A whiff of Cordite

[riocard911]

He's deleted the two tweets he posted about Joe, presumably because every reply either called him a hypocrite or an a***hole

Saw that! Hilarious!!!

[Twist]

I actually really liked the episodes he wasn't on during the WC!

Those we the ones where Tracey and O'Connor talked about how difficult it was for them to kick the players and coaches when they were down, but they had to cause it was their job?

No, the other ones

[Twist]

He's deleted the two tweets he posted about Joe, presumably because every reply either called him a hypocrite or an a***hole

That wont make him stop being one. His bitchy comments about Jean Kleyn would be considered catty on RuPaul’s Drag Race

[Ruckedtobits]

The reception Joe got from the LLS audience should teach every Journo where the loyalties of Irish sports fans lie.

[Ruckedtobits]

Another well written intrview by Keith Duggan of Joe Schmidt in today's IT. The perception and depth of his questions extracted a number of detailed answers from Joe. Excellent & interesting read.

[Ruckedtobits]

Double entry

[Twist]

[D4surfer]

Who stole our fourth star?

[jimbobjoe]

25% off for black Friday?

[Xanthippe]

25% off for black Friday?

[Laighin Break]

Nice article on Will Connors and his tackling in the past 2 games

https://www.the42.ie/will-connors-leins ... 3-Dec2019/

[wixfjord]

Still not near JVDF's tackle record in a single game though! What was it, 34/35 against Connacht that time??

[Ruckedtobits]

Liked the factual content of GT's piece on young Leinster backrows in IT on Saturday. Good writing and interesting article.

[riocard911]

Listening to Woodie and Ruaidhri O'Connor on OTB Monday Night Rugby and the two of them bigging up the prospect of a British/Irish League really pissed me off. Like I'm supposed to get excited that the ERCC will be downsized so I can see "the Lions" playing each other more often? Eh no thanks. I would rather see Leinster playing the Kings than Leicester. And then this b*%&!x about how it would be good for player welfare cos our lads wouldn't have to travel to Bokland once a season? Gimme a break. I'd say that trip is a highpoint of the kids' season. Oh yeah, and apparently it would force/help the Scottish and Welsh clubs get their act together. Does Dennis O'Bribe pay these Muppets to spout such rubbish? Is he in cahoots with the new moneymen taking over the 6 Nations, the Prem and apparently soon also the Pro 14? The English clubs can sink under the weight of their debts for all I care. I see no reason why our provinces should bail them out, which is the only reason such a merger is being mooted. Rant over!!

[LeRouxIsPHat]

It's a tricky one. Personally I've no interest in the SA clubs but I also hate the rearranging of the deck chairs every few years, it makes it impossible to take a tournament seriously. I think a B&I league could take off though and if everyone is on board then I feel like there might actually be enough substance to it that it will last for a long time and might transform the game financially.

But speaking purely from a selfish point of view, I think the current setup suits Leinster really well because we can do things like rest the whole team in between European games. I also think the pressure to send players to other provinces will increase hugely. Connacht and Ulster might okay now but they really don't have any squad depth, so they can peak for European games and get by in the league, but if they had to perform near their best week in week out then their resources will be stretched and they might find themselves struggling in mid table.

[FLIP]

I've no interest in a B&I tournament - and that's as someone who'd get to see Leinster play more often in the UK!

The only financial transformation I see is a negative one - we already have enough financial deadweights in our league - why would we add the whole English game to that list?

[OTT]

Then they stick in a salary cap to save all the English teams and we have to get rid of half our squad, no thanks.

[fourthirtythree]

Given that the Sarries apologists in the English media claim that their breaching of the salary cap was part of their wonderful academy that supplied England in the world cup because [reasons]: no.

By the way, I read in one of those pieces that Sarries had four academy players that they didn't buy in at the world cup. Hell no. Wouldn't touch the English with yours. We play them often enough in Europe and I enjoy that. Any more and we'll get contaminated.

[leinsterforever]

If a B&I league happened it'd probably be slightly better quality than the current two leagues, but worse quality than the current European Cup. The Cup could essentially become defunct if we're already playing the English. Maybe it'd be a reduced competition that's just seen as an add-on.

So a league that it'd probably be more difficult to bring new players through in and a de-valued European Cup. It's a big No Thanks from me.

[blockhead]

This was mooted a few years back and one of the Nigels said that he might agree as long as the Pro14 teams joined English rugby in the lower divisions.
That is how they would view such a merger, the Pro14 teams as the poor relations, refugees even.
Would all the participants in this new league enter as equals?
Would revenue from sponsors and TV be shared equally?
Would the IRFU keep their players playing in Ireland only policy?