Rugby World Cup 2015

46.9% of the popular vote.

Hiding behind the British first past the post electoral system. How ironic.

Why is it ironic? The entire island was under British rule at the time, that was the only electoral system available to the population at the time. The blame for all subsequent events lies solely with the Brirish government of the time who ignored the results of the election. Ironic given they had just faught a war supposedly defending the democratic rights of the little nations.

An embarrassing defeat for Ireland today, regardless of the deficit of leaders, the manner in which they went about the game and then went down in the last 30 minutes will require serious questions of management and the plan.

Maaaaaahie Williams spent the last 2 years questioning Schmidt and his gameplan and has been proven right. His lack of trust of Irish players skills, rightly or wrongly, was his undoing in this tournament. The 6 Nations wins allowed him sail through unquestioned by rugby pundits on this island.

His gameplan was anti rugby, and was starkly shown up by Scotland today. A country seemingly possessing poorer talent and structures could play a more adventurous and ambitious gameplan and but for a foolish lineout call, could be lining up Argentina for a World Cup final place. Regardless of the fact that they’d most likely be mutilated by New Zealand in a final, at least they’d have showed ambition and had a cut.

I am delighted for Argentina, a nation of alright sorts, a nation of sporting achievement, a nation who constantly fight against the odds. Vamos.

4 Likes

Irrelevant. 46.9% voted for SF. That’s it. You are hiding behind the British electoral system.

It’s interesting (and of course ironic) that Republicans have hid behind this lie for decades. They point blank refused to accept the public’s wishes in 1922 and time and time again asserted that the 1916 Proclamation was unimpeachable. Over time that idea shrank but we still have bluffers doing it and shooting people over it.

You’ve hit the nail on the head there. The up the jumper stuff can only go so far. Argentina were cute enough to realise after 2011 and their entry into the Rugby Championship that they had to expand their game and develop a running game if they were to advance any further. With England at a low ebb for over a decade since the World Cup win of 2003 and France having the shambles of Lievremont followed by St Andre for the last eight years, good results in the Six Nations have somewhat masked how far off the developing trends in the game we are.

1 Like

What’s ironic is you think the results of the 1922 election should be respected but the results if the 1918 election are irrelevant. If you add the votes cast for SF, estimate the votes in the seats where SF were unopposed, and the votes cast for the IPP that’s at least 70% of the electorate who supported some form of Irish independance. The British government should have sat down with all the major leaders on the island and worked out some compromise involving the whole island. They didn’t because as they have shown before and since those days they dont give a flying fuck, as long as it was only paddies getting killed. Partition was the worst possible outcome and should never have been put to the electorate, it was a total cop out.

1 Like

Where did I say it should be discounted? I said less than a majority voted for it which is a fact. In 1922 again a majority voted against the Republic ideology. Nobody is denying that the Irish public wanting a form of self governance but the dogmatic unquestioning of 1916 and shrieks if it ever is from some quarters is nauseating.

I believe we have a back line of players with a lack of core skills. Our centres today couldn’t pass the ball. That is unacceptable but there is noone else.

Darren Cave dislikes this.

Cave does actually have a few decent skills alright, but is a shit athlete. Keith Earls for example is an atrocious rugby player, he is an excellent athlete though.

why dont european teams offload the ball?

Rory is geographically challenged

Rory has no country.

The number you are quoting fails to take into account the 25 seats where Sein Fein were unopposed. They were unopposed because in those constituencies Sein Fein had massive support. If you include those constituencies the number is well over 50%.
The 1922 election had nothing to do with republican ideology or any ideology for that matter. It was a completely bogus undemocratic election due to the pact between Collins and the moron Dev which effectively resulted in all sitting members being reelected.

A lot believing the hype on here amazingly. Schmidt knows exactly what he has to work with, fuck all. when, under any previous regime, have Ireland had the speed and skill level to play expansive rugby. Who would have changed that. Today was an sample of when quality off the cuff play meets a very necessary system which has maximised the limited ability of the Ireland squad. The system is fine when facing shambolic France or England occasionally. Really struggles with a quality free thinking team like Wales.

On Ireland, this was never a united country, were as bad as African states drawn up in Whitehall and butchering each other ever since. We united at clontarf and again in the war of independence to face foreign aggression, but we are not and never were naturally bound together, as I seen in the strength of independents and parish pump politics. Better off splinter into self regulating provinces, under a loose banner of federation to placate some possibly, but not necessary.

1 Like

Madigan 12 and Henshaw 13 seems obvious

Mick Doyle in 1985 when we gave it a lash.

Pity about the horrific speech bubble

1 Like

I think it is safe to say that Craig Joubert won’t be reffing the final. He has been thrown under the bus by World rugby. Probably didn’t help himself by sprinting off the pitch as he was blowing the final whistle.

http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12337/10035554/craig-joubert-made-mistake-with-penalty-call-world-rugby-admit

How has he been thrown under the bus? He made a wrong call and they recognised it. Seems fair. The respect for referees thing in rugby is a two way street apparently.