The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Sidney]

You were doing so well until that last sentence 

On the contrary, I'm entirely correct.

Association football does have a far greater culture of respect.

Deliberately inflicting injury is an integral part of rugby. It isn't in association football.

Respect greater in soccer, your not serious? Practically every match involves at least one incident of feigning injury, players verbally abusing officials and players claiming for throw ins, corners that they know blatantly they are not entitled to. Yes its not as physical as rugby but it definitely doesn't have a culture of respect. Whilst I would be critical of rugby as a spectacle and have very little interest in watching it outside of the big European Cup and six nations matches (and thats mostly out of patriotism and the sense of accasion), there is definitely a healthier respect towards both the officials and the opponent.

Association football has a far greater culture of respect towards the opponent. Instances of serious foul play are rare whereas they are far more commonplace in rugby.

It was no secret before yesterday's match that France would target Sexton's head, and they were as good as their word. Pascal Pape's deliberate lunge with his knee has seemingly broken at least one vertebra in Jamie Heaslip's back. Heaslip himself is no stranger to kneeing opponents, as Richie McCaw, no angel himself found out. A quick Google of McCaw's name shows that a player in Australia has just today been suspended for stamping on him. These type of incidents are ten a penny. The prevailing culture in rugby is one that celebrates violence. It celebrates big hits like Bastareaud's yesterday and the Mike Brown collision. Rugby people chuckle at the so called "dark arts of the scrum". The culture is one of juicing up to make yourself as big as possible, hitting as hard as possible and if your opponent is injured, so much the better.

Isolated incidents can always be pointed out in soccer (most of them involving Chelsea) given that it is by far the world's most played sport, but they are almost always laughably trivial compared to the serious physical violence that frequently happens in rugby.

Any parent who lets their child play the game given its current culture is, frankly, nuts. The fact that so many people have been conned into believing this nonsense that it has a "culture of respect" which is supposedly so superior to soccer shows the power of propaganda. And it's lapped up by the aspirational classes who prefer their thuggery to come with a well spoken accent.

[lynchbhoy]

Shows that Ireland without odriscoll lack any flair to break through a defensive line.
However it also proves that in the modern game such flair is not needed, only expert organisation and defence, allied with a supreme kicking game and kicker.

Have to admit that rugby has gone as boring again as it was with the Ping pong kicking games in the late 80's.

What are the resolutions?
10 points for a try?
Less players on a team or bigger pitches?
The latter two ( either of them if applied - and I doubt if it would be enlarging pitches) would hopefully both be the death knell of the big unskilled mammoths, plus a return to open passing flair rugby. A by product of both would be less concussions and physical damage caused by collision.

Ireland should win the 6n at a canter. Never looked to be troubled yesterday and England right now are poor - so are wales. Scotland would be a real threat in a 13 a side game but not right now.
I'm wondering if as usual in rugby World Cup year, other sides are playing with one and a half eyes on the competition later this year.
That's what usually happens each World Cup year!

That's not even talking about all these concussions!

Rugby having so many substitutions these days just reminds me of American football!

[Sidney]

England right now are poor - so are wales.

Really? On what basis do you say that? England right now look like the only team who might challenge New Zealand in the World Cup (South Africa might have a very outside chance) and their match against Wales was by a long, long way the best match played in this championship so far.

[lynchbhoy]

Right now?
Not talking about then- just about right now!
Based on most of their first choice team key players missing?
Certainly not based on the disjointed error strewn game they are playing right now!
Ireland won't open the game up as it isn't in our interest, but I can see a controlled win by three penalties! England are not a cohesive unit yet
IMO

[seafoid]

You were doing so well until that last sentence 

On the contrary, I'm entirely correct.

Association football does have a far greater culture of respect.

Deliberately inflicting injury is an integral part of rugby. It isn't in association football.

Respect greater in soccer, your not serious? Practically every match involves at least one incident of feigning injury, players verbally abusing officials and players claiming for throw ins, corners that they know blatantly they are not entitled to. Yes its not as physical as rugby but it definitely doesn't have a culture of respect. Whilst I would be critical of rugby as a spectacle and have very little interest in watching it outside of the big European Cup and six nations matches (and thats mostly out of patriotism and the sense of accasion), there is definitely a healthier respect towards both the officials and the opponent.

Association football has a far greater culture of respect towards the opponent. Instances of serious foul play are rare whereas they are far more commonplace in rugby.

It was no secret before yesterday's match that France would target Sexton's head, and they were as good as their word. Pascal Pape's deliberate lunge with his knee has seemingly broken at least one vertebra in Jamie Heaslip's back. Heaslip himself is no stranger to kneeing opponents, as Richie McCaw, no angel himself found out. A quick Google of McCaw's name shows that a player in Australia has just today been suspended for stamping on him. These type of incidents are ten a penny. The prevailing culture in rugby is one that celebrates violence. It celebrates big hits like Bastareaud's yesterday and the Mike Brown collision. Rugby people chuckle at the so called "dark arts of the scrum". The culture is one of juicing up to make yourself as big as possible, hitting as hard as possible and if your opponent is injured, so much the better.

Isolated incidents can always be pointed out in soccer (most of them involving Chelsea) given that it is by far the world's most played sport, but they are almost always laughably trivial compared to the serious physical violence that frequently happens in rugby.

Any parent who lets their child play the game given its current culture is, frankly, nuts. The fact that so many people have been conned into believing this nonsense that it has a "culture of respect" which is supposedly so superior to soccer shows the power of propaganda. And it's lapped up by the aspirational classes who prefer their thuggery to come with a well spoken accent.

Even BBC glorifies the hits. Why don't they pay the same attention to the damage concussion does?
Rugby needs to be taken back from the IRB. They have no idea what they have created.

[Sidney]

Even BBC glorifies the hits. Why don't they pay the same attention to the damage concussion does?
Rugby needs to be taken back from the IRB. They have no idea what they have created.

This is a problem that is only going to get worse for rugby. The players are not going to get smaller.

[muppet]

Sean O'Brien is some man!

http://balls.ie/rugby/98562-gif-monstrous-sean-obrien-ruck-clear-out/

[michaelg]

Anybody think big Henderson should start.  If so, in the second row or back row?  Too good a player for 5 minutes at the end.

[lynchbhoy]

Anybody think big Henderson should start.  If so, in the second row or back row?  Too good a player for 5 minutes at the end.

Unlucky not to start
If he gets a bit more disciplined he prob is the best successor to oconnell

I think his abrasiveness is good, but too often for me he goes over the edge and in the modern game some of these refs blow penalties all day for this kind of thing ( yet seemingly deliberately miss offsides , forward passes and malicious tackles)
But a good player and prob will be starting next year IMO

[screenexile]

Anybody think big Henderson should start.  If so, in the second row or back row?  Too good a player for 5 minutes at the end.

Unlucky not to start
If he gets a bit more disciplined he prob is the best successor to oconnell

I think his abrasiveness is good, but too often for me he goes over the edge and in the modern game some of these refs blow penalties all day for this kind of thing ( yet seemingly deliberately miss offsides , forward passes and malicious tackles)
But a good player and prob will be starting next year IMO

I think he should be there instead of Toner!!

[lynchbhoy]

Anybody think big Henderson should start.  If so, in the second row or back row?  Too good a player for 5 minutes at the end.

Unlucky not to start
If he gets a bit more disciplined he prob is the best successor to oconnell

I think his abrasiveness is good, but too often for me he goes over the edge and in the modern game some of these refs blow penalties all day for this kind of thing ( yet seemingly deliberately miss offsides , forward passes and malicious tackles)
But a good player and prob will be starting next year IMO

I think he should be there instead of Toner!!

Coach obv doesn't.
He's too similar to oconnell and just needs to learn more discipline.
Can see him start next year if oconnell retires
IMO

[Keyser soze]

Anybody think big Henderson should start.  If so, in the second row or back row?  Too good a player for 5 minutes at the end.

Unlucky not to start
If he gets a bit more disciplined he prob is the best successor to oconnell

I think his abrasiveness is good, but too often for me he goes over the edge and in the modern game some of these refs blow penalties all day for this kind of thing ( yet seemingly deliberately miss offsides , forward passes and malicious tackles)
But a good player and prob will be starting next year IMO

I think he should be there instead of Toner!!

Coach obv doesn't.
He's too similar to oconnell and just needs to learn more discipline.
Can see him start next year if oconnell retires
IMO

Thought he was instumental in holding the line after he came on, France didnt look near as likely to scoring a try after his ontroduction.

[screenexile]

Guscott's take on things. . .

Vorsprung durch Joe Schmidt

The Irish team are like German engineering - they are efficient, they are reliable and you can count on them to do a really good job.
There is nothing spectacular about their play at the moment. It is prescriptive - head coach Joe Schmidt has nailed down every bit of detail - but without being boring.

2015 Six Nations: Ireland 18-11 France
The players look incredibly fit, and they look energetic and happy in their work. Their defence is solid - they have conceded one try in their two games - and when they are backed up by kicking as good as Jonathan Sexton's and Conor Murray's, it makes a team difficult to overcome.
The England game in a fortnight is going to be like a game of chess with both sides looking for that checkmate move.
England probably have a few more X-Factor players who can win a game in a short amount of time and little space, but you have to weigh that against the collective strength of an Ireland side who have won their last nine Tests.
It is difficult to call, but, at home, Ireland are going to be tough to crack.

For all England's bish bash bosh Guscott reckons they have more game breakers than us. . . and at the minute you'd have to say he's right!

[johnneycool]

Guscott's take on things. . .

Vorsprung durch Joe Schmidt

The Irish team are like German engineering - they are efficient, they are reliable and you can count on them to do a really good job.
There is nothing spectacular about their play at the moment. It is prescriptive - head coach Joe Schmidt has nailed down every bit of detail - but without being boring.

2015 Six Nations: Ireland 18-11 France
The players look incredibly fit, and they look energetic and happy in their work. Their defence is solid - they have conceded one try in their two games - and when they are backed up by kicking as good as Jonathan Sexton's and Conor Murray's, it makes a team difficult to overcome.
The England game in a fortnight is going to be like a game of chess with both sides looking for that checkmate move.
England probably have a few more X-Factor players who can win a game in a short amount of time and little space, but you have to weigh that against the collective strength of an Ireland side who have won their last nine Tests.
It is difficult to call, but, at home, Ireland are going to be tough to crack.

For all England's bish bash bosh Guscott reckons they have more game breakers than us. . . and at the minute you'd have to say he's right!

In Mike Brown and Billy Twelvetrees, they've two very good game breakers, Twelvetrees doesn't even start most of the time now. After that the winger Johnny whatever, doesn't get a ball unless he's returning a kick as his centres don't pass the feckin thing!

[AZOffaly]

That centre Joseph looks fairly quick too.