So who's going to be the one to tell him? Not in goals.
It’s time somebody said it out loud: Paul O’Connell’s looks are becoming a problem. No, that’s not right. Paul O’Connell’s carrying continues to be a problem. Continue reading
Wait'll you hear what somebody told me in Fergburger last night ...
HOLD THE PRESSES: Continue reading
Wait'll You Hear What Somebody Told Me In Coppers ...
Priceless comments from Gamblor and celebrity-confidant-to-the-stars Farmer Farrelly in today’s Gossip From The Mart. Continue reading
A decade worth of Six Nations tournaments under two coaches for Ireland, and what have you got? Some kack-handed analysis of the most basis of statistics, that’s what. Hooray!
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I’m a Paddy Wallace fan in that I disagree with the amount of abuse he gets. That’s not actually true – I like how Wallace plays, because he’s a smashing footballer and a brave if undersized defender. His recent appearance at outhalf for an Ireland Select XV against Connacht showed that he’s still a great distributor and can run a mean backline. With that said, even those keen Wallackamaniaks [that’s what we’re called] amongst us may have forgotten that this will be Paddy’s third Rugby World Cup. Continue reading
Handle With Care
Keith Earls was shown up in a huge way very early in the game, and while he fought to come back into it, he’s a somewhat fragile player who isn’t responding well to being moved around in position. Continue reading
At least there's something behind it.
Warm-up matches that are scheduled after squads have been picked are an odd case study. Consciously or subconsciously, players are aware that the dangers of potential injury far outweigh the dangers of potential poor performance – they’re already on the plane, so to speak. Continue reading
August 2007 in Ravenhill and Declan Kidney is struck by a precognition of the future four years from now.
Such an arduous selection of warm-up games always had the potential of throwing some injury spanners into the selectorial works, but for the most part, Ireland’s initial medical reports were largely positive. Long-term sick-notes Jerry Flannery, Stephen Ferris, Rob Kearney and Geordan Murphy have all come through their rehab and out the other side, and it looked until this week that the sole trade-off would be the luckless Felix Jones. That has all changed with David Wallace’s most unfortunate injury. Continue reading
Alan Gaffney. Lovely guy. Not overly enthusiastic with how he's got our attack 'functioning'.
Sure, Ireland have held a few things in reserve over the course of these warm-up matches. No coach wants to go running through their whole playbook in the weeks before a big tournament just so the opponents’ video analysts can figure out ways to stop you playing. Continue reading
Digging Like a Demented Mole 