Declan Kidney – the amazing diminishing rugby coach

[bazzaj]

I guess we'll know more when the team for Paris is announced but I will be surprised if we get all of them back. The French back line has Fofana, Rougerie and Malzieu (and Clerc) Our lads didn't give them a sniff of the try line in Clermont so maybe Paddy should be at 12 - he couldn't have been worse than Darcy was on Saturday. But he won't, of course. The other option is Tommy at 13 with McFadden at 12, to counter Rougerie's size. But I'm sure it will be Earls, if his baby is better. The same old players, the same old tactics, the same old result. Really depressed.

Nothing to lose Rock and to be fair that is when we are traditionally at our best!

[Snipe Watson]

I beg to differ Baggy. Under a coach and a playing system that would allow Sexton to play his natural game rather than trying to force him in to the O'Gara mould Ireland would have a real gem at 10.

I'm with Fuzzy on this one. If Sexton was under orders not to run the ball, DK has made a howler. O'Gara is a Kicker and Sexton is a runner so why pick Sexton for a kicking game?
I'm not into kicking DK, but this one baffles me.

[Jackie Brown]

[Big-al]

Kidney has to go.

[Snipe Watson]

Kidney has to go.

For not picking Luke?

[Big-al]

Kidney has to go.

For not picking Luke?

For driving this Irish team into the ground.

[darkside lightside]

Before I go, I must bump this - some of us saw that the emperor had no clothes quite some time ago, I don’t think anyone’s in any doubt now, after Kidney’s reign reached its absolute nadir after Saturday’s humiliation.

There is the narrow issue of the scrum – to dwell on that for a minute, Court was Kidney’s back-up TH (and LH). Between flogging Hayes until he was nearer 40 than 30 – including starting him in a 2009 Autumn International against Fiji FFS – and ‘investing’ in Buckley, Court has managed one start, one, at TH under Kidney. Andress has AFAIK never even been at a training camp. Hagan has held a couple of tackle-bags. That is lamentable squad management no matter how it is cut.

Anyway, our scrum got buckled on Saturday – it happens. But our problems went much deeper. Look at the teams running out – England look relaxed and confident, Ireland look tense and worried. Look at Scotland vs France – their scrum was absolutely monstered in the second half, but they finished stronger and were unlucky to lose that match. It might be our front row’s fault that our scrum got schooled – but it wasn’t our front row’s fault that once again we had absolutely no sign of an offensive gameplan, no sign that we understood our strengths and weaknesses and were trying to play a game that maximised the former and mitigated the latter.

Interesting as well to do a tour of the quiescent Irish press – some predictable things, like Farrelly banging on about johnny foreigner. But I was amused to read the note of resignation in Thornely’s match report, when he said that there was no question about Kidney’s position at the moment because of the contract extension – faint praise indeed from his devoted spaniel. And Farrelly wound up an article with the wounding conclusion that maybe we should look at a given situation and ask ‘What would Wales do’. Quinlan’s article today is actually quite good, dances around the point a little, but winds up saying it’s not good enough. And Kelly came up with this unusal scattergun article, which sticks the boot in at the end.

At the very latest, Kidney should have gone after the WC. If he had any sense of decency, and actually cared about Ireland – rather than rolling the dice to try to salvage his own reputation – he would step aside, or at the very least accept that he has failed, and step back and appoint a strong backs/attack coach. Of course he’ll not do that, because in EOS he has ample evidence that when you’re an out-moded, failed Ireland coach, guess what, other sides aren’t beating the door down to offer you a job..

Anyhow the season isn’t over – although that’s scant comfort, because obviously as soon as our under-powered, out-classed players go back to their clubs and come up against the superhuman behemoths from Wales, England and France, they’ll just be hammered all over again.. Oh hold on a sec..

[rumncoke]

There is an element of truth in the possiblity that Irish coaches may have their hands tied by the existance of central contracts

Their existance has ensured that the cream of the provincial players have not taken a walk on the water to English and French teams as is currently happening to the Welsh whether the exodus of the players from the Welsh Club sides will affect the performance the Welsh International team only time will tell.

While key Irish players will and do need to be replace D 'Arcy O Driscoll O Connell and D'oC being the most obvious it is true to say that their replacements are at this time mostly one or two seasons short of the necessary experience at PRO 12 level

Changing the coach doesn't change the facts only the name of the fall guy

[bazzaj]

Before I go, I must bump this - some of us saw that the emperor had no clothes quite some time ago, I don’t think anyone’s in any doubt now, after Kidney’s reign reached its absolute nadir after Saturday’s humiliation.

There is the narrow issue of the scrum – to dwell on that for a minute, Court was Kidney’s back-up TH (and LH). Between flogging Hayes until he was nearer 40 than 30 – including starting him in a 2009 Autumn International against Fiji FFS – and ‘investing’ in Buckley, Court has managed one start, one, at TH under Kidney. Andress has AFAIK never even been at a training camp. Hagan has held a couple of tackle-bags. That is lamentable squad management no matter how it is cut.

Anyway, our scrum got buckled on Saturday – it happens. But our problems went much deeper. Look at the teams running out – England look relaxed and confident, Ireland look tense and worried. Look at Scotland vs France – their scrum was absolutely monstered in the second half, but they finished stronger and were unlucky to lose that match. It might be our front row’s fault that our scrum got schooled – but it wasn’t our front row’s fault that once again we had absolutely no sign of an offensive gameplan, no sign that we understood our strengths and weaknesses and were trying to play a game that maximised the former and mitigated the latter.

Interesting as well to do a tour of the quiescent Irish press – some predictable things, like Farrelly banging on about johnny foreigner. But I was amused to read the note of resignation in Thornely’s match report, when he said that there was no question about Kidney’s position at the moment because of the contract extension – faint praise indeed from his devoted spaniel. And Farrelly wound up an article with the wounding conclusion that maybe we should look at a given situation and ask ‘What would Wales do’. Quinlan’s article today is actually quite good, dances around the point a little, but winds up saying it’s not good enough. And Kelly came up with this unusal scattergun article, which sticks the boot in at the end.

At the very latest, Kidney should have gone after the WC. If he had any sense of decency, and actually cared about Ireland – rather than rolling the dice to try to salvage his own reputation – he would step aside, or at the very least accept that he has failed, and step back and appoint a strong backs/attack coach. Of course he’ll not do that, because in EOS he has ample evidence that when you’re an out-moded, failed Ireland coach, guess what, other sides aren’t beating the door down to offer you a job..

Anyhow the season isn’t over – although that’s scant comfort, because obviously as soon as our under-powered, out-classed players go back to their clubs and come up against the superhuman behemoths from Wales, England and France, they’ll just be hammered all over again.. Oh hold on a sec..

Thats what I am talking about!

[brianc]

It might be our front row’s fault that our scrum got schooled

Ah, exactly the sort of incisive analysis that we will all miss Any chance you could take jizzbag with you?

[Troglodyte]

Anyway, our scrum got buckled on Saturday – it happens. But our problems went much deeper. Look at the teams running out – England look relaxed and confident, Ireland look tense and worried.

They heard you were leaving the MB DL - it's all YOUR fault!!!!

BTW - have you gone yet, or are you still posting "before I go" posts?

I'll bet your still reading anyway, to see if anyone backs you up and begs you to come back.

[bazzaj]

It might be our front row’s fault that our scrum got schooled

Ah, exactly the sort of incisive analysis that we will all miss Any chance you could take jizzbag with you?

Nothing like isolating a quote out of context to attempt to belittle a fellow poster.
Have to stay now.
Who else is going to school you?

[BuckRogers]

Alas a prophet is never appreciated in his own time, fare ye well D/L...if nothing else you were certainly consistent

[brianc]

Nothing like isolating a quote out of context to attempt to belittle a fellow poster.

"Belittle a fellow poster"?????????????????????????? Grow up you to**er, DL & I have a long history of banter, we disagree totally on the root of Ireland's woes, but I very much doubt he would use the word "belittle"

[bazzaj]

Nothing like isolating a quote out of context to attempt to belittle a fellow poster.

"Belittle a fellow poster"?????????????????????????? Grow up you to**er, DL & I have a long history of banter, we disagree totally on the root of Ireland's woes, but I very much doubt he would use the word "belittle"

Whats the C stand for after your name Brian.
Its all right, just worked it out.