The IRISH RUGBY thread

[GetOverTheBar]

As a sunshine Rugby fan looking from the outside. The following amazes me:

How England and France are not miles ahead?

They are

How Ireland do as well as they do?

They had a golden period of 3 years, unfortunately the year off was the World Cup year. Beating the All Blacks was the reward for all that effort.

How Scotland kept going up to now?

Scotland have some genuinely World Class players, Finn Russel, Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland, Jonny Gray and Hamish Watson all arguably World Class and likely to be in the Lions Set Up

How long more can we put up with Italy?

I can't answer that one, but I don't think we should give up on them. Maybe another competition involving themselves, Georgia, Russia and Spain/Romania could be a go.

How the media are excited this week about an England/Ireland game that means nothing?

Political backdrop. Without the crowd its useless though....suppose they have to sell the product.

How every year we have more and more non Irish born playing for Ireland?

Think it's just a phase, the next generation of young Ireland players are on the way (I hope)....Baird, Baloucoune when he gets himself back into fitness won't be far away

[seafoid]

As a sunshine Rugby fan looking from the outside. The following amazes me:

How England and France are not miles ahead?

How Ireland do as well as they do?

How Scotland kept going up to now?

How long more can we put up with Italy?

How the media are excited this week about an England/Ireland game that means nothing?

How every year we have more and more non Irish born playing for Ireland?

England and France are building up towards the World Cup. You won't see England or France winning the GS the year before and showcasing their tactics to the world.
It's all about getting the panel organised at this stage.

[trailer]

As a sunshine Rugby fan looking from the outside. The following amazes me:

How England and France are not miles ahead?

How Ireland do as well as they do?

How Scotland kept going up to now?

How long more can we put up with Italy?

How the media are excited this week about an England/Ireland game that means nothing?

How every year we have more and more non Irish born playing for Ireland?

England and France are building up towards the World Cup. You won't see England or France winning the GS the year before and showcasing their tactics to the world.
It's all about getting the panel organised at this stage.

England won a grand slam in 2003 when they won the WC.

[seafoid]

As a sunshine Rugby fan looking from the outside. The following amazes me:

How England and France are not miles ahead?

How Ireland do as well as they do?

How Scotland kept going up to now?

How long more can we put up with Italy?

How the media are excited this week about an England/Ireland game that means nothing?

How every year we have more and more non Irish born playing for Ireland?

England and France are building up towards the World Cup. You won't see England or France winning the GS the year before and showcasing their tactics to the world.
It's all about getting the panel organised at this stage.

England won a grand slam in 2003 when they won the WC.

That was then. NZ were well off their RWC pace the year Ireland beat them. So were England .
England didn't care about this year's 6N either

[dublin7]

As a sunshine Rugby fan looking from the outside. The following amazes me:

How England and France are not miles ahead?

How Ireland do as well as they do?

How Scotland kept going up to now?

How long more can we put up with Italy?

How the media are excited this week about an England/Ireland game that means nothing?

How every year we have more and more non Irish born playing for Ireland?

England and France are building up towards the World Cup. You won't see England or France winning the GS the year before and showcasing their tactics to the world.
It's all about getting the panel organised at this stage.

England won a grand slam in 2003 when they won the WC.

That was then. NZ were well off their RWC pace the year Ireland beat them. So were England .
England didn't care about this year's 6N either

England do care about the 6 nations, as do all the other nations competing in it this year. There's meant to be a Lions tour coming up in the summer and that's a tour all the players want to be a part of. Having a good 6 nations campaign is important for alot of them who want to make it on the tour and test team. It was poor management/discipline that cost England against Scotland/Wales this year.

[trailer]

As a sunshine Rugby fan looking from the outside. The following amazes me:

How England and France are not miles ahead?

How Ireland do as well as they do?

How Scotland kept going up to now?

How long more can we put up with Italy?

How the media are excited this week about an England/Ireland game that means nothing?

How every year we have more and more non Irish born playing for Ireland?

England and France are building up towards the World Cup. You won't see England or France winning the GS the year before and showcasing their tactics to the world.
It's all about getting the panel organised at this stage.

England won a grand slam in 2003 when they won the WC.

That was then. NZ were well off their RWC pace the year Ireland beat them. So were England .
England didn't care about this year's 6N either

England do care about the 6 nations, as do all the other nations competing in it this year. There's meant to be a Lions tour coming up in the summer and that's a tour all the players want to be a part of. Having a good 6 nations campaign is important for alot of them who want to make it on the tour and test team. It was poor management/discipline that cost England against Scotland/Wales this year.

There's not a chance any side are going through the motions in a 6N in the year of WC.

[GetOverTheBar]

Stander retiring at end of this season.

That is a blow to the Irish and Munster teams. He is just 30 years old.

I don't think he's retiring. Wouldn't surprise me if he signs for someone else in a few months. All is not what it seems there.

[Gmac]

Stander retiring at end of this season.

That is a blow to the Irish and Munster teams. He is just 30 years old.

I don't think he's retiring. Wouldn't surprise me if he signs for someone else in a few months. All is not what it seems there.

he is retiring and I would say it has a lot to do with the way he plays and concussion risks and the fact he is ok now at 30 and wants to get out while he is .

[sid waddell]

As a sunshine Rugby fan looking from the outside. The following amazes me:

How England and France are not miles ahead?

How Ireland do as well as they do?

How Scotland kept going up to now?

How long more can we put up with Italy?

How the media are excited this week about an England/Ireland game that means nothing?

How every year we have more and more non Irish born playing for Ireland?

England and France are building up towards the World Cup. You won't see England or France winning the GS the year before and showcasing their tactics to the world.
It's all about getting the panel organised at this stage.

England won a grand slam in 2003 when they won the WC.

That was then. NZ were well off their RWC pace the year Ireland beat them. So were England .
England didn't care about this year's 6N either

England do care about the 6 nations, as do all the other nations competing in it this year. There's meant to be a Lions tour coming up in the summer and that's a tour all the players want to be a part of. Having a good 6 nations campaign is important for alot of them who want to make it on the tour and test team. It was poor management/discipline that cost England against Scotland/Wales this year.

There's not a chance any side are going through the motions in a 6N in the year of WC.

France did it in 1999 and they reached the final

England were pretty bad in the championship in 2007 and they reached the World Cup final

I've seen teams pretty much go through the motions in the World Cup group stage and then kick into life

England in 2007

France in 2011

To a lesser extent South Africa in 2019

[Estimator]

1987 - World Cup
France went into it as Grand Slam Champions

1991 - World Cup
England went into it as Grand Slam Champions

1995 - World Cup
England went into it as Grand Slam Champions

1999 - World Cup
France won the Grand Slam in '98 + '97

2003 - World Cup
England went into it as Grand Slam Champions

2007 - World Cup
France were 6nations Champions in '06 + '07

2011 - World Cup
France won the Grand Slam in 2010, England went into it as title holders

2015 - World Cup
Ireland were back-to-back title winners.
England won the Grand Slam the following year.

2019 - World Cup
Ireland were Grand Slam winners in 2018
Wales were Grand Slam winners in 2019

If every opinion on this board was taken as truth there would be no proper time to win a Grand Slam or 6 Nations C'ship....

I've read that winning one after a World Cup means nothing as the other side's are already thinking about their next 4yr cycle.

I've read that Ireland's 2009 GS victory meant nothing really as it was mid cycle and other teams were going through the motions.

Now we have teams that don't want to win the Grand Slam or Title in the year before the the World Cup or in a World Cup year.

So that's the 4 year cycle, no right time to win it, because either:
A. Other teams are future planning or
B. Other teams wouldn't be bringing their A game to showcase to the rest of the World.

[trailer]

1987 - World Cup
France went into it as Grand Slam Champions

1991 - World Cup
England went into it as Grand Slam Champions

1995 - World Cup
England went into it as Grand Slam Champions

1999 - World Cup
France won the Grand Slam in '98 + '97

2003 - World Cup
England went into it as Grand Slam Champions

2007 - World Cup
France were 6nations Champions in '06 + '07

2011 - World Cup
France won the Grand Slam in 2010, England went into it as title holders

2015 - World Cup
Ireland were back-to-back title winners.
England won the Grand Slam the following year.

2019 - World Cup
Ireland were Grand Slam winners in 2018
Wales were Grand Slam winners in 2019

If every opinion on this board was taken as truth there would be no proper time to win a Grand Slam or 6 Nations C'ship....

I've read that winning one after a World Cup means nothing as the other side's are already thinking about their next 4yr cycle.

I've read that Ireland's 2009 GS victory meant nothing really as it was mid cycle and other teams were going through the motions.

Now we have teams that don't want to win the Grand Slam or Title in the year before the the World Cup or in a World Cup year.

So that's the 4 year cycle, no right time to win it, because either:
A. Other teams are future planning or
B. Other teams wouldn't be bringing their A game to showcase to the rest of the World.

I think the take away is that these professional teams are going out to win every game and every competition. The idea that they're holding something in reserve for a WC is for the birds.

[thewobbler]

It's beyond silly.

Players should naturally retire (or be retired) after a WC. So too coaches. Their replacements come in and if they're not up to scratch it'll take a few years to find a balance, swooping potential starters in and out. This tinkering has a roughly equal chance of finally hearing fruit in years 1, 2, 3 or 4.... and not at all.

That it happens sometimes in a WC year really seems to f**k with some people's heads.

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/gordon-d-arcy-cj-stander-has-been-central-to-all-the-great-days-since-2016-1.4512263

In pro rugby eventually you need to pay the ferryman. The concussion stories, the early onset of dementia, being forced to go under the knife for corrective surgery on a mangled shoulder so you can carry your infant child, needing both hands to stand up from the dinner table, are just some of the issues that pursue rugby players into their forties and beyond.

[dublin7]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/gordon-d-arcy-cj-stander-has-been-central-to-all-the-great-days-since-2016-1.4512263

In pro rugby eventually you need to pay the ferryman. The concussion stories, the early onset of dementia, being forced to go under the knife for corrective surgery on a mangled shoulder so you can carry your infant child, needing both hands to stand up from the dinner table, are just some of the issues that pursue rugby players into their forties and beyond.

If you play sport for a large part of your adult life (not just at professional level) there's a good chance your body will pay the price in later life.

[6th sam]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/gordon-d-arcy-cj-stander-has-been-central-to-all-the-great-days-since-2016-1.4512263

In pro rugby eventually you need to pay the ferryman. The concussion stories, the early onset of dementia, being forced to go under the knife for corrective surgery on a mangled shoulder so you can carry your infant child, needing both hands to stand up from the dinner table, are just some of the issues that pursue rugby players into their forties and beyond.

If you play sport for a large part of your adult life (not just at professional level) there's a good chance your body will pay the price in later life.

No disrespect but that just isn't true. A very small percentage of sportspeople have significant health issues as a result of their sports participation. On the contrary  Those who don't take part in sport or exercise leave themselves vulnerable to significant health problems: obesity, arthritis , diabetes , blood pressure , heart disease , for starters.

Rugby is almost uniquely a recurrent high impact sport with no protective gear, and minimal rules protection .