Babbling 'brook

Oldschoolsocks

It's huge, and like you say, really unexpected. The All Blacks have always had world-leading backrows and some of the backrows they have fielded – Kaino/McCaw/Read from 2009-15, Jones/Kronfeld/Brooke in 1996-97, Alan Whetton/Jones/Shelford in 1987-89 and Tremain/Nathan/Lochore in the mid-1960s – ha...

Oldschoolsocks

You're correct riocard not everyone who has an opinion on the matter is one of the “attack helicopter” crowd.

I dont know Dr. Hillary Cass, but it sounds like she is qualified to talk on this issue.

The others you mentioned, not so much…

This is a complex issue and deserves its own thread imho.

Oldschoolsocks

This is a conversation that some people are deliberately avoiding because of the way it could be used to marginalize others. Shouldn't really be taking over threads. I agree, i just don’t think any oxygen needs to be given to the “I identify as an attack helicopter” crowd. They are not thinking ser...

Oldschoolsocks

I think yiz are being dragged into the latest drama. Here are the facts: Trans people exist. Whether trans women should compete in contact sports with cis women is a different issue. Trans women sharing a rugby pitch and sharing a bathroom are two entirely separate issues. Germaine Greer, Graham Lin...

Oldschoolsocks

wixfjord wrote: ↑August 10th, 2022, 9:35 am
Flash Gordon wrote: ↑August 10th, 2022, 9:22 am I just don't see the evidence for this. We won 4 European Cups and 6 Nations with players who came through this system - nobdoy can tell me that 2011 team didn't have resilience or leadership. Same for the 2009 team. The 2018 team balls out a tough and tight game and it was Racing who bottled it. I understand that some players are introverts but that's nothing to do with schooling, it's the way you are born. What coaching and leadership does is teach you the way to play. We've seen that in our history - same players transforming with coaching, the most dramatic incidence being what Michael Chieka made Leinster in my opinion. The most dramatic reverse being MOC.

Most clubs would have coaching specifically pointed at developing leadership skills and resilience. You do that in the classroom but you also train the scenarios on the park. They also coach confidence into you - you can see that with players coming in and how they transform - Tommy O'Brien is a case in point. Great kid with a fantastic attitude who has become a much better player by putting himself out there and trying things he wouldn't have.

And again to repeat the point, diversity is a good thing. More of it will make us stronger and broaden the talent pool.
Did you attend a private school yourself?

I didn’t go to a private school, but I played with many a mad hard b$&%@#d who did…

Oldschoolsocks

Eddie Jones has his own beef with public schools and the stereotypical output from them based on how he was treated in his playing days in Australia. What he says on this has to take that into account. There is some merit in what you say but lets not forget the fact that he’s a massive f%~king troll

Oldschoolsocks

The problem is that there is an element of hazard in relying on fee-paying schools so heavily. If €85-100m per annum were taken out of the voluntary secondary sector budgets it would make a big difference to how much they were investing in their rugby programmes, and politically and legally that am...

Oldschoolsocks

Interestingly, Ian Foster said something that I've been thinking for a while. Have the All Blacks suffered from not playing Saffer teams week in week out in Super Rugby? Conversely this will benefit Ireland over time too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXtodd7VGzo&t=316s The URC is definitely ...

Oldschoolsocks

Very effective performance from South Africa, who look well-coached and completely committed. The different strands of their kicking game, their kick chase, the strength of their tackling, and their two primary set-pieces, scrum and lineout, were all first rate. They're the world champions, and the...

Oldschoolsocks

Deserved red The terrible thing is if he does that earlier in the match he only gets 20mins for it. i think the red carded player can't come back, he needs to be replaced: Red card law trial: If a player is red-carded he may be replaced after 20 minutes by another player. The 20 minutes from when a...

Oldschoolsocks

South African team for tomorrow's game against NZ has a very familiar look. It should certainly give us a good benchmark as to what level NZ are in World terms: https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/lineups?gameId=595482&league=244293 Certainly looks to me as if Joe pointed the finger at the front five....

Oldschoolsocks

I just don’t know how they allowed Dawson retire at all, short term planning if you ask me

Oldschoolsocks

My opinion would be that Leinster are lacking a few elements Ireland have when it comes to being clinical against top teams. What's the stat? - 1 try scored and 5 conceded in the three Heineken Cup Finals under this coaching ticket. One thing Ireland have on the defensive side of things that Leinst...

Oldschoolsocks

It's a very good coaching team. Mike Catt doesn't get enough mentions in my opinion. The general consensus is Ireland are copying Leinster but if that was the case it wouldn't have taken as long for the attack to click. I don’t think Ireland are copying the Leinster game plan, but there are definit...

Oldschoolsocks

There was a marked improvement in all of the set piece and ruck play after the first test. I remember AF stating he was going to ask for ‘clarification’ from world rugby on some of the interpretations. It can’t be accidental that in the second and third tests that New Zealand were pinged mercilessly...

Oldschoolsocks

I’m in flitters after reading this story. Whatever about the diagnosis the treatment of the player and family was and is f%~king shocking. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/they-fixed-siobhan-s-broken-bones-but-turned-their-back-on-her-broken-brain-n668rkwlt A non paywalled copy for those who don'...

Oldschoolsocks

Sounds like a total horror story

Oldschoolsocks

paddyor wrote: ↑July 30th, 2022, 9:52 pm Sabina Higgins and her Husband abusing the office of president

https://twitter.com/Ballymagash_T/statu ... GOyWotRSdg

I believe the correct term is useful idiot…

The naivety of some people knows few bounds

Oldschoolsocks

6 days after we beat NZ in a Test Series in NZ and the subject is already dropping deep in the "Active Topic" list. Still the greatest rugby achievement for an Irish team. Just for you, RTB, the behind the scenes video courtesy of the IRFU. Just went online in the last couple of hours: ht...

Oldschoolsocks

Dave Cahill wrote: ↑July 29th, 2022, 4:31 pm
Oldschoolsocks wrote: ↑July 29th, 2022, 4:18 pm
Dave Cahill wrote: ↑July 29th, 2022, 12:11 pm Yaay, thats worked so well for us in the past.
That’s the spirit Dave, PMA!!!
I'm extremely positive, once more the Union confirms my oft-stated belief that the World Cup matters not a jot.

How does one follow the other?

Babbling 'brook

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