If an FA Cup final between Liverpool & Man Utd, a Heineken Cup final between Leinster & Munster, and an All Ireland final between Dublin and whoever were all on at the same time and on the same day, I'm pretty confident that Páirc an Chrócaigh would still be a sell out and that there would be a sea of blue in the stands.

Wests_Awake (Galway) - Posts: 877 - 19/12/2013 10:26:24    1525184

18/12/2013 21:37:10 Joxer
Agree with Seany and Flack above. Ormond - if you reread my post you will see that I listed sports that I have played, rugby included, and yes I have on the odd occasion attended the RDS with friends who are into Leinster, more for the pints than the spectacle I hasten to add but you have to know the rules to spar with these guys, including 'coming through the gate' and the various forms of offside, what constitutes binding and what doesn't and so on.
I'm not trolling by calling it a game of glorified tip chasing. The comparison is valid I believe. You again state that avoiding tackles requires great skill. Perhaps you mean athleticism or body flexibility. There are two technical skills in rugby, throwing the ball (passing, line out and put-in) and kicking. Both hurling and soccer are far more technical and require greater skill to master. That's an indisputable fact IMO but again just my opinion and you are entitled to yours.
By the way better to try debating the topic with valid arguments than to resort to attempting to belittle other posters with comments like 'have you ever played rugby' or 'do you know anything about rugby'. I believe that you are as that is a very ignorant and arrogant thing to say especially about something you played.
What are the additional technical skills that exist in gaelic and soccer and don't exist in rugby?

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 19/12/2013 11:49:13    1525225

Dozens of different ways to kick a rugby ball too Jimbo , just watch O'Gara in his prime and of course its far easier to kick a round ball accurately than an oval one. There is a much wider skill set in rugby in my experience.
As for passing a rugby ball easy , don't be silly now. The hand pass in Gaelic football is hardly rocket science!

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4655 - 19/12/2013 12:20:05    1525233

ormondbannerman
It isn't. Its what trolls use to call me. Ormond is what my nickname is ormondbannerman is my full name.
And I have been sticking to the topic.

Well I wouldn't exactly say going on about which sport is more skill full is sticking to the topic now would you?
ormondbannerman is not your full name and if it is your parents must have been taking the mick. If only trolls call you Ormo then half this site are trolls. But we all know that's not true. Ormo has a ring to it and is short, hence why people call you that. Not happy with it then post your real name on here like me.

And while we're off topic I agree that hurling is the most skill sport being disused on here but disagree that Rugby is more skillful then Football. Bad Monkey keeps going on about the fly half or the quarter back but ignores it's only 1 small part of the team. Most of the harder skills in Gaelic have to be learned by everyone on the pitch. Most Rugby players don't need to be good at kicking.

Rugby you mainly have to charge with the ball in hand when you have it. In Football you have to attack with the ball but you must solo it and hop it. I find passing in Gaelic much harder than in Rugby as in Gaelic the defenders can be anywhere but in Rugby 90% of the time they are all on the same side making it a lot easier. And as I said everyone on a Gaelic pitch have to be good at kicking the ball whether it's to pass it or to score. I know you love Rugby and don't really like Football so I don't expect you to agree but having played a lot of both sports I'd easily say Football was the hardest. As long as my strength and conditioning was up to scratch I never had any problems performing at a high level in Rugby but no matter how fit I was I always had those months or even years where nothing in Gaelic would go right for me and unlike in Rugby if my kicking wasn't up to scratch I could survive as a wing/Centre and occasionally even in the Flanker position.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 19/12/2013 15:45:25    1525342

Matt Gallagher didnt kick a ball and he won an All Star ! :)
Great skill in them all but I would stick to hurling, rugby, soccer, football in that order but each to their own

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4655 - 19/12/2013 16:08:48    1525352

At least Dublin football and Leinster rugby are both Irish. Dublin hurling had only a tiny support until 2 years ago and is still not big enough to even warrant being discussed in the same breadth, but again at least they're Irish. What I cannot aide is the bandwagonners on English soccer teams success, and it's almost always the same 3 or 4 English teams that these people try to claim umbilical attachment to. The vast majority couldn't care less about Irish soccer and have never in their lives darkened the door of an Irish soccer club but hop on the olé ole bandwagon when the national team gets some success (How many of the crowd who went to Poland last year have been at a game since? Most haven't I dare say). Before anyone starts, Dublin is not alone in having these gobdaws, they are all over the country and Cork has more than it's fair share of them as well.

KeyserSoze (Cork) - Posts: 363 - 19/12/2013 16:19:23    1525356

bad.monkey
County: USA
Posts: 3651

1525233 Dozens of different ways to kick a rugby ball too Jimbo , just watch O'Gara in his prime and of course its far easier to kick a round ball accurately than an oval one. There is a much wider skill set in rugby in my experience.
As for passing a rugby ball easy , don't be silly now. The hand pass in Gaelic football is hardly rocket science!

Tell the truth bold monkey ye never played Gaa before but would like too :)

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 19/12/2013 16:33:20    1525362

bad.monkey
County: USA
Posts: 3651

1525233 Dozens of different ways to kick a rugby ball too Jimbo , just watch O'Gara in his prime and of course its far easier to kick a round ball accurately than an oval one.
_________

How many players actually have to kick a ball in such a way though in a rugby team...?

Well a round ball is obviously very hard to kick Bad Monkey

Just look at professional soccer players...

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 19/12/2013 16:39:49    1525364

5 players usually Jimbo 9&10 and the back 3. Of course there are different skills for different positions in rugby same as football - goalkeeper , midfielder , corner forward - very different skills required. Probably going around in circles here now. As for your chest high flick up off the ground..get away, hardly an essential skill in Gaelic , don't recall Francie Bellew pulling that one off and he managed to get by

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4655 - 19/12/2013 16:55:57    1525372

The fact that you can take up rugby for the first time when you are 18, 20 or even 22 and still become top international class like many players have tells you how much skill is involved in the game. Most other sports you are probably too late taking it up when you are 10! It was a simple game designed so everybody can play it, from the small, fast lad to the slow, heavy fella. However since it became professional, at the top level the small, fast lad is no longer much use as the comparison between the size of the average player in 1995 versus the average current player at international level shows. Interestingly at the top level the average rugby player is either standing or walking for 70% of the game, I have played with a few corner forwards who should have thought about trying their luck with the oval ball!

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 19/12/2013 16:57:26    1525373

Tell the truth bold monkey ye never played Gaa before but would like too :)

I'll tell you AthCliath either some of the lads here were the worst footballers in the parish or I was some naturally gifted player! Hopping the ball while running - a great skill apparently!!...would you get away out of it!!

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4655 - 19/12/2013 17:01:34    1525375

19/12/2013 15:45:25 Jack_Goff
Well I wouldn't exactly say going on about which sport is more skill full is sticking to the topic now would you?
ormondbannerman is not your full name and if it is your parents must have been taking the mick. If only trolls call you Ormo then half this site are trolls. But we all know that's not true. Ormo has a ring to it and is short, hence why people call you that. Not happy with it then post your real name on here like me.
And while we're off topic I agree that hurling is the most skill sport being disused on here but disagree that Rugby is more skillful then Football. Bad Monkey keeps going on about the fly half or the quarter back but ignores it's only 1 small part of the team. Most of the harder skills in Gaelic have to be learned by everyone on the pitch. Most Rugby players don't need to be good at kicking.
Rugby you mainly have to charge with the ball in hand when you have it. In Football you have to attack with the ball but you must solo it and hop it. I find passing in Gaelic much harder than in Rugby as in Gaelic the defenders can be anywhere but in Rugby 90% of the time they are all on the same side making it a lot easier. And as I said everyone on a Gaelic pitch have to be good at kicking the ball whether it's to pass it or to score. I know you love Rugby and don't really like Football so I don't expect you to agree but having played a lot of both sports I'd easily say Football was the hardest. As long as my strength and conditioning was up to scratch I never had any problems performing at a high level in Rugby but no matter how fit I was I always had those months or even years where nothing in Gaelic would go right for me and unlike in Rugby if my kicking wasn't up to scratch I could survive as a wing/Centre and occasionally even in the Flanker position.
Well all players aspiring to be pros have to be able to kick and that includes props tight 5 etc. Most can kick but generally in games don't as they are the tight 5 and are in at breakdown and give the ball to those who are better kickers and in better positions which the backs will be.
WRT my name Ormondbannerman is my name but its too long so Ormond will do. Ormond makes sense, its where im from/living and part of the name of my rugby club. Ormo is nothing. Isnt a real word. Means nothing.
I find passing In rugby much more difficult due to how you get tackled compared to gaelic. Passing an oval ball much more difficult than round ball.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 19/12/2013 17:03:35    1525376

Is curling more skilful than hurling????I reckon any county council worker in the country could do the brushing thing.Its a wonder we never gave it a crack at Olympic level?

juniorbsub (Wexford) - Posts: 646 - 19/12/2013 17:04:52    1525378

To put this in context lads, if you cant hurl by the time you are 16, you COULD pick it up....but not be a county hurler or even a senior club player.

You could begin playing Gaelic football at 16, if you were playing soccer, you might even be decent at it. Might even make senior standard for your club.

Rugby - John Hayes - Enough said, anybody could play rugby, and if you can do a jinky turn you are Brian O'Driscoll!!!

To play any of the above sports and then expect to make it as a top Junior Soccer Player, represent your league even as an adult...nevermind be a top player and play League of Ireland or go to England to play......you would be a freak of nature unless you started as a young kid.

Rugby/Gaelic Football Players/Hurlers cannot make it at soccer without playing fully underage from Childhood. Yeah you could play indoor soccer and play Saturday soccer.....but you would never be of a high enough standard.

So in terms of Skill, and Ive been playing both soccer and gaelic football my whole life, I would have to say soccer and hurling would be the top two. I would put soccer slightly on top as you do EVERYTHING with your hands from childhood so hand eye coordination is far more developed than footeye coordination unless you really practice it.

I know people will disagree, but that's life!

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 19/12/2013 17:17:56    1525385

Ormsy baby,
Ive watched many a rugger game and Ive never seen a prop forward drop a goal from outside the 22!

juniorbsub (Wexford) - Posts: 646 - 19/12/2013 17:22:13    1525388

19/12/2013 16:57:26 Soma
The fact that you can take up rugby for the first time when you are 18, 20 or even 22 and still become top international class like many players have tells you how much skill is involved in the game. Most other sports you are probably too late taking it up when you are 10! It was a simple game designed so everybody can play it, from the small, fast lad to the slow, heavy fella. However since it became professional, at the top level the small, fast lad is no longer much use as the comparison between the size of the average player in 1995 versus the average current player at international level shows. Interestingly at the top level the average rugby player is either standing or walking for 70% of the game, I have played with a few corner forwards who should have thought about trying their luck with the oval ball! 99% of those who took up sport that late are either genetic freaks or top athletes from other sports so were fast tracked.. John Hayes in early 1990s as a 20 year old took up the sport for first time with Bruff. Went into the top club side in the country and trained and played away with them. He is a 6'3 20+ stone man and one of a few who could comfortably do 1 man lifts on second rows in open play, lineouts.
You could play senior hurling/soccer/gaelic at 16, not that possible in rugby. You can play at a higher level younger in other sports due to physicality and the physicality of rugby means those with physical attributes can go far even taking on sport seriously in late teens and many of those who take up sport are generally talented athletes in other sports. Tom Court field sports in athletics, shot put mainly.
The small fast player is very much much use in game now with o driscoll etc the foremost player of that vintage. Players will always get bigger if training more and playing more.
You are constantly moving in rugby. Moving up down pitch and moving however slow but also doing considerable physical work unlike most other major sports here

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 19/12/2013 17:36:59    1525395

Have to disagree Bad Monkey

It's quite essential at times not all the time but the best of the best portray such skill at important times

All GAA footballers have to use said skills Bad Monkey

Every single one of them... so for me that shows a much higher level of necessary skills even to just control a ball in football compared to Rugby

For me that shows an advanced level of skill

Don't get me started on scoring... to shape your foot in such a way when being tackled, a flick, a curl, a full blast, a lob, keeping t low, keeping it high, sending the keeper the wrong way

Compared to falling over a line...?

Sure there's skill in shaping your body in order to touch the ball down but again I don't think that comes near to the above

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 19/12/2013 17:40:19    1525398

Also on the shape of the ball...

Look at the AFL Lads trying to kick a round ball after kicking an oval one in their chosen sport

It's far from easy

Sure GAA players would struggle to kick an oval ball... same applies the other way around.

Proven by the AFL lads...

Nothing easy about it whatsoever... again... look at professional soccer players missing from 5 yards...week in and week out

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 19/12/2013 17:43:10    1525400

Zinzan Brook the prop scored a few drop goals at international level.

Interesting this rugby prop forward picked up Gaelic football after he retired from rugby and somehow managed to pick up the skills very quickly. He ended up playing midfield with Jim Stynes for the Australasian All-Stars. ;) ha

link

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4655 - 19/12/2013 17:47:40    1525402

He was very much an exception bad.monkey..Played a bit off football too if remember correctly?

juniorbsub (Wexford) - Posts: 646 - 19/12/2013 17:53:35    1525407