Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I believe the poster suggesting that Doneybrook was unused and that Leinster didn't receive any of the gate receipts from the RDS, was being fairly disingenuous.

It used be discussed on the Archiseeks website I think it was called? It was stated there that the stadium was never built to be expanded - and that the steel works mean that you would need to dissemble loads of it to build the Havelock Square end up.

Having said that, like you, I've also heard the version of the IRFU buying houses in Havelock Square. Although given that they only own circa half the stadium company (until 2070 I think when full owneship reverts to them) why it would be only them buying houses is also odd?

Not sure what the beef is here.

Leinster outgrew Donnybrook, and if they'd gone off and built their own 20,000 seater stadium, they'd still be going to the Aviva for 5 or 6 matches a year, and people would say the new stadium was a waste when they could have just rented the RDS. Where would you even put a new stadium, except out in the middle of nowhere.

Munster built the exact right size of stadium. Yeah it's rarely full but unlike Leinster, they don't have the escape valve of the Aviva for the big games so they needed somewhere for the European games and when Leinster rock up. Munster got over-optimistic on the financing, fair enough, but a smaller stadium would have been pointless.

The Aviva is as big as it could be, it's generally big enough and it went from financial burden to revenue-generating machine in record time.

Ulster and Connacht likewise have facilities almost perfectly in line with their needs, or will do when the renovation happens in Galway.

So either by accident or design, everyone is in a great position and barring Munster's rocky patch, it hasn't bankrupted anyone.

So again, what's the problem?

That is my point - I am in full agreement with you.

Munster made the right investment based on knowing the IRFU support and protection they had and their investment aligned with the IRFU goals that you noted. That doesn't take away from it being a financial drain on the IRFU budget and overall resources that are shared across the other provinces, including those where the IRFU isn't giving them the same type of deal Munster received.

Similarly, the IRFU ongoing investment in central contracts for their best players also aligns with the IRFU goals.

A set of posters claim the latter is unfair but become defensive when other types of IRFU investment and subsidies are highlighted for their provinces.

The simple fact is that each province get some form of special treatment from the IRFU and I don't think the fans of any province would be happy if that changed for a blanket 'level playing pitch' some claim to desire.

I wouldn't even call Thomond a drain, it is the IRFU spending resources on a province that made sense given their unique situation.

It would have been dumb to tell Munster they couldn't get a loan for a ground development for on site they own because it isn't fair on the other provinces, who don't have their own sites suitable for development. Same logic holds for current spending on central contracts.

On coaching, I agree but the IRFU are damned if they do and damned if they dont, especially at the top coach level. Imagine if Rassie had underperformed and the IRFU made Munster push him out the door and he went on to win WCs. They and we would never hear the end of it.

Where the IRFU should have put their foot in more is around the investment in academies, other provinces were far too slow in following Leinster's lead on this.

yeah, coaching/management will always be based around provincial autonomy with the IRFU engaged in contracts details and consultation, at least optically. And that’s as it should be. Provinces can and should have their governance house in order and have a realistic medium and long term development plan that officers/executives are accountable for. I’ve scratched my head for a decade with regard to Ulster and Munster on this question, who is responsible if the system is not delivering? According to a lot of posters here it’s the IRFU and/or Leinster or the Dublin media. I’ve never seen anyone on here point to people in the provincial management tier who are not performing, making bad decisions, not having any vision, hiring the wrong people, fostering a **** culture, etc etc. The kind of stuff that most professionals are judged on in their work.