The IRISH RUGBY thread

[whitegoodman]

He does have the X factor and can turn a game but has never been a great controller of a game.  He isn't a kid anymore either.  Is it better to invest in a 22 year old who is starting big matches for his club week in week out or a 26 year old who is playing now and again in his favoured position and rarely in the big games.

Madigan for me will never be a regular starter for Ireland, an impact sub at best.

[Walter Cronc]

There is just something about Jackson that I dont like. It's an over conservative approach perhaps. I see him quite similar to Keating at Munster. Its a shame Olding got injured as I think he's a better footballer naturally. I would also rate JJ Hanrahan a better footballer than Jackson. There is no doubt Paddy is calm and composed but long term that will only take him so far! Look at England, Farrell will soon be replaced by Ford.

It's also worth remembering Sexton never made his breakthrough with Ireland until he was 24/25.

[Jim_Murphy_74]

Madigan was excellent when he came on against Ulster on Saturday. I can't believe he's not in a squad like this.

Schmidit wanted to bring 3 scrum-halves and but not 6 halves in total,  also yesterday he seemed to be alluding that all going well Sexton would play. 

So given Madigan's lack of game time this season Schmidt thinks he is better playing for Ireland Emerging than watching Sexton play for Argentian.

Schmidt got a lot more out of Madigan in Leinster than O'Connor did this season. (even though he also had Sexton rather than Gopperth....)


Of course one can speculate that if Sexton got injured he could be a better bet than Jackson or that with 20 to go he could bring more imapct than Jackson......
and Schmidt might even think in the long run.

But here and now I think summer will see Sexton and Madigan getting most of the game time.

/Jim.

[Walter Cronc]

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/career-of-stephen-ferris-may-be-over-due-to-recurring-ankle-injury-1.1802979

Sad if it's the case. Such potential.

[Walter Cronc]

Sad if it's the case. Such potential.

The career of Stephen Ferris may be over, with one of Ulster's greatest ever flankers struggling to recover from a recurring ankle injury.

The world-class blindside made a valiant comeback in March for his native province, following 16 months rehabilitating; damage that was initially sustained against Edinburgh in November 2012.

The 28-year-old subsequently broke down at training, just four games into his comeback.

Ferris was expected to leave Ulster for a Japanese club last season but further ankle surgery scuppered the lucrative move.

Having got his central contract extended by the IRFU, he made a dramatic return to action against the Scarlets on March 14th, arriving as a replacement and making an immediate impact with a ferocious tackle.

Two more appearances in the Pro12 against Edinburgh and Cardiff followed before his unique power again proved of enormous benefit off the bench in Ulster's Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat to Saracens.

But the ankle didn't hold up to the strain of just a month in the professional game, subsequently ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

Ferris won the last of his 35 Ireland caps in the 30-9 defeat to England at Twickenham in March 2012. He also toured South Africa with the British and Irish Lions in 2009 but following some excellent performances, a knee injury denied him any involvement in the Test series.

A century of Ulster caps were compiled since 2005 and his enormous contribution for Ireland during the 2011 World Cup pool stages, particularly the victory over Australia at Ellis Park, guarantees him a place among our great backrowers.

[orangeman]

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/career-of-stephen-ferris-may-be-over-due-to-recurring-ankle-injury-1.1802979

Sad if it's the case. Such potential.

That's too bad. A mountain of a man. But it was always likely to end in injury. He was fearless and had no regard for his own body - he delivered the big hit every time.

[Tony Baloney]

Is Flannery quitting Arsenal if going to Munster?

[tyroneboi]

Is Flannery quitting Arsenal if going to Munster?

I think he was only there on a temporary basis anyway. He was saying his goodbyes to them in Twitter a week or 2 ago.

[Tony Baloney]

Is Flannery quitting Arsenal if going to Munster?

I think he was only there on a temporary basis anyway. He was saying his goodbyes to them in Twitter a week or 2 ago.

Aye it was a year long internship which I assumed would be made a permanent gig after a year. At least he has options!

[Walter Cronc]

I wonder was it Gary O'Driscoll, former Irish team doc who got Flannery in there in the first place. He recently joined Arsenal after an overhaul in the medical staff, following years of long term injuries.

[Walter Cronc]

Paddy Jackson out of Argentina tour with a back injury. Ian Madigan called up!!

[Tony Baloney]

I wonder was it Gary O'Driscoll, former Irish team doc who got Flannery in there in the first place. He recently joined Arsenal after an overhaul in the medical staff, following years of long term injuries.

Des Ryan. He talks about this in the An Irishman Abroad podcast. It's a good listen - seems like an honest and likeable guy.

[trileacman]

That Ferris thing is not surprising given the way Ulster treated his body like a used car that they could "drive out". I seen far too many HC games where even from a spectators view he was not fit to start or continue but they kept trotting him back on anyway. Some will say he done it to himself but a club has to be responsible here at the same time, it's his health they were gambling with for pretty meagre returns. A bad loss for rugby but really more than ever highlights the attitude now that prevails in professional rugby needs to be changed or else we'll end up like NFL where a player's body is only there to used, not protected. Marshall and his concussion problems are the next time-bomb Ulster are pursuing.

[whitegoodman]

Anti Ulster much.....

I would put Ferris pending retirement more down to how he played the game rather than the way Ulster treated him.  He always but everything on the line and didn't care of the consequences on his body.  Ulster gave him 18 months to make a recovery without trying to rush him back at any point.  I don't think Ferris would be the type of lad to be forced to play by anyone.

As for Marshal thankfully he hasn't had any concussions this year although he was taken off in one match with a head knock.  Ulster followed protocol on this and thankfully it wasn't anything to worry about.  If you want to talk about his mistreatment you need look no further than the disgrace in Rome last year by Mr Kidney and co.

[AZOffaly]

That Ferris thing is not surprising given the way Ulster treated his body like a used car that they could "drive out". I seen far too many HC games where even from a spectators view he was not fit to start or continue but they kept trotting him back on anyway. Some will say he done it to himself but a club has to be responsible here at the same time, it's his health they were gambling with for pretty meagre returns. A bad loss for rugby but really more than ever highlights the attitude now that prevails in professional rugby needs to be changed or else we'll end up like NFL where a player's body is only there to used, not protected. Marshall and his concussion problems are the next time-bomb Ulster are pursuing.

I was thinking exactly the same thing recently, but not necessarily about Ulster. I've watched Paul O'Connell basically hobble off the field at Thomond Park, and winced at what faces him in 10 or 20 years. I've seen Peter O'Mahony being taken off with concussions, shoulder damage, forearm damage, knee damage. We've all seen the beating Brian O'Driscoll takes, and the incident a couple of weeks ago with Florian Fritz.

Rugby has probably undergone the biggest change in terms of the bodies of the participants, of any sport I've seen. Some GAA teams like Kildare, Dublin etc have taken GAA physical 'sculpting' to a new level, but it's nothing compared to rugby. Have a think back to the back row forwards of 10 years ago, and compare them to the likes of Sean O'Brien and Jamie Heaslip now. Look at the props... Jaysus even the smallest little scrum half has pecs now he could balance his cornflakes on.

The physical toll that this is taking during the game is also noticeable. These bigger, stronger bodies are doling out serious punishment. I'm not talking about the tip tackles which are dangerous in themselves, but the faster moving, harder hitting with emphasis on crash ball, drive tackling and turnovers is leading to more concussions I'd imagine, but certainly has to be leading to a much higher level of attrition on the body. I know the bodies are stronger, as I've said, but over time that just has to wear you down and I think Rugby is probably facing a similar issue to that facing the NFL at the moment, down the line, when ex-players start suing because they feel they've been unnecessarily exposed to long term damage and maybe brain injury too.

Rugby is a great game, and the physicality is part of it, but I think it's in danger (if it hasn't already done so) of falling into the 'big hit, big excitement' trap. That way lies long term issues for players, and short term extreme danger.