None. Terrific youth structure. They're quite possibly the next Brazil.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 03/03/2015 15:43:27    1698776

03/03/2015 15:36:46 mike03
Fair play to Henshaw but it's a lot easier to compete at the top level in a minority sport. There are more decent inter county football teams than there are decent international teams. There are 4 teams in Europe, 3 in the Southern Hemisphere. Then you have 2 or 3 half decent teams who can compete at least. And then you have the rest.

I will save Mr Bold the hassle of mentioning the mighty Georgia or Romania but saying they are strong in the same way Limerick and Clare are strong at football....... Why so bitter and no need to personally abuse me.
Why the bitter, illinformed posts about rugby. Usual uninformed posts about rugby.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 03/03/2015 17:18:28    1698836

football first
Gavin Duffy's failure to make any impression with Mayo (despite the hype) is another indication that the skill levels in rugby are way below what's required to play Gaelic football. It also helps to undermine Pat Spillane's contention that he could put together a random group of fit lads and get them to compete at inter-county level. Gaelic football is more more skillful than the begrudgers admit.

In fairness to the guy, after a game against clare, the clare manager stated duffy would start for most intercounty teams in the country. Spillane said he could get a team to compete, not challenge for all Irelands 3 out of the last 4 years like mayo have... People should cut him some slack. He turned down pro contracts in England to throw his lot in with mayo. All credit to him I say.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 03/03/2015 17:32:59    1698842

You bring it on yourself Ormy with your attempts to say rugby is more than a 10 team sport at international level. And at that I'm being generous by saying 10.

If you stop making so many extraordinary comments about how huge rugby is in the world then maybe you can be taken seriously. But until then........

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 03/03/2015 17:33:04    1698843

if you read my post correctly janesboro instead of rushing to disagree you will notice i said he was way off the pace at inter county level...this is underage inter county level..he was completely roasted and not up to it.....the rugby team is a top 10 side by default...referring to irelands ranking in soccer shows your lack of knowledge of soccer keeper considering the level of competitiveness in soccer that exists...you will notice our soccer team has achieved a lot more in the world cup than our rugby side despite having a much more difficult opposition?

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 03/03/2015 19:07:46    1698896

there are fairly good relations between the codes of GAA, Football and Rugby at the moment. That can change though. Relentless media hype about Rugby and to a lesser degree football will affect matters. There is no question about that. Good luck to Irish Rugby but GAA must put it's own fans and players first- regardless of what the media and Business peoples say.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2520 - 03/03/2015 19:13:27    1698902

The thing with rugby is that there is a position for every shape and size of an athlete unlike GAA or soccer where you must be of a certain level where pace/power is now so important.
In reality statically one has a better chance of making the ireland rugby team than the dublin GAA football team or to be a premiership footballer. That is a fact.
So if you are young and want to be a PRO sports athlete then get your hands on an oval ball and kick the o'neills and Adidas ball to touch!

Redslayer (Westmeath) - Posts: 100 - 03/03/2015 19:31:17    1698918

if you read my post correctly you would have noticed i said inter county level that he wasnt up to..and this was only underage...keeper your showing your lack of knowledge of soccer if you are belittling their ranking..look how competitive the sport is nationwide and somehow our soccer players have managed to do more in the world cup than our rugby counterparts!...in rugby we are top 10 by default

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 03/03/2015 19:55:29    1698933

The reference to duffy saying he couldn't make it in football because its more skillfull than rugby is the most stupid thing i've ever heard. by that logic any of the top footballs could walk onto the irish rugby team...

Are you saying murray or sexton or Bowe or kearney etc are not skillfull? Not to mention the athleticism required at top level rugby.. they are freaks of nature!

blackspot91 (Limerick) - Posts: 1055 - 03/03/2015 19:56:18    1698934

It makes no sense to say Duffy couldn't make it with Mayo because football is more skillful.. by that logic the top footballers could walk on to the irish rugby team...

If he struggles its for the same reason the aussies struggle in the international rules.. The different shaped ball, along with having to adapt the the other very DIFFERENT skills..

You can hardly say sexton murray kearney etc aren't skillfull? the athleticism required for international rugby in extraordinary.. there freaks on nature!

blackspot91 (Limerick) - Posts: 1055 - 03/03/2015 20:15:31    1698944

Football first, I think the programme Celebrity Banisteoir proved that Pat Spillane was right. A couple of months training and a group of rag tag footballers were coached enough to give a good account of themselves again Kerry in a challenge match. They would have been on a par with any division 3 team.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1904 - 03/03/2015 20:37:55    1698954

sorry I thought my first comment was blocked so I wrote it a second time less aggressively! :)

blackspot91 (Limerick) - Posts: 1055 - 03/03/2015 21:00:35    1698965

you mean kieran donaghy?..some rag tag footballer he was..i wonder what happened him after...

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 03/03/2015 21:05:54    1698967

03/03/2015 17:33:04 mike03
You bring it on yourself Ormy with your attempts to say rugby is more than a 10 team sport at international level. And at that I'm being generous by saying 10.
If you stop making so many extraordinary comments about how huge rugby is in the world then maybe you can be taken seriously. But until then........ If you think there is only 10 teams name the 10. And quit with the name calling
You have some gall to call me out when you are name calling. Are ignorant of many top rugby nations etc etc
03/03/2015 19:07:46 fabio8
if you read my post correctly janesboro instead of rushing to disagree you will notice i said he was way off the pace at inter county level...this is underage inter county level..he was completely roasted and not up to it.....the rugby team is a top 10 side by default...referring to irelands ranking in soccer shows your lack of knowledge of soccer keeper considering the level of competitiveness in soccer that exists...you will notice our soccer team has achieved a lot more in the world cup than our rugby side despite having a much more difficult opposition? How exactly are Ireland a top 10 team by default? Ecplain that
03/03/2015 19:13:27 galwayford
there are fairly good relations between the codes of GAA, Football and Rugby at the moment. That can change though. Relentless media hype about Rugby and to a lesser degree football will affect matters. There is no question about that. Good luck to Irish Rugby but GAA must put it's own fans and players first- regardless of what the media and Business peoples say. Relentless media hype. I wise. GAA does put itself first and media/business people don't say anything otherwise. What business and media people are you referring to BTW?

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 03/03/2015 21:38:09    1698986

So we should be proud of being ranked 67th???

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 03/03/2015 22:00:00    1698999

Fair play to the rugby lads
But so few countries play rugby to a high level that you have to measure it against that.
More countries play basketball, volleyball, team handball but we are muck at those sports.

Its the same with GAA.
Win an All Ireland - well done, but how tough was the actual competition?

valley84 (Westmeath) - Posts: 1890 - 04/03/2015 08:06:34    1699001

Simple to name the ten, 6 Nations in Europe, OZ NZ SA and Argentina. So you have just one country of note in each of the entire American and African continents with none at all in Asia. Hardly a world wide sport.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4323 - 04/03/2015 09:21:29    1699018

04/03/2015 09:21:29
Oldtourman
Simple to name the ten, 6 Nations in Europe, OZ NZ SA and Argentina. So you have just one country of note in each of the entire American and African continents with none at all in Asia. Hardly a world wide sport. There is more than that but whats the point in naming any of them when you and others will just scoff, say theyre not a country of note...

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 04/03/2015 11:31:51    1699071

whats the point of saying there is more than 10 when theres not?..who else is there?..sure you will start trying to claim the likes of georgia and romania matter...people who take shots at our soccer teams ranking have no idea how tough it is in soccer to be on the elite level especially if you are in europe or south america...in rugby scotland have always been a top 10 side no matter how terrible theyv been over the last number of years and that says it all really..there is no depth in rugby...the 6 nations sides the 4 in the southern hemisphere and thats it really

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 04/03/2015 12:10:37    1699091

03/03/2015 19:56:18
blackspot91
County: Limerick
Posts: 131

1698934
...Not to mention the athleticism required at top level rugby.. they are freaks of nature!

No doubt about it, going by this evidence from 'Belvo':

http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2125005.1425420614!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_620_330/image.jpg

an tseabhac (Kerry) - Posts: 441 - 04/03/2015 12:15:09    1699092