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Peter O'Mahony on celebrating his friendly win.

I see the upset about everything nordie attitude is alive and well.

U20 is a pile of shíte in its current form anyways.

We Irish sure like to wallow, we aren't happy unless we get a pasting at sport but win the accolade as plucky losers and moral victors. Why can't we just celebrate a great victory by a team united in representing the 4 provinces of Ireland. As a northerner who has been jokingly called British from time to time by Southern "colleagues" perhaps I am a bit sensitive to the shit being thrown at some of these players. If they have made their home here or have blood ties thats good enough for me. Irish Rugby will be the stronger in future for their contribution if for no other reason than they have raised the bar. As a life long Gael and Armagh man I only wish we could claim a few Dubs to help us along the way, at least Rugby has been able to balance the Provincial clubs out to offset the dominance of Leinster.

Having the likes of Payne, Bundee Aki and CJ represent Ireland is an honor really. They have come from a international system that has expected them to win world cups and I think it has rubbed off on the Irish team.

From a young age I've followed rugby and before Declan Kidney I remember the team being talked about as a team capable of winning the six nation's but we always fell short. There were even times when Ireland put in piss poor wc performances.

The Joe Schmidt era is an era of expectation. We are expected to win the six nation's, we are expected to perform in the world cup. We don't have any excuses anymore. We have beaten the best in the world, we have won two grand slams, we have had our first series win in Australia. When it comes to performing in team sorts the Irish mentality is not great but these wins have given the team confidence by doing what has never been done before.

If you seriously think those lads aren't just additive to an excellent academy and player management system in place in the provinces then I don't know what to say. The reason Ireland is successful is because we got our act together at home at the advent of the provincial game. Everything is built off that, not some fanciful idea of three imports bringing a winning mentality.

Belfry in Sligo town

Ahhhh the Duffys. ......
I suppose one consolation Anthony Cunningham will have no club complications when putting his panel together.

and probably a happy man after his club St Thomas won the county title today.

They won it handy too and will probably have a good rattle at the club All Ireland too. A team that are very easy on the eye when they start motoring.

Coached  by TJ Ryan....... jaysus they had to go a long way to get the young Jap.

Good side in fairness

Twas funny today. Louis Mulqueen a Clare man and TJ Ryan a Limerick man were squaring up to each other on the sidelines of the Galway county final.

There is a bit of history there by all accounts!!  In fairness to Thomas' they recognized that they needed to freshen things up so John Burke stepped aside - he had taken a lot of that squad through from underage anyway to a senior AI club.  He's not resting on his laurels either as he's coached Oranmore to the Intermediate title this year - they won't be out of place in senior next year either!

Hopefully Tooreen put some manners on them.

Am I wrong in thinking Rory Best is a weak link in that team?

Only in the minds of some Leinster and Munster people.

Cronin has some extra speed but his line outs last night prevented Ireland putting up quite a score on NZ.

Best is still the best option in terms of experience, all round game and leadership.  Look how many times he was into the ruck with O'Mahoney, how well he led the scrum and how he took the right decisions for the team.

When Sexton, he who would be captain, wanted to go again for the line out at the end of the first half, Best told him to take the score, impetuous Sexton wasn't pleased but those 3 points made it a two score game for a long time and made it more difficult for NZ.  That's what you get with Best, he may not be the best hooker but he brings much more to the team than Cronin, Scannell or Herring.

Fair play to Toner on last nights performance given being out of favour as first choice for a while.

I wouldn't know much about lineouts but it seemed to me that Cronin threw the ball exactly where he was supposed to for both lineouts that were lost. In both cases, NZ out-jumped the receiver, which wasn't happening when Toner and O'Mahony were on.

I don't know much about being a rugby captain either and leadership is an intangible concept, but Best seems to have it in abundance and more than his rivals for the hooker position. If it were not for that I'd say Cronin would be the first choice.

So by your own admission, you don't know much

Am I missing something?
I see nowt wrong with what Hardy observations here. Dunno about Cronin being first choice but the rest is spot on.

So if Best throws them he'd be throwing them to the right place?  And those in the line out don't catch them?

I don't think Ireland are great at line outs regardless of Toner or not. But Best isn't just there to do lineouts, but most of what you said is right, you don't know much 

The tît in chief.

Why is it even in the most positive of situations there's some tïts who think they're smart enough to do an end-around on logic and play the cardboard cutout contrarian? The usual crap here.

Finally, you have come out Sy and have been frank with your chronic shortcomings. Is it the 10 step program? regardless, I wish you well on your journey.

You try so hard to get quips in but they usually fall as flat as Monaghan's attack.

Why is it even in the most positive of situations there's some tïts who think they're smart enough to do an end-around on logic and play the cardboard cutout contrarian? The usual crap here.

Is any Mayo man as upset as a Roscommon man about young Akram young lad.... on my limited viewing saw nithing to show he was county senior material.....

Limited viewing would be the best description you could put on yourself alright.

Back in your corner.

I'll say it again - David Drake being better than Shairoze Akram in Horan's eyes perfectly encapsulates why this isn't going to end well for him and his old stagers.

All these jerseys are just using last year's Kerry one as a template. Meh.

Bell made the right choice. The Steelers were planning to run him tho the ground this season. I hope more players treat this as a business and forget about the nonsense eminating from teams and supporters.

How is leaving $855,000 a week on the table a good "business" decision? that money can never be recovered. His agent and the NFLPA advised him against it.

The Steelers raved about Conners in training camp, he was going to get touches this season

The Steelers raved about Conners because they wanted to pressure Bell into returning. They've tried so many dirty tricks with continual leaks to the media that using that as an arm of your arguement is misguided at best.

Staying healthy and knowing your worth is rarely the wrong choice. Fûck another 400 plus touches for a team that's going to try to use you up with no regard to your future.

Bell made the right choice. The Steelers were planning to run him into the ground this season. I hope more players treat this as a business and forget about the nonsense eminating from teams and supporters.

COC and DOC the next ones on the conveyor belt to get smashed by Corofin. Really they only have themselves to blame if they don't win the AI this year given the level of competition.

Crokes looked fairly handy themselves today. And Crokes (Kilmacud version) will be dangerous if they get through Leinster.

Ballintubber v Corofin will be interesting. Taking on Corofin in an open game of football is probably not the way to go so will Ballintubber go defensive and hope to nick enough scores on the break like Mountbellew almost managed the first day out.

Clann's strength was supposed to be their defence, they weren't trying to play an open game. Which doesn't bode well for Ballintubber or anyone else with probably their best forward still to add into that attack.

COC, DOC and whatever other acronyms are knocking about Ballintubber are the next ones on the conveyor belt to get smashed by Corofin. Really they only have themselves to blame if they don't win the AI this season given the level of competition.