The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Walter Cronc]

D'Arcy a bit more upbeat than what we've read recently regarding Irish rugby.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/gordon-d-arcy-ireland-s-next-main-influence-will-emerge-during-this-six-nations-1.2511626

[AZOffaly]

Earls staying. Himself and Murray signed up today. Either our rugby journalists are piss poor or they are being fed lies by agents. Anyway delighted he will still be in Red next year.

[Walter Cronc]

Great news! Perhaps a ploy to get a better deal from the IRFU??

[AZOffaly]

Like ROG going to the Miami Dolphins.

[Walter Cronc]

Like ROG going to the Miami Dolphins.

Haha that was a classic. If I was 3rd or 4th choice 10 at an Irish province I'd be giving the NFL a rattle!

[deiseach]

Earls staying. Himself and Murray signed up today. Either our rugby journalists are piss poor or they are being fed lies by agents. Anyway delighted he will still be in Red next year.

[AZOffaly]

Lo and behold, the googles trial expands into Ireland. Well done IRFU.

[AZOffaly]

Earls staying. Himself and Murray signed up today. Either our rugby journalists are piss poor or they are being fed lies by agents. Anyway delighted he will still be in Red next year.

In the next installment, Zebo is staying. Seriously the journalists must just be thinking they are being led around by the nose.

[Walter Cronc]

Great to hear Zebo staying on.

Perhaps Foley will be gone at the end of the season?

[AZOffaly]

Maybe so. I like Foley, but I think that has to happen.

[Walter Cronc]

Yeah I think he has a role to play in the set up somewhere - even forwards coach/Academy. Just not suited to being top man and the pressures it brings.

[deiseach]

In the next installment, Zebo is staying. Seriously the journalists must just be thinking they are being led around by the nose.

Journalists - the horse you can take to water knowing it will always drink.

[Dinny Breen]

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/anthony-foley-builds-dossier-as-bad-calls-cost-munster-379082.html

I think Foley offers nothing as a coach and I hope he goes overseas and learns, and his constant whinging about referees like above is just grating.

[AZOffaly]

He's dead right. We'd be top of the league, and a number 1 seed in the European Cup if the Referees weren't all bastards.


Seriously though, the standard of refereeing is cack, but this sort of nonsense by him is only going to feed the paranoia. We'll be baying for blood at the next Thomond Park game I wonder will he present a dossier of 'facts' like Rafa and Louis Van Gaal did?

[Dinny Breen]

He's dead right. We'd be top of the league, and a number 1 seed in the European Cup if the Referees weren't all b**tards.


Seriously though, the standard of refereeing is cack, but this sort of nonsense by him is only going to feed the paranoia. We'll be baying for blood at the next Thomond Park game I wonder will he present a dossier of 'facts' like Rafa and Louis Van Gaal did?

It's just poor leadership, it's an ability to accept that the referee is an uncontrollable. The laws in rugby are a framework they are open to interpretation and no two refs will ever give the same interpretation and consistency in decisions is hard to find game to game. Munster are a team that always play on the edge of the laws, they are masters of gamesmanship, their fans love this, they take honour in being quiet for a goal-kicker but scream like lunatics when a garryown goes up. Foley to me doesn't empower his players ala Kidney, this results in lack of on-field leadership which doesn't help with referees and poor decision making. Both are problems that Munster are experiencing and I don't think they will be resolved until Foley goes.

If an Overseas coached failed to qualify out the group stages in two successive years would he still be in place. Munsters haven't won anything in 5 years, Foley is the one constant in that.