Should have been looking to bring them into the group. Not necessarily them particular coaches but new voices. Irish coaches going well are not getting opportunities though, so will bring in a Goodman, we won’t promote to within the ranks of Irish coaches performing well.
I was thinking the new English guy Fin Smith would be surely up there?- Finn Russell quite poor this year but maybe experience counts for a lot?🤔
As ugly as my golf.
He has 16 starts at 10 at 27. He may or may not ever have been good enough but averaging 2 games a year in his favoured position was never going to develop him. At least now we are identifying players earlier to gain experience in such a pivotal position. Last years 6 nations for Crowley and this years for Prendergast will stand to them. We still though seem to have to force the provinces hand to put through talented younger over barely competent journeymen though. Quite often selection for the national squad is what cements a players place in their provincial lineup. JGP being a prime example.
Averaging 2 games a year is an absurd way of looking at it though. He had multiple starts there when he was younger and they realised he wasn't a 10 and moved him away from the position. That's why he went 4 years without starting there.
I would have Fin Smith and George Ford ahead of the 2 Irish outhalves...Finn Russell will go aswell to up the scottish representation...Marcus Smith will also go and can cover there too....
Ireland are a team obviously in decline and the future looks pretty grim from the underage teams too. Has the look of us going back to no-hopers territory. Hope I'm wrong.
yay… I will guess an under 25 leinster fan?
Jacks normal percentage is high 80s/90s, so, I'm not worried. after the week he's been through, fair enough.
His passing and dummy passing, on the line (not 10 metres behind), was excellent.. tackling excellent.
but continue with your love of a 22 yr old, that isn't ready.
also the lack of bonus points against wales and France, killed us.
George Ford who hasn't played once this tournament? You need better bait
Yeah I was thinking along those lines too,Ford did well today as a sub- if Marcus Smith does go it will be mainly down to his versatility.
This team has been on a downward slope for a year now in terms of performances. Some of us could see it but most refused to acknowledge it. But now Ireland are now in freefall and I fear we could be in for a drop off similar to Wales post 2019.
Today felt like the end for the team that Farrell settled on around November 2021. Healy, POM and Murray are obviously now gone (that should have happened ages ago but such is Irish Rugby). Then you have Aki (35), Henshaw (32), VDF (32), Beirne (33), Lowe (33), JGP (33), Furlong (33) and Ringrose (30), all of whom's performances have dropped off and likely won't be at RWC 2027. If we chose to stick with all these guys and try to get them through to Australia, I think it will end in disaster. That doesn't mean all of the above guys have to go. But If we're to have any chance at winning a quarter final in 2.5 years, this team needs a major refresh come November. The timing of the Lions tour is ideal as it gives us the summer to bring through some of the new guys who'll be replacing the guys named, before properly bedding them with guys like Porter, Sheehan, McCarthy, Doris, Hansen and Keenan who will hopefully make up the core of the new team ( and some of them need a good look at themselves as well).
But it needs to actually happen. If we kick the can down the road like Irish rugby has always done, than the World Cup will end as it's always done.
9 starts in total, all positions, in his first 3 years. Ross Byrne, a competent but very limited player, had 30 starts in his first three years. Because there was no log jam of 10s that was subsequently allowed to build up and hinder the development of Frawley, then H Byrne and then Tector. And may have done the same to Prendergast until he was called into the national squad. Same is happening in other positions. Once they have a full squad if they want to bring in the next young 10 they should be forced to release one of those older ones. A small bit of it in Munster too with Jack O’Donoghue. Are Gleeson and Quinn getting the chances their talent deserves with the same situation where a competent but not quite top level player remains. The easy way out for the coach is to pick experience and leave talent on the bench/ off the squad
We most likely finish 3rd in this years 6N. A fall of two places in a year where wales are in turmoil, and we have Eng and Fra at home.
We have 3 players retiring and 2 players have popped their 6 nations cherry. It’s a bit drastic calling it a failure, but it’s most definatley not a successful competition for us.
I've read this twice and I have no idea what you are talking about.
This year was the year for the beginning of an overhaul. It seems Farrell did not trust Easterby to start the process though in his absence so kept the old guard for one last hurrah. I thought we would have a very tough tournament so 4 wins in 5 is not awful. Now, I am kind of thinking we should have told Farrell “no, you have a contract with us”, when the Lions came calling. As it is slowing the transition and well f*ck the Lions.
Grand slam in 22, grand slam in 23, 4 wins from 5 in 24 in U20 6 nations says you don’t know what you are talking about
Neither of them are good goal kickers. SP is under 70% for Ireland.
Aye, keep up the delusion if you like.
I blame Ohk Energy and Vodafone ("Together!")
Is the award SP got for rookies only? Like there's no way on earth he should get it over Bielle-Biarrey if it's a young player award.
Reality is a bit inconvenient to your edge lord persona
100 per cent incorrect on your guess…. I was playing rugby when rucking was a thing, google it with ur stats. Dope
You thought we'd beat Wales by 50 points and we shouldn't respect them as a team....little bit of a reality check for you maybe?
U20s got the wooden spoon this year though unfortunately.
I didn't expect the performances to collapse as they have. Look at what England did to Wales today and contrast. We had posters here saying how difficult the game was and Wales were up for it and the roof was closed...blah blah.
We have been hopeless the last 3 games and today was another low.
More wins than any other side at that level over 4 years, including this year, yet somehow not being brilliant at u20 every single year means we are entering a period in the doldrums according to some.
We had a poor year yet won 4 of 5 and have the most consistent conveyor of talent in recent years.
I wouldn't be too harsh on this year's crop of u20's. They were missing at least 4 of their best forwards for the entire Six Nations. Our youth development has improved a lot, but we're never going to be able to make up for losing half our starting pack.
The players we were without; Usanov, Niall Smyth, Alan Spicer and Luke Murphy will all be provincial regulars for years to come too. So that's a lot of quality out of the side before the tournament ever began.
I don’t like the look of his place-kicking. Even the sound of it is off. His contact point seems wrong. Is it too high or something? He needs an in-depth golf-style analysis of every aspect of it.
Yeah I have always thought that myself - seems to kick across the ball or something?
To be pedantic he is 71%. He has also attempted some pretty difficult kicks.
