The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Armaghgeddon]

How long do the kickers have for free kicks?

Sexton seems to take a lifetime.

Doesn't matter the clock stops.

[Celt_Man]

How long do the kickers have for free kicks?

Sexton seems to take a lifetime.

Doesn't matter the clock stops.

Thought you only had a minute for a conversion

[trileacman]

How long do the kickers have for free kicks?

Sexton seems to take a lifetime.

Doesn't matter the clock stops.

Thought you only had a minute for a conversion

You do. in the past Stringer came running out to lift one if im remember correctly.

[Capt Pat]

So is Gilroy a star of the future at international level.?

[trileacman]

So is Gilroy a star of the future at international level.?

Nah, he's the next Paul McShane, have a fantastic debut and be shite forever more.

[trileacman]

Cracker

[Bord na Mona man]

How long do the kickers have for free kicks?

Sexton seems to take a lifetime.

Doesn't matter the clock stops.

Thought you only had a minute for a conversion

You do. in the past Stringer came running out to lift one if im remember correctly.

Stringer (playing for the Barbarians) ran out and picked up the ball on Australia's James O'Connor because the kicker had moved towards the ball, therefore was judged to have started his run up to the kick.
I thought it was a 90 seconds that a kicker had from the try being awarded to the conversion being struck?
Sexton is slow, even for the gimmes. But it's all about routine. At that level, kickers would be trying to control adrenaline, heart rate and all the stuff that wouldn't affect the average club kicker.

[trileacman]

How long do the kickers have for free kicks?

Sexton seems to take a lifetime.

Doesn't matter the clock stops.

Thought you only had a minute for a conversion

You do. in the past Stringer came running out to lift one if im remember correctly.

Stringer (playing for the Barbarians) ran out and picked up the ball on Australia's James O'Connor because the kicker had moved towards the ball, therefore was judged to have started his run up to the kick.
I thought it was a 90 seconds that a kicker had from the try being awarded to the conversion being struck?
Sexton is slow, even for the gimmes. But it's all about routine. At that level, kickers would be trying to control adrenaline, heart rate and all the stuff that wouldn't affect the average club kicker.

I was playing a match last night and the ref said it "you have a minute" to the kicker on a conversion. You're right about Stringer.

[AQMP]

Let's say, he's not from a "traditional GAA background".  Ireland looked good today though the Argies didn't turn up.

He's from Fermanagh?

Londondown

[Main Street]

Stoke City fc would have beaten that Argentinian team yesterday.

[Dinny Breen]

Some stadium the Japanese are building for the World Cup in 2019...

[Dinny Breen]

The latest article from Matt Williams in IT sums up the Irish team currently for me anyway

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/1126/1224327094319.html

We are allowing administrators, coaches and players to perform well below acceptable standards and get away with it

This November produced a good win against the Pumas and sixth position on the IRB rankings. That is well below what this Irish team is capable of and below what we should all accept from the administration of the national team.

The Springbok match was one of the worst games of rugby I have had the misfortune to watch. The Boks were under manned and as badly prepared as I have ever seen them. They are rarely in such a poor state and were ready to be taken.

In what has become a trademark of the past three seasons, the national team's systems, that deliver the athlete to the ball in both attack and defence, were almost unobservable. If Ireland had a plan on how they were going to go forward and attack the Boks, I could not see it.

What could be observed and has been observable for many games is that, whatever it is the coaches were attempting to do, the players did not do it. Players and coaches carry the responsibility for executing a game plan. It was not executed against the Boks.

We soldiered on to Limerick.

The decision to declare the Fiji game a "non cap match" because of an external commercial contract is without precedent in world rugby.

Fantastic sponsors

Have you ever heard of men representing their country being denied recognition of their achievements because of a sponsor's contract? I am sure Aviva, who are fantastic sponsors of rugby, did not want their name sullied as the big corporate bad guy in denying Test caps to the excellent young Irish players who performed so well in Limerick. But that is the unfair reality for Aviva Insurance.

I say unfair, because the responsibility lies with the IRFU. When the original contract for the naming rights of Lansdowne Road was being negotiated, the IRFU should have demanded that every two seasons a 'tier two' international be played outside of Dublin.

Did the IRFU actually sign a contract that said they could never play international matches in Limerick or Belfast? Unbelievable.

As Kerry Packer once said, to the board of directors of a company he was about to make a takeover offer to: "there is a little bit of the whore in all of us, gentlemen. What is your price?" Asked the same question, the IRFU pitched low. The decision was made to play the Fiji game in Limerick, because the costs of staging the game at Lansdowne Road were high. The IRFU needed a big crowd to cover costs.

With full knowledge that the players would be denied caps the IRFU moved the game to Thomond Park. They allowed the price of an Irish cap to be set by their sponsor. Kerry Packer was right.

Pathetic. To those involved, hang your heads in shame.

One day I hope the Irish rugby community will be given the opportunity to apologise to Fijian rugby for the insult. The proud Fijian people are worthy of an international cap against Ireland every time we play. We, the Irish, of all peoples, should be aware of valuing and supporting others cultures.

Then we come to the team we like least to play, the Pumas. This Argentinian side were both well prepared and battle-hardened. Yet Ireland dominated from the start. They were energetic, aggressive and creative. Gone was the disorganised Irish performance we viewed against the Boks.

It was great to watch Ireland comprehensibly outplay the Pumas. It was the type of performance we all know this Ireland team is capable of producing on a regular basis.

The team played exceptionally well. Congratulations to all involved. But the question remains. Why has the national team played so poorly on so many occasions, yet once every season they are capable of such excellence?

Intensity

Since winning the Grand Slam in 2009 I can identify only two other performances that were equivalent in intensity and execution to the Pumas match. Defeating England in the last game of the Six Nations Championship in 2010 and smashing Australia in the pool stages of the World Cup, were top shelf performances.

Why only these three great wins over such a long time period? There are comfort zones across the entire Ireland team set up. We are allowing administrators, coaches and players to perform well below acceptable standards.

Sixth on the IRB rankings is below this team's capability and drastically under what we, the Irish rugby community, should demand from such talented players and coaches.

The performances of administrators, coaches and players during November are a microcosm of the problems within this national team structure. Good people, under- performing, and getting away with it because they are good people.

There is a need for some ruthless leadership to simply state to all involved: "You are capable of much better performances and I will demand it of you, and hold you accountable for your actions." Ask the Fijians, and they will say that type of leadership is sadly lacking in Ireland. But then the Fijians don't count. They are not even worthy of a cap.

Everyone involved with the national team will claim responsibility for the good win against the Pumas. As for the rest of November and being sixth on the IRB rankings, well that will be someone else's fault.

[Declan]

Former rugby star David Tweed found guilty of 10 charges of child sex abuse

By Lesley Anne McKeown
Wednesday November 28 2012
FORMER Irish rugby international David Tweed has been convicted of child sex abuse charges.

He was found guilty of nine counts of indecent assault and one gross indecency charge.

The railway supervisor, who is also a Ballymena councillor, stood trial at Antrim Crown Court.

He was facing 14 counts of sexually abusing two young girls over an eight-year period from 1988.

The jury of 10 women and two men are continuing their deliberations on three other charges.

Tweed was cleared of one count of indecent assault yesterday.

Judge Alistair Devlin, who has been presiding over the three-week trial, said the jurors had spent just over eight hours considering their verdicts.

He added: "A number of other counts remain. You have had just under eight hours to carry out your deliberations. As far as the remaining counts are concerned is there any prospect of reaching a majority verdict."

The jury foreman said she believed they could reach a majority verdict - on which 10 or more members were agreed - on the three other charges if they were given more time.

Mr Tweed, a father of four who also has two step children, had consistently denied anything improper had happened with the girls, who are now adults.

This was the second time Mr Tweed faced child sex abuse allegations.

In 2009 a jury took one hour to unanimously find him not guilty of 10 counts of sex abuse against two different young girls.

Tweed, who was wearing a dark suit, striped shirt and blue tie, appeared nervous as the clerk of the court read out each of the charges and asked the jury foreman if they had agreed a majority verdict. He stood in the dock with his hands clasped tightly and took a couple of deep breaths. As the guilty verdicts were returned he shook his head and sighed deeply.

None of the victims, who had given evidence during the trial, were in the courtroom as the verdicts were given. However friends and family members of the victims wept - one woman ran outside in tears.

Earlier in this trial Judge Devlin had told the jury it was desirable but not imperative to reach a unanimous or majority verdict and told them he could use discretion to discharge them without a decision.

He said: "Hitherto you appear to be having some difficulties in reaching a unanimous or majority verdict in respect of some or all of the charges."

Tweed was capped four times for Ireland. He made his debut against France in the 1995 Five Nations competition and played in the Rugby World Cup in South Africa.

He was also a prominent Ulster Rugby star with more than 30 appearances for the team during the 1980s and 1990s.

[Denn Forever]

Not really about Irish Rubgy, but surely the best ticket would be to see the All Blacks vs The barbarians?  It doesn't seem to happen very often (last on 2009) but would be any good?  Doubt it would live up to the 1973 meeting.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXBIXqvNfwA

[trileacman]

Not really about Irish Rubgy, but surely the best ticket would be to see the All Blacks vs The barbarians?  It doesn't seem to happen very often (last on 2009) but would be any good?  Doubt it would live up to the 1973 meeting.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXBIXqvNfwA

Lifting in the lineout butchered the game.