2009 Grand Slam Champions

[Hound]

1. Wales
2. Ireland
3. France
4. Scotland
5. England
6. Italy

[C_Berg_316]

Think Ireland could be in with a chance this year - if we catch France 'on the hop' at croker unlike that agonising defeat in 2007 could give some momentum leading in to the rest of the games.

I'm the eternal optimist that this team will deliver 

[GalwayBayBoy]

Think Ireland could be in with a chance this year - if we catch France 'on the hop' at croker unlike that agonising defeat in 2007 could give some momentum leading in to the rest of the games.

I'm the eternal optimist that this team will deliver 

Vital to win the first game against France. If they do they have Italy next and will get some momentum behind them before facing England at home. Beat France and you can easily see them winning their first three games and having a shot at the championship.

Lose to France at CP and it could all go pear shaped very quickly.

[C_Berg_316]

Think Ireland could be in with a chance this year - if we catch France 'on the hop' at croker unlike that agonising defeat in 2007 could give some momentum leading in to the rest of the games.

I'm the eternal optimist that this team will deliver 

Vital to win the first game against France. If they do they have Italy next and will get some momentum behind them before facing England at home. Beat France and you can easily see them winning their first three games and having a shot at the championship.

Lose to France at CP and it could all go pear shaped very quickly.

I agree GalwayBay - and France are prone to sometimes not starting the tournament well - i recall them losing to a poor scottish side once or twice in the first game - hopefully Ireland can turn them over anyway - was gutting the way they lost out to France at croker the last time - hopefully that will spur them on!

[peterquaife]

1> Ireland
2> France
3> Wales
4> Scotland
5> Italy
6> England

6 nations is sponsored by Carlsberg , right?

PQ

[magpie seanie]

I personally think we have a great chance this time round. England are in transition, Scotland and Italy really shouldn't pose any problems and we are well capable of beating Wales and France - especially if both aren't on top form and they can be inconsistent. Our autumn form is a worry as we were fairly poor but perhaps this is cause for optimism as good autumn form has often flattered to deceive in the past.

[Dinny Breen]

Nice article about Geordan Murphy this morn, the other Leicester Murphy Johnny was an even better footballer, played mid-field for Ellistown and would have be in the Kildare panel now...

SPORTING PASSION GEORGDAN MURPHY: Mark Rodden on how concentrating on rugby didn't allow the Ireland and Leicester player to take his Gaelic football career as far as he might

THE FIRST sport I played was Gaelic football and I played golf as well – they would have been the two main ones, along with a little bit of soccer. But I suppose Gaelic football would have been my first love.

Like a lot of youngsters I started in a Christian Brothers school when I was five or six years old. I would have always watched rugby, but I didn't actually play with a team until I went to school in Newbridge when I was 13. Before then I'd always played touch rugby – I was used to kicking a rugby ball and passing a rugby ball, but I'd never played a game until then.

Before that it was always Gaelic football and I really enjoyed playing it. I suppose one of the drawbacks of having to go to England so young is you don't see as much Gaelic football and you certainly don't get to play it.

I played in Naas and at underage level I remember playing at midfield, full back and centre half forward. When I got a little bit older I played a few games for the senior team at left half back or in the half forward line – I played across the board, really.

It wasn't until I was playing senior rugby for Newbridge that some of the Kildare guys saw me goal-kicking and thought it might be an opportunity to get me to train with the minors to have a look at me before the championship started, as I might have been an asset as a free-taker from the ground. I think that's why I got an invitation, because I wasn't playing a whole lot of Gaelic football during the rugby season – from the age of 16 or 17 I was only playing it in the summer.

I went down and played a couple of friendly matches with them, but I never actually played championship with Kildare minors. I'm not saying I would have been selected because I don't know if I was good enough, but there were time constraints and some very competitive senior cup rugby didn't allow me the time to continue with it.

Dermot Early and Pádraig Brennan were playing at the time and Tadhg Fennin as well. I've seen Early a few times and have spoken to him on occasions since then. He's obviously gone from strength to strength in his football career – he's a fantastic player and a hell of a nice guy too.

Around the time I went to England, Kildare were doing very well. They won some big games against the likes of Meath and Dublin and played in some real humdingers of matches. I was able to fly back to watch the games and it was fantastic to experience the excitement in the county.

I watched the 1998 All-Ireland final loss to Galway in a pub in Leicester because I couldn't get over for it. It's been a little bit quieter in the last few years but I think we'll be back before too long.

The community vibe you get in Gaelic games is very different to anything you'll get anywhere else. It's very difficult for me to explain to English guys how it works and how parishes will take things like the championship so seriously

That people from little villages and little towns will be training two or three nights a week, they'll give up drink and do whatever they have to do before a match against a rival parish or rival town that might only be five or 10 miles down the road, without getting a penny or without expecting anything for it.

Croke Park is a fantastic stadium and I'm very lucky to have played there. I remember as a young boy being asked what I wanted to do and I always said to play rugby for Ireland in Lansdowne and Gaelic for Kildare in Croke Park. I never managed to play Gaelic for Kildare in Croke Park, but I have managed to play rugby in both venues.

I really enjoy golf too and I started playing it at quite a young age. We were members of Naas Golf Club and played a lot there as youngsters. We're all proud of Paul McGinley, whose parents were members there. He actually came and coached the juveniles when I was a youngster, but he didn't get to coach me because for whatever reason I was away. I was gutted about missing it at the time.

Obviously he's gone on to bigger and better things since then and I think people down there are very proud of him.

[turk]

I think anything less than Ireland winning the six nations has to be regarded as a failure. For too long we had Eddie O'Sullivan's rip off mentality, moral victories and triple crowns - I hope none of this continues into the new regime.
"Up front" at Kidney's disposal he has the bulk of Munster's pack and also options like Ferris and Heaslip to make it even more competitive. Similarly with the backs he has the experienced Leinster set of backs including also great newer options like Kearney, Fitzgerald and Earls. I'd be concerned about the lack of depth at number 10 however.

Any talk of bedding in or transition is a cop out.

The key fixture is the first one against France. O'Sullivan used to constantly talk up the opposition and talk sh-t about preparing for the world cups. The French game was always built up as a massive mental block. There was a pattern in more than two French matches of a disastrous first half until the players started to actually stand up and play and it would end in a narrow defeat. It is up to the players to play the whole game against France. At home there should be no excuses - it is the best time to get them.

I think the six nations will end up with Ireland missing out on the title, possibly on points difference. I'd be wary of the trip to Scotland. It seems overall a fairly even championship. Fair play to Wales, they took their chances and won their grand slams in recent years. No reason why Ireland can't win it either.

[Maroon Heaven]

Ireland v France will sell out easily. Their prices are a consequence of supply and demand, and in fact they could add another 10% and still sell out with ease. Maybe more.

You're actually wrong, both games are sold out because the clubs have had to had to buy the tickets up front but the clubs are struggling to get rid of their tickets at those prices so we might actually see plenty of empty seats in Croke Park for the French game.

My Own club in Belfast is looking tickets for its members and I know aload of people in similar clubs, (Malone, Instonians, Carlow) looking tickets... No change in any other year from what I see and hear... - Where did you hear this from, can you tell me the clubs you know struggling??

Also clubs buying tickets up front is something the clubs wanted. We do not have to commit to buy any set number of tickets but each club is allocated tickets and if we need more or less we say so... Its seldom that a club has spare tickets.

[Dinny Breen]

A lot of Junior Clubs (eg Portlaoise, Portarlington, Athy, Cill Dara, Clane) in Leinster are struggling to get rid of French tickets within their clubs, remind me again how many were at the Argentina game yet all these tickets were bought by the clubs, the clubs took a heavy hit on that game. The clubs do not get as many tickets as they want they have a set allocation at the start of the season and if they get 150 tickets they have to take 150 else their allocation the next time will be reduced and Clubs can look but will generally not get any more and cannot return tickets. The clubs you name are all Senior clubs with large member base and sponsorship base for example Carlow's tickets generally go to their sponsors with a limited number going to players and members on a lottery basis, it's no surprise senior clubs are still looking for more...

I doubt if anyone who wants a ticket for the French game will have any trouble getting one though

BTW when they moved to Croker each club was allowed apply for a larger allocation, when they back to Lansdowne they revert to their original allocation, this will result in a supply and demand situation where the IRFU can keep prices at an artifical high thus ensuring the Six Nations will remain as popular as ever as an event.

[Maroon Heaven]

The Argentina game was a sell out... however 60k went...

The tickets were sold along with the All Black tickets and the problem was people who bought the AB ticket didn't go to Argentina game... (fair enough it was only a Friendly international)

I know for a fact Clane & Athy are looking French tickets as my Uncle is a former President of Clane and was on to me looking tickets. You are right that alot of tickets at senior level will go to sponsors. But you will also find a club like Cork Con or Dungannon will get considerably more tickets then your Clanes or Mullingars.

[Puckoon]

Dinny - are you saying you may be able to get tickets?

[Dinny Breen]

The tickets were sold along with the All Black tickets and the problem was people who bought the AB ticket didn't go to Argentina game... (fair enough it was only a Friendly international)

The tickets were bundled and not every club was able to sell them as a twin package, €160 is a lot of money to pass over just to see the All-Blacks. Athy and Clane are small clubs with small allocations in fact Clane were a J2 club less than 10 years ago and would be one of the smallest clubs with the smallest allocations in Leinster, club President in rugby is generally just a token thing no surprise he's looking for tickets . Trust me the demand is not what it use to be.

[Hound]

A lot of Junior Clubs (eg Portlaoise, Portarlington, Athy, Cill Dara, Clane) in Leinster are struggling to get rid of French tickets within their clubs, I

I think its fair to say Dinny that "struggling" in this sense means that after all members and their mates have taken their tickets, they still have some left over, so they need to do a bit of leg work to get rid of them. However, I'd be surprised if there's any left come Saturday. I work in a place with a large number of employees and during the last week two lads put notices on our e-noticeboard that their respective clubs had a number of tickets available. In less than 24 hours the "sold" sign was up. There's definitely plenty of willing buyers out there, the only problem is that the system in place means that many probably don't know there are tickets available if they'd only ring around rugby clubs.

[Dinny Breen]

I think its fair to say Dinny that "struggling" in this sense means that after all members and their mates have taken their tickets, they still have some left over, so they need to do a bit of leg work to get rid of them.

In a nutshell Hound, probably haven't got that across very well.

Anyway thought was interesting....

RFU may cut prices as fans 'sit on wallets'

   
By Mick Cleary

Friday January 30 2009

THE recession has hit Twickenham with a vengeance. The Rugby Football Union are considering job losses in expectation of a £10m revenue shortfall next season and for the first time have not sold out their Six Nations home games.

The Twickenham stadium capacity has been increased from 75,000 to 82,000, with adult tickets costing £41-83. That pricing structure is now being reviewed for the games against Italy in eight days' time, France on March 15 and Scotland six days later.

Twickenham's corporate hospitality market has also been hit hard, with blue-chip clients unable or unwilling to purchase packages. Sales are down 27pc for this season, seeing a loss of some £2m against budget forecasts.

"People are sitting on their wallets at the moment," said RFU chief executive Francis Baron yesterday.

Downturn

"We have had to be hard-nosed and realistic about the environment we are likely to be facing over the next 12-18 months. A 10pc downturn in a £100m-plus business is a big number."

The RFU have set up a financial and legal helpline for their 2,000 member clubs who might be experiencing difficulties with either banks or landlords or defaults on existing contracts. Baron has also been in contact with his fellow CEOs at the leading unions around the world to set up a conference in the next four to six weeks to thrash out common policy.

He has already had to initiate cuts of £1m to £1.5m this year and is looking to cut costs by £5m to £6m next year.

The RFU are now wondering if they can afford to bid for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, even though the guarantee required by RWC has been reduced from £100m to £80m. (© Daily Telegraph, London)