Planet Rugby Forum

earl the beaver

Not really that we don't know what to do but that we don't play in a style where we can carry a guy to just run fast. I don't think any side can anymore. NZ used to be able to carry players who were limited in some areas but lethal in others as their game inside was so powerful but can't anymore. S...

earl the beaver

anonymous_joe wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 1:37 pm Does that not suggest a failure of coaching to you?

For some things you either have it or you don't, Ulster have produced other backs capable at a much higher level in the same time frame so I think going "oh it's coaching" is reductive

earl the beaver

He is excellent at AIL level, you'd wonder if he'd have been better off elsewhere when he was younger. Is he excellent or just really fast? Ireland doesn't really know what to do with that. Not really that we don't know what to do but that we don't play in a style where we can carry a guy to just r...

earl the beaver

Jon Rodgers playing for Ballynahinch out of school. Rio McDonagh with Banbridge. Blake McClean with inst. Any idea who Owen O'Kane is with? Queens? Any other notable school leavers? Blake McClean was named by Instonians and then 3 hours later named to play for Ulster A at the same time. Communicati...

earl the beaver

NFL stuff didn't last long then. Still only 25. Still not an elite rugby player. Shame you'd wonder if he'd have been better off elsewhere when he was younger. Backs are something can produce. Not sure what Sexton is missing can be coached. I'm surprised he's not playing MLR, that's likely his ceil...

earl the beaver

irishrugbyua wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 9:34 am
earl the beaver wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 9:31 am
irishrugbyua wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 9:08 am I see Aaron Sexton is back playing rugby for Ballynahinch.
Was at the end of last season too. Surprised he wasn't playing for Ulster A at the weekend given the number of AIL players who were.
NFL stuff didn't last long then.

Still only 25.

Still not an elite rugby player.

earl the beaver

irishrugbyua wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 9:08 am I see Aaron Sexton is back playing rugby for Ballynahinch.

Was at the end of last season too. Surprised he wasn't playing for Ulster A at the weekend given the number of AIL players who were.

earl the beaver

Well I was really drawing a link between Mountbatten, the British establishment, the RUC and Unionist government, the organised child sex abuse that took place in Kincora and Prince William of Orange's notorious predilection for young men. While there is evidence King Billy had very close friendshi...

earl the beaver

Do they still do the historical re-enactments of Prince William and young lads? They used to do them in Kincora, wasn't it? FFS Epstein's predecessor at it back in the day? Well I was really drawing a link between Mountbatten, the British establishment, the RUC and Unionist government, the organise...

earl the beaver

It's not Amorim missing chances.

They have an Xg of 8.46 but have only scored 4 so they simply aren't finishing chances.

The only side remotely near is Leeds stats wise.

earl the beaver

The MSM have to lie about numbers, they have to play it down. They can't allow the last few mainstream media viewers to know that it is far, far more than a few thugs. When you have estimates ranging from 110k to 3 million that is a huge disparity. The levels of misrepresentation are ridiculous. Th...

earl the beaver

CM11 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 11, 2025 3:47 pm
hermie wrote: ↑Thu Sep 11, 2025 3:34 pm
CM11 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 11, 2025 3:19 pm Speaking of Murray, has he ended up with a contract anywhere or is a quietly retiring?
Figured he'd end up in Japan with Billy Burns but no word yet, as far as I know anyway.
Can't retire in Japan.

2 years in Japan, 6 months of AIL, retire.

earl the beaver

Deco2 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 10, 2025 8:06 pm
themaddog wrote: ↑Wed Sep 10, 2025 7:52 pm https://armedforces.eu/compare/country_ ... ed_Kingdom
& don't forget that the Mighty Blighty camt use nuclear unless Trump givs them the codes.

Wrong

earl the beaver

Ulster are desperate for props and he is a Doak. And Ulster's coaching ticket is wank, I have no faith whatsoever in their player selections. Ulster rugby have a history of looking after their own, if he was any good, he'd have a contract. Ulster have a track record of ignoring people as well. Look...

earl the beaver

The original discussion wasn't about Ireland being invaded, as Joey says if that happened the world is already fúcked and we (as a planet) are probably en-route to some form of nuclear holocaust.

earl the beaver

irishrugbyua wrote: ↑Wed Sep 10, 2025 2:59 pm
earl the beaver wrote: ↑Wed Sep 10, 2025 2:56 pm
irishrugbyua wrote: ↑Wed Sep 10, 2025 2:52 pm

Surely if he was any good at all he'd be with Ulster
What makes you think that?
Ulster are desperate for props and he is a Doak.

And Ulster's coaching ticket is wank, I have no faith whatsoever in their player selections.

earl the beaver

Cameron Doak, released by Ulster last season, now training with Harlequins and will feature in their pre-season game this week. He's only there on a short term deal to cover the absence of internationals/lions but you would think if he does well then he'd get a contract. Surely if he was any good a...

earl the beaver

Cameron Doak, released by Ulster last season, now training with Harlequins and will feature in their pre-season game this week.

He's only there on a short term deal to cover the absence of internationals/lions but you would think if he does well then he'd get a contract.

earl the beaver

i know sweet fa about the military, navy etc but if we pimped out all our military hardware and found people willing to join up .....which army would be pose anything more than a speedbump to ? shouldnt any funding just be towards cyber security ? Discussion started off with the ability to combat d...

earl the beaver

Says the IRA and Hamas symphasisor. Also, you can tell that to the Russians or Chinese when they invade the ROI looking for a land base to target the West from. The Royal Navy can't stop the small boats (showing real Dunkirk spirit in fairness) sailing from France to England - it's a wonder the Rus...

earl the beaver

Procuring new hardware is only part of it. Staffing them is another whole issue. And this isn't about footing the bill to patrol the Atlantic on behalf of others, but we do need improved domestic capabilities to "do stuff" in our waters/EEZ. Similar-sized countries with functioning navies would be ...

earl the beaver

Nice has some of the highest levels of immigration in France. Overall the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region is second only to Paris for immigration. That's nice. I wasn't talking about immigration. I was talking about asylum seeker types hanging around being a nuisance. Yeah Nice is more multicultu...

earl the beaver

Nice has some of the highest levels of immigration in France. Overall the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region is second only to Paris for immigration.

earl the beaver

I've long said the European tour should host a "links swing" they way they do with African, middle east and asian swings. Irish Open, Scottish Open, Open 3 weeks in a row and then have a wind down after somewhere like North West England (bring back what was the Cazoo Open) or put the Dutch Open back...

earl the beaver

We've too much coast and not enough boats. Simple as. I've seen it myself personally- earlier this year doing some work in the south Irish Sea, we came across a raft of about 50 buoys tied together under a net about 30 miles offshore. We went to have a closer look but the skipper would not even ent...

earl the beaver

The daft thing is the increasing misalignment with the amateur calendar.

We played our first league fixture on Saturday and are due to finish up in April.

earl the beaver

The same thing happened in Portrush, it's sadly a feature of golf crowds at top level events, we're not quite at yank levels but in events where there is a partisan crowd we are regularly hearing and seeing things that would have been rare as hen's teeth 25 years ago. I think it was JJ Spaun who sai...

earl the beaver

A BBC article written by an Irish investigative journalist. Are you going to refute anything written there? Or just say it's those nasty brits being nasty? The article acknowledges it is a Europe wide problem with 600 suspicious boats a day of which authorities can only track a very small amount, it...

earl the beaver

You're missing the point entirely, Cam. It's not that they didn't do an excellent job here, they did, or that they have these capabilities when things go well. The point is that this is the exception, and can't be expected to work every time there's similar intelligence. Even this example of things...

earl the beaver

Some quite damning reports on the ability of the Irish defence forces to prevent the cartels bringing drugs into the country in this article

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yvplyrrwno

earl the beaver

Bryn Cunningham leaving Ulster.

Needed to go.

earl the beaver

As Duff said competency doesn't give headlines so we get this whole unpopular spiel.

earl the beaver

I agree it's media driven to some large extent but tbf, Starmer is also a lousy leader. I've no idea (clearly, you might say) as to why it's happening or who is driving it, but Courts under Starmer are handing out crazy long sentences for the Southport rioters and Just Stop Oil. Proscribing Palesti...

earl the beaver

The PM doesn't set sentencing guidelines ffs. This is the sort of shit people are talking about on TV and it doesn't get challenged. Proscribing Palestine Action is daft, that's a mistake but if you plead guilty to a crime and know the sentencing guidelines don't fúcking moan when you are sentenced...

earl the beaver

Purely because of messaging in the media though. When they do announce good news it's roundly ignored. I agree it's media driven to some large extent but tbf, Starmer is also a lousy leader. I've no idea (clearly, you might say) as to why it's happening or who is driving it, but Courts under Starme...

earl the beaver

The U.K. media are playing a very dangerous game. Musk has also taken an unhealthy interest in the U.K. - he’s got Vance pushing their mental version of free speech. Vance holidaying in the U.K., it’s all a bit suss. Musk is trying to push anti-immigration stuff in Ireland too - we shouldn't be bli...

earl the beaver

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025/09/03/kathy-sheridan-tricolour-fetishists-take-inspiration-from-england-the-irony-doesnt-end-there/ Juicy fact in the IT article about racist flag fetishists on these islands. That is an outstanding fact-based rebuttal. I'm surprised it hasn't been broadcast ...

earl the beaver

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025/09/03/kathy-sheridan-tricolour-fetishists-take-inspiration-from-england-the-irony-doesnt-end-there/ Juicy fact in the IT article about racist flag fetishists on these islands. The claim that they’re all about national pride and patriotism is followed in the n...

earl the beaver

Who really gives a f*ck about fans not being able to travel to away games? You keep droning on about this! Let it go mate! FFS. I do, travelling support is what makes leagues work. Not that this effects the Welsh. Great to hear. Tell me, as a genuine traveling fan, does the suggestion of the Black ...

earl the beaver

Looks like the URC organisers are ramping up the gigantic fcuk you to travelling fans, by actively exploring the addition of Black Lion into the competition. Not only are the URC organisers seemingly happy with asking British and Irish fans to travel 18+ hours to another continent as part of a "dom...

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