Ed O'Donoghue and the Reds - WTF?

[curates_egg]

So, I was going through the team sheets for this weekend's Tahs-Reds clash and I saw that Ed O'Donoghue is starting for the Reds.
The very same Ed O'Donoghue who hardly played a minute for Leinster:
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union ... 2ett9.html

How could he have been so bad as to not feature at all for Leinster and now be starting for the Reds?
I know the Reds have injuries but he is still being backed to play Super 15.

Surely, there must be more to his Leinster story? What really went wrong for him?

[cormac]

Australia has gone from three sides to five sides in a relatively short period of time. There are now many average players in Australian Super 15 teams. Ed O'Donoghue is one of these.

[johng]

As a Tahs fan. I think he's a great signing by big Link.

[Dave Cahill]

So, I was going through the team sheets for this weekend's Tahs-Reds clash and I saw that Ed O'Donoghue is starting for the Reds.
The very same Ed O'Donoghue who hardly played a minute for Leinster:
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union ... 2ett9.html

How could he have been so bad as to not feature at all for Leinster and now be starting for the Reds?
I know the Reds have injuries but he is still being backed to play Super 15.

Surely, there must be more to his Leinster story? What really went wrong for him?

This may sound like heresy to some, but Super 15 ain't all that.

[johng]

So, I was going through the team sheets for this weekend's Tahs-Reds clash and I saw that Ed O'Donoghue is starting for the Reds.
The very same Ed O'Donoghue who hardly played a minute for Leinster:
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union ... 2ett9.html

How could he have been so bad as to not feature at all for Leinster and now be starting for the Reds?
I know the Reds have injuries but he is still being backed to play Super 15.

Surely, there must be more to his Leinster story? What really went wrong for him?

This may sound like heresy to some, but Super 15 ain't all that.

Stone him!

Villagers with torches and pitchforks are converging on your house as we speak.

[nopeare]

This may sound like heresy to some, but Super 15 ain't all that.

Not at all, I cant stand watching it, no such thing as a forward pass, and most games I just have to turn off because the difference in officiating from Super 15 and HC is nearly like 2 different sports. (scrummaging in the S15 drives me nuts)

[johng]

Not necessarily referring to either of you guys, but I think some people tuned in to the S14 while the full ELVs were in force, formed their opinion, and never went back.

If the teams are so cr@p and they play different rules how the fock do their national teams keep beating the European national teams regardless of which refs are there or which hemisphere the games are played in.

[Dave Cahill]

If the teams are so cr@p and they play different rules how the fock do their national teams keep beating the European national teams regardless of which refs are there or which hemisphere the games are played in.

Do they though? SCWs England team beat the tri nations teams regularly in either hemisphere, France win as many as they lose, and until the current slump Ireland would expect to beat SA and Aus up here pretty much every time over the last decade. NZ are a cut above, but the other two are no better or worse than the better european international sides

[sid]

If the teams are so cr@p and they play different rules how the fock do their national teams keep beating the European national teams regardless of which refs are there or which hemisphere the games are played in.

Well, we know from Leinster and Ireland that provincial/club success doesn't necessarily lead to international success. Similarly, the strength of the English national team doesn't really correspond with that of the Premiership clubs. It's probably not too much of a stretch to imagine that the same could also be true of other countries.

[simonokeeffe]

know theyve some 2nd row injuries, EOD actually listed as an academy/development player for them (reds college)

[sunshiner]

Saw the dude in some pictures and he has really bulked up. Hope he's got his stuff together and kicks on. I would also like to remind people that Stephen Sykes was and is a Super 15 player. Like us they have good, bad and average players as well. Just more of them.

[ronk]

We had high hopes for Ed when we signed him, even gave him a 3 year contract. It didn't work out but the same applies to other decent players too.

Here is a demanding place for aspiring locks.

[TrapperChamonix]

If the teams are so cr@p and they play different rules how the fock do their national teams keep beating the European national teams regardless of which refs are there or which hemisphere the games are played in.

Do they though? SCWs England team beat the tri nations teams regularly in either hemisphere, France win as many as they lose, and until the current slump Ireland would expect to beat SA and Aus up here pretty much every time over the last decade. NZ are a cut above, but the other two are no better or worse than the better european international sides

I've not looked up England or France's stats but I will state my case as fact any way. SA and Oz would have a better head to head with England and France (I'm assuming they are the better eurpoean teams) in the last 8 years easily. The head to head for games in Europe would only be 60:40 in favour of the home teams, the games down under must be at least 80:20 to the home side.

Plus 4 RWC's for Oz and SA to Englands 1 is a pretty good reference point as well. What ever about the merits of the club sides its hard to argue with the hegemony of their national teams.

[Doc]

If the teams are so cr@p and they play different rules how the fock do their national teams keep beating the European national teams regardless of which refs are there or which hemisphere the games are played in.

Do they though? SCWs England team beat the tri nations teams regularly in either hemisphere, France win as many as they lose, and until the current slump Ireland would expect to beat SA and Aus up here pretty much every time over the last decade. NZ are a cut above, but the other two are no better or worse than the better european international sides

Sorry Dave, but you're miles off there.

Since 1995, here are the records of England and France vs 'the big three'

France Home: 4/8 against SA (average margin of -2), 2/9 against NZ (-15), 3/7 against Aus (-2.5)
France Away: 2.5/7 (-5.5), 1/9 (-18), 0/8 (-14)

England Home: 6/12(+1), 2.5/10(-7), 5.5/11(+0.5)
England Away: 1.5/8(-14),1/7(-21), 3/10(-19)

On that evidence SA and Australia are well ahead of England and France - games being something of a toss-up when up here, and overwhelmingly in their favour down there (6 wins and 2 draws from 33 games and average losing margin of about 13 points)

I wouldn't agree either about Ireland winning most games - that is a little selective.
We've played SA 7 times at home in the pro era and won 3. One big win (17 point) - two sizeable losses (10 and 14 points) and 4 one score games(+5, +5, -2, -4)
We've played Australia 5 times at home with 2 wins each and 1 draw
We've been competitive (in the sens of finishing within 7 points) in about half our games in Australia (without winning any) and never in SA

I don't have figures to hand for Wales - but from memory I'm pretty sure they haven't won away against and of NZ, Aus or SA in the pro era, and haven't won a home game against SA since the Graham Henry era either, with maybe a couple wins(?) against Aus - who they seem to play about twice a year on average!

[nopeare]

Not necessarily referring to either of you guys, but I think some people tuned in to the S14 while the full ELVs were in force, formed their opinion, and never went back.

Regards me John you're fairly right. I don't think I watched a single game of S15 last year (saw a few bits and pieces of games but didn't last a full one) and the year before didn't really watch it that much, I used to watch it most weekend mornings and evenings but lost interest in it with the rule changes nearly looked like another form of league, some influence could come from my big disliking of new zealand (in rugby terms) as well.

[johng]

The best League in the world is always the one your team plays in. It's hard to be objective about other leagues.

I have relatives and friends in Aus and NZ (Who hasn't at this stage) and tend to support their local teams in the S15.

I have grown to like it. I started watching it the year before Rocky came here, and the Tahs were in the final (with him playing)

Stuck with it through the elvs and still watch.

Don't watch that much of it and would not miss it too much if I didn't, but I do like it. Used to be great when there was a 2 hour highlights programme on sky.

[Donny B.]

Don't watch that much of it and would not miss it too much if I didn't, but I do like it. Used to be great when there was a 2 hour highlights programme on sky.

Used to love that back in the day, well before they covered any live games at all. Used to follow it quite closely in them days, following the Blues. Over the years, I've cared less and less and now only stick it on the odd time and even then rarely give it my full attention.

[curates_egg]

Saw the dude in some pictures and he has really bulked up. Hope he's got his stuff together and kicks on. I would also like to remind people that Stephen Sykes was and is a Super 15 player. Like us they have good, bad and average players as well. Just more of them.

He looks chunkier. Sykes had a decent season last year from what I've heard, read and the little I saw. His issue was clearly not just playing related.

[Donny B.]

Saw the dude in some pictures and he has really bulked up. Hope he's got his stuff together and kicks on. I would also like to remind people that Stephen Sykes was and is a Super 15 player. Like us they have good, bad and average players as well. Just more of them.

He looks chunkier. Sykes had a decent season last year from what I've heard, read and the little I saw. His issue was clearly not just playing related.

Think he played a couple of games, got injured and then was offloded to the Kings at the end of the season.

[papachino]

Yeah, sure Adam Byrnes and Cam Zowitt were starting for their Super Rugby sides when they left Leinster as well...

Super Rugby is Muck.