On the PED topic. Comparing rugby to cycling is nuts. In cycling there was a situation where there was wholesale doping culture sanctioned and encouraged at management level and there was enen full time staff dedicated to doping the athletes, across virtually all teams in the past. I’m sure larry isn’t trying to say this happens at pro level in rugby. Of course you will have occasional dopers but would suggest it’s built into contracts and insurance plicies in a great number of cases which is a big inhibitor. Look at all the Irish team, none of them are anything exceptional physically. Anyone could be as big and fit as they are with two training sessions a day, they play max 25 odd games a season. Big difference to being expected to go to the limit 21 days in a row on Le tour
anyways on phone so too hard to go into much more on this but I’d be fairly certain there isn’t widespread doping going on in Irish rugby
I don’t mean that we can pick whoever in either centre position, I mean we can use either as a strike runner. When we’re lining up in attack BOD can stand at 12 or 13 - it wouldn’t matter int he slightest to him really. He’s fine at doing the outside break, though obviously more limited now, but he has the distribution (and the required distraction) to be a pivot, a crasher or a decoy at 12.
I’d be looking at McFadden at 12 first. My comments originally were that it’s a pity we didn’t have Bowe back sooner because that’s a Plan B we could have looked at. It does also allow Trimble to play on the right wing where he has been slightly more effective, but that’s secondary.
I see ITV have signed up Alan Quinlan and Craig Doyle for their world cup team. Matches are going to be split between ITV been 1 and ITV4 with Irish matches on ITV1. I was hoping UTV might do their own thing for Irish games like the way BBC NI used to do but this doesn’t look like it is going to happen. They haven’t got Barnes and Harrison on loan this time and as talksport have radio rights it would had they got Iain Robertson but no joy there either. Rest of their lineup is made up largely of guys who do lot of punditry already and uninspiring characters. Commentators: Nick Mullins, Simon Ward, Martin Gillingham, Bob Symonds Co-Commentators: Alan Quinlan, Scott Hastings, Phil Vickery, Andy Gomarsall Pundits: Sean Fitzpatrick, Michael Lynagh, Francois Pienaar, Lawrence Dallaglio, Gareth Thomas, Thom Evans. Presenters: Steve Rider, Martin Bayfield, Craig Doyle
Wonder who Setanta have. Their coverage last time was excellent. World Cup is seven weeks long so might be worth getting.
Fairly shit line up alright from ITV. At least their won’t be the one eyed English commentary from BBC. They even had Keith Wood brain washed the way they used to carry on.
No, he is a cunt of the highest order. I let loads of posts about Anthony Foley and Marcus Horan go without comenting due to the fact that both of them are alright sorts without any of the shithawkery and smugness that Keith carrys on with
It will be interesting to see what team he picks for the USA, presume the majority of those named will also play against Oz. Healy is out injured so Court will surely start. Presume the other debatable calls are who partners O’Connell in the second row, who joins O’Brien and Heaslip in the backrow, half back pairing is still up in the air while I wouldn’t be surprised to see Wallace or McFadden starting at 12 this weekend
Nearly full strenght with a few notable exceptions. Flannery needs to start can’t understand the obsession with Best. The rest of the pack looks good. SOB must still be injured not even on the bench, he would definitley have started at 6 if fit. Happy Jennings is on, he is the type of player we need to beat Australia, I hope he delivers. Murphy is the right call as well, different player to Kearney and another that should thrive agaonst Australia. Trimble can fell unlucky, but he is very similar to Bowe in his style of play, which probably went agaonst him. Bowe is undropable and Earls offers that touch of class, bit of brilliance, call it what you want that Trimble doesn’t have. I’d have gone with O’Gara at 10, but it is very close and i have no problem with it.
I think ROG’s chances took an awful hit when Wallace picked up that injury.
Nobody protects the outhalf channel better.
Wallace is not there to mind ROG, so defensively you almost have to play Sexton.
Can one of our Ulster brethren comment on how much time Trimble has played at centre these past few months?
He should probably be starting on current form, but Earls and Bowe looking rusty dictated their selection.
Still don’t think he’s out of the picture to start against Australia, but can’t see him being chosen as the backline replacement on the bench.
Anto the Leinster fellas will attack everything you said there any minute.
I’m looking forward to Murray-Sexton myself, if those 2 get a good understanding the good times will role.
Its a pity we can’t get Trimble, Bowe, Kearney, Earls all on the team, fit and in form at the same time, and D’Arcy off it. BOD doesn’t need mention really. We’d actually be more powerful than Oz at the back if that came to pass, but they would be more elusive with better strike runners.
Friendlies won’t matter a fuck if we go out and trouce these cunts and the Aussies show any dip at all. Can’t see both happeneing though.
This Haka shite is really getting on my wick now. Bunch of grown men grabbing their nuts and sticking out there tongues before a match. How can people take this crap seriously. Oh I wonder how [insert team] will respond to the Haka. Or New Zealand have unearthed a new and even more fearsome Haka.
Every time you turn on SSN now you have some other team being greeted at some rural airport by a bunch of schoolchildren doing the Haka.
