2025 Nov 01 | AI's Round 1 | Ireland v New Zealand | 20:10 GMT | VM in Ire / TNT & Discovery+ in UK

Uh huh. I didn't say he doesn't have something to offer. It was 'almostover' who suggested picking him for his game breaking power so I guess take it up with him.

I think McCloskey is a fine player and he's a great example of my point. He's not as powerful as Aki and he's not going to be skittling over De Allende and Kriel in a few weeks. His value to Ireland lies in his intelligence, his soft hands and his overall ability. We would never pick him as a battering ram because he can't do that at test level.

I'd have to challenge that talent is overlooked if you are perceived to be a joker in a school or elsewhere. up and down Irish coaching environments at almost any age levelIs exactly where Irish coaches are crying out for talent.

Yes you may argue that they may be overcoached and thus removing autonomy but its also the same place that had the dream team of Scally, BOD etc and had SCT players like Fitzgerald, Conway, Madigan and Carbery.

Whatever about Zebo, Lowe was a superstar in school. And at Nelson College no less. Hansen another schoolboy superstar who has rugby in his blood. They absolutely would have been on a SCT and probably the star players also.

We're removing too much autonomy from players and their ability to think and react when things aren't going their way then is questionable.

This isnt the issue the real issue in Irish rugby. The real issue is that there isnt enough young players. We need more like Osborne.

Irish rugby is where it is today thanks to the likes of the schools.

Alex Usanov and Alex Soroka are both of Ukrainian origin, but born in Ireland.

Alex Usanov : Father is Russian mother 100% Irish.

You keep saying that players are no safer as a result of stricter policing of head contact and tackling rule changes but you haven't produced any evidence. I am genuinely interested whether you are basing this on any studies or just basing it on annecdotal stuff, which is fine. All I can find is reporting that confirms that the rule changes have made a difference, notably the 2019 World Cup saw a big increase in yellow and red cards and a corresponding decline in concussions, 28% overall and 37% in tackle related concussions. There seem to be numerous other reports confirming the same thing, cards and rule changes have reduced head contact and concussions. The 20 minute thing is a bit too recent to judge whether it has made any further difference either way, though interestingly the notion that its a way of 'simplifying' the process keeps coming up, which seems a bizarre bit of framing.

Hello ersatz. I think you are slightly misunderstanding me. What I'm talking about is that by the very nature of rugby head contact happens (ie accidental or not-intended or non-malicious head contact is intrinsic to rugby). And some of that head contact causes concussion. World Rugby is understandably worried about lawsuits and therefore wants to be seen to be taking head contact seriously and doing something about it. So they have bought in cards in an attempt to deal with the problem. But as some head contact is intrinsic to rugby, you can hand out cards (which affect the results of games and the spectacle) until the cows come home, you will still be left with some head contact in rugby. So using cards to get rid of head contact in rugby is a doomed mission. However, it may leave you less liable to lawsuits, as you can say you were taking steps.

Saturday was a classic example - as Beirne successfully argued, supported by Beauden Barrett, there was nothing he could do there to avoid head contact - BB got the ball right on the gain line, if not even ahead of the gain line (ie marginal forward pass) in an upright stance and Beirne only had the time to brace for the impact, also in an upright position. Head contact occurred and with World Rugby's crusade, the game was stopped for 6 minutes and Ireland were reduced to 14 men for 20 minutes. Will this red card prevent further such head contact? No, because it wasn't a deliberate act, it was the human body (in this case Beirne's) doing what human body's do: a reflex brace.

I think world rugby would need to change the laws of rugby to do something (I suggested only tackling below the waist, but several people told me trials showed this wasn't effective). Or else just accept that head contact will occur in rugby, and not all of it deserves cards (ie accidents happen). Currently too many games are influenced by sanctions for accidental head contact.

What parent is going to allow their kid to take up a sport where "head trauma is inherent"?

Rugby would be out of schools within a year.

In fairness there have been trials to remove heading the ball from soccer for similar reasons. It was much worse years ago with old heavy leather balls that soaked up water.

There are very few sports that carry zero risk of life changing injuries. Rugby just happens to be on the higher risk end risk. But overall the risk is still low.

Parents let their kids go to boxing clubs, where the actual intent of the sport is to clobber the other person across the head.

I don't think it would finish rugby, and as the poster mentioned if there was more compensation for victims of CTE plus laws ensuring that deliberate and reckless head contact is red carded then there's not much else that can be done. Given red cards for unavoidable collisions does nothing for the game or to prevent concussion. Per their nature the collisions are accidental.