The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Walter Cronc]

I agree, however I felt there was an underlying racist tone last week with regard to Aki. Very disappointing.

As for the performance - SA were dire. Great to see our young lads coming through tho!

[Maroon Manc]

3 years isn't long enough but I have no issues with a player becoming eligible after spending 5 years in a country. They'd have more association with a country with a lad who has an Irish grandparent but has never been to the country.

[johnneycool]

Strange one for anyone following the RL world cup in Australia, but how come Ireland win two games and lose one, fail to make the last 8 yet Somoa in another group  lose two and draw one and make the last 8...

Any ideas?

[AZOffaly]

3 years isn't long enough but I have no issues with a player becoming eligible after spending 5 years in a country. They'd have more association with a country with a lad who has an Irish grandparent but has never been to the country.

2 sides to it. If you are brought up as an emmigrant child or grandchild, with an Irish upbringing, and have a genuine tie to the land, I have no problem. I have cousins in London, and I'd never tell them they were not Irish.

Also, as I said the likes of CJ and Bundi have probably immersed themselves and are fully committed to Ireland. But in general that rule is mental. How many Australians and Kiwis are playing for countries they have no tie to, other than a purely business decision to move their to get an international cap, and thereby increase their value and their contract?  How many of those lads stay in that country after they finish playing?

Of course there will always be lads who really buy in, and do like the Normans did, but for each of those, there's probably 5 or 6 that just see it as a career opportunity.

[screenexile]

Strange one for anyone following the RL world cup in Australia, but how come Ireland win two games and lose one, fail to make the last 8 yet Somoa in another group  lose two and draw one and make the last 8...

Any ideas?

Different numbers of teams in each group. Ireland were in a smaller group of 3 where only the winner qualified and Samoa were in a group of 4 where the top 3 teams qualified.

I'm presuming it's a seeding system.

[DuffleKing]

I agree, however I felt there was an underlying racist tone last week with regard to Aki. Very disappointing.

As for the performance - SA were dire. Great to see our young lads coming through tho!

I agree with this 100%. Aki doesn't "look Irish" and the beating drums were ten times louder than when Stander or Payne made their debuts. Noone seems to want to say it though...

[AZOffaly]

I agree, however I felt there was an underlying racist tone last week with regard to Aki. Very disappointing.

As for the performance - SA were dire. Great to see our young lads coming through tho!

I agree with this 100%. Aki doesn't "look Irish" and the beating drums were ten times louder than when Stander or Payne made their debuts. Noone seems to want to say it though...

Don't associate me with that lads. I said the same thing when Stander was picked.

[Orchard park]

i think thats unfair re anyone who is critical of blow in mercenary non nationals being allowed play for another country...

Stander, and Payne received plenty of negative commentary but i suppose as the number of mercenaries increases exponentially the profile of how wrong this is will also. skin colour or racist undertones has nothing to do with it

[Jim_Murphy_74]

I agree, however I felt there was an underlying racist tone last week with regard to Aki. Very disappointing.

As for the performance - SA were dire. Great to see our young lads coming through tho!

I agree with this 100%. Aki doesn't "look Irish" and the beating drums were ten times louder than when Stander or Payne made their debuts. Noone seems to want to say it though...

Remember too that Stander was brought to Ireland as a "project player" ie with a view to making him Irish.   In fairness Aki seems to have settled into Connacht and  happy to stay there.  He at least seemed to give due consideration to whole thing, said he didn't necessarily feel Irish after 3 years but went with the request.  I don't think he came to Ireland as a mercenary, looking for caps. 

/Jim.

[Owen Brannigan]

No one noticed our own South African Rob Herring joining Stander and Aki.

[Syferus]

No one noticed our own South African Rob Herring joining Stander and Aki.

He already made his debut years ago.

[johnneycool]

Strange one for anyone following the RL world cup in Australia, but how come Ireland win two games and lose one, fail to make the last 8 yet Somoa in another group  lose two and draw one and make the last 8...

Any ideas?

Different numbers of teams in each group. Ireland were in a smaller group of 3 where only the winner qualified and Samoa were in a group of 4 where the top 3 teams qualified.

I'm presuming it's a seeding system.

So the weaker teams were in the 3 team groups and you needed to win them outright to compete with the top level teams in the 4 team groups?

Are Papua New Guinea good at this RL thing?

[Orchard park]

No one noticed our own South African Rob Herring joining Stander and Aki.

He already made his debut years ago.

think it was 3 years ago.
equally NON IRISH as the others

[Syferus]

No one noticed our own South African Rob Herring joining Stander and Aki.

He already made his debut years ago.

think it was 3 years ago.
equally NON IRISH as the others

Never got this fascination with non-Irish in rugby when most of our best ever soccer team sounded like they were from Liverpool.

I wouldn't be upset about having players like CJ Stander (absolute world class and would be the star of the current SA team) or even Aki who has the traits to add something we've been missing at centre.

If they help us finally make the semis the WC they will be forever remembered and this shite will be long forgotten.

[Orchard park]

the FAI milked granny rule to its last but this residency rule is a joke. so by your criteria CJ Stanbder is a good player so its ok.

he is taking some lad from Cork Con or Shannon or Young Munsters spot no matter how its dressed up.

its not like they are Pat Duignan and entitled to play for Ireland ( off and google that one Sfyeris)