Rugby Union 21/22/23 Discussion | RWC time!
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What annoys me is he is playing we won a few years ago rugby with that team, win now would include Carty and cooney, win later Casey, Harry or Ben, Coombes should be in a 3 selections.Feck
i think we would be happy if it was the latter 2 as the first ones time is up.
Definitely, it's very depressing. And we're not even those players getting left out in the cold!
Farrell's been an underwhelming promotion since day one. Who would Ireland turn to if he they decide he's not the right man for the job after all?
Too soon for Ronan O'Gara I'd say, and he's doing so well in France he'd be wise to stick with it for now. Hopefully they'd leave the provinces alone for now too. McCall could be one with high enough profile and track record but he's never seemed to be on the IRFU's radar.
Too soon for Ronan O'Gara I'd say, and he's doing so well in France he'd be wise to stick with it for now. Hopefully they'd leave the provinces alone for now too. McCall could be one with high enough profile and track record but he's never seemed to be on the IRFU's radar.
Scott Robertson is yet to sign a new deal with New Zealand rugby..... You'd be daft not ask him even if he says no.
He has history in Ireland as well, having played up North for a couple of years. Had a great relationship with Rog at Crusaders - could we get the two of them in as a dream team?
Cullen has done a fine job with Leinster as well. He was the obvious choice to replace Schmidt I thought, but then what I think about what's best for Irish rugby and what the brains trust thinks are very different.
I think he's keen to give coaching in the French top14 a shot. That said, a national team job doesn't come around very often and he's probably the best coach out there not coaching a national team. If Rog is happy to go back to being an assistant that proposal is well worth considering.
Just on Farrell, I thought it was strange the IRFU appointed him a year out. He was part of Joe Schmidt's coaching staff and Schmidt's tenure had a pretty underwhelming end.
Same as we all feel here, I think. An odd and underwhelming promotion. He's not given us anything to get excited about since then and it's hard to discern where the team is going with regards to the future. This is why I keep thinking these are going to be lost years for this team with a lot of regrets.
I’d be shocked if our game against them goes ahead this weekend.
Surely have to postpone the game now.
Yeah, it's totally heading that way.
The red on the wasps player was mental. Lavinini literally drops the second before contact is made. Mitigation? Nah
I haven't looked at World Rugby's high tackle framework for a while but I don't think mitigation is taken into account if the high tackle is a shoulder charge. It was one the eye test might suggest a yellow card would have sufficed but the framework means red.
Yeah, the problem is we’re getting rugby reffed a bit like football now and I can’t stand it. Rugby reffing needs common sense, particularly at the breakdown. Common sense to be says Lavinini is about a foot taller than Brookes, he’s dropping into the tackle and Brookes cant wrap his right arm because there’s another wasps player there. Probably doesn’t deserve a red. Totally different from the Wiese one in the same game where Wiese has a clear run up and just smashes the player recklessly. But no, the ref is obligated to say, “a shoulder has made contact with a head so it’s a red regardless”. It’s shite tbh, and I’m saying that as a massive advocate of safe rugby. My sons plays so I’m not some bloodthirsty fecker who wants people sparked out every game.
I know it goes against the touring tradition, but it would be EPIC to have the 4 home nations stadiums packed out for 4 lions games this summer.
RIghto folks, sorry about the late notice but if you want to watch Super Rugby Aotearoa, you'll need access to RugbyPass if you're in any of the following locations...
It's absolutely mindboggling that Sexton and JGP start this match. Our championship is over like.
I disagree with Murray too. These two might not get on the pitch, never mind meaningful game time.
I disagree with Murray too. These two might not get on the pitch, never mind meaningful game time.
To the surprise of noone?
I'm going to amaze you all with my psychic abilities. Sexton goes off injured before half time and Casey sits on the bench for 80 minutes.
Afterwards Farrell will tell us he wanted to bring Casey on earlier but once Sexton went off, he didn't feel comfortable throwing the lad in at the deep end without some experience beside him.
Afterwards Farrell will tell us he wanted to bring Casey on earlier but once Sexton went off, he didn't feel comfortable throwing the lad in at the deep end without some experience beside him.
You forgot the part where Sexton sits on the sidelines making faces for 50mins.
I am really looking forward to Alan Quinlan predicting a 30+ points win for Ireland when in reality, Ireland will at best win by two scores.
I'll be called a bad fan for this, but the only way we get rid of Farrell before the end of his contract is Italy turning us over after he's picked a fullish strength side for a 6 nations dead rubber.
I think an unconvincing win against Italy plus fairly heavy losses against Scotland and England might have him under serious pressure so I'm not too sure that Ireland need to lose at the weekend for him to be on the hotseat.
Accept everything you say here, but for me the game is at a crossroads. I'm not sure people realise the impact the impending litigation around head injuries could have. I've heard people supposedly in the know say that information on concussion etc. was available back in the 70's and governing bodies either did, or should have considered it. Players know they're going to have battered bodies, but were never warned about the potential for early onset dementia at 35. the legal case will be complex, but not only could this bankrupt the game, as it stands there's already loads less kids playing. People will, naturally be reluctant to have their kids play a game which could cause lasting brain injuries. The future of the game looks bleak.
Whatever anyone says, at the professional level the game at the moment is largely based on winning contact and smashing your opponent and it's arguable that the game has to change to survive. Players are too big and frankly, tackling technique is poor. You'll always get incidents were mitigation should be considered i.e. when a second row is trying to tackle a player much shorter. For example, the Fagerson red was, in my view harsh when Hogg's attempted roll lifts the player a split second before impact. That said, I can see reason for taking the view highlighted because it's likely the only way you change behaviour of the players long term.
Let's be honest, he's been absolutely useless, its not being a bad fan for wanting him to go, half the people i know are hoping sexton breaks a leg or a cruciate or 2 every time he togs out for Ireland and that's because of Farrell's inability to move on from the past
Interesting. I don’t know where the legal case stands, last thing I read was that it was unlikely to succeed and most likely going to be settled out of court. That was a fair few weeks ago though.
Hey, we all want the game safer. The first competitive game I played I had my head split open and ended up in hospital (my own tackle technique to blame in this case). I still bear the scar to this day so I’ve a lot of sympathy with players who suffer far worse lasting impact.
One thing I don’t understand....and I’m sure someone’s going to put me right here. Why aren’t scrum caps mandatory? All this talk of head injuries yet watch any professional game and probably only 10% if players are wearing them. Surely that’s the first step...
Does a scrumcap protect you from getting smashed in the head by a 23 stone monster who can run 100m in 12 seconds and has shoulders made of concrete? My experience with them is that they're great for protecting your ears from rubbing up against props arses but aren't going to save you from a concussion.
I say my experience, but I was a scrumhalf and never wore one. But then I was much too quick and cowardly to let Jonny Concrete catch me.
Anyone else think the whole Ireland thing has a terrible bang of United, post-Fergie?
The flaws in the team became apparent with the legendarily successful manager still in charge. Then it becomes hard to know how much of the subsequent floundering is down to managerial incompetence and how much to the difficulty in replacing the handful of genuinely world class players in our squad who were still in their prime the last time we looked like a world class team.
The flaws in the team became apparent with the legendarily successful manager still in charge. Then it becomes hard to know how much of the subsequent floundering is down to managerial incompetence and how much to the difficulty in replacing the handful of genuinely world class players in our squad who were still in their prime the last time we looked like a world class team.
I think I agree with this. I think they'll stick with him til it gets really bad. And it will. Next 6N will be a write off with him too.
Personally, I don't think it's that comparable to Utd post-Fergie. The biggest problem with United since 2013 has been no real sense of direction; I think Dion Fanning compared Utd to post-Tito Yugoslavia. Ireland on the other hand have a genuine sense of direction, it just so happens to be a particularly bad one. And in terms of replacing world-class players, I think there's a difference too. Back then, it wasn't the case that United had quality young players ready-made to replace the likes of Ferdinand/Vidic/Scholes/Giggs. On the other hand, Ireland do have good young players, not necessarily a golden generation as such, but enough of them to have a relatively good young team going into RWC 2023. Ireland's only problem is that Farrell hasn't shown much interest in blooding them in which leads us back to the wrong direction point; the IRFU have always emphasised the importance of the Six Nations as opposed to building towards the RWC.
My dad and myself had this exact discussion only this morning!
We came to the conclusion that it doesn't matter how amazing a manager is, they shouldn't be given any input into choosing their successor.
Kinda, but it's not quite a parallel since Moyes didn't have four feeder clubs flying that are absolutely putting him to shame with exactly the same players that he has to call on
This obsession with the 6 Nations over the world cup is so misguided. Wales have an absolute clusterfeck of a domestic game but they take risks in selection and style of play. They're not afraid to gamble during a 6N campaign and as such, even with paltry playing and financial resources, they're more successful than us at both World Cups and 6 Nations.
I’m sorry but that’s not a great argument for me, some protection is clearly better than no protection. We wouldn’t be wearing bike helmets otherwise
A bike helmet is designed to prevent head injuries and is proven to be effective in doing so. As far as I am aware, the scrum cap was never intended to prevent serious head injuries? They were designed to protect from cauliflower ear.
Perhaps I am wrong and modern caps are much more effective in stopping concussions. Apologies if that's the case.
I don’t know, so after a brief google, I came across this. Apologies for the paywall, I reckon you get the jist from the free bit though
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/researchers-claim-scrum-caps-make-rugby-up-to-47-safer-32ht0fnv9
Safe to say, if I’m gonna get bashed over the head by something and you ask me, would you like a centimetre of foam padding in the way, I’d take the padding every time
I presume Peter Cech’s scrum cap did more than just prevent cauliflower ears. Although part of me always wondered if the main benefit was psychological.
Isn’t the worry that the more protective gear they wear the more reckless they will become? Flying into tackles like American footballers. I’ve heard a similar very convincing argument about bike helmets.
I agree with the general point although I think you're giving a bit too much credit to Wales. I always feel that Wales either win a Grand Slam or come 4th with no in-between; if anything, they tend to under-perform than over-perform. And I'm also not that sure they're all that great at the World Cup either; lost in the QFs in 2003, didn't even reach the QFs in 2007, reach the SF in 2011, lost in the QFs in 2015, and lost in the SFs in 2019 (Although likely would have lost in the QF if not for Vahaamahina getting sent off). Although I must re-iterate that your general point is a good one.
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