The IRISH RUGBY thread

[deiseach]

Well, Larry Tompkins AND Shay Fahy...

[seafoid]

If they wanted to naturalise Sonny Bill Williams fast track the Larry Tompkins precedent would mean nobody could complain.

[deiseach]

I think people would object to Sonny Bill Williams becoming One Of Our Own, because it would be so goddamn blatant.

[seafoid]

I think people would object to Sonny Bill Williams becoming One Of Our Own, because it would be so goddamn blatant.

the money in the game is blatanter

[Walter Cronc]

Another head injury to Sexton. Will someone teach that man how to tackle correctly! ROG used to get slated but at least he had to bottle to go low. This 'pawing' by Sexton leaves him open to forearm smashes and head on head collisions.

Starting to get worried about the 6 nations. The Welsh game is massive! It really is a must win or we could be looking at 4th place (that's not to say the Scotland game is by any means a gimme)

[gallsman]

Another head injury to Sexton. Will someone teach that man how to tackle correctly! ROG used to get slated but at least he had to bottle to go low. This 'pawing' by Sexton leaves him open to forearm smashes and head on head collisions.

Starting to get worried about the 6 nations. The Welsh game is massive! It really is a must win or we could be looking at 4th place (that's not to say the Scotland game is by any means a gimme)

Sexton will be gone in the not too distant future I think. He's 30 at this stage and has had to deal with way more head injuries, especially in such a short space of time than any player should.

[Walter Cronc]

Another head injury to Sexton. Will someone teach that man how to tackle correctly! ROG used to get slated but at least he had to bottle to go low. This 'pawing' by Sexton leaves him open to forearm smashes and head on head collisions.

Starting to get worried about the 6 nations. The Welsh game is massive! It really is a must win or we could be looking at 4th place (that's not to say the Scotland game is by any means a gimme)

Sexton will be gone in the not too distant future I think. He's 30 at this stage and has had to deal with way more head injuries, especially in such a short space of time than any player should.

He's not helping his cause though with his poor technique.

[Dinny Breen]

Another head injury to Sexton. Will someone teach that man how to tackle correctly! ROG used to get slated but at least he had to bottle to go low. This 'pawing' by Sexton leaves him open to forearm smashes and head on head collisions.

Starting to get worried about the 6 nations. The Welsh game is massive! It really is a must win or we could be looking at 4th place (that's not to say the Scotland game is by any means a gimme)

Sexton will be gone in the not too distant future I think. He's 30 at this stage and has had to deal with way more head injuries, especially in such a short space of time than any player should.

He's not helping his cause though with his poor technique.

Sexton doesn't have poor technique, he is actually quite aggressive in the tackle and chooses to go high as at 6ft 2 he is physically capable of holding up players. This will either result in a choke tackle and turnover or a worst slowing down the ruck as the opposition player fights to get to the crowd. Brave to a fault now. Sexton should retire.

I would also change the laws and penalize the choke tackle as it encourages players to go high.

[Longshanks]

Another head injury to Sexton. Will someone teach that man how to tackle correctly! ROG used to get slated but at least he had to bottle to go low. This 'pawing' by Sexton leaves him open to forearm smashes and head on head collisions.

Starting to get worried about the 6 nations. The Welsh game is massive! It really is a must win or we could be looking at 4th place (that's not to say the Scotland game is by any means a gimme)

Sexton will be gone in the not too distant future I think. He's 30 at this stage and has had to deal with way more head injuries, especially in such a short space of time than any player should.

He's not helping his cause though with his poor technique.

Sexton doesn't have poor technique, he is actually quite aggressive in the tackle and chooses to go high as at 6ft 2 he is physically capable of holding up players. This will either result in a choke tackle and turnover or a worst slowing down the ruck as the opposition player fights to get to the crowd. Brave to a fault now. Sexton should retire.

I would also change the laws and penalize the choke tackle as it encourages players to go high.

Totally agree regarding why sometimes he tackles high but would common sense or some of the coaches not be looking at his game and saying in order to prolong your career adapt your tackling style so as to be hit so much high and go lower in the tackle??

[AZOffaly]

Change it to what Dinny? If you eliminate the choke tackle, are you not encouraging a maul, and the dangerous practice of bringing down mauls?

Sexton should retire. I know from my own experience that you pick up your third concussion easier than your second. He's had 4 now, I think, in about a year.

[Walter Cronc]

Poor technique or good technique (we'll agree to disagree on that) its doing himself or Leinster/Ireland no favours for a few potential penalties via the choke tackle. Somethings gotta give and he may pay the price down the line.

[Walter Cronc]

Change it to what Dinny? If you eliminate the choke tackle, are you not encouraging a maul, and the dangerous practice of bringing down mauls?

Sexton should retire. I know from my own experience that you pick up your third concussion easier than your second. He's had 4 now, I think, in about a year.

Think its his 5th AZ. Could be wrong though.

[AZOffaly]

Either way, that's too much. The NFL has had many lads retire due to concussions, and they are leaving big money behind in some cases. (Steve Young maybe the highest profile back in the late 90s). I'd be worried that he's doing damage to himself. Feck rugby, he has a life to live, and a wife and child.

[Dinny Breen]

Change it to what Dinny? If you eliminate the choke tackle, are you not encouraging a maul, and the dangerous practice of bringing down mauls?

Sexton should retire. I know from my own experience that you pick up your third concussion easier than your second. He's had 4 now, I think, in about a year.

I would change the laws not the tackle so that it became illegal to execute a choke tackle on a player. The fact you turnover the ball from it means players will try to execute it. Therefore it encourages players to go high increasing the risk of head to head or shoulder to head or forearm to head contact. Players are getting bigger and quicker in the professional game. Concussions in the amateur game have probably risen but that is down now to more public awareness and education. A suspected concussion is 3 weeks out no questions asked or if u20 3weeks + 1 day (effectively 4 weeks).

[AZOffaly]

But a 'choke' tackle is effectively just creating a maul, with the intention of winning a scrum. If you outlaw it, how do you legislate for mauls, and do you encourage teams to just try maul the ball, even from open play? Especially if you say that the team bringing the ball in will get the ball back via scum if the mall is legally brought down?