captainshamrock
14-02-2006, 05:01 AM
We'll never win anything with this attitude!
14/02/2006
By Diarmuid O'Flynn
WHAT IS it about the our national sporting psyche that makes us so devastatingly stupid?
Time after time, in print, radio, tv, I find myself disagreeing vehemently with the majority of our commentators, analysts and experts, on Ireland's sporting fortunes. Going into contests against what we see as major opposition, we give ourselves no hope, game lost before we start. Against what we see as minor opposition, it's the opposite, game won before a ball is kicked.
Take this season's Six Nations. The weekend before last, Italy in Dublin, cakewalk forecast by most of our experts. Didn't happen, because under their new coach, Italy have improved immensely. Ireland still got the win, but, reaction? No credit; so extreme was the blame game that one expert, in his player ratings, gave a total of 86 to Ireland, 110 to Italy. Our tries, it was decided, were both wrongly awarded, our victory tainted. First try, the ball did drop, but vertically, downward, not forward, was then touched down by a combination of Jerry Flannery and Ronan O'Gara; try.
For the second, did anyone see Denis Minihane's wonderful series of photos in the Examiner? The fourth clearly showed the ball grounded by Tommy Bowe. Try In both instances the referee was right on the spot, in far better position than any camera angle. Add to those two scores the couple of near-misses, throw in the fact that Italy were about as creative behind the scrum as a Taliban Imam, and there is the clear, undeniable fact, Ireland were the better team. But no, most of our rugby experts couldn't see it like that, doom and gloom.
Next up, France, beaten that same weekend by Scotland. And woe, more doom, more gloom; backlash, the mighty French, all that talent, strength in depth, Stade de France, watch out, poor Ireland. Game conceded before a ball was kicked. I was near dancing in frustration. We have the better backs, the pack, the greater potential, the game-breakers, the outstanding individuals. Why was this not being recognised?
The game was a disaster, yes, but self-inflicted disaster. We gift France five tries, gift them this game, but we play them off the park. Yet, look at the analyses, by all those experts. Scrum destroyed, they scream. Destroyed? I've seen this game only once but I would take bets on this; one Irish scrum, one was destroyed. First scrum, second formation, John Hayes was not properly set, not ready for the hit, paid the price. Next scrum, French put-in, they got a good nudge on; rest of the first-half, they held that advantage, but never again was the Irish scrum destroyed. By the second half, they were absolutely comfortable.
Time after time, John Hayes is singled out as a poor scrummager, occasional lapses, such as that last Saturday, used as evidence. What about all the other evidence, when he has thoroughly outplayed top prop after top prop, latest being the great Andrew Sheridan of Sale? Like the unfair rap on Marcus Horan, lazy analysis.
Next up, we have Wales and Scotland at home; verdict? Ah sure, we should take them handily enough. Too much for the Welsh up front; the Welsh, who were on top against Scotland, who were on top against France, who demolished us?
No consistency in analysis, none. England away, ah sure, that's lost already, conceded. Makes my blood boil, it really does.
On Sunday, in Portlaoise, there was a manager, with what I would consider exactly the right attitude. Newtownshandrum, Cork and Munster champions, just pipped Ballygalget, champions of Down and Ulster, in the All-Ireland club senior hurling semi-final. Afterwards, Bernie O'Connor, Newtown's manager, cursed those who dismiss the likes of Ballygalget, who write them down, write them off.
I agree with what he said and the way he said it, I'd insert a few choice words of my own here, but it wouldn't make it past the censor. From the time he took over the Newtown senior team, O'Connor has had the same attitude to every opponent they met. At the start, when Newtown were the underdog, the little club from nowhere, they were up against the big guns, the likes of Blackrock, in Cork; nowadays Newtown are the big guns. Didn't matter then, doesn't matter now. Any team can be beaten, if your attitude is right - any team can beat you, if it isn't. You need respect, disrespect, need to be fearful, to be fearless; you need it all in the right mix. Bernie has it, always had it, and one of these days, one of the leading hurling counties will recognise that, gain from it. Most of our sports experts, our rugby experts especially, lately? Completely unbalanced.
I've blames Eddie O'Sullivan here on several occasions; I can't join in the general condemnation of his approach to the French game. O'Callaghan should be starting, Leamy is the best 6 in the country, Foley the best 8, with an argument for Heaslip, while Hickey should be on the wing, Trimble backing him up.
But this one was our own fault, or your own fault, those of you who don't know your arse from your elbow when it comes to attitude. If we approach the remaining three games properly, we have the potential to beat Wales, Scotland and England, win the Triple Crown. However, given that we should also have beaten France, we should not be happy with that.
There's a Grand Slam in this team; there's even a World Cup, if we could ever get our twisted heads around the possibility.
14/02/2006
By Diarmuid O'Flynn
WHAT IS it about the our national sporting psyche that makes us so devastatingly stupid?
Time after time, in print, radio, tv, I find myself disagreeing vehemently with the majority of our commentators, analysts and experts, on Ireland's sporting fortunes. Going into contests against what we see as major opposition, we give ourselves no hope, game lost before we start. Against what we see as minor opposition, it's the opposite, game won before a ball is kicked.
Take this season's Six Nations. The weekend before last, Italy in Dublin, cakewalk forecast by most of our experts. Didn't happen, because under their new coach, Italy have improved immensely. Ireland still got the win, but, reaction? No credit; so extreme was the blame game that one expert, in his player ratings, gave a total of 86 to Ireland, 110 to Italy. Our tries, it was decided, were both wrongly awarded, our victory tainted. First try, the ball did drop, but vertically, downward, not forward, was then touched down by a combination of Jerry Flannery and Ronan O'Gara; try.
For the second, did anyone see Denis Minihane's wonderful series of photos in the Examiner? The fourth clearly showed the ball grounded by Tommy Bowe. Try In both instances the referee was right on the spot, in far better position than any camera angle. Add to those two scores the couple of near-misses, throw in the fact that Italy were about as creative behind the scrum as a Taliban Imam, and there is the clear, undeniable fact, Ireland were the better team. But no, most of our rugby experts couldn't see it like that, doom and gloom.
Next up, France, beaten that same weekend by Scotland. And woe, more doom, more gloom; backlash, the mighty French, all that talent, strength in depth, Stade de France, watch out, poor Ireland. Game conceded before a ball was kicked. I was near dancing in frustration. We have the better backs, the pack, the greater potential, the game-breakers, the outstanding individuals. Why was this not being recognised?
The game was a disaster, yes, but self-inflicted disaster. We gift France five tries, gift them this game, but we play them off the park. Yet, look at the analyses, by all those experts. Scrum destroyed, they scream. Destroyed? I've seen this game only once but I would take bets on this; one Irish scrum, one was destroyed. First scrum, second formation, John Hayes was not properly set, not ready for the hit, paid the price. Next scrum, French put-in, they got a good nudge on; rest of the first-half, they held that advantage, but never again was the Irish scrum destroyed. By the second half, they were absolutely comfortable.
Time after time, John Hayes is singled out as a poor scrummager, occasional lapses, such as that last Saturday, used as evidence. What about all the other evidence, when he has thoroughly outplayed top prop after top prop, latest being the great Andrew Sheridan of Sale? Like the unfair rap on Marcus Horan, lazy analysis.
Next up, we have Wales and Scotland at home; verdict? Ah sure, we should take them handily enough. Too much for the Welsh up front; the Welsh, who were on top against Scotland, who were on top against France, who demolished us?
No consistency in analysis, none. England away, ah sure, that's lost already, conceded. Makes my blood boil, it really does.
On Sunday, in Portlaoise, there was a manager, with what I would consider exactly the right attitude. Newtownshandrum, Cork and Munster champions, just pipped Ballygalget, champions of Down and Ulster, in the All-Ireland club senior hurling semi-final. Afterwards, Bernie O'Connor, Newtown's manager, cursed those who dismiss the likes of Ballygalget, who write them down, write them off.
I agree with what he said and the way he said it, I'd insert a few choice words of my own here, but it wouldn't make it past the censor. From the time he took over the Newtown senior team, O'Connor has had the same attitude to every opponent they met. At the start, when Newtown were the underdog, the little club from nowhere, they were up against the big guns, the likes of Blackrock, in Cork; nowadays Newtown are the big guns. Didn't matter then, doesn't matter now. Any team can be beaten, if your attitude is right - any team can beat you, if it isn't. You need respect, disrespect, need to be fearful, to be fearless; you need it all in the right mix. Bernie has it, always had it, and one of these days, one of the leading hurling counties will recognise that, gain from it. Most of our sports experts, our rugby experts especially, lately? Completely unbalanced.
I've blames Eddie O'Sullivan here on several occasions; I can't join in the general condemnation of his approach to the French game. O'Callaghan should be starting, Leamy is the best 6 in the country, Foley the best 8, with an argument for Heaslip, while Hickey should be on the wing, Trimble backing him up.
But this one was our own fault, or your own fault, those of you who don't know your arse from your elbow when it comes to attitude. If we approach the remaining three games properly, we have the potential to beat Wales, Scotland and England, win the Triple Crown. However, given that we should also have beaten France, we should not be happy with that.
There's a Grand Slam in this team; there's even a World Cup, if we could ever get our twisted heads around the possibility.