Paul O Connell leaves the battle field

Marvelous first half and a warrior goes, but with the loyal admiration of all the Irish. No scorning of their heroes among the Irish.
Couldn't see where Fofana knocked the ball forward, or where it went forward and touched any other player.

 Ireland exploits the defensive weaknesses of Michalak and Basteraud....your backs have to be secure tacklers. 

 Diud you not a few years ago praise Bastereaud and say the SA centers would have problems against him in the WC?  I believe Dave told you he is fat and slow.   Sows what you know about rugby.   
That line break of Henmshaw reminded me of another break like that in the 2007 final by Tate through the defenses of Fransie Steyn - a player you insisted must be in the 2015 WC squad.   There are many phsyical similarities between him and Bastareaud as well. 
Still think tries are not necessary in the WC and that defense is all that counts?         

Queer check your facts...in the Tait incident the ball was bobbling around and Frans overran the ball, it was nothing like the Basteraud mistake. And yes at the WC history shows a top defence trumps a top offense....France was not a top defense among  the backs.

I think Paul is a tad overrated, but he is vital to Ireland. Will be a massive loss. 
Michael, when all else is even defence counts most. That's the nature of playoff rugby. There has never been a WC champion with a leaky defence. 

 Didn't Matfield say a few years ago that O'Connell is the toughest opponent lock his faced. Which is quite a compliment considering the status Matfield had in the game.

 I don't know about that, Dan Vickerman was the only lock that stood toe-to-toe with Matfield. Those were epic battles! Paul is one of those who has to spend alot of time in the gym to maintain size. With Ireland it's mostly been a case of a smaller pack scrapping like a pack of wolves. Good mobility always made them a nuisance for us as well. 

This is absolute rubbish as per normal from the Low Life.   Some excuse or another for Fransie's most famous missed tackle was a given.   The incident involving him was not a ball bobbling along the ground was not as stated by Low Life.   The scrummies pass after a line-out was inaccurate and the ball bounced on the ground and ended up with Tait. Please note that in the case of line-outs the backline players at the very minimum had to be at least 12 to 14  meters apart and where a bounced ball would not mean that anybody overran anything and the explanation given by Low Life is so full of BS - it is crazy to even come up with an idea like the one he dreamed up. No overrun by Fransie took place - by the time Tait got the ball Farnsie was still  more than than 6 meters away from Tait.  When Tait reached Steyn the latter dived to make a tackle - but Tait went past him with the greatest of ease.
Whether the ball bounced during a pass or the ball was passed directly without bouncing on the ground is totally irrelevant.   The Henshaw missed tackles did not take place after a line out but after breakdown ball recovery.
Another lie - can you ever be trusted to write the truth at any time?             

 Once again Michael picks a battle ground that disproves his theory. Frans was immense in that game, and had the nerve to push the final nail through England. We are talking about a player who sparked our WC run. Only his seventh game at 12 in his debute season. Youngest world cup winner and one of the youngest to be at a World Cup. But the self-proclaimed rugby guru who accuses others of being one incident junkies attacks Frans in the game that displayed his character and class the most perhaps. Tait made a great play, he feigned a head on run and ducked at the last second. An act of desperation from England who were being shut out of the game. We are not talking about a player who misses most of his tackles, or lands a couple of solid hits in an entire years worth of rugby. Though you will nature try to spin it that way because you are a liar. The day you stop lying is the day you die.

 Ag Foeitog - our poor friend DF got it wrong again.  
Lets look at his statement:-
"Michael, when all else is even defence counts most. That's the nature of playoff rugby."

What all else is even - when one player is better in attacking play than others - nothing is equal.  So the rest of his statement is just another excuse for his believe that attacking play counts for nothing - defense is everything required from backline players.  .  Nobody says defence is irrelevant - it is extremely important - just like all other aspects of in this case center play is.  Steyn's defense in 2007 was leaky - he missed three tackles - yet we ended up being the champions.
Then we have the Matfield case.   O-Connell was all over Matfield in the test last year disastrously lost by the Springboks by a wide margin.  The difference is that O'Connell as a lock  always was a tight 5 player in the true sense of the word - Matfield never was.   O'Connell worked hard in the engine room - Matfield never did.          
Comparisons are odious - but then comparisons must be between equals - which unfortunately is not resent in the case of Matfield and O'Connell.  Even weight wise there is a 8 kgs dfference between O'Connell and the physically-deficient Matfield. 
Lets keep it real please.     

Fat Basteurd is a spent force

 SB
Was he ever a force?

At best, Bastareud could be a bench player coming on to provide impact, but he's no starter, he looked hideously slow, both physically and mentally.

 Frans was clearly rushing up faster than he would have to get at the bouncing ball, stopped as Tait got it and was stepped. It happened because of bouncing ball...he over committed. But given we have surfaced this old  story, tell us Queer us who tracked back and took down Mathew Tait as he was about to score?

 He did commit and dived at Tait in an effort to tackle him - but missed the tackle.  Fortunately as per normal Matfield was moonlighting in the backline and ultimately tackled Tait when the latter slowed down before getting to Monty.
So Low Life - another bit of lying fiction exposed.  

 Actually no....Matfield was in the lineout, and showed incredible athleticism tracking back and making the crucial tackle on Tait....one of the reasons he got the MOM award in the WC final. He does this kind of thing all the time, only to have your particular brand of South African fool go on about him not being stuck in the ruck when the try is scored.
But as usual you try to diminish his contribution. In fact Monty was beaten on the 22 metre line. He beat another Bok back, looks like Habana, before Victor brings him down from behind 2 metres from our line. An astounding bit of rugby skill. 
Once again lousy fabrication on your part.

 Michael doesn't understand that forwards are supposed to be a second line of support in those instances. So he will naturally attack Victor for a heroic moment on rugbys biggest stage. Classless to say the least.

 
Of course you'd regard Paul O'Connel as a tad overrated, Fox

He's not a Bull.

In your opinion Dan Carter is useless ... the greatest 10 the world has ever seen is less of a player than ... ummmm .... oh yes ... Morne Steyn.

There is no way that Brian O'Driscoll can ever compete or compare against the incredible Fat Fransie Steyn, right?

And that over rated Ricjie McCaw, who's probably the greatest rugby player of all time must surely play second fiddle to the blob and second rate Willem Alberts.

Paul O'Connell has now been added to your list. He's no match for Victor Matfield ... even at 39.

And so your stupidity goes on and on and on.

You really are an a r s e h o l e.

Biggest one this boards ever seen.

Paul O'C @ 36 is shorter than Victor and a bit heavier @ 112kg, but IMO packs a lot more brawn, but he is out injured. It is a given that older players need more time to recuperate after matches, takes longer to come back from injury and are more likely to get injured. Very risky to gamble a RWC on their availability. Ireland might pay the price, as would we if we persist in starting Victor. He is best suited for the last 20 where his xp and skills can make a huge difference when comes on fresh and rested.

 A huge improvement over their last outing. Just goes to prove your last game doesn't count for anything in the tournament format. All adds to the drama of this weekend's games.

 Ireland will prove a stern test in the Semis for Aus, they have a good team and very solid game-plan. 

Plus, in my opinion, the irish crowd created the best atmosphere thus far in the WC. Them singing 'Fields of Athenry' was awesome. 

The Bargies have an even chance of taking them.  

I could barely hear the commentary team at times. Awesome atmosphere! Must inspire their team.
Welsh singing is also inspiring, I heard them at an AB vs. Wales game in Millennium stadium years ago.