Digging for depth: Schmidt still mining in November
A little over three years ago, it’s likely Joe Schmidt sat in his local bar having a quiet drink as he contemplated events of…
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A little over three years ago, it’s likely Joe Schmidt sat in his local bar having a quiet drink as he contemplated events of…
How much does Joe Schmidt love the Webb Ellis Cup? Let me count the ways. Five full-backs, 11 wingers, ten midfielders, six out-halves, five…
Here's an easy one. Who was the first European rugby union to win a tour series in the Southern Hemisphere? And here's a clue,…
I'm a long time advocate of cross-union collaboration - particularly between countries with union-owned clubs and structures. As some Roarers will know from my…
“So just how strong is Northern Hemisphere rugby – when the likes of Ireland, Scotland and even Britain are basically strip mining the Southern…
Towards the end of the season in May 2016, the new PR012 CEO Martin Anayi gave several media interviews on his proposals for where…
Joe Schmidt has announced his 32-man Ireland squad to tour South Africa in a three-Test series this June. Connacht and South Africa seem to…
Last weekend saw the completion of Round 3 in the Six Nations Championship with Italy, Wales and Ireland emerging the victors. The Scotland-Italy match…
This weekend the Guinness-swilling underdogs from the Emerald Isle go up against the top-ranking, SANZAR-dominating, twice-Rugby World Cup winning Wallabies. Oh wait, hang on,…
It's not often you get a chance to make a statement that might have someone checking their specs, rubbing their eyes, and re-reading something…
Word is filtering through in media that Kane Douglas, the 24-year-old Wallaby lock, is heading to Dublin next season to don the famous Leinster…
This coming weekend sees the proper start to the month-long fest of rugby internationals - mainly between Northern and Southern Hemisphere foes. The IRB…
Next weekend the destination of the Six Nations Championship could be decided. With Ireland and England emerging as the victors from the weekend, the…
It's the end of August, end of the summer, the rain has stopped, it's getting darker, and that means it's rugby time again. In…
Australian sports pundit Russell Barwick had the blogosphere and airwaves humming as he denounced the Ireland Olympic team for not being part of the…
New Zealand has named their squad with a number of new caps, similar to Ireland. The presence of Richie McCaw and Dan Carter in…
It's understood that Eddie O'Sullivan, former Ireland and US Eagles coach, has held talks with the Western Force to join the coaching team. Other…
This weekend an ancient battle between two tribes that first started warring over two thousand years ago resumes. This time on foreign soil for…
As the Super Rugby competition trundles towards its mid-term break at the end of May, the northern hemisphere season reaches its climax over the…
Tony McGahan, the head coach at Irish provincial team Munster, will leave the club at end of season to become the defensive coach for…
The most hotly-anticipated game of the weekend to see if Ireland can cope with playing in early afternoon 37 degree French sunshine. They won’t.
Sexton back from ban as Ireland name team for Rugby World Cup opener
I’m still of a view that the result of the France v NZ match will influence how Pool C coaches will approach games. SA and Scotland are first up and both have to go for it in getting a win on the board.
I suspect Farrell’s preference for a QF would be New Zealand rather than a slog-fest up front against France. He has two matches to tune his squad against Romania, then ramp it up against Tonga (who know how to hit) before selecting his 23 vs SA, with two weeks rest before fronting against Scotland. All the while keeping an eye on how France and NZ are faring.
Packs Power Rankings: Boks' 'bomb squad' edges France, injured Wallaby who Eddie can't replace
Ooh – does that make me a social influencer?
Packs Power Rankings: Boks' 'bomb squad' edges France, injured Wallaby who Eddie can't replace
Indeed – although the fact that Porter and Bealham have, and can, play both sides of the scrum is useful.
Packs Power Rankings: Boks' 'bomb squad' edges France, injured Wallaby who Eddie can't replace
Looks like Sheehan and Kelleher have both recovered from their injuries sufficiently as Farrell has chosen them along with Rob Herring as his 3 RWC hookers. Cian Healy, on the other hand, got injured, and has been left out with Munster’s 3-cap Jeremy Loughman coming in his stead. In my view, it is Tadgh Furlong who needs to step up if the Irish pack is to survive the pool and possible QF stages. His injuries and lack of form have not helped the pack, despite the perceived shortcomings of Porter on the other side.
But, lacking the expert understanding of the scrum, I’m in no position to quibble with the rankings in this article. Let’s just see how they go.
Packs Power Rankings: Boks' 'bomb squad' edges France, injured Wallaby who Eddie can't replace
It’s on Leinster’s website. Easy to check.
Springboks coach reveals post World Cup exit plan
Nienaber is moving to Leinster as Senior Coach with specific responsibility for defence. Leo Cullen has recently re-signed for a further 2 years as Head Coach (normally only does 1 year), and could possibly take over from David Nucifora as IRFU Performance Director after that. Leinster coaching group is very egalitarian and looks to have a cross-skills, blended thinking approach to its overall coaching strategy. Leo is the boss and makes the calls for game days in making squad selections, promotion of players, dealing with management side of things that CEO doesn’t cover, or the team manager, Guy Easterby who manages the finances/contracts. But he’s also a good delegator and wants to see his coaching group grow and develop. he headed home after Lions game in SA and appointed Sean O’Brien to lead the coaching duties for the Bulls match next weekend.
It’ll be a different experience for Nienaber who no doubt was persuaded in part that Cullen ignored all the CVs that dropped in his door after Stuart said he was moving to Racing 92, and contacted Nienaber proactively.
Springboks coach reveals post World Cup exit plan
Limping Ireland team just announced by IRFU Medicins Sans Frontières doctors:
Bruised Back 3: Hobbler Keenan, Limping Lowe and Hurtin Hansen
Maimed Midfielders: One-leg Robbie and Bobbly Aki
Hampered Half-backs: Goner Gibson-Park and Shaky Sexton
Fragile Front Row: Pendulous Porter, Smashed Sheehan and Faker Furlong
Limping Locks: Risky Ryan and Banjaxed Baird
Bollixed Backrowers: Otiose O’Mahony, Ham der Flier, Dodgy Doris.
Replacers: Hangnail Herring, Harmless Healy, Wounded O’Toole, Tarnished Treadwell, Mangled Murray, Wobbly Byrne, Ouch O’Brien.
Can Ireland limp over the line against hurting England, will France wallop Wales, and three wins for Scotland? 6N burning questions
Ah – I see – I missed that main point.
An old writing editor of mine would ask me when trying to disentangle some tortuous prose I’d presented to her, dandruffed with commas and sub-clauses, tell me what does that mean – in one sentence. And when I did she would simply reply – so why didn’t you say that then? I gritted my teeth every time. 😉
Can Ireland limp over the line against hurting England, will France wallop Wales, and three wins for Scotland? 6N burning questions
There is a tendency round these parts, Henry, for any success to be viewed through SH sunglasses, cos it’s all due to them, and possibly other outside influences.
Hence, namecheck all the Aussies and Kiwis who got them there, and include all the English coaching staff.
Know your audience.
For mine, I think the Fijians Henshaw, Ringrose, Doris and Conan have played a part, along with the Aussies, Saffers and Tongans in the front row, but that’s just a personal opinion….
Can Ireland limp over the line against hurting England, will France wallop Wales, and three wins for Scotland? 6N burning questions
Agreed Neil about current depth. With Scotland and SA in the pool stages, and then likely to face France or New Zealand if they qualify, I still don’t see them getting to a SF.
Bitter experience speaking probably. 🙂
Can Ireland limp over the line against hurting England, will France wallop Wales, and three wins for Scotland? 6N burning questions
Good to the Ireland U20s who also play England this weekend going for their own Grand Slam.
This was a bit of a puzzler in the above:
“…players like Garry Ringrose, Tadgh Furlong, Sexton, Gibson-Park, Doris, Sheehan, and maybe more vitally, Ryan (who has a history of concussion) dropping in four rounds shows it is likely their most important quarterfinal in history will be contested by a few understudies.”
Furlong, Gibson-Park, Henshaw, and Healy were out injured before the Six Nations – most got their first playing minutes last weekend. Sheehan went off last weekend and currently looks like he’ll be available. Sexton was rested for Italy mainly to give Byrne game time along with Crowley. Doris has played every minute until his exit last weekend, but is also likely to return against England. James Ryan has played 80 minutes in all four matches to date.
Ringrose is definitely out, as are Kelleher, Bealham, Henderson and Beirne.
So following your analogy to RWC, Ireland would be going into a QF missing those five. In their place, they’d likely have Henshaw, Herring, O’Toole, Baird and Treadwell – not exactly shabby understudies, except possibly the locks – and there’s an argument that Baird has already gone up a level.
If anything, this 6N Championship has shown that Ireland have learned to cope well with injuries – starting from game one, and finishing arguably with a 23 in better shape for their final match – with one exception at lock where they’ve been tested on depth with three top locks now out injured. Admittedly, Farrell won’t have as big a squad for the RWC, but most positions have held up well:
Likely starting 15 squad against England:
Porter, Sheehan, Furlong – with Kelleher & Bealham inj. and Herring, O’Toole, Healy, Kilcoyne, Stewart, Milne available
J Ryan, R Baird, – with Beirne, Henderson & McCarthy inj. and Treadwell, Molony available 😱
O’Mahony, vd Flier, Doris – with Conan, Coombes, Prendergast, Timoney available
Gibson-Park, Sexton – with Murray, R Byrne, Casey, Carbery, Crowley, Blade available
Aki, Henshaw – with Ringrose inj. and McCloskey, Frawley, Osborne available
Lowe, Hansen, Keenan – with O’Brien, Larmour, Earls, Stockdale available.
Can Ireland limp over the line against hurting England, will France wallop Wales, and three wins for Scotland? 6N burning questions
Ooh – I can hear the air hissing out of Two Cents’ tyres from here!
ANALYSIS: Why the Six Nations is no longer a boring kick-fest, and what we learned from the epic in Ireland
The set up in the TV production box has a bank of screens with a camera angle on each from which the box director selects the shots to use for transmission.
Separately, the TMO has a set of monitors with all the same camera angles, which he/she can separately control, review and scrutinise without affecting what is being broadcast. When the ref/TMO calls for review to go up on screen, the TMO selects the feed to be shown on the big screens in stadium, and for broadcast at the same time.
A TV crew from France Television was also at the match recording visuals at side of pitch and sending to FT’s control room in Paris for use in their programme. These visuals were not available to the TMO or the TV broadcast director in Dublin.
The Wrap: Ireland's emphatic statement, young guns look Super ready, Albo's 'cringe' moment
They learned the tactic from watching southern hemisphere teams apparently…..
Six Nations Wrap: Scotland embarrass Wales with record win, wounded Ireland end France winning streak in classic
If Ireland and France win their respective pools, then the first time they could meet would be in the final.
Six Nations Wrap: Scotland embarrass Wales with record win, wounded Ireland end France winning streak in classic
He knew what? His reaction shows he wasn’t sure if he’d made it – understandable given the various lines and angles involved.
Six Nations Wrap: Scotland embarrass Wales with record win, wounded Ireland end France winning streak in classic
“Theres not many in that Irish team i would put in a world xv but they are the epitome of a team.”
Who would you leave out of a World XV? 🙂
Six Nations Wrap: Scotland embarrass Wales with record win, wounded Ireland end France winning streak in classic
And Tadgh Beirne as well. 🙂
Six Nations Wrap: Scotland embarrass Wales with record win, wounded Ireland end France winning streak in classic
Good article. I have commented a number of times over the years on the presence and impact of Nucifora and why RA should seek him out. His player Succession Strategy and the development of IQ Rugby have reaped plenty for Irish rugby since 2011.
IQ the next step in the development of Irish rugby, but is it smart?
EXCLUSIVE: 'I had my go' - The ex-Wallaby who drove Ireland to No.1 and why he's rejected an SOS from RA
7 million pop for the island of Ireland that includes all of the four provinces.
EXCLUSIVE: 'I had my go' - The ex-Wallaby who drove Ireland to No.1 and why he's rejected an SOS from RA
You keep backing your teams even if they do slip down the rankings. Keep investing and help make them better.
Case in point, in 2003, there were plenty of calls for Connacht Rugby to be disbanded, and the IRFU was persuaded to give them the chop. Cue local outcry from fans, coaches, pundits, players, etc and a march on HQ. They backed off and gave them development team status, then put them on same funding level as the other 3 in early 2010s.
2016, Connacht win the PRO 12 Championship with Pat Lam. they still need support as the smallest – financially and playing resources – but a look at the players domestic/foreign they’ve brought through, identified and helped play/compete at test level since then – Dillane, Bealham, Aki, Henshaw, Hansen, Marmion, Heffernan, Blade, Carty, Roux, Prendergast, McGinty – is not too shabby.
EXCLUSIVE: 'I had my go' - The ex-Wallaby who drove Ireland to No.1 and why he's rejected an SOS from RA
Doh – my mistake
Tadhg Stáid (thighg stoyed)
Tadhg O Broin (thighg o brin)
Ionatán Seasnáin (Yuh-na-thawn Shass-noyn) Jonathan Sexton
WALLABIES TEAM: Rennie makes ten changes, including a surprise at 15, leaves kryptonite on the bench
Ireland team named
15 Aodh Ó Cianáin
14 Maic Ó hAmhsaigh
13 Fhearaigh Fáinne an rós
12 Stíobhard Mac Bhloscaidh
11 Séamus Ó Briain
10 Ionatán Seasnáin
9 MacSéamus Gibealain Pairc
1 Aindréas de Póirtéir
2 Daniél Síocháin
3 Tadhg Furlong
4 Tadhg Ó Broin
5 Séamus Riáin
6 Peadar Ó Mathúna
7 Iósua den Eitilt
8 Caolán Dúrasa
Reps: Roibeard Scadán, Cian Ó hÉilidhe, Fionnlagh Bealham, Seosamh McCarthaigh, Seán Conán, Creag Cathasaigh, Seán O Cruadhlaoich, Bundee Aki.
WALLABIES TEAM: Rennie makes ten changes, including a surprise at 15, leaves kryptonite on the bench
Namibia??
Come on editors, you can do better.
'Exhibition stuff': Romania stun Ireland with quick fire try - then concede 82 as Sexton returns