Joe Schmidt responds to Denis Leamy's parochial rant!!

First topic message reminder :

Leamy's article prior to the Ireland game in which he claimed there was a Leinster bias which could harm our WC chances:
http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/denis-leamy-questions-schmidt-selection-30091421.html

Schmidts response:
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/joe-schmidt-denies-having-a-leinster-bias-1.1729932

“For me, I select Irish players. If people want to differentiate, if people want to divide that provincially, that’s their prerogative,” he said. “But, as a group, we’re just trying to select the Irish national team. If people are going to be distracted by provincial loyalties, then that is something that is certainly not happening within the group.

“I think there has been a super unity within the group. It is probably always disappointing to get criticised. I can totally understand the perception. But, what I can totally guarantee is that we have all the stats, we watch all the games and we try to do as much homework as we possibly can.”

SecretFly wrote:The coach is bigger than the players he chooses... as he chooses.

So??????????????????  Secrets Sin?

You DO know some of the details afterall???  Share them.... in more detail?  Carpark deepthroat brush-offs?  Now this is a first for me. This is interesting.  

All Joes's Men

Elaborate. Don't be keeping these Munster secrets secret...like a few more secrets that I got wind of a few years ago that seem to have been kept oh so quiet.

I don't think its too big a deal to be honest. The story goes that Zebo was getting into his car in Carton House to go somewhere and Joe asked to have a word with him and he said he couldn't stop then and there, but would talk to him later and drove off to whereever he was going. Joe takes major offence and is using Zebo as an example to keep everyone else in line.

It isn't really a loss to Ireland as we have plenty of great options on the wing and we won the 6 nations. It is a loss on Zebo's part and would be a real shame as he could add an extra dimension to the team.

He is going to find it a lot harder with Tommy Bowe back in the fray as well.

Just a question, does Zebo have a future as a 15 for Ireland long term? Since we have so many options at wing and not just as many at 15. Again the competition will be tough though when Payne is qualified and with Kearney in good form.

Maybe the word was - "You're in the next team"

????

That'd be an awful foot-shoot by Zebo if that was the 'word' he didn't have time to listen to.

But why this comes out now and who has been sitting on this one?  There must be more to it or certain people would have been using this before now to suggest how authoritarian Joe is.

Zebo is the fastest in the Irish squad though. 9.4 metres per sec over 40 metres.

Ian Costello, his skills coach on him:   "He is not just a speed merchant. He has fantastic evasion skills, good balance, good instincts about when to support and what support lines to run, sometimes he pushes himself into first receiver, so he is quite happy to be a playmaker, then defensively he has an excellent kicking game and an excellent fielding game.

"He's not a one-trick pony. He is top-class in four or five areas, and you can't negate them all. If people close him down in one area, it just leaves him room to exploit another."

I don't think he has a future at 15 as Munster have a couple of options there. Felix is a real leader in the backs as well. Zebo's left boot is a big advantage on the left side as well.

Sin I do remember how much you imbelished and enjoyed/overplayed Sextons alleged "petulance".
Now faced with some facts with respect to Zebo's petulance and disrespect for his coaches, not to mention the disrespect he showed for the jersey, and you cant get passed blaming Joe and labeling him divisive.

Come on man be honest here.......?

Even after all that joe has left the door open for zebo.

SecretFly wrote:Maybe the word was - "You're in the next team"

????

That'd be an awful foot-shoot by Zebo if that was the 'word' he didn't have time to listen to.

But why this comes out now and who has been sitting on this one?  There must be more to it or certain people would have been using this before now to suggest how authoritarian Joe is.

Joe can't do anything wrong in some people's minds.

Seems Zebo is similarly afflicted in other people's minds?

Feagh McHugh wrote:Sin I do remember how much you imbelished and enjoyed/overplayed Sextons alleged "petulance".
Now faced with some facts with respect to Zebo's petulance and disrespect for his coaches, not to mention the disrespect he showed for the jersey, and you cant get passed blaming Joe and labeling him divisive.

Come on man be honest here.......?

Even after all that joe has left the door open for zebo.

I don't think Zebo is petulant. He is just very laid back. In an article on Zebo one of his under age coaches said that the first thing that struck him about Zebo as a kid was that "He was fast, and he was a lovely kid.''  Zebo is really popular with his team mates. He is the life and soul of the party.  He is just too laid back for Joe, though. He is the opposite to what Sexton is when on the pitch with his team mates he tears strips off them. Brian O'Driscoll jokingly says that he had to apologise to the Welsh blokes on the Lions about his grumpy behaviour.

I like Sexton's grump.................. reminds me of O'Gara's grump.  Grump is good.  Grump gets people through the tough parts of a game when a joke and smile aren't working.
Grump has given him 2 Pro12s, 3 HECs and now a 6N.

I like it.

Sin é wrote:

SecretFly wrote:Maybe the word was - "You're in the next team"

????

That'd be an awful foot-shoot by Zebo if that was the 'word' he didn't have time to listen to.

But why this comes out now and who has been sitting on this one?  There must be more to it or certain people would have been using this before now to suggest how authoritarian Joe is.

Joe can't do anything wrong in some people's minds.

Yup and I'm one of them. I used to question some of Joe's team selections but he was proved right time and time again with results and he has been proved yet again this 6n with his selections.

We should all enjoy it while Joe is here, I doubt we will ever have as good a coach again.

And if Joe keeps to his usual rhythm he should only last until after the 2016 6N (unless sacked beforehand for priggish authoritarianism )

Three years looks like his prefered period in any one job if things are left to him to decide.  So we shouldn't expect that he'll be another Gatland at Wales.  He'll have other horizons on his mind and the three years will go quickly enough.

Sin é wrote:

SecretFly wrote:The coach is bigger than the players he chooses... as he chooses.

So??????????????????  Secrets Sin?

You DO know some of the details afterall???  Share them.... in more detail?  Carpark deepthroat brush-offs?  Now this is a first for me. This is interesting.  

All Joes's Men

Elaborate. Don't be keeping these Munster secrets secret...like a few more secrets that I got wind of a few years ago that seem to have been kept oh so quiet.

I don't think its too big a deal to be honest. The story goes that Zebo was getting into his car in Carton House to go somewhere and Joe asked to have a word with him and he said he couldn't stop then and there, but would talk to him later and drove off to whereever he was going. Joe takes major offence and is using Zebo as an example to keep everyone else in line.

If Heaslip had of done something like that you never would have shut up about it.

It was interesting to note that POC when giving his interview after the Paris game (first one pitchside to RTE) was asked about Joe and the difference he made to the team. POCs response was to mention Kidney and hi influence and Eddie O'Sullivan. I found that pretty interesting.

Anyhow as a Munster supporter where we havent done anyhting much in the HC for some time except for the effort last year I am cool with the fact that an ex Leinster coach with extreme Micromanagement tendencies is favouring players that he has worked with. Even players like Average Dave. I found his rotation of certain players (Marshall, Jackson, TOD for example) a bit weird, and the explanations for same to be dishonest. The handling of the Zebo situation was hilariously bad.

However...he has got the results, or should I say result which was the game in Paris. I say that because the three home games were against abject teams. He has won the championship in an even year. No small feat.

The proof will be in the pudding going forward and I look forward with interest as to what he will do and how he will handle players from all the provinces especially given his poor record previously.

I watched him on secondcaptainslive last night and the micromanagement was obvious. The fact that he was thinking of trying to give a message to the players if choulys try had been allowed as to where the kickoff should go to shows a level of detail that makes EOS look like he was a cracksmoking hippie.

Now I dont go for the hero worship whereby people like Guns has a little wee in his pants every time Joe says something or does something but so far he has done the job (ignoring the AI's of course and the poor pass from Papé and the 14+ point England left behind).

The future will be interesting.

Just to note in the original article by Leamy he also said if Ireland won on Saturday then JS picks would be justified...but that the chance for bedding in new players would be limited.

Big swing a micky as they say in some parts.

Can you add any more detail to the Zebo 'situation' ME?

Trying to extract detail of this slowly uncovering story is as painful as extracting your own teeth with a screwdriver.

People are oh so coy and shifty eyed sheepish with the car parks and screeching brakes and echoed gunfire and things that mightn't have been said but maybe should'a been said, and curses that were thrown and maybe a car was gotten into or gotten out of and maybe Joe stamped a foot and dropped a sandwich....................

Just cough it up folks.  What happened - word for word.  The 'situation' has only the potential to be 'hilarious' if we know exactly what went down in the car park.

I have no idea what happened in car parks between Zebo and JS and I dont care. What was hilarious were the excuses given for not picking him etc etc...lots of smoke and mirrors etc...Penney's comments on it were the more informative.

No................. the car park does matter. You know how it goes...smoke and fire.

First real hint of a story and since nobody from Munster seems to want to elaborate on it and yet seem to know enough about it...well,.................... questions are juicy. If you have a weapon the tendancy is to use it.

CarParkGate developing.

Nah...I would say whats more important for Zebo now is to ensure he resources rucks (for his stats) - God forbid.

No.............. car park is most important now. I have a lead but I'll have to do more Sam Spade sniffing around in dark alleyways to get the true script of the words that passed between a coach and a player.

"Aint got time right now, Joe" just doesn't cut it with me. There's gotta be more to it. Somebody done somebody wrong beside that car. I'll get to the bottom of it.... then write the screenplay.

SecretFly wrote:No.............. car park is most important now.  I have a lead but I'll have to do more Sam Spade sniffing around in dark alleyways to get the true script of the words that passed between a coach and a player.

"Aint got time right now, Joe" just doesn't cut it with me.  There's gotta be more to it.  Somebody done somebody wrong beside that car.  I'll get to the bottom of it.... then write the screenplay.

   Has to be the funniest comment I've seen on here so far.

SecretFly wrote:No.............. car park is most important now.  I have a lead but I'll have to do more Sam Spade sniffing around in dark alleyways to get the true script of the words that passed between a coach and a player.

"Aint got time right now, Joe" just doesn't cut it with me.  There's gotta be more to it.  Somebody done somebody wrong beside that car.  I'll get to the bottom of it.... then write the screenplay.

Nice one fly, pointless and vacuous..the usual from you.

Thanks ME. Seems the story wasn't meant to come out. Sin only confirmed he had a sniff of it when Feagh brought it up.

A 'Schmidt Autocrat Nutjob' story and Sin sits on it?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... he heard more of the script than he's letting on about.

No I think I got a Booker Prize for Non-Fiction story in the making if I can screw some genuine dialogue out of it.

SecretFly wrote:No................. the car park does matter.  You know how it goes...smoke and fire.

First real hint of a story and since nobody from Munster seems to want to elaborate on it and yet seem to know enough about it...well,.................... questions are juicy.  If you have a weapon the tendancy is to use it.  

CarParkGate developing.

I'm bemused that Schmidt got so uptight about the incident in the first place. He obviously holds grudges and his style of mangement is to rule by fear (video session Monday morning). All you can say about him is hopefully Ireland win stuff quickly and NZ want him back.

Everyone needs a distraction I suppose including you Fly. Whether it happened or not is irrelevant. To my mind its a clear personality clash, between the ex principal (or headmaster as the Anglos like to call them) and the boy who has a whiff of trouble about him

Nah Sin.............. you don't sit on Schmidt Uptight TightAss stories unless they don't colour your favourites in lots of good lighting.
You sat on this one because it didn't serve your storyline so well.

SecretFly wrote:Nah Sin.............. you don't sit on Schmidt Uptight TightAss stories unless they don't colour your favourites in lots of good lighting.
You sat on this one because it didn't serve your storyline so well.

I'm pretty sure I mentioned it here, but no one took any notice of it. It was discussed on Munsterfans anyway, but most people I think probably thought nothing of it and thought it must have been something else.

I also believe he doesn't approve of Zebo's antics in Las Vegas last summer that were spread all over the internet.

ME-109 wrote:Everyone needs a distraction I suppose including you Fly. Whether it happened or not is irrelevant. To my mind its a clear personality clash, between the ex principal (or headmaster as the Anglos like to call them) and the boy who has a whiff of trouble about him

That it very much seems to have happened is relevant. Now if we could all be honest about what IT was, we be all clearer about how trivial it all was. But nope, it doesn't seem to want to clarify itself - it's not a nice story of a funny rebel with an infectious smile. Have we come close to uncovering a different side to a Special player?

Sin é wrote:

I also believe he doesn't approve of Zebo's antics in Las Vegas last summer that were spread all over the internet.

Heaslip stuff? His hero obviously.

SecretFly wrote:

ME-109 wrote:Everyone needs a distraction I suppose including you Fly. Whether it happened or not is irrelevant. To my mind its a clear personality clash, between the ex principal (or headmaster as the Anglos like to call them) and the boy who has a whiff of trouble about him

That it very much seems to have happened is relevant.  Now if we could all be honest about what IT was, we be all clearer about how trivial it all was.  But nope, it doesn't seem to want to clarify itself - it's not a nice story of a funny rebel with an infectious smile.  Have we come close to uncovering a different side  to a Special player?

What would that be? Grown man refuses to be treated like schoolboy?

SecretFly wrote:

Sin é wrote:

I also believe he doesn't approve of Zebo's antics in Las Vegas last summer that were spread all over the internet.

Heaslip stuff?    His hero obviously.

I don't understand the reference to Heaslip.

It was more Dougie - jumping on cars kinda stuff.

ME-109 wrote:

SecretFly wrote:

ME-109 wrote:Everyone needs a distraction I suppose including you Fly. Whether it happened or not is irrelevant. To my mind its a clear personality clash, between the ex principal (or headmaster as the Anglos like to call them) and the boy who has a whiff of trouble about him

That it very much seems to have happened is relevant.  Now if we could all be honest about what IT was, we be all clearer about how trivial it all was.  But nope, it doesn't seem to want to clarify itself - it's not a nice story of a funny rebel with an infectious smile.  Have we come close to uncovering a different side  to a Special player?

What would that be? Grown man refuses to be treated like schoolboy?

I don't know ME... I'm in the dark alley, remember?  You tell me.  
But then, you're saying you don't even know if it's true or not so you're unfortunately an unreliable witness.  
Maybe it's all only an Urban Myth. but even if it is - it's the kinda one that the Munster guys didn't seem too ready to use as ammo against Schmidt.

Oh well............... more will drip feed about that real or imaginary episode in the months to come.  Hopefully it won't spoil a Zebo hat trick in the first Argentinian game

Fly, I wouldn't consider it ammo its so pathetic.

Sin, someone else used the words "inappropriate" and "utterly disrespectful" and said they could say more but won't.

That sounds more than a player saying to a coach: "I'll catch you later, I'm in a hurry"

Real or imaginary, more than "I'll catch you later" was said or was reported to have been said.

We'll leave it there.  We'll park it in the car park for now.

ME-109 wrote:The handling of the Zebo situation was hilariously bad.

What Zebo situation? Who the flip is Zebo to even have a situation? He's not good enough, wasn't picked end of story. Thank you and goodnight Simon - please come back when you can defend, ruck and last 80 minutes without banana kicking the ball straight into touch.

Gees I can just see Simon and his buddy Keith Earls out on the training pitch in their white boots passing the ball to each other off their right hands bamboozled by their non selection. Reality jugglers the pair of them.

Sin é wrote: He obviously holds grudges and his style of mangement is to rule by fear (video session Monday morning). All you can say about him is hopefully Ireland win stuff quickly and NZ want him back.

Yes hopefully Ireland win lots of trophies quickly so we can get rid of the coach!!   

rodders wrote: Thank you and goodnight Simon - please come back when you can defend, ruck and last 80 minutes without banana kicking the ball straight into touch.

Hmmm............you might want to rephrase that one before the Political Correctionalists finish their breakfasts, rodders. Just warning you

rodders wrote:

ME-109 wrote:The handling of the Zebo situation was hilariously bad.

What Zebo situation? Who the flip is Zebo to even have a situation? He's not good enough, wasn't picked end of story. Thank you and goodnight Simon - please come back when you can defend, ruck and last 80 minutes without banana kicking the ball straight into touch.

Gees I can just see Simon and his buddy Keith Earls out on the training pitch in their white boots passing the ball to each other off their right hands bamboozled by their non selection. Reality jugglers the pair of them.

I agree with Me-109. Schmidt should have set up a hot line for bereaved Munster players like Zebo. They clearly need it.

Tall Poppies Anonymous

So let's not waste time.  
Who should coach Ireland after Schmidt wins the WC and is subsequently sacked because an IRFU inquisition into how it all went wrong again discovers he achieved anti-Irish success rates?

Who steps in to bring us back to earth?

Considering the squad is under the iron fists of Joe 'Rules by Fear' Schmidt and Jonny 'The Psychopath' Sexton it's a wonder the poor lads in the Ireland camp aren't gibbering dejected wrecks, confidence completely shredded.

It doesn't make sense to me that they should look so confident and happy when they take to the field. It's almost like they are elite professional sportsmen who have natural reserves of confidence and mental strength to call upon and thrive in high-pressure environments. As if constructive criticism and being given specific targets of how to improve their game actually makes them better not worse.

It's weird.

SecretFly wrote:So let's not waste time.  
Who should coach Ireland after Schmidt wins the WC and is subsequently sacked because an IRFU inquisition into how it all went wrong again discovers he achieved anti-Irish success rates?

Who steps in to bring us back to earth?

Leaked shortlist;

Axel Foley
ROG
Paddy 'Rala' O'Reilly
ROG
Rob Penney
Ian Costello
Simon Zebo (Player-Coach)
ROG

Haha Rala. Love it.

No doubt it will be ROG one day. I prefer having a back as the head coach. Just seems to work better.

GunsGerms wrote:Haha Rala. Love it.

No doubt it will be ROG one day. I prefer having a back as the head coach. Just seems to work better.

I hope we at least employ a Kiwi waterboy then. Someone has gotta maintain the Schmidt mantra or else the Cult will die out. We're in direct competiton with Scientology here. Schmidtology must never die.

Notch wrote:Considering the squad is under the iron fists of Joe 'Rules by Fear' Schmidt and Jonny 'The Psychopath' Sexton it's a wonder the poor lads in the Ireland camp aren't gibbering dejected wrecks, confidence completely shredded.

It doesn't make sense to me that they should look so confident and happy when they take to the field. It's almost like they are elite professional sportsmen who have natural reserves of confidence and mental strength to call upon and thrive in high-pressure environments. As if constructive criticism and being given specific targets of how to improve their game actually makes them better not worse.

It's weird.

I'd worry more about how they are going to manage to blow their noses without Joe being there telling when how and when to.

SecretFly wrote:So let's not waste time.  
Who should coach Ireland after Schmidt wins the WC and is subsequently sacked because an IRFU inquisition into how it all went wrong again discovers he achieved anti-Irish success rates?

Who steps in to bring us back to earth?

I think if the country gets behind Schmidt there's a very, very good chance we'll win the RWC in 2015. There'll be plenty of gobshoites eating their words in 18 months mark my words.

And you know the best of if - we'll win it without Simon Zebo too.

If Ireland win their group by beating Italy and france which is what we did this year then we play the runner up in NZ and Argentina's group which will be Agrentina. If we win that we play England in the semis. We have shown this year that we arent that far from beating England in Twickers so I think all in all we have a very good chance of getting to a final and getting to a final is earier than winning a grand slam as we have to beat the following:

France, Italy, Romania, Argentina, England with only one away game, the rest being in neutral grounds.

Joe has an App dedicated to the very theory of when nasal discharge can unbalance a player two phases out from a perfect pass to a Zeetastic try.

It's all in the trajectory of the microscopic particles as they relate to the sub-atomic..........................................em....the rest of it is very big words and graphs and things.  But you get the idea.  Players should let his knowledge wash over them - they will improve by Believing in his Truth and Divinity.

I'll tell you who poppy boy could learn from - non other than Dougie Howlett - who forced his way back into the NZ team ahead of younger, faster better attacking players with his superior defence and work rate.

GunsGerms wrote:If Ireland win their group by beating Italy and france which is what we did this year then we play the runner up in NZ and Argentina's group which will be Agrentina. If we win that we play England in the semis. We have shown this year that we arent that far from beating England in Twickers so I think all in all we have a very good chance of getting to a final.

Yup and if we get there we'll win it - quote me on it next year. We could well be heading in as back to back 6N champions and top 4 in the IRB so there's every reason to be confident. Joe is a master at KO competitions so we will be the darkest of dark horses next season.

Baby steps first - get some depth built in Argentina and a clean sweep in the Autumn.

Believe.

rodders wrote:I'll tell you who poppy boy could learn from - non other than Dougie Howlett - who forced his way back into the NZ team ahead of younger, faster better attacking players with his superior defence and work rate.

Yea, he had to stop scoring tries for the Blues to get a look in for the Blues when Joe was coach.

His average was 1 try a game before Joe, with Joe it dropped to 1 every 2nd game.   

Funnily enough, his average stayed at 1 a game when playing for the ABs in the same period.

Of course the ABs won all round them. The Blues were Poopie.

Sin é wrote:

rodders wrote:I'll tell you who poppy boy could learn from - non other than Dougie Howlett - who forced his way back into the NZ team ahead of younger, faster better attacking players with his superior defence and work rate.

Yea, he had to stop scoring tries for the Blues to get a look in for the Blues when Joe was coach.

His average was 1 try a game before Joe, with Joe it dropped to 1 every 2nd game.   

Funnily enough, his average stayed at 1 a game when playing for the ABs in the same period.

Of course the ABs won all round them. The Blues were Poopie.

That's because Joe taught him to defend, ruck and chase kicks, which is a good thing for you guys as his career would have been over at 28 when he lost his sprinters pace, otherwise.