - 22 |
The try stands. This game has been taken away from the Canadians during the 10 minutes that their captain has been in the sin-bin.
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| 28 |
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Sexton misses the conversion which is annoying mainly because he's in my ESPN Fantasy Rugby team. How is your team doing? Have you signed up? If you haven't do so now! HERE!
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| 32 |
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Canada are back to 15 men. But they are also 22-0 down.
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| 33 |
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Sexton is taking the mickey now - a cross-field kick pass to Jared Payne on his own line. Payne takes the kick but ireland can't quite break away.
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| 34 |
0 - 27 |
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| 35 |
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TRY! Too easy. Simple passing move, Kearney touches down and Ireland are 27-0 ahead. And they already have their 4-try bonus point. GAME OVER. And still another half to come.
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| 36 |
0 - 29 |
Sexton converts. A good day to have him in your fantasy side.
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| 37 |
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More passing practice for Ireland and then a little dink through by Fitzgerald threatens to carve open Canada again, but they are halted this time.
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| 40 |
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STOP PRESS! Canada are in the Irish 22!!!
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| 40+1 |
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The Canadians batter and batter with their pack under the posts and there's a slap pass and a TRY! TRY? TMO time...
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| 40+2 |
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That was a clver little slap pass by Hirayama but did it go forward as he pirouetted? DISALLOWED! That's a pity. It was a marginal call and I think looked more forward than it actually was due to the way his body moved.
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| 40+3 |
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Half-time: Ireland 29-0 Canada.
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| 40+4 |
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Half-time competition: How many points will Ireland score in total? Share your predictions with @Busfield via Twitter.
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| 40+5 |
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| 40+6 |
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| 40+7 |
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Tristan's thoughts from the Millennium stadium: "The scoreline will surprise no one, but Canada deserve some credit for coming out fighting in the opening exchanges of that first half. They refused to hoof the ball away or camp down in the forwards, with fly-half Nathan Hirayama showing a willingness to chuck the ball around in the loose. His late knock on was a blot on the copybook, denying the Canucks what would have been a hard-fought try. Losing skipper Jamie Cudmore to a yellow card so early on probably accelerated the cricket score coming their way, but it must be said that Ireland have looked classy even against such weak opposition. Johnny Sexton has been cycling through his repertoire of skills and a mouthwatering exchange with Sean O'Brien led the Irish stand-off to score a deserved try. Things could get uglier for Canada once a little more fatigue sets in."
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| 40+8 |
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| 40+9 |
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| 40 |
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And we're off again and it's now Ireland who are down to 14 men as O'Connell gets sent to the sin bin for a very strange bit of play as he tried to steal from a way offside position.
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| 43 |
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Can Canada fill their boots while O'Connell is off the field? Can the Canucks even score?
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| 44 |
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Canada made a bunch of half-time changes. They are more up for this second half than Ireland. Canada playing for pride. Ireland with half-an-eye already on the next game.
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| 45 |
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The ball is being thrown around with a certain abandon and not much particular shape. Beginning to think that Tom May's half-time prediction might not have been that generous to Canada. Ireland's foot off the gas.
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| 46 |
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| 50 |
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Sexton has clearly been practising his cross-field kicking and tries another that almost comes off. I don't think any opposition should be surprised by this tactic later in the tournament.
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| 51 |
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Still 29-0, so maybe Sian or Jimmy have the best predicitons.
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| 52 |
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Sexton's boot is putting Canada on the backfoot and although they win the lineout they then lose the ball in the loose and Ireland are threatening to add to their tally. Rory Best is about to get over the tryline but is halted by a very committed challenge by Jebb Sinclair.
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| 53 |
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Sexton is going off! Can I change him in my Fantasy team mid-game?
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| 55 |
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So now Irish fly-half sub Madigan tries the cross-field kick. Just a little too high
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| 57 |
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Despite the lack of second half points this game is going just as Ireland would have wanted. Points pretty much in the bag, a chance to give some reserves a run out, pressure on France later today to do the business against Italy (I'm taking my family to that one!)
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| 59 |
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We have the Mexican wave. Is this the first of the tournament? Can't blame the fans for making their own entertainment here - not much tension, lots of subs, and Hirayama trying forlornly to get Canada on the scoreboard.
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| 60 |
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Look at all these substitutions.
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| 62 |
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Canada flowing nicely and making some territorial gains and a little chip through leads to a TRY! NO! Offside.
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| 63 |
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Sinclair loses the points he scored because he was the man offside. The game has gone back for an earlier infringement which had given Canada the advantage. Gamely Canada keep going forward. Can they muscle their way over for some points?
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| 64 |
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No.
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| 65 |
0 - 34 |
Still 29-0. Still a bit of a practise match. Canada now defending again as Madigan boots into the corner. The Irish now drive for the line...
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| 66 |
0 - 36 |
TRY! Cronin barges over for another Irish score.
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| 67 |
5 - 36 |
36-0
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| 68 |
7 - 36 |
Canada score! Breakaway try for van der Merwe!
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| 69 |
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An attempted chip over van der Merwe deep in Canada's half instead goes straight into the winger's hands and he charges the length of the field for the try. 36-7 and the crowd are pleased for the Canucks.
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| 71 |
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Canada have come alive and are flicking the ball around in the Irish 22. But Ireland breakaway and it's a Kearney breakaway.... TRY!
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| 72 |
7 - 41 |
Rob Kearney scores under the post after a length of the fields run by Earls, who cut out the chasing defenders with the pass inside to the full-back, following up.
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| 73 |
7 - 43 |
Madigan - conversion
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| 74 |
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| 75 |
7 - 48 |
And then Madigan breaks through and Payne scores under the posts. TRY! 48-7
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| 76 |
7 - 50 |
Not even a need for a TMO on that one.
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| 77 |
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Canada looking for one more shot at redemption. All a bit messy in the middle. Never mind, lads. You did at least score.
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| 78 |
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Sexton is declared Man Of The Match.
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| 79 |
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There's a scrum collapsing in the middle of the field. This might well be the end of the game. Not before another crossfield kick by Madigan to kearney. Another phase or two and Ireland are within a couple of yards. Henderson grabs the TRY!
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| 80+1 |
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TMO time. Again. Looks like there might have been a knock on in the forward phase before the score. Or did it go backwards? Knock on. NO TRY.
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| 80+2 |
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But they go back for an earlier penalty. Scrum near the posts. The ball goes wide but no score. And the whistle blows. 50-7 is the final score.
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| 80+3 |
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The Mystic Meg prediction award goes to...
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| 80+4 |
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...our video host Sian Welby
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| 80+5 |
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Tristan's full-time analysis: "The scoreline will show a thumping victory for Ireland, but in truth Canada deserve a 10 out of 10 for effort. The Canucks came out steaming for the second half, clearly fired up by whatever coach Kieran Crowley had to say at half-time. They lasted 26 minutes without conceding and honestly looked the hungrier side until Sean Cronin broke their hearts with a shunt between the posts. Irish experience and fitness no doubt told in the final 10 minutes when the men in green ramped up the scoring, but they will head back to their hotel knowing they were in a proper Test match today. This was no gimme - Canada made them work for it. "
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| 80+6 |
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And now we have South Africa vs Japan - live!
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