Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread

vinny chase

The French defence was absolutely excellent yesterday in parts, and I think an element of Ireland's struggles in attack were due to the fact that O'Driscoll and d'Arcy simply weren't sharp after their lay-offs from injury.

I thought we generate a lot of good, quick ball yesterday though, especially in the first half. O'Leary was shocking, not just in poor passing but more so in making poor decisions and that combined with the rusty play from the centres I think accounts for why Ireland looked poor going forward.

Taco Corp

What's the story with the England game not being live on RTE next week?

MungBean

Surley wrote: »

What's the story with the England game not being live on RTE next week?

England agreed to play the match on the condition that sky got the rights. Or some such agreement. Whatever happened the English RFU dictated who got the rights to our home international.

So not only have we been treated to 3 disgusting displays of rugby but the only match we are likely to win wont be shown on Irish tv.

Charledontsurf

Surley wrote: »

What's the story with the England game not being live on RTE next week?

Sky have the rights for English friendly's, money talks.

PhatPiggins

Charledontsurf wrote: »

Sky have the rights for English friendly's, money talks.

It does but you're guaranteed a packed out Aviva stadium and the English always travel over in numbers and spend heavy. Everybody wins.

I rather that then play Scotland, have it on RTE and have 30K-35K supporters at the stadium

phog

PhatPiggins wrote: »

It does but you're guaranteed a packed out Aviva stadium and the English always travel over in numbers and spend heavy. Everybody wins.

I rather that then play Scotland, have it on RTE and have 30K-35K supporters at the stadium

Not everyone can afford the ticket prices or the travel to Dublin for international games.

No matter who the opposition is I'd like the game to be on TV and if that takes from a full house I blame the IRFU for their management of their ticket sales.

MungBean

PhatPiggins wrote: »

It does but you're guaranteed a packed out Aviva stadium and the English always travel over in numbers and spend heavy. Everybody wins.

Everybody wins ? I dont win cos I wont see the match. Neither will a lot of other people. By everybody do you mean people who go to the game, the IRFU and sky sports ?

PhatPiggins

phog wrote: »

Not everyone can afford the ticket prices or the travel to Dublin for international games.

No matter who the opposition is I'd like the game to be on TV and if that takes from a full house I blame the IRFU for their management of their ticket sales.

First of all the first bit has nothing to do with it being on tv. The tickets are ridiculously good value at €20 but you'd complain if it they were free.

Secondly RTE's coverage is terrible, SKY Sports are in 64% of Irish household but there'll be dozen of high quality streams available to those without.

What people seem to be failing to grasp is that there would have been no game against Engalnd if it wasn't on Sky

GiftofGab

Just got word that Jennings won't be in the world cup squad. He was told by Kidney yesterday that Leamy has more 'match experience' than him....emmm does a H cup medal with both Leinster and Leicester not mean match experience. I'm losing fate in Kidney big time now

GerM

GiftofGab wrote: »

Just got word that Jennings won't be in the world cup squad. He was told by Kidney yesterday that Leamy has more 'match experience' than him....emmm does a H cup medal with both Leinster and Leicester not mean match experience. I'm losing fate in Kidney big time now

It's no surprise. Jennings needed a special performance to get a ticket and he didn't deliver. Whilst, I'm not a massive fan of Leamy, he can put in an international performance on occasion (albeit rarely). I would contest bringing Ryan though if Leamy is going. We should just bring our 4 best out and out locks if Leamy, Ferris and SOB travel. The whole exercise of bringing a 5.5 type is ridiculous when you bring so many natural blindsides.

MungBean

PhatPiggins wrote: »

First of all the first bit has nothing to do with it being on tv. The tickets are ridiculously good value at €20 but you'd complain if it they were free.

Secondly RTE's coverage is terrible, SKY Sports are in 64% of Irish household but there'll be dozen of high quality streams available to those without.

What people seem to be failing to grasp is that there would have been no game against Engalnd if it wasn't on Sky

So shít some money and thank sky for making the game possible or piss off is it ? Lovely, I'll be sure to write the IRFU and thank them for their ridiculous management of the Irish team and the interests of the Irish supporters. But who cares when ya can afford to watch it right ?

Edit: I'll be watching it illegally online anyway I just think its two fingers from the IRFU to Irish fans. If I actually couldnt see the match I'd be one angry man.

totallegend

Skunkle wrote: »

So shít some money and thank sky for making the game possible or piss off is it ? Lovely, I'll be sure to write the IRFU and thank them for their ridiculous management of the Irish team and the interests of the Irish supporters. But who cares when ya can afford to watch it right ?

Edit: I'll be watching it illegally online anyway I just think its two fingers from the IRFU to Irish fans. If I actually couldnt see the match I'd be one angry man.

As I understand it, England would not have played the game if Sky did not get exclusive rights, so presumably if Ireland wanted a fourth warm-up game, they had to play ball.

I think you're being very harsh on the IRFU, my east stand ticket for yesterday was €20, excellent value I thought.

GiftofGab

Some someone please explain what a 5.5 player is??

Cpt_Blackbeard

GiftofGab wrote: »

Just got word that Jennings won't be in the world cup squad. He was told by Kidney yesterday that Leamy has more 'match experience' than him....emmm does a H cup medal with both Leinster and Leicester not mean match experience. I'm losing fate in Kidney big time now

Jennings is a very good HC player but he showed yesterday that he isn't able to step it up another level for international rugby. He did nothing yesterday and Heaslip had to cover the workload of both 8 and 7. He just doesn't have the physicality for international rugby.

Leamy didn't have a great season but, he was very good in the Irish games he has played so far. It is a risk by only bringing one recognised 7 in Wallace but, I'd rather see SOB at 7 than Jennings in a big international game - Jennings would get blown out of it against SA and I don't think he would fair too well against Australia or Italy either.

MungBean

totallegend wrote: »

As I understand it, England would not have played the game if Sky did not get exclusive rights, so presumably if Ireland wanted a fourth warm-up game, they had to play ball.

I think you're being very harsh on the IRFU, my east stand ticket for yesterday was €20, excellent value I thought.

I probably am being rather harsh but its hard not to be when I cant watch the game. I'll watch it online but as usual with the streams it will come and go. As the last game before the world cup with the team lookin like its in trouble it will be a must see game for any fan and to be told sorry no can do, England didnt want ya to see it without paying sky first is tough to swallow.

I know tickets are excellent value but I live a long way from dublin and the cost to get up there and back and whatnot plus the fact that I'd be travelling alone makes its costly and and none too inviting.

GerM

GiftofGab wrote: »

Some someone please explain what a 5.5 player is??

It's a phrase that has been coined to describe the position the DK is filling in his squad with a player who covers both lock (5) and blindside (6) i.e. Ryan, McCarthy and McLaughlin. 5.5 is just a handy way to reference it.

Cpt_Blackbeard

GerM wrote: »

It's no surprise. Jennings needed a special performance to get a ticket and he didn't deliver. Whilst, I'm not a massive fan of Leamy, he can put in an international performance on occasion (albeit rarely). I would contest bringing Ryan though if Leamy is going. We should just bring our 4 best out and out locks if Leamy, Ferris and SOB travel. The whole exercise of bringing a 5.5 type is ridiculous when you bring so many natural blindsides.

Would you not consider Ryan one of top 4 locks? He is the only lock we have in the squad who is able to fill the physical role that DOC plays. I think that Cullen is just a poor imitation of POC. He is a better version of MOD - A good leader and lineout operator but, he doesn't have that extra bit for the top level.

theboss80

Felix Jones has been ruled out of RWC for definite according to RTE now

Stablising ligament damage

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2011/0821/jonesf_ireland.html

CIARAN_BOYLE

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

Would you not consider Ryan one of top 4 locks? He is the only lock we have in the squad who is able to fill the physical role that DOC plays. I think that Cullen is just a poor imitation of POC. He is a better version of MOD - A good leader and lineout operator but, he doesn't have that extra bit for the top level.

I'd rate MOD ahead of Donnacha Ryan as a lock, neither good enough at this level but I would trust MOD more than Ryan, Dan Tuohy would be my #4 lock but I acknowledge that Tuohy wasn't going to be picked after being injured in key parts of the end of last season.

If Ferris and Heaslip are both going to have two backrowers who are decent lineout operators so I wouldn't bring a 5.5. The main reason I would have brought a 5.5 is if Ferris wasn't fit you would only have Heaslip as a lineout operator in the backrow.

phog

theboss80 wrote: »

Felix Jones has been ruled out of RWC for definite according to RTE now

Stablising ligament damage

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2011/0821/jonesf_ireland.html

Saw that on twitter, terrible news for him, regardless of his W/C ambitions.

GerM

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

Would you not consider Ryan one of top 4 locks? He is the only lock we have in the squad who is able to fill the physical role that DOC plays. I think that Cullen is just a poor imitation of POC. He is a better version of MOD - A good leader and lineout operator but, he doesn't have that extra bit for the top level.

As Ciarán says above, MOD ahead of Ryan for me every single time. I think he has been very harshly treated by DK. He had an excellent season for Munster. He was absolutely superb in the early games of the HEC, man of the match against Toulon and hands down Munster's best player in Swansea where he was heroic. He was also arguably Ireland's best player in Australia last summer. DK has clearly had an influence in the provincial selections towards the end of the season that saw Ryan jumping MOD in the pecking order and McLaughlin suddenly playing lock for Leinster. Ryan is inferior in all the nuts and bolts of being a lock for me. MOD is someone that gets a hard time no matter how well he plays but he's an old head who gives leadership and consistency. I would ditch Ryan and bring MOD in a heartbeat.

Phonehead

theboss80 wrote: »

Felix Jones has been ruled out of RWC for definite according to RTE now

Stablising ligament damage

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2011/0821/jonesf_ireland.html

Devastated for the guy, he had played himself into the 30 and you could see his anguish yesterday.

Foxtrol

Phonehead wrote: »

Devastated for the guy, he had played himself into the 30 and you could see his anguish yesterday.

Feel bad for the guy but I personally don't really see what he did to play himself into the squad.

GerM

Foxtrol wrote: »

Feel bad for the guy but I personally don't really see what he did to play himself into the squad.

Tend to agree. He showed up well in his cameo last week but in all fairness, his contribution yesterday was leaning towards the negative. He made some basic errors in his CC semi final against Quins and he made some yesterday. If Murphy or Dempsey were a few years younger then he wouldn't have been in consideration.

phog

PhatPiggins wrote: »

It does but you're guaranteed a packed out Aviva stadium and the English always travel over in numbers and spend heavy. Everybody wins.

I rather that then play Scotland, have it on RTE and have 30K-35K supporters at the stadium

phog wrote: »

Not everyone can afford the ticket prices or the travel to Dublin for international games.

No matter who the opposition is I'd like the game to be on TV and if that takes from a full house I blame the IRFU for their management of their ticket sales.

PhatPiggins wrote: »

First of all the first bit has nothing to do with it being on tv. The tickets are ridiculously good value at €20 but you'd complain if it they were free.

Secondly RTE's coverage is terrible, SKY Sports are in 64% of Irish household but there'll be dozen of high quality streams available to those without.

What people seem to be failing to grasp is that there would have been no game against Engalnd if it wasn't on Sky

Never knocked the value of the ticket prices all I said was not everyone could afford the tickets and the travel to Dublin and I think I'm correct in this.

Whatever you view of RTE and I'd have similar I still would like international games to be available on FTA.

I had Sky sports and took it out of the summer, maybe I'm one of those 64% of households supposedly having Sky sports.

I'm well aware the RFU and the IRFU had to agree to having the game on Sky and have no great problem with it.

My main issue with your initial post on this topic was that everyone was a winner and your point about you'd "rather that then play Scotland, have it on RTE and have 30K-35K supporters at the stadium" is silly, are you suggesting that we only play friendlies against the nations that can be guarenteed to fill Avivia

Foxtrol

phog wrote: »

My main issue with your initial post on this topic was that everyone was a winner and your point about you'd "rather that then play Scotland, have it on RTE and have 30K-35K supporters at the stadium" is silly, are you suggesting that we only play friendlies against the nations that can be guarenteed to fill Avivia

It would make economic sense. Playing the lesser teams is only really of use to the Irish management as they use it to give a raft of new players caps and then claim to be "building a squad".

poor chap

A Disgrace

So, Jones out.. Good news for Fitz or good news for Murphy?

PhatPiggins

phog wrote: »

Never knocked the value of the ticket prices all I said was not everyone could afford the tickets and the travel to Dublin and I think I'm correct in this.

Whatever you view of RTE and I'd have similar I still would like international games to be available on FTA.

I had Sky sports and took it out of the summer, maybe I'm one of those 64% of households supposedly having Sky sports.

I'm well aware the RFU and the IRFU had to agree to having the game on Sky and have no great problem with it.

My main issue with your initial post on this topic was that everyone was a winner and your point about you'd "rather that then play Scotland, have it on RTE and have 30K-35K supporters at the stadium" is silly, are you suggesting that we only play friendlies against the nations that can be guarenteed to fill Avivia[/QUOT

It's pointless even trying to talk to you at this stage

PhatPiggins

A Disgrace wrote: »

So, Jones out.. Good news for Fitz or good news for Murphy?

Fitzgerald will definitely go now, Murphy (is wrongly) too far down the pecking order. I would have been surprised if Jones had made the cut myself.