Rugby World Cup

Here are some on the on-field targets outlined by the IRFU in their strategic plan published in 2003

- Ireland consistently ranked as one of the top 4 teams in the world and reaching the semi-finals of RWC 2007

- Winning at least one 6 nations championship

- Finishing at least in the runners-up position in 3 out of 4 seasons of the 6 nations championship

- Winning the European Rugby Cup once and winning 2 Celtic leagues.


Anybody can make their own minds up as to whether Eddie O'Sullivan has achieved the targets set out by his employers. Granted the last one had little or nothing to do with him.

Compare this to his football counterpart. The FAI have stated that the target for the senior side is qualification for the 2010 WC and i'm pretty sure if that is not achieved the manager will be on his way.

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Originally Posted by fitzknows

Here are some on the on-field targets outlined by the IRFU in their strategic plan published in 2003

- Ireland consistently ranked as one of the top 4 teams in the world and reaching the semi-finals of RWC 2007

- Winning at least one 6 nations championship

- Finishing at least in the runners-up position in 3 out of 4 seasons of the 6 nations championship

- Winning the European Rugby Cup once and winning 2 Celtic leagues.


Anybody can make their own minds up as to whether Eddie O'Sullivan has achieved the targets set out by his employers. Granted the last one had little or nothing to do with him.

Compare this to his football counterpart. The FAI have stated that the target for the senior side is qualification for the 2010 WC and i'm pretty sure if that is not achieved the manager will be on his way.

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the targets make interesting reading but really just beg the question : why the hell was he given a brand new 4 year contract before the WC (subject of his primary target) even began. The mind boggles.

Heard someone on the radio today (might have been Gerry Thornley) saying he was fairly certain most of the players weren't relishing another four years under EOS. That will make for interesting times. If he loses the dressing room it'll be curtains.

Phillip Browne's (IRFU Chief Exec) RTE interview today wasn't exactly an unqualified endorsement of Eddie's position.

He said they would be doing a review of what went wrong and that would include O'Sullivan's role as Head Coach.

I think the exact quote was "as it stands Eddie O'Sullivan is our coach for the next four years".....

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Originally Posted by Soko

You just picked the best couple of players, what about the others?

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Who are the token black players in the South African squad?

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Originally Posted by SkStu

why the hell was he given a brand new 4 year contract
before the WC (subject of his primary target) even began. The mind boggles.

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One of the commentators said they offered him the contract early as if Ireland
went on and did well/won the RWC it would have costed them a whole lot more
to keep him on.

The IRFU were expecting to do very well and so saw it as a good move in managing costs.
Unfortunately for them it completely backfired.

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Originally Posted by SkStu

the targets make interesting reading but really just beg the question : why the hell was he given a brand new 4 year contract before the WC (subject of his primary target) even began. The mind boggles.

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The contract question is a hard one to get right, Mick McCarthy was offered a new contract before the 2002 World Cup and the FAI were lambasted for it, whereas Kerr's contract was only until the end of the 2006 qualifiers, if we had qualified, then it not unreasonable to guess a new contract would have been offered to take him well past the World Cup, no matter how well we did in it.
In the current situation, there's no way Staunton should have been given a 4 year deal, a 2 year deal (ie until the end of the qualifiers) with a 2 year extension following a review of the qualifiers would have been a far better option.

who said this "eddie osullivan is a great coach"?

Just back and Paris' beer was as expensive as I remembered! How can it cost 8/9 euros a pint?!

Other than BOD I cannot recall too many players coming out with any credit from that performance. D'Arcy looks lost and O'Gara is a pale imitation of the player that helped Munster win the HC. I had high hopes going into the WC - I thought we had a chance of winning the group but never imagined for one second we'd play that poorly in all 4 games.

Our back row was non existent - Neil Best should have been on earlier, WTF has happened to Leamy? Our scrum seemed to hold up ok, we have clearly been working on that area but unfortunately we seemed to have neglected the lineout - did we lose 4 off our own throw?

God I'm disappointed, to make matters worse our football team isn't much kop either and Germany are coming to town.....

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Originally Posted by pete

I agree need to blood new players but Carney is 32 & Wallace needs to start playing as out half for his club before can be considered.

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Don't really see Carney beyond this season, the only logic to including him in the World Cup squad was as an unknown impact player, and then he wasn't used. If O'Sullivan is in charge for the 6 Nations he could well play as it'll be do or die for him as coach if he survives that long and similarly a new coach will be wanting to get off to a good start. After that, it'll be no choice but rebuild given the age profile of the squad.

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Originally Posted by pete

BTW Contepomi is far from the nice guy image all the Dublin media have built him up as. Mouthing off to the referee constantly & goading Irish players. Hernandez is much better player. I expect Munster to give him a battering again next time they play Lenister. :(

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That'll be business as usual between Contepomi and Munster. He's no better or worse than Stringer for mouthing off to the ref or opposition, but that's different as he's from Cork?

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Originally Posted by JoeSoap

I wouldn't call them sacrificail lambs, especially Niall O'Donovan. He had responsibility for that pack, and ultimately the disastrous lineouts, and forward turnovers were as much down to him than anybody else. He deserves to lose his job. He will lose his job. We are going to have to go down under to recruit specialist coaches, particularly a scrummaging and lineout expert. Why not approach Matrin Johnson...he's looking to get into coaching? And he was arguably the greatest second row the game has ever seen. Something radical has to be done, and an overhaul of the squad for the six nations has to be high on the list. We open against Italy.That provides the perfect opportunity to experiment. I would like to see a team against the Italians along the likes of:

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Exactly - O'Donovan was touted as a potential replacement for O'Sullivan around the Championship! O'Sullivan's fault we had no scrummaging specialist coach so he must share that responsibility, but the rest of the pack play can be put down to him to a large degree.

Martin Johnson as coach??? Isn't he the ****er that snubbed our president?

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Originally Posted by Kramer

Martin Johnson as coach??? Isn't he the ****er that snubbed our president?

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No he poplitely shook her hand. He's the ****er who with one simple move totally threw the whole Irish team off their game.

Best forward I've ever seen in Rugby (with apologies to Zinzan brooke)

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Originally Posted by Dodge

No he poplitely shook her hand. He's the ****er who with one simple move totally threw the whole Irish team off their game.

Best forward I've ever seen in Rugby (with apologies to Zinzan brooke)

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Bingo. Great move on behalf of Johnson. Silly move on the Irish part, very similar to the stoopid reaction of Caffrey when Mayo were practicing in front of the Hill last yr.

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Originally Posted by Kramer

Martin Johnson as coach??? Isn't he the ****er that snubbed our president?

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Not sure that protocol and etiquette should be the key factor in recruiting a rugby coach.

Johnson is a legend. Really not sure if he'd be a good coach, but he'd certainly instill them with pride.

I couldnt care less who we get as a lineout coach as long as he can restore our lineouts to the way they used to be.

We used to have one of the best lineouts in the world over the last few years. But this WC was embarrassing. We lost many of our own lineouts in dangerous positions and rarely competed with the oppostions. Not good enough.

Do France , England , Figi and Scotland have any chance over the weekend?

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Originally Posted by gustavo

Do France , England , Figi and Scotland have any chance over the weekend?

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Slight chance, none at all, slight chance.

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Originally Posted by gustavo

Do France , England , Figi and Scotland have any chance over the weekend?

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England, Scotland and France to a lesser extent are all in with a shout IMO.

Scotland have no chance, they're woeful. The others have a small chance, if France were playing anyone else, I'd say they had an even chance but against the All Blacks in Wales, it's unlikely.

I hope Australia win not just because I have them as winners but it will be really depressing to see England in the semi final.