Rugby world cup

[small white mayoman]

I never dream either az, well except when i dreamt about rats for  a week and oneill told me i had 30 minutes to live. i think i might put a wager on. Who scored in you dream az with me it was murphy 2 horgan and o'driscoll in the last minute fairly vivid i know.

[Main Street]

But did Argentina get the bonus point?

[small white mayoman]

No they didn't main street i let you know how we did against New Zealand on monday

[Gabriel_Hurl]

[the Deel Rover]

[Main Street]

I don't understand it, no matter what Eddie O'Sullivan does, he is getting hammered on all fronts.
A couple of months ago the last hop of a ball in a game against France (with no O'Driscoll) was was all that kept us from the sacred Grand Slam.
He is derided for being conservative yet Eddie is always talking about playing "high risk rugby"

The same pundits  6 months ago who claimed him to be the best or one of the best coaches in the world now are screaming for the guillotine.
Now they say that the progress the team have made up to the last 6 Nations have been made despite Eddie.
It is not talked about very much that the big 3 provincial teams with 3 reputed coaches all performed dismally in the HC.

I don't expect a miracle against Argentina but it would be a great pleasure if the team could shove it up the nose of the  begrudgers and turn coats.

[ONeill]

Ireland's Best rushed to hospital

Ireland prop Simon Best has been admitted to hospital after falling ill and complaining of a loss of feeling down his right side.

Best, 29, was immediately transferred to hospital in Bordeaux where tests are being carried out.

The Ulster front row has been named on the bench for Sunday's World Cup crucial clash with Argentina in Paris.

"He was walking around town in Bordeaux when he felt the loss of feeling down his right side," said a statement.

"Team doctor Gary O'Driscoll is with him in hospital but we probably won't have any update on his condition until tomorrow (Thursday) morning."

Best, whose brother Rory was the first-choice hooker at the start of the World Cup before fracturing and dislocating his thumb against Georgia, has made 23 appearances for Ireland.

He has come on as a substitute in all three games so far during the World Cup.

Ireland must beat Argentina by more than seven points and score four or more tries to reach the quarter-finals, probably as runners-up to France in Pool D.

[Dinny Breen]

don't understand it, no matter what Eddie O'Sullivan does, he is getting hammered on all fronts.

It's now what he does that annoys me but what he doesn't do, failure to use his bench, failure to develop a squad, failure to look at players in England and failure to drop players clearly out of form, anything O'Sullivan gets he deserves, he has more control than any other coach in the history of Irish rugby, he stabbed Gatland and then Kidney in the back, he needs to move on..

A couple of months ago the last hop of a ball in a game against France (with no O'Driscoll) was was all that kept us from the sacred Grand Slam.
He is derided for being conservative yet Eddie is always talking about playing "high risk rugby" Smiley

You reap what you sow, at that time Ireland been a conservative lot were 3 points up they had the option of a kick to the corner and a line-out to run down the clock, instead they opted to kick the penalty thus giving France another opportunity....

He talks the talk but if you think Ireland play high risk rugby you need your head examined

The same pundits  6 months ago who claimed him to be the best or one of the best coaches in the world now are screaming for the guillotine.

The only pundit who consistently says that is Neil Francais, he hasn't a clue and is a muppet. Cronin and Thornly have been big critics of O'Sullivan over the last 2/3 years..

Now they say that the progress the team have made up to the last 6 Nations have been made despite Eddie.

The provinces develop the players, he has a lot of talented players, he has complete control, it's not hard to make progress when you comparing Ireland to the Ireland of old

It is not talked about very much that the big 3 provincial teams with 3 reputed coaches all performed dismally in the HC.

Did they? Two quarter-finalists and Ulster hammered Toulouse at home 

I don't expect a miracle against Argentina but it would be a great pleasure if the team could shove it up the nose of the  begrudgers and turn coats.

These players have talked themseleves up, not the media not the fans, if they fail to deliver on their words they deserve to be critised...

[deiseach]

I don't understand it, no matter what Eddie O'Sullivan does, he is getting hammered on all fronts.
A couple of months ago the last hop of a ball in a game against France (with no O'Driscoll) was was all that kept us from the sacred Grand Slam.
He is derided for being conservative yet Eddie is always talking about playing "high risk rugby"

The same pundits  6 months ago who claimed him to be the best or one of the best coaches in the world now are screaming for the guillotine.
Now they say that the progress the team have made up to the last 6 Nations have been made despite Eddie.
It is not talked about very much that the big 3 provincial teams with 3 reputed coaches all performed dismally in the HC.

I don't expect a miracle against Argentina but it would be a great pleasure if the team could shove it up the nose of the  begrudgers and turn coats.

Ireland were a wee bit unlucky in the Six Nations, being the victims of two rotten decisions against France when the ref played virtually no advantage in kickable positions, and they'd probably have won the Championship had Ireland been scheduled to play last rather than first on the final day.

But the fact is Ireland have been awful for five games on the bounce. That's a long time to be awful when you consider the team will only play ten or twelve matches in 2007. The coach has to take the blame for that.

[Main Street]

Did they? Two quarter-finalists and Ulster hammered Toulouse at home 

I would consider that the 2 provinces performed dismally in the 1/4 finals and the signs were there before in the group stages that it was on the cards.
Maybe Ulster had one superb home game in them.

On the pundits I thought it was also Hook who blows hot and cold over  O'Sullivan.

[Dinny Breen]

I would consider that the 2 provinces performed dismally in the 1/4 finals and the signs were there before in the group stages that it was on the cards.

So you take 2 performances in isolation and make a sweeping statement. Funny these two performances came after the 6 nations when the players were unavailable to their provinces  and hand been under O'Sullivans coaching

Hook is another fraud, a man who knows liitle about the modern game..

[Main Street]

So you take 2 performances in isolation and make a sweeping statement. Funny these two performances came after the 6 nations when the players were unavailable to their provinces  and hand been under O'Sullivans coaching

No I didn't take the 2 dismal performances in isolation, I also said that the signs were there in the group stages.
I thought everyone knew that.
There is enough evidence to suggest that O´Sullivan is not the only coach of an Irish team to struggle with form.

BTW, I thought Reddan performed well

[stephenite]

Sounds pretty bad for Simon Best - hope he's OK

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/worldcup2007/2007/0927/bests.html

[Dinny Breen]

No I didn't take the 2 dismal performances in isolation, I also said that the signs were there in the group stages.

Are these the groups that Leinster won and Munster missed out on winning theirs because Leicester had a better head to head, and Munster scored the third highest amount of points in the group stages.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing  but the signs were not there in the group stages   

Oh and considering Leinster lost the Magners League only on the last day with Ulster in contention as well only Munster had problems with their form but with Eddie O'Sullivan getting his hands on their pack is this really a surprise..

[Main Street]

Are these the groups that Leinster won and Munster missed out on winning theirs because Leicester had a better head to head, and Munster scored the third highest amount of points in the group stages.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing  but the signs were not there in the group stages   

Dinny, now you are spinning, Munster looked ragged losing a crucial last home game and were dissapointed to be 7th seeds in the QF. I can´t really comment on Leinster except a home QF tie was well within their capabilities. In both cases, overall the results and performances were down from the year before.
WTF has hindsight got to do with that. Hindsight is great though when you revisit O'Gara´s penalty decision against France.