Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Myself and the aul man were surrounded by friends and family who supported Munster in the 00’s, we all went to the Munster games when they got to semis and finals together and it was great fun.
That all changed in ‘09.
The bitterness and abuse that was hurled at us by Munster fans in Edinburgh at the final was shocking, not just from a section of Munster fans but from every one of them outside my friends and family.
It left a real nasty taste in my mouth and it has really tainted my views on Munster supporters.
Now I don’t for a second believe that all Munster fans are the same and I really love to see the team win, same for Ulster and Connacht. But there is a certain cohort of Munster fans who can go eat a big bag of d1cks, I suspect the same cohort are the ones who won’t follow Ireland because of the number of Leinster players.

These Munster fans are disappointed with how things are right now but they fully believe that Munster will be back on top in a few years.

I think part of the issue is that a significant number of Ulster and Munster fans don't believe their province will be back on top in a few years. Like, if this was a temporary blip of a few generational Leinster players emerging at the same time, you could say it'll be grand in a year or two. I think the concern is that the problem is going to either persist or even get worse in the next few years.

There's a significant group of players over 30 in this current Ireland team; Healy, Furlong, Bealham, Beirne, POM, VDF, Conan, JGP, Murray, Lowe, Aki, Henshaw will all be gone before or very shortly after the next RWC. We have to hope that these spots get taken up by a mix of players from around the provinces. If Leinster hoover up the majority of these jerseys, these discussions are going to run and run.

No, no - don't be silly, you're fine, I didn't mean to sound defensive or antagonistic.

I completely agree about the schools - there have been various efforts to raise the popularity of the sport in Catholic grammar schools, and it has improved a bit, but it's mostly piecemeal, grassroots stuff between local clubs and schools and the like. So many talented young Ulstermen (and -women) who it would be brilliant to bring into the sport. You'd think it would be relatively straightforward, given it's an all-Ireland sport but it ain't, unfortunately.

Genuine question - why not?

I think we should be too strong for them but they have turned us over before when we were favorites. Some key injuries, cards etc. but massive massive motivation on their side including the OTB nonsense and the freshness that a new coach can have an impact. I was reading during week about Gatland’s first game for Ireland when we nearly beat a very very good French side in Paris.

Primarily because it would be a PR disaster.

Like it or not, rugby is viewed as an elitist sport and pumping more money into private or grammar schools would go down like a lead balloon. I don't really understand the schools system up there but RBAI isn't a community school that any working class lad from the Falls Road can attend. If IRFU or the Ulster Branch turned around and announced funding for a school that already has facilities that most schools can only dream of, it won't help the image of the sport.

If rugby is struggling to cross the divide into non-traditional populations, it would be suicide. Rugby gets its money from the masses through TV and match tickets, funnelling it back to the elite would not be a good idea

Imagine the backlash if we put money into Methodist, which already manages to send its rugby team to warm weather training in Portugal, and by sheer coincidence is the alma mater of dozens of IRFU blazers?

And the next time IRFU go cap in hand to the government (north or south) looking for funding, how would this play out? Very badly.

This would apply to all the provinces btw. If the Leinster branch announced funding for Gonzaga, Castleknock and CUS to help them catch up with Blackrock and Michael's, there would be war.

Our efforts at underage should be aimed at growing the game to as wide a base as possible.

The point is still the same though - how do you justify sending resources to the Catholic grammar schools and not to the others? How do you select the schools that get the special privileges and deny them to the much larger number that do not?

I doubt any school would turn down free equipment, coaching, access to facilities or whatever.

Just not sure how it's workable tbh.

Now we're talking.

Get games promotions officers into EVERY school who wants it, and every session ends with "if you enjoyed that, come along to <local rugby club> on Saturday morning and give it a proper go". (Yes, I know that large swathes of certain counties won't have a local club)

It's a throwing-mud-at-the-wall approach, maybe 20% of kids go along to the club, maybe 20% of them stick with it, maybe 1 in every 100 turns out to be a prospect, but this is the only path forward IMO.

Trying to create a "rugby school" in 2025 isn't feasible.

just on the school funding thing, it was discussed I think on the Leinster thread last week that st Fintans initial boost which has been built on was having a core of players coming from Suttonians. Targeted funding beyond traditional schools could start with helping fund a crossover between local clubs and schools. That would be a place to start and if funding is funnelled via the club it would be easier for people to swallow.