I just cant take it!!!

spanner

god life is so boring without a bit of rugger, how will we last the summer!!

Jilm

Not to worry ...NZ v SA kicks off in a bit.

SH antics should keep us amused till the real deal starts up in a few months time.

GreenDoor

I always think that a break is good not only for the players but for everybody. Look at the soccer situation at the moment. Theres no real break from it these days.

Chucky the tree

GreenDoor wrote:

I always think that a break is good not only for the players but for everybody. Look at the soccer situation at the moment. Theres no real break from it these days.

eh what? What do you call the 3 months in summer?

zAbbo

World Cup was on this year, Irish league is a summer league, there's always football on. There's a big tournement every 2 years.

Goodluck2me

yeah it helps to bring the novelty of it back when it returns i agree. although most of the top pros have been back doin pre-season for about 4 weeks now they dont get much of a break....

Sangre

Its their job!

Steffano2002

Sangre wrote:

Its their job!

Agreed!

I'm actually starting my "get back to fitness after pigging out for 2 months you fat b@stard" period this week... One month to get back on track otherwise I'll die when training starts again...

GP

Jilm wrote:

Not to worry ...NZ v SA kicks off in a bit.

SH antics should keep us amused till the real deal starts up in a few months time.

You mean the SH antics that has kicked your $%£$ for the past 100 years ??

Why does everyone always have to be such arrogant ass.....s

I love watching rugby from all over the world and there's no reason to be so high and mighty.

RuggieBear

GP wrote:

You mean the SH antics that has kicked your $%£$ for the past 100 years ??

Why does everyone always have to be such arrogant ass.....s

I love watching rugby from all over the world and there's no reason to be so high and mighty.

Banned for a week for personal abuse.

Steffano2002

RuggieBear wrote:

Banned for a week for personal abuse.

Well he obviously hit a nerve there...

RuggieBear

Steffano2002 wrote:

Well he obviously hit a nerve there...

you just can't call people who don't agree with your viewpoint assholes.

Jilm

GP wrote:

You mean the SH antics that has kicked your $%£$ for the past 100 years ??

Why does everyone always have to be such arrogant ass.....s

I love watching rugby from all over the world and there's no reason to be so high and mighty.

I was kiddin'.

I enjoy watching 3N rugby despite the fact the increased number of 3N fixtures this year and Henry's squad rotation is diminishing the appeal of the competition. I'm not the only one either as none of the 3N games so far this year have been crowd sell outs.

I'll have to remember to include more in future posts for our keewee chums.

Sangre

Have seen two of the 3N matches so far, didn't think either of them were 'good' matches. (missed Aussie trashing of SA)

Steffano2002

RuggieBear wrote:

you just can't call people who don't agree with your viewpoint assholes.

Very true... What an asshole!

Steffano2002

Don't ban me Ruggie it was a joke!

toomevara

Have to say that the Tri-nations as a competition is a busted flush, it seems to lack the passion and depth of the 6nations, why in the name of God won't they let in the argies (old debate I Know I know) or a combined pacific nations team.. until they get at least four teams it's going to be a pretty unconvincing affair..one game a week, stretching on ad nauseum...good God, reckon its going to be hard to maintain interest, especially as it seems that the AB's may very well run away with it. If they beat the wallabies this weekend the rest of the competiton (SA home turf revival aside) might become a bit of a dead rubber.....

spanner

toomevara wrote:

Have to say that the Tri-nations as a competition is a busted flush, it seems to lack the passion and depth of the 6nations, why in the name of God won't they let in the argies (old debate I Know I know) or a combined pacific nations team.. until they get at least four teams it's going to be a pretty unconvincing affair..one game a week, stretching on ad nauseum...good God, reckon its going to be hard to maintain interest, especially as it seems that the AB's may very well run away with it. If they beat the wallabies this weekend the rest of the competiton (SA home turf revival aside) might become a bit of a dead rubber.....

it does lack a bit of bite this year and maybe in the passion stakes we beat them with 6Ns but in the overall quality of the game they play they are still miles ahead of us. We kind of fancy ourselves to be on the upper tier of rugby teams, even our best team with a brillant preformance could not beat a secound string ABs playing badly. This just shows us the gap between us and them

daveirl

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toomevara

spanner wrote:

it does lack a bit of bite this year and maybe in the passion stakes we beat them with 6Ns but in the overall quality of the game they play they are still miles ahead of us. We kind of fancy ourselves to be on the upper tier of rugby teams, even our best team with a brillant preformance could not beat a secound string ABs playing badly. This just shows us the gap between us and them

Would agree completely re; the skill levels of the SH teams, their core skills are absolutely phenomenal generally (though the Bok back line have been a big dissapointment this year. Desperately shovelling the ball to, the admittedly gifted, Habbana at every opportunity not really a match winning formula).

The AB's skills are amazing, and as for the wallabies backs, what can you say, but for me what really separates the SH sides from us up North is their ability to read a game and adjust accordingly, plus the willingness to take responsibilty 1-15, its something we need to develop in the rugby culture here, where players often appear inflexible and scared of decison making...alright in the amateur era, but unacceptable from professional sportmen.

Having said all that, I am finding the 3N this year incredibly unengaging, despite the undeniably flashy, champagne rugby on show..its lacking a certain something and I can't quite put my finger on it....

spanner

toomevara wrote:

Would agree completely re; the skill levels of the SH teams, their core skills are absolutely phenomenal generally (though the Bok back line have been a big dissapointment this year. Desperately shovelling the ball to, the admittedly gifted, Habbana at every opportunity not really a match winning formula).

The AB's skills are amazing, and as for the wallabies backs, what can you say, but for me what really separates the SH sides from us up North is their ability to read a game and adjust accordingly, plus the willingness to take responsibilty 1-15, its something we need to develop in the rugby culture here, where players often appear inflexible and scared of decison making...alright in the amateur era, but unacceptable from professional sportmen.

Having said all that, I am finding the 3N this year incredibly unengaging, despite the undeniably flashy, champagne rugby on show..its lacking a certain something and I can't quite put my finger on it....

yes also ball handling, their ball handling is amazing, few if none errors. they can continue for long passages of play, at high speed without losing the ball were as with the NH they are bound to drop and then are less likely to try again.
I think SH coaches know something the NH ones dont as regards to this. Hanson and Henry have can take the credit for wales playing such free flowing rugby, inter passing with forwards and backs.

We started out with very free flowing rugby under Warren Gatland but then started to get a bit conservative in moving the ball around when EOS came

why did we get rid of Warren Gatland !!!!!

RuggieBear

spanner wrote:

We started out with very free flowing rugby under Warren Gatland but then started to get a bit conservative in moving the ball around when EOS came

why did we get rid of Warren Gatland !!!!!

That's a little bit revisionist. All our classy backline moves, then, were the product of EOS.

toomevara

RuggieBear wrote:

That's a little bit revisionist. All our classy backline moves, then, were the product of EOS.

The treatment of Gatland, one of rugby's genuine gentlemen, was appaling and the IRFU, as per usual, didn't cover itself in glory during the affair, but I'd have to agree with ruggiebear re: our backline's playbook...it was, and indeed still is, EOS' baby.

He's almost as good at scheming his way round rugby defences as he is at playing politics...we got rid of Gatland because EOS outmanoeuvered him in the IRFU political bearpit..that simple. Gatland just wasn't a match for EOS when it comes to the kind of no holds barred politicking that lies at the heart of the managers job in Ireland. But hey at least we aint anywhere near the levels of Byzantine duplicity you encounter in the WRU.

Gatland did bring alot to the irish set up though, not the least of which was a thoroughly professional ethos in all aspects of match/team preparation, for that we should be genuinely grateful..I think it won't be long before he's seen on the international stage again in some capacity.

Goodluck2me

spanner wrote:

why did we get rid of Warren Gatland !!!!!

i take it noone seen the 15 man lineout against argentina?? yes a shrwed tactical mastermind...

RuggieBear

goodluck2me wrote:

i take it noone seen the 15 man lineout against argentina?? yes a shrwed tactical mastermind...

that was a very effective move for connacht

GreenDoor

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Either can I. The players they brought in was in the same class as those left out because of their massive squad.

prophetnz

It wasnt a second string team, more like a 3/4 first with some 2nd string on the end.

RuggieBear

i agree. It does show the massive strength in depth of NZ and how many good solid players they develop.

Although i have to admit i'm not taken with Macallister but then perhaps that is because Dan Carter is the first choice

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

zAbbo

daveirl wrote:

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Not as sharp as last year, but giving away a try in the first 20seconds last week, he came back to setup both tries and kick 9 from 9. Amazing player, who really needs Mauger at 12 to play his best.

McAllister is being groomed for 10, if needed. Wasn't he one of their u-21 stars a few years back.

toomevara

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Bang on, and as oft discussed,far, far more..please, please no more Lens/15 man line out debates....I grow weary.

toomevara

zabbo wrote:

Not as sharp as last year, but giving away a try in the first 20seconds last week, he came back to setup both tries and kick 9 from 9.

Not quite at the Olympian heights shown during the Lions farce, still cant make up my mind whether the awfulness of the Lions flattered to deceive re: Carter, but thought he gave a masterful display last week (despite, or perhaps because of, being caught cold in the opening stages.). Starting to look ominously good.

prophetnz

RuggieBear wrote:

Although i have to admit i'm not taken with Macallister but then perhaps that is because Dan Carter is the first choice

no he just sucks.

spanner

goodluck2me wrote:

i take it noone seen the 15 man lineout against argentina?? yes a shrwed tactical mastermind...

I think that was more a move of despration than anything which we came as close as any other point in a match to scoring. That would have to be the worst match I have seen in living memory of watching Ireland