Now Ye're Talking - to a retired rugby pro

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 10:11am

connemara man wrote: »

Did you ever play with and against someone you thought was out of their depth? I don't need names.

I wouldn't change the champions cup. But the one thing I'd bring into the pro 14 is TMO facilities at every match as an untelevised match means no TMO. Actually would that effect the way you play knowing there's no TMO?

I'm not sure about playing but definitely trained with some lads out of their depth. I was out of my depth too at some stages but that's the way you learn. "Get comfortable being uncomfortable" and all that.

Ha it annoys me when it's not televised too!

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 10:16am

ClanofLams wrote: »

Cheers for doing this and good luck with new venture.

How big a factor do you think the move to one training base was in Munsters improvement?

How are lads who don’t fit in or aren’t great characters whether it be professionally or in their off field attitude handled? Tolerated if they’re good enough to make exception and get rid otherwise?

Thank you!

It's definitely been an improvement. We won't really know because of other factors at the time of the joint centre that brought the club together. But you can see guys hanging around in different circles and socialising with those that you wouldn't expect so it has to be having an impact.

Ya something like that, it's a big group so you'll probably fit in to one of the sub groups. If you don't carry yourself well people will get fed up eventually, probably when results are going against the team.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 10:19am

Conchir wrote: »

Thanks for giving your time!

This might be tough to quantify, but on an 'average' mid-season week (if there even is an average week), how much time would you have completely free of rugby? Where you could completely switch off and do whatever you wanted, without training or a match or conditioning in the back of your mind. Does it get to a point where everything in your day revolves around preparing for the next match, or do you always have at least some time to yourself?

I don't know what the regular schedule is now. In the older schedule you'd have a lighter day on Wednesday and the day before a game but a lot of players would use this for doing video/meeting coaches or position specific extras like kicking. Some players find it easier to switch off, I wasn't very good at it!
The schedule is different now but I think there's still a full day off.
Day after a match is the best time to switch off because it's the furthest time from the next game.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 10:20am

All My Stars Aligned wrote: »

Great AMA, thanks for doing it.

One thing that always really annoys me, why do players not release when their on the ground and give away a penalty rather then being turned over and trusting the defence? Is it just instinct or is it done deliberately?

I know, that frustrates me too. I think sometimes a referee would give you longer holding on to the ball so players are just hoping to get away with it. Some players are definitely stubborn and don't want to give it up

But I don't think it's a tactic

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 10:22am

Lambay island wrote: »

Thanks

What did you make of when Munster signed Grobler, a person who has tested positve for PEDs?
Even though he has served his ban, how would you feel if he took your place in the team for example?

I wouldn't be a fan of it. I don't know him personally but I think it could ruin your image as a club. We value honesty and integrity, not cheating.

Wichita Lineman · 10-01-2018 10:28am

If you could make a change to any rule in rugby which one would it be and how would you change it?

Kerrydude1981 · 10-01-2018 10:41am

Hello Jonny

Is there any player you have played against or trained with that was so talented but didnt give a sh*t and ended up not making it as a pro rugby player

Also is there a drop out in players at club level at the ages of 18/19 like that exists in the GAA

aloooof · 10-01-2018 11:23am

Thanks a million for doing this and best of luck with your new venture!

What's your opinion on the reports that Munster have signed an 18 year old South African into the Academy?

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 11:58am

Wichita Lineman wrote: »

If you could make a change to any rule in rugby which one would it be and how would you change it?

That's a tough question!

But one that annoys me is when players genuinely get caught awkwardly in the tackle, especially when trying to make a dominant tackle and the referee penalises for not rolling away. I know this is tough to police and is in favour of the attacking team but very frustrating for the player.

Another one I would penalise is when the attacking team is close to scoring a try and there's a penalty advantage for an infringement so the defensive team completely disrupts the play. I'd be penalising that every time and yellow carding it more!

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 12:00pm

Kerrydude1981 wrote: »

Hello Jonny

Is there any player you have played against or trained with that was so talented but didnt give a sh*t and ended up not making it as a pro rugby player

Also is there a drop out in players at club level at the ages of 18/19 like that exists in the GAA

Yeah one in particular that just went a bit mad, probably had too much talent!

There's a big dropout rate from schools players who've been burnt out mentally from the Senior Cup, in my experience anyway.

That age probably coincides with having to focus more on study and career though so you're never going to stop it fully.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 12:03pm

aloooof wrote: »

Thanks a million for doing this and best of luck with your new venture!

What's your opinion on the reports that Munster have signed an 18 year old South African into the Academy?

No bother, thanks!

That's probably the issue with the residency rule changing to 5 years. It doesn't matter what restrictions you put on it because they'll just get younger. If it's blocking a young prospect then I wouldn't be in favour of it but if there's no real talent coming through at that level we need to be doing something to stay competitive. I don't know what 18 year old tight heads we have by the way. I'd be more in favour of home grown players.

Tell me how · 10-01-2018 12:03pm

What do the players really think of Nigel Owens?

Which is your favourite and least favourite referee?

10-01-2018 12:10pm

The press

Does anyone in rugby actually respect Neil Francis?
Also, what was the worst (team) result you had when playing for Munster

Tell me how · 10-01-2018 12:10pm

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA wrote: »

No bother, thanks!

That's probably the issue with the residency rule changing to 5 years. It doesn't matter what restrictions you put on it because they'll just get younger. If it's blocking a young prospect then I wouldn't be in favour of it but if there's no real talent coming through at that level we need to be doing something to stay competitive. I don't know what 18 year old tight heads we have by the way. I'd be more in favour of home grown players.

Do you think now that we are getting to the place where all players were born in the professional era that the day of the AIL feeding in to the provinces is effectively over.

Are all players now going to go straight from school to academy and might only be affiliated with a club for registration purposes? Is this a good or a bad thing for the game?

cee_jay · 10-01-2018 12:24pm

What was your favourite moment ever as a player on a pitch?
What was your favourite stadium to play in? As a player is there something really special about Thomond Park? Or is it just hype?

irishfan9 · 10-01-2018 12:25pm

When did Jonathan become Johnny?

remember you being one hell of a soccer player for Greenwood back in the day.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 12:32pm

Tell me how wrote: »

What do the players really think of Nigel Owens?

Which is your favourite and least favourite referee?

I'm not sure what players think of him, I would guess most like him because he explains his decisions. Maybe he likes the attention but at least he interacts.

Ben Whitehouse isn't my favourite I suppose, trying too hard to be authoritative.
Nigel Owens for one liners (I enjoy most of them) and chat to players. John Lacey on a personal level - good guy!

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 12:34pm

Deleted User wrote: »

The press

Does anyone in rugby actually respect Neil Francis?
Also, what was the worst (team) result you had when playing for Munster

Haha not too many!

I'm not sure, I didn't like losing to Connacht up there, that was a tough one.

arsebiscuits1 · 10-01-2018 12:37pm

What sort of numbers would you fellas be expecting to hit in the gym? I imagine there's a serious disparity between forwards and backs.

As a former back, I'd love to know what professional backs are expected to bench/ curl/ squat/ deadlift

On that topic, whose the biggest gym freak? Who hits the highest numbers?

thomond2006 · 10-01-2018 12:37pm

Hi Johnny,

Do you think it's a blow to the provinces that the B&I Cup will be no more from next season? Did you find it a good developing ground versus playing more AIL fixtures?

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 12:39pm

Tell me how wrote: »

Do you think now that we are getting to the place where all players were born in the professional era that the day of the AIL feeding in to the provinces is effectively over.

Are all players now going to go straight from school to academy and might only be affiliated with a club for registration purposes? Is this a good or a bad thing for the game?

I don't think so, not many players come out of school in Ireland and are ready to play Senior rugby week in week out. Gary Ringrose might be seen as one of these guys that did but he played against us up in UCD when I played with Con. Had a good game though!

Still a lot of academy players playing AIL and probably should play more.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 12:41pm

cee_jay wrote: »

What was your favourite moment ever as a player on a pitch?
What was your favourite stadium to play in? As a player is there something really special about Thomond Park? Or is it just hype?

Favourite moment is probably converting my own try against Leinster. Some of my football days with The Barrs come pretty close.

Musgrave Park! Fast track and close crowd.

Yeah Thomond is special, I wish I had a few more games there to experience the full effect!

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 12:43pm

irishfan9 wrote: »

When did Jonathan become Johnny?

remember you being one hell of a soccer player for Greenwood back in the day.

Ha not sure. Rugby changed that, I had to just embrace it because you couldn't correct people that much! My Mom tried to correct people but she gave up too

My soccer ability didn't last too long hahah

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 12:46pm

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

What sort of numbers would you fellas be expecting to hit in the gym? I imagine there's a serious disparity between forwards and backs.

As a former back, I'd love to know what professional backs are expected to bench/ curl/ squat/ deadlift

On that topic, whose the biggest gym freak? Who hits the highest numbers?

I think the general guidelines are squat and deadlift 2x your bodyweight, bench and chins 1.5x your bodyweight and that's seen as quite strong and balanced but I could be a bit wrong there. The actual numbers are an ego game!

Sam Arnold is a freak. Rory Scannell is the squatting maestro

Bazzo · 10-01-2018 12:46pm

Hi Jonny, hope retirement's treating you well and thanks for doing the AMA.

I remember Joe Schmidt spoofed to the media a bit about having spoken to you about an Ireland call up, were you flattered/annoyed/how did you feel about that at the time? Do you think those sort of fibs are something that happen often with coaches when speaking to the media??

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 12:47pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

Hi Johnny,

Do you think it's a blow to the provinces that the B&I Cup will be no more from next season? Did you find it a good developing ground versus playing more AIL fixtures?

Yeah it's a tough one. It's a good competition for academy/developing players that get to play the same way as the senior team. You don't get the same effect in training so that part of it will be missed. It's just not enough of a league.

AIL will stand to them more but can't replicate the provinces systems.

arsebiscuits1 · 10-01-2018 12:48pm

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA wrote: »

I think the general guidelines are squat and deadlift 2x your bodyweight, bench and chins 1.5x your bodyweight and that's seen as quite strong and balanced but I could be a bit wrong there. The actual numbers are an ego game!

Sam Arnold is a freak. Rory Scannell is the squatting maestro

It's all about egos!!

Thanks for the answer. Very informative.

Suffice to say I wont be a professional rugby player! :pac:

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 12:49pm

Bazzo wrote: »

Hi Jonny, hope retirement's treating you well and thanks for doing the AMA.

I remember Joe Schmidt spoofed to the media a bit about having spoken to you about an Ireland call up, were you flattered/annoyed/how did you feel about that at the time? Do you think those sort of fibs are something that happen often with coaches when speaking to the media??

Thank you!

It was flattering to be fair, a bit of a confidence boost. Definitely not a bad thing. But after the initial shock I was left thinking "Why didn't he actually speak to me if he is speaking about it in the media?"

He probably does it with some players that are still developing but he does keep players in the loop and give feedback if they're not selected for a camp and would have been in previous ones.

Jobs OXO · 10-01-2018 12:55pm

What was the most you were earning on a weekly basis?

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 1:55pm

Jobs OXO wrote: »

What was the most you were earning on a weekly basis?

Not enough! You'd be surprised

Jobs OXO · 10-01-2018 1:59pm

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA wrote: »

Not enough! You'd be surprised

How much? Genuinely interested in terms of time given up where lads build careers or gain further education

Bazzo · 10-01-2018 2:03pm

Jobs OXO wrote: »

How much? Genuinely interested in terms of time given up where lads build careers or gain further education

Jesus bud it's not very polite to ask somebody how much money they make...

irishfan9 · 10-01-2018 2:04pm

On nutrition what do you make of low carb/keto diet for weight/fat loss?

irishfan9 · 10-01-2018 2:06pm

Could you name a player or two you played with who you were surprised never made an academy?

How was the irish under-20 process for you?

Did players from outside Leinster feel Mike Ruddock was very biased?

Who was the best coach you worked with as a rugby player? Who helped you develop the most?

Jobs OXO · 10-01-2018 2:29pm

Bazzo wrote: »

Jesus bud it's not very polite to ask somebody how much money they make...

Oh bud thought it was ask me ANYTHING ?

10-01-2018 2:32pm

Jobs OXO wrote: »

Oh bud thought it was ask me ANYTHING ?

That's because 'Ask me Anything within reason' doesn't have the same ring to it.

10-01-2018 2:37pm

Jonny, I was listening to Luke Fitz interviewing Heaslip on the indo podcast today and they were talking about pre season training at altitude.

It didn't come up in conversation but maintaining weight at altitude can be a challenge for athletes in a variety of disciplines.

What's a healthy way to top up food intake if the pounds start slipping off in warm weather or high altitude?

As a follow up - Ross Moloney took time out of competition last season to bulk up and I gather one of the Munster forwards had issues with digestion (disorder of some kind) and struggled to maintain weight.

Is it common that Rugby players struggle to take on enough calories and maintain weight or is this one of the more pleasant aspects of being a rugby pro.

aloooof · 10-01-2018 2:41pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I gather one of the Munster forwards had issues with digestion (disorder of some kind) and struggled to maintain weight.

I believe this is John Ryan, who has ulcerative colitis.

Padkir · 10-01-2018 2:45pm

Jobs OXO wrote: »

Oh bud thought it was ask me ANYTHING ?

You can ask him anything; doesn't mean he has to answer it though...

razorblunt · 10-01-2018 2:53pm

Thanks for doing this.
In a similar vein to the Neil Francis question, is any attention paid to the likes of Stuart Barnes and his waffle?

How long would it take you to recover from a game?

Also, most importantly, would you rather be attacked by 17 duck sized horses or 1 horse sized duck?

irishfan9 · 10-01-2018 2:53pm

Jobs OXO wrote: »

Oh bud thought it was ask me ANYTHING ?

doesnt have to answer anything.

mitresize5 · 10-01-2018 3:07pm

thanks for doing this, very informative

On the nutrition side of things is there any plans out there that are practical for a modern lifestyle. i.e. don't have to be weighing portions, getting % across the food group balanced in every meal, quick to assemble and cook and allows you a treat at the weekend.

ten years ago I was at my peak physically, structured training and had the time and inclination to really watch the diet and do all of the above. 10 years later, 2 kids, career progression and general life stresses mean I have about 6 minutes to myself each day :-)

So its just not practical to follow strict, what I would call unpractical, meal plans every evening.

Is there something out there that would suit me or do I just hope I'm not too fat in 15 years time when I have some time for myself again!!

p.s. one more thing, which is better for weight loss, diet or exercise.

Dial Hard · 10-01-2018 3:31pm

Jobs OXO wrote: »

Oh bud thought it was ask me ANYTHING ?

You can ask anything, doesn't mean he's obliged to answer.

Jonny, what do you think of Cistercian College's legal challenge to the IRFU's 20-month rule for schools eligibility? Do they have a point or were the IRFU right to implement it?

Also, what do you make of Damian Browne rowing across the Atlantic? Brave or crazy??? :pac:

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 4:21pm

irishfan9 wrote: »

On nutrition what do you make of low carb/keto diet for weight/fat loss?

I did the keto diet for a while last year as an experiment on myself

it's a tool for weight loss, I can't recommend it for sustainability. A very unnatural way to eat, but if it suits you and it isn't that much of an effort then that's right for you. There are a lot of easier ways to do it in my opinion. There's nothing magic about keto diets. It's a structured calorie deficit with enough protein to maintain muscle mass. If you can't do it for most of the rest of your life then it's more of a fad than a way of life.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 4:27pm

irishfan9 wrote: »

Could you name a player or two you played with who you were surprised never made an academy?

How was the irish under-20 process for you?

Did players from outside Leinster feel Mike Ruddock was very biased?

Who was the best coach you worked with as a rugby player? Who helped you develop the most?

That's a tough one. I played wth Kevin O' Byrne at under 18/19/20 level and we both went into the sub academy. He didn't get an academy contract, went to Connacht, Australia, nearly gave up and will probably be involved in the Champions Cup this weekend. The ones that surprise me are between sub academy and academy really. John Quill is a good example.
I didn't have an under 20's process, never got called to camp.
I enjoyed Brian Walsh as a coach, it suited me the way he liked to play. Learned a lot from Rob Penney because he open my eyes to a rugby system and not just around the corner. Axel helped me to develop most in terms of opportunities.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 4:32pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Jonny, I was listening to Luke Fitz interviewing Heaslip on the indo podcast today and they were talking about pre season training at altitude.

It didn't come up in conversation but maintaining weight at altitude can be a challenge for athletes in a variety of disciplines.

What's a healthy way to top up food intake if the pounds start slipping off in warm weather or high altitude?

As a follow up - Ross Moloney took time out of competition last season to bulk up and I gather one of the Munster forwards had issues with digestion (disorder of some kind) and struggled to maintain weight.

Is it common that Rugby players struggle to take on enough calories and maintain weight or is this one of the more pleasant aspects of being a rugby pro.

Struggling to maintain weight is pretty much a free for all when eating. If your protein is high enough ice, around 2g/kg then getting the food in is the main concern. If you want to be a be stricter it's probably healthy fats and good quality carbs but I don't think that will matter if you're getting unwanted weight loss.

Ya some people struggle to get enough calories in. John lost a lot of weight at the start when he was adjusting to his new lifestyle, some of the weight loss might have been ok but the rest was definitely unwanted. It can be tough to have to eat that much and it sounds silly but training on a full stomach all the time isn't ideal. I'm small and I ate 4,500-5,000 calories for some of my rehab to try to put on weight. That's a lot of eating. It can be positive at times but hard work when you think of it practically.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 4:35pm

razorblunt wrote: »

Thanks for doing this.
In a similar vein to the Neil Francis question, is any attention paid to the likes of Stuart Barnes and his waffle?

How long would it take you to recover from a game?

Also, most importantly, would you rather be attacked by 17 duck sized horses or 1 horse sized duck?

I don't think players would be listening to Stuart Barnes that often. They'll mostly be playing the match or at it but if you do come across some of the commentary it can be frustrating!

Depends on the game I suppose but weights on Monday morning had some optional exercises for players that played the full 80 minutes at the weekend. If they felt ok they could crack on, if they didn't then they could hold off.

1 horse size duck. Couldn't keep an eye on 17 mini horses!

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 4:41pm

mitresize5 wrote: »

thanks for doing this, very informative

On the nutrition side of things is there any plans out there that are practical for a modern lifestyle. i.e. don't have to be weighing portions, getting % across the food group balanced in every meal, quick to assemble and cook and allows you a treat at the weekend.

ten years ago I was at my peak physically, structured training and had the time and inclination to really watch the diet and do all of the above. 10 years later, 2 kids, career progression and general life stresses mean I have about 6 minutes to myself each day :-)

So its just not practical to follow strict, what I would call unpractical, meal plans every evening.

Is there something out there that would suit me or do I just hope I'm not too fat in 15 years time when I have some time for myself again!!

p.s. one more thing, which is better for weight loss, diet or exercise.

There are definitely some nutritional habits that you incorporate without tracking calories. Not everybody works well or has the time to care about tracking calories. John Berardi is a guy that's big into portion control. I think Dr. Spencer Nadolsky speaks about meal templates.

Focus on protein, fruit and veg, high fibre foods and you won't be doing too badly. I can help if you have questions

Diet for weight loss, exercise will allow you to eat more food.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA · 10-01-2018 4:43pm

Dial Hard wrote: »

You can ask anything, doesn't mean he's obliged to answer.

Jonny, what do you think of Cistercian College's legal challenge to the IRFU's 20-month rule for schools eligibility? Do they have a point or were the IRFU right to implement it?

Also, what do you make of Damian Browne rowing across the Atlantic? Brave or crazy??? :pac:

I'm not aware of any of it, is that to do with bringing players in on scholarships?

There's a little bit of crazy in every brave person I'd say. There's crazy in triathletes, never mind rowing across the Atlantic

Bazzo · 10-01-2018 4:47pm

Seeing as you were a 10 yourself and Ireland are kind of short of experience in that position at the moment, are there any young or up and coming out halves at any of the provinces that you rate highly?

Now Ye're Talking - to a retired rugby pro

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