Will Andy Farrell get the adoration Jack Charlton got?

Howitzer the 5th · 24-10-2023 1:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121276374#Comment_121276374

Not a question of disrespect or arrogance, at least intended. It's merely an obvious drawing of parallel's. Football is the global game. The very heartbeat of society from the favela's of Brazil and the barrios of Argentina to the far outposts of the great advanced Japan and South Korea. It is the people's chosen game. The same stands true in Ireland. Rugby does not and has never inhabited that predominance nor will it ever. It is not a question of my sport is greater than yours as you put it.

To repeat the point there is no disrespect to rugby union. Up until 2000 it could be argued the Ireland's international rugby prowess was limited. The Ireland team led by Andy Farrell is a good team, the current ROI football team is abysmal, but the people will always have far more time for the Boys in Green, our international football team than the contrived marketing led rugby team who often flop despite the grand boastful monikers 'the team of us', and 'this is rugby country' etc.

Yes in referring to New Zealand and South Africa and probably Wales where rugby is king to most, then the sport is most important but no where else and why would world rugby, the overseers of the sport continue to inhibit the Pacific islands, eastern European teams and others from progressing by not giving them any meaningful games etc? I appreciate FIFA is nothing to write home about either in football terms. Even winning a rugby world cup would not match a meaningful win in international football. Alas, Ireland's hopes of winning a rugby world cup has sailed. Football will rise again.

CGI_Livia_Soprano · 24-10-2023 1:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121277965#Comment_121277965

Personally I think the players got too big. And that made the sport less attractive to me

Same with gaelic and hurling. Both codes feature amateur athletes who are twice the size they were twenty years ago. Suspiciously huge players.

Probably all that lean chicken and rice.

24-10-2023 2:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278061#Comment_121278061

Busy here and can't reply in full. But when you say things like they often flop, the rugby team, your bias shows. This WC was no flop.

You're partial. You never mention anything about the soccer team flopping. And why is this great game of the people only half filling the Aviva for a European qualifier v Greece? The answer is people follow a winning team not some great ideal about football being on some higher plane. If it was the great game it would fill a national stadium for an important international.

It's an easy game to play, as a fella once said to me, if you can stand up you can play for your local soccer club.

Hurling men and women, would argue they've a better game. And a junior club hurling game is usually infinitely more entertaining than its soccer equivalent. Because a game is played worldwide doesn't elevate it in quality, entertainment or enjoyment above a niche game.

A lot of people are like sheep, the boys in green was and is everybit as jarring a catch phrase as the team of us. Soccer followers are generally a paradox, a lot go into being nationalistic, yet go around in Man City tops etc. They'll watch British TV stations exclusively and very few have a word of Irish. A real garrison town legacy.

Clo-Clo · 24-10-2023 2:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121277926#Comment_121277926

Kids in other countries will have foreign jerseys and will still have local clubs as well. My kids are currently walking around in Miami jerseys :-)

The LOI was not fit for purpose 30 years ago and still isn't today. The money invested into this league is tiny and it has never been built to a proper level

if we had a pro league you could at least keep kids in the game in Ireland till they are older and then move to UK, if they are good enough the chances of success are a lot better if they are older than moving to the uK when they are kids. At the moment they don't have that option/

A young player who goes to England and fails for whatever reason has what options? join the LOI?

Howitzer the 5th · 24-10-2023 2:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278317#Comment_121278317

It was a flop. Heralded as the greatest team in the history of Irish rugby, they lost to the worst all-blacks team since Hughie Gallagher's crew in the late 19th century. A flop as they would surely have beaten Argentina or England surely? Then again.... Ireland have never once reached a RWC semi-final. Wales, Scotland and Argentina (twice) have. It most assuredly was a flop.

I'm not biased. I care not a jot for rugby which is a minority niche sport in Ireland nor do I love soccer. If you actually read the post you'd see the context with which It was clearly framed so yes, you are busy and you weren't bothered to read it properly before posting in response.

24-10-2023 2:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278107#Comment_121278107

Agreed. I think more hurling than football as in the later there's more running. Hurling isn't a game for a small man anymore. You just won't win a ball.

rob316 · 24-10-2023 2:52pm

No.

Its a small sport with only a few nations that can boast greatness. England got to a semi final without playing anyone of note, that says it all what sort of achievement it is.

Its a grand sport, as an entertainment spectacle though its 90% pushing and shoving on the ground smattered with a few highlights. No offence but I don't rate it high in the skills league.

24-10-2023 2:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278471#Comment_121278471

No. Can't be a flop with 4 equal favourites and coming within a score. What would France be then, playing at home.. A flop would be losing to Scotland.

Most of the other 9 teams weren't good enough. Believe me, I've watched Ireland v Australia in 1987 etc!

I read enough of your post, Soccer game of the people half fills the Aviva. Boys in Green another BS catchphrase.

24-10-2023 3:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278471#Comment_121278471

Worst since Hughie Gallagher's 🤣

How exactly is that measured? If they beat the Boks, who are better than 2019, they won't look so bad.

I'm out of this thread as it's really only pitting one sport against another and was opened to be devisive.

yagan · 24-10-2023 3:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121276374#Comment_121276374

Or you need less fear of brain damage and other life quality reducing injuries.

Fr Tod Umptious · 24-10-2023 3:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278317#Comment_121278317

The answer is people follow a winning team not some great ideal about football being on some higher plane

You are indeed correct.

People follow a winning team.

And in Ireland more people follow a winning soccer team than follow a winning rugby team.

CGI_Livia_Soprano · 24-10-2023 4:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278769#Comment_121278769

For all of the talk about how good Ireland are at the rugby, the best they have ever done in the World Cup is reach the quarter finals which matches the Ireland soccer team exactly.

I know people will cite the Six Nations but tbh that’s just a rugby version of the British Home Championship, the same few teams playing each other over and over again. Winning that tournament is hardly a mark of true quality when the best teams in the world (New Zealand, South Africa) don’t even play in it.

Rugby compares unfavourably with soccer by every single metric.

corner of hells · 24-10-2023 6:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278850#Comment_121278850

You’ve heard of Bledisloe Cup ?

Yeah_Right · 24-10-2023 7:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278471#Comment_121278471

Who is Hughie Gallagher?

Yeah_Right · 24-10-2023 7:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121277965#Comment_121277965

The late 90s to early 2000s was an interesting time in rugby. The game only went professional after the 95 world cup so a lot of those players had come through the amateur era were there weren't academics and pro coaching at schoolboy level. Things like proper diets, S&C coaching, media coaching etc were in their infancy in the sport.

So you did get more "characters" in public. They're still there now, it's just kept within the squad and their public persona will be more professional. Yes the players are bigger because they're getting pro coaching and diet instructions from an earlier age. Still plenty of little guys out there. Smith and McKenzie in the NZ team, the SA wingers.

CGI_Livia_Soprano · 24-10-2023 7:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121279517#Comment_121279517

the players are bigger because they're getting pro coaching and diet instructions from an earlier age.

Right, “diet instructions” 😉 💉

Yeah_Right · 24-10-2023 7:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121279547#Comment_121279547

Knew youd go there 🙄

Don't know what it's like in Ireland but I know the drug testing in NZ is very strict. The only place I've heard of having an issue with PEDs is South Africa.

CGI_Livia_Soprano · 24-10-2023 7:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121279571#Comment_121279571

In my experience strict drug testing protocols only proves more drug abusers are caught. South Africa has a perceived problem with PEDs because they take testing seriously and catch out the cheats.

They don’t do proper testing in Irish rugby, or GAA, therefore nobody is caught.

Does that mean nobody is taking PEDs? Or can it mean that the people who are taking them are getting away with it? Does that also mean that there is nothing stopping the abuse of PEDs becoming rampant in Irish sports?

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions in those cases, but I have my own suspicions.

The Moist Buddha · 26-10-2023 9:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121246148#Comment_121246148

The Ryder Cup is played every 2 years

Fr Tod Umptious · 26-10-2023 9:47am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121285255#Comment_121285255

But it's not back in Europe for 4 years.

ottolwinner · 27-10-2023 1:19am

I think the physique of rugby players has changed a lot and will change again. As coaches develop their teams to counter act other teams we will prob see a return to leaner more wirey players again, the game might get faster leaving less benefit to carrying alot of bulk.

Ardillaun · 27-10-2023 2:57am

I wonder if ‘Hughie Gallagher’ is a blend of Scottish soccer player Hughie Gallacher

https://qosfc.com/legend-1039

and NZ rugby pioneer Dave Gallaher? I mix and match like that myself quite often but usually down the pub rather than here.

jeff bingham · 27-10-2023 6:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121279547#Comment_121279547

Off the couch and into a gym with you and you might see the stupidity of your comment.

CGI_Livia_Soprano · 27-10-2023 8:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121289062#Comment_121289062

I already happen to be very fit (I run over 60 miles every week) but if you really believe that PED use isn’t rampant with our rugby stars and GAA players then I have some magic beans to sell you.