Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I'm not judge and jury; I seem to be one of the few people to grasp that nothing that is said here has any implications in the real world.

But in the real world, IRFU simply aren't going to hire a guy with ROG's track record of going off on one. I really like O'Gara, I think a bit of honesty and passion in a coach is a good thing - funny how people were taking pops at Farrell for the same thing a few weeks ago - but going after refs, texting them abuse, whatever, it's just never going to fly, and the idea that he'd magically knuckle down with a green tracksuit on, well, I don't see how that works. I think he'd struggle in the confines of the IRFU system too, tbh.

He does have an impressive CV, but as we've seen with Cullen and Lancaster, the further away from past successes you get, the less weight they carry.

Cullen is not a serious candidate for Ireland. Farrell has won more with Cullen's team the Cullen has. I suspect this Irish team will be in for a major rebuild after the next WC with a big group of players retiring or slipping off the test radar. There is no obvious internal candidate, assuming Easterly didn't do his chances any good last season, so they will likely be looking elsewhere. ROG will definitely be in the mix. I wouldn't put too much store in his sideline antics at LaR, I honestly think that's as much theatre as a lack of control. He loves to be in the spotlight which explains his persistence in being a pundit/analyst while he has a full-time coach job. But he is also a fairly astute guy who knows where the line is. I'd expect his media stuff to drop off and his behaviour to improve a lot as a test coach. I don't know if he is the right guy but he'll definitely be a top prospect.

Sheehan looked vulnerable in the scrum against Italy. Furlong looks like he’s still getting up to speed.

"Getting a rise" isn't the flex you think it is.

I don't really now but how did the bans cost LaR? He is still in contact with his coaching team, deciding on substitutions, etc. I don't know what difference a coach makes on the sidelines rather than in the stand. Was he banned from the dressing room? It's bad culturally for the team but as far as other imapcts costing the team I'm not sure what they are. Maybe fines? Anyway, beside the point. He won't even be on the sideline in a test environment, though he could be giving sh*t to official after the game or to the press. I just feel like it's a fairly straight forward thing for a pro to get a handle on.

I don't see ROG as Ireland head coach. Whether people like it or not, a proportion of the rugby supporting population don't like him, and a good chunk of that population are the people who purchase tickets to Irish games (and are realistically the ones not complaining about ticket prices).

He won those Champions Cups with monstrous packs, something Ireland do not have. And as that monstrous pack has started to age and not be as powerful, he hasn't seemed to be able to adapt, leaving La Rochelle 7th last year, and currently 11th. Pretty clearly a downward spiral.

I have no issue with a fiery temperament, and do think that is something missing is Irish rugby in general, but the amount of bans and disciplinary action against him as a head coach is also not a good look, no matter how good a coach he may or not be.

Who said anything about me or my mates? Did I mention anything about me and my mates?

You may not like it but the fact is the majority of people in the stadium are coming from Leinster, and a portion of those people do not like ROG, mainly due to his demeanour but hey, who knows what reason. Sure was it not you moaning about paying for 2 tickets to the A game in Limerick and saying you could have bought a pizza and a few pints instead with the money? You're hardly going to be filling the Aviva if X amount of usual match goers don't fancy going when you can get a pizza instead. Maybe I'm wrong though. Maybe half of Cork come up to support because ROG is in charge.

Leinster fans may or may not be ok with the cost of tickets. I never mentioned Leinster fans, that was you. But once again, the majority of people in that stadium for Irish games come from Leinster, and again a chunk of those do not like the guy.

RoG has coaching pedigree, he took LaR from nobodies ot European champions twice, and regardless of how he did it, he did it. 

In fairness, they reached the finals of both Top 14 and Champions' Cup in Gibbes' last season, they had been building for a long time before O'Gara took over, but he took them to the next level and deserves huge credit for that.

Im not hearing any compelling arguments that push him down the list

But it's not his coaching ability that is the issue. Unless the IRFU have a dramatic change of heart, he'll have to come back and serve a couple of years either as a provincial head coach or an assistant with Ireland before he can get the Ireland job. That's the compelling argument, rightly or wrongly.