The IRISH RUGBY thread

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Noticeabl thate all the Rugby team made some effort of singing Amhran na Bhfiann. A lot of the Irish soccer team stand there like its alien to them, and not just the English born players, Shane Duffy, Matt Doherty should go and learn the words.

Very few from north know national anthem , i learnt it at Gaeltacht or id never have got opportunity. Didn't Hart get someone in to teach Tyrone team? No way McClean knows it , he thick as 2 planks , he's probably singing broad black brimmer or something instead

Noticeabl thate all the Rugby team made some effort of singing Amhran na Bhfiann. A lot of the Irish soccer team stand there like its alien to them, and not just the English born players, Shane Duffy, Matt Doherty should go and learn the words.

Very few from north know national anthem , i learnt it at Gaeltacht or id never have got opportunity. Didn't Hart get someone in to teach Tyrone team? No way McClean knows it , he thick as 2 planks , he's probably singing broad black brimmer or something instead

It's the unofficial anthem (but not for long).

Ah very good 🙂🙂

[JoG2]

Noticeabl thate all the Rugby team made some effort of singing Amhran na Bhfiann. A lot of the Irish soccer team stand there like its alien to them, and not just the English born players, Shane Duffy, Matt Doherty should go and learn the words.

Very few from north know national anthem , i learnt it at Gaeltacht or id never have got opportunity. Didn't Hart get someone in to teach Tyrone team? No way McClean knows it , he thick as 2 planks , he's probably singing broad black brimmer or something instead

Noticeabl thate all the Rugby team made some effort of singing Amhran na Bhfiann. A lot of the Irish soccer team stand there like its alien to them, and not just the English born players, Shane Duffy, Matt Doherty should go and learn the words.

Very few from north know national anthem , i learnt it at Gaeltacht or id never have got opportunity. Didn't Hart get someone in to teach Tyrone team? No way McClean knows it , he thick as 2 planks , he's probably singing broad black brimmer or something instead

It's the unofficial anthem (but not for long).

Gold!   

[dublin7]

Since I was a kid I dreamt of being an All Black, that's just a very Kiwi thing to do.'I gave up that dream, I wasn't quite good enough when I was at my best almost. To be able to come over here and put in a performance against the best team in the world, they're the standard bearers, words can't describe it.

'To hear my native country's national anthem, to stand in front of the Haka, it's a childhood dream.

Lowe put a great shift in alright but his quote above sums up what these lads are thinking when they arrive. Surely we should be nurturing young lads at 18 or 19 for every position than using mercenaries. Then Zebo and others go to France for a few quid and are exiled.

And against the soccer argument there weren't good Irish born players missing out on squads or tournaments ahead of the Granny Lads so they were necessary at the time.

Hoe do you know there weren't Irish born lads missing out for the soccer team? If anything that makes it worse. We are shit so we'll pick a load of lads who couldn't give a shit about Ireland just to make us better.

You're happy and would encourage plastic paddies to wear the Ireland soccer shirt, but any non Irish lad who lives in Ireland, plays in Ireland shouldn't be near an international rugby shirt?

It's bullshit hypocrisy like this that I can't understand. Do you think Callum Robinson grew up dreaming of playing for England or Ireland? He couldn't get a game for England so he declared for Ireland and he's done great for us. Fair play to him and when I watch him play for Ireland I'll support him like all the other lads and won't worry about what country the lad was born in

[RedHand88]

Lads, the teams for both codes are a bit of a farce here. Today will be completely forgot about when Argentina knock us out at the QF stage in 2 years time.

[Mikhail Prokhorov]

rugby is a farce of a game in general, never mind who is playing, only the kicker has an ounce of skill

employing mercenaries and calling it a victory is ridiculous

as stated, we will get pummeled at the world cup again, look at what nz did 2 years ago when it actually mattered, it was a massacre 

[Baile Brigín 2]

.

The Irish football team under Charlton was full of players who weren't born in Ireland and rarely set foot in this country yet these players are deservedly respected and admired for what they did in an Ireland shirt.

It seems different rules apply to the rugby team. Maybe it's a class thing. I genuinely can't understand the bitterness some people have when the Irish rugby team are successful. You might not like the sport but as an Irish person surely you'd say well done and not complain about their victories

They were at least Irish citizens. And the Charlton tactic was roundly criticised at the time especially by genuine soccer folk.

You must be able to see peoples issue with the national side becoming a paid league select?

[Look-Up!]

Is there anything stopping qualifying players changing to their country of birth under the right circumstances?

E.g if the like of Lowe found himself back in NZ next year playing professional rugby and deemed good enough for AB's, could he switch?

[trileacman]

Would have one time meant a great deal to me to see Ireland beat the all blacks but the cancers at the heart of rugby just make this feel like a very empty occasion. It's cheapened in a lot of ways but at the core is the money and pure financial interest that now dominate the game.

The fact that more New Zealander's than Munster and ulstermen combined beat NZ today is a sad indictment of pro rugby. Likewise now that the kiwis have found a way to sell off the commercial rights of the haka can it really stir any emotions other than at best apathy or more appropriately embarrassment?

What a bitter and stupid post. Seriously. Did you even watch the game?

James Lowe who was born in NZ but who has been playing/living in Ireland for years was brilliant for Ireland today. Anyone who actually watched the game couldn't question his passion and will to win in an Ireland jersey today.

The Irish football team under Charlton was full of players who weren't born in Ireland and rarely set foot in this country yet these players are deservedly respected and admired for what they did in an Ireland shirt.

It seems different rules apply to the rugby team. Maybe it's a class thing. I genuinely can't understand the bitterness some people have when the Irish rugby team are successful. You might not like the sport but as an Irish person surely you'd say well done and not complain about their victories

I heard the same argument made about how CJ Stander was an Irishman, look at his passion, fight for the jersey, etc. Yet the moment he stopped getting paid to play rugby he returned to the country of his birth. Let's face it he was a South African playing rugby for Ireland, that's a matter of fact.

So when you've a team peppered with New Zealander's besting a team of New Zealander's it's hard to stir up much sense of national pride. It would appear that national teams like so much else have been reduced to a mere franchise. Something to commercialise and sell. More fool you if your willing to buy it but sorry I'm not.

[Milltown Row2]

Did you follow big Jacks team and get carried away with all the English born men who played for Ireland? Just in case you didn't know, these players were not born in Ireland, these are just the English born players

John Aldridge
Harry Arter
Phil Babb
Leon Best
Keith Branagan
Gary Breen
Shay Brennan
Alex Bruce
Paul Butler
John Byrne
Lee Carsley
Tony Cascarino
Jeff Chandler
Cyrus Christie
Ciaran Clark
James Collins
David Connolly
Simon Cox
Ronan Curtis
Liam Daish
Rory Delap
John Dempsey
Terry Donovan
Rob Elliot
Mickey Evans
Curtis Fleming
Caleb Folan
Kevin Foley
Tony Galvin
Jon Goodman
Tony Grealish
Paul Green
Austin Hayes
Ron Healey
Scott Hogan
Matt Holland
Chris Hughton
Will Keane
Mick Kearns
Alan Kelly, Jr.
David Kelly
Mark Kelly
Mick Kennedy
Paddy Kenny
Richard Keogh
Alan Kernaghan
Dean Kiely
Kevin Kilbane
Liam Lawrence
Mark Lawrenson
Jon Macken
Sean Maguire
Terry Mancini
Jason McAteer
Mick McCarthy
Jim McDonagh
David McGoldrick
Eddie McGoldrick
Paul McGrath
Alan McLoughlin
Stephen McPhail
Mike Milligan
Chris Morris
Clinton Morrison
Jerry Murphy
Aiden O'Brien
Andy O'Brien
Brendan O'Callaghan
Kevin O'Callaghan
Joe O'Cearuill
Sean O'Driscoll
Kelham O'Hanlon
Kieran O'Hara
Eamonn O'Keefe
David O'Leary
Alex Pearce
Gerry Peyton
Terry Phelan
Anthony Pilkington
Darren Potter
Steven Reid
Declan Rice
Callum Robinson
Michael Robinson
Martin Rowlands
John Sheridan
Sean St Ledger
Peter Thomas
Andy Townsend
Gary Waddock
Mickey Walsh
Jonathan Walters
Keiren Westwood

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Would any of the 3 New Zealand guys have Irish parents MR2? Ah we could argue all day some will buy into it some wont.

Im away to see how Eoin Morgans gettin on these days

[Milltown Row2]

Would any of the 3 New Zealand guys have Irish parents MR2? Ah we could argue all day some will buy into it some wont.

Im away to see how Eoin Morgans gettin on these days

I've no issues with it in the slightest. The players were born in England and like a lot of players have done in the past, when the English teams called they would op for the England team.

[6th sam]

What a nightmare scenario for Irish rugby . They put in perhaps their best performance in history and their hero comes up with a totally embarrassing car crash interview . More NZ players than ulster/Munster/ Connacht if I'm not mistaken 🤦🏻‍♂️
Simon Zebo a generational star , wasn't allowed to play for his country because he made a decision to leave these shores for work.
A diaspora player, or Irish born player playing for London Irish can't play.
Iconic teams like Ulster and Munster, aren't developing their academy players as they can't get a place on a team loaded with travelling professionals"

And some are Countering this farcical situation by insulting diaspora players who play for Irish soccer team. There are loads of diaspora players in England brought up in families who are proudly Irish. Given that we lost many of our best people to emigration, we should welcome their offspring if they want to play for ireland . That's different to a Cj Stander who fulfils his professional obligation with distinction , for his irfu employers, then takes his money and runs back to his real country ( and fair play to him).
Ireland is now a professional club team with residency being the only criteria both to qualify and to be blocked from playing.

[Milltown Row2]

Jack Grealish, both grandparents were Irish, in fact he played hurling and football as a kid, capped under age for Ireland, England came calling, now he's the proudest English man you'll get!

When it suits, these players will play for whoever gives them the most exposure. If you think differently that's fine, granted there are some lads in that list while born in England spent their lives in Ireland

[JoG2]

Overseas players playing at the last WC:

Scotland: 14
Australia: 12
Wales : 8
Italy: 8
England: 6
France : 6
Ireland: 5
New Zealand: 4

I'm glad the rule is being pushed from 3 years to 5 years. I wouldn't have enough emotional attachment to the game to let it annoy me but it doesn't sit comfortably either.
In saying that, what a game yesterday and every single player put in an almighty shift. I was near hoarse at the end of it

[Baile Brigín 2]

The anti Irish racism on display to defend rugby is sickening