The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Gmac]

Carbery isn't in the Munster squad. Is his World Cup over?

munster should try him at fullback ,  ireland need a back up plan if Keenan ever gets injured too

[square_ball]

I think his World Cup hopes are fading fast. I am not convinced at all by Ross Byrne and I know it's stating the obvious but our hopes are totally dependent on Sexton staying fit for the 2 big group games and then the 1/4 final.

[seafoid]

A famous win for Munster
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/2023/04/15/impressive-munster-beat-stormers-in-bruising-encounter-in-south-africa/

[marty34]

A famous win for Munster
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/2023/04/15/impressive-munster-beat-stormers-in-bruising-encounter-in-south-africa/

Yeah, hung in there alright and took their chances.

A great win.

Not many teams go there and win.

[Captain Scarlet]

There's an odd thing now with the women's team. The players and former players/ pundits are saying they are sick of talking about the controversy and want to talk about the rugby itself.

Then when it's pointed that they doing very badly the fallback is the lack of prep and losing players to the 7s. So, which one is it? The team is poor at the minute but as it's a women's team they get softball questions and analysis.

[Capt Pat]

France and England are fully professional teams so I can understand them losing to them. However they got walloped by Italy at the weekend. What is the excuse for that?

[seafoid]

France and England are fully professional teams so I can understand them losing to them. However they got walloped by Italy at the weekend. What is the excuse for that?

Same as Chelsea last night. Disorganisation

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/2023/04/19/joey-carberys-role-in-question-as-munster-go-for-champions-cup-spot/

In the ongoing Irish rugby obsession with the outhalf position, the question has, not for the first time this year, spun around to whither the talented Joey Carbery.
Munster did not have the 27-year-old on the bench last weekend for their high-octane, characterful win over Stormers, which secured a place in the United Rugby Championship (URC) playoffs. Qualification for next season's Champions Cup is still to be secured against the Sharks this weekend.
Munster preferred Jack Crowley and Ben Healy off the bench to their now third-pick 10, who made his international debut in Ireland's historic win over the All Blacks in Chicago in November 2016.
In January during the Six Nations Championship, Carbery, with more than his fair share of injury setbacks in his career, was omitted from Ireland's 37-man Six Nations squad. That hurt, and watching now from outside the tent in Munster will be even more wounding.
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"Yeah, absolutely it has been very tough for him, very tough," says Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast. "He has taken it as well as he can in terms of being a professional and getting on with his job. Even at training and meetings he's still speaking in a positive manner, which is a really good sign of the type of the guy he is.
"It has been really tough for him. But look, we select teams from week to week and this is what we feel. What we said last week and obviously the discussion we will have going into the game again and his name will obviously be back in there.
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"We'll see how we are going to set up from an attack point of view this weekend and see what 10 we start with and what 10 goes on to the bench."
Carbery brings a wealth of experience to the position and has been capped 37 times. But form, not history, is currency and the player's confidence is not just a national rugby question but, closer to home, an issue that Munster need to try to solve for their own welfare and that of their outhalf.
Healy is leaving for Edinburgh at the end of the season, with Gregor Townsend and Scotland his chosen future, yet last week Munster could not see beyond him as back up to Crowley.

Cold and tactical is how professional rugby operates. But Munster is not entirely devoid of less ruthless instincts and looking out for players in all their needs seems the sensible approach.
"Yeah, it's one of those ones," says Prendergast. "I'd be the type of coach and the rest of the staff would be very much inclined in terms of a familial perspective and they'd be there for him as well. Look, it has been a tough couple of months. There's part of the season we've got to go and Joey will be part of that as well.
"Yep, huge talent. That doesn't go away. He has opportunities. Obviously, we play this weekend. We got to see what happens there. Naturally, if we progress there will be more games behind that. How he trains, his reaction and as I've said he's reacted as I guessed he would, a good bloke, a good pro, a good guy. We will bring all that into conversation and see what we'll do next".

[gallsman]

Craig Doyle simply refuses to stop angering me:

https://youtu.be/gdVp2UYZHug

[Capt Pat]

Leinster reserves getting one hell of a beating in South Africa. They were perfect up to this.

The Ladies only losing 48 - 0 is a good result.

[Tony Baloney]

Craig Doyle simply refuses to stop angering me:

https://youtu.be/gdVp2UYZHug

I listen to the Big Jim podcast every week but haven't been able to bring myself to tackle this one. I just knew there would be some OTT shit about the all-Ireland element of the team.

[gallsman]

Craig Doyle simply refuses to stop angering me:

https://youtu.be/gdVp2UYZHug

I listen to the Big Jim podcast every week but haven't been able to bring myself to tackle this one. I just knew there would be some OTT shit about the all-Ireland element of the team.

I have listened to Hamilton on another podcast the last couple of months as I was keen to say what others were saying about the Irish team. He's an absolute moron. Andy Goode is as bad, if not worse. Lads lads lads shitetalk. Embarrassing for lads their age. Goode never stops talking about going to Coppers ffs.

[Tony Baloney]

Craig Doyle simply refuses to stop angering me:

https://youtu.be/gdVp2UYZHug

I listen to the Big Jim podcast every week but haven't been able to bring myself to tackle this one. I just knew there would be some OTT shit about the all-Ireland element of the team.

I have listened to Hamilton on another podcast the last couple of months as I was keen to say what others were saying about the Irish team. He's an absolute moron. Andy Goode is as bad, if not worse. Lads lads lads shitetalk. Embarrassing for lads their age. Goode never stops talking about going to Coppers ffs.

Goode is excellent when he sticks to the game and believe it or not the juvenile stuff is about 10% of what it was before they got the Spotify contract.

[dec]

This will be Leinsters first Champions Cup final in Ireland.

[marty34]

This will be Leinsters first Champions Cup final in Ireland.

Need to win this one - can't slip up again this year.