The IRISH RUGBY thread

[orangeman]

I love how civilised rugby is.



Boks accuse Heaslip of gouging
Monday, 30 November 2009 15:45
South Africa have asked the match citing commisioner to investigate a claim that the finger of Ireland's Jamie Heaslip made contact with the eye area of Heinrich Brüssow during Saturday's test match.

The South Africans claim the incident happened in the first half of the Guinness November Series clash, which Ireland won by 15-10 thanks to five Jonathan Sexton penalty kicks.

The claim follows on from Schalk Burger's 8-week ban for gouging on Irish wing Luke Fitzgerald in the opening seconds of the second Lions Test this summer and is the latest instalment of 'bad blood' between the sides.

A refusal to share post-match drinks during the Lions tour, and the South Africans' failure to clap their opponents off the field on Saturday are among other recent rancourous incidents.
Match citing commisioner Douglas Hunter has noted the complaint and will investigage the incident and review video evidence, if any exists, before deciding whether to cite Heaslip.

[omagh_gael]

To be fair OM I was absolutely abhorred By kerry's refusal to clap Tyrone of the field in sept 08 and don't even get me started on the après match drinks issue, terrible terrible form altogether!

[GalwayBayBoy]

Just look at his international strike rate compared to Muliana. I mean how deluded are we in this country? He's an excellent player without an outside break in my opinion.

In fairness comparing try scoring records isn't always the best way to assess a player's worth. BOD has 38 Irish tries. Had he played for the All-Blacks he could easily have near double that.

To suggest Kearney is up amongst the best in the world in his position is hardly delusion. Even the SH rugby fans who normally don't rate anything north of the equator almost universally sing his praises. He showed on the Lions tour and Ireland's 2008 Summer tour that he can counterattack as well as anyone when given his head and even the last day he made a couple of half breaks through midfield. He maybe doesn't quite have out and out pace but he is an elusive runner and all-round excellent footballer. Plus time is on his side to get even better.

[DuffleKing]

Just look at his international strike rate compared to Muliana. I mean how deluded are we in this country? He's an excellent player without an outside break in my opinion.

That can't make you the worlds best. He's not suddenly going to get pace that he doesn't have. If he had Keith Earls pace he'd be the best because he'd be able to break the line. But he rarely ever hits the line for Ireland or Leinster. Granted he kicks better than muliana and byrne but the best fullbacks are about strike-rate and hitting the line- that what distinguises the great from the very good.

Its like people saying Ciaran mc donald was the best forward of the modern era despite having only one foot.

Strike rate is not what distinguishes a full back. Give me a aerially competent full back who tackles perfectly and has top notch positional sense every day of the week. attacking capabilities are a bonus but not preferred over defensive qualities.

It's a bit like teams that select half backs for their football ability, ignoring their inability to defend

[muppet]

Just look at his international strike rate compared to Muliana. I mean how deluded are we in this country? He's an excellent player without an outside break in my opinion.

That can't make you the worlds best. He's not suddenly going to get pace that he doesn't have. If he had Keith Earls pace he'd be the best because he'd be able to break the line. But he rarely ever hits the line for Ireland or Leinster. Granted he kicks better than muliana and byrne but the best fullbacks are about strike-rate and hitting the line- that what distinguises the great from the very good.

Its like people saying Ciaran mc donald was the best forward of the modern era despite having only one foot.

That's like saying Maradona can't be considered a great player because he had only one foot.   

[Bord na Mona man]

I was keeping an eye on Lee Byrne in the 6 nations this year and he dropped a reasonable amount of high ball for someone renowned as a catcher. Personally I'd give Kearney the slight edge over him in that department. Both players have savage kicks and are good tacklers.
Kearney seems nimbler on his feet to evade challenges.

However in attack Byrne's timing in coming into the line is uncannily good. He has the knack of coming through in a straight line and taking the ball at full tilt.

If Kearney improves his finishing, he'll be some class act. Girvan Dempsey was a great finishing full back for someone not seen as a star player.

[Hardy]

Kearney seems nimbler on his feet to evade challenges.

You can't be talking like that, BnM - speak da lingo: He has a fine outside break.

However in attack Byrne's timing in coming into the line is uncannily good.

He hits the line well?

He has the knack of coming through in a straight line and taking the ball at full tilt.

He runs good angles and purposeful lines.

Buck up your act there.

Anyway, I was wondering - with all the talk about the gaelic skills of Kearney and the others, why don't they catch the ball like footballers? Surely this should come naturally to them and would confer a huge (3 feet plus) advantage? I know it's an egg and not a ball, but the musclebound oafs (copyright Turk, I think) of Aussie Rules can manage it OK, so it shouldn't be too difficult for an evolved human being with opposable thumbs.

[brokencrossbar1]

Kearney seems nimbler on his feet to evade challenges.

You can't be talking like that, BnM - speak da lingo: He has a fine outside break.

However in attack Byrne's timing in coming into the line is uncannily good.

He hits the line well?

He has the knack of coming through in a straight line and taking the ball at full tilt.

He runs good angles and purposeful lines.

Buck up your act there.

Anyway, I was wondering - with all the talk about the gaelic skills of Kearney and the others, why don't they catch the ball like footballers? Surely this should come naturally to them and would confer a huge (3 feet plus) advantage? I know it's an egg and not a ball, but the musclebound oafs (copyright Turk, I think) of Aussie Rules can manage it OK, so it shouldn't be too difficult for an evolved human being with opposable thumbs.

Sure only Meath Rugby players would countenance doing something as mental as that

[Hardy]

Exactly - Horgan against England in Croke Park is the sort of thing I was thinking of.

[Bord na Mona man]

Kearney seems nimbler on his feet to evade challenges.

You can't be talking like that, BnM - speak da lingo: He has a fine outside break.

However in attack Byrne's timing in coming into the line is uncannily good.

He hits the line well?

He has the knack of coming through in a straight line and taking the ball at full tilt.

He runs good angles and purposeful lines.

Buck up your act there.

Anyway, I was wondering - with all the talk about the gaelic skills of Kearney and the others, why don't they catch the ball like footballers? Surely this should come naturally to them and would confer a huge (3 feet plus) advantage? I know it's an egg and not a ball, but the musclebound oafs (copyright Turk, I think) of Aussie Rules can manage it OK, so it shouldn't be too difficult for an evolved human being with opposable thumbs.

Aye,
you'd be well advised not be sniping around the fringes and offloading your jargon around here.

I presume the overhead catch is riskier to execute with an egg and leaves the player more vulnerable to getting cleaved on returning to earth. The cradle style catch allows him to jump forwards with his knees up to protect himself and juggle if needs be.

The player is then free to recycle, run lines, go through the phases, attack the gain line and whatever other buzz phrases take his fancy!

[muppet]

Exactly - Horgan against England in Croke Park is the sort of thing I was thinking of.

Horgan did it over a smaller winger.

Kearney has to land with the likes of Schalk Burger arriving at full tilt.

[brokencrossbar1]

I presume the risk of a knock forward would make it a high risk strategy as well.  It would be grand to try it in the scenario that Horgan did it but I doubt that if a ball was coming down on top of Kearney's head straight in front of the post he would risk giving away a scrum for a knock forward or spilling it to the onrushing oppostion.  Game of percentages Hardy, that's what it is!

[Dinny Breen]

One for the goys...

Tonight 9:35 RTE1

Last March Ireland ended a 61 year wait for Grand Slam glory and landed their first RBS 6 Nations. RTÉs cameras followed the drama unfolding from the low after the Autumn Internationals, to the revelations in Enfield and every second of action over the RBS 6 Nations tournament.

We hear from Paul OConnell, Brian ODriscoll, Tommy Bowe, Ronan OGara, and many more of the players on the concentration required and emotions they experienced on every step of their Grand Slam journey.

Declan Kidney and his backroom team disclose tactics and offer insight into the decisions and worries of management while Gerry Thornley and Conor OShea put this great achievement into perspective.

From the same team who made Reaching for Glory: Inside Irish Rugby 07, The Dubs and Brian Kerr documentaries Irelands Grand Slam journey 2009 offers never before seen on-field footage and reflective interviews with the Irish team & management

[Myles Na G.]

Kearney seems nimbler on his feet to evade challenges.

You can't be talking like that, BnM - speak da lingo: He has a fine outside break.

However in attack Byrne's timing in coming into the line is uncannily good.

He hits the line well?

He has the knack of coming through in a straight line and taking the ball at full tilt.

He runs good angles and purposeful lines.

Buck up your act there.

Anyway, I was wondering - with all the talk about the gaelic skills of Kearney and the others, why don't they catch the ball like footballers? Surely this should come naturally to them and would confer a huge (3 feet plus) advantage? I know it's an egg and not a ball, but the musclebound oafs (copyright Turk, I think) of Aussie Rules can manage it OK, so it shouldn't be too difficult for an evolved human being with opposable thumbs.

Aye,
you'd be well advised not be sniping around the fringes and offloading your jargon around here.

I presume the overhead catch is riskier to execute with an egg and leaves the player more vulnerable to getting cleaved on returning to earth. The cradle style catch allows him to jump forwards with his knees up to protect himself and juggle if needs be.
The player is then free to recycle, run lines, go through the phases, attack the gain line and whatever other buzz phrases take his fancy!

Spot on. If you try and take the ball like a Gaelic player, you have to jump square on to the player coming at you, which means you're a soft target as you land. Catch it cradle style and you can take it with your shoulder facing the oncoming player. Less chance of getting absolutely cleaned, less chance of knocking on.

[INDIANA]

Just look at his international strike rate compared to Muliana. I mean how deluded are we in this country? He's an excellent player without an outside break in my opinion.

That can't make you the worlds best. He's not suddenly going to get pace that he doesn't have. If he had Keith Earls pace he'd be the best because he'd be able to break the line. But he rarely ever hits the line for Ireland or Leinster. Granted he kicks better than muliana and byrne but the best fullbacks are about strike-rate and hitting the line- that what distinguises the great from the very good.

Its like people saying Ciaran mc donald was the best forward of the modern era despite having only one foot.

Strike rate is not what distinguishes a full back. Give me a aerially competent full back who tackles perfectly and has top notch positional sense every day of the week. attacking capabilities are a bonus but not preferred over defensive qualities.

It's a bit like teams that select half backs for their football ability, ignoring their inability to defend

Spoken like a true nordie Defence!

He has to seriously up his strike rate. and until he does he ain't the best in the world. A full back with no strike rate is like an attacking midfild soccer player who doesn't score goals.

Muliana has 25 tries in 78 caps- ie 1 per 3 games.

Kearney has 3 in 16 caps.

Christian Cullen had 46 in 58 caps

Geordan Murphy has 19 in 60 caps- considering EOS never started him thats a strike rate and a half. Pity about his defence.

To be the best in the world you have to tick all the boxes. ie no weaknesses. For me Muliana is well ahead of everybody.