Is Stockdale already Irelands best ever winger?

[Zyvis]

No.

He had a meteoric rise off the back of a superb platform laid by a team doing great and really going places.
Simple as that.
Great wingers turn gnarly, tight, awkward games on their own.
He is not in Hickey, Geoghegan, O'Reilly, Fitzgerald, Bowe territory yet.

[dropkick]

Another superb try to add to his list.

[blockhead]

No.

He had a meteoric rise off the back of a superb platform laid by a team doing great and really going places.
Simple as that.
Great wingers turn gnarly, tight, awkward games on their own.
He is not in Hickey, Geoghegan, O'Reilly, Fitzgerald, Bowe territory yet.

My original point was that this was exactly what Stockdale is doing.
BTW, to whom are you referring to when you say "Fitzgerald", Des?. It couldn't be 4 try Luke now surely.

[suisse]

Stockdale still has plenty to work on but every score Ireland get now seems to have Stockdale's fingerprints all over it. He's the best winger I can think of who makes things happen. He isn't just a finisher, bit he causes enough mayhem that allows someone else to score - like Conor Murray on Saturday.

I'm not going to talk about players before my time because I've only seen highlighted and selected footage on VHS, DVD and YouTube. But since my first game in 1991, the best wingers have been Geoghegan, Hickie (his name is always misspelt for some reason), Horgan, Bowe and even Andrew Trimble deserves a mention. Fitzgerald didn't score enough. Geordan Murphy was also a decent winger in the early 2000s. I loved Bowe. At his best, he was unbelievable. Hickie was lethal.. Stockdale is definitely heading to the top of the list but maybe he isn't there yet.

[Aird]

My abiding memory of Orielly was of what I believe was his final match for Ireland. I was working in London at the time and had been for a fairly liquid lunch on the Friday when we heard that Ireland were going to have a run out at the Honourable Artillery Company grounds in the heart of the city. So we decided to walk over to see the team. We had been there about five minutes when a big black Limo ( it looked like a funeral Car) drove up a path on the far side of the pitch.
The Chauffer got out complete with hat etc walked around to the rear of the car and opened the boot. He brought out a pair of rugby boots and then opened the back door of the Limo and reached them in to the car.
We were astounded to see Oreily step out of the car in his kit. He hadn’t played for Ireland all season and wasn’t supposed to be in the reckoning.
Ireland won the next day at Twickenham when Flynn intercepted in mid field to go over for a try.

[Aird]

Stockdale may not be the best ever wing for Ireland yet but he is certainly heading that way.
The comments by Luke Fitzgerald last week were totally out of order especailly coming from such an inconsitant performer as Fitzgerald.
Probably one of my all time favourites was Keith Crossan who always tried even when the odds were stacked against him.
How many times did you see Ringland heading for the line and seemingly all was lost when Crossan appeared out of nowhere to pop up at his elbow and vice verse.

[Oldschool]

My abiding memory of Orielly was of what I believe was his final match for Ireland. I was working in London at the time and had been for a fairly liquid lunch on the Friday when we heard that Ireland were going to have a run out at the Honourable Artillery Company grounds in the heart of the city. So we decided to walk over to see the team. We had been there about five minutes when a big black Limo ( it looked like a funeral Car) drove up a path on the far side of the pitch.
The Chauffer got out complete with hat etc walked around to the rear of the car and opened the boot. He brought out a pair of rugby boots and then opened the back door of the Limo and reached them in to the car.
We were astounded to see Oreily step out of the car in his kit. He hadn’t played for Ireland all season and wasn’t supposed to be in the reckoning.
Ireland won the next day at Twickenham when Flynn intercepted in mid field to go over for a try.

I suspect the Flynn try was a later game.
I think O'Reilly was retired and was called into the team late because of injury.
Basically he was doing the IRFU a favour cos they were too tight to pay for an airfare for a replacement winger.
Allegedly he got a fair bit of slagging off during the match too.
One story goes that he was hit a box during the match and some wag (not the wife or the girlfriend)) let out a roar "don't forget to give his chauffeur one too"

[johng]

O'Reilly 1970 Flynn 1972.

[olaf the fat]

I suspect the Flynn try was a later game.
I think O'Reilly was retired and was called into the team late because of injury.
Basically he was doing the IRFU a favour cos they were too tight to pay for an airfare for a replacement winger.
Allegedly he got a fair bit of slagging off during the match too.
One story goes that he was hit a box during the match and some wag (not the wife or the girlfriend)) let out a roar "don't forget to give his chauffeur one too"

when a wag was a wag - oh, better times..

[Ruckedtobits]

O'Reilly was called in on Valentine's Day 1970, when Bill Browne of Malone cried off on the Friday. Despite uncapped, but top Leinster tryscorer Eddie Coleman, being listed on the substitutes, the Big Five (Irish Selectors) summoned O'Reilly, who was a member of London Irish at the time, as well as Old Belvo. He hadn't played a senior rugby match since before Christmas and looked overweight. He was regularly slagged during the game by Irish supporters. The Big Five were attacked in various newspaper columns after the game.

England won the match 9-3 through the kicking of Bob Hiller, their big full-back who kicked two extraordinary drop-goals to Tom Kiernan' penalty.

It was an outrageous selection and many Irish fans were glad we were beaten. O'Reilly made a number of mistakes and contributed nothing positive. Coleman was never subsequently capped, despite scoring more than 30 tries three years in a row for his Club Terenure.

Irish rugby was in the amateur era and coached by Their first Coach Ronnie Dawson. Immediately afterwards it was said that Ray McGloughlin approached Dawson and insisted everything was done more professionally.

[backrower8]

O'Reilly was called in on Valentine's Day 1970, when Bill Browne of Malone cried off on the Friday. Despite uncapped, but top Leinster tryscorer Eddie Coleman, being listed on the substitutes, the Big Five (Irish Selectors) summoned O'Reilly, who was a member of London Irish at the time, as well as Old Belvo. He hadn't played a senior rugby match since before Christmas and looked overweight. He was regularly slagged during the game by Irish supporters. The Big Five were attacked in various newspaper columns after the game.

England won the match 9-3 through the kicking of Bob Hiller, their big full-back who kicked two extraordinary drop-goals to Tom Kiernan' penalty.

It was an outrageous selection and many Irish fans were glad we were beaten. O'Reilly made a number of mistakes and contributed nothing positive. Coleman was never subsequently capped, despite scoring more than 30 tries three years in a row for his Club Terenure.

Irish rugby was in the amateur era and coached by Their first Coach Ronnie Dawson. Immediately afterwards it was said that Ray McGloughlin approached Dawson and insisted everything was done more professionally.

I hadn't heard that of Ray McLoughlin before. He was that way inclined though and played a significant part on the 1971 Lions tour, coached by Carwyn James, in preparing the forwards. The man could prop either side of the scrum and is underappreciated nowadays in terms of his contribution to the sport.

Not that he was put on a pedastel in his club Blackrock RFC either. In the Shelbourne on the eve of an Ireland v New Zealand match in 1973 a fellow Blackrock clubman, Jack Moran, was having a few pints with everyone else and he came across the young Kent Lambert (21) who was scrummaging against McLoughlin (32) the next day. Moran told the young prop not to worry as he, Jack, screwed McLoughlin at 1sts vs 2nds scrum practice every Tuesday in Stradbrook...which was half true! It is telling on many levels to read what Lambert had to say about facing McLoughlin and the strains of being an amateur in the 70s:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/ar ... d=10127948

[blockhead]

BUMP!

[Jackie Brown]

BUMP!

Nice. I wonder how the Dublin media would be treating Ringrose over his brutal clearance attempts if Ulster had won.

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[Avenger]

He messed up scoring the non try but he was exceptional yesterday. My heart was in my mouth every time he had the ball.

[Logorrhea]

He messed up scoring the non try but he was exceptional yesterday. My heart was in my mouth every time he had the ball.

Totally agree. Dominated Adam Byrne, who wasnt poor in the air himself, and looked like making something happen everytime he touched the ball.

[ronk]

BUMP!

Nice. I wonder how the Dublin media would be treating Ringrose over his brutal clearance attempts if Ulster had won.

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They'd probably have been ok. If it had been Kearney maybe not.

Stockdale made a mistake but it wasn't hubris. It was just a mistake, he's too likeable and genuine for shadenfreude He holds himself to a high standard. Hopefully this will make him better.

[fourthirtythree]

You could over stress him being the losing of the match. Ulster were out on their feet at the end, had we needed a try i would be confident we could have got it. He was a huge part in Ulster nearly winning the match.

[TrapperChamonix]

BUMP!

Nice. I wonder how the Dublin media would be treating Ringrose over his brutal clearance attempts if Ulster had won.

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What would we be saying if Strettle or Maitland did similar for Saracens? I would certainly saying, why does it have to happen to the individual before they " learn the lesson" ? Can Freddy Burns not learn from his team mate earlier in the season? Does the Freddy Burns episode not cause all players to re think how they ground the ball.
Its a pity because Stockdale was the outstanding player on the field

[olaf the fat]

He may not have grounded the ball - but what he did to get over the line in the first place was sensational.

Ball slipped out of his hand, that's life lads. Nobody's bashing Cooney over missing his sitter either.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Agreed. He messed up but it's not like he was trying to be flash or anything. It'd be different if he did an Ashton dive and spilled it, although I do hope he changes his technique now, it's worried me before. I remember a couple of games where it was pretty wet and he did the same thing, didn't like that at all.