Gordon D'Arcy.

danthefan

He's been taking an outrageous amount of stick on this board recently, ranging from the likes of "he's been out of form for the last few months" to "Keith Earls is better in every conceivable facet of the game of rugby". I first noticed this during the off season when someone said Earls should be starting at 12 for Ireland, despite the fact Earls has never played a game of professional rugby at 12 in his life (he's worn 12 but sure as hell didn't play at 12).

I'm just wondering how people are forming these incredibly incorrect views of him. Lets look at some of his games over the last few months first of all. He was superb all through the group stages of the HEC, think he scored 4 tries in the first 5 games, then was awarded MotM against London Irish in Twickenham because he was beating defenders for fun for the entire game. Himself and BOD ripped Munster to shreds in the RDS, against the much vaunted JdV and Mafi, admittedly JdV had only recently arrived, think it was his second game. Again against Munster last week, JdV got absolutely no change out of him, and he created one of the few breaks in the game dancing through the Munster defence. In the AIs he came on for Paddy Wallace against South Africa to have another superb game, was one of our best performers.

He was not great during the 6N, was part of the general malaise that surrounded the Ireland squad. However, let's look closer at that again. Was the only back to do anything of note against France early in the game, before being shunted to the wing due to DKs ridiculous sub selection. He was injured against Wales, carried that through to Scotland, during which he picked up another injury, and shouldn't have been left on the field.

Aside from when he has been completely unfit, his defence has been top notch all season, yet will still have someone saying Jauzion will tear him apart in the SF. On what possible basis is this opinion formed? When was the last time (a fit) D'Arcy was torn apart by anyone in the world?

Can someone just explain how they have formed the opinion he's been poor recently. You're wrong, whoever you are, but I'd like to hear the reasons nonetheless.

Aidric

danthefan wrote: »

I'm just wondering how people are forming these incredibly incorrect views of him.

You're wrong, whoever you are

In your opinion. What's with your dismissive attitude towards people who might take a different view?

danthefan

Aidric wrote: »

In your opinion. What's with your dismissive attitude towards people who might take a different view?

Won't be taking any lectures from you, ta.


I would still like if you could expand on any of the points re. D'Arcy.

Aidric

What lecture would that be? I asked you a simple question. How bout answering it?

d-gal

ladies lounge that way girls >>>>>>>

think d'arcy has just blown hot and cold, most likely from injuries
has never hit the form he had 2 years ago but still a great player and good to have healthy competition with earls, even tho if earls dislodged him it would be drico 12 which i just cannot see happening.
All in all d'arcy is one of the best 12s in the game

irishbucsfan

Aidric wrote: »

What lecture would that be? I asked you a simple question. How bout answering it?

Why are you changing the subject to discuss the poster and not the subject of the thread? He's asking people to explain their opinions, what's wrong with that?

D'Arcy is a fantastic player and we're lucky to have him. There isn't another center in the country close to him (apart from BOD obviously)

danthefan

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Why are you changing the subject to discuss the poster and not the subject of the thread? He's asking people to explain their opinions, what's wrong with that?

D'Arcy is a fantastic player and we're lucky to have him. There isn't another center in the country close to him (apart from BOD obviously)

That would be my view, it was close between himself and Paddy Wallace at 12 for a while but D'Arcy has established himself now as the best option.

chris85

leave it out lads. have a decent discussion.

I agree that D'Arcy is hitting some good form. He has been a victim of injury a lot in his career which hasnt helped. He is doing well at the moment but unfrtunately earls is right on him and hitting some amazing and consitent form. Earls will be groomed as a centre but i just dont see him as an inside centre and see him as an outside centre with Fitzgerald and him competing for BOD's jersey when the time comes for him to retirement.

chupacabra

I haven't heard anyone say that "Keith Earls is better in every conceivable facet of the game of rugby", can you link me to the post where that was said?

D'Arcy is for me one of the best centers in the world and has been criminally underrated in the past mainly due to BOD stealing the headlines. He has so much more to his game than most people realize and with BOD forms without a doubt THE best center partnership in world rugby. You can only imagine what he would have been like if the 13 jersey was his during his best years.

Earls has a long long way to go yet but he is starting to live up to the crazy hype that was around him when he first burst onto the scene. I guess people just want to believe Earls is the best thing since sliced bread as we will need him to be when the great one retires.

irishbucsfan

danthefan wrote: »

That would be my view, it was close between himself and Paddy Wallace at 12 for a while but D'Arcy has established himself now as the best option.

Paddy Wallace is easily forgotten given the shambles that is Ulster Rugby.

If Ulster actually managed to go a season without falling apart then I'd imagine we'd be talking about young Ulster players a lot more

myflipflops

When fit, he has generally been consistantly excellent, espeically for Leinster. He hasn't ever reached the heights of his breakthrough interntional season at centre with ball in hand but I guess that's due to him being market more closely.

phog

Strange to see a whole new thread started just to repsond to some talking down a player, me guesses a nerve was touched.

OT, I've always admired Darcy but I do feel he has blown hot and cold and I could always see why Paddy Wallace was an option to Deccie but I'd still finfd it hard to name an Irish team without Darcy on the team sheet.

danthefan

myflipflops wrote: »

Not as effective i would suspect. As was shown last year in the Magners Leagu game in Thomand, he is not a great defender in the outside centre channel. Terrific in the 12 spot defensively but 13 is a much different set of skills to defend in.

When fit, he has generally been consistantly excellent, espeically for Leinster. He hasn't ever reached the heights of his breakthrough interntional season at centre with ball in hand but I guess that's due to him being market more closely.

Around 2004 he was excellent at 13, I think he just played 12 for so long he's now an out-and-out 12. I agree anyway he hasn't been great at 13 in recent times.

Strange to see a whole new thread started just to repsond to some talking down a player, me guesses a nerve was touched.

You're absolutely right, I've gotten a bit fed up of some of the stuff I've been reading here, as I said over a period of time.

PhatPiggins

Good player starting to come to the end. For me he never reached his full potential.

Hopefully he isn't badly embarrassed again by Jauzion in the semi. Is he fully fit? He seems to always play regardless.

danthefan

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Good player starting to come to the end. For me he never reached his full potential.

Hopefully he isn't badly embarrassed again by Jauzion in the semi. Is he fully fit? He seems to always play regardless.

Has he been embarrassed by Jauzion before? When?

Aidric

chupacabra wrote: »

I haven't heard anyone say that "Keith Earls is better in every conceivable facet of the game of rugby", can you link me to the post where that was said?

I'd be interested to see this post as well.

PhatPiggins

Aidric wrote: »

I'd be interested to see this post as well.

Was anyone ever seriously talking about Earls for 12?

anonymous_joe

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Good player starting to come to the end. For me he never reached his full potential.

Hopefully he isn't badly embarrassed again by Jauzion in the semi. Is he fully fit? He seems to always play regardless.

Leinster have an alright record against Toulouse. He's never been humiliated at that level.

From my own perspective, D'Arcy's a phenomenal talent. He's come back from an awful arm injury, and was an important part of Ireland's success over the last 18 months or so.

However, he's also been unlucky in recent history. As Dan pointed out, he was just back from injury at the start of the 6 Nations, and carrying one throughout. One thing about our coaching staff I would disagree with is that I think they place too much trust/reliance in players just back from injury. O'Callaghan would be a similar example this season, a great player whose had better tournaments.

In terms of 'skillsets' D'Arcy's defensively awesome, very very difficult to stop and has a decent enough range of passing. He's a great 12, and he works very well with Sexton as far as I'm concerned.

castie

Could of been refering to international games also.
Pretty sure Ireland got torn a new one by him on at least one occasion.
Darcy may have been the victim that day.

thomond2006

He hasn't had the best season, unlucky with injuries to be fair.

I don't remember anyone posting that Keith Earls > D'Arcy in every facet, surely nobody could post something so ridiculous.

castie

danthefan wrote: »

Can someone just explain how they have formed the opinion he's been poor recently. You're wrong, whoever you are, but I'd like to hear the reasons nonetheless.

This kind of thing on a discussion forum is a bit ridiculous.
Just like to say it is infact you that are wrong for this attitude.

[Jackass]

Aidric wrote: »

I'd be interested to see this post as well.

You contribute absolutely nothing to every thread you post in. Three posts into this thread and you still haven't mentioned a single thing about D'Arcy, but have challenged the OP on all 3 occassions. Grow up.

As for D'Arcy, I've often thought that if BOD wasn't around, he'd have an ever greater reputation around the world. Certainly doesn't get the full recognition he deserves and certainly plays second fiddle to BOD in the lime light, which is fair enough.

I am very happy when D'Arcy starts. I don't think there's any weakness in his game, and he's had patches of great form this season and has been superb. Such as v London Irish. Massive asset to Leinster and Irish rugby.

corny

For years Darcy was our go to man to set a good platform in midfield. A mighty fine job of it he did too. An excellent ball carrier who always gets you over the gainline. He hasn't set the world alight since his injury and some people have very short memories so the Darcy bashing is to expected. Wouldn't take it too seriously.

toomevara

Aidric, danthefan : take a week off the forum to get over yourselves. Lads this is just the kind of personalised guff which makes folk despair. This isn't an arena for working out personal spats, its for the discussion of rugby. When you come back, give each other a wide berth, as any repetition of this kind of crap and the next ban will be considerably longer.