The IRISH RUGBY thread

[trileacman]

O'Gara was passionate about Irish rugby, that resonates with alot of fans, you can hold others up as better examples of good tackling, strength or ball-playing but some of those men pissed it away or got injured or put their province first.

[muppet]

O'Gara would have to be included in any 'great' argument simply because of his CV. Then when you look at some of the moments he had for Province and Country. Crucial penalties, last minute drop goals and more impressively for me, when we needed a score or whatever he was always able to get his team up the field.

I agree that he stayed a year too long but that is as much the fault of management and indeed the competition. The likes of D'Arcy, O'Connell, O'Callaghan and maybe even BOD might want to think about that. O'Gara didn't get the ending he deserved and neither should they.

As Brian Moore said on twitter:

Brian Moore ‏@brianmoore666
Ronan O'Gara not in Irish squad v France - if this is the end of his international career - well done and thanks for all he has given.

Brian Moore ‏@brianmoore666
Anyone tempted to send derogatory comments to @RonanOGara10 - in the words of Adam Hills - Don't be a Dick - have some some compassion.

[seafoid]

As the Follower said in the Donegal Democrat one time about players who bring such joy

"they will be remembered amongst their people".  O'Gara is one of those. No higher honour in sport than that.

History will look kindly on O'Gara in that respect. It'll be harder for Jonny Sexton to be looked at in the same light when he's doing it week-in-week-out for some other set of people. And no, I'm not saying Sexton was wrong to take the Racing Metro shilling, but all other things being equal his status among Irish rugby fans will be diminished.

30 years from now people will be watching this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfEL-VSyZG0

Nobody cares how Geoff Hurst ended his career. 

[deiseach]

61 years from now people will be watching this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfEL-VSyZG0

Fixed that for you.

[Craigyhill Terror]

No way was Humphreys better than ROG!! You could never rely on his kicking when under pressure. That 10-9 defeat to France in Lansdowne still haunts me!!

He made up for it in Paris the following year in fairness. What was more indicative of the difference between Humphreys and O'Gara was the former knocking over a couple of drop goals against Northampton in the 2002/3 Heineken Cup when anything other than a bonus point victory was practically useless. There's no way O'Gara would have thought winning the game was good enough as Humphreys seemed to think when interviewed after the game.

Was at that game and it was pretty clear from early on that Ulster would find it difficult enough to win the game, never mind score four tries. Winning was the first thing to ensure to give Ulster any chance at all of going through.
And the second drop goal was the last play of the game to win it for Ulster and keep any faint qualification hopes alive. Not even ROG (who deserves all the praise he gets for what he did during his career) could have manufactured three tries on the last play

[deiseach]

Was at that game and it was pretty clear from early on that Ulster would find it difficult enough to win the game, never mind score four tries. Winning was the first thing to ensure to give Ulster any chance at all of going through.
And the second drop goal was the last play of the game to win it for Ulster and keep any faint qualification hopes alive. Not even ROG (who deserves all the praise he gets for what he did during his career) could have manufactured three tries on the last play

No, but he took a drop goal earlier in the game as well. Defeatist. Ulster would have struggled to score four tries, though as Wayne Gretzky said, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

[Craigyhill Terror]

Was at that game and it was pretty clear from early on that Ulster would find it difficult enough to win the game, never mind score four tries. Winning was the first thing to ensure to give Ulster any chance at all of going through.
And the second drop goal was the last play of the game to win it for Ulster and keep any faint qualification hopes alive. Not even ROG (who deserves all the praise he gets for what he did during his career) could have manufactured three tries on the last play

No, but he took a drop goal earlier in the game as well. Defeatist. Ulster would have struggled to score four tries, though as Wayne Gretzky said, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

The other drop goal was in the second half when they were trailing and, if my memory's not too bad, it was a pretty long range one, so he was hardly giving up on a probable try-scoring opportunity from where they were. Ulster had to win the game to stand any chance. Making sure of that first wasn't defeatist, it was playing the percentages, something ROG also (rightly) never shied away from when it was called for

[RealSpiritof98]

Gareth Steenson anyone? - Just putting it out there.

[seafoid]

Jackson may be crocked alongside Sexton
Maybe O Gara will get a game. Funny old world innit.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/rugby/2013/0305/1224330808684.html

[Hound]

Could be Mad Dog time!

[trileacman]

Ireland doing well but watching the death of the great French rugby era is saddening, they were almost unique in world sport IMO.

[Tony Baloney]

Ireland doing well but watching the death of the great French rugby era is saddening, they were almost unique in world sport IMO.

They are poor alright. Ireland came out to right some wrongs from previous weeks.

[Armaghgeddon]

Some baffling decisions in that game

[Tony Baloney]

Some baffling decisions in that game

By ref, players or management? Poor second half.

[Denn Forever]

D'arcy's position in doubt.  And I hope O'Driscoll can last a few (being greedy) more years.