RBS 6 Nations 2013

[the plastic paddy]

I see your point about Martin Johnston. I think that was more ignorance than anything. The English from what I remember did line up at the end they warmed up, but I think they should have moved out of courtesy. Anyway, I can't say too much after Johnny Howard chucked the medals at them.

It seems to me that the Irish / Welsh / Scottish always use their dislike of a few individuals to justify their hatred of English rugby. I may be wrong, & I certainly don't mean to offend if you believe different, but that's how it comes across. Us Aussies certainly always brand them as arrogant to justify the rivalry.. but then look at the 3 amigos - Quade "speed bump" Cooper, James "the brand" O'Conner, and of course Kurtley the bouncer basher too.. we haven't got a leg to stand on.

Rugby is littered with thugs and always has been, some people just cannot control that aggression. Steve Finnane, Richard Loe, Colin Meads, Burger & Bakkies to name a recent few. Etzebeth looks like he's gonna be a handfull too, disrespectful little twirp. Didn't your fella Brennan go wading in the crowd not so long ago aswell?

I guess no one will ever give any England sporting team the fair go they possibly deserve? We either bag the individuals, or bag the way they play. I really enjoy the rivalry, but I think it goes a bit far sometimes.

Don't get me wrong, I have a rake of respect for Lancaster, he has turned the team around from the naughty school boys under Johnson. And I have plenty of respect for some of the players it is just I cannot abide serial offenders like Hartley and Lawes constantly putting in cheap shots and English players blatantly getting away with citings in their league because it might impinge on the England selection.

If you go on anyone of the Irish rugby fora you will struggle to find anyone defending Healy, he lost his head and was lucky to get 4 weeks but it was his first ever citing and I will be very surprised if it happens again because Irish rugby supporters simply will not wear it. The Brennan incident was terrible but had very little to do with rugby. I very rarely brand the English team arrogant, they are not but Ashton shows utter disrespect for the game and there are a lot of English rugby supporters who are with me on that.

I never support England and never will. However, the reason I don't support the Lions anymore is not because of English players it is because of the brutal attrition rate which is unsustainable within the context of Irish rugby, however it is convenient that it relieves me from the sick in the mouth feeling I would get watching a team containing the likes of Ashton etc and wanting it to do anything successfully. Maybe the dream will come to fruition and Ashton will do his stupid dive and drop the ball costing the Lions the series; now that would be fantastic!!!

 

[JSRF10]

Maybe the dream will come to fruition and Ashton will do his stupid dive and drop the ball costing the Lions the series; now that would be fantastic!!!

The only rugby Ashton will be playing this NH summer will be a game of touch in the park with his mates. He has zero chance of making this tour, for both playing reasons and well his "personal" issues with many of the perspective squad.

 

[the plastic paddy]

According to a poster on Leinster fans, who is a rumoured IRFU insider and frequently leaks team info etc which is always bang on, Kidney was never getting his contract renewed after the tournament. Also he has said that Mike Ruddock, current u-20’s boss, is as good as a shoo-in for the head job.

I think in the past couple of years we’ve seen the disadvantage of the central contracts and the tax break. Although the IRFU have hardly helped themselves in this regard, they gave DOC and ROG central contracts when neither are 1st choice players but not SOB who is integral to the way we play.

They have to keep Jackson as 10, although I’d like to see Ferg McFadden into the team in the 11 jersey to take the place kicks. Earls shouldn’t play for Ireland until he learns to look around when he breaks. That isn’t the first that has happened, it happened twice in Twickenham last year and once in Paris I think. Madigan would be on the bench for me as he has a good “impact” playing style, although I don’t really see the point in debating it cause ROG will be on the bench and come on with 15 minutes to go to “close the game out” and give us another spectacular brain fart.

My understanding is that SOB turned down a central contract but I agree on DOC; and ROG's displays over the last two seasons, a couple of drop goals aside, never warranted a central contract.

I question your judgement on Earls however, he and Marshall are the only Irish backs who seem capable of breaking the line and if you watch Earls break in Murrayfield you will see that BOD was a long way behind and wouldn't have made the line anyway, I think Earls should have put in a grubber but there is an issue with a lack of support runners and players getting isolated and it applies just as much to SOB. Earls made miles of breaks in Twickenham last year but there was never any support.

I hope Jackson starts as he did not do a whole lot wrong in Edinburgh and his kicking was not the reason we couldn't convert 80% of possession!! Madigan should be on the bench but won't be which is turning ROG and the Irish rugby team into a laughing stock at this stage!!

Obviously Kidney has run his course as a coach and I would advocate a foreign coach but I think Ruddock will be regarded by Ulster, Connacht and Munster fans as being too close to Leinster and the same old rows will go on interminably!! Schmidt would have the same accusation thrown at him as well but he would be my choice if he wants the job.

 

[the plastic paddy]

The only rugby Ashton will be playing this NH summer will be a game of touch in the park with his mates. He has zero chance of making this tour, for both playing reasons and well his "personal" issues with many of the perspective squad.

I hope you are wrong as he would weaken the Lions beyond measure and was one tourist who I thought could be relied upon to do something immoral to a koala and upset everybody and the 'brand'!?!

 

[the plastic paddy]

Did it three scrums in a row against Healy in the Ireland game but got away with it.

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Tapatalk 2

Tight head is a real issue for the Lions as 'hair bear' struggled against Healy and got mashed by Domingo. Cross was good against Ireland and could be a bolter. How many sunday games are there on the tour?

 

[JSRF10]

Obviously Kidney has run his course as a coach and I would advocate a foreign coach but I think Ruddock will be regarded by Ulster, Connacht and Munster fans as being too close to Leinster and the same old rows will go on interminably!! Schmidt would have the same accusation thrown at him as well but he would be my choice if he wants the job.

I love us to go for Ewan McKenzie or Dave Rennie but its the IRFU they'll go for the easy option of promoting the U-20 coach

 

[RoffsChoice]

To repeat the sentiment of earlier - There is a very qualified coach available soon.

 

[Craig Riddington]

The only rugby Ashton will be playing this NH summer will be a game of touch in the park with his mates. He has zero chance of making this tour, for both playing reasons and well his "personal" issues with many of the perspective squad.

I think his playing days for England might be numbered too. There are strong suggestions that Lancaster has lost patience with his attitude and inability to defend...and as he's not scoring tries, it might be time to look elsewhere (this might happen as early as the Italy game). Personally, I think it would be a good thing. Not only are there better options out there but it would make a strong statement to the squad about what is expected of them. Contrary to what some might suggest, no team benefits from having players in their ranks that you can't trust to keep their discipline.

 

[the plastic paddy]

I think his playing days for England might be numbered too. There are strong suggestions that Lancaster has lost patience with his attitude and inability to defend.and as he's not scoring tries, it might be time to look elsewhere (this might happen as early as the Italy game). Personally, I think it would be a good thing. Not only are there better options out there but it would make a strong statement to the squad about what is expected of them. Contrary to what some might suggest, no team benefits from having players in their ranks that you can't trust to keep their discipline.

His carry on at the end of the French game was plain stupid. I agree though, Johnson's authority was initially undermined by Ashton's stupid 'spit or swallow' dive. After Johnson had specifically told the prick to stop doing it and he carried on it became the relationship between a strict but unrespected teacher and a naughty teenager that spread throughout the squad. Lancaster is no fool and might well realise that making an example of Ashton might cop on Farrell who shows worrying (if English)/ encouraging (if anyone else) signs of believing the hype and wasting his talent like Delon Armitage. The sooner Ashton chucks his toys and goes back to 'turf humping' the better as far as I am concerned.

 

[the plastic paddy]

To repeat the sentiment of earlier - There is a very qualified coach available soon.

If you are referring to one of your compatriots we are not listening, we had to endure years of Tony McGahan at Munster, never ever again!!

 

[Craig Riddington]

If you are referring to one of your compatriots we are not listening, we had to endure years of Tony McGahan at Munster, never ever again!!

I don't think Roffschoice was thinking of a compatriot

 

[Bardon]

If you are referring to one of your compatriots we are not listening, we had to endure years of Tony McGahan at Munster, never ever again!!

It's the Dingo he means and due to sentiment in Aus there'll be free delivery and a side order of chips to go with it. Deans is as popular in Australia as Kidney is in Ireland right now, probably less so.

I love us to go for Ewan McKenzie or Dave Rennie but its the IRFU they'll go for the easy option of promoting the U-20 coach

I can't see us getting McKenzie, if Kidney steps down after the 6Ns, as he'll hang around in Aus at least until Deans goes. He's the favourite and in all likelihood will be the next Aus coach. Only chance we'd have would be if he was overlooked by the ARU and the IRFU hadn't appointed anyone by then.

 

[Italophile]

IRU appealed the nature of Healy's ban - three weeks spread over four weeks - and has won. He will be available for the next match against France.

 

[the plastic paddy]

IRU appealed the nature of Healy's ban - three weeks spread over four weeks - and has won. He will be available for the next match against France.

Irish lads will have to be whiter than white but given how few of them are cited anyway, the last one was in 2010 I think, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Healy is lucky but we desperately need him for France.

 

[JSRF10]

Healy shouldn't be available to us but the citing commission caused this when the second guessed Leinsters selection

 

[Italophile]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the judiciary claimed they were led to believe during the hearing that Healy wouldn't be considered for Leinster during any ban period. Be that as it may, it's time bans were in terms of matches rather than weeks.

 

[the plastic paddy]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the judiciary claimed they were led to believe during the hearing that Healy wouldn't be considered for Leinster during any ban period. Be that as it may, it's time bans were in terms of matches rather than weeks.

Its time bans were the sole concern of the IRB throughout the world and they rule on all pro rugby so we can get some consistency and not have the English ignoring foul play like Flood's spear tackle against Andy Goode because it doesn't fit with their plans for the national team. I don't think it would cost that much more to administer especially if they thought about opening a skype account!?! I don't understand why these clowns didn't just ban Healy for four weeks if they wanted him to miss two six nations matches, it was within the 'guidelines' and the job would have been done. Anyway I am not going to complain that we have got him back for France and I certainly won't be listening to holier than thou comments from english commentators given their consistently cynical exploitation of citing procedures to suit their own end.

 

[Italophile]

Agree. Completely.

 

[vinnie]

Watch these highlights of the 6 Nations 2013 round 3 YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!

 

[KevinO]

Vinnie Ireland lost to England in Round 2, does not matter what you see we will always be disappointed

and they are round 3