The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Owen Brannigan]

Taliking to an Ulster fan, he thought that Ulster don't get a fair shake when it comes to team selection. I don't know enough to comment. What do others think?

There is an element of truth to it but both Munster and particularly Connacht have a similar claim given the apparent specific  allegiance of JS towards his Leinster players.

Ulster players probably have suffered because the team has not performed at European level and have been very inconsistent.  Not sure how much of this is due to the management. Certainly, the removal of McLaughlin by Humphries, the Anscombe affair and Doak holding the line for Kiss as the IRFU man have had a detrimental effect on bringing Ulster to a higher level.  When Kiss gets his own choice of coaches on board he will have no excuse.

Henderson has not been fully used by JS until the recent games as he has held on to Toner who has been more exposed in the absence of O'Connell.  Ulster has been given its share of the IRFU academy players and so in the next few years it should see more moving to the Ireland squad.  Trimble and Bowe have contributed to Ireland but age is now their enemy. 

[passedit]

I realise Ireland's world cup history is poor but I still think Ireland are punching above their weight. Resources wise Ireland a long way behind NZ, Aus, SA, England & France so to beating many of these teams as often as they do surely indicates that their punching above their weight. I'm far from an expert on Rugby Union but Ireland appear to have a brilliant structure with the players only spread across 4 teams which appears to have certainly benefitted them rather than hindered.

I do think there is some sort of middle ground between those who get far too carried away with a win and those who are always talking down any sort of good result.

Drico has the answer.
http://irishpost.co.uk/rugby-brian-odriscoll-ireland-gaelic-football-new-zealand/

IRISH rugby legend Brian O'Driscoll has suggested that Ireland will never be able to challenge the likes of New Zealand unless the country gives up Gaelic football.

O'Driscoll was speaking on Newstalk's Off the Ball programme last night following the weekend victory over England, as Ireland ended a disappointing Six Nations campaign on a high.

Ireland, currently ranked fourth in the world, entered the tournament full of expectation following victories over New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in the last 12 months.

However defeats to Scotland and Wales in the opening two games scuppered Championship hopes and O'Driscoll believes Ireland are already punching above their weight and will never compete consistently at the top level unless sacrifices are made.

"We are a nation of five-and-a-half, six million people, it's our fourth choice sport and yet we're fourth in the world... for us to be a top seed in a pool for a World Cup is absolutely monumental," said the former Leinster centre.

"[But] we're not far off peaking out. We really aren't. Are we ever going to be the consistent level of New Zealand? No we're not. I just don't think we are.

"I don't think fundamentally we have the groundwork done in our players, I don't think we've got the depth of players, I don't think we've the player numbers to be able to facilitate that level of competition, to drive the standards that high.

"And unless we decide to give up other sports, particularly Gaelic football, and pool all those resources into rugby, I don't think we can ever get to that point.

"We love [rugby] but we're not obsessed by it."

While O'Driscoll was perhaps speaking notionally to stress the amount of effort and resources required for a small nation to consistently challenge the likes of New Zealand, is he right in suggesting that Ireland have, or will soon, peak?

Although they have a population four times that of Ireland, O'Driscoll did admit on On the Ball that in Australia, like Ireland, rugby is only the fourth most popular sport – yet they have reached four World Cup finals out of eight, winning two.
What do you think? Should we take Drico at his word and go for broke, ditch the GAA and become big hitters in rugby rather than always punching above our weight? Let us know in the comments below or email editor@irishpost.co.uk

[seafoid]

Gaelic football is already morphing into rugby league so rugby union may be just a few more years away

[magpie seanie]

That article by Drico was pathetic.

[yellowcard]

I know sometimes we go OTT on the state of the modern game of Gaelic football in terms of the amount of hand passing and defensive play in todays game. However it is still way more entertaining than a game of rugby which is 95% crash bang wallop stuff. Leaving aside the sense of patriotism, I didn't watch one decent game of rugby during the entire 6 nations. It has become a game of pure brute force of ignorance but clever marketing and promotion makes it look attractive to impressionable youngsters. A good proportion of the fan base are also aspirational middle class event junkies who like to be associated with this product which all adds to the attraction for some. Brian O Driscoll might yearn for rugby to be the top sport in the country but thank god it's well down the pecking order.

[Walter Cronc]

Yellow card give over man. Christ I'm sick to the balls of this middle class event junkies nonsense. Have you been to any Ireland games of late. I was in Cardiff and I'll tell you now it was mostly working men and women who sacrificed a day off work and paid flights, hotels, trains etc to be there and support their team. Stop bringing the class element into it.

If you want to go down that road then why not question the blazers who sit in the posh seats in county grounds or Croker come the summer. Plenty of snobbery exists within the GAA. The Casement project being one example!

[BarryBreensBandage]

Yellow card give over man. Christ I'm sick to the balls of this middle class event junkies nonsense. Have you been to any Ireland games of late. I was in Cardiff and I'll tell you now it was mostly working men and women who sacrificed a day off work and paid flights, hotels, trains etc to be there and support their team. Stop bringing the class element into it.

If you want to go down that road then why not question the blazers who sit in the posh seats in county grounds or Croker come the summer. Plenty of snobbery exists within the GAA. The Casement project being one example!

+1 Walter. There was some crack in the pubs in Newry on Saturday night, the Rugby match being the main reason for that. Allowed us to forget about the Down defeat...

[BarryBreensBandage]

I wasn't sticking the boot in, just struggling to reconcile the oft-stated opinion that Ireland are one of the best teams in Rugby with the fact they have NEVER won a knockout World Cup game, as well as the wild Irish celebrating after England won the Six Nations Title.

Still can't understand it and haven't received a satisfactory explanation tbh.

Can you reconcile with emotion Stallion? Jimmy White was one of the best snooker players I ever seen, but do you disregard his career and the enjoyment of watching him play because he never won the world championship?

I could go on, especially within the GAA - Declan Browne, Matty Forde, Derek Duggan, Benny Coulter etc., - all consigned to the dustbin because they didn't win the All Ireland?

But I am not going to go on, because you like stats - well, between England and the perennial greatest All Blacks -  36 times they played the best of the world of Rugby (friendly and competitive) and no-one could beat them. That is the best 23 players from the best Rugby playing nations in the world.

The only team that could beat them was a team from Ireland, 32 counties and all.

Take into consideration that one of these victories that this All-Ireland team achieved was the first ever in the history of Irish Rugby, a feat that none of the great Irish teams could achieve in the past.  And that the other prevented the first back to back grand slams by any team in the Six Nations era - and that it was Ireland that stopped England.

If these considerations do not raise any sense of celebration or joy in you - then you are a rock my friend.

I think it was applesisapples that said it correctly - I am glad I am one of those that can enjoy this sort of occasion.

[PW Nally]

I wasn't sticking the boot in, just struggling to reconcile the oft-stated opinion that Ireland are one of the best teams in Rugby with the fact they have NEVER won a knockout World Cup game, as well as the wild Irish celebrating after England won the Six Nations Title.

Still can't understand it and haven't received a satisfactory explanation tbh.

Can you reconcile with emotion Stallion? Jimmy White was one of the best snooker players I ever seen, but do you disregard his career and the enjoyment of watching him play because he never won the world championship?

I could go on, especially within the GAA - Declan Browne, Matty Forde, Derek Duggan, Benny Coulter etc., - all consigned to the dustbin because they didn't win the All Ireland?

But I am not going to go on, because you like stats - well, between England and the perennial greatest All Blacks -  36 times they played the best of the world of Rugby (friendly and competitive) and no-one could beat them. That is the best 23 players from the best Rugby playing nations in the world.

The only team that could beat them was a team from Ireland, 32 counties and all.

Take into consideration that one of these victories that this All-Ireland team achieved was the first ever in the history of Irish Rugby, a feat that none of the great Irish teams could achieve in the past.  And that the other prevented the first back to back grand slams by any team in the Six Nations era - and that it was Ireland that stopped England.

If these considerations do not raise any sense of celebration or joy in you - then you are a rock my friend.

I think it was applesisapples that said it correctly - I am glad I am one of those that can enjoy this sort of occasion.

Ah come on now!!

[Syferus]

I wasn't sticking the boot in, just struggling to reconcile the oft-stated opinion that Ireland are one of the best teams in Rugby with the fact they have NEVER won a knockout World Cup game, as well as the wild Irish celebrating after England won the Six Nations Title.

Still can't understand it and haven't received a satisfactory explanation tbh.

Can you reconcile with emotion Stallion? Jimmy White was one of the best snooker players I ever seen, but do you disregard his career and the enjoyment of watching him play because he never won the world championship?

I could go on, especially within the GAA - Declan Browne, Matty Forde, Derek Duggan, Benny Coulter etc., - all consigned to the dustbin because they didn't win the All Ireland?

But I am not going to go on, because you like stats - well, between England and the perennial greatest All Blacks -  36 times they played the best of the world of Rugby (friendly and competitive) and no-one could beat them. That is the best 23 players from the best Rugby playing nations in the world.

The only team that could beat them was a team from Ireland, 32 counties and all.

Take into consideration that one of these victories that this All-Ireland team achieved was the first ever in the history of Irish Rugby, a feat that none of the great Irish teams could achieve in the past.  And that the other prevented the first back to back grand slams by any team in the Six Nations era - and that it was Ireland that stopped England.

If these considerations do not raise any sense of celebration or joy in you - then you are a rock my friend.

I think it was applesisapples that said it correctly - I am glad I am one of those that can enjoy this sort of occasion.

Ah come on now!!

Mayo would come have had their AI if they had a player of Duggan's ability in their forwards. He'll be talked about long after the Dillons and Dohertys are forgotten.

[The Stallion]

I wasn't sticking the boot in, just struggling to reconcile the oft-stated opinion that Ireland are one of the best teams in Rugby with the fact they have NEVER won a knockout World Cup game, as well as the wild Irish celebrating after England won the Six Nations Title.

Still can't understand it and haven't received a satisfactory explanation tbh.

Can you reconcile with emotion Stallion? Jimmy White was one of the best snooker players I ever seen, but do you disregard his career and the enjoyment of watching him play because he never won the world championship?

I could go on, especially within the GAA - Declan Browne, Matty Forde, Derek Duggan, Benny Coulter etc., - all consigned to the dustbin because they didn't win the All Ireland?

But I am not going to go on, because you like stats - well, between England and the perennial greatest All Blacks -  36 times they played the best of the world of Rugby (friendly and competitive) and no-one could beat them. That is the best 23 players from the best Rugby playing nations in the world.

The only team that could beat them was a team from Ireland, 32 counties and all.

Take into consideration that one of these victories that this All-Ireland team achieved was the first ever in the history of Irish Rugby, a feat that none of the great Irish teams could achieve in the past.  And that the other prevented the first back to back grand slams by any team in the Six Nations era - and that it was Ireland that stopped England.

If these considerations do not raise any sense of celebration or joy in you - then you are a rock my friend.

I think it was applesisapples that said it correctly - I am glad I am one of those that can enjoy this sort of occasion.

I enjoyed watching Jimmy White, Forde etc. I'm not sure what that has to do with anything though. Ireland play a really dull and unadventurous brand of rugby, so not only are they not a genuinely great team, they are also hard to watch. This was not the case with White, Forde etc.

[Dinny Breen]

It's our current snowflake knee jerk culture championed by Eamon Dunphy Joe Brolly Pat Spillane and George Hook. People who subscribe to this culture don't goto games and get their opinions from TV. They genuinely seem to believe the only barometer of success is winning trophies. Sport like life should always be about the journey never the destination.

[Walter Cronc]

I wasn't sticking the boot in, just struggling to reconcile the oft-stated opinion that Ireland are one of the best teams in Rugby with the fact they have NEVER won a knockout World Cup game, as well as the wild Irish celebrating after England won the Six Nations Title.

Still can't understand it and haven't received a satisfactory explanation tbh.

Can you reconcile with emotion Stallion? Jimmy White was one of the best snooker players I ever seen, but do you disregard his career and the enjoyment of watching him play because he never won the world championship?

I could go on, especially within the GAA - Declan Browne, Matty Forde, Derek Duggan, Benny Coulter etc., - all consigned to the dustbin because they didn't win the All Ireland?

But I am not going to go on, because you like stats - well, between England and the perennial greatest All Blacks -  36 times they played the best of the world of Rugby (friendly and competitive) and no-one could beat them. That is the best 23 players from the best Rugby playing nations in the world.

The only team that could beat them was a team from Ireland, 32 counties and all.

Take into consideration that one of these victories that this All-Ireland team achieved was the first ever in the history of Irish Rugby, a feat that none of the great Irish teams could achieve in the past.  And that the other prevented the first back to back grand slams by any team in the Six Nations era - and that it was Ireland that stopped England.

If these considerations do not raise any sense of celebration or joy in you - then you are a rock my friend.

I think it was applesisapples that said it correctly - I am glad I am one of those that can enjoy this sort of occasion.

I enjoyed watching Jimmy White, Forde etc. I'm not sure what that has to do with anything though. Ireland play a really dull and unadventurous brand of rugby, so not only are they not a genuinely great team, they are also hard to watch. This was not the case with White, Forde etc.

Did you play ever rugby Stallion? How would you know what is dull and whats not?

[Taylor]

Ireland under JS are dull to watch in the main.
Bar the Italy & England games Ireland in the 6N were dull as dishwasher and that is down to the tactics.
Irrespective watching them beat Eddie Jones & the English on Saturday should give any Irishman with a pulse great satisfaction.

As a small country and considering the number of available players we are over-achieving.

If BOD could get shot of GAA though we could be much better 

[Walter Cronc]

Ah Taylor and Stallion.....the padded cell awaits!