The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Tony Baloney]

At underage there are players from at least 5 GAA club playing for Rainey, there are even more clubs represented at Armagh. Rugby at Catholic schools in the wee six is only starting to take off.

If it weren't young GAA players playing rugby, once the GAA season has finished,  a lot, if not most, rugby clubs would struggle to field at youth level.

I have 2 lads at rugby in Armagh and I know for a fact there are players on the minis and juniors (and they are among the best) from Harps, Ogs, Tullysaran, Granemore, Derrynoose, Clady etc etc. They come knowing how to run with a ball in hand, ship a tackle and aren't afraid of the rough stuff. The coaches love the kids from GAA clubs.

[Walter Cronc]

At underage there are players from at least 5 GAA club playing for Rainey, there are even more clubs represented at Armagh. Rugby at Catholic schools in the wee six is only starting to take off.

If it weren't young GAA players playing rugby, once the GAA season has finished,  a lot, if not most, rugby clubs would struggle to field at youth level.

Off the top of my head the GAA clubs which currently and have formerly supplied Rainey with players includes: Marafelt, Loup, Ballinderry, Ballymaguigan, Bellaghy, Desertmartin, Screen, Glen, Swatragh and Slaughtneil. I'm sure there are many others from South Derry and the lough shore.

[Harold Disgracey]

At underage there are players from at least 5 GAA club playing for Rainey, there are even more clubs represented at Armagh. Rugby at Catholic schools in the wee six is only starting to take off.

If it weren't young GAA players playing rugby, once the GAA season has finished,  a lot, if not most, rugby clubs would struggle to field at youth level.

I have 2 lads at rugby in Armagh and I know for a fact there are players on the minis and juniors (and they are among the best) from Harps, Ogs, Tullysaran, Granemore, Derrynoose, Clady etc etc. They come knowing how to run with a ball in hand, ship a tackle and aren't afraid of the rough stuff. The coaches love the kids from GAA clubs.

100% correct, my lad plays for the U16s at Armagh, also players there from Madden, Ballyhegan, Ballymacnab, Lissummon among others. 

[seafoid]

Try saying that anywhere now! I'd say a very high percentage, if not the majority, of underage club players in Ulster are from working class nationalist background. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone from a GAA background in Derry or Armagh make the Ireland senior team within the next few years.

Same in rural Leinster

Sean O Brien is from Co Carlow. A long way from black protestant tea

[foxcommander]

Yeah they play in the high profile O'Fiaich Cup instead,

That's a competition.

I wouldn't be getting worked up over winning one in any case.

It's about context and the rugby fellas are getting worked up about winning a friendly and becoming hypersensitive when this pointed out.

How come you don't refer to the ROI soccer team as the West British soccer team?

They don't line out under a bastardised flag and belt out a pub song written by the son of a peeler.

Ironic that you feel this way given that the Ireland rugby team is probably the one team that represents and is supported by people in the 32 counties of Ireland.

The rugger team represents west brits and unionists. .

Try saying that in Limerick

Why? Same goes for them doing some eggchasing. No wonder they do shag all in GAA these days when heads have been turned with that munster shite.

[JUst retired]

My daughter and 8 friends bought tickets for the allBlacks game in Dublin. These were bought weeks ago,and confirmed by email at the time.
On S Sunday past she received an email telling her her tickets were gone missing and there were no replacements available.If Ireland had lost to the All blacks would they have gone missing or is it a case of the price going up and some one cheating?!

[JoG2]

My daughter and 8 friends bought tickets for the allBlacks game in Dublin. These were bought weeks ago,and confirmed by email at the time.
On S Sunday past she received an email telling her her tickets were gone missing and there were no replacements available.If Ireland had lost to the All blacks would they have gone missing or is it a case of the price going up and some one cheating?!

the tickets will be bar coded surely. They go missing, cancel and renew 8 more

[Maroon Manc]

I've been told the All Blacks were missing several of their best 15 but how how many of Ireland's best 15 were missing?

[Walter Cronc]

I've been told the All Blacks were missing several of their best 15 but how how many of Ireland's best 15 were missing?

Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick are the only 2 NZ starters I can think of.

Ireland were missing 3 potential starters in Ian Henderson, Sean O'Brien and Peter O'Mahony

[AhNowRef]

I have to laugh at these ones that don't like rugby (which they have every right it's not everyone's cup of tea) are the ones getting most annoyed at this victory. If you don't like something just don't pass any remarks on it instead of getting a wee kick in your life by winding people up on a discussion forum. But whatever floats your boat I guess. . .

I find it odd that people are celebrating winning a non-competitive game like they have won the World Cup. I have to laugh at these people who treat the result as some sort of seismic moment in their sport, maybe it's telling of what matters in a niche game. A proper sport would not have an eyelid batted at such a trivial matter.

It's undeniably one of Ireland's greatest successes in any sport. It's obviously sad that you're not feeling that but the rest of us are on a high and are going to enjoy it.

Winning a friendly is one of Ireland's greatest sporting achievements?

The soccer team beat the World Champions in a competitive game last year, this is a global game and was a crucial result for the side in qualifying for a major competition.

Such is the mass appeal of football, you actually have to qualify for the major Championships - something three of the previous 6 champions failed to for Euro 2016 even when the competition was extended.

The nature of soccer means that an inferior team can occasionally beat a much better team which is what happened when ireland luckily beat germany. It was a freak result with ireland having very little of the ball and their goal leading a charmed life. The difference with this result is that we beat the world champions in a test match and it wasn't a fluke. Ireland's stats re possession, tackling, turnovers etc were all up there and better in most cases with new zealands. This was truly a performance and victory to be proud of.

Ireland beating Germany was not a fluke.

You're a strange one, belittling competitive wins of a substantive nature in a global sport yet putting a win in a non-competitive fixture over one of the other participants in a niche sports as one of the nation's greatest sporting achievements.

You're an even stranger one 

You slag off the Rugby team as being west brits yet Soccer seems to be fine in your view ... make yer mind up 

I'm an avid Tyrone supported all my life and also Ireland Rugby supporter, yet I somehow find it quite plausible to support both without it diminishing my views on the other ... Tyrone winning the AI in 2003 was my best sporting moment, closely followed by 2005 & 2008 ... Next is Ireland Rugby team winning the recent 6 nations GrandSlam & championships .. After that, Saturdays performance in "finally" beating the All Blacks is next (maybe even before the championship wins  )...

You must be on the wind up because surely everyone knows the difference between Test Rugby and inconsequential soccer friendlies ....

New Zealand could never beat the Springboks in a test series until 1956 but they still see that as one of their best (if not very best) tours ever,  as they finally beat them and got the monkey off their backs....  Can Ireland not feel a little pleased & proud for beating the best team in the world for the first time ever?

There are no friendlies in Rugby .. Ireland play competition Rugby in NH once a year (6 nations), The SH teams play each other once a year ... the NH teams play the SH teams in TEST rugby once (sometimes more) a year and occasionally teams tour areas on the other side of the planet to see who is the best .. usually the NH teams get tanked so its always nice to win one ... e.g. Ireland toured SA a few months back and won a game against the springboks for the first time ever in SA .. they actually could/should have won the series but its another sign things are going well for us at the minute..  (and he's called Joe Schmidt    )
Test Rugby also leads to seeding for the RWC which as Im sure you know is every 4 years ...

so basically, every Rugby game is important .. not just those in named competitions ..   If they were merely friendlies as you call them, the NH teams would only ever play the SH teams in competitive competition, once every 4 years at the RWC .... and thats just nuts Im afraid...

But Im pretty sure you're on the wind up ... or a Rugby player stole your girlfriend or something  ... it cant all be a west brit thing as you seem to have no trouble with "Saccer" 

[JUst retired]

Up date to previous post. Tickets were bought through Tickets rugby.com in June. The company say they will refund the money £900 but no tickets.They also will not cover expenses of train to Dublin. Obvious what they have done,beware if you use this company. The daughter and friends are talking lawyers something about advance selling.

[Il Bomber Destro]

I have to laugh at these ones that don't like rugby (which they have every right it's not everyone's cup of tea) are the ones getting most annoyed at this victory. If you don't like something just don't pass any remarks on it instead of getting a wee kick in your life by winding people up on a discussion forum. But whatever floats your boat I guess. . .

I find it odd that people are celebrating winning a non-competitive game like they have won the World Cup. I have to laugh at these people who treat the result as some sort of seismic moment in their sport, maybe it's telling of what matters in a niche game. A proper sport would not have an eyelid batted at such a trivial matter.

It's undeniably one of Ireland's greatest successes in any sport. It's obviously sad that you're not feeling that but the rest of us are on a high and are going to enjoy it.

Winning a friendly is one of Ireland's greatest sporting achievements?

The soccer team beat the World Champions in a competitive game last year, this is a global game and was a crucial result for the side in qualifying for a major competition.

Such is the mass appeal of football, you actually have to qualify for the major Championships - something three of the previous 6 champions failed to for Euro 2016 even when the competition was extended.

The nature of soccer means that an inferior team can occasionally beat a much better team which is what happened when ireland luckily beat germany. It was a freak result with ireland having very little of the ball and their goal leading a charmed life. The difference with this result is that we beat the world champions in a test match and it wasn't a fluke. Ireland's stats re possession, tackling, turnovers etc were all up there and better in most cases with new zealands. This was truly a performance and victory to be proud of.

Ireland beating Germany was not a fluke.

You're a strange one, belittling competitive wins of a substantive nature in a global sport yet putting a win in a non-competitive fixture over one of the other participants in a niche sports as one of the nation's greatest sporting achievements.

You're an even stranger one 

You slag off the Rugby team as being west brits yet Soccer seems to be fine in your view ... make yer mind up 

I'm an avid Tyrone supported all my life and also Ireland Rugby supporter, yet I somehow find it quite plausible to support both without it diminishing my views on the other ... Tyrone winning the AI in 2003 was my best sporting moment, closely followed by 2005 & 2008 ... Next is Ireland Rugby team winning the recent 6 nations GrandSlam & championships .. After that, Saturdays performance in "finally" beating the All Blacks is next (maybe even before the championship wins  )...

You must be on the wind up because surely everyone knows the difference between Test Rugby and inconsequential soccer friendlies ....

New Zealand could never beat the Springboks in a test series until 1956 but they still see that as one of their best (if not very best) tours ever,  as they finally beat them and got the monkey off their backs....  Can Ireland not feel a little pleased & proud for beating the best team in the world for the first time ever?

There are no friendlies in Rugby .. Ireland play competition Rugby in NH once a year (6 nations), The SH teams play each other once a year ... the NH teams play the SH teams in TEST rugby once (sometimes more) a year and occasionally teams tour areas on the other side of the planet to see who is the best .. usually the NH teams get tanked so its always nice to win one ... e.g. Ireland toured SA a few months back and won a game against the springboks for the first time ever in SA .. they actually could/should have won the series but its another sign things are going well for us at the minute..  (and he's called Joe Schmidt    )
Test Rugby also leads to seeding for the RWC which as Im sure you know is every 4 years ...

so basically, every Rugby game is important .. not just those in named competitions ..   If they were merely friendlies as you call them, the NH teams would only ever play the SH teams in competitive competition, once every 4 years at the RWC .... and thats just nuts Im afraid...

But Im pretty sure you're on the wind up ... or a Rugby player stole your girlfriend or something  ... it cant all be a west brit thing as you seem to have no trouble with "Saccer" 

The only difference I can understand between "test rugby" (lolz) and football friendlies is that as rugby is such a niche game with such a shallow playing and everything is so contrived about it then try and big up every single match. You had West British players crying after winning a dead rubber game against France in the World Cup the last time out before they went in as 8/13 favourites to win a knockout World Cup game (which they have never managed btw) and they got absolutely destroyed.

There are friendlies in rugby, they are non-competitive games. You would have be an idiot of bombastic proportions to be pedaling that line - there are no medals or tournament progression out of them, they are once off games that have no relevance. Only a joke of game would regards matches like this with any sense of prestige or importance.

The narrative of the West British rugby team is hilarious, they are consistently hyped up, they consistently fail to meet expectations, they have their merry band of apologists out excusing their failures time and time again, the minor successes they achieve are always blown way out of proportion. Ireland are one of the only countries in the world who take this eyesore of a game with any degree of seriousness yet their achievements are extremely average. The players are a bunch of steroid addled, arrogant pigs who believe their own hype.

For your own information, soccer friendlies also count towards seedings for World Cup - it's why my native Italy have been in the second pot for the World Cup and European Championships of late despite the fact we have not been beaten in over 50 qualifying games and have won one and reached the final of two of the last 6 major tournaments. Football nations view friendlies for the non-competitive games they are, the result is never important.

The reaction to the West British rugby side's win at the weekend just goes to show you the small minded, win-win the nation has with this bunch of arrogant under achievers.

The game is an eyesore and the new generation of rugby fans are among the biggest grouping of simpletons you will find on the planet.

[AhNowRef]

lmfao ... Keep er lit there bambino.. you're on a roll 

Brilliant stuff altogether  ... and to think for a while there I thought you were bitter about something    lmao

Its great to leave work in a good mood :-) ... thank you !!

[muppet]

Up date to previous post. Tickets were bought through Tickets rugby.com in June. The company say they will refund the money £900 but no tickets.They also will not cover expenses of train to Dublin. Obvious what they have done,beware if you use this company. The daughter and friends are talking lawyers something about advance selling.

Escalate that to f*ck. Lawyers, Radio, letters to papers, whatever.

I wouldn't care about losing money, just to make sure those b*stards never sold a ticket again. Think of Pat Hickey and his attitude while you are doing it.

[michaelg]

I have to laugh at these ones that don't like rugby (which they have every right it's not everyone's cup of tea) are the ones getting most annoyed at this victory. If you don't like something just don't pass any remarks on it instead of getting a wee kick in your life by winding people up on a discussion forum. But whatever floats your boat I guess. . .

I find it odd that people are celebrating winning a non-competitive game like they have won the World Cup. I have to laugh at these people who treat the result as some sort of seismic moment in their sport, maybe it's telling of what matters in a niche game. A proper sport would not have an eyelid batted at such a trivial matter.

It's undeniably one of Ireland's greatest successes in any sport. It's obviously sad that you're not feeling that but the rest of us are on a high and are going to enjoy it.

Winning a friendly is one of Ireland's greatest sporting achievements?

The soccer team beat the World Champions in a competitive game last year, this is a global game and was a crucial result for the side in qualifying for a major competition.

Such is the mass appeal of football, you actually have to qualify for the major Championships - something three of the previous 6 champions failed to for Euro 2016 even when the competition was extended.

The nature of soccer means that an inferior team can occasionally beat a much better team which is what happened when ireland luckily beat germany. It was a freak result with ireland having very little of the ball and their goal leading a charmed life. The difference with this result is that we beat the world champions in a test match and it wasn't a fluke. Ireland's stats re possession, tackling, turnovers etc were all up there and better in most cases with new zealands. This was truly a performance and victory to be proud of.

Ireland beating Germany was not a fluke.

You're a strange one, belittling competitive wins of a substantive nature in a global sport yet putting a win in a non-competitive fixture over one of the other participants in a niche sports as one of the nation's greatest sporting achievements.

You're an even stranger one 

You slag off the Rugby team as being west brits yet Soccer seems to be fine in your view ... make yer mind up 

I'm an avid Tyrone supported all my life and also Ireland Rugby supporter, yet I somehow find it quite plausible to support both without it diminishing my views on the other ... Tyrone winning the AI in 2003 was my best sporting moment, closely followed by 2005 & 2008 ... Next is Ireland Rugby team winning the recent 6 nations GrandSlam & championships .. After that, Saturdays performance in "finally" beating the All Blacks is next (maybe even before the championship wins  )...

You must be on the wind up because surely everyone knows the difference between Test Rugby and inconsequential soccer friendlies ....

New Zealand could never beat the Springboks in a test series until 1956 but they still see that as one of their best (if not very best) tours ever,  as they finally beat them and got the monkey off their backs....  Can Ireland not feel a little pleased & proud for beating the best team in the world for the first time ever?

There are no friendlies in Rugby .. Ireland play competition Rugby in NH once a year (6 nations), The SH teams play each other once a year ... the NH teams play the SH teams in TEST rugby once (sometimes more) a year and occasionally teams tour areas on the other side of the planet to see who is the best .. usually the NH teams get tanked so its always nice to win one ... e.g. Ireland toured SA a few months back and won a game against the springboks for the first time ever in SA .. they actually could/should have won the series but its another sign things are going well for us at the minute..  (and he's called Joe Schmidt    )
Test Rugby also leads to seeding for the RWC which as Im sure you know is every 4 years ...

so basically, every Rugby game is important .. not just those in named competitions ..   If they were merely friendlies as you call them, the NH teams would only ever play the SH teams in competitive competition, once every 4 years at the RWC .... and thats just nuts Im afraid...

But Im pretty sure you're on the wind up ... or a Rugby player stole your girlfriend or something  ... it cant all be a west brit thing as you seem to have no trouble with "Saccer" 

The only difference I can understand between "test rugby" (lolz) and football friendlies is that as rugby is such a niche game with such a shallow playing and everything is so contrived about it then try and big up every single match. You had West British players crying after winning a dead rubber game against France in the World Cup the last time out before they went in as 8/13 favourites to win a knockout World Cup game (which they have never managed btw) and they got absolutely destroyed.

There are friendlies in rugby, they are non-competitive games. You would have be an idiot of bombastic proportions to be pedaling that line - there are no medals or tournament progression out of them, they are once off games that have no relevance. Only a joke of game would regards matches like this with any sense of prestige or importance.

The narrative of the West British rugby team is hilarious, they are consistently hyped up, they consistently fail to meet expectations, they have their merry band of apologists out excusing their failures time and time again, the minor successes they achieve are always blown way out of proportion. Ireland are one of the only countries in the world who take this eyesore of a game with any degree of seriousness yet their achievements are extremely average. The players are a bunch of steroid addled, arrogant pigs who believe their own hype.

For your own information, soccer friendlies also count towards seedings for World Cup - it's why my native Italy have been in the second pot for the World Cup and European Championships of late despite the fact we have not been beaten in over 50 qualifying games and have won one and reached the final of two of the last 6 major tournaments. Football nations view friendlies for the non-competitive games they are, the result is never important.

The reaction to the West British rugby side's win at the weekend just goes to show you the small minded, win-win the nation has with this bunch of arrogant under achievers.

The game is an eyesore and the new generation of rugby fans are among the biggest grouping of simpletons you will find on the planet.

Do you support the Italian rugby team or are they a bunch of East Brits?