The Dew Drop Inn Virtual Rugby Pub

First topic message reminder :

Welcome to the virtual rugby pub - a place where you can come in for a sly beverage and discuss whatever's on your mind, or just eavesdrop on the regulars if you fancy a break from all the rugby chat.

The only rule in this pub is one of mutual respect for everyone in it, oh and no defacing the Lionel Nallet photo on the bar. That's a banning offence

So pull up a chair....what'll it be?

Tindall is having a blinder.

McFadden on!!!

Great defence by England.

nottins wrote:Tindall is having a blinder.

He stole me burd - Zoe! Like that man. So laid back you'd think he's stoned.

I am one very concerned Ireland fan.

Ireland are playing as though THEY are 11 poits in front. Stupid.

Ireland regs. Well done England.

I'll be on Wally Watch now...

Get in. Played boys

Thank you. Won and lost on -7pts against 14 men for ten minutes,

Willy - your problems seem to be mainly at centre, and depending on injuries now, your back row. Centre has been your problem for a while not, and not sure what can be done to fix it at this stage.

Maybe try McFadden and BOD? I just don't rate Earls or D'Arcy there right now.

Yes, don't have Earls at 13 again!

Well played Ireland. Great for England to finally win in Ireland.

Dreamer as far centre goes Wallace is the answer. We Ulster regs have said this for ages.

Wallace is the answer.

Paddy. Paddy. Paddy. Power.

So. Was I right about Kidney, Irish fans? I think so. No Henry. No MJ. No Robble Deans. Even Warren Gatland tops him.
Ah well. Lets hope we beat Italy and the Status remains the Quo. No invention. No change from Eddie.

QF (if we are lucky) and out.

Well done England. Not a great team. Physical, without any invention. But, it doesnt take much to beat us these days. In fairness.

Man we missed BOD. When he goes - WE do too.

Gibson wrote:So. Was I right about Kidney, Irish fans? I think so. No Henry. No MJ. No Robble Deans. Even Warren Gatland tops him.
Ah well. Lets hope we beat Italy and the Quo remains the Status. No invention. No change from Eddie.

QF (if we are lucky) and out.

Well done England. Not a great team. Physical, without any invention. But, it doesnt take much to beat us these days. In fairness.

Man we missed BOD. When he goes - WE do.

It's not about 2011 Gibbo. For me it's 2015. But that laying of the Dubs is welcome.

Wally Watch update: rumour has it he has damaged a cruciate ligament

Gibbo - you should make the QF

Willy - I dunno about Wallace, I know I don't watch much Irish rugby, but personally I've never been impressed with him. I'm not a Paddy Wallace hater, just never seen anything special from him.

Weird game that, not sure if I enjoyed it. Gutted for Wally. Well played England though, deserving of the win there for sure

FT Exeter Chiefs 16 - 13 Scarlets, As will be happy with that. Sounded a very close game from all the updates.

Good for the

Irish fans quiet. Disillusion or Enlightenment? Looks like Jenno may go to play vs Oz and Pocock. Kidney (or the provincial pedants on here) do not rate him. But now, he has no choice. Or does he? Silver, cloud, lining, make a sentence. We had no hope anyway. But it puts it up to the Corkman.Leamy not the answer. 1F not the answer. Unless he drafts Dom Ryan in. That would be inspirational.

Jebus Gibbo, if they sent Jenno along....you'd be unbearable for the tournament!!

Gibson your talking some sense but some absolute horseshit too

Ah Cari, Im not happy. Its my country. I do use the Jenno equation as a laff sometmes. Ask Stag.He knows. Really concerned about the most important player in our squad though. Kidney. Cue every Munster Bhoy having a scream at the Truth. They do that like he's their fav Uncle. He's not good enough to take this team to the next level. But its ok, I understand and smile.

red_stag wrote:Gibson your talking some sense but some absolute horseshit too

Trevor. Are you clever enough to dispute this? Go ahead. Do your wurst. Love you.

Four games to go for DK to prevent the IRFU looking more foolish than the RFU.

How long did the extend his contract for?

If DK repeats EOS's delivery...

Why is Kidney the problem Gibbo? The game plan is clear but for some reason the boys cant put it into action.

For me, D'Arcy out and Wallace to partner BOD, Murphey at FB, Trimble and Bowe wingers with Sexton and Reddan at 10 and 9.

Billy, at this stage - he's had over 3 years and massive financial backing to do so, to change it. He's failed. We'll give him the RWC to save himself, then lets speak again. Big mistake to extend his contract, imo.

Me? I agree with Portnoy. :TigerAle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKn6h2x5IcY

But who would do better Gibbo? Would EOS have seen Ireland playing better?
As much as i hate to say it but Ireland dont have a squad to win the RWC so Declan is always going to fail.

eirebilly wrote:Why is Kidney the problem Gibbo?

Like I said on the match thread. Leinster tore everyone to shreds in the HEC. Munster ran away with the Magners. Ulster had their best season in a decade. The players at Kidneys disposal are not the problem. They are very good players. We know this. So what's the problem?

Tell you what Gibbo. We'll let Shane start against OZ of you let Paddy in at 12?

Two big worries from the game.

We are overly reliant on David Wallace's ball carrying.

And why not attack the breakdown the same way we did in the Six Nations. That's where our best rugby comes from.

Feckless Rogue wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Why is Kidney the problem Gibbo?

Like I said on the match thread. Leinster tore everyone to shreds in the HEC. Munster ran away with the Magners. Ulster had their best season in a decade. The players at Kidneys disposal are not the problem. They are very good players. We know this. So what's the problem?

Both the coaching and the players.

At International level, coaches are often overrated. All they have to do is cream off the best players available. And if the squad is good, then they are on the front foot. I often wonder if France would be inside the top three ranked country if it was not for Lievremont. MJ has been lucky to at the last minute to be provided with a new group of able players.

It's at club level that the coaches have to prove their ability. They are the ones who have to bring on the saplings into fruit-bearing trees.

I have no idea what the problem is Feckless, really i dont. Maybe too many stars in the team that dont gel as a unit?

Its easy to point the finger of blame but whats everyones solution to this?
For me its a mental thing and not a coaching or ability thing.

Feckless Rogue wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Why is Kidney the problem Gibbo?

Like I said on the match thread. Leinster tore everyone to shreds in the HEC. Munster ran away with the Magners. Ulster had their best season in a decade. The players at Kidneys disposal are not the problem. They are very good players. We know this. So what's the problem?

Erm Billy let me guess. Because he's our coach, our mentor, our leader. He picks the team. He chooses the way we play, to suit our cloth. He's failing. And failing badly.

Joe Schmidt. 1st season at Leinster. European Cup won. ML Grand Final made. A team that has beaten the very best in Europe. Kidney nullifies it. Do the Irish accept mediocrity easily? I think so. Is it just me or wot? Im Dutchified. I see things a wee bit differently than the usual provincial self-serving bonhomie. The Irish disease at ALL levels.

This will not get me free pints, but it's true. And the Truth hurts sometimes. We are not as good as we think.Not yet. By long-shot. Accepting it, is the only way to grow and move on up.

I often wonder if France would be inside the top three ranked country if it was not for Lievremont.

a) are they in the top 3/
b) I can't see PSA doing any better than ML with the structures in French rugby;over here it's club before country with the present Top14-which is fine by me

I am a Munster man Gibbo, true enough but that doesnt mean that i am biased towards Munster players. Did you see who i thought our back line should be? Very few Munster players in it.

I just think that being a provincial coach and an international coach are two very different things and believe that DK is still the best man for the job. You can see it as Munster biased but it really isnt.

I honestly believe that its more a mental thing that is ingrained in us Irish come big competitions and the build up of them.

There's highlights going on now on BBC 2. I've only just caught them though so I've missed half an hour. Willy you were right - Andrew Cotter is commentating these highlights.

I am also pretty sure that Declan has a pretty good record at provincial level Gibbo so who is to say that Joe Schmidt will don any better than him at International level?

WillyGilly wrote:Tell you what Gibbo. We'll let Shane start against OZ of you let Paddy in at 12?

Shane! He's Welsh and is overrated. Jenno maybe...
Billy has a point though. DO we have the players to do it? I thought we had. We have better players than any other in the NH - other than France. England should have been a given. They are hugely physical, but nothing else. Average team. I really believe that. But we have a clueless provincial coach, who is being fast found out. He's good in the safety of Limerick and Cork. And Munster. Like Eddie. But, not at this level. He's way out of his depth.

I don't think Kidney is the right man for the job. If the old tackle interpretations had remained and the tight, defensive, kick chase style of rugby was still dominant then Kidney would be in his element. That's the style of rugby he's always excelled at coaching.

But the laws did change. Kidney and his team have been completely unable to adapt to the attacking style we want to play. He's never coached a team to play like that before. And he's failing to do so now.

Alarm bells were ringing in my head after the Ireland v Scotland game in 2010. I hoped it was a blip. But it has become a pattern. If anything looks like a blip it's the excellent performance against England in the Six Nations.

Thats a very good point there with the tackling interpretations Feckless and one that is very important. One of DK's biggest failings is his failure to adapt.

Gibson wrote:

Feckless Rogue wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Why is Kidney the problem Gibbo?

Like I said on the match thread. Leinster tore everyone to shreds in the HEC. Munster ran away with the Magners. Ulster had their best season in a decade. The players at Kidneys disposal are not the problem. They are very good players. We know this. So what's the problem?

Erm Billy let me guess. Because he's our coach, our mentor, our leader. He picks the team. He chooses the way we play, to suit our cloth. He's failing. And failing badly.

Joe Schmidt. 1st season at Leinster. European Cup won. ML Grand Final made. A team that has beaten the very best in Europe. Kidney nullifies it. Do the Irish accept mediocrity easily? I think so. Is it just me or wot? Im Dutchified. I see see things a wee bit differently, than the usual provincial self-serving bonhomie. The Irish disease at ALL levels.

This will not get me free pints, but it's true. And the Truth hurts sometimes. Accepting it, is the only way to grow and move on up.

Evening all. One v disappointed irish fan here.

But Gibson, remember back in 2009 when we won the GS. (Don't jump down my throat here, just listen first)

DK took over a seriously demoralised team. He put together a very good set of coaches, although even then we all had doubts about Gaffney. He hauled that team up by their boot-straps and told them they could win matches, and then he let them get on with it. By the end of the 2008-2009 season, Kidney was almost canonised by Irish fans everywhere.

Then it began to go downhill. But we were prepared to live with it, because we knew he was building a squad. There were going to be bad days at the office whilst new players got to play and new combinations were tried. We ALL believed that of all of DK's competencies, the one we were sure of was his man-management skills. We really thought that he could get something out of the team. He seemed to show this in 2009 6Ns.

Suddenly we seem to be back in that awful place we were in in the middle of RWC 2007, and this only two weeks before RWC 2011. I don't know where it all went wrong. I don't know why the pride and the passion seem to be no longer there. I know Ireland has been trying to be more professional over the past 10 years, and that the traditional Irish approach of "giving it a lash" doesn't work in the professional era. Well, all I can say is, maybe the reecived wisdom is it doesn't work, but the uber-professionalism isn't blydi working either.

So how about we go back to our roots. Tell the boys to go out and give it a lash. They haven't a hope of winning. But if they play in the old-fashioned way that Irish teams used to play, they may not win, but by gum they will enjoy themselves and they will put a smile on the faces of their fans. A smile which has been missing now for at least two years.

Feckless Rogue wrote:I don't think Kidney is the right man for the job. If the old tackle interpretations had remained and the tight, defensive, kick chase style of rugby was still dominant then Kidney would be in his element. That's the style of rugby he's always excelled at coaching.

But the laws did change. Kidney and his team have been completely unable to adapt to the attacking style we want to play. He's never coached a team to play like that before. And he's failing to do so now.

Alarm bells were ringing in my head after the Ireland v Scotland game in 2010. I hoped it was a blip. But it has become a pattern. If anything looks like a blip it's the excellent performance against England in the Six Nations.

Jaysus Gibbo, I was out on the beer last night. I'm curled up here in hangover misery and you give me a Guinness!

How is it that the human race has put a man on the moon and harnessed the power of the atom, but still haven't invented a pill that completely cures a hangover?

But what is your solution Gibbo? Joe Schmidt?

WALLY WATCH: He's definitely not going to NZ, and his replacement will be named tomorrow

Yeah Sad Cari, it was the cruciate that got him

It's just such a shame for him Billy. He won't get to have a crack at a world cup again. Still, hopefully he'll overcome the injury and be back for domestic duties, maybe even the Six Nations. I hope it's not the end!

Gutted for him Cari, i truely am. Such a nice guy off the field as well. He will be missed by Ireland more than we can all imagine.
Apparently the injury is not career threatening which is good to hear so he will be back