The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Milltown Row2]

Georgia wtf! You'll be looking Romania in next!

Italy just hasn't made by he jump, they should be relegated and just have a 5 nations again

[sid waddell]

With Scotland being the only one of the Home Nations to have a remaining Six Nations fixture, attention will now inevitably turn to the pinnacle of the sport and of sport, the British Lions Tour, and what a fascinating couple of weeks it has been in that regard

This day last week you would not have had many Irish in the shake up for one of the prized Test Match starting spots in South Africa, but several of our boys have now put their hands up in a big way, most notably Robbie Henshaw

Jonny Sexton is now firmly in the frame to start at 10 once again and he may well once again team up with Conor Murray

Tadhg Furlong is a certainty for tight head

James Ryan and Iain Henderson will be in the conversation for second row but I would expect Maro Itoje and the peerless Alun Wyn Jones to get the nod - with Jones as captain

A tremendous Celtic battle awaits for the full-back spot between Stuart Hogg and Liam Williams while despite England's defeat today the claims of Owen Farrell and Elliott Daly with their place kicking prowess will be difficult to overlook

But who could leave out the ever dependable Jonathan Davies

As ever, we should expect a couple of "bolters" from the blue to make it into the squad - Louis Rees Zammit from Wales has stuck his hand up - but will Gatty look even further afield - if GAA doesn't restart, a speedster like Jack McCaffrey could do a job on the wing, Brian Fenton would be a terrific utility back - covering a number of positions is always an advantage - while Con O'Callaghan is made for the crash ball at centre

Gearoid Hegarty would be a monster of a back row forward and coming from Limerick you'd think he surely knows his rugby

I'm very conservative about Covid and fervently pro-restrictions but I feel it would be a great nod to the traditional savagery and attritional nature of ye olde British Lions tours for it to go ahead as normal with full crowds, and with it being a more arduous trip than it usually would be this year, they might as well play the traditional full quota of 25 matches while they're out there, the dirt trackers of the midweek team are just as important to the overall success of a tour

It would be a great tribute to the very first British Lions captain, Robert Seddon, who drowned while leading his men in Australia in 1887

A true survival of the fittest in the harsh, barren colonial lands, as it was always intended to be

[quit yo jibbajabba]

There was a film i watched one time where the first half was really good then a vampire appeared and it turned into total shite. Pacino was maybe in it. That last post reminded me of that film

[Milltown Row2]

There was a film i watched one time where the first half was really good then a vampire appeared and it turned into total shite. Pacino was maybe in it. That last post reminded me of that film

None of that film above was good at all, it's the type of story that's been thought up while having a shit

[screenexile]

There was a film i watched one time where the first half was really good then a vampire appeared and it turned into total shite. Pacino was maybe in it. That last post reminded me of that film

It was George Clooney!!

[tonto1888]

With Scotland being the only one of the Home Nations to have a remaining Six Nations fixture, attention will now inevitably turn to the pinnacle of the sport and of sport, the British Lions Tour, and what a fascinating couple of weeks it has been in that regard

This day last week you would not have had many Irish in the shake up for one of the prized Test Match starting spots in South Africa, but several of our boys have now put their hands up in a big way, most notably Robbie Henshaw

Jonny Sexton is now firmly in the frame to start at 10 once again and he may well once again team up with Conor Murray

Tadhg Furlong is a certainty for tight head

James Ryan and Iain Henderson will be in the conversation for second row but I would expect Maro Itoje and the peerless Alun Wyn Jones to get the nod - with Jones as captain

A tremendous Celtic battle awaits for the full-back spot between Stuart Hogg and Liam Williams while despite England's defeat today the claims of Owen Farrell and Elliott Daly with their place kicking prowess will be difficult to overlook

But who could leave out the ever dependable Jonathan Davies

As ever, we should expect a couple of "bolters" from the blue to make it into the squad - Louis Rees Zammit from Wales has stuck his hand up - but will Gatty look even further afield - if GAA doesn't restart, a speedster like Jack McCaffrey could do a job on the wing, Brian Fenton would be a terrific utility back - covering a number of positions is always an advantage - while Con O'Callaghan is made for the crash ball at centre

Gearoid Hegarty would be a monster of a back row forward and coming from Limerick you'd think he surely knows his rugby

I'm very conservative about Covid and fervently pro-restrictions but I feel it would be a great nod to the traditional savagery and attritional nature of ye olde British Lions tours for it to go ahead as normal with full crowds, and with it being a more arduous trip than it usually would be this year, they might as well play the traditional full quota of 25 matches while they're out there, the dirt trackers of the midweek team are just as important to the overall success of a tour

It would be a great tribute to the very first British Lions captain, Robert Seddon, who drowned while leading his men in Australia in 1887

A true survival of the fittest in the harsh, barren colonial lands, as it was always intended to be

Did you just call the lions the pinnacle of sport haha? And also, isn't it the British and Irish Lions?

[quit yo jibbajabba]

There was a film i watched one time where the first half was really good then a vampire appeared and it turned into total shite. Pacino was maybe in it. That last post reminded me of that film

It was George Clooney!!

That one fits perfect too tbh  😃
Devils Advocate? Had to google (twas the devil not a vampire my bad)

[Aristo 60]

From Dusk till Dawn

[seafoid]

The Six nations have recenttly got into bed with private equity. The IRFU got €50m . There is more TV money with 3 matches per round.

Surely the 6N have the imagination to bring Italy up to scratch. The IRFU had the same issue with Connacht 20 or so years ago. They allowed players from the other provinces to be transferred , similar to the system in English soccer. It worked quite well

Ireland could lend Italy Paddy or Carty.

[johnnycool]

From Dusk till Dawn

Great movie;

[johnnycool]

well done the goys and the win over England. A few passages of play when we passed the ball and offloaded rather than crash ball all the time and also a bit of ingenuity with the lineout allowing Earls to score a fantastic try had England all at sea. Good to see.

Seeing the English scrum getting pushed up it's own arse and hearing Brian Moore commend it for doing so gives some sort of payback the night the English scrum almost crippled the Ireland one when John Hayes wasn't fit.

Not that I'm complaining but the English teams ability to give away penalties at the most inopportune time all 6N's and then not to correct it as if it is the referees fault for blowing them up for it week in week out staggers into the beyond stupid at this stage. Unless they've someone else in mind Eddie Jones is still safe for another while..

The France/Wales game was a belter and IMO the referee was favouring Wales with his onfield decisions that Wales had a good grounding with the TMO (Barnes) having to prove beyond doubt that it wasn't grounded which he couldn't do. The French red was a red, can't be putting your fingers in and around an eye socket and pulling the lad backwards doing so but I felt the referee should have been showing the yellows to the Welsh for persistent fouling before that and when he finally did the French got the two tries they needed to get the bonus point win.
It would be typical of the French to not get the bonus point win against the Scots this friday night all the same.

[GetOverTheBar]

One of the best games you'll ever see France v Wales. Actually felt gutted for the Welsh but they got caught trying to run the clock down. I thought the referee Luke Pearce was probably the man of the match. The game had everything. Typified French rugby, class, style, anarchy with a hint of self destruction.

Well done to Ireland on beating England out the gate, didn't see it coming, thought they might have nicked the game if anything but it was a whitewash. Was glad to see Farrell getting a result, I think he needed it. Were England rubbish or did Ireland just outperform them?

As for South Africa joining the 6N, why would they leave the Rugby Championship? Arguably a better level of competition.

[johnnycool]

One of the best games you'll ever see France v Wales. Actually felt gutted for the Welsh but they got caught trying to run the clock down. I thought the referee Luke Pearce was probably the man of the match. The game had everything. Typified French rugby, class, style, anarchy with a hint of self destruction.

Well done to Ireland on beating England out the gate, didn't see it coming, thought they might have nicked the game if anything but it was a whitewash. Was glad to see Farrell getting a result, I think he needed it. Were England rubbish or did Ireland just outperform them?

As for South Africa joining the 6N, why would they leave the Rugby Championship? Arguably a better level of competition.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Applesisapples]

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 .

Tell my knees and hands that! I've also other pains and aches relating to my younger sporting days. But would I change it? NO! Fortunately even at the level I played at clubs are more active in injury prevention.

[LeoMc]

Georgia wtf! You'll be looking Romania in next!

Italy just hasn't made by he jump, they should be relegated and just have a 5 nations again

Bring them both in then relegate 5th and 6th to give 2 divisions of 4. Play each other home and away. 1 up and 1 down.