The Rugby Thread

Unfortunately there are people claiming that. One of the Off the Ball lads has an article he wrote about it on his twitter. 

@johnduggansport

That is illegible tripe, if you are going to write bollocks then you should at least do a creative writing course.

The only inexplicable failure was 2007. We were a well drilled team which had developed over the previous seven years, and the tournament was an epic failure. Prior to 2003 we were not good enough at any level to compete, and 1999 was the best example of that. 2011 was just insanely disappointing after the successive wins in the group stage, and the Wales game was just not acceptable. However, that was at the end of another era, and we had not fulfilled our promise. 2015 can be attributed to major injuries and we were down 5 players before the QF, before losing more in the game against Argentina.

I think the last four years have seen a development of a stronger mentality, which was lacking before previous tournaments. Remember how the corresponding game with NZ finished in 2013? There had also been some major disappointments between 2011-2015, which we have not had this time. Also, Irish rugby is also back as a kingpin in the Club game too.

I'm not going to argue about the significance of the game or result in this post, but I really don't see, even for somebody fairly ambivalent about the rugby team like meself, how ya can knock that game too much. Players were blowing hard after only 10 minutes, but yet some of those same lads stayed on the pitch for 80. We like to think our lads are committed, but the likes of Peter O'Mahony showed there is a whole new level (a level that may require actual insanity) of commitment that can be reached. 

Whatever ya think of them, every Irish rugby fan went home happy with the knowledge that each & every team member, sub & management, had given their absolute all. Maybe it is a significant result in terms of RWC, maybe it isn't, maybe it's a significant result in itself, maybe it isn't, those are other arguments, but what's inarguable is that its a f**kin long time since we have been able to say the same regarding all the elements of managers, coaches, players and fans all being united & displaying that level of commitment to achieve results. 

And I know that they are different sports & different cultures, but even in the GAA, managers go visit other sports to see what they can take from them, and I appreciate that Schmit/IRFU have a lot more control over players as individuals and collectively than MON/Irish manager in waiting/FAI do, but surely ta fcuk some of what Joe Schmit does regarding players, planning, studying opposition etc should be a pre-requisite for any manager in any job. 

To go back to our sport, Pep, Klopp, Poch, Emery etc -they didn't get to where they are by fcuking accident, neither did Schmit, and we need to appoint somebody with that almost stupid level of zeal & attention to detail if we are to go anywhere in the medium to long term.