PP you have me completly wrong i saying the irfu would be effectively paying (losing cash) so people with no interest can watch a game, because lets face it anyone with any interest already has sky. so why lose so much money for little or no gain- to me its pointless if some farmer with no interest from leitrim gets to watch the game for free while the irfu loses out. the HC final will be on sky and the entire country will be watching - if it aint broke dont fix it and rugby definately isnt broke especially in ireland we are the shining light of the rugby playing world in terms of structures so why mess with that

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 04/05/2011 15:22:55    923499

Another big weekend to come. Potentially three Irish teams through to the Magners Play-offs. Connacht aiming for one of our best ever league finishes. Leinster already through to the H Cup final.

Irish rugby is on an upward curve at the moment. Hopefully this can be carried on through to the World Cup.

And it's about time Connacht got one over on Munster @ Thomand so come on the Boys in Green on Friday!!!!!

tribeinbrum (Galway) - Posts: 4155 - 05/05/2011 11:57:10    924108

well said tribe- irish rugby is flying at the moment- the proviences are all going well in the magners - imagine we will possibly have 3 of the top four and connacht are no longer the heroic losers they once were. i can see us making great strides at the world cup - in fact ill go out on a limb and say we will top our group. i fully believe australia can be beaten in NZ- the weather everything will suit the irish boys better and we now have agme plan that actually works and is hard to live with- good times ahead. we will beat england in the warmup game and we will leave these shores on a real high not a pretend one a la the last world cup

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 05/05/2011 15:05:31    924290

Do you know Ballboy, you could be right. We should not be going to the World Cup thinking about finishing second in the group. We should be going there knowing we can take on and beat the best and top our group. We can realistically get to a semi-final and once you're at that stage anything can happen. Future is very bright for the Boys in Green.

tribeinbrum (Galway) - Posts: 4155 - 05/05/2011 15:43:33    924320

Do we have a game plan that is hard to live with? What is it exactly? I'd like to share your optimism but I don't really see where it is coming from on the back of a distinctly average 6 Nations. We finish second in the Group we'll face South Africa and more than likely elimination, finish top and it's Wales where you'd be hoping of a semi-final appearance there. I'm not discounting Italy though, remember the last World Cup where we went into it in great spirits only to be eliminated at the Group stage

pplocal (Tyrone) - Posts: 5878 - 05/05/2011 16:07:04    924341

here is hoping- anything less than going out there with a mindset to win the competition is failure in my book. we have beaten the ozzies time and time again we can beat them on neutral ground with climate conditions favouring our boys better-why not? I think what is in our favour this time round is we will be going out with young lads that fear nothing or nobody- not tried and tested warhorses. think about it heaslip, o brien, ross, not so much healy, ferris, reddan, sexton, earls, mc fadden- this will be their first world cup and well some of them at leat are among the best in the world- what team would say no to heaslip or o brien? coupled with experience aplenty in the boiler house, at hooker (flannery should be fit), out half, full back (unquestionably i would opt for geordon murphy), the most settled big match centre partnership in the history of the sport - folks we are in an amazing position- bags of experience coupled with youtful energy in key areas- i would fear absolutely noone at the world cup - bring it on

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 05/05/2011 16:09:51    924346

Pomeroy - I think we have been getting close to high quality rugby - and the game plan is keep the ball and put it through the hands, something which is made easier by the new rules. That said, the Eng game aside, there wasn't enough consistently good performances within games for us to do much. Aussies can certainly be beaten though, and I wouldn't say Wales are locked in for a QF yet either. Fingers crossed we finally put in a good month though, as its been too long since we've performed on the big stage.

abhainn (Galway) - Posts: 1000 - 05/05/2011 16:34:52    924376

PP- we were trying a new game in the 6N which had well documented tething problems i.e. a bucket load of penalties. think about it the game finally came together against england, where we blitz the ruck with back rows running at the midfield and off second phase we go wide. even with all the penalities we were unquestionably a whisker away from winning a grand slam. the penalties are sorted out making me think that its going to be very hard get points off ireland- going forward with the all out attack game we are playing it is enevitable we will get trys and penalties- i think we are laughing to be honest- we are in a great position and we definatly will not be undercooked at the world cup. this team is going to give this country something to be proud of when we need it most of that im sure. the country need a lift and we will not se seens like it since italia 90 - mark my words the whole country will be behind this team 100%.

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 06/05/2011 10:42:52    924837

so the semi finals are upon us- can anyone see anything other than a leinster v munster final?

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 10/05/2011 12:36:38    927412

Ballboy, i can't see past them anyway. The Ospreys are really going to have to up a couple of gears to compete with Munster, especially @ Thomond. They gave us a sound beating last week without really hitting 3rd gear. I think they'll account for the Ospreys fairly comfortably.

Leinster are playing some fantastic stuff at the moment and won easy last weekend without quite a few frontliners out. Ulster have done brilliant this season. I mistakenly thought that Connacht could muscle in on the 3rd automatic irish qualifiers spot in the league but Ulster soon quashed any notion of that. They have had a great year and getting to the Heineken 1/4s and finishing 3rd in the league is a great achievement. I think Leinster though are very much in a different mind set at the moment. There eyes are on prizes and at the RDS i cannot see Ulster winning.

It was great for Irish rugby though to see our three top provinces finishing in the top 3 positions in the League. Connacht have very much held their own this aswell with a much improved defence and a great points tally for the season, even though it tailed off towards the end.

tribeinbrum (Galway) - Posts: 4155 - 10/05/2011 13:54:27    927512

totally agree tribe with everything your saying- i think ulsters sucess could dampened down though as they will pay the price for all the imports with very few on the irish squad in the coming years- im thinking ferris will be involved and noone else for the coming years- that does not do irish rugby any favours. I must look for a price on munster winn the entire thing out- they could be a decent price as they could catch leinster out who have eyes on bigger things. connacht in the HC when leinster win v northhampton- its party time in galway :)

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 10/05/2011 14:37:57    927583

Hopefully Ballboy.

If the boys in blue do the job over Northampton (and i think they will) then it will indeed be brilliant news for Connacht and Irish rugby. I can see where you're coming from re Ulster, but they do have a few gems up there aswell. Nevin Spence is turning out to be some player. We are lucky though that all the positions that Ulster have brought in foreign imports for, the Irish team is already quite strong, apart from maybe scrum half. But then again who would not want Pienaar in their team???

I don't think the odds you'll get on Munster will be that good bearing in mind if they win through they'll have home advantage.

tribeinbrum (Galway) - Posts: 4155 - 10/05/2011 15:39:02    927663

i fear ulster are going to get the wake up call of their lives tonight- i think a serious hammering is on the card as in a 30 point drubbing. this is one of those situations where you empty the bank account and pile it on leinster no matter what the price. anything lees than 20 point on the handicap is a giveaway in money terms- there ye go folks a easy money to be made.

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 13/05/2011 14:20:55    930005

i just checked fols leinster are at -10 at a price of 10/11. In my expert opinion based on the teams, whats on offer for the winners, the HC warm up and fight for positions, the form of both teams, home advantage, this to me looks like a giveaway and is definately worth a bet.

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 13/05/2011 14:42:45    930045

Ulster to win by 6 points tonite, you heard it here first boys, Leinster with their eyes on the big prize could be vulnerable.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 13/05/2011 15:02:18    930073

Right, after last weekends not unexpected results onto THE big stuff.

Can the boys in blue win another Heineken Cup. I think so. Northampton are a good team, make no mistake, with a fair few internationals and some world class players, but Leinster have the edge for me.

As a unit they have been superb this year and have the right balance between forward grunt and backs flair to really give the Saints a good beating.

From a Connacht point of view i'm hopign and praying they get the job done. it would be brilliant for Irish rugby for all 4 provinces to be in the H Cup next year. So come on Leinster!!!!!

tribeinbrum (Galway) - Posts: 4155 - 18/05/2011 12:28:42    933530

The referee will have a big say in this game imo. And thats the only reason i think leinster will be beat.
Isnt this the buck that referee'd Ireland Italy?

Rhodejim (Offaly) - Posts: 2888 - 18/05/2011 12:39:58    933558

i cant agree tribe- i see this northampton team as a little one dimensional as in their game against ulster, i honestly think leinster have nothing to fear and i genuinely believe this to be alot easier an assignment than the semi final. Northhampton have a decent pack whereas leinster have an excellent pack and i think the all out attack style of leinster will leave northhampton in their wake. i genuinely feel there will be more than 8 points in this game and i look forward to the handicap betting as if it was like the magners semi final it will be an absolute giveaway. the whole of connacht will be cheering on the boys in blue at the weekend. Im still unsure if i will go to the game but that may change as the hype builds :)

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 18/05/2011 12:41:49    933565

This weekend again, when does it end?

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 18/05/2011 12:57:23    933593

this is the final dhorse- it usually ends after that, being from laois i would expect you to get that as finals and laois are two phrases that dont sit well together :D

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 18/05/2011 13:00:41    933602