Thanks Joe

[wixfjord]

A lot of negativity and blame game going on and will continue for a few days, much of it warranted.

So might be nice to have a positive thread in the midst of it all with some wider context.

Today marks the end of an incredible era in Irish rugby and the final act of a man who has brought both us and the national team to the next level.

Not bad for a guy who had 'lost the dressing room' five games into his tenure eh?

Thanks for everything Joe.

[Ruckedtobits]

Yes, thanks for all your efforts and success Joe. You have made many of us proud with Leinster and Irish rugby.

[Oldschool]

Yeah absolutely.
Joe has done so much for Irish Rugby.
We have been blessed to have him.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Agreed on all of that. He's provided us with so many great days so two really bad ones out of 9 great years doesn't change that. He managed to take Leinster to an unbelievably high level, really don't think I've enjoyed watching rugby as much as that Leinster side in his first two season, and took over Ireland when we were at a very low ebb and turned things around immediately and took the whole game to another level there too. My first memories of watching Ireland were all horrible really but for most of the last 6 years I've had confidence in us and looked forward to games.

He's a complete gent and the work he does in going to clubs and schools is pretty special. He's obviously had to deal with his son being sick throughout most of that time and also the loss of his mother a couple of months ago too. Thanks for everything Joe

And thanks to Rory Best too. As bad as we were today and I'm sure it'll be of little consolation to him but I thought he played pretty well today and glad he managed to finish on a decent individual performance. He's been through the mill a bit over his career and it's hard to believe he's gone on to such great things after such a bad neck injury a decade ago. Thanks Rory

[neiliog93]

Ireland's most successful coach ever, did a huge amount for the game here.

The weaknesses of his approach were exposed on a number of occasions (e.g. vs Wales 2015 Six Nations, 2015 RWC, vs France 2016 Six Nations, vs Scotland 2017 Six Nations, all of 2019, etc.) - but three Six Nations titles, a Grand Slam, a first victory in RSA (and with a red card), a series victory in Australia, and two wins over New Zealand all speaks for itself.

[OTT]

Nine amazing years.

A lot more highs then lows.

When the big defeats would come which was inevitable through the nine years they hit hard because of the belief I had in Joe and his teams.

Hope the future is bright and prosperous for him.

[hugonaut]

Gutted for him. He has brought so much to Irish rugby, and it's a really tough ending for him. His record is amazing ... and it's not like we haven't lost in a World Cup quarter-final before!

Superb coach and a great man. We've been very lucky to have him.

[johng]

Nine amazing years.

A lot more highs then lows.

I think you meant a lot more highs THAN lows. but it makes sense both ways for once.

Some will see the fact that we couldn't make our wc qf hoodoo go away as the ultimate failure. But he made our 111 year ABs hoodoo go away and won us our 3rd grand slam and 2 more 6n wins.

Best ever coach by a distance.

[blockhead]

Thanks Joe, so glad you came our way.

[RavenhillRaider]

+1 Gent of a man who definitely showes us the way technically, but also gave us the belief that sticking to the plan could make us no.1.
And as others said he gave so much of his time to the rugby community even when family issues were weighing on his mind.
Best of luck Joe in whatever the future holds and thank you for so many memorable moments.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Twist]

We never had so many good days before, we might never have them again. But if we do it’ll be in part because of his impact. GRMA


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[Blueberry]

+1 on this, Thanks Joe for the memories especially the blue ones !!

Time stands still for no one, even the greats but you were a great one !! Few can say this. Thanks again.

[backrower8]

Best ever Irish coach. 5 great years. One poor one.


Reasons it unwound:

The lack of evolution in squad and style since the series in Oz is when it began to unravel.

Too many sacred cows (Best, POM, CJ, Murr, Sexto, Kearns). This broke down the meritocracy of the squad. Best should have been told his time was up after Australia.

[I appreciate that Scannell didn't demand the jersey, but Joe failed to nurture people that weren't his type. Cronin, Conan, Ruddock, Zebo. He repeatedly left people on the pitch far too long thereby dissing the likes of Cronin, McGrath/Marmion...any back row player you care to mention.]

Far too much went through/depended on Sexton. His status/style became unhealthy. We were close to nothing without him and apparently everything was ok when he played yet his form has tailed off badly since we last went to Thomond.

Joe was unlucky losing Jackson and also Joey getting injured and having to play a newly minted #3 10 in his first ever meaningful start for Ireland against the RWC hosts.

However the biggest learning should be one for Nucifora and the IRFU. Joe became bigger than Team Ireland. He got too much rope. He became untouchable. Unchallengeable. He wasn't surrounded by Deputies that would challenge his thinking. His thinking dominated all around him. Joe was allowed to be bigger than the job. That shouldn't have been allowed to happen.

It ended up as a team that played pedantically, with a lack of clarity of what they were about. That doesn't happen if there is harmony and commitment within the coaching team.

New Zealand on the other hand, had a highly inexperienced backline dropped Coles, Franks, moved BB to 15, brought in a rookie international 10 and played single cappers on the wings. Yet they played instinctively, all thinking and acting in unison at all times. That clarity comes from the entire coaching ticket.

"In Joe we Trust" became a Mantra, a straight jacket.

The man, always highly strung, looked haunted this year. He looked isolated by the pressure of his own supreme control. Farrell, Nucifora and the IRFU Committee allowed it to happen. It is understandable that it did. We have never experienced a run like the one Joe gave us, a 73% win ratio and lots of trophies and firsts and going from #8/9 in the rankings to #1...says it all.

But the learning is that nobody is bigger than the job/ Team Ireland. We need the right structures and culture at the top so that we develop a coaching ticket culture akin to New Zealand, always predicting and adjusting to the future.

You could point to Gatland and say that he is a dictator, but I think that, while he is the boss, Sean Edwards give as good as he gets. Henry & Hansen had it, as do Hansen & Foster, Stucaster, McCall & Sanderson. As for Eddie Jones...well maybe he bosses all around him and that is why he doesn't do long stints anywhere...but John Mitchell is most likely able to input to him as a peer.

When things began to sour for Ireland, against England, we were like an oil tanker trying to turn in RWC-year. Whatever happens in the future, we need a coaching ticket that is much healthier while still lead by one boss.

[OTT]

Of all the threads for a diatribe this was definitely the one. Classy as always.

[ronk]

Super coach. Great times.

[wixfjord]

Of all the threads for a diatribe this was definitely the one. Classy as always.

Yup.

I mean the point of the thread if he had've read the OP was a bit of positivity.

There are about four other active threads that he could've posted in.

They didn't teach class in St Michaels it seems!

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Super coach. Great times.

For some reason I'm picturing this as a eulogy at a funeral and find it very funny

[Peg Leg]

Best ever Irish coach. 5 great years. One poor one.


Reasons it unwound:

The lack of evolution in squad and style since the series in Oz is when it began to unravel.

Too many sacred cows (Best, POM, CJ, Murr, Sexto, Kearns). This broke down the meritocracy of the squad. Best should have been told his time was up after Australia.

[I appreciate that Scannell didn't demand the jersey, but Joe failed to nurture people that weren't his type. Cronin, Conan, Ruddock, Zebo. He repeatedly left people on the pitch far too long thereby dissing the likes of Cronin, McGrath/Marmion...any back row player you care to mention.]

Far too much went through/depended on Sexton. His status/style became unhealthy. We were close to nothing without him and apparently everything was ok when he played yet his form has tailed off badly since we last went to Thomond.

Joe was unlucky losing Jackson and also Joey getting injured and having to play a newly minted #3 10 in his first ever meaningful start for Ireland against the RWC hosts.

However the biggest learning should be one for Nucifora and the IRFU. Joe became bigger than Team Ireland. He got too much rope. He became untouchable. Unchallengeable. He wasn't surrounded by Deputies that would challenge his thinking. His thinking dominated all around him. Joe was allowed to be bigger than the job. That shouldn't have been allowed to happen.

It ended up as a team that played pedantically, with a lack of clarity of what they were about. That doesn't happen if there is harmony and commitment within the coaching team.

New Zealand on the other hand, had a highly inexperienced backline dropped Coles, Franks, moved BB to 15, brought in a rookie international 10 and played single cappers on the wings. Yet they played instinctively, all thinking and acting in unison at all times. That clarity comes from the entire coaching ticket.

"In Joe we Trust" became a Mantra, a straight jacket.

The man, always highly strung, looked haunted this year. He looked isolated by the pressure of his own supreme control. Farrell, Nucifora and the IRFU Committee allowed it to happen. It is understandable that it did. We have never experienced a run like the one Joe gave us, a 73% win ratio and lots of trophies and firsts and going from #8/9 in the rankings to #1...says it all.

But the learning is that nobody is bigger than the job/ Team Ireland. We need the right structures and culture at the top so that we develop a coaching ticket culture akin to New Zealand, always predicting and adjusting to the future.

You could point to Gatland and say that he is a dictator, but I think that, while he is the boss, Sean Edwards give as good as he gets. Henry & Hansen had it, as do Hansen & Foster, Stucaster, McCall & Sanderson. As for Eddie Jones...well maybe he bosses all around him and that is why he doesn't do long stints anywhere...but John Mitchell is most likely able to input to him as a peer.

When things began to sour for Ireland, against England, we were like an oil tanker trying to turn in RWC-year. Whatever happens in the future, we need a coaching ticket that is much healthier while still lead by one boss.

5 great years gets 1 sentence.
One bad gets 13 paragraphs. Nice way to celebrate.

[Oldschoolsocks]

Of all the threads for a diatribe this was definitely the one. Classy as always.

Yup.

I mean the point of the thread if he had've read the OP was a bit of positivity.

There are about four other active threads that he could've posted in.

They didn't teach class in St Michaels it seems!

They teach upper class

[ronk]

Super coach. Great times.

For some reason I'm picturing this as a eulogy at a funeral and find it very funny

Gone but not forgotten.

Let the Andy Farrell reign of terror begin.

Joe was easily my favourite rugby coach of all time. It didnt end that badly really. We got a quarter final. NZ hammered France 4 years ago, they last lost a RWC game in 2007. It was not realistic to expect us to win it and we had a dip in form.

It happened to England last year and Wales have loads of then.