Ready, Steady Eddie.....Go

[Leinsterman]

100??!!!! FOCK!!!!!

OK, that's a phenomenal amount for a game .... dammit, he did extremely well in that case

EDIT: actually, that's not really surprising when you look at the number of tackles made in the game, you would expect that amount of rucks to be made from that amount of tackles......

[Flash Gordon]

Flash

12 point defeats are not hammerings.

As I've said at least twice on this thread already, I'm happy to see where this is going. The past is the past. Whether we should have got a new coach at the beginning of the season, I don't know. There's not a huge amount of decent coaches out there and there was no point changing just for the sake of changing. It would have to have been the right coach too. Anyway, if you're not willing to give Ireland a chance in this championship then that's your choice but if you do have access to any of the players please don't convey these thoughts. The players need the country behind them, not against them, and it seems that the team is geting damaged by all this anti-EOS stuff. It's not productive at the moment and I seriously believe that if we get to where I think we're very close to going then it'll be an impressive sight to behold.

If you have problems with EOS being in charge, write the IRFU and ask them why they gave him such a long contract. Why EOS should take all this flack for going about his business the way he always has I don't know. Anyway, I'm going to enjoy the highs and lows of the next month, whatever they be. After that we can take stock.

CM, we were hammered last weekend. No question. We got to 12 points because France couldn't be arsed and cleared their bench! I think if you ask winners like Drico or POC they will say the same. Anyway, I guess we'll have to agree to differ on this one.

As for the IRFU, these are the guys who knifed the guy who brought us from the deepest pit in Irish rugby history (the 90's) to beating England and France and ending joint top of the championship on points. They are also the guys who frittered away our fortune in the bank, managed us to losing 4million Euro a year, even though there isn't nearly enough supply to meet the demand for the product and left us with the worst stadium on the championship. They're incompetant. Completely useless.

Regarding the team, I watch Ireland home and away - have been going to the Paris game every year since 98 for example. I don't sit there hoping we're going to lose - I scream my lungs out for the lads. Criticism is for post match. But I have to say that ignoring the issues or dampening criticism in the name of "getting behind the lads" probably doesn't help the cause of progression in Irish rugby.....that's my view anyway....

[CM]

As for the IRFU, these are the guys who knifed the guy

How did they knife him? They just didn't renew his contract. They offerred him extra coaches which he refused and given that he'd already come out and publicly said that the Irish team were only ever going to beat the top 5 every now and then when they got lucky or pulled out a big performance, I for one am glad they didn't renew his contract. You seem to be quite happy to say that Gatland's record (which wasn't that great) in his final 2 years deserved better yet he had a drastically worse record than EOS has now (his success rate was something like 30% and we went 2 years winning only 1 match against a top 10 side).

As for getting behind the team. There's a time and a place for criticising the coach and that is not during the competition. It does no-one any good. Do it all you want after the comp but since we're still in with a good shout of winning the thing I can't understand why everyone feels the need to create acrimony in the camp when they've more important things to be concentrating on.

As for the French match, I've talked about this at length. You know where the posts are.

[harryp]

Lads you've been arguing this one since Monday on about 5 threads. I'm behind Flash on this one, but neither of ye are going to budge. Give it up.