(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post
well it seems it isnt just their ranking as to why you dont like them keeper..but the reality is the soccer team have achieved more than the rugby team in world cups and thats a fact despite a far more difficult field...the soccer team has regularly punched above its weight for years in soccer and i dont see how anybody could not be proud of them considering some of their achievements fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 04/03/2015 12:15:49 1699094 Link 0 |
04/03/2015 12:10:37 janesboro (Limerick) - Posts: 1502 - 04/03/2015 12:24:46 1699100 Link 0 |
valley84 janesboro (Limerick) - Posts: 1502 - 04/03/2015 12:26:13 1699103 Link 0 |
the pacific islands can sometimes be good but they lose so many players to other countries and the more structured and defensive rugby is getting is going to do them no favours..the ease in which players qualify for other countries doesnt help..the irb are biased against them as evidenced by the scheduling of their games in their world cup group last time round compared to wales or south africa..they dont want them to succeed fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 04/03/2015 12:40:16 1699109 Link 0 |
If some people don't like rugby, that's fine, but why do they feel the need to run down the sport? The criticism that rugby is only played at the highest level by 10 or so teams can equally well be levelled against hurling - so what? Americans certainly couldn't give a damn that the rest of the world is neither much good at, nor all that interested in, their 2 most popular sports of baseball and football. Like many GAA fans, I was delighted with the rugby team's win and am hoping they complete the grand slam and go far in the world cup. Gaillimh_Abu (Galway) - Posts: 996 - 04/03/2015 13:47:55 1699138 Link 0 |
It amazes me why so many on this forum negate the talent we have for rugby by comments on it being a minority sport et cetera. Strip it down, it really doesn't matter. When our nation excels at something, aside from political incompetence, we should take pride in it. Rugby is a sport that many in this country follow, enjoy and play….and it continues to grow. seanfinn (Monaghan) - Posts: 360 - 04/03/2015 13:53:43 1699139 Link 0 |
Tommy, Robbie, Zebo et al are the best marketing materials the GAA could have. You hear the foreign press on about how Ireland can play the tactics they do because of all the Gaelic Footballers in their ranks. I for one am proud of this fact and yes the skills you learn playing Gaelic certainly help in rugby and what you learn in rugby does not necessarily suit a 15 a side game but does a smaller sided game like 7s. In Gaelic your hands are constantly always on the ball so your hand to eye is trained from an early age. Timing the flight of a ball for a catch, space awareness all are become natural skills much earlier in Gaelic than many other sports. The Duffy one is funny - Mayo contested two All Ireland is a row i.e. the second best team in the country and here is a lad who hadn't played in how many years and lads expected him to get into the team - how many County minors from his year group were still playing on the Mayo team? however saying that I am sure he would have got on quite a few county teams. zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1805 - 04/03/2015 15:48:12 1699181 Link 0 |
Fabio, keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 04/03/2015 17:33:12 1699227 Link 0 |
seanfinn flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 04/03/2015 18:05:15 1699243 Link 0 |
at the moment but the fact remains we have achieved a lot more in soccer in worlds cups than we have in rugby..in rugby we have achieved nothing..the rugby world cup groups are generally terrible..look how bad our world cup group this time is for instance...we are top 10 in rugby by default..why are my posts not being allowed through? fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 04/03/2015 18:20:19 1699250 Link 0 |
@flack....Its just Ireland. Only the soccer team has the confusing name. Horan made comments around Duffy's fitness not skill. Nothing nice about it. He was complementing his professionalism and fitness if anything he strayed away from the football skills. As i said, there would be no way he could match a season intercounty player, that is obvious. He was fit enough, just not enough practice. Remember he was not eligible to play until January of this year. seanfinn (Monaghan) - Posts: 360 - 04/03/2015 18:51:32 1699260 Link 0 |
Subject seems to have strayed way off topic but while we're there I have to strongly disagree with you fabio when you say it's a disgrace that Ireland have fallen to 67 or whatever, in FIFA ranking. Not at all -- it's just a reflection of reality and is the kind of level at which an Irish soccer team should expect to be rated. The Charlton era was a blip due to all the quality players playing for Ireland at the same time. Today our players range from moderately good to ordinary to mediocre. They have reached the level where they deserve to be. We will never again see an Irish soccer team ranked in the top 20 because it's unlikely we will ever again have that number of quality players available to us. The change in structure of English soccer -- mainly the development of the Premiership--means that Irish soccer is destined to be permanently in the doldrums. The top clubs dont develop young players anymore --they buy in top international stars tostead of developing raw talent. It is why young Irish players tend to end up in the lower leagues and why so few of them of any quality make it in the Premiership with the better clubs. This has a very negative effect on the fortunes of our international team PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1904 - 04/03/2015 19:15:05 1699269 Link 0 |
Subject seems to have strayed way off topic but while we're there I have to strongly disagree with you fabio when you say it's a disgrace that Ireland have fallen to 67 or whatever, in FIFA ranking. Not at all -- it's just a reflection of reality and is the kind of level at which an Irish soccer team should expect to be rated. The Charlton era was a blip due to all the quality players playing for Ireland at the same time. Today our players range from moderately good to ordinary to mediocre. They have reached the level where they deserve to be. We will never again see an Irish soccer team ranked in the top 20 because it's unlikely we will ever again have that number of quality players available to us. The change in structure of English soccer -- mainly the development of the Premiership--means that Irish soccer is destined to be permanently in the doldrums. The top clubs dont develop young players anymore --they buy in top international stars tostead of developing raw talent. It is why young Irish players tend to end up in the lower leagues and why so few of them of any quality make it in the Premiership with the better clubs. This has a very negative effect on the fortunes of our international team PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1904 - 04/03/2015 19:17:30 1699270 Link 0 |