European Cup Rugby

Sport
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Official Top 14 salary cap is €11.3m but is supposed to drop to €10m from next year I believe.

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A dark day for Oirish rugby . What started as a carnival atmosphere descended into chaos - referee being abused and scuffles in the tunnel.sad to see.

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And a lad being carted off the field unconscious

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The Oirish love a tunnel row it’s the GAA coming out through them

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And the fella sent off had half his ear hanging off .

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Might be no harm taking the pan off the hob for a bit ahead of the World Cup.

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Ross Byrne just isn’t much good is he? He’s a sort of 6.5 out of 10 player.

I wouldn’t be shocked if sexton is done too tbh. Not playing for six months at his age could be fatal.

Paddy Jackson is probably the best Irish ten at the moment.

Big game for Crowley next weekend.

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Him not taking that kick and going for a drop goal might have been a bottle but more likely tactical.

I think he’s a 7/10 player, very serviceable but very much a squad guy.

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I’m not sure what happened there but it seemed an odd move.

You’d like to see your goal kicker want to take on that shot.

When they went down the line you’d have assumed they’d try go for a drop goal immediately but they didn’t.

Like he’s fine player but just not top class. Hard to win a World Cup with him at ten imo.

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What made it even odder call was the fact they had JDVF throwing into the lineout so the lineout wasn’t the high percentage play it normally is either

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Could they win a quarter final though maybe?

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Ya that’s a good point also.

I guess James Ryan, Sheehan and henshaw were all off the field and they’d have been involved in the decisions.

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If James Ryan stays on the field Leinster probably win.

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If me bollix

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Leopold Cullen has gotten one of softest rides I’ve ever seen in Irish sporting media. He had his hand held for the last 7 years by Lancaster.

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Lancaster has an awful track record of losing tbf.

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“Stuey Tuesdays” nearly made Leinster a top team

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That defeat will hurt for a long time. Ross moloney isn’t anywhere near the level required. I’d have Jenkins or Joe McCarthy ahead of him.

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You would but if he didn’t think he could nail it then I think as a leader it is a good decision to not go for it.

I think it was more tactical though. The team clearly switched the “on” button and started to play. Risky throw to the back when JVF throwing, JGP throwing it wide, Ross taking it up…really the stuff we should have tried on the 50th minute but we were playing within ourselves.

I’ve never thought Ross was the long term answer. That said I’m not sure yesterday is the day to say he is not for a lack of bottle. It’s the top few % in ability terms that he lacks.

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Byrne is a solid European pool stage/URC player but the fact that his brother is a sicknote and they’re already probably going to have to rush Prendergast into regular gametime is a damning indictment on how they’ve setup for life post-Sexton.