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It means we will have Club/School/Underage teams up and down the Country training at 6am and again at 7.30pm possibly training 8 times a week mostly fitness and gym sessions then a match at weekends! This will then reduce the number of 2 footed players like Gooch/the O'Se's/Galvin/Sheehan and ultimately reduce the skill level of our games.

Fair play to Dublin their players were the fittest, strongest and most committed. Neither do I blame them for doing what they had to do in order to win (unlike you after the Donegal match). I would just have preferred that the team who had the most skilfull players would win and ultimately that wasn't the case but c'est la vie and there's always next year.

Good luck to all the club players and their early starts over the next year!

Ref sore on Kerry... Dubs doing a good Donegal impression!

This is really exciting for the Irish team. We are a signifigantly better team than we were four years ago. We can scrumage as well as the top scrumaging teams. We have much better resources at the half back position. Murray and Sexton are a big improvement on Stringer and P Wallace. Reddan was an afterthought four years ago and has really brought the scrum half play on. Then we get to the back row. They are light years ahead of Easterby Wallace and Leamy which was a capable international class back row. Darcy is still alive and represents the only big drop off between the team of today and four yesrs ago. O Driscoll has declined a bit as well but he was cursed not to have the games decisive moment today with the ball bouncing over his head after hitting the post. The back tgree four years ago was Dempsey Horgan and Hickey. Kearney is much better than Dempsey as is Bowe over Trimble. Hickey would have the advantage over Earls. Second row O Vonnell and O Callaghan is about the same.

So there is only a dropoff at centre and then the rest of the team has moved forward a tonne. Thst team four years ago was very good but flopped at the world cup and got mugged by the draw. That Argentine team was immense and France were at home and able to best the allblacks. Now after todays win the draw has opened up for us and we have a chance of winning the thing if everything goes right for us. No injuries England beat France in the QF and Australia recover to get to the final on the other side of the draw.

Our last 2 results in competitive games 24-8 against England and 15-6 against Australia and no luck involved we could have won both games by more. That is the big time for us.

No offence CP but we are not a 'top scrummaging nation'. We beat the Aussies who are a relativlely poor scrummaging nation especially without Pocock and Moore

I would say we're behind England, Wales, SA, France and NZ in terms of scrummaging so let's not get carried away with ourselves.

I'm not being negative but more realistic. It is the best we have played this 2 years I just think we have lots of room for improvement in our next big game which will be the Welsh imo... People are presuming because we have beaten them in past 6N games its an easy passage to the semi final.

I think a performance like today would be 50/50 so my message would be 'some work done... a lot more to do!

Coleraine against Down!!

sweet mother of Jesus. Before the match we were discussing if Ireland were going to get out of the group, and just how big the hammering from aus would be.

Now were are counting down the days to the final. FFS have a bit of cop on.

!!!All aboard the Hype Train!!!!

Who said we wouldn't get out of the group?? Feckin begrudgers in this country... Why can't we be happy and positive about the team?

Just unreal!!!!

Can we start believing yet?

Defence unreal it seems they saved that maul defence that was so impressive in the 6N and the Scotland game. Playing ok but need to concentrate on not conceding penalties and not kicking the ball away needlessly!

I would like us to go for the lineout a bit more with this unpredictable ball!

So Obama decided to become President because he hates the United States??

I think I've heard it all now!!

do rte have the rights to it or whats the story

Yes they do!


From RTE.ie:

Watch Ireland v Australia live on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ.ie/sport from 9am, listen on RTÉ Radio or follow live tracking on RTÉ.ie/sport (kick-off 9.30am)

Best part of the World Cup is this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8o9KyFxppY

thats a good assesment of setantas coveage. very poor stuff, ITV is much better this world cup

ITV is still a bit annoying . . . their Analysis machine is not as cool as Sky's and the lads aren't as adept at using it either.

I read a few of those and whatever about the man if the Irish News published those articles on the Leitrim website of a Friday instead of that banal and boring rubbish Harte puts in every week I'd be more interested!!!

[(iii) if he becomes 'Commander in Chief' of the Irish Army, which an elected President is, how could the Army Council of the IRA still exist, which claims to be the 'real' army council of the Irish Republic.]

If McGuinness is chosen (which he won't - Shinners spinning this out for maximum publicity) I assume legitimate questions would be to him on the canvas:

(i) how many people has he personally killed in 'the struggle'
(ii) what IRA operations did he sanction - and how many casulaties were there?
(iii) if he becomes 'Commander in Chief' of the Irish Army, which an elected President is, how could the Army Council of the IRA still exist, which claims to be the 'real' army council of the Irish Republic.

*runs for cover*

I hope he runs for president just so he can be asked this question.

you need to get out more fella...

Good points I mean I don't think in his 30 odd years as a politician anyone would ever have asked him these most pertinent questions . . . 

Not that I would be happy to see a lad not play but if Pocock can't make it that would give Ireland a huge boost I reckon . . .

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/14811966.stm

New Zealand seemed to put Japan away fairly handy this morning and look to be going well but I'd wait until their first big knockout match to see what way they are shaping up.

Is Mayweater Ortiz on Sky tomorrow night and if so will we have to pay for the privilege?!