A whiff of Cordite

[heno]

Re Kimmage article

Surely the headline here isn't 'Sports star mis remembers something when recounting tales for their autobiography'...
But 'Bad ghost writer fails in their duty to fact check on behalf of their client'.

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[backrower8]

Daire O'Brien is the pits. Insulting to his panellists with his dismissive, off-hand demeanour.

I reckon the GAA couldn't have her fronting rugby once she took over from Michael Lester.

I am not sure who they should have instead. A former player would be much more welcome. Tommy is getting better all the time on eir.

[Morf]

[Oldschool]

Could we dump Ferris too while we're at.
Jamie Pope and EOS for the Russia game were grand.
Three panelists were enough.

[riocard911]

This is funny. Onstage with Paul Howard BO'D reveals which players during his time with Leinster were the most ROC'K. p.s. it's pretty easy to guess!!!.....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsi0cbKLDEw

[Twist]

Daire O'Brien is the pits. Insulting to his panellists with his dismissive, off-hand demeanour.

I reckon the GAA couldn't have her fronting rugby once she took over from Michael Lester.

I am not sure who they should have instead. A former player would be much more welcome. Tommy is getting better all the time on eir.

They've plenty of decent presenters. Peter Collins and Darragh Maloney are both fine. You just want someone unobtrusive who moves the conversation along


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[backrower8]

Daire O'Brien is the pits. Insulting to his panellists with his dismissive, off-hand demeanour.

I reckon the GAA couldn't have her fronting rugby once she took over from Michael Lester.

I am not sure who they should have instead. A former player would be much more welcome. Tommy is getting better all the time on eir.

They've plenty of decent presenters. Peter Collins and Darragh Maloney are both fine. You just want someone unobtrusive who moves the conversation along


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Neither of whom know the sport.

Popey is finishing up with RTE after RWC. He would be better than ‘Go Easy’ or people who don’t know the sport.

[wixfjord]

WTF is Gerry smoking over in Tokyo?

What a weird piece of writing this is!

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.4060634

Sounds like he heard Schmidt was a bit miffed at Nacewa's 'criticism' (I use that term lightly!) and wrote this condescending nonsense.

[CiaranIrl]

WTF is Gerry smoking over in Tokyo?

What a weird piece of writing this is!

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.4060634

Sounds like he heard Schmidt was a bit miffed at Nacewa's 'criticism' (I use that term lightly!) and wrote this condescending nonsense.

The bit where he imagines a rift in Leinster fans because of this is the most absurd thing he has concocted in a long while. I don't see any criticism from him!

[arsebiscuits1]

WTF is Gerry smoking over in Tokyo?

What a weird piece of writing this is!

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.4060634

Sounds like he heard Schmidt was a bit miffed at Nacewa's 'criticism' (I use that term lightly!) and wrote this condescending nonsense.

I can speak for neither Joe nor Isa. But of all the people in the world who can offer educated insight into Joes methods, Isa Nacewa must be in the top 3. I don't think he said anything that was unfounded

[LeRouxIsPHat]

It reminds me of this from The Simpsons

"Dear Lisa - As I write this, I am very sad. Our president has been overthrown...AND REPLACED BY THE BENEVOLENT GENERAL KRULL. ALL HAIL KRULL AND HIS GLORIOUS NEW REGIME!! Sincerely, LITTLE GIRL"

I can't wait to see if players come out with more stuff like this. I don't think someone (and it's not really hard to narrow it down to a small group) just said it to Isa in passing, it sounds like they were worried way in advance. I can't imagine players weren't worried after the England game in the Aviva and obviously there were loads of warning signs since then, surely people would have spoken up?

As much as I respect Joe, my hope is that loads of players and coaches did air their concerns but he just shot them down. If Farrell didn't then you'd have to be worried going forward, and you'd also hope that if a rot starts to set in again then the younger players will have learned from this and speak up.

[blockhead]

Is there a more embedded rugby journalist in Ireland right now than Gerry? He's practically an IRFU Spokesman at this stage. What he writes has to be seen in that light.

[Twist]

Daire O'Brien is the pits. Insulting to his panellists with his dismissive, off-hand demeanour.

I reckon the GAA couldn't have her fronting rugby once she took over from Michael Lester.

I am not sure who they should have instead. A former player would be much more welcome. Tommy is getting better all the time on eir.

They've plenty of decent presenters. Peter Collins and Darragh Maloney are both fine. You just want someone unobtrusive who moves the conversation along


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Neither of whom know the sport.

Popey is finishing up with RTE after RWC. He would be better than ‘Go Easy’ or people who don’t know the sport.

I don't think it's certain that they don't know the sport. DOB certainly doesn't display any great knowledge. But I mentioned them because they facilitate a conversation without trying to take on the mantle of Sayer Of Tough Truths themselves. I agree that Brent Pope would be a decent choice

[backrower8]

I can't imagine players weren't worried after the England game in the Aviva and obviously there were loads of warning signs since then, surely people would have spoken up?

As much as I respect Joe, my hope is that loads of players and coaches did air their concerns but he just shot them down. If Farrell didn't then you'd have to be worried going forward, and you'd also hope that if a rot starts to set in again then the younger players will have learned from this and speak up.

I believe this is the heart of the matter, Joe (was allowed - for understandable reasons) to become too powerful and dominant.

All of the relevant strategic, tactical and player issues have been referenced in all of the commentary since the QF, but that still does not explain how these issues were allowed to happen in plain sight. It seems that everyone of us, the media and the pundits were having similar thoughts across this year and even before it in terms of player rotation/longevity/game time, etc. But we were all pretty muted about it because "in Joe (the best we've ever had btw) We Trust".

If the coaching ticket (mainly) and leadership group (partially - as they were part of the problem) did/were able to properly address the many OBVIOUS issues that were building then we wouldn't have had such cataclysmic failures as the 2 massacres against England, the beating in Cardiff, the loss to Japan and the total tonking against New Zealand. To say nothing of the papering over the cracks in most every other game.

The image of the World Player of the Year and the most decorated Irish player in 140 years of Irish rugby history not being able to run in alignment and pass together says it all. Everything was gone, confidence, clarity of purpose....and there were many instances of basic malfunction across the year in those matches and others, that we had not seen in the previous 5 years of Joe's rein put together.

We all know what went wrong - we cannot figure out why. Well again it is hiding in plain sight. All those players and other coaches knew what the issues were but they were either not prepared or able to address properly it with Joe. If they had then many of the issues would have been addressed.

Joe became isolated by his own all-controlling style and nobody from Nucifora to Farrell challenged him properly.

Which is more credible, that all of these highly decorated and successful players and coaches were pulling together and just couldn't run/hold the ball as a team, or that there was a bottle-neck that nobody dared try and open up?

You can be sure that there were disagreements in the NZL coaching ticket about moving BB to 15, about dropping Franks, about making Savea a 6, dropping Ioane and Ben Smith and Sonny Bill for single-capper kids against their recent nemesis team with the best player and coach in the world. But they did all those things and more, in under 12 months because while Hansen is the primary leader, they are a high-functioning leadership team that is open to and invites differences of opinion. Does anyone really think that Joe was that person in the last 12 months?

And yes, he was the best we ever had, but he was human and drifted off-course and we weren't used to having those levels of achievement and what it takes to maintain it, year after year after year. We have no culture of questioning the boss who is ostensibly at the peak of his powers. We need that.

Joe might be able to coach for longer if learns how to embrace that. It is palpable how this job has eaten away at Joe in just 6 years - which is just about half of the time Gatland has guided Wales to achieve well beyond their potential.



The key learning to make in my view is how to ensure we have a healthy leadership structure, that dares to question and change things even when we are the world's best team.

[Avenger]

Is there a more embedded rugby journalist in Ireland right now than Gerry? He's practically an IRFU Spokesman at this stage. What he writes has to be seen in that light.

100%. He’s nothing short of a PR mechanism for the IRFU.

[neiliog93]

WTF is Gerry smoking over in Tokyo?

What a weird piece of writing this is!

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.4060634

Sounds like he heard Schmidt was a bit miffed at Nacewa's 'criticism' (I use that term lightly!) and wrote this condescending nonsense.

Absolutely shocking. Can't believe they published that.

[Hippo]

Eir analysis esp with Flannery has been far superior to the RTE effort, but Eir match commentary has to be avoided because of Toland. Even Tremenjus is preferable.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I love the way Toland has flipped out at refereeing decisions but then either got the law wrong or had to ask what the law actually is

I think Lenihan is great but I can't stand Hugh Cahill. I rewatched last year's NZ game recently and he kept mentioning "Ciarán" Read. He hasn't a clue about the laws either which is odd considering he seems to play.

It's funny, I was never a fan of Ryle Nugent but having had to listen to Hugh, Connor Morris, and Dave McIntyre over the last couple of years I really enjoyed hearing him during the Leinster game the other day.

[Twist]

Dont get me started on Dave McIntyre. Again, I mean


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[hugonaut]

Eir analysis esp with Flannery has been far superior to the RTE effort, but Eir match commentary has to be avoided because of Toland. Even Tremenjus is preferable.

Tremenjus is a legend. I'd always watch whatever channel he's on – he's a very fair and obviously decent man whose love of the game is audible in his commentary. I think he's the best colour commentator covering Irish rugby by an absolute mile.