When he's not injured and in form then that's probably true. The problem is he has been crocked for ages now. You banging on about how good he is won't get him over the injuries any faster.Originally Posted by The Outlaw
When he's not injured and in form then that's probably true. The problem is he has been crocked for ages now. You banging on about how good he is won't get him over the injuries any faster.
"If we hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards - checkmate!" Zapp Brannigan
I wouldn't put it past the IRFU to reward Kidney with a new contract, he has delivered the lowest win percentage of the top nine nations since 2010 after all.
I love how the Kidney critics dismiss his first year in charge to make their point.
'I want you to tie me down and ride me for 18 months, treat me like dirt!!' she gasped.
'No problem' said the man from Vodafone as he took out the contract.
(you can insert leinsterfans and Kidney where ever you want).....
He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck either, but a real duck that was actually lame. Maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
It's strange that Drico, Darce, DOC and POC have central contracts that finish after the coaching team's. What happens when a new coach comes in? Does he have to pick them?
Appreciate the sentiment HenryFitz, welcome to the forum BTW, but should your post not read '"if/when" a new coach comes in'? When DK delivers another GS in the spring it would be quite surprising if he was then sacked!?!
Which would you prefer, a coach who can deliver a good win/loss ratio but feck all when it actually counts (6Ns and RWC) or a coach with a lower win/loss ratio but some actual meaningful silverware?
People bitched that EOS was too concerned with his win/loss ratio at the expense of squad development. However, when Kidney experiments with BOD and Earls against the ABs and we lose, people bitch about the result instead.
I think Kidney has probably taken this team as far as he can and it's time to freshen up the coaching team. However, do I give a ****e about how his win/loss ratio stacks up? No. He is the most successful Irish coach of my lifetime. Trophies are what count and he's done well during his tenure.
Relatively well - there's no question that we have reached higher under Kidney than we did under EOS, but the GS and the RWC win against Oz (plus I suppose the draw in Paris, albeit only in the context of our shocking record there) have had to make up for a lot of mediocrity in the interim. Not all of this can be laid at Kidney's door, but a fair chunk of it can - the 60-0 being a particular nadir, but also our inability over the past couple of years to close out games when we needed to, particularly against a Wales side that has been full of confidence but not that vastly different in terms of ability. The period of his tenure that has frustrated me most so far was the wasted opportunity for squad development that the 2010 AIs represented, when seeding for the RWC wasn't a factor and the outcome of the games was of far less importance than the chance to look at alternative combinations in key positions against serious opposition. Instead, there was still no sign of Mike Ross (Tom Court started at TH vs New Zealand!), while O'Driscoll, even if he is captain, started every game - including the one against Samoa ffs - and was still partnered by Darcy in the other three. Consequently, we went into the 6N tournament of the RWC year in catch-up mode - not consolidating what had been learned a few months previously, but with a "noob" tighthead, and still no real clue as to how we might proceed should one of Brian or Gordon be injured. And we paid the price with a poor 6N campaign, a poorer summer warm-up series and gut-wrenching RWC exit.
Kidney will always have my respect and affection for the many successes and fantastic moments of joy and triumph he has brought me as a Munster and Ireland supporter. However, just as with any "legend" of a player who's no longer delivering, there can be no room for sentiment when neither the results nor the performances are coming. For him to remain in post, we'll need to see not only a step up in our fortunes at the 2013 6N, but a clear sense from the forthcoming AI series of how the Irish rugby team is going to turn itself around under his stewardship.
Anyway, somehow we've gone from discussing Leinster's prospects for the new season to scribbling indecipherably on the chart hanging off the sickbed of the men in green. So what about dem boys in blue ....
Never mind perception because it isn’t real. It’s only what people think. Go out and make them think something else.
- Alan Quinlan on believing in yourself
Ah feck it. I'll give them a bit of good press. They get little enough around here.
The available squad turned out at Co. Carlow yesterday for one of these open training sessions. An unexpectedly large number of spectators turned out. I reckoned about 3,000 or so.
For about an hour and a half after the session the squad did their bit for the kids, and with no shortage if class and good humour also.
Poor Master Kavy the elder, Leinster born and bred. Playing minis in Leinster, all the school and clubmates into Leinster, and he's stuck with a Munster Da he's still innocent enough to want to please!
Sent from my Commodore 64
Excellent post Mr Chips, you have expressed, a good deal better than i ever could, almost exactly my feelings on DK.
FT Leinster 33 - 22 Gloucester.
Who needs Mullingar? Le Stade de Tallaght was the place to be this evening!
I have now jumped the shark. Farewell.
good win for leinster with a crowd of kids playing for them
Connacht Rugby
"Live to win. Born to lose"
Leinster's injury list. Fair few hip problems. Seems to be an injury that is occurring more or is that my imagination?
Seán O’Brien requires further surgery on a hip problem and is not expected to resume playing until late November.
Luke Fitzgerald with the 24-year-old not expected to recover from neck surgery until January. Again, this is best case scenario.
Rhys Ruddock, Dave Kearney (both hip operations) and Eoin O’Malley (cruciate) should return in November.
Tadhg Furlong and Conor Gilsenan, require more time to recover from shoulder reconstruction and a broken ankle respectively.
4 Feb 2011 - Gilmore on the General Election
"Frankfurts way or Labours way."
28 Feb 2012 - Gilmore on a yes vote for the fiscal treaty
"A vote for economic stability and a vote for economic recovery."
Jeez, doesn't look good for Fitzgerald - would hate to see any player's career cut short by injury, but he's been around so long that you forget he's only the same age as a lot of emerging talent. You'd hope/expect a lad of his age to have at least another seven or eight years' playing ahead of him.
Is that the same injury that was affecting O'Brien through last season? Seeing late November as a predicted return to playing, I can't help but wonder whether a miraculous "ahead of schedule" recovery might allow him to participate in the autumn internationals, with a consequent "unfortunate setback" taking him back out of the game straight afterwards. See Wally, Leamy, Fla ....
Anyway, with both himself and Ruddock being out, I'd say Leinster fingers and toes will be crossed for no further injuries in the back row.
Never mind perception because it isn’t real. It’s only what people think. Go out and make them think something else.
- Alan Quinlan on believing in yourself
What is the capacity? I think the stadium was built by the county council.
Some clubs would be happy with that as their first team never mind their academy
Connacht Rugby
"Live to win. Born to lose"
SOB playing in a dead test match when injured couldn't have helped, fecking stupid!!!!!! Shoulder injury to Furlong does not sound good at all, hope he makes a full recovery as he is Ireland's long term future at THP. Luke Fitzgerald is starting to look very ominous. Gilsenan's injury was picked up on that disgrace of a f*cking ploughed bog in South Africa, hope to all that is holy that he makes a full recovery because a pub game should not have been played on that leave alone an IRB tournament game. Very big year this for Ruddock and D Kearney, both will need to be looking to start in the HEC team or they could start getting itchy feet I would imagine.
Furlong's injury was from last year....he is getting a break after the JWC...
Interesting selection by Schmidt. Is McFadden injured?
irishtimes.com - Last Updated: Friday, August 17, 2012, 12:23
Coghlan switches to Leinster backs
John O'Sullivan
Rugby: Leinster coach Joe Schmidt is known for being innovative and forward thinking in terms of playing patterns and his decision to select Jordan Coghlan at inside centre underlines that general philosophy.
Coghlan, played number eight at school with Clongowes, and during the Under-20 World Cup in South Africa, he filled all three backrow positions with Ireland at one stage during the tournament. An excellent athlete – he is an underage international in cricket – he possesses both pace and physique and it will be interesting to note how he fares in this new role.
Leinster travels to Franklin’s Gardens tomorrow (3.0) to take on the Northampton Saints with a young side. It’s bolstered by the presence of experienced players in the form of captain, Leo Cullen, hooker Richardt Strauss, Devin Toner and Isaac Boss.
Last weekend’s 33-22 victory over Gloucester saw plenty of young players given the opportunity to gain first team minutes. Le Auva’a is joined in the back-row by Jordi Murphy and Dominic Ryan who both featured off the bench in Tallaght stadium.
In the backline, Boss links up with Noel Reid – one of six Academy products - at half back while Coghlan makes his bow at inside centre alongside Brendan Macken. South African loose-head prop Heinke van der Merwe is included on the bench after the recent birth of his second Irish-born son, Eli.
Leinster: A Conway; A Boyle, B Macken, J Coghlan, S Coghlan-Murray; N Reid, I Boss; J McGrath, R Strauss, M Moore; L Cullen (capt), D Toner; D Ryan, J Murphy, L Auva’a. Replacements: T Sexton, H van der Merwe, J Hagan, T Denton, B Marshall, J Cooney, I Madigan, C O’Shea, F Carr, J O’Connell.
4 Feb 2011 - Gilmore on the General Election
"Frankfurts way or Labours way."
28 Feb 2012 - Gilmore on a yes vote for the fiscal treaty
"A vote for economic stability and a vote for economic recovery."
Having a Denis Leamy moment I think!! Serious looking Northampton team. Very inexperienced backline for the Ladettes
Northampton Saints: B Foden; V Artemyev, G Pisi, D Waldouck, P Diggin; R Lamb, L Dickson; S Tonga’uiha, D Hartley (capt), B Mujati; M Sorenson, C Day; S Manoa; T Harrison, P Dowson.
McCloud - The Irish internationals who played in NZ aren't available...
Very interesting that Schmidt's decided to move Coghlan to the backline.. he was one of the stand out performers for the U20's at the JWC... I suppose he's young enough that he could adapt.. but given O'Brien & ruddock's injuries I'd have thought he'd be needed in the back-row. I suppose it's possible that he's not quite bulky enough for senior level forward play as yet. He looks to be built more like Niall Ronan than the Tullow tank at the moment, and Nialler can operate well enough in the backline in an emergency.
Plato: \"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.\"
You have to ask yourself whether Mallinder or Schmidt will learn more from fielding those line ups.
Also worth bearing that selection in mind when Mallinder whines, later in the season, about his Saints having to play too many games!
To be fair he probably foresaw Leinster selecting a stronger side with 2 weeks to go to the start of the Rabo, and thought it would be a good opportunity to test his best.
but with McLaughlin, SOB, Heaslip, Jennings, Dom Ryan, Leo Auva, Ruddock, Jordi Murphy there already and Gilsenan/Conan from the U20's also there he might have a better chance at 12 and should boost his skill set hopefully.
Schmidt will learn as much as Munster coaches used to whe we were dominating the Irish team and had the top players in Ireland.............there are a few decent reserves there should they need them but when it matters in the big games they won't be within an arses roar of making the team regardless of how they perform in this game
All good - shame it's not televised. You learn more from a defeat than a win anyway. Fingers crossed for no front row injuries against the cheating ****s.
McGrath and Moore might learn a thing or two, Jes you would almost worry for their safety up against Tiny and Mooj, will be interesting to hear reports.
It's seeing who shows up well enough in these games so that they can be played in the Pro12 to reduce the number of games the top players play and also to ensure that they are able to play when required due to injury....
Guys like McGrath, Moore, Murphy, Conway, Macken, Cooney, Reid should all be looking to start 4/5 games and play off the bench in another 5 or so games this year...
If Leinster can get away with the top internationals playing 9 HEC games and 9/10 ML games and still come in top 4 it's best for Leinster and Ireland...
Mmmmhhh. So you reckon it will eb 9 HEC games this coming season??!!
I realised I was dyslexic when I went to a toga party dressed as a goat
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