Ireland for World Cup Glory?

First topic message reminder :

Look. This is a decent Ireland team.

In recent memory they've pushed NZ like nobody else in world rugby managed and were just a composed 30 seconds from glory.

They've punished a flattering Scotland and flattened six nations champions and the lions pride of Wales.

The architecture of the squad is great: a lethal and mobile unit, and nippy backs. Most notably there is a core of experienced and battle hardened forwards with years of experience.

In a guy like PoC there is a guy who's been there done that, but doesn't yet have the t-shirt to show for it. Drive mixed with experience and ability is a potent keg of fireworks.

Out in the backs is a lovely mix of experience and raw excitement.

The whole cocktail is married up with the second best starting 10 in world rugby, with an accurate boot and composure which has only faltered once.

Importantly, the side is base around a core club level side with well oiled combinations and then augmented with rich power from elsewhere, with a coach who knows the players inside out. This side is FORMIDDABLE.

Possibly the lynch pin is the all-accomplishing BoD with just a World Cup and win over NZ missing from his resume. A worthy World Cup captain who clearly has desire left in the pit of his stomach, and one of the most complete rugby brains on the planet. Most importantly a steady hand on the tiller and an eternal source of inspiration to those around him.

If BoD can be stretched out for the RWC, I can see an epic final between NZ and Ireland playing out, provided Ireland can keep key men like Cian Healy (the best prop in the world, full stop), heaslip, Murray, sexton, Kearney, o'mahony.

Ireland at last have an axis, and a coach who knows what to do with one.

ONE MORE YEAR! ONE MORE YEAR! ONE MORE YEAR!

GunsGerms wrote:ONE MORE YEAR! ONE MORE YEAR! ONE MORE YEAR!

1 year?? Sure he mays as well stay on for the Lions! ....

Oh go on he's still going to be there in 30 years. Still making delightful flick passes to his team mates and rolling his wheelchair from ruck to ruck

A side step on that might be psychological though - as in this Retirement Circus talk is becoming tiresome.
Last legs.  
The end.  
Past it.
Just keeping him on the team to give him a few extra caps.
Nostalgia being prioritised rather than having the right player in that position.
Etc...etc.

I think Heaslip (if he said it) is just trying to push back a little that talk as it wouldn't be doing team dynamics any good thinking they were 'carrying' a player through the campaign.

He isn't being carried.... and I dread the media schit into the last few games.  He must hate it too.  I always felt he declared his retirement too early.  Call it on the day.  Nobody's business but his.

No worries. Darce and BOD will be there for about another 6 years. Joe wouldnt know what to do without them

This is probably the end of D'Arcy as first choice. Once BOD retires, he'll be left in no-mans land. He's in as part of a combination- thats not even making him the clear first choice. Once the senior partner in that combination retires we'll be reconfiguring the midfield.

Marshall and Payne?

GunsGerms wrote:because finalists Clermont were in our group and we had some key injuries when we played them. Munster have a losing record v Clermont as do a lot of sides.

Munster got out of their group twice when paired with a Schmidt coached Clermont   Looks like Deccie won the head-to-head there.

Do you think the injury crisis wasn't an issue in the Deccie coached Ireland. FFS, Peter O'Mahony ended up on the wing against Italy when Ireland lost Earls & Luke to injury. I won't even go into having no POC or Sexton getting crocked.

Good luck finding a beard to replace that!

Serious question. Who was the last indigenous Munster man to play in the centre for Ireland other than Earls. Obviously Henderson, Downey and Mullins arent originally from Munster.

asoreleftshoulder wrote:Sín é is a real contrarion,I mean he spent years defending a coach who made the team worse the longer he had them and now it looks like he's gonna spend his time attacking a coach no matter how much he improves them.Strange man.

Nope, I wish Schmidt all the best. Just don't try to big him up by putting the previous coach down, particularly when Schmidt didn't cope too well when Leinster had a few injuries. Certainly I don't recall him having to move any of his backrow out onto the wing for cover.

Sin é wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:because finalists Clermont were in our group and we had some key injuries when we played them. Munster have a losing record v Clermont as do a lot of sides.

Munster got out of their group twice when paired with a Schmidt coached Clermont   Looks like Deccie won the head-to-head there.

Do you think the injury crisis wasn't an issue in the Deccie coached Ireland. FFS, Peter O'Mahony ended up on the wing against Italy when Ireland lost Earls & Luke to injury. I won't even go into having no POC or Sexton getting crocked.

Leinster have too. Mind you it was 2008 when Munster won their group. Long time ago. Schmidt wasnt head coach at Clermont.

POM was on the wing for most of the games before that too.

GunsGerms wrote:Serious question. Who was the last indigenous Munster man to play in the centre for Ireland other than Earls. Obviously Henderson, Downey and Mullins arent originally from Munster.

Johnny Sexton?

GunsGerms wrote:Serious question. Who was the last indigenous Munster man to play in the centre for Ireland other than Earls. Obviously Henderson, Downey and Mullins arent originally from Munster.

Barry Murphy (4 caps for Ireland) who had to retire because of injuries. He started against France in the Six Nations in 2007.

Very good player as well. Only player in the NH to score a try against the All Blacks in their 2008 autumn tour.

There's been a Leinster player at center for Ireland in every game since 2001 apparently.

Sin é wrote:
Very good player as well. Only player in the NH to score a try against the All Blacks in their 2008 autumn tour.

Surely he was in the SH when he scored the try?

Sin é wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Serious question. Who was the last indigenous Munster man to play in the centre for Ireland other than Earls. Obviously Henderson, Downey and Mullins arent originally from Munster.

Barry Murphy (4 caps for Ireland) who had to retire because of injuries. He started against France in the Six Nations in 2007.

Very good player as well. Only player in the NH to score a try against the All Blacks in their 2008 autumn tour.

He only played once for Ireland in the centre though. All his other tests were on the wing. Hurley and Stringer have also come off the bench to cover centre once too.

No idea who the last centre from munster to get more than a handful of caps at centre was.

rodders wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Serious question. Who was the last indigenous Munster man to play in the centre for Ireland other than Earls. Obviously Henderson, Downey and Mullins arent originally from Munster.

Johnny Sexton?

He is from Rathgar, Dublin 6 Rodders.

GunsGerms wrote:

Sin é wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Serious question. Who was the last indigenous Munster man to play in the centre for Ireland other than Earls. Obviously Henderson, Downey and Mullins arent originally from Munster.

Barry Murphy (4 caps for Ireland) who had to retire because of injuries. He started against France in the Six Nations in 2007.

Very good player as well. Only player in the NH to score a try against the All Blacks in their 2008 autumn tour.

He only played once for Ireland in the centre though. All his other tests were on the wing. Hurley and Stringer have also come off the bench to cover centre once too.

No idea who the last centre from munster to get more than a handful of caps at centre was.

Murphy played in the centre for Munster, so he could be described as a centre.

And pray tell me what centre from any club has got more than a handfull of caps in the centre for Ireland in the last 4/5 years?

Just checked - John Kelly has two caps against New Zealand, playing in the centre!

SecretFly wrote:A side step on that might be psychological though - as in this Retirement Circus talk is becoming tiresome.
Last legs.  
The end.  
Past it.
Just keeping him on the team to give him a few extra caps.
Nostalgia being prioritised rather than having the right player in that position.
Etc...etc.

I think Heaslip (if he said it) is just trying to push back a little that talk as it wouldn't be doing team dynamics any good thinking they were 'carrying' a player through the campaign.

He isn't being carried.... and I dread the media schit into the last few games.  He must hate it too.  I always felt he declared his retirement too early.  Call it on the day.  Nobody's business but his.

If you want proof he said it newstalk should have it on the moncrieff podcast. Maybe listen to it and then give your reasoning why he said it.

GunsGerms wrote:

rodders wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Serious question. Who was the last indigenous Munster man to play in the centre for Ireland other than Earls. Obviously Henderson, Downey and Mullins arent originally from Munster.

Johnny Sexton?

He is from Rathgar, Dublin 6 Rodders.

Sorry to interject in a subject I know little about (what's new?), but you Irish really seem to rate your players by postcode

Darcy, ODriscoll, Trimble, BoweS Horgan, Marshall and Earls I'd say.

Murphy was a centre for Munster but not for Ireland.

Sin é wrote:

asoreleftshoulder wrote:Sín é is a real contrarion,I mean he spent years defending a coach who made the team worse the longer he had them and now it looks like he's gonna spend his time attacking a coach no matter how much he improves them.Strange man.

Nope, I wish Schmidt all the best. Just don't try to big him up by putting the previous coach down, particularly when Schmidt didn't cope too well when Leinster had a few injuries. Certainly I don't recall him having to move any of his backrow out onto the wing for cover.

I don't need anything to big him up,his record with Leinster and the improvement he has brought to Ireland already do that on their own.Look you can have a go at Schmidt all you want it won't make Kidneys record any better.

Sin é wrote:

asoreleftshoulder wrote:Sín é is a real contrarion,I mean he spent years defending a coach who made the team worse the longer he had them and now it looks like he's gonna spend his time attacking a coach no matter how much he improves them.Strange man.

Nope, I wish Schmidt all the best. Just don't try to big him up by putting the previous coach down, particularly when Schmidt didn't cope too well when Leinster had a few injuries. Certainly I don't recall him having to move any of his backrow out onto the wing for cover.

Dont you know we have won a Grand Slam already with Joe....I must have missed that....we also just nearly beat the ABs (except we didnt) and now we are playing an extremely limited game plan with a conservative enough team selection. Well it was the same game plan more or less that won us the gs in 2009 so maybe Joe has learned from that.

Regardless I hope he does well...a win in England would go down well though. Personally I couldnt care less how he does it or with who.

Sin é wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:because finalists Clermont were in our group and we had some key injuries when we played them. Munster have a losing record v Clermont as do a lot of sides.

Munster got out of their group twice when paired with a Schmidt coached Clermont   Looks like Deccie won the head-to-head there.

Do you think the injury crisis wasn't an issue in the Deccie coached Ireland. FFS, Peter O'Mahony ended up on the wing against Italy when Ireland lost Earls & Luke to injury. I won't even go into having no POC or Sexton getting crocked.

Lol just like when Schmidt was coaching Leinster he regularly won the head to head with Anthony Foley.

Gretgael1 wrote:If you want proof he said it newstalk should have it on the moncrieff  podcast. Maybe listen to it and then give your reasoning why he said it.

No...I believe you Gael...ease up. It's just me covering myself like a journalist.  I never say I know something is a fact until I read it or hear it myself.  Can look foolish if you act like something is true and then someone tells you the guy never said it.

SecretFly wrote:

Gretgael1 wrote:If you want proof he said it newstalk should have it on the moncrieff  podcast. Maybe listen to it and then give your reasoning why he said it.

No...I believe you Gael...ease up.  It's just me covering myself like a journalist.  I never say I know something is a fact until I read it or hear it myself.  Can look foolish if you act like something is true and then someone tells you the guy never said it.  

LOL...fly never commits to anything....

Didnt like a limited game plan...does now.
Likes expansive free flowing rugby...doesnt matter now.
the list is endless...

ME-109 wrote:

SecretFly wrote:

Gretgael1 wrote:If you want proof he said it newstalk should have it on the moncrieff  podcast. Maybe listen to it and then give your reasoning why he said it.

No...I believe you Gael...ease up.  It's just me covering myself like a journalist.  I never say I know something is a fact until I read it or hear it myself.  Can look foolish if you act like something is true and then someone tells you the guy never said it.  

LOL...fly never commits to anything....

Didnt like a limited game plan...does now.
Likes expansive free flowing rugby...doesnt matter now.
the list is endless...

You're cute ME... but not enough.  I can't clean my 606 records.  Told you to look see.  You don't even have to read it all... I think Google search would get some stuff on "Munster - SecretFly"

It's all there if you want to find it, ME.  Nope... I speak my mind and my history proves I don't contradict myself.  

Kicking away a ball aimlessly without a chase down and passively defending the furious come-back is not a limited game plan - it's unadulterated schyte.  

I asked you before, why couldn't a Munster coach implement a genuine Munster Way in the Irish set up?  Did Kiss vote against it?

BTW a Moncrieff Podcast..........................???

Nah... I'd rather be nailed to a cross upside down with a good novel to read

ME-109 wrote:

Sin é wrote:

asoreleftshoulder wrote:Sín é is a real contrarion,I mean he spent years defending a coach who made the team worse the longer he had them and now it looks like he's gonna spend his time attacking a coach no matter how much he improves them.Strange man.

Nope, I wish Schmidt all the best. Just don't try to big him up by putting the previous coach down, particularly when Schmidt didn't cope too well when Leinster had a few injuries. Certainly I don't recall him having to move any of his backrow out onto the wing for cover.

Dont you know we have won a Grand Slam already with Joe....I must have missed that....we also just nearly beat the ABs (except we didnt) and now we are playing an extremely limited game plan with a conservative enough team selection. Well it was the same game plan more or less that won us the gs in 2009 so maybe Joe has learned from that.

Regardless I hope he does well...a win in England would go down well though. Personally I couldnt care less how he does it or with who.

How is it a limited game plan? We have adopted different tactics for the last three matches.

SecretFly wrote:

ME-109 wrote:

SecretFly wrote:

Gretgael1 wrote:If you want proof he said it newstalk should have it on the moncrieff  podcast. Maybe listen to it and then give your reasoning why he said it.

No...I believe you Gael...ease up.  It's just me covering myself like a journalist.  I never say I know something is a fact until I read it or hear it myself.  Can look foolish if you act like something is true and then someone tells you the guy never said it.  

LOL...fly never commits to anything....

Didnt like a limited game plan...does now.
Likes expansive free flowing rugby...doesnt matter now.
the list is endless...

You're cute ME... but not enough.  I can't clean my 606 records.  Told you to look see.  You don't even have to read it all... I think Google search would get some stuff on "Munster - SecretFly"

It's all there if you want to find it, ME.  Nope... I speak my mind and my history proves I don't contradict myself.  

Kicking away a ball aimlessly without a chase down and passively defending the furious come-back is not a limited game plan - it's unadulterated schyte.  

I asked you before, why couldn't a Munster coach implement a genuine Munster Way in the Irish set up?  Did Kiss vote against it?

He did...2009...thank you.

SecretFly wrote:BTW a Moncrieff Podcast..........................???

Nah... I'd rather be nailed to a cross upside down with a good novel to read

Try reading the History of Things while you're on that cross....I'll let you guess the author  

We needed more than a year from him ME. Did he want to retire or resign after that 2009 Glory run? A coach has gotta do more than a year.