The Official Irish Rugby Thread

[Porterbelly1]

Thornley said next the 23rd too. Also said in the Times today that a revised Heineken quarter final based on current standings would have Munster v Scarlets and Leinster v Gloucester. Newcastle v Ulster and Treviso v Connacht in the challenge cup.

There was some talk of adding a last 16 before the QFs

Yeah my mistake, they were last 16 pairings

[irishrugbyua]

Leinster 'A' will be back in action this Friday when they face @UlsterRugby Ravens at Kingspan Stadium!

doesn't look like there will be a stream of it.

[hermie]

Leinster 'A' will be back in action this Friday when they face @UlsterRugby Ravens at Kingspan Stadium!

doesn't look like there will be a stream of it.

Not after the last time!

No more word on Noel Mc?

[irishrugbyua]

Leinster 'A' will be back in action this Friday when they face @UlsterRugby Ravens at Kingspan Stadium!

doesn't look like there will be a stream of it.

Not after the last time!

No more word on Noel Mc?

staying with leinster I think.

may be moving up.

[hermie]

It would hardly make sense if he wasn't moving up. But if he is, is anybody else moving to accommodate him?

[irishrugbyua]

It would hardly make sense if he wasn't moving up. But if he is, is anybody else moving to accommodate him?

rumoured contepomi is leaving

[DOB]

It would hardly make sense if he wasn't moving up. But if he is, is anybody else moving to accommodate him?

rumoured contepomi is leaving

[The Optimist]

Rob Kearney joins the Western force. Hope he can hold his drink, few irishmen can. Anyway he will probably be shocked with the 24 hour electricity and civilisation.

Good signing?

https://twitter.com/westernforce/status ... 1885106178

[hermie]

Rob Kearney joins the Western force. Hope he can hold his drink, few irishmen can. Anyway he will probably be shocked with the 24 hour electricity and civilisation.

Good signing?

https://twitter.com/westernforce/status ... 1885106178

I would say so, he's kept himself in reasonably good nick and will provide a lot of solidity in the air and at the back. In hindsight be probably should have started Leinster's last big knock out game against Saracens but the coaches had already moved on.

[Luckycharmer]

Rob Kearney joins the Western force. Hope he can hold his drink, few irishmen can. Anyway he will probably be shocked with the 24 hour electricity and civilisation.

Good signing?

https://twitter.com/westernforce/status ... 1885106178

Gone to top up the retirement fund and play some Easy rugby

[danthefan]

Rob Kearney joins the Western force. Hope he can hold his drink, few irishmen can. Anyway he will probably be shocked with the 24 hour electricity and civilisation.

Good signing?

https://twitter.com/westernforce/status ... 1885106178

He's definitely still in good enough nick to contribute. He's not going to score any length of the field tries or anything but won't find a better positional fullback I reckon.

[irishrugbyua]

French Ministry of Sport gives the opening weekend of the Six Nations, Italy v France, the green light - but demands further detail of the other competing nations' covid protocols

[irishrugbyua]

Rob Kearney joins the Western force. Hope he can hold his drink, few irishmen can. Anyway he will probably be shocked with the 24 hour electricity and civilisation.

Good signing?

https://twitter.com/westernforce/status ... 1885106178

Gone to top up the retirement fund and play some Easy rugby

Gets to live a life without any restrictions too.. lucky bastard

[Willie Falloon]

Rob Kearney joins the Western force. Hope he can hold his drink, few irishmen can. Anyway he will probably be shocked with the 24 hour electricity and civilisation.

Good signing?

https://twitter.com/westernforce/status ... 1885106178

Gone to top up the retirement fund and play some Easy rugby

Gets to live a life without any restrictions too.. lucky bastard

Someone high up in the Norn Iron vaccine programme said today on BBC Radio Ulster that she expects ALL adults in NI to get the vaccine by the start of summer!!

Sounds to good to be true

[Jim Lahey]

Just in time for the 12th

[Bogbunny]

Just in time for the 12th

...but what about the NW200??

[hermie]

French Ministry of Sport gives the opening weekend of the Six Nations, Italy v France, the green light - but demands further detail of the other competing nations' covid protocols

What a mess, you can see it already. They should put it off until the summer and not fudge with the NTHCSBH

[Floppykid]

Rob Kearney joins the Western force. Hope he can hold his drink, few irishmen can. Anyway he will probably be shocked with the 24 hour electricity and civilisation.

Good signing?

https://twitter.com/westernforce/status ... 1885106178

Gone to top up the retirement fund and play some Easy rugby

Gets to live a life without any restrictions too.. lucky bastard

Someone high up in the Norn Iron vaccine programme said today on BBC Radio Ulster that she expects ALL adults in NI to get the vaccine by the start of summer!!

Sounds to good to be true

Way too good to be true.

[Hellraiser]

Rob Kearney joins the Western force. Hope he can hold his drink, few irishmen can. Anyway he will probably be shocked with the 24 hour electricity and civilisation.

Good signing?

https://twitter.com/westernforce/status ... 1885106178

Gone to top up the retirement fund and play some Easy rugby

Gets to live a life without any restrictions too.. lucky bastard

Someone high up in the Norn Iron vaccine programme said today on BBC Radio Ulster that she expects ALL adults in NI to get the vaccine by the start of summer!!

Sounds to good to be true

Way too good to be true.

If we consider the start of the Summer as the first week of June, that would require around 75,000 vaccinations a week, every week, between now and then. As of yesterday it was 91,000 vaccinated after five weeks. Extremely optimistic.

[Gavin Duffy]

Maybe of the 60-70% who are willing to actually get it?

[Floppykid]

I suspect 2021 is largely a write off big event wise.
For anything like Music festivals, you'd suspect it'd be way too late in the cycle to organise stuff like that, even if summer was possible.

[irishrugbyua]

I suspect 2021 is largely a write off big event wise.
For anything like Music festivals, you'd suspect it'd be way too late in the cycle to organise stuff like that, even if summer was possible.

Will we get vaccinated this year?

[earl the beaver]

Gone to top up the retirement fund and play some Easy rugby

Gets to live a life without any restrictions too.. lucky bastard

Someone high up in the Norn Iron vaccine programme said today on BBC Radio Ulster that she expects ALL adults in NI to get the vaccine by the start of summer!!

Sounds to good to be true

Way too good to be true.

If we consider the start of the Summer as the first week of June, that would require around 75,000 vaccinations a week, every week, between now and then. As of yesterday it was 91,000 vaccinated after five weeks. Extremely optimistic.

Isnt the issue supply? With three approved vaccines there is now more supply, certainly that is the case in the rest if the UK.

[Jim Lahey]

Just in time for the 12th

...but what about the NW200??

Its a bitter pill for the culchies to swallow. They’ve rescheduled the Balmoral Show until September as a sweetener for them.

[Hellraiser]

Gets to live a life without any restrictions too.. lucky bastard

Someone high up in the Norn Iron vaccine programme said today on BBC Radio Ulster that she expects ALL adults in NI to get the vaccine by the start of summer!!

Sounds to good to be true

Way too good to be true.

If we consider the start of the Summer as the first week of June, that would require around 75,000 vaccinations a week, every week, between now and then. As of yesterday it was 91,000 vaccinated after five weeks. Extremely optimistic.

Isnt the issue supply? With three approved vaccines there is now more supply, certainly that is the case in the rest if the UK.

Not saying it's not possible but the logistics issues go a long way beyond just supply. Same down here, we've a target of 700,000 vaccinated by the end of March and we have 35k+ already done; it's possible but I'd be inclined to think 500,000 would be doing well. I'm a natural pessimist though.

[irishrugbyua]

The Women’s Six Nations and Under-20s competitions, which are traditionally run in tandem with the men’s, are set to be postponed until April and May, with official confirmation of their delay expected on Wednesday.

[irishrugbyua]

Possible Ulster academy additions this summer:

George Saunderson(LH Prop/Sullivan) - u20
Oscar Egan(TH Prop/Coleraine) - u20
Charlie Irvine(Lock/Wallace) - u18
Conor McKee(Scrumhalf/Sullivan) - u20
James Humphreys(Outhalf/Exile) - u20
Jude Posthelwaite(Centre-Wing/RBAI) - u19
Ben Moxham(Centre-Wing/Ballymena RFC) - u20

Possible Munster academy additions this summer:

Mark Donnelly(LH Prop/CBC) - u20
Daniel Okeke(Backrow/Ardscoil Ris) - u20
Nick Greene(Backrow/Bandon) - u19
Conor Moloney(Backrow/Ennis RFC) - u19
Ethan Coughlan(Scrumhalf/Ennis RFC) - u19
Cian Whooley(Outhalf/CBC) - u20
Alan Flannery(Centre/Rockwell) - u20

[earl the beaver]

Given Moxham has featured fairly consistently over the past month I would expect him to be in the academy. Big guy for a 19 year old back 3 player.

[Conspicuous]

Given Moxham has featured fairly consistently over the past month I would expect him to be in the academy. Big guy for a 19 year old back 3 player.

He’s really a centre I’m told , played most of his rugby there. Just being used on the wing at the moment because that’s where Ulster needed cover .

[rialtoblue]

No rugby this weekend sucks balls. However, any chance the extra week will allow ringtone and furlong a chance to make the squad?

If ringrose doesn't make it, would like to see a sexton frawley henshaw midfield with h Byrne benching

[Jim Lahey]

Possible Ulster academy additions this summer:

George Saunderson(LH Prop/Sullivan) - u20
Oscar Egan(TH Prop/Coleraine) - u20
Charlie Irvine(Lock/Wallace) - u18
Conor McKee(Scrumhalf/Sullivan) - u20
James Humphreys(Outhalf/Exile) - u20
Jude Posthelwaite(Centre-Wing/RBAI) - u19
Ben Moxham(Centre-Wing/Ballymena RFC) - u20

Possible Munster academy additions this summer:

Mark Donnelly(LH Prop/CBC) - u20
Daniel Okeke(Backrow/Ardscoil Ris) - u20
Nick Greene(Backrow/Bandon) - u19
Conor Moloney(Backrow/Ennis RFC) - u19
Ethan Coughlan(Scrumhalf/Ennis RFC) - u19
Cian Whooley(Outhalf/CBC) - u20
Alan Flannery(Centre/Rockwell) - u20

Please tell me Charlie Irvine is a big massive babyeater with a Donnacha Ryan angry face.

[feckwanker]

No rugby this weekend sucks balls. However, any chance the extra week will allow ringtone and furlong a chance to make the squad?

If ringrose doesn't make it, would like to see a sexton frawley henshaw midfield with h Byrne benching

[Willie Falloon]

Given Moxham has featured fairly consistently over the past month I would expect him to be in the academy. Big guy for a 19 year old back 3 player.

He’s really a centre I’m told , played most of his rugby there. Just being used on the wing at the moment because that’s where Ulster needed cover .

We’ve Hayden Hyde who looked a promising athletic centre for the 20s last season and Curtis who has played several times for ulster prior to bucking up his knee. If he has any pace he should stay on the wing a la Ian Whittrn when he moved to Exeter

[irishrugbyua]

Possible Ulster academy additions this summer:

George Saunderson(LH Prop/Sullivan) - u20
Oscar Egan(TH Prop/Coleraine) - u20
Charlie Irvine(Lock/Wallace) - u18
Conor McKee(Scrumhalf/Sullivan) - u20
James Humphreys(Outhalf/Exile) - u20
Jude Posthelwaite(Centre-Wing/RBAI) - u19
Ben Moxham(Centre-Wing/Ballymena RFC) - u20

Possible Munster academy additions this summer:

Mark Donnelly(LH Prop/CBC) - u20
Daniel Okeke(Backrow/Ardscoil Ris) - u20
Nick Greene(Backrow/Bandon) - u19
Conor Moloney(Backrow/Ennis RFC) - u19
Ethan Coughlan(Scrumhalf/Ennis RFC) - u19
Cian Whooley(Outhalf/CBC) - u20
Alan Flannery(Centre/Rockwell) - u20

Please tell me Charlie Irvine is a big massive babyeater with a Donnacha Ryan angry face.

potentially, yes.

was due to play ireland schools last season as a u17 afaik, here he is running after a leinster outhalf

[Jim Lahey]

That steely determined expression on his face is definitely one of a psychopathic madman, and a future Lions captain

[Ulsters Red Hand]

That steely determined expression on his face is definitely one of a psychopathic madman, and a future Lions captain

And nice simple black boots, not any of these poncy coloured boots

[Yer Man]

Looks like Leo Cullen was spreading the love 20 near years ago

[Jim Lahey]

That steely determined expression on his face is definitely one of a psychopathic madman, and a future Lions captain

And nice simple black boots, not any of these poncy coloured boots

Look at the fear on the Leinster lad’s face.
Probably wishing he was back in his private school dorms wearing skinny jeans and drinking a White Claw.
He’s about to get hounded down by a salt of the earth Ulsterman who’s about to dish out some justice.

[irishrugbyua]

That steely determined expression on his face is definitely one of a psychopathic madman, and a future Lions captain

And nice simple black boots, not any of these poncy coloured boots

Look at the fear on the Leinster lad’s face.
Probably wishing he was back in his private school dorms wearing skinny jeans and drinking a White Claw.
He’s about to get hounded down by a salt of the earth Ulsterman who’s about to dish out some justice.

Tector actually scored here.

And while he went to a "rugby school".. it was kilkenny college and he is from wexford. So not quite the prototype.

[Jim Lahey]

That steely determined expression on his face is definitely one of a psychopathic madman, and a future Lions captain

And nice simple black boots, not any of these poncy coloured boots

Look at the fear on the Leinster lad’s face.
Probably wishing he was back in his private school dorms wearing skinny jeans and drinking a White Claw.
He’s about to get hounded down by a salt of the earth Ulsterman who’s about to dish out some justice.

Tector actually scored here.

The fear probably made him run faster.
Like a mother lifting an overturned car to rescue her kids.