The IRISH RUGBY thread

[moysider]

What was the name of the trophy awarded today? I missed that bit

The very prestigious Lansdowne Cup.

I'm sure they'll toast out of it in Krystle later. When they actually win something let me know.  Its a rarity.

I've never seen such mediocrity celebrated!

They won the 6 Nations last year and are for from mediocre. Think they are ranked 3rd in the world now with genuine world class players. Compared to football where we have hardly any quality and we appear to be poorly prepared.

Can t compare to gaelic football. Different culture. There are no friendlies or challenge matches in International Rugby. Every test match is a full-on contest with no quarter given or taken. I remember John Smit, as captain of SA, absolutely emptying himself v England in one of these tests on a beaten team. In fact some observers feared for his well being.

[gallsman]

What was the name of the trophy awarded today? I missed that bit

The very prestigious Lansdowne Cup.

I'm sure they'll toast out of it in Krystle later. When they actually win something let me know.  Its a rarity.

I've never seen such mediocrity celebrated!

Try Dublin football between 2006 and 2010.

[macdanger2]

While these games are taken seriously and aren't called friendlys, they're not a whole pile different to a friendly when it boils down to it. Will the Aussies lose much sleep over losing to us at the end of a long season? Not a chance. Would they rate it as more important than a match in the Rugby championship never mind the WC? Not a chance. The northern hemisphere teams rate these games higher than the southern but even then they're below the 6 nations games. Nice to win, esp beating two big teams back to back but ultimately meaningless

[Sidney]

While these games are taken seriously and aren't called friendlys, they're not a whole pile different to a friendly when it boils down to it. Will the Aussies lose much sleep over losing to us at the end of a long season? Not a chance. Would they rate it as more important than a match in the Rugby championship never mind the WC? Not a chance. The northern hemisphere teams rate these games higher than the southern but even then they're below the 6 nations games. Nice to win, esp beating two big teams back to back but ultimately meaningless

In international rugby the hierarchy of importance is as follows:

1.: The British Loins Tour - this is the absolute pinnacle, with well over a century of history and tradition attached to it - the one everybody dreams of playing in and winning.
2. The World Cup - the premier internatonal rugby knockout tournament.
3. The Three Nations Tournament - the four home unions do battle with the continentals.
4. The Autumn (winter) and Summer Test Matches. Ireland are traditionally very competitive in the Autumn (winter) matches. Not so good when it comes to the summer matches or 1, 2 and 3 above.

[Syferus]

While these games are taken seriously and aren't called friendlys, they're not a whole pile different to a friendly when it boils down to it. Will the Aussies lose much sleep over losing to us at the end of a long season? Not a chance. Would they rate it as more important than a match in the Rugby championship never mind the WC? Not a chance. The northern hemisphere teams rate these games higher than the southern but even then they're below the 6 nations games. Nice to win, esp beating two big teams back to back but ultimately meaningless

Beating all but NZ of the relevant Southern teams a year before the WC is never meaningless. It's a fair reflection of where this Irish team finds themselves; second only to NZ.

They have a great chance of breaking their duck and making the WC semi-finals, and a good chance at doing it as double Six Nations champions. Everything, even winning the WC, is within this team's reach now.

[BennyHarp]

While these games are taken seriously and aren't called friendlys, they're not a whole pile different to a friendly when it boils down to it. Will the Aussies lose much sleep over losing to us at the end of a long season? Not a chance. Would they rate it as more important than a match in the Rugby championship never mind the WC? Not a chance. The northern hemisphere teams rate these games higher than the southern but even then they're below the 6 nations games. Nice to win, esp beating two big teams back to back but ultimately meaningless

In international rugby the hierarchy of importance is as follows:

1.: The British Loins Tour - this is the absolute pinnacle, with well over a century of history and tradition attached to it - the one everybody dreams of playing in and winning.
2. The World Cup - the premier internatonal rugby knockout tournament.
3. The Three Nations Tournament - the four home unions do battle with the continentals.
4. The Autumn (winter) and Summer Test Matches. Ireland are traditionally very competitive in the Autumn (winter) matches. Not so good when it comes to the summer matches or 1, 2 and 3 above.

So you think a British Lions tour win would mean more to an International rugby player than winning the World Cup for their country? Really?

[gallsman]

Very dismissive of Argentina there Syferus. Irish rugby has learnt that to its cost in the past.

[trileacman]

While these games are taken seriously and aren't called friendlys, they're not a whole pile different to a friendly when it boils down to it. Will the Aussies lose much sleep over losing to us at the end of a long season? Not a chance. Would they rate it as more important than a match in the Rugby championship never mind the WC? Not a chance. The northern hemisphere teams rate these games higher than the southern but even then they're below the 6 nations games. Nice to win, esp beating two big teams back to back but ultimately meaningless

Beating all but NZ of the relevant Southern teams a year before the WC is never meaningless. It's a fair reflection of where this Irish team finds themselves; second only to NZ.

They have a great chance of breaking their duck and making the WC semi-finals, and a good chance at doing it as double Six Nations champions. Everything, even winning the WC, is within this team's reach now.

You are delusional.

[Sidney]

While these games are taken seriously and aren't called friendlys, they're not a whole pile different to a friendly when it boils down to it. Will the Aussies lose much sleep over losing to us at the end of a long season? Not a chance. Would they rate it as more important than a match in the Rugby championship never mind the WC? Not a chance. The northern hemisphere teams rate these games higher than the southern but even then they're below the 6 nations games. Nice to win, esp beating two big teams back to back but ultimately meaningless

In international rugby the hierarchy of importance is as follows:

1.: The British Loins Tour - this is the absolute pinnacle, with well over a century of history and tradition attached to it - the one everybody dreams of playing in and winning.
2. The World Cup - the premier internatonal rugby knockout tournament.
3. The Three Nations Tournament - the four home unions do battle with the continentals.
4. The Autumn (winter) and Summer Test Matches. Ireland are traditionally very competitive in the Autumn (winter) matches. Not so good when it comes to the summer matches or 1, 2 and 3 above.

So you think a British Lions tour win would mean more to an International rugby player than winning the World Cup for their country? Really?

Representing your Empire in an event which dates back to 1888 is a bigger deal than representing your country in an event that dates back to 1987. This should be obvious.

The British Loins tour is the third biggest "sporting*" event in the world.

*Although rugby is not a sport, which is why I put the inverted commas in.

[GalwayBayBoy]

What was the name of the trophy awarded today? I missed that bit

The very prestigious Lansdowne Cup.

I'm sure they'll toast out of it in Krystle later. When they actually win something let me know.  Its a rarity.

I've never seen such mediocrity celebrated!

They were 6 Nations champions about 6 months ago you brain donor.

[GalwayBayBoy]

The RTE rhooogby team really outdid themselves with the bluster and bullshit this evening. "What an execution of a drop goal from Ireland's full back." The Kearnivore actually missed, Ryle.

"Execution" was Ryle's buzzword of the evening. You'd nearly have thought there was more "execution" going on in this match than in Iraq and Syria combined. But we've heard water charges protesters compared to ISIS this week, so perhaps Ryle's comments captured the zeitgeist of the times.

"They spend a lot of time training with each other", said Donal Lenihan about the Qantas Wallabies. Interesting innovation in terms of preparation, that, and I don't know why other teams don't think doing it.

Lenihan then stated that he thought that he thought Jonny Sexton would never get up again after a tackle in the Team Volvo NSW Waratahs - British Loins match last year. I think he may have been exaggerating, although you never can tell.

But Ryle definitely exaggerated a few seconds later when he called the Aussie chap who made that tackle and who had just come on as a sub, "a wrecking ball" and "an entire front five". The chap who made that tackle is not a wrecking ball or an an entire "front five". If he was, the Aussies would have picked four more backs and dropped the rest of their front row and second row.

Shane "Shaggy" Horgan went all matrimonial after the match when he said "Australia need to marry the way they play the game, and so do Ireland. We saw a very good marriage from Ireland in the second half."

George Hook then summed up the warrior-like nature of these, well, warriors, as only he can when he roaaaared: "What makes rugby the greatest game played on earth, is that unlike Gaelic football or soccer or hockey or American football, at the end of it it relies on the courage, character and commitment of MENNNN." The Irish women's team will be seething.

The Guinness ad at half-time also laid on generous portions of bluster . Two things that were wrong about that ad immediately spring to mind:
i) The historical inaccuracy of the implication that a (second string) New Zealand player was killed by a tackle from a Munster player in 1978. That player is in fact still alive.
ii) The glorification of the idea of killing somebody with a rugby tackle - if that's the culture that pervades this deviant pursuit, it's no wonder conscientious parents are steering their children away from it in their droves.

Nevertheless I'm gutted for my beloved Qantas Wallabies, Coach Cheika, and Tallaght native, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, that the boys have lost this prestigious Autumn international (played in winter).

I'll be honest. That was from the Brendan Grace school of comedy. And not the Fr Fintan Stack section.

[tiempo]

While these games are taken seriously and aren't called friendlys, they're not a whole pile different to a friendly when it boils down to it. Will the Aussies lose much sleep over losing to us at the end of a long season? Not a chance. Would they rate it as more important than a match in the Rugby championship never mind the WC? Not a chance. The northern hemisphere teams rate these games higher than the southern but even then they're below the 6 nations games. Nice to win, esp beating two big teams back to back but ultimately meaningless

In international rugby the hierarchy of importance is as follows:

1.: The British Loins Tour - this is the absolute pinnacle, with well over a century of history and tradition attached to it - the one everybody dreams of playing in and winning.
2. The World Cup - the premier internatonal rugby knockout tournament.
3. The Three Nations Tournament - the four home unions do battle with the continentals.
4. The Autumn (winter) and Summer Test Matches. Ireland are traditionally very competitive in the Autumn (winter) matches. Not so good when it comes to the summer matches or 1, 2 and 3 above.

So you think a British Lions tour win would mean more to an International rugby player than winning the World Cup for their country? Really?

Representing your Empire in an event which dates back to 1888 is a bigger deal than representing your country in an event that dates back to 1987. This should be obvious.

The British Loins tour is the third biggest "sporting*" event in the world.

*Although rugby is not a sport, which is why I put the inverted commas in.

The Lions tour is a heritage event with plenty going for it but it's not above the RWC. To quote above "the one everybody dreams of playing in and winning" Well how can it be? the Frence, Argies, Italians, etc. are ineligible so they aren't dreaming of winning it.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

i think its definitely Well played Sidney!!

[gallsman]

i think its definitely Well played Sidney!!

Got to question how some people can bite at that alright

[Sidney]

While these games are taken seriously and aren't called friendlys, they're not a whole pile different to a friendly when it boils down to it. Will the Aussies lose much sleep over losing to us at the end of a long season? Not a chance. Would they rate it as more important than a match in the Rugby championship never mind the WC? Not a chance. The northern hemisphere teams rate these games higher than the southern but even then they're below the 6 nations games. Nice to win, esp beating two big teams back to back but ultimately meaningless

In international rugby the hierarchy of importance is as follows:

1.: The British Loins Tour - this is the absolute pinnacle, with well over a century of history and tradition attached to it - the one everybody dreams of playing in and winning.
2. The World Cup - the premier internatonal rugby knockout tournament.
3. The Three Nations Tournament - the four home unions do battle with the continentals.
4. The Autumn (winter) and Summer Test Matches. Ireland are traditionally very competitive in the Autumn (winter) matches. Not so good when it comes to the summer matches or 1, 2 and 3 above.

So you think a British Lions tour win would mean more to an International rugby player than winning the World Cup for their country? Really?

Representing your Empire in an event which dates back to 1888 is a bigger deal than representing your country in an event that dates back to 1987. This should be obvious.

The British Loins tour is the third biggest "sporting*" event in the world.

*Although rugby is not a sport, which is why I put the inverted commas in.

The Lions tour is a heritage event with plenty going for it but it's not above the RWC. To quote above "the one everybody dreams of playing in and winning" Well how can it be? the Frence, Argies, Italians, etc. are ineligible so they aren't dreaming of winning it.

And let us hope they are always ineligible. Foreign languages should never pollute a British Loins tour (apart, perhaps, from a smattering of Afrikaans). I particularly like it when a referee starts giving out yards in English to an Italian or Argentine prop who doesn't understand a word he's saying. It's a lovely way of reinforcing the cultural supremacy of rugby's Anglosphere.