There is about 7 lads hopping up and down in a rage here now. Its gas
But weâve heard all this before about Ireland in 2007 and in 2014 and 2015. We heard it in 2009 after Ireland finally won the Grand Slam and then beat South Africa at Croke Park in November. Ireland were supposedly in the top three in the world all these times and were going to do the devil and all in the following World Cups. It never happened.
The Six Nations is an annual tournament in which pretty much always, for whatever reason, ie. injuries, form or disorganisation etc, at least two of the big four teams are well below their best and teams often arenât that bothered about losing matches. The nature of the tournament is that championship wins are spread around the different teams.
Gatty, quite obviously, wasnât that bothered about Wales losing to England and Ireland this year, he knew Wales were below strength and was looking at performances and developing new players with a view to the World Cup.
Eddie Jones will probably be a bit more worried than Gatty after Englandâs defeats in Edinburgh and Paris, but he won a Grand Slam two years ago and winning another one isnât that big a deal for England. He was brought in specifically to get England challenging for the World Cup and thatâs what heâll be judged on.
This year, England and Wales were badly affected by a hangover from the British Loins tour in a way that Ireland werenât. France have showed some improvement this year but theyâre only gradually awakening from their longest slumber in living memory.
As has been pointed out ad nauseum, the IRFU do a better job than the English, French or Welsh in managing their players throughout the season which means Ireland have managed to remain pretty consistent year on year. But I think this misleads a lot of Irish rugby supporters.
The World Cup is a totally different ball game. There is a long lead in time from the end of the previous season in May and other teams for once have an opportunity to really rest their players and get them right, so the advantage Ireland generally have during a normal season goes out the window.
On what basis are Ireland 5/1 to win the World Cup and Wales 20/1? Those are laughable odds which donât reflect reality at all.
Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Wales and France all generally up their game significantly when the World Cup comes around.
But Ireland have never raised their game significantly at a World Cup, in fact theyâve generally underperformed, sometimes disastrously. Thatâs not a coincidence, itâs an established pattern, tournament after tournament.
At the next World Cup, itâll likely be Ireland v South Africa in the quarter-final. South Africa have just appointed Rassie Erasmus, who is an excellent coach, so they are only going to improve significantly over the next 18 months. Even under South Africaâs previous lame duck coach Allister Coetzee, they still managed to beat Ireland in a three match test series in 2016.
Would anybody put much money on Ireland beating a rejuvenated South Africa in a World Cup quarter-final? Nah, neither would I.
What Irish players would make a world XV? How many even made the British Loins XV?
Beyond Sexton, Murray and maybe OâMahony and Furlong, who is true world class?
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You, Kevin, who else?
Stockdale?
The facts are the facts
Nobody is saying anything about how irish anyone is.
I am pointing out more hypocrisy of the soccer only pick and choose irishmen
Agreed, but sa are very poor compared to historical norms, Ireland wonât fear them at all, so wonât go in beaten, and Ireland have the makings of a very good backline. I was basing my prediction more on sa being in turmoil than anything else.
Yes you are. You called lads playing the Irish soccer team âforeignersâ i.e. not Irish
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South Africa wonât be in turmoil come the World Cup. Given their familiarity with Rassie Erasmus, Irish supporters should know this better than anybody. Even under their previous lame duck coach, they almost beat New Zealand in October in one of the most brutal and punishing test matches Iâve ever seen. They pushed New Zealand closer than anybody at the last World Cup. Iâm puzzled as to why anybody would assume Ireland would beat them. The lessons of history keep being deliberately ignored.
Itâs a full island team
A team that embraces all traditions
Within the soccer geographical boarders they are.
Thatâs a fact
There is that. I missed the nz sa match unfortunately.
Why isnât mclean oirish but Stockdale is?
Name a player from a working class area of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford, Belfast or Derry who has played for Ireland or even for a provincial team.
Actually, give me a list of Dubliners who were capped by Ireland who went to non-fee paying schools. Iâll give you a head start - De La Salle Churchtown had a few. After that, youâll be struggling.
Name me a player from the CNR community in the six counties who has played for Ireland.
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Because the FAI and IFA are idiots and are entrenched in bigotry than other organisations
You will be sectioned before you are 50
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Point me to a âcatholicâ school that even plays rugby, or even has a soccer team for that matterâŚ
Iâll be quite wealthy and a multiple winner as a coach in various spheres by 50
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Press and CBC.
Rock well
Just a few
As far as I know those schools are in Munster, not in the six counties*, you dope.
*The âsix countiesâ is not a reference to Munster.
Sidney is raging today. Itâs hilarious viewing.
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