The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
He likes the wrong crisps, which is understandable if you were raised with them like the Nordies, but it's just too much when you're a transplanted Dub.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Yeah absolutely. Plus he seems like a genuinely good bloke to boot. Ireland is also too small a place not to have heard if he was banging birds in airport jax or sexually harassing the physio or whatever.Winnie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:00 pmIreland has too small a playing pool to have a management throwing a huff with one of his better playersfeckwanker wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:57 pm Lads, Cooney won't be getting called up under this regime. Not sure what he's done to sour the milk but obviously it's enough to ignore him from a team management POV.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
He does seem a decent spudhermie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:08 pmYeah absolutely. Plus he seems like a genuinely good bloke to boot. Ireland is also too small a place not to have heard if he was banging birds in airport jax or sexually harassing the physio or whatever.Winnie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:00 pmIreland has too small a playing pool to have a management throwing a huff with one of his better playersfeckwanker wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:57 pm Lads, Cooney won't be getting called up under this regime. Not sure what he's done to sour the milk but obviously it's enough to ignore him from a team management POV.
Can remember the bath away game he came out and had a few beers with the fans
Even got a round in
To the fair to him no other Ulster players did
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Rocket Scientist + Brain Surgeon = Rocket Surgeon.

- feckwanker
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Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Nordies in being tight shockerWinnie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:11 pmHe does seem a decent spudhermie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:08 pmYeah absolutely. Plus he seems like a genuinely good bloke to boot. Ireland is also too small a place not to have heard if he was banging birds in airport jax or sexually harassing the physio or whatever.Winnie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:00 pmIreland has too small a playing pool to have a management throwing a huff with one of his better playersfeckwanker wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:57 pm Lads, Cooney won't be getting called up under this regime. Not sure what he's done to sour the milk but obviously it's enough to ignore him from a team management POV.
Can remember the bath away game he came out and had a few beers with the fans
Even got a round in
To the fair to him no other Ulster players did
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Most of our team are from down south you lot never tire of telling us 

- feckwanker
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Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
It is a real problem, and I agree that the Welsh are a real problem here.Munster-fogs wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 11:50 pmEnough of this shit. You're as bad as the Welsh. This is our league and we're not moving. It's up to the others to improve.
A number of the English clubs would welcome us into a B&I league, but I think it would be terrible strategically. They'll want all their clubs in the league, so you'll end up with some 20 team monstrosity with lots of shit matches that no-one is really interested in. So pretty soon you'll end up with pressure to have 2 divisions. The second division will be dead, with no attraction for sponsors/media and the top division won't be sufficiently more attractive to compensate. Europe will be dead already as a consequency - it'll become some bullshit 'challenge of the champions' playoff cup
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
- Willie Falloon
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Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
He needs to start in bigger Leinster games as well. His brother won't let you down in group games or big interpros, safe and dependable, but once you come up againest Toulouse or Sarries in Europe you need someone special at 10. He has a touch of the Finn Russels about him.Conspicuous wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:27 pm
Is that confirmed ? I see the Indo are suggesting he’s going to be involved this weekend but there’s no mention of him in the IRFU press release
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
I don’t think there is a proper solution to the Pro14 issue. Absolutely pushing shit uphill to get the Italians up to standard, while the Welsh seem totally disinterested. Scots will come good on their own, eventually. They are cyclical.
I can’t see any value in including Saffer clubs at all. Maybe if they were London based Saffer teams, or something. None of it adds up to me, really. Basically need somebody to throw their money away on it, but that’s hardly a real thing.
I can’t see any value in including Saffer clubs at all. Maybe if they were London based Saffer teams, or something. None of it adds up to me, really. Basically need somebody to throw their money away on it, but that’s hardly a real thing.
- lorcanoworms
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Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Face just doesn't fit.feckwanker wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:02 pmYou'd think so but maybe he is disruptive in camp or likes boorish things like sleeping with the lights on - who knows? All we know for certain is that his card is marked by Farrell and co.Winnie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:00 pmIreland has too small a playing pool to have a management throwing a huff with one of his better playersfeckwanker wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:57 pm Lads, Cooney won't be getting called up under this regime. Not sure what he's done to sour the milk but obviously it's enough to ignore him from a team management POV.

Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
https://www.the42.ie/leinster-toulouse- ... 0-Jan2019/Willie Falloon wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:15 pmHe needs to start in bigger Leinster games as well. His brother won't let you down in group games or big interpros, safe and dependable, but once you come up againest Toulouse or Sarries in Europe you need someone special at 10. He has a touch of the Finn Russels about him.Conspicuous wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:27 pm
Is that confirmed ? I see the Indo are suggesting he’s going to be involved this weekend but there’s no mention of him in the IRFU press release
15. Jordan Larmour
14. Adam Byrne
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Rory O’Loughlin
11. Dave Kearney
10. Ross Byrne
9. Luke McGrath
1. Cian Healy
2. Sean Cronin
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. Scott Fardy
5. James Ryan
6. Rhys Ruddock (captain)
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Jack Conan
Replacements:
16. James Tracy
17. Ed Byrne
18. Andrew Porter
19. Ross Molony
20. Max Deegan
21. Jamison Gibson-Park
22. Noel Reid
23. Conor O’Brien.

Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
I've often defended the league and would have resisted too much tinkering in the past but right now the Saffer teams can't come soon enough. It's the only thing for it at this point.SFBB wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:18 pm I don’t think there is a proper solution to the Pro14 issue. Absolutely pushing shit uphill to get the Italians up to standard, while the Welsh seem totally disinterested. Scots will come good on their own, eventually. They are cyclical.
I can’t see any value in including Saffer clubs at all. Maybe if they were London based Saffer teams, or something. None of it adds up to me, really. Basically need somebody to throw their money away on it, but that’s hardly a real thing.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
We need to stop buying this disinterested crap the Welsh mongs push.
Their teams are crap not disinterested
Their teams are crap not disinterested
- Willie Falloon
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Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
2 years ago.Nolanator wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:32 pmhttps://www.the42.ie/leinster-toulouse- ... 0-Jan2019/Willie Falloon wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:15 pmHe needs to start in bigger Leinster games as well. His brother won't let you down in group games or big interpros, safe and dependable, but once you come up againest Toulouse or Sarries in Europe you need someone special at 10. He has a touch of the Finn Russels about him.Conspicuous wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:27 pm
Is that confirmed ? I see the Indo are suggesting he’s going to be involved this weekend but there’s no mention of him in the IRFU press release
15. Jordan Larmour
14. Adam Byrne
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Rory O’Loughlin
11. Dave Kearney
10. Ross Byrne
9. Luke McGrath
1. Cian Healy
2. Sean Cronin
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. Scott Fardy
5. James Ryan
6. Rhys Ruddock (captain)
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Jack Conan
Replacements:
16. James Tracy
17. Ed Byrne
18. Andrew Porter
19. Ross Molony
20. Max Deegan
21. Jamison Gibson-Park
22. Noel Reid
23. Conor O’Brien.![]()
Toulouse have been a weeeee bit better recently. Ulster beat them back then but got hammered a couple of months ago. They have the best halfbacks in NH, if not the world
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
I'm not convinced the SA teams will solve any problem either. I think admitting the two Italian sides was a backward step, and a more logical move might have been integration into the French system. But, overall, giving the Italians some more meaningful sub-international action is important and I'd accept that as the price. It seems the direction of travel though is for the Saffas coming in, so I don't think my concerns are going to influence thathermie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:34 pmI've often defended the league and would have resisted too much tinkering in the past but right now the Saffer teams can't come soon enough. It's the only thing for it at this point.SFBB wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:18 pm I don’t think there is a proper solution to the Pro14 issue. Absolutely pushing shit uphill to get the Italians up to standard, while the Welsh seem totally disinterested. Scots will come good on their own, eventually. They are cyclical.
I can’t see any value in including Saffer clubs at all. Maybe if they were London based Saffer teams, or something. None of it adds up to me, really. Basically need somebody to throw their money away on it, but that’s hardly a real thing.

I don't think their players are that bad - at least as good as available to the Scots, and better in many cases. They've never really had (that I can recall) good coaches at more than 1 or 2 of the regions at any one time. Get some decent coaching in place and they can improve pretty fast - look at Ulster under Dan McF, or Connacht under Friend. And whatever about the players, it is a rump of fans + the powers that be at the regions that seem to suffer from the delusion that the English clubs are going to wake up some day and think the Welsh regions are all that is lacking from sort of rugby utopia. Get their shit together off the pitch - look at what the Scots have done in the last 5 or so years in terms of building attendances for their sides
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Good point there is a massive delusion of grandeur in welsh rugby that harks back to the 70s
These days success drives attendance and interest
Pro 14 is now competing against football
Swansea and Cardiff have both been in the premier league and the welsh national team is going well
The welsh have lost a large section of the next generation to football
These days success drives attendance and interest
Pro 14 is now competing against football
Swansea and Cardiff have both been in the premier league and the welsh national team is going well
The welsh have lost a large section of the next generation to football
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
I maintain that changing it from the Celtic League was a huge mistake.
The tournament feels like a tacky cobbled together thing, just people desperate to make it work however they can.
The tournament feels like a tacky cobbled together thing, just people desperate to make it work however they can.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
We are so spoilt to get joy from our teams winning and being successful and international team too if less so. Let’s be honest an Irish provincial team win puts a smile on everyone’s face. Winning a league or championship is fanatic for the fans. The poor Welsh (international team apart), Scots and Italians barely get to experience the joy we do on a regular basis. We are cock a hoop with a pep in our step.
Last edited by YOYO on Tue Nov 24, 2020 3:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
I honestly believe they had something when it was the Magners.
Clearly they didn't, because they felt the need to include Italian teams for some reason, but yeah.
It just gave off a vibe of desperation when they were brought in.
Clearly they didn't, because they felt the need to include Italian teams for some reason, but yeah.
It just gave off a vibe of desperation when they were brought in.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Better competition alright but not enough money.
- Boxcar Ira
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Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Yeah they probably took on too much too fast. You couldnt really trust the Welsh to stick around though so much of it was self preservation I'd say.
The bottom line is that it's pretty useless without the Welsh being competitive. Even up to recently you could rely on them to put up some competition at home when we had weakened teams out.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Its been touched upon loads of times that ireland touched lucky that they had four ready made sides.YOYO wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 3:25 pm We are so spoilt to get joy from our teams winning and being successful and international team too if less so. Let’s be honest an Irish provincial team win puts a smile on everyone’s face. Winning a league or championship is fanatic for the fans. The poor Welsh (international team apart), Scots and Italians barely get to experience the joy we do on a regular basis. We are cock a hoop with a pep in our step.
You are right a win puts a smile on everyones face because everyone sees the province as them/theirs
Its (mostly) local lads, some of which you knew from school or at least have a tie to.
The welsh or jocks dont have this really
Edinburgh and Glasgow were never rugby hotbeds
The borders were the home of scottish rugby, I dont see how Hawick, Gala and Jedburgh feel they are represented by the two big cities
The welsh regions bar Cardiff and the Scarlets are the same, Ponty dont feel they are represented by the Ospreys
The weakness of the Pro-14 is harmful to Irish rugby in the long run
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Yeah, it used to be that Dragons away on a 6N weekend was always a banana skin, or even some years an outright ambush. Now it’s just a chance for the academy lads to run riot.Boxcar Ira wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 3:38 pmYeah they probably took on too much too fast. You couldnt really trust the Welsh to stick around though so much of it was self preservation I'd say.
The bottom line is that it's pretty useless without the Welsh being competitive. Even up to recently you could rely on them to put up some competition at home when we had weakened teams out.
In fairness, a big part of that is the output from our academy is that much better than the Johnny Hepworths and Harry Vermasses that would be sent out in those games in the past.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
The Borders I get the impression always had the same issue we talked about with the Welsh the other day. No matter where you set their home games, the other Border clubs wouldn’t go along to support. Hawick fans wouldn’t support a Gala team etc etc. So the crowds were always the smallest in the league. I don’t know their geography so can’t compare with how easy it is to pull in a rugby crowd on a Friday evening in Galway.Edinburgh and Glasgow were never rugby hotbeds
The borders were the home of scottish rugby, I dont see how Hawick, Gala and Jedburgh feel they are represented by the two big cities
The welsh regions bar Cardiff and the Scarlets are the same, Ponty dont feel they are represented by the Ospreys
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
It's why I get sick of the implicit criticism or admonishment of the likes of Leinster for "always having strong teams" year round, or not taking the tournament seriously.
They're punting out academy lads and still hockying everyone, playing the first teamers all the time isn't going to improve other teams chances or magically turn the league into the Top14.
OTB, Bod Wood and Quinnie, were all very guarded in their criticisms this week.
Clearly trying to keep links they have to the camp sweet.
It's unlistenable at this stage. Wish Franno did a podcast.
They're punting out academy lads and still hockying everyone, playing the first teamers all the time isn't going to improve other teams chances or magically turn the league into the Top14.
OTB, Bod Wood and Quinnie, were all very guarded in their criticisms this week.
Clearly trying to keep links they have to the camp sweet.
It's unlistenable at this stage. Wish Franno did a podcast.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
That's the thing the National team for whatever reason bucked the trend and they used that to paper over the cracks of weekly ass kicking.Winnie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 3:11 pm Good point there is a massive delusion of grandeur in welsh rugby that harks back to the 70s
These days success drives attendance and interest
Pro 14 is now competing against football
Swansea and Cardiff have both been in the premier league and the welsh national team is going well
The welsh have lost a large section of the next generation to football
That's not happening anymore and the chickens are coming home to roost.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Franno would be unlistenable in his own way. The way he castigated Carty during the WC was nasty saying he wouldn’t be able to run a schools cup game. It stunk. His chatter would only service parts of south Dublin.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
YepMullet 2 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 4:01 pmThat's the thing the National team for whatever reason bucked the trend and they used that to paper over the cracks of weekly ass kicking.Winnie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 3:11 pm Good point there is a massive delusion of grandeur in welsh rugby that harks back to the 70s
These days success drives attendance and interest
Pro 14 is now competing against football
Swansea and Cardiff have both been in the premier league and the welsh national team is going well
The welsh have lost a large section of the next generation to football
That's not happening anymore and the chickens are coming home to roost.
Gatland was keeping the whole thing together
Once he left the Welsh were always going to be in big trouble
Like him or loathe him, he is a hell of a coach
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
I just can’t see how the South Africans are at all the solution. I’d rather go back to 10 teams and only play when Test rugby isn’t. It’s effectively an academy tool for most or our season, so no wonder the lustre has gone off it.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
I just don't really buy the parochial thing either. Nobody is more parochial than us.
Yes the door of provincial loyalty was a bit more ajar but Leinster in particular and Connacht have worked hard to turn themselves from Dublin and Galway City sides to genuine provincial sides.
The Taffs arent arsed.
Yes the door of provincial loyalty was a bit more ajar but Leinster in particular and Connacht have worked hard to turn themselves from Dublin and Galway City sides to genuine provincial sides.
The Taffs arent arsed.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
You’re correct. They’ve had long enough to sort out their regional identity. Just useless cnutsMullet 2 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 4:10 pm I just don't really buy the parochial thing either. Nobody is more parochial than us.
Yes the door of provincial loyalty was a bit more ajar but Leinster in particular and Connacht have worked hard to turn themselves from Dublin and Galway City sides to genuine provincial sides.
The Taffs arent arsed.
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Interesting question in the Sunday Times at the weekend: how often has he played behind a beaten pack? Very rarely I'd suggest.Willie Falloon wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:15 pmHe needs to start in bigger Leinster games as well. His brother won't let you down in group games or big interpros, safe and dependable, but once you come up againest Toulouse or Sarries in Europe you need someone special at 10. He has a touch of the Finn Russels about him.Conspicuous wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:27 pm
Is that confirmed ? I see the Indo are suggesting he’s going to be involved this weekend but there’s no mention of him in the IRFU press release
Re: The Official Irish Rugby Thread
Easterby has said that they wont be throwing caps around just for the sake of it against Georgia
Seriously Simon, cop the fvck on .....
Based on the extended autumn squad previously announced (incl. development players), plus some of the others called into camp based on the pictures today (EOS), the team I'd like to see for the Georgia game would be:
15. Daly
14. Earls
13. Farrell*
12. McCloskey
11. Stockdale
10. H. Byrne
9. Casey
*only because theres no other centres in the squad.
1. EOS
2. Heffernan
3. Bealham
4. Henderson
5. Wycherley
6. Baird
7. JVDF
8. Doris
Not sure if some of the above players are injured?
The above lineup would see 6 debutants (Baird, Wycherley, EOS, Daly, Byrne, Casey), but based on Easterby's comments, I now fully expect none of them start
The fact that Coombes, Frawley and others aren't even being looked at during this window is an indictment frankly

Based on the extended autumn squad previously announced (incl. development players), plus some of the others called into camp based on the pictures today (EOS), the team I'd like to see for the Georgia game would be:
15. Daly
14. Earls
13. Farrell*
12. McCloskey
11. Stockdale
10. H. Byrne
9. Casey
*only because theres no other centres in the squad.
1. EOS
2. Heffernan
3. Bealham
4. Henderson
5. Wycherley
6. Baird
7. JVDF
8. Doris
Not sure if some of the above players are injured?
The above lineup would see 6 debutants (Baird, Wycherley, EOS, Daly, Byrne, Casey), but based on Easterby's comments, I now fully expect none of them start

The fact that Coombes, Frawley and others aren't even being looked at during this window is an indictment frankly