Well then a million people watched Ireland play rubbish

I think even the most green eyed rugby supporter is wise enough to realise that we don't stand a chance in winning this WC

The chances of having such a massive uplift in performance from the Italian game to then go onto win it outright - having to beat the top rugby teams in the world before even getting to a final... never mind winning the final

Very slim. Ireland's performance against Italy (The only half decent team they played)is very worrying

They'll have to significantly improve to even compete with France

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 06/10/2015 13:21:12    1796350

Who cares?????

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 06/10/2015 13:30:42    1796360

"I think even the most green eyed rugby supporter is wise enough to realise that we don't stand a chance in winning this WC"

Maybe but no one predicted a SA win in 95, the french to reach the final and lose very narroly in 11, japan to beat SA this year, samoa to beat wales. People were writing us off after the 2 friendlies before the game. looks at joes record.....it speaks for itself. He is in this to win and nothing else

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 06/10/2015 13:56:43    1796379

"Well then a million people watched Ireland play rubbish"

Beauty of sport is we dont know whats goiong to happen before hand. Isnt that why we watch?

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 06/10/2015 13:57:23    1796380

"Who cares?????"

Im no mind reader but id guess the people discussing it care. Crazy I know!!!

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 06/10/2015 14:01:13    1796385

" They'll have to significantly improve to even compete with France "


Of course and dont you think we will improve? I doubt the players and staff will be sitting back saying "ah sure lads we will do the same as last week"

You would struggle to find any team who hasnt had a few bad world cup games. look at france in 2011. Lost 2 of their group games, then beat england by 9 and wales by 1 before reaching a final. Its all about peaki9ng at the right time (i should know being a derry fan ha ha)

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 06/10/2015 14:03:49    1796388

Well don't blame me, I wasn't one of the viewers, in fact if they were playing in my back garden, I'd close over the curtains.

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 06/10/2015 14:15:36    1796398

Thats a very elitist attitude flack :)

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 06/10/2015 14:29:47    1796409

I had Ireland as my 4th choice pre tournament, behind NZ, OZ and SA. Still have a chance of getting to the semi and if they do all bets are off.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7902 - 06/10/2015 14:42:46    1796419

I enjoy rugby, particularly the discipline it encourages; the respect shown to the ref is a lesson for all other sports. But it's not really a World Cup, is it? More a Cup between the British ex-colonies, with a few exceptions

befair (Down) - Posts: 237 - 06/10/2015 15:02:44    1796434

"But it's not really a World Cup, is it? More a Cup between the British ex-colonies, with a few exceptions"

Few points.

Japan broke the Tv record for people watching a match last week. 25 million.

102 nations are in the qualifying. Up from 16 in 1987

4 different winners from 6 previous tournament. Compared to the football world cup 5 from 6 so its still pretty competitive

rugby world cup 15 49,824 per match, last football world cup 53,592 per match but rugby should increase when the groups are over

3 biggest sporting event in the world (way ahead of the commonwealth games which is the British ex-colonies games)



And to be fair the brits controlled a third of the world so you would expect any world cup to have roughly 33% of teams as ex colonies. I think its 8 out of 10 for the rugby so not much higher

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 06/10/2015 15:46:36    1796453

Comparing it with the soccer World Cup is ridiculous, soccer is played by almost every country, with high numbers playing in each country. Only countries with high%players are Wales, South Africa (whites) + New Zealand. Nothing wrong with it being a Cup for ex-colonies BTW, cricket is similar

befair (Down) - Posts: 237 - 06/10/2015 17:11:09    1796489

06/10/2015 10:33:52 rcarragh
I have a problem with rugby. Number one problem is I think it's rubbish to watch, 2: it's extremely dangerous, 3: it's elitist, primarily played in private schools and by the children of those who are pathetically trying to drag themselves up the social ladder. Yeah sure you can play junior rugby and maybe you'll get cherry-picked for a bigger club but that's the exception. 4: Irish rugby is primarily at the beck and call of the RFU, with the IRFU basically a lapdog to the RFU. It was pathetic watching Keith Wood "being sad" when England got the bum's rush out of the WC at the weekend, or a few years ago, listening to Eddie O'Sullivan wish England well when playing France - two European teams playing, why support one above the other? And if you were why would you support the one that destroyed us? This is why Ireland are losers, Australia show no respect, maybe that's why they are winners. 5: When the English and French clubs want to change the competitions to suit themselves, they do and poor old Ireland have to follow. And lastly 6: the highest honour for an Irish rugby player - representing the British Lions (I'm sure the everyone knowns that only Irish people call them the British & Irish Lions). Not Ireland but some sort of greater Britain. It's not just sport: this is the ethos behind the union game. And maybe one more, as someone above said, it's the indo's number one game, that should be enough to put anyone off. Skin crawlingly, cringeworthy awful stuff. Hurling is potentially dangerous. Gaelic is potentially dangerous. Rugby is potentially dangerous. To say its extremely dangerous as a sport shows a lack of understanding of the sport. You have never really played or been involved in the sport if you think its extremely dangerous.
To say its a sport primarily played in private schools is completely wrong and again shows a lack of knowledge about the sport nationally.
The IRFU is in no way at the beck and call of the English Union. In what way is it? Examples backed up by links please???
It isn't the British Lions. Its British and Irish Lions and considering the history of the Lions and the sport and your lack of knowledge/interest in the sport of course you will dismiss the Lions....
06/10/2015 12:31:42 Greengrass
Ormond we have no chance of winning. Hopefully and I mean hopefully we can take France out. That would give us a decent shot at making a semi final for the very first time. We have a dire record at the Rugby World Cup. England, Scotland, Wales and France have all previously made semi finals. We are the only ones who have failed to do so. Why don't we have a good chance of winning? Beat France next weekend which is very attainable and we play Argentina who we certainly can beat then its a semi final and anyones game. We do have a dire record at world cups but that doesn't mean we cant..

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 06/10/2015 17:25:17    1796494

06/10/2015 13:12:15 Greengrass
Nothing to do with precedent Doire. We are simply not good enough. Hopefully we can beat France and Argentina and get rid of that awful stat of never having reached a semi final in seven attempts. We are the only one of the five major home nations never to have done so. Twice we have been sent packing before a quarter final. We have lost five quarter finals. That is a very poor record. Hopefully as I have already said we can change all that. As for winning the thing. Dream on. No chance. And I sincerely hope I am proven wrong. How are we not good enough to win it? We've beaten all countries bar New Zealand in past 2-3 years. We have won last 2 6 nations. We have a good squad depth. Relatively injury free. A very good coach. Several world class players. One of the best half back partnerships in the competitions
06/10/2015 15:02:44
befair
I enjoy rugby, particularly the discipline it encourages; the respect shown to the ref is a lesson for all other sports. But it's not really a World Cup, is it? More a Cup between the British ex-colonies, with a few exceptions Most countries across the world entered qualification but just 20 compete in the main competition.... hopefully by 2023/2027 we can expand to 24 teams in the cup... it certainly is a world cup....

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 06/10/2015 17:25:39    1796496

Haha doirecity, I wouldn't even let the overfed oiks into my back gorden. Only room for cool sports

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 06/10/2015 17:34:24    1796501

First off this was second post i did on this, my point is was, that is the aspects like cynicism /diving, feigning injuries etc having a detrimental on people (not like us the die hards) but the more general public getting turned off by how football has become, look at the rwc the respect the refs are given, the tmo etc, less mistakes.
I have nothing against Rugby and will be tuning in on Sunday like the other million will be, but my first love is football and i still want that to be the premier competition for viewership especially that it was only a group game.
That was my point, not knocking either.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 06/10/2015 18:50:21    1796532

Flack trust me hurling isn't cool :).
Think we had this argument before about elitist, maybe in Dublin or Belfast but outside that its not, honestly i know plenty of Gaelic lads in navan/Mullingar Athlone who play Rugby too, and trust me they ain't from upper classes.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 06/10/2015 18:56:30    1796536

Ormond, come back to me when we win it . I sincerely hope we do .

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 06/10/2015 19:30:16    1796548

I think the headline here should be "More watch TV3 Than RTE2".

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 06/10/2015 19:46:37    1796555

Rugby is a hell of a lot more dangerous than either football or hurling.To say otherwise in nonsense.

You only have to look at the Wales England match a couple of weeks ago and see various players splayed out on the ground near the end of the match after heavy collisions, or Leinsters Captain retiring because of concussions or the state of Brian O'Driscoll after his hit in the Lions match against South Africa in 2009 etc etc.

I'd say Rugby players after they retire their bodies will be in horrific shape and have NFL style law suits because of it.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 06/10/2015 19:52:20    1796559