Reaching For Glory

[The Bottom Brick]

Some people are hard to please

Obviously when half the programme was talking heads in a studio it was contrived, but any time we get an insight into the dressing room like that is class

Although

I also thought the scene where they were acting the eejit with the kit man were very contrived. Ho Ho Ho, aren't we gas putting boot polish on his head, and he just standing there taking it.

Agree about this. That was brutal, what sort of a clown was that fella?!

[ONeill]

I didn't think it was great to be honest. Sorry to buck the trend Was milk and watery, and didn't give us much insight other than the usual 'F*ck this and F*ck that' sort of thing in the dressing room, which is hardly unexpected.

O'Connell seems like Ciaran McManus in a dressing room, whereas it seemed to me as if Eddie O'Sullivan's swearing was a bit contrived, a bit like the squeaky clean kid in school who never curses, but wants to look cool so squeezes out a 'f**k off' when he thinks it's expected of him

I also thought the scene where they were acting the eejit with the kit man were very contrived. Ho Ho Ho, aren't we gas putting boot polish on his head, and he just standing there taking it.

I would have liked to have seen more about the interaction between the players, more of the training camps, and maybe more of the dressing room, but not just the shouting and roaring. It was the Paidi O'Se in 'marooned' template I thought. 'See how much they care, count the curses'.

I did like the chat between Leamy, O'Callaghan and O'Driscoll, again contrived as it was. I liked Eddie doing the Morning Ireland interview from bed, but again, totally contrived. Are we supposed to believe that the camera crew was sitting in his room taping him as he slept and then coincidentaly the phone rang and woke him up for the interview?

I did like the shots of all the players looking at the footage of the late French try. Their regret seemed very genuine. To be honest that montage seemed to be the only unscripted part of the program, apart from the dressing room roaring and the games themselves.


I bet that was heavily edited and censored by the IRFU, and I thought the Dublin and Westmeath ones were better television to be honest.

Jaysus I'm grumpy today

Spot on. There was something very amateurish about it, not fellas competing at the top level of an international sport. It's the sort of footage that Keane would be shaking his head at....didn't seem to be much tactical analysis going on at HT, though maybe it wasn't allowed to be shown?

At the same time it was well put together and very watchable. I wouldn't be putting my house on Ireland too soon though.

Didn't realise they cursed that much. After it I told the wife to make me a cup of f**king tea and make it f**king snappy for f**k sake. Goes to show how the TV can affect you.

O'Neill, did you stare at her? Did you put the fear of God into her?

God left that woman a few years ago.

[Dinny Breen]

didn't seem to be much tactical analysis going on at HT, though maybe it wasn't allowed to be shown?

They definitely wouldn't be allowed show it, before they even get to the dressing Mervyn Murphy would have a statistical analysis and breakdown. All we saw was the dumb down TV, lots of lads shouting and roaring, could have been a Junior C match.

Would agree with AZ in that although I enjoyed it it was a bit contrived and I didn't really get an insight into the squad. Would have been interested in the seeing the first squad session after the French game and how they reacted in the team talk and in their first contact session.

Good TV but not much more....

How does it compare to a Year till Sunday, which for obvious reasons I have never seen....

[Uladh]

Have to agree with AZ.

I didn't enjoy it at all at all. Aside from the set up and scripted scenarios, i'd be very worried if that is the organisation of the prematch dressingroom. does eddie usually potter about shouting the odd movie line like any ordinary overhyped panel member? Surely there can be nothing constructive perpetuated in that manner?

More worryingly, we are a few months out from the world cup and our lads have just released an insider "aren't we great fellas" documentary for their opponents to lap up. all this after winning nothing.

[GaillimhIarthair]

didn't seem to be much tactical analysis going on at HT, though maybe it wasn't allowed to be shown?

They definitely wouldn't be allowed show it, before they even get to the dressing Mervyn Murphy would have a statistical analysis and breakdown. All we saw was the dumb down TV, lots of lads shouting and roaring, could have been a Junior C match.

Would agree with AZ in that although I enjoyed it it was a bit contrived and I didn't really get an insight into the squad. Would have been interested in the seeing the first squad session after the French game and how they reacted in the team talk and in their first contact session.

Good TV but not much more....

How does it compare to a Year till Sunday, which for obvious reasons I have never seen....

Doesn't compare Dinny, which was disappointing, as I was expecting something along the same lines.................

AZ is pretty much spot on with his analysis........

[GalwayBayBoy]

Last night's version was cut to fit into an hour of television including ad breaks. I've seen the DVD version and it's about 10 to 15 minutes longer and includes scenes like O'Sullivan doing a brief tactics session, the players doing video analysis on their personal laptops, Malcolm O'Kelly failing a fitness test plus a few other scenes.

Personally I really enjoyed it. Think they could have showed more training footage and the like. Maybe would have been good to give one or two of the players cameras and allowed them to film their own bits and pieces a al John Bentley in Living with Lions.

Thought it was much better than the Dublin and Westmeath versions but not as good as the aforementioned Living with Lions or A Year 'til Sunday.

[thejuice]

I couldnt get motivated listening to Brian O'Driscoll if he was a captain of my team. His accent is just laughable. I play american football with a few lads who live in places like Dalkey and Greystones, its just funny listening to them trying to get all phsyced up,

"Roish letts doo thus boyys, kuck thur urses"

[AZOffaly]

O'Driscoll may not motivate you with fire and brimstone speeches, but when he lays his body on the line every time he plays, that would motivate you.

A leader by example rather than words maybe.

[Feckitt]

The same team made a much better show in 2004, showing the winning triple crown team in action during the championship.  The highlight of which was beating England in Twickenham courtesy of the Girvanator's brilliant try.

[Croí na hÉireann]

O'Driscoll may not motivate you with fire and brimstone speeches, but when he lays his body on the line every time he plays, that would motivate you.

A leader by example rather than words maybe.

True, he should leave the words to O'Connell and lead by example. Who in their right mind is not gonna be inspired by O'Connell?

Maybe last nights was highly edited but it didn't clarify what exactly O'Sullivan is bringing to the team. At least with Marooned u could see how Paidi was building a seige mentality and emphasing the team. Maybe the Clare Co Board should send him on a refresher course 

[tyroneboi]

What is A Year Til Sunday all about? Was that the winning Galway footballers in 1998?  Can you get that on DVD anywhere?

[DUBSFORSAM1]

O'Driscoll may not motivate you with fire and brimstone speeches, but when he lays his body on the line every time he plays, that would motivate you.

A leader by example rather than words maybe.

True, he should leave the words to O'Connell and lead by example. Who in their right mind is not gonna be inspired by O'Connell?

Maybe last nights was highly edited but it didn't clarify what exactly O'Sullivan is bringing to the team. At least with Marooned u could see how Paidi was building a seige mentality and emphasing the team. Maybe the Clare Co Board should send him on a refresher course 

Well to be honest out on the pitch BOD would certianly inspire far more than POC who unfortunately has been not as dominating as he should be in some matches especially when BOD isn't there.....

[Mentalman]

Only saw it in patches, yes I was watching Lost. Will get in on DVD. Thought ROG looked genuinely disgusted with Geordan's missed tackle against France, looked like he wanted to say more, like "f**king tosser". The pre-match dressing room scenes definitely got my pulse going, and yetwere so familiar to anyone who has been in a situation anticipating a "big match", even that was only Junior B final or whatever, these are at the end of the day men of flesh and blood, not cool headed professional athletes, you can't be in a contact sport. Boys pacing back and forth thumping one and other. They should do a similar one on a hurling team, see them flake the living daylights out of one another before they ever get near the pitch! Did I hear someone puking before the England game? Retching for Glory? There is always one, always and ever. Unlike AZ I would be more sympathetic to EOS, I thought it showed, particularly prior to the France game, he was nervous himself, unlike his public persona - "Chest out lads!". As for BOD, yeah, motivational speeches are not for him, leading by example definitely is. Still the whole "You've been good, I'll give you that", and the excerpts about Irish fans getting ahead of themselves were spot on. We do, but the documentary just showed how near yet how far true greatness is. As for POC...savage. I doubt a half time tactical session would ever be shown, especially when it gets down to "special treatment" or "targeting", that could would bring the game into disrupute apart from everything else!

[Hollow Man]

I play american football

Ha ha ha. Tight leggings and shoulder pads are a long way from Lyons and Cassells!

You should try Gaelic football, it's brilliant, no helmets though...

[Uladh]

Thought ROG looked genuinely disgusted with Geordan's missed tackle against France, looked like he wanted to say more, like "f**king tosser".

ROG has some neck on him, given the number of try costing tackles he has missed for ireland and munster. he did well to keep his gup shut because there is gonna some amount of runners hitting the 10 channel against ireland in france later this year. That said, that incident summed up perfectly why Murphy can't start.

these are at the end of the day men of flesh and blood, not cool headed professional athletes

eh, they well enough paid for us to expect them to be just that.