Rugby world cup

[deiseach]

As you said, there's an awful lot of "such and such said this off the record". The story about the guy being woken up at midnight is fanciful in the extreme. The bottom line though, the one about a manager being judged on a four-year cycle, is sound. The thought of four more years of Eddie's lame-ass attempts at effiin' and blindin' would be enough to make the most commited of players recoil

And you had to laugh at the comment about the GAA's benevolence. Everyone has an opinion in the GAA about how windfall money should be spent, yet few are worried that it will be squandered. No one in rugby circles ever seems to fret about where the money from their milch cow - the internationals - is going, yet look what happens. Having such a decentralised organisation has its uses.

[DMarsden]

http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/World_Cup/Story/0,21043,13175_2775544,00.html

[Main Street]

DMarsden, that link doesn't go anywhere

I see on the Skysports 3 teams of the last 3 weeks, not one Irish player has been picked in any of the teams.
http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/World_Cup/Story/0,21043,13089_2773311,00.html
Not that any deserved to get near.
Just a few more pinches of salt into the wounds.
If they were to pick the worst 15 each week there would have been plenty of candidates.

[Mentalman]

So what do the great and the not so great unwashed make of the articles?

Well I wash every christmas whether I need it or not, but...

Disregarding the "dúirt sé go ndúirt sé" stuff - I mean I know these guys are centrally contracted, but come on, there's the team/group ethic/politics and there's just been candid - it's obvious that there has been a failure of management, and I don't just mean the coaching side. All power corrupts and you know the rest. There seems to be an element of the IRFU putting all their eggs in one basket i.e. EOS, and I think we all know that any situation where all power is centralised, while it can provide clarity and benefits at first, needs to evolve with the group. It's a delicate balance obviously, but it's all gone very stale, and amongst the developing and squad players there is an atmosphere of dejection and even a little fear. Trevor Brennan's joking about "Bobby Bouchet" are not far of the mark, and no squad can afford that, at least not for established squad members in professional sport.

The second thing that is obvious is that EOS has gone off the boil, disconnected from reality, and is unchallenged. Everyone needs to be challenged, both negatively and constructively to evolve. It's a risk if you think you are in a situation where you are bulletproof. It's natural, it happens to us all even with the best will in the world. Trying to evolve is harder than being forced to bew competition, you need the stimulas, the stick and the carrot. He's also holding on to tight to the rein of power, probably oblivious to the damage it's doing, as no one surrounding is telling him this or that is wrong. In those circumstance you see all challenge as negative, instead of asking "is there any truth in that at all?". I think his answers at the press conference are most telling in the regard. When asked about the fans feeling he immediately goes into defensive mode and talks about himself instead of being candid - "Gutted and blaming me and the team. We got it wrong.". I think maybe that realisation hasn't honestly hit home yet, and he still thinks lack of game time is behind it. It is a major element. Hindsight is 20/20 vision but at least half that squad should have been in Argentina, and not just a bunch of stiffs. Stating the obvious, but professional sports men thrive on competition and games. Mothballing them for 6 months was never going to pay dividends. Can you imagine being more or less sequestored with your clubmates for six months without game time? I don't know about you lads but I played hurling with lads for years I hated, and who hated me. Been stuck with with them for prolonged periods of time without the outlet of games would drive me off  the head.

[tyroneboi]

england are absolutely tearing the aussies apart at scrum time. cant believe england have one foot in the semis after that south africa horror show.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Fully deserved victory for England, wouldn't begrudge them... the bastards!

[Puckoon]

Jesus it will be hard to swallow if they go all the way...

[small white mayoman]

lets all  sing together " they can stick their f**king chariots up their hole, they can stick their f**king chariots up their hole, they can stick their f**king chariots stick their f**king chariots stick their f**king chariots up their hole"

[GalwayBayBoy]

Fair play to England. They were a shambles a few months ago and were even a shambles a few weeks ago. They've turned it around by just concentrating on doing the basics right.

Think they'll get thumped in the semi mind.

[Puckoon]

Fair play to England. They were a shambles a few months ago and were even a shambles a few weeks ago. They've turned it around by just concentrating on doing the basics right.

Think they'll get thumped in the semi mind.

I thought they'd get thumped today.

[thewobbler]

To be honest, if they can get a repeat performance from their pack, and the same intensity from their backs to give the big fellas a hand, England won't be beaten by much, even should they meet an on-song All Blacks. They were very impressive today.

[small white mayoman]

lets all  sing together " they can stick their f**king chariots up their hole, they can stick their f**king chariots up their hole, they can stick their f**king chariots stick their f**king chariots stick their f**king chariots up their hole"

Bitter wee mayoman.

Think they'll get thumped in the semi mind.

I thought they would today but............

moi hardsation not at all   

[Main Street]

I was cheering for England. Isn't that okay?
Glad they won, though I was expecting a last minute drop goal from Australia to shove the chariot up their holes.

[Hardy]

I know it's a bit hollow to crow after the event, but I took a wodge of the 5.8 Betfair were offering on England and I enjoyed every minute of that match. 4.8/1 was ridiculous odds in a game that was very likely to be low scoring and with Wilkinson invariably good for 12-15 points a match. I didn't reckon with him missing 4 kickable chances, though.

I also think France at 7 on Betfair for tonight is generous, given the circumstances, the team they've picked, the fact that the pressure is off them, the fact they're battle-hardened, the fact that the Blacks haven't been tested, the form of Carter and the lurking presence of the great enemy of overwhelming favourites everywhere - complacency.

I have a few bob on the double as well.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Fair play to England. They were a shambles a few months ago and were even a shambles a few weeks ago. They've turned it around by just concentrating on doing the basics right.

Think they'll get thumped in the semi mind.

I thought they'd get thumped today.

Well I thought the Aussies would win but not by a massive amount. The Aussie forwards have been their weak point for a few years now. If NZ get through tonight I doubt England will find their pack as accomodating as the Australians were today.