The IRISH RUGBY thread

[deiseach]

I agree that on the face of it he'd make a good captain, but very few out halves are made captain. I can't remember the last time any of the big 5 in the North and the big 3 in the south had an out half as their long term captain (although I may be forgetting an obvious one). For a position where leadership is often a common characteristic, they seem to be made captains rarely enough.

I can't think of many offhand either. Michael Lynagh is one, although he only got the job after Nick Farr-Jones had retired. Perhaps because an outhalf has a licence to be spontaneous it doesn't sit well with the idea of a sober, sensible captain. Any captain who tried the stunt O'Gara attempted against Scotland wouldn't be captain for long!

[Walter Cronc]

Gerry Thornleys take on Sunday...

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2013/0226/1224330517913.html

Conor O'Shea now favourite to replace Kidney...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/feb/25/conor-oshea-ireland-declan-kidney

[trileacman]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/feb/26/six-nations-oshea-ireland-job


Doesn't want it. Need to stop thinking of Ireland as a primo job. I think Schmidt will hold out for a Southern Hempishere job, don't think he would touch Ireland, keen to get back to his own NZ too.

I'd say Michael Bradley could end up with the job or else some ex Ulster-man. O'Shea (kinda) and Schmidt especially are overqualified for a mid-ranking international job.

[Premier Emperor]

Those Leinster players should have the skill and execution to be capable of beating Scotland.

The golden era of Irish rugby was when it was backboned by Munster players.
More recently Leinster and now Ulster are supplying the bulk of them team and they have gone to sh1te.

[johnneycool]

Those Leinster players should have the skill and execution to be capable of beating Scotland.

The golden era of Irish rugby was when it was backboned by Munster players.
More recently Leinster and now Ulster are supplying the bulk of them team and they have gone to sh1te.

Yep, Oh how Tipps finest son, Denis Leamy is missed, hands like feet that man!

[Declan]

Had a chuckle at this:

Ross O'Carroll-Kelly ‏@RossOCK
A new low. I was telling children on the way out of 'Alone It Stands' at the Olympia last night: "It didn't happen. It's just made up."

[Premier Emperor]

Those Leinster players should have the skill and execution to be capable of beating Scotland.

The golden era of Irish rugby was when it was backboned by Munster players.
More recently Leinster and now Ulster are supplying the bulk of them team and they have gone to sh1te.

Yep, Oh how Tipps finest son, Denis Leamy is missed, hands like feet that man!

He'd do much better than Jamie Feetslip at the moment.

[Walter Cronc]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/feb/26/six-nations-oshea-ireland-job


Doesn't want it. Need to stop thinking of Ireland as a primo job. I think Schmidt will hold out for a Southern Hempishere job, don't think he would touch Ireland, keen to get back to his own NZ too.

I'd say Michael Bradley could end up with the job or else some ex Ulster-man. O'Shea (kinda) and Schmidt especially are overqualified for a mid-ranking international job.

Agree about Schmidt but not necessarily on O'Shea. You can see from the way Conor talks on RTE, that he is passionate about his country doing well. If you feel that he has he sights on a 'bigger job', namely England then he is going to have to wait a few years as Lancaster could be around for a while!!

[johnneycool]

Would the Irish job pay better than the Harlequins gig he has at the minute?

O'Shea is shrewd and knows Ireland will be rebuilding for another few years and he may wait until then to work with talented but more mature players when Gilroy, Zebo etc get a few more international games under their belts.

[Walter Cronc]

I feel it would be just too big an opportunity to turn down. With his experience from being head at the RFU Academy I feel he could be best suited! Sometimes there is less pressure during a rebuilding phase than when these players hit their peak!

[Dinny Breen]

Those Leinster players should have the skill and execution to be capable of beating Scotland.

The golden era of Irish rugby was when it was backboned by Munster players.
More recently Leinster and now Ulster are supplying the bulk of them team and they have gone to sh1te.

Yep, Oh how Tipps finest son, Denis Leamy is missed, hands like feet that man!

He'd do much better than Jamie Feetslip at the moment.

Heaslip has come in for a lot a flack but his performance levels have been ok, he suffers from lack of competition. I think the real elephant in the back row as highlighted before the 6 Nations is Peter O'Mahony. In the last two games, he has carried 13 times for a total of 32 meters. He has made 5 tackles and taken 6 line outs. In the entire 6 Nations, he has passed the ball twice. 5 tackles for a 6 is just awful.  Henderson should start ahead of him the next day.

[Crete Boom]

hard to say the better team lost because they of a poor kicker . who would say the same about A wales when stephen Jones missed a sitter to gift an outplayed  Ireland a grandslam?

Well good to see your total lack of knowledge stretches from all things Mayo football  to Irish Rugby. That's a consistency that poor old Declan Kidney could only dream about!!

[Crete Boom]

Those Leinster players should have the skill and execution to be capable of beating Scotland.

The golden era of Irish rugby was when it was backboned by Munster players.
More recently Leinster and now Ulster are supplying the bulk of them team and they have gone to sh1te.

Yep, Oh how Tipps finest son, Denis Leamy is missed, hands like feet that man!

He'd do much better than Jamie Feetslip at the moment.

Heaslip has come in for a lot a flack but his performance levels have been ok, he suffers from lack of competition. I think the real elephant in the back row as highlighted before the 6 Nations is Peter O'Mahony. In the last two games, he has carried 13 times for a total of 32 meters. He has made 5 tackles and taken 6 line outs. In the entire 6 Nations, he has passed the ball twice. 5 tackles for a 6 is just awful.  Henderson should start ahead of him the next day.

A bit harsh on O' Mahoney there Dinny. Stats never tell the true story just look at the overall team stats for Ireland v Scotland! O' Mahony carries might be short in meters but he takes on the grunt carries in close to the ruck to keep continuity of attacking play with O' Brien being asked to take on the bulk of the line break carries. This is obviously a team strategy and Heaslip also suffers from this strategy as well. I do agree Henderson should be in the team but in the secondrow which is his best position (just watch any Ireland U20's match from the last two years) and it's where you will see him play once Ferris is fully fit again for Ulster.O'Mahony's  work with Donnacha Ryan, Heaslip and Ross on clear outs at ruck time is immense and he was up there for MOTM in the Welsh game before he went off injured! I would agrue he has performed just as well in playing terms as Heaslip so far and personally I wouldn't drop either of them as I think our problems lie elswhere in the team and with our gameplan.

[Dinny Breen]

Trust me as a back-row you live and die by tackles made and missed, it is your primary role in particular your 6.  Heaslip has made 30 tackles, O'Brien 28. You bracket him with Healy and Ryan in the great unseen work category yet they have made 27 and 26 tackles, that's 27 tackles in two games for Healy. Number of tackles made is a clear marker for work-rate something O'Mahony lacks. World class scuffler but below average work-rate for an International player.

[screenexile]

Those Leinster players should have the skill and execution to be capable of beating Scotland.

The golden era of Irish rugby was when it was backboned by Munster players.
More recently Leinster and now Ulster are supplying the bulk of them team and they have gone to sh1te.

Yep, Oh how Tipps finest son, Denis Leamy is missed, hands like feet that man!

He'd do much better than Jamie Feetslip at the moment.

Heaslip has come in for a lot a flack but his performance levels have been ok, he suffers from lack of competition. I think the real elephant in the back row as highlighted before the 6 Nations is Peter O'Mahony. In the last two games, he has carried 13 times for a total of 32 meters. He has made 5 tackles and taken 6 line outs. In the entire 6 Nations, he has passed the ball twice. 5 tackles for a 6 is just awful.  Henderson should start ahead of him the next day.

I think Heaslip has been very poor this year Dinny. His 2 dropped balls, lack of conviction in the Scotland game, his lack of carries and giving away penalties at bad times makes me think he shouldn't be Captain and concentrate on his own game.

Unfortunately Hook was correct in one thing he said Plans A, B and C are give the ball to Sean O'Brien and aside from that our other lads are not performing in terms of carries or else it's a call from Kidney.

On the next manager issue I can't see O'Shea coming in. I think he would want to finish what he has started with Quins and get himself the experience necessary to take the next step as an International manager.

If we can't get the likes of Schmidt/Cheika then I think Ruddock has to be up there. A proven International manager who has based himself in Ireland and looked after the youth setup surely he has to be the man to lead the transition!