The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Bord na Mona man]

Had O'Driscoll, Kearney, O'Connell, Ferris and O'Brien been fit, Kidney would no doubt have picked them all and served up the same old reheated dish. Ireland would have won by a handful of points instead of losing by a handful.

At least the injuries forced him to give other fellas a run. The occasional urgency about ranking points aside, the Autumn fixtures are nothing but challenge matches anyway. They should be treated as such in terms of trying out players. Obviously nobody official is going to admit as much, as stadiums need to be sold out to fill up the salary war chest.

Good to see young lads like 30 year old Mike McCarthy show promise!

[INDIANA]

Had O'Driscoll, Kearney, O'Connell, Ferris and O'Brien been fit, Kidney would no doubt have picked them all and served up the same old reheated dish. Ireland would have won by a handful of points instead of losing by a handful.

At least the injuries forced him to give other fellas a run. The occasional urgency about ranking points aside, the Autumn fixtures are nothing but challenge matches anyway. They should be treated as such in terms of trying out players. Obviously nobody official is going to admit as much, as stadiums need to be sold out to fill up the salary war chest.

Good to see young lads like 30 year old Mike McCarthy show promise!

If we go into the 3rd seeded pot for 2015. We can stay at home.

If Scotland beat SA and we lose to the Argies we are in serious shit. Scotland beat SA in 2010 in Murrayfield.

We are no closer to replacing BOD or POC then we were 10 years ago

[screenexile]

As someone said previously Mike McCarthy was given his place on form and rewarded it with a good performance.

D'Arcy, Earls, Trimble and Murray should all be dropped after that pish they served up on Saturday. McFadden to FB, Zebo to the wing and get Marshall, Cave and Gilroy in the squad. Ulster are the team playing the best Rugby atm so these lads should get a shot!!

Kidneys doing my nut at this stage!!

1- Gilroy doesnt start for Ulster. Trimble is selected ahead of him so by that token Mark Anscombe is wrong too.

2- Mc Fadden has never played full back bar a few sporadic occasions for Leinster. Madness.

Gilroy is playing well at the minute in the Rabo and will be 24 by the next world cup where Trimble and Bowe will both be 31. He will be an Ireland player in the future so why not blood him now? Trimble was poor yesterday and Gilroy would have given us a good running option.

As for McFadden that is fair enough but he is more experienced than Zebo and his handful of games for Leinster at FB is more than Zebo has had. As well as that it is only a stop gap until Kearney is back anyway.

[Hardy]

Gordon Darcy. Can anyone suggest an explanation?

[screenexile]

Gordon Darcy. Can anyone suggest an explanation?

I can find no earthly reason as to why he is there!

[INDIANA]

As someone said previously Mike McCarthy was given his place on form and rewarded it with a good performance.

D'Arcy, Earls, Trimble and Murray should all be dropped after that pish they served up on Saturday. McFadden to FB, Zebo to the wing and get Marshall, Cave and Gilroy in the squad. Ulster are the team playing the best Rugby atm so these lads should get a shot!!

Kidneys doing my nut at this stage!!

1- Gilroy doesnt start for Ulster. Trimble is selected ahead of him so by that token Mark Anscombe is wrong too.

2- Mc Fadden has never played full back bar a few sporadic occasions for Leinster. Madness.

Gilroy is playing well at the minute in the Rabo and will be 24 by the next world cup where Trimble and Bowe will both be 31. He will be an Ireland player in the future so why not blood him now? Trimble was poor yesterday and Gilroy would have given us a good running option.

As for McFadden that is fair enough but he is more experienced than Zebo and his handful of games for Leinster at FB is more than Zebo has had. As well as that it is only a stop gap until Kearney is back anyway.

You cant justify a player playing international rugby when he doesnt start in the HEC. Its like putting a guy into a county team when he doesnt start for his club team. As I said it must mean Anscombe is wrong as well. If Jared Payne wasnt there then maybe we wouldnt have the problem.

Mc Fadden hasnt nailed a place down on the Leinster team yet regularly either. He still cant get in ahead of Darcy for Leinster at 12. So its hard for Kidney to play him anywhere else except the wing.

I'm not mad about Kidney as international coach but his hands are tied to a degree when a lot of foreign players fill up key positions at provincial level.

[Bord na Mona man]

At least the injuries forced him to give other fellas a run. The occasional urgency about ranking points aside, the Autumn fixtures are nothing but challenge matches anyway. They should be treated as such in terms of trying out players. Obviously nobody official is going to admit as much, as stadiums need to be sold out to fill up the salary

If we go into the 3rd seeded pot for 2015. We can stay at home.

If Scotland beat SA and we lose to the Argies we are in serious shit. Scotland beat SA in 2010 in Murrayfield.

Scotland beating SA is unlikely for starters, but not completely implausible.

Either way, it wouldn't be necessarily a disaster if Ireland were 3rd seeds. The 2nd seed in Ireland's group would then be someone like Scotland, Argentina or Wales.

Formidable opponents, yes. But let's not start cowering Scooby Doo style at their might just yet!

[Canalman]

At least the injuries forced him to give other fellas a run. The occasional urgency about ranking points aside, the Autumn fixtures are nothing but challenge matches anyway. They should be treated as such in terms of trying out players. Obviously nobody official is going to admit as much, as stadiums need to be sold out to fill up the salary

If we go into the 3rd seeded pot for 2015. We can stay at home.

If Scotland beat SA and we lose to the Argies we are in serious shit. Scotland beat SA in 2010 in Murrayfield.

Scotland beating SA is unlikely for starters, but not completely implausible.

Either way, it wouldn't be necessarily a disaster if Ireland were 3rd seeds. The 2nd seed in Ireland's group would then be someone like Scotland, Argentina or Wales.

Formidable opponents, yes. But let's not start cowering Scooby Doo style at their might just yet!

In all fairness for a country that has never got past the 1/4 finals of what is basically a "9 team and the rest minnows competition" I think all help in seeding is required. We are not really a Scrappy Doo team at the WCs so far.

[thewobbler]

I don't like to do the whole over exaggeration thing, and the game was almost certainly lost at the time.

But if a youngster (say Paddy Jackson) did what O'Gara did with that chip in injury time on Saturday, he'd be sent out to roost for a year or two to learn composure. Why our most capped, most experienced out half should avoid such treatment is beyond me.

Midfield looks like it's going to be the undoing of Ireland for the next few years. While other nations seem to be able to grow mobile giants on trees, our midfield options appear to be getting smaller, lighter and entirely unsuitable for international rugby. It's why D'Arcy (bless him) is still around; at least we aren't wasting time pretending he's going to be a player with him.

BOD was always going to leave behind huge shoes to fill. They're now comically huge shoes.

[screenexile]

I don't like to do the whole over exaggeration thing, and the game was almost certainly lost at the time.

But if a youngster (say Paddy Jackson) did what O'Gara did with that chip in injury time on Saturday, he'd be sent out to roost for a year or two to learn composure. Why our most capped, most experienced out half should avoid such treatment is beyond me.

Midfield looks like it's going to be the undoing of Ireland for the next few years. While other nations seem to be able to grow mobile giants on trees, our midfield options appear to be getting smaller, lighter and entirely unsuitable for international rugby. It's why D'Arcy (bless him) is still around; at least we aren't wasting time pretending he's going to be a player with him.

BOD was always going to leave behind huge shoes to fill. They're now comically huge shoes.

I thought it was stupid as well but you have to take the rough with the smooth I guess . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqg5B4XY8-o

[seafoid]

I don't like to do the whole over exaggeration thing, and the game was almost certainly lost at the time.

But if a youngster (say Paddy Jackson) did what O'Gara did with that chip in injury time on Saturday, he'd be sent out to roost for a year or two to learn composure. Why our most capped, most experienced out half should avoid such treatment is beyond me.

Midfield looks like it's going to be the undoing of Ireland for the next few years. While other nations seem to be able to grow mobile giants on trees, our midfield options appear to be getting smaller, lighter and entirely unsuitable for international rugby. It's why D'Arcy (bless him) is still around; at least we aren't wasting time pretending he's going to be a player with him.

BOD was always going to leave behind huge shoes to fill. They're now comically huge shoes.

I thought it was stupid as well but you have to take the rough with the smooth I guess . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqg5B4XY8-o

Someone like O'Driscoll might come along every 40 years. Like Dermot Earley in Roscommon
Maybe Irish rugby supporters need to start thinking like Roscommon fans...

[Hardy]

I don't like to do the whole over exaggeration thing, and the game was almost certainly lost at the time.

But if a youngster (say Paddy Jackson) did what O'Gara did with that chip in injury time on Saturday, he'd be sent out to roost for a year or two to learn composure. Why our most capped, most experienced out half should avoid such treatment is beyond me.

Midfield looks like it's going to be the undoing of Ireland for the next few years. While other nations seem to be able to grow mobile giants on trees, our midfield options appear to be getting smaller, lighter and entirely unsuitable for international rugby. It's why D'Arcy (bless him) is still around; at least we aren't wasting time pretending he's going to be a player with him.

BOD was always going to leave behind huge shoes to fill. They're now comically huge shoes.

I thought it was stupid as well but you have to take the rough with the smooth I guess . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqg5B4XY8-o

Christ Almighty! The day was going bad enough and then you inflict Royle Neegent on me!

[johnneycool]

I don't like to do the whole over exaggeration thing, and the game was almost certainly lost at the time.

But if a youngster (say Paddy Jackson) did what O'Gara did with that chip in injury time on Saturday, he'd be sent out to roost for a year or two to learn composure. Why our most capped, most experienced out half should avoid such treatment is beyond me.

Midfield looks like it's going to be the undoing of Ireland for the next few years. While other nations seem to be able to grow mobile giants on trees, our midfield options appear to be getting smaller, lighter and entirely unsuitable for international rugby. It's why D'Arcy (bless him) is still around; at least we aren't wasting time pretending he's going to be a player with him.

BOD was always going to leave behind huge shoes to fill. They're now comically huge shoes.

I thought it was stupid as well but you have to take the rough with the smooth I guess . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqg5B4XY8-o

The smooth was in 2006, its now 2012, time to say thanks to ROG and D'Arcy and let the replacements find their own way even if we do pick up the odd tanking on the way.

[INDIANA]

I don't like to do the whole over exaggeration thing, and the game was almost certainly lost at the time.

But if a youngster (say Paddy Jackson) did what O'Gara did with that chip in injury time on Saturday, he'd be sent out to roost for a year or two to learn composure. Why our most capped, most experienced out half should avoid such treatment is beyond me.

Midfield looks like it's going to be the undoing of Ireland for the next few years. While other nations seem to be able to grow mobile giants on trees, our midfield options appear to be getting smaller, lighter and entirely unsuitable for international rugby. It's why D'Arcy (bless him) is still around; at least we aren't wasting time pretending he's going to be a player with him.

BOD was always going to leave behind huge shoes to fill. They're now comically huge shoes.

I thought it was stupid as well but you have to take the rough with the smooth I guess . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqg5B4XY8-o

The smooth was in 2006, its now 2012, time to say thanks to ROG and D'Arcy and let the replacements find their own way even if we do pick up the odd tanking on the way.

Thats what will happen but we're going to pick up serious hidings against SH opposition. The players coming through just arent as good in most areas unfortunately.

We're lucky that the 6 Nations is such a poor standard at present that we should be able to pick up 3 wins and maybe a 4th against England. Only France look good at present. The rest like ourselves would drown in the Rugby Championship.

[Hound]

The smooth was in 2006, its now 2012, time to say thanks to ROG and D'Arcy and let the replacements find their own way even if we do pick up the odd tanking on the way.

This time last year I thought D'Arcy was finished. He did put in the odd big performances during the season, but mostly he was mediocre.

This season though he's started really well for Leinster. And he was clearly Ireland's best centre on Saturday.