The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Aaron Boone]

#9countyarmy

[Milltown Row2]

Three great performances from Irish teams

[Gmac]

Why didn't ulster intentionally give a penalty away with 3 mins left and at least give themselves a chance of getting one more possession and a chance to score and win , think it would be better strategy than hoping Leinster turn it over or give penalty away   7 points would have won it for them

[Insane Bolt]

Very harsh red card for Toulouse 10, great response though.

[Insane Bolt]

Great game....Toulouse deserving winners...Leinster next.

[Hound]

Saracens and Toulouse definitely the best two teams of the weekend.
Munster and Leinster both blessed. Arguably the 6th and 7th best teams of the weekend!

Edinburgh and Ulster were the better teams on the day, just the two massive turning points turning the games completely around. As the Irish Times eloquently put the Munster turning point:

"Contact was perfunctory, although that wouldn't have seemed the case in gauging the reaction of the prone player in real time".

In other words, a blatant dive and feigning of injury by Tadhg Beirne was the crucial turning point of the match! There was no way the pen would have been given had he stood his ground, very smart "soccer style" thinking.

But as with the Stockdale incident, the turning point had to be taken advantage of and it was the brilliance of Keith Earls and Jack Conan that grasped the victories from the jaws of defeat for Munster and Leinster. And Ross Byrne's winning kick was sensational given his injury!

Two cracking semis to look forward to on Easter weekend.

[Applesisapples]

Didn't see the Edinburgh Munster game. Ulster pushed Leinster to the limit. It was a close run thing between two good teams, Leinster just had the edge on experience and depth of squad.

[Milltown Row2]

Didn't see the Edinburgh Munster game. Ulster pushed Leinster to the limit. It was a close run thing between two good teams, Leinster just had the edge on experience and depth of squad.

Home advantage help also. though a mate of mine was at the match and he said the experience was unreal

[Walter Cronc]

Jack McGrath to Ulster. Big signing. He won't get it all his own way though as Eric O'Sullivan has been excellent this season.

[LooseCannon]

Saracens and Toulouse definitely the best two teams of the weekend.
Munster and Leinster both blessed. Arguably the 6th and 7th best teams of the weekend!

Edinburgh and Ulster were the better teams on the day, just the two massive turning points turning the games completely around. As the Irish Times eloquently put the Munster turning point:

"Contact was perfunctory, although that wouldn't have seemed the case in gauging the reaction of the prone player in real time".

In other words, a blatant dive and feigning of injury by Tadhg Beirne was the crucial turning point of the match! There was no way the pen would have been given had he stood his ground, very smart "soccer style" thinking.

But as with the Stockdale incident, the turning point had to be taken advantage of and it was the brilliance of Keith Earls and Jack Conan that grasped the victories from the jaws of defeat for Munster and Leinster. And Ross Byrne's winning kick was sensational given his injury!

Two cracking semis to look forward to on Easter weekend.

https://twitter.com/threeredkings/status/1112432593797111808?s=21

[michaelg]

Jack McGrath to Ulster. Big signing. He won't get it all his own way though as Eric O'Sullivan has been excellent this season.

Ulster fast becoming Leinster B Team.  How come more emphasis is not being placed on Ulster developing their own players?

[NAG1]

Jack McGrath to Ulster. Big signing. He won't get it all his own way though as Eric O'Sullivan has been excellent this season.

Ulster fast becoming Leinster B Team.  How come more emphasis is not being placed on Ulster developing their own players?

The structure is ridiculous, schools cup is the be all and end all, so a good majority of the players are burnt out by 18 and dont even continue in the game at any level.

[Tony Baloney]

Jack McGrath to Ulster. Big signing. He won't get it all his own way though as Eric O'Sullivan has been excellent this season.

Ulster fast becoming Leinster B Team.  How come more emphasis is not being placed on Ulster developing their own players?

The structure is ridiculous, schools cup is the be all and end all, so a good majority of the players are burnt out by 18 and dont even continue in the game at any level.

I wouldn't say they are burnt out, they just end up going to university and may play a bit of club and/or a bit of university rugby the same as most other sports. I know a few lads from Armagh on the Ulster u18s from school and club route and very few of them will make it and especially if Ulster keep dropping people in from other provinces but I don't think that is alien to Ulster rugby. Aaron Sexton from Bangor Grammar is tipped for the top and hopefully he doesn't fall victim to lads being parachuted in from elsewhere.

[Tony Baloney]

I was unfortunate enough to see the video on Twitter of Leavy's leg being buckled in that ruck. Awful. He'll be doing well to come back from that.

[dec]

Jack McGrath to Ulster. Big signing. He won't get it all his own way though as Eric O'Sullivan has been excellent this season.

Ulster fast becoming Leinster B Team.  How come more emphasis is not being placed on Ulster developing their own players?

The structure is ridiculous, schools cup is the be all and end all, so a good majority of the players are burnt out by 18 and dont even continue in the game at any level.

Do they lose many from students heading off to university in GB? I have read that there are a sizeable number go to uni in England or Scotland and I would imagine that is more common for students from "Protestant" grammar schools who make up pretty much all of the Schools Cup teams.