A whiff of Cordite

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I don't think it does, and he even said that we might have been better served by signing someone for another position. It's hard to predict these things so this time last year we probably wouldn't have expected both Daly and Larmour to be as good as they were at the beginning of autumn, or that Ferg would come back into form like he has, but looking at our squad now, we're very light at centre (and were always going to lose Henshaw and Ringrose to Ireland when fit) so maybe that would have served us better, especially if they weren't from Oz or NZ.

[Oldschool]

I don't think it does, and he even said that we might have been better served by signing someone for another position. It's hard to predict these things so this time last year we probably wouldn't have expected both Daly and Larmour to be as good as they were at the beginning of autumn, or that Ferg would come back into form like he has, but looking at our squad now, we're very light at centre (and were always going to lose Henshaw and Ringrose to Ireland when fit) so maybe that would have served us better, especially if they weren't from Oz or NZ.

The penny is only dropping for me now.
In match day 23 context
A team can play as many Saffers as they like but only 2 OZ/NZ(Keeping it simple, assuming mammies/daddies passports etc don't apply).
Perhaps Leinster are constrained to sign only or mostly OZ/NZs.
+1 on the comments re our outlook for back three stocks at the end of last season.

[TerenureJim]

I don't think it does, and he even said that we might have been better served by signing someone for another position. It's hard to predict these things so this time last year we probably wouldn't have expected both Daly and Larmour to be as good as they were at the beginning of autumn, or that Ferg would come back into form like he has, but looking at our squad now, we're very light at centre (and were always going to lose Henshaw and Ringrose to Ireland when fit) so maybe that would have served us better, especially if they weren't from Oz or NZ.

If you get a chance to sign a player like Lowe you take that chance and make it work. Also aren't him and JGP project players so short term odd inconvenience in terms of squad management but after one more season and a cap for JGP problem solved?

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I don't think it does, and he even said that we might have been better served by signing someone for another position. It's hard to predict these things so this time last year we probably wouldn't have expected both Daly and Larmour to be as good as they were at the beginning of autumn, or that Ferg would come back into form like he has, but looking at our squad now, we're very light at centre (and were always going to lose Henshaw and Ringrose to Ireland when fit) so maybe that would have served us better, especially if they weren't from Oz or NZ.

If you get a chance to sign a player like Lowe you take that chance and make it work. Also aren't him and JGP project players so short term odd inconvenience in terms of squad management but after one more season and a cap for JGP problem solved?

I think that's massively playing down the issue of him being from NZ. One more season means a total of two seasons, and because he was involved in the ITM cup he didn't arrive until well into our season anyway, at which point we either didn't feel comfortable with him playing against Exeter or felt like we had to pick JGP, or possibly a combination of both. Presumably he's on a very hefty salary and I would say it's very questionable if that's the best way to spend money.

I think Lowe is great and if you put this scenario to me a year ago I'm not sure what I'd have done, but regardless of whether people agree with him signing or not, my point is just that EOS raised a valid point that it might not have been the smartest signing to make.

[Laighin Break]

They mightn't have expected Fardy to have such a huge impact in his first season, expecting there to be a lot more rotation in the row and between him and Lowe.

[Ruckedtobits]

Was anybody else struch by how crass were Cumiskey's comments about S Kings in his report of their game against Leinster in Sat's IT?
The man has no class as well as little grammar.

[Dave Cahill]

Was anybody else struch by how crass were Cumiskey's comments about S Kings in his report of their game against Leinster in Sat's IT?
The man has no class as well as little grammar.

Yup, though not really surprised.

[paddyor]

Was anybody else struch by how crass were Cumiskey's comments about S Kings in his report of their game against Leinster in Sat's IT?
The man has no class as well as little grammar.

Why do people read Cummiskey?

[Oldschoolsocks]

Masochism? (sic)

[simonokeeffe]

Getting my retaliation in first, how little will Heaslip be called Irelands best ever no8 this week?

[Dave Cahill]

Getting my retaliation in first, how little will Heaslip be called Irelands best ever no8 this week?

We know it, personally, I don't need a bunch of second rate scribes to reinforce it

[fourthirtythree]

I can see the possibility of a reevaluation now that he won't actually be in line for any more caps. Doesn't matter, won't make up for the shamefully shoddy way the greatest Irish 8 of all time was treated by the media.

[riocard911]

I can see the possibility of a reevaluation now that he won't actually be in line for any more caps. Doesn't matter, won't make up for the shamefully shoddy way the greatest Irish 8 of all time was treated by the media.

The shoddy treatment continues, if you look at the "13 brilliant photos" from Jamie Heaslips career on the Spindo website: one bog-standard post-match celebratory picture after another with various bits of metal being held aloft. Where's the spreadarmed try vs France in in Slam-Year 2009? The try-saving/tryline last second tackle on Hogg in 2015 in Murrayfield? The pass off the back of the scrum to Henshaw to seal Ireland's first ever win vs NZ, etc. etc.? Lazy journalism: the standard fare from Denis O'Bribe's imperium

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Was anybody else struch by how crass were Cumiskey's comments about S Kings in his report of their game against Leinster in Sat's IT?
The man has no class as well as little grammar.

I had a quick look for this to fuel my Cummiskey hatred and couldn't find it, but I read an interview he did with Leavy and one thing that really stood out (aside from one sentence that made very little sense) was when he said that Leavy was "easily the best flanker Leinster have produced since Shane Jennings"...bizarre.

Edited due to ironically messing up a sentence where I said he made no sense.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Anyone else wake up early to read Joe Schmidt's huddle comments btw?

[the spoofer]

Getting my retaliation in first, how little will Heaslip be called Irelands best ever no8 this week?

We know it, personally, I don't need a bunch of second rate scribes to reinforce it

Cummisky gave Dev a 6 this week. Say's it all about the "know nothing".

[simonokeeffe]

Was anybody else struch by how crass were Cumiskey's comments about S Kings in his report of their game against Leinster in Sat's IT?
The man has no class as well as little grammar.

I had a quick look for this to fuel my Cummiskey hatred and couldn't find it, but I read an interview he did with Leavy and one thing that really stood out (aside from one sentence that made very little sense) was when he said that Leavy was "easily the best flanker Leinster have produced since Shane Jennings"...bizarre.

Edited due to ironically messing up a sentence where I said he made no sense.

By Leinster he means private schools and Murphy doesnt exist any more because he left

Thats my best guess

[molloyjh]

Was anybody else struch by how crass were Cumiskey's comments about S Kings in his report of their game against Leinster in Sat's IT?
The man has no class as well as little grammar.

I couldn't actually read the article through it was so badly written. It seemed like a series of notes he scribbled on a pad after the game, some of which he expanded on a little bit and others he just left as is. That someone with such a poor grasp on how to write gets paid to do just that is beyond me. He is also calling the Kings out for being so bad that they are making a joke of the expansion into SA. You'd swear that the Cheetahs being competitive wasn't happening. Or that there are extenuating circumstances with the Kings. I suppose it's another opportunity for him to have a go at the league, which he's more than happy to do.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.3403706

[Laighin Break]

Wow, there really wasn't any exaggeration about how bad an article that is. Absolutely no flow, full of small sentences that have no connection to the preceding or following sentences. Even the opening line is like reading a live feed of the game.

The highlight is probably "European rugby is bad for business until they can join proper then it become their business." or "James Tracy did return from a cracked elbow."

[simonokeeffe]

Ryle Nugent is leaving RTE

TV3 should sign him for the craic