Leinster lost 5 out of 6 pool games the year Leo didn’t have the assistance of Stuart Lancaster.
But the cones were outstanding
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The top Spanish football teams haven second teams that they play their younger players on, in the lower leagues. Now I know you can’t throw kids into pro rubby, but there’s clearly a need for more teams in Ireland.But some lads, as seen from the abuse I’ve gotten, don’t want to upset the apple cart and want to keep the status quo. Some radical thinking is needed…an elevated club game would be great but the provinces have put paid to that.
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You could almost do with a club system.
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They could… All the IRFU has to do is filter some money to them.
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They’d give it all to Dublin.
Kieth Wood on the radio just now
‘Everyone is saying Farrel out. A it’s not football, B he’s a good football guy.’
As Nigel Owens pointed out “ this is not soccer “
It seems to be a big sticking point for the rubby lads that people don’t confuse them with football
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They seem to have forgot what drove munster to winning European cups. Bating each other in the weeks between matches. It was real parochial back then
Imagine someone agreeing with me on POM and CJ. 
Good to see someone else notice how easy it is to defend against the 2 of them
The club game in Limerick during the 90s was something else… Huge crowds, serious passion, murder on the field. The buzz around the place when a big local derby was on transformed the place.
Then Munster came along and murdered it. I despise Munster rubby and Munster rubby fans
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Curiously enough, they lost but blooded a range of young players who became the backbone of the team and drove them to a cup a couple of years later. Ringrose, VanDerFlier, Furlong etc. Maybe something in that for Ireland at the moment!
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Munster killed the clubs, once the corporate crowd came in and pushed out the real fans, they stopped going to matches and never came back. Now you have plastic fans who couldn’t tell you who’s in division 1A. Last munster game I was at was the Maori match with auld lad. Last weekend before lockdown 1 I was at YM/Garryowen on Friday UCC/Terenure sat afternoon played a junior march that evening and Thomand/Gabally on the Sunday. Its amazing that you meet the same folks between different games across limerick or cork.
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Heres a novel idea for academy players between provinces, the 40 players in the under 20s squad are drafted, lowest team in pro 14 gets first pick etc. Outside the 40 drafts provinces can give more contracts if they can afford it. The provinces can do trades etc nfl style
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Strong incentive for this if you’re playing catch up with your academy.
Leinster could trade hacksaw to connaught for 1st pick to get a hotshot hooker etc. Win win 2 birds one stone
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The Italians would be tanking from GW4
They can include the saffer teams in the draft too. Speed up their progress into the irish team
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How on earth Freddie thought the following exchange on Irish radio would benefit his brother, knowing full well he was wearing 10 against France in a Test match, we do not know.
Your dad’s father is from Cork, is that connection?
“Yep,” Freddie told Newstalk. “Well, I think it is Dublin or something, mate. It is one of them. We used to go over. We got plenty of family in Dublin. I know what you Irish are like, you are all over the place, in’t you?
“It’s quite funny, mate, I see myself very much as English obviously, I know, especially my old man, with his father being Irish, to see Bill represent the country of his dad fills him with immense pride. We are very blessed to be a family that has got that sort of title but…”
The cheeky-chappy routine somewhat covers the “I know what you Irish are like” face plant but Freddie was in his flow.
“…you see it all the time don’t you?” adds Freddie. “Look at the Scotland team at the minute, half of them are English so, it don’t really matter.”
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