The Official Irish Rugby Thread

[How bad boy]

Unfortunately correct. That said, Farrell will take the England job at some stage. It's too big a temptation for him not to. The next lad in might have a less one-eyed view of the world. Next six to eight months will be interesting. We have a good chance, as always, to take a few wins against SH teams away from home and at the end of their season.

I can see Farrell using that to justify sticking with the OAPs into the 6N, with the only changes being newer Leinster players. They will creak and break, and come 2nd to 4th. There will be much weeping and gnashing of teeth, but he won't get the road, because the IRFU are shitless and the media are just happy that he's their boy and he's such a blue fan. We will get eviscerated at the quarter final stage of the next world cup, but this time we won't just be relying on an elderly 10, we'll be relying on the following:
Furlong (35)
Beirne (35)
JGP (35)
Ringrose (32)
Lowe (35)
Keenan (31)

I don't even know who will be at 12, but it could be Aki or Henshaw, although I think that's unlikely. Osborne is seen as the next guy, and given he's a Leinster lad, that'll be acceptable. And we'll probably be starting with a 10 who has to be hidden in the back field on opposition ball. It's on transition where this really bites us; we're vulnerable when our ball is turned over and he's still scuttling out of harm's way, and we're missing our ten when we turn it over and need the lad who runs the attack.

Edit: before anyone comes at me about Ringrose and Keenan: they're backs. Your speed falls off a cliff in your 30s, and Lowe never had much to start with. It's just a matter of when it does go.

To be fair, Furlong, Beirne and Keenan will be ok(ish) age-wise. 31 is acceptable for a back, especially for a player like Keenan who has never really had massive speed to start with.

Stuart McCloskey is a good example of the problem, he's fine as a player, big fella, don't think he's ever let Ireland down. But he's also 33.

Centre is definitely going to be a problem, Aki (35), McCloskey (33), Henshaw (32) are all pushing on. Ringrose at 30 is ok, but he too is heading towards the age where you lose a bit of speed and get injured far more often.

The only alternatives in ths squad are Frawley (arguable if he's a centre an has never impressed me...), Osbourne, who has yet to demonstrate his potential, TOB, who's a decent player but more of a winger and Crowley, who can play 12 quite well but leaves a problem at 10.

Cathal Ford probably should be coming along at least for a bit of exposure, he's a handy player and is comfortable kicking too.
Jack Murphy can feel a bit aggrieved too, deserves a place, certainly more than Frawley.

 

[How bad boy]

World Cup draw is soon isn’t it and I’d say Farrell is risking our ranking dropping out of top seeds.

I've looked at that in more detail than I really should.

Fundamentally, unless Ireland badly lose all of the matches against NZ, Oz and SA, and a few results go against them, then should be ok.

It's the top 6 that get the highest seeding. Ireland have 89.83 points, Argentina are 6th with 83.82 and Australia are one below them with 82.93.

The worst result for Ireland (besides Japan...) would be to lose to Australia. If Ireland win, there'd be no change as Ireland are so much higher rated.
If Australia were to win by less than 15 points, using the current scoring, by my calculations, Ireland would be down to 87.84 and Australia up to 84.92

Even a disaster of a 15+ point win would result in Ireland on 86.85, Australia on 85.92. Ireland would still be 3 points ahead of Argentina, which is a decent amount, Argentina would need to win at least a couple of their matches against Wales, Scotland and England.


Anyway, whomever decided playing against NZ, Oz, SA and Japan just before the pool rankings are decided likes to live dangerously. Ireland can beat all of them, but almost certainly won't. It'd need to be a disaster to get dumped out of the top 6 ranked countries.

 

[Meridian]

I have come to a point now that I am far more interested in Munster than Ireland.

Ireland have been D4 Centric for years and its all about Ladyboys, we have the Dumplin based media also D4 Centric and anything outside of Ladyboys is sneered at and not taken seriously.

Will I be heading up this weekend for the Leinster / Munster game, absolutely not, I will look at it on TV and hope we are not too embarrassed.

Ireland to me is Leinster in Green.

 

[jeepers]

I have come to a point now that I am far more interested in Munster than Ireland.

Ireland have been D4 Centric for years and its all about Ladyboys, we have the Dumplin based media also D4 Centric and anything outside of Ladyboys is sneered at and not taken seriously.

Will I be heading up this weekend for the Leinster / Munster game, absolutely not, I will look at it on TV and hope we are not too embarrassed.

Ireland to me is Leinster in Green.

I think a lot of us are like that at this stage. It has become natural for Leinster supporters at this stage to dismiss out of hand (as I saw recently) the idea that Casey and Crowley are the best 9 /10 pairing in Ireland. The idea was considered laughable despite all the evidence that they are.

 

[How bad boy]

I think a lot of us are like that at this stage. It has become natural for Leinster supporters at this stage to dismiss out of hand (as I saw recently) the idea that Casey and Crowley are the best 9 /10 pairing in Ireland. The idea was considered laughable despite all the evidence that they are.

Yeah, or ask "What's the alternative, nobody else is better", completely ignoring the obvious retort that nobody else has been tried.

 

[Handy Run]

The "Irish" team is a joke shop. I was shouting for Italy the last time we were in Rome.

Yerrah I'm at the stage where only the Welsh beating Ireland might upset me.

Not because of how shit they are. Just cos it's Wales.

 

[Megelus]

The "Irish" team is a joke shop. I was shouting for Italy the last time we were in Rome.

Yerrah I'm at the stage where only the Welsh beating Ireland might upset me.

Not because of how shit they are. Just cos it's Wales.

And Scotland too

 

[Cormac]

While unlikely, if Munster somehow managed to win a HC again before Leinster, my God would it be satisfying beyond belief.
Not only would it be a complete slap in the face to every single Leinster supporter who have come to the belief that it is their God given right to win it, it would royally piss off the suits in the IRFU who concocted this BS plan to make Leinster and Ireland one and the same.
It would be like spitting in their faces with a nice big green sticky phlegmy mouthful of 'f*ck you'.

One can but dream.

 

[How bad boy]

While unlikely, if Munster somehow managed to win a HC again before Leinster, my God would it be satisfying beyond belief.
Not only would it be a complete slap in the face to every single Leinster supporter who have come to the belief that it is their God given right to win it, it would royally piss off the suits in the IRFU who concocted this BS plan to make Leinster and Ireland one and the same.
It would be like spitting in their faces with a nice big green sticky phlegmy mouthful of 'f*ck you'.

One can but dream.

Certainly if the start of the season is a guide, that sort of talk is a tad premature.


That said, Coombes would be right to feel pissed off about being constantly overlooked despite being one of Munster's best players.

 

[Megelus]

While unlikely, if Munster somehow managed to win a HC again before Leinster, my God would it be satisfying beyond belief.
Not only would it be a complete slap in the face to every single Leinster supporter who have come to the belief that it is their God given right to win it, it would royally piss off the suits in the IRFU who concocted this BS plan to make Leinster and Ireland one and the same.
It would be like spitting in their faces with a nice big green sticky phlegmy mouthful of 'f*ck you'.

One can but dream.

We'll always have the Stade Rogelais finals