6 Nations 2023

[Dharper]

Aki is dung. A penalty machine. He has no connection to Ireland other than being paid to play there.

I like him. A guy with very limited opportunities in super rugby, nearly lost to the game, travels across the world for a shot at pro rugby, and makes international…I say fair play. The guy would’ve had opportunities to leave Galway all day long but he’s stayed - you’ve got guys in limerick & Dublin who wouldn’t get 150 miles off their hole to Belfast nevermind 12000miles for gametime.

He’s undoubtedly an aggressive defender and plays on the edge, it’s the risk you take to an extent…re cards, to smash guys on the gainline and not soak.

The guy is very important to ire for the wc. Post wc, maybe rebuilding factoring in Hume Osborne etc, aki can be phased out, or chase a French/Japanese pay day. Currently he is a experienced matured int centre. Henshaw is brilliant but he is injury prone. Aki is perhaps limited but rock solid defensively in that 12 channel. He smashes on the gainline, rarely misses, never bounced, doesn’t soak. Make no mistake, if either powerful French centre gets beyond that gainline we are in a world of brad pitt…..we do not want a big French pack getting front foot ball from DuPont. Aki is unglamorous, what you see is what you get. Our midfield needs to be rock solid for a full 80. I fully support him on the bench. Ire can reshuffle in the backs. I wouldn’t be fully confident of Jimmy obrien (really good player) stopping fickou dead on the gainline and moving Ringrose in for example if JOB was on the bench-hourses for courses.

I watched the fr it game today….fr were tom kite they’ll be better sat, that front 5 was big, they have an excellent backrow. We get sucked into a arm wrestle at ruck we are decked. Tempo will be everything sat. When it does slow our kicking game unlike the 2nd half will need to be on the money.

[Dharper]

Surprised (not really) at the lack of chat about the number of tackles missed by ringrose by shooting up and missing his man. Obviously was a planned tactic but I counted at least 3-4 missed which put pressure on his teammates. I notice stu mentions his own role in mopping up shooters, may be a sly dig.

But Ringrose is the golden child 2.0- undroppable like BOD. Bathe in his genius!

12 mths ago Hume was the best form 13 in Ireland by a mile. Hume regressed. Ringrose has kicked on big time. Defensively he missed a lot and soaked. He doesn’t soak anymore, he hits hard. Yes he occasionally misses a shoot out, but I’ll take that. He’s massively improved defensively for me, he’s definitely physically bigger. My one gripe, is his distribution….he’s not quite “Hogg esque”, but if he added a passing Game like slade he’d have it all. He helped feck Stockdale over with his selfish play, hopefully he’s matured mentally.

Hume will come back, but Ringrose has a body of work at top Euro level & 40 int caps over Hume. Id also like a closer look at Frisch.

As an aside I watched the ire 10 doc on iplayer today. There were a few smiles from my childhood as an Ulsterman in a English rugby playing school, my first int as Eric Elwood & galway beat eng in lansdowne. My lasting thought was Jacob, if I had one wish, to see that man have that fitness and confidence to hit those peaks again, in 35yrs I’ve never seen an Irish player as deadly a finisher one on one, what he had can’t be coached in Leinster, a gift, rare and precious.

[big mervyn]

I see Gatland is gurning about Porter not being binned for the late hit on Ratboy under the posts.

I thought it was a legitimate attempt to get under the ball before Williams grounded it and shouldn't even have been a penalty restart. Porter was committed before the ball touched the floor.

Having said that he could have been binned for being a serial penalty offender

Williams should be binned for being a mouthy, whining gobshite. He is a very good player but ruins that by behaving like an @rsehole.
Porter does give away far too many penalties but I thought that was a reasonable attempt to prevent a try being scored. I’ve seen much worse, but the ewe lovers are always partial to a gurn and a wee bit of gimpy handbags.

If yer going to be late might as well be really late

https://youtu.be/u-XGWHmIVeo

[big mervyn]

Aki is dung. A penalty machine. He has no connection to Ireland other than being paid to play there.

Every victory is a hollow victory with those boys in the squad.

[Dave]

Aki is dung. A penalty machine. He has no connection to Ireland other than being paid to play there.

I like him. A guy with very limited opportunities in super rugby, nearly lost to the game, travels across the world for a shot at pro rugby, and makes international…I say fair play. The guy would’ve had opportunities to leave Galway all day long but he’s stayed - you’ve got guys in limerick & Dublin who wouldn’t get 150 miles off their hole to Belfast nevermind 12000miles for gametime.

He’s undoubtedly an aggressive defender and plays on the edge, it’s the risk you take to an extent…re cards, to smash guys on the gainline and not soak.

The guy is very important to ire for the wc. Post wc, maybe rebuilding factoring in Hume Osborne etc, aki can be phased out, or chase a French/Japanese pay day. Currently he is a experienced matured int centre. Henshaw is brilliant but he is injury prone. Aki is perhaps limited but rock solid defensively in that 12 channel. He smashes on the gainline, rarely misses, never bounced, doesn’t soak. Make no mistake, if either powerful French centre gets beyond that gainline we are in a world of brad pitt…..we do not want a big French pack getting front foot ball from DuPont. Aki is unglamorous, what you see is what you get. Our midfield needs to be rock solid for a full 80. I fully support him on the bench. Ire can reshuffle in the backs. I wouldn’t be fully confident of Jimmy obrien (really good player) stopping fickou dead on the gainline and moving Ringrose in for example if JOB was on the bench-hourses for courses.

I watched the fr it game today….fr were tom kite they’ll be better sat, that front 5 was big, they have an excellent backrow. We get sucked into a arm wrestle at ruck we are decked. Tempo will be everything sat. When it does slow our kicking game unlike the 2nd half will need to be on the money.

He hasn't been that solid recently. Not a guaranteed starter for connacht anymore. He's already let (not) his country down at a RWC. I've not seen him smash anyone legally for a long time. Unless you mean an extra curricular activity? Passing is good.

He had an 8 game ban already this season because he doesn't respect other people's heads. With the potential for concussions causing neurological issues, his next ban should be his last.

Ireland should not be relying on him. Mostly because he isn't actually Irish but also because he let them down before.

[Dave]

Aki is dung. A penalty machine. He has no connection to Ireland other than being paid to play there.

Every victory is a hollow victory with those boys in the squad.

International games are meaningless, especially now, seeing as you can switch teams, ffs. May as well let 4 sides join as one to go on some BS tour. Oh wait...

[Jetstream]

Some absolute pure brad pitt being talked in 42ie forum….there’s some nasty horlix’s on there.

Specifically re Aki/McCloskey at 12.

Personally I thought Aki was good despite lack of gametime recently. Aki added energy comms and physicality which will be needed in the last 25 of the France game hard carries and hard defence against 2 very physical fr centres. SMcC I thought was good Sat, and fully deserved to retain his place. I don’t think it works if you swap them with Stu on the bench.

Last yr Aki distribution v wales was excellent but he was targeted by the French rush defence shooting outside in on him forcing him back inside towards the big fr pack, getting our pack into an arm wrestle and slowing our ball/game down. I think big Stu has the mix of physicality and great hands to get that ball into the 13 channel quicker than Aki and moving the fr pack around the pitch and playing the game at a high ire tempo. In my opinion it’d be a big mistake to start Aki for that reason.

You know you’ve got idiots when saying Hendo shouldn’t be involved….hmm, why could that be?

If you want Brad Pitt there is no better place than the42. A cess pit.
Thanks dharper for some great posts recently. Great analysis and fairly based.

[mid ulster maestro]

I see Gatland is gurning about Porter not being binned for the late hit on Ratboy under the posts.

I thought it was a legitimate attempt to get under the ball before Williams grounded it and shouldn't even have been a penalty restart. Porter was committed before the ball touched the floor.

Having said that he could have been binned for being a serial penalty offender

Nice to see Liam Williams getting Liam Williamsed.

[Godots bedpan]

I support Ireland but (if they win a World Cup) it will be absolutely galling listening to O’Driscoll, Heaslip, Horgan, D’Arcy et al waxing lyrical about the Leinster factor. It will also copper fasten the approach of favouring Leinstermen right from professional level right through school boy level. An Ireland World Cup win would be disastrous for Ulster rugby imo. If we’re in the doldrums now we will be completely nonexistent thereafter. Of course we are mostly to blame ourselves for chronically under producing. Also, our recent form has meant our numbers involved with Ireland are low and will be all year. So there’ll be very few involved with a potential WC win and will be practically be seen as outcasts from then on in.

As a Leinster fan when it was peak Ulster with Jimmy Davidson in the late 80’s still supported Ireland. If Jack Clarke could have kicked to touch post that great Gordon Hamilton try in the 91 RWC we would have beaten the Aussies and there would be no semi final hoodoo. We were complete s&ite for most of the rest of the decade and the only good thing about us for a few years in the 90s was Simon Geoghegan running like an octopus on speed. Still supported Ireland. Remember seeing a number of the players in the Clapahm Grand in 1999 after Ireland narrowly avoided back to back wooden spoons by beating Wales and wonder how can men that jarred be still standing upright, still supported Ireland. Spoke to Keith Woods on the night it was his 5th season in the 5 Nations but with injury it was his first win against Wales. When it was peak Munster in the 00’s under Eddie and Kidney I still supported Ireland. (That said Mick O’Driscoll in the official Grand Slam team photo with zero minutes played instead of Malcolm O’Kelly still sticks in the craw a bit from 2009). Its been progressively more Leinster over the past few years, 2014/5 ish onwards. Leinster were arguably underrepresented 2009-12 in some ways when they were winning Europe, when key players like Cullen and Jennings were overlooked in favour of others.

The likely RWC 23 will have 14/5 Leinster players, depending on fitness - long road to go yet could be less given injuries. Will come full circle in time. Always does in sport, no team dominates for ever. Leinster will come back to normal in terms of national representation in time. Think Farrell Catt Easterby and O’Connell are pretty balanced in fairness. Point being with the national team we should be colour blind.

As a matter of interest which Ulster players omitted could you make a compelling case for including on form in the current squad? Personally would like Baloucoune in there if fit, possibly ahead of Stockdale - and think JS inclusion is more to say if you want a renewed central contract prove your worth - and I'd have Timoney instead of Prendergast. Lowry possibly a little bit hard done by, but think apart from that its fair enough.

Weirdly think the rugby media way too dominated by ex Munster players, you've Donal Lenihan, Eddie O'Sullivan, Alan Quinlan, Michael Corcoran all firmly biased towards red in the broadcast media. Just shows you I suppose.

[jean valjean]

I support Ireland but (if they win a World Cup) it will be absolutely galling listening to O’Driscoll, Heaslip, Horgan, D’Arcy et al waxing lyrical about the Leinster factor. It will also copper fasten the approach of favouring Leinstermen right from professional level right through school boy level. An Ireland World Cup win would be disastrous for Ulster rugby imo. If we’re in the doldrums now we will be completely nonexistent thereafter. Of course we are mostly to blame ourselves for chronically under producing. Also, our recent form has meant our numbers involved with Ireland are low and will be all year. So there’ll be very few involved with a potential WC win and will be practically be seen as outcasts from then on in.

As a Leinster fan when it was peak Ulster with Jimmy Davidson in the late 80’s still supported Ireland. If Jack Clarke could have kicked to touch post that great Gordon Hamilton try in the 91 RWC we would have beaten the Aussies and there would be no semi final hoodoo. We were complete s&ite for most of the rest of the decade and the only good thing about us for a few years in the 90s was Simon Geoghegan running like an octopus on speed. Still supported Ireland. Remember seeing a number of the players in the Clapahm Grand in 1999 after Ireland narrowly avoided back to back wooden spoons by beating Wales and wonder how can men that jarred be still standing upright, still supported Ireland. Spoke to Keith Woods on the night it was his 5th season in the 5 Nations but with injury it was his first win against Wales. When it was peak Munster in the 00’s under Eddie and Kidney I still supported Ireland. (That said Mick O’Driscoll in the official Grand Slam team photo with zero minutes played instead of Malcolm O’Kelly still sticks in the craw a bit from 2009). Its been progressively more Leinster over the past few years, 2014/5 ish onwards. Leinster were arguably underrepresented 2009-12 in some ways when they were winning Europe, when key players like Cullen and Jennings were overlooked in favour of others.

The likely RWC 23 will have 14/5 Leinster players, depending on fitness - long road to go yet could be less given injuries. Will come full circle in time. Always does in sport, no team dominates for ever. Leinster will come back to normal in terms of national representation in time. Think Farrell Catt Easterby and O’Connell are pretty balanced in fairness. Point being with the national team we should be colour blind.

As a matter of interest which Ulster players omitted could you make a compelling case for including on form in the current squad? Personally would like Baloucoune in there if fit, possibly ahead of Stockdale - and think JS inclusion is more to say if you want a renewed central contract prove your worth - and I'd have Timoney instead of Prendergast. Lowry possibly a little bit hard done by, but think apart from that its fair enough.

Weirdly think the rugby media way too dominated by ex Munster players, you've Donal Lenihan, Eddie O'Sullivan, Alan Quinlan, Michael Corcoran all firmly biased towards red in the broadcast media. Just shows you I suppose.

Agree with much of what you write although the original post is not a gripe that there are ulster players being overlooked, we are only too aware of our own players limitations. Also disagree that these things are cyclical. That may have been the case in the past but with professionalism and the production line from private Dublin schools that balance has tipped massively towards leinster with no end in sight. Yes we will always get a few very talented players making it from the other provinces but for sheer numbers we can't compete. Telling other provinces to get their academy's in place is a bit galling when leinster are handed 10-15 professional ready players each year without much input required to that point.

[Dave]

Cooney over Murray/Casey.

[paddybrown]

Other than Cooney I don't think there's anyone at Ulster currently unjustly excluded from the Ireland squad (although I think Marcus Rea should probably have gone on the Emerging Ireland tour). Baloucoune should be playing regularly for Ireland, but that would require him to be consistently fit, and he isn't. Hume, Timoney and Lowry are great players, but it's hard to argue they should be challenging Ringrose, Van Der Flier or Keenan on recent form.

But it does seem like a promising youngster who's had a handful of games for Leinster or Munster will get an immediate callup, while Ulster and Connacht players have to play consistently well for years before they'll get their chance - McCloskey and Caolin Blade being the obvious example. The only Ulster or Connacht players that are guaranteed to get picked are Irish-qualified imports and project players. Case in point - Billy Burns got called up while Jack Carty was available and better. I think Carty is the only Irish 10 other than Sexton who has the kind of tactical nous and ability to impose himself on a game you need for the international game, and he has the same number of caps as Cooney. Maybe Sexton doesn't like him either? Meanwhile Harry Byrne, Ciaran Frawley and Jack Crowley get opportunities for Ireland before they've even established themselves with their provinces. It seems odd to me.

[CIMANFOREVER]

I support Ireland but (if they win a World Cup) it will be absolutely galling listening to O’Driscoll, Heaslip, Horgan, D’Arcy et al waxing lyrical about the Leinster factor. It will also copper fasten the approach of favouring Leinstermen right from professional level right through school boy level. An Ireland World Cup win would be disastrous for Ulster rugby imo. If we’re in the doldrums now we will be completely nonexistent thereafter. Of course we are mostly to blame ourselves for chronically under producing. Also, our recent form has meant our numbers involved with Ireland are low and will be all year. So there’ll be very few involved with a potential WC win and will be practically be seen as outcasts from then on in.

As a Leinster fan when it was peak Ulster with Jimmy Davidson in the late 80’s still supported Ireland. If Jack Clarke could have kicked to touch post that great Gordon Hamilton try in the 91 RWC we would have beaten the Aussies and there would be no semi final hoodoo. We were complete s&ite for most of the rest of the decade and the only good thing about us for a few years in the 90s was Simon Geoghegan running like an octopus on speed. Still supported Ireland. Remember seeing a number of the players in the Clapahm Grand in 1999 after Ireland narrowly avoided back to back wooden spoons by beating Wales and wonder how can men that jarred be still standing upright, still supported Ireland. Spoke to Keith Woods on the night it was his 5th season in the 5 Nations but with injury it was his first win against Wales. When it was peak Munster in the 00’s under Eddie and Kidney I still supported Ireland. (That said Mick O’Driscoll in the official Grand Slam team photo with zero minutes played instead of Malcolm O’Kelly still sticks in the craw a bit from 2009). Its been progressively more Leinster over the past few years, 2014/5 ish onwards. Leinster were arguably underrepresented 2009-12 in some ways when they were winning Europe, when key players like Cullen and Jennings were overlooked in favour of others.

The likely RWC 23 will have 14/5 Leinster players, depending on fitness - long road to go yet could be less given injuries. Will come full circle in time. Always does in sport, no team dominates for ever. Leinster will come back to normal in terms of national representation in time. Think Farrell Catt Easterby and O’Connell are pretty balanced in fairness. Point being with the national team we should be colour blind.

As a matter of interest which Ulster players omitted could you make a compelling case for including on form in the current squad? Personally would like Baloucoune in there if fit, possibly ahead of Stockdale - and think JS inclusion is more to say if you want a renewed central contract prove your worth - and I'd have Timoney instead of Prendergast. Lowry possibly a little bit hard done by, but think apart from that its fair enough.

Weirdly think the rugby media way too dominated by ex Munster players, you've Donal Lenihan, Eddie O'Sullivan, Alan Quinlan, Michael Corcoran all firmly biased towards red in the broadcast media. Just shows you I suppose.

"As a matter of interest which Ulster players omitted could you make a compelling case for including on form in the current squad? Personally would like Baloucoune in there if fit, possibly ahead of Stockdale - and think JS inclusion is more to say if you want a renewed central contract prove your worth - and I'd have Timoney instead of Prendergast. Lowry possibly a little bit hard done by, but think apart from that its fair enough."

Paddy Jackson

[Jetstream]

Sheehan and Murray doubtful for Saturday. I wonder will Andy call up Luke McGrath and John McKee.

[Dave]

He'll call up Peter Stringer before he calls up Cooney.