Babbling 'brook

Interpros were quietly added back and I only just noticed. https://www.unitedrugby.com/match-centre/shields/2023-24 The Shields now only count the results of derbies. So the old competition is back under a new name. As per here there are now prizes: https://www.unitedrugby.com/latest/news/urc-announ...

So who do we hate more for this ticketbastard or EPRC

This year we're not doing the whole win 16 games so we can spend the kids to SA thing and still come 1st. It feels weird saying it but that's the situation now. It was exhausting pressure to be perfect and it caught up with us. If we come 5th-8th we have an away QF and a bit of travel. But we can be...

They didn't have a game last weekend. Hysterical fans gonna hysteria. I wouldn't take them seriously.

Rowntree is creating positive vibes and actually won a trophy, but results otherwise have been poor. He's immune. Anger has to be routed elsewhere.

There's a month between the Investec Final and the BKT URC Grand Final.

Balancing 2 knockout competitions is a very different prospect this year. Same with this tour, there are 3 URC games after it.

The Grand Final is June 22.

Ireland play in Pretoria on July 6th.

URC knockout attendances are terrible anyway. Having to travel wouldn't be that big a deal.

Going all out to have easier URC knockouts didn't do a lot for us in recent years. We don't need to sweat it.

Leinster were willing to slaughter some sacred cows, but ones that weren't really fundamental to us. We removed clubs from having any role in the running of the pro game (this was easier after the 2006 ticket fiasco). We abandoned the rebuilding of Donnybrook when it was clear it was no longer suita...

He will be a real asset to whatever province gets him. There is no point in him going to Connacht or Munster. So, if he still has Ireland aspirations, Ulster is what he has to do. He's 27, so still plenty of scope to reignite his career from an international perspective. If he can't get ahead of Do...

POM hasn't played much this season for Munster, only 5 times. But it was a RWC year and after an extended break he got injured in his first game back. There's no pattern of recurring injuries, he got 17 Munster caps and as he fades he'll probably lose Ireland minutes just as quickly. He actually pla...

It takes perceptive, dedicated people to figure it out. What do we perceive as our strengths, are they really our strengths, how can we use our strengths, how can we improve our weaknesses etc. How do we spend the money we bring in? Do we bring in academy players younger or older? Do we look for be...

O'Mahony announced he was stepping down as captain the week before Ahern played there first.

When the sun goes down by the Artic Monkeys could be referring to sports fans who peacefully go to sports games to show support to the wrong team, don't you know.

Surely every player who plays in Ireland is paid by the IRFU? Whether their wage is lodged to their account from the IRFU bank account or lodged to their account by the IRFU via a provincial bank account at the end of the day all funds come from the IRFU and therefore in effect every single player ...

The job isn't finished till the paperwork is done.

Meritocratic is the word EPRC use when they want to mess something up. It shouldn't be used unironically on this site. Gibson Park has been announced for a central contract too. Long term there should have been a drop in central contracts the problem (such as it is) is that there are too many strate...

Leo already did. And saying another word before the game would put more people off, which would make him the incompetent one. They're not going to change it now, but if you give them a bloody nose they'll retaliate when they get a chance. As long as he stay quiet, it's win win. Poor attendance and e...

FtD wrote: ↑April 17th, 2024, 3:06 pm Let's hope we can send him off by letting him be the one to go up and collect a couple of trophies this year.

You can probably tell from my avatar how much I'd like to see that happen.

If the IRFU scale up part funded contracts, we'd have the strongest case for the bulk of them.

They need to stop looking for shortcuts and loopholes.

Central contracts are in no way intended as a subsidy or reward (to provinces). A central contract is where Nucifora negotiates contracts directly with strategically important players rather than leaving it to the provinces. If Sexton asked for more money and was told no, it should (& was) be on...

It was corrected to Murphy in replies. Also Lasisi.