The IRISH RUGBY thread

Started by Donnellys Hollow, October 27, 2009, 05:26:16 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Take yer points

I'm not a frequent visitor to Ulster games but get my hands on a couple of tickets every now and again and use it as an excuse for a night out. Was at a game towards the end of 2017 and two fellas in front of us (mid 60's at a guess) insisted on making monkey noises at a certain Harlequins player every time he ran past us. When confronted by my brother they laughed and said "sure its all part of the craic"

At the end of the game we let them know exactly what we thought of them and left. No one else around us spoke up but we got a good few nods of approval when we did. There are always a few idiots no matter where you go but as usual they are in the minority.

seafoid

Gerry Thornley: We're now seeing the fruits of the Irish youth programme
Provinces place far greater trust in youngsters to help them punch above their weight
about 3 hours ago

Gerry Thornley



For only the second time in the competition's history there could be five Pro14 clubs in the knock-out stages of the Heineken Champions Cup.
No doubt this will prompt the usual Anglo-French bleatings about there being no relegation in the Premiership and the Pro14 as the primary reason for this. But the penny may have started to drop that the reasons go deeper than that.
Dimitri Yachvili, the former Biarritz and France scrum-half with the spindly legs and deadly left boot, was in the RDS last Saturday as a television analyst with beIN Sport.
On foot of Leinster's 29-13 bonus point win, Yachvili admitted that the French clubs have fallen behind their Pro14 rivals. The "restrictive" game which most of the clubs adhere to is enough to shine in the Top 14 but, he believes, the French do not look at what is being done elsewhere.
In the Pro14, he maintains, the games are faster, the intensity is higher and sequences of play are longer. Despite less financial resources than the French clubs, Yachvili has come to the view that Celtic teams are a couple of steps ahead in their thinking on the game.
He notes that whereas there were no Celtic teams in the knockout stages three seasons ago, there were three two seasons ago and again last season, which could now rise to five after next weekend's final round of pool matches.
Admittedly, none of them are there yet. As things stand, Munster, Ulster and Leinster all need to win, at home to Exeter, away to Leicester and away to Wasps, to nail down qualification.
Dimitri Yachvili is seen playing for Biarritz against Toulon in 2012 Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho
Higher tempo
But this could be the third time this decade, following on from the 2011-12 (when accompanied by Edinburgh and Cardiff) and 2013-14 seasons, when all three advance.
!
!

Blue Billywig Video PlayerIn those campaigns Connacht also competed in the Heineken Champions Cup but failed to qualify, so if they were to beat Bordeaux on Saturday and reach the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup, it would be the first time all four advanced.
Conceivably, Scotland could provide two quarter-finalists for the first time ever. By contrast, there may only be one or two French teams, although there could be three if Montpellier win away to Edinburgh.
After the Premiership provided five quarter-finalists three seasons ago, as was the case last year Saracens may be the only English team in the last eight, although Exeter are still in the mix too.
But Leinster probably possess the healthiest strength in depth in Europe, and all their replacements had plenty of experience
That the Pro14 could well be the bulk suppliers for the knock-out stages is no surprise to Yachvili. The Pro14 is generally played at a higher tempo, he believes, with more elaborate strike plays, and individual technique is superior to that of the Top 14.
It's good to hear an leading ex-French international with a voice say such things. So, not for the first time in these pages, let's hear it for the Guinness Pro14, and specifically the Irish provinces.
There's been a few occasions too many this year when some Pro14 coaches have sent notably under-strength teams for away fixtures, notably against Leinster and Munster, but the rugby is of an unappreciated quality.
The Welsh regions, it's true, have taken a backward step, especially the Scarlets. So too the Cheetahs.
But Treviso and Zebre have improved significantly in the last two seasons. Zebre may not compete for the play-offs, but they play the enterprising brand of rugby Yachvili talks about.
Leinster's Adam Byrne runs in a try during the Heineken Champions Cup, round five clash with Toulouse at RDS, Dublin on Janaury 12th Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho
Christmas time quality
Few games have underlined the quality of the Pro14, and the Irish provinces, than some of the derbies over Christmas. The Leinster-Connacht, Munster-Leinster and Connacht-Munster were truly high quality affairs.
In addition to the prevailing quality of rugby in the Pro14, Yachvili added, the Pro14 clubs make the Heineken Champions Cup their priority and, granted, the last point undoubtedly has some validity.
Each of the provincial coaching staffs plot for blocks of the season, with management of player minutes (meticulously overseen from on high) designed to enable them to be fully loaded with frontliners come the return to European action.
It's striking to note that last weekend's Irish four-timer in round five, emulated an unbeaten round one (when Munster drew away against Exeter) and the four wins in round three as well.
The return to Europe has found all four provinces primed and ready, albeit round two should serve as a cautionary tale, when three of the four lost.
Furthermore, for all the plotting, Leinster were still handicapped by injuries to a host of experienced internationals in Devin Toner, Dan Leavy, Sean O'Brien, Johnny Sexton, Robbie Henshaw and Rob Kearney, as well as James Lowe. That's almost half their normal starting team.
Dave Kearney scores a try against Toulouse Photograph: Oisin Keniry/Inpho
But Leinster probably possess the healthiest strength in depth in Europe, and all their replacements had plenty of experience at this level, even the relatively younger ones such as Ross Byrne (23), Rory O'Loughlin (24) and Jordan Larmour (21).
They have already accumulated 61, 53 and 32 caps for Leinster, and for Byrne (who started both European wins over Montpellier last season as well as the Pro14 semi-final win over Munster) this was a 14th Champions Cup appearance, an eighth for O'Loughlin and an 11th for Larmour.
England are regular finalists in the Under-20 World Cup and France won it last year, but their clubs seem compelled to play more expensively assembled players, often brought in from abroad.
With the exception of Toulouse again of late, the Irish provinces place a far greater trust in young players. Meantime, the investment in Joey Carbery has been augmented by player movement, and is already reaping a rich dividend.   
It's why it's not the end of the world if a provincial team in the Pro14 is not stacked with stellar names. It's partly why the provinces punch way above their financial weight in Europe, and why Ireland do so as well internationally.
There's the odd complaint out there when provincial teams are less than fully loaded, especially for derby games, but by and large most of us are with the programme now.
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

johnnycool

6 Nations coming up.

Would it be a big deal if Ireland didn't win it?

screenexile

#7563
Quote from: johnnycool on January 17, 2019, 11:20:22 AM
6 Nations coming up.

Would it be a big deal if Ireland didn't win it?

Nope... we've won the Grand Slam last year everything has to go on the World Cup. Our best case scenario is not have any serious 6 month type injuries and make sure that we have another 15-20 lads who behind our first 15 who can get some top level rugby under their belt in preparation for September.

Walter Cronc

Quote from: johnnycool on January 17, 2019, 11:20:22 AM
6 Nations coming up.

Would it be a big deal if Ireland didn't win it?

Personally would rather see Carbery and a few other combinations tested. Namely tighthead, No. 8 and scrumhalf - hopefully Cooney.

johnnycool

Quote from: screenexile on January 17, 2019, 11:20:53 AM
Quote from: johnnycool on January 17, 2019, 11:20:22 AM
6 Nations coming up.

Would it be a big deal if Ireland didn't win it?

Nope

With England at home in the first game you'd hope for the win just because it's England and that little shit Eddie Jones, but if a loss meant a reversal in Japan in the knockout stages then it would be worth it.

Joe needs to get the squad peaking later on in the year.


Milltown Row2

Ulster were lucky there to an extent! How these lads don't end up in A&E every night is beyond me!
None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Ea

Tony Baloney

Munster v Exeter is feisty. Munster not firing at all.

Boycey

Shocking decision making from Munster here.

Tony Baloney

Quote from: Boycey on January 19, 2019, 06:15:44 PM
Shocking decision making from Munster here.
Error count will be massive for that half and Exeter fancy their chances as going to the corner when they get a chance.

screenexile

Quote from: Milltown Row2 on January 19, 2019, 05:14:52 PM
Ulster were lucky there to an extent! How these lads don't end up in A&E every night is beyond me!

Cooney is a class act can't understand why he isn't higher up the pecking order for Ireland.

Good to see Henderson with a full game as well!

Aaron Boone

Plenty of pride in 9-county Ulster tonight.

Milltown Row2

Will be up against it but considering how poor they have been at this level for a few years it a boost to the Ulster players.. tough ask in the quarter finals though Leinster or Racing I heard
None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Ea

dec

In the Quarter Finals

5 Pro14 teams
2 Top 14 teams
1 Premiership team

Owen Brannigan

Despite the English and French dismantling the original structures of the European Cup and moulding them to what they thought were to their own advantage, we have only one English and two French teams in the quarter finals. However, you could still see an English - French final

Saracens v Glasgow
Leinster v Ulster
Edinburgh v Munster
Racing 92 v Toulouse

Semi finals

(Saracens v Glasgow) v (Edinburgh v Munster)

(Leinster v Ulster) v (Racing 92 v Toulouse)