That’s true and was pointed out to me already but I still think it is having an affect on this Ireland team.
The paltry dominant tackle count haunted the Irish all campaign long.
Rory is big enough to take that and understand that he is to fucking old and no fucking good. Yet this is the captain who is steering the lost boys. I suppose the real elephant in the room here is we are a quasi Irish team, half the lads can’t identify been Irish and the other half, well aren’t. Ireland were last year what utd were since ole took over. Got results took down a giant or two, but are disjointed to fuck and going nowhere quick.
He’s officer class. Outstanding in the Grand Slam winning campaign in 2018. A huge loss so far in 2019.
3 Likes
The same Dan Leavy not selected in the match day 23 for the 1st test in Brisbane last summer? The 24 year old who only featured for 70 minutes in total in the summer and autumn internationals? If you want your reputation to grow in Irish rugby just pick up an injury, the recent defeat to England was blamed on the massive loss of Rob Kearney - unfortunately for Rob he returned for the remainder of the championship and his influence was viewed in a more realistic light.
In truth the one major injury loss Ireland have suffered is Jared Payne, Schmidt was building his team around him as he had that inate New Zealander understanding of the game. He wasn’t missed when things were going well but would be a huge player in these tricky moments.
Wasn’t he another second rate southern hemisphere journeyman that would have never even made a squad in his native country that Schmidt decided to promote to the Ireland team ahead of native players for no apparent reason?
2 Likes
Of the 8 centres to start for the Home Nations last weekend, 5 were from the southern hemisphere. Though not good enough to play for the country of their birth, these lads are the brains of the operation for northern hemisphere teams. Payne is a massive loss.
1 Like
Dan Leavy was selected to start against New Zealand put had to pull out injured the day before. You’re advocating the selection of injured players now. is it?
Certainly not Geoff, I’m just pointing out the flaw in the argument being proffered here that the absence of Dan Leavy being the reason for the pitiful recent performances is greatly flawed. He had close to zero impact in both the very successful summer and autumn series due to a combination of injury and non-selection, I think his impact on the gameplan is being massively overstated.
The view was proffered that a fit Dan Leavy would significantly improve what is now a pedestrian and one dimensional back row. Just like he did, when he excelled in the Grand Slam winning campaign last year. Your diagnosis of the problem in the Ireland team at the moment, the absence of Jared Payne is massively overstated. Jared Payne won the second last of his 20 caps all the way back in 2016. During the run of 18 wins from 19 test matches over the 20 month period from March 2017 to November 2018, Jared Payne featured in just one, the very first of those 19 tests against England in March 2017, which was last cap before retirement.
Ah lads … Ireland could have who ever the fuck they want in management or on the field … it still wont matter - they wont do anything at a world cup ffs 
Give over ye the lot of yee. – Be happy with the November friendlies and the 4 nations success, it’s a decent enough return.
The audit trail doesn’t lie Geoff, the first mention of Leavy was that he was vital to Irelands successful kicking game and so his absence this spring was a major factor in the non-performance. This fails to recognise that Leavy had almost no input in summer or autumn, when the very same kicking game was hugely successful. It looks to me like any excuse at all is being cobbled together to justify the poor recent performances.
I could see why a simple minded lad may think I was contradicting myself when highlighting the absence of Payne, but his absence was always going to be most keenly felt when Ireland needed on field leadership and intelligence to chase a lead, something they have rarely had to do in them 18 games.
1 Like
He had a mental breakdown
And here is the audit trail. The first mention I made of Dan Leavy in the aftermath of the match on Saturday. The outstanding form that Dan Leavy displayed during the Grand Slam winning campaign of 2018 would be a big improvement on the pedestrian back row play we’ve seen from Ireland this year.
Very odd views you are expressing on Jared Payne, a player who amassed 19 of his 20 caps in a two year window from his first cap against South Africa in November 2014 to November 2016. Presumably you’re going to provide details to substantiate your point as to all these matches in that two year window where Jared Payne’s on field leadership and intelligence helped Ireland to chase down a lead.
Are you honestly inferring that hurling supporters don’t wank off as loud as possible in as big the superlatives they can find about their sport to anyone who’ll listen and many many more who don’t want to listen. 
Even other GAA fans get sick of the hurling self-love after a while you deluded loon.
1 Like
Goodness me Geoff, have you gone scouring the Internet to find reference to Leavy that predates Applecrumbleds statement yesterday that Leavys absence was a massive loss to Irelands kicking game?!
Schmidt recently commented, when lamenting the absence of Payne, that he was someone who made others on the team feel comfortable because he understood the game. There is a very good reason why the top 3 teams in this years 6nations were coached by antipodeans and why 5 of the 8 centres to start for the Home Nations last Saturday were antipodeans. They understand the game and can think on their feet, it’s why the IRFU are throwing money about at an alarming rate to lure these lads over to wear the green jersey. I can’t believe I’m having to clarify why a B&I Lion who was a key figure in some of Irelands greatest results, including Irelands first win over his native country, is a bigger loss than a lad with 6 starts who was unable to make the match day 23 for the first test last summer.
Is SA win the wc Cj will be sick
Why?
Garry Ringrose is a superior player to what Jared Payne ever was at 13. Very odd that you view the departure of Jared Payne (to all intents and purposes two and a half years) ago as the root cause of the sudden dip in Ireland’s form even though Ireland won 17 of the next 18 tests after Payne’s departure and beat every one of the top ten seeded sides during that run. Why not go back another two and a half years pre Jard Payne and say we could do at the moment with the fellow that wore the Number 13 for 15 years before Payne and won 133 caps and scored 46 tries. Its about as relevant as Jared Payne at the moment.