Rugby Union 2009

**pete** · 29/01/2009, 1:46 PM

Originally Posted by hula4

well to be fair its a bandwagon that has been running for 11 years and massive crowds have travelled to england, wales, switzerland, spain, france, italy etc, so to be fair i think the bandwagon description is out the window

Been to 3 HC finals myself but always knew a lot more bandwagoners than me.

**Bald Student** · 29/01/2009, 1:53 PM

The club scene never got big crowds but it's always had plenty of bodies. We wouldn't accuse a player or coach for a junior soccer club of jumping on the bandwagon by going to an international.

I've no doubt that if Leinster get to Edinburgh in May tens of thousands of true blue supporter will appear out of nowhere but I think the 18,000 capacity of the RDS is within the size of the non-bandwagon rugby public. The same is true of the Ravenhill crowd.

The big test of the Munster support will come when the novelty of the new stadium wears off and they need to fill it every second week. Bandwagoners can be turned into loyal fans and we'll find out soon enough how successful the Munster Branch has been at doing that.

**hula4** · 29/01/2009, 1:53 PM

Originally Posted by Pike B

No offense Hula, but the bandwagon is very much alive and well in Limerick. It's all well and good people supporting them and becoming fans, but I bet you 70% of Munster fans couldn't name the squad of players, or tell you diddly squat about the history, besides beating the All Blacks etc.

At Thomond Park one evening a friend of mine was watching as O'Gara put over a penalty. He was alone as his Uncle and brother (Munster fans all their lives) couldn't get a ticket. A woman 2 seats away asked her husband 'how many points would they get if it went under the post'??

Need I say more??

you will always get things like that, especially now that tickets for the games are easier to get due to the increased capacity but the majority of people that go to games are very knowledgeable.

obviously people are going to support a sucessful team but i would be confident that thomond park will always be full for heineken cup games for the forseeable future.

and who cares if there are so called bandwagoners on board the atmosphere created in cardiff last year, in lansdowne in 06 and thomond park throughout the years more than makes up for it

**Pike B** · 29/01/2009, 1:55 PM

Originally Posted by hula4

you will always get things like that, especially now that tickets for the games are easier to get due to the increased capacity but the majority of people that go to games are very knowledgeable.

obviously people are going to support a sucessful team but i would be confident that thomond park will always be full for heineken cup games for the forseeable future.

and who cares if there are so called bandwagoners on board the atmosphere created in cardiff last year, in lansdowne in 06 and thomond park throughout the years more than makes up for it

I'll have to take your word for it. I haven't stepped on board yet!!

**kingdom hoop** · 29/01/2009, 1:56 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Some media have made that exact claim.

Obviously inaccurate, but equally, as you know, it has greatly increased in active participation at the same time. So its relative position has improved. Tag rugby for example seems to be very big in Dublin - good for strengthening the interests in the game of those with a casual interest.

But like anything that comes up fast, there will be some dramatic and 'negative' change that might be hard to handle for some.

**hula4** · 29/01/2009, 2:10 PM

Originally Posted by Pike B

I'll have to take your word for it. I haven't stepped on board yet!!

believe it or not bud i was at the first ever european game in 1995, my dad brought me for my birthday and did ball boy there for a few years as well.

living in Dublin now i dont get to go as often as i like but i love going, especially the by now annual thrashing of a much hyped english team in january!

just on that note, if there are any Dublin based munster fans the dublin based munster supporters club watch all the matches in Searsons on Baggot Street, good atmosphere there if you want to watch it with a like minded crowd

**Pike B** · 30/01/2009, 7:39 AM

Originally Posted by hula4

believe it or not bud i was at the first ever european game in 1995, my dad brought me for my birthday and did ball boy there for a few years as well.

living in Dublin now i dont get to go as often as i like but i love going, especially the by now annual thrashing of a much hyped english team in january!

just on that note, if there are any Dublin based munster fans the dublin based munster supporters club watch all the matches in Searsons on Baggot Street, good atmosphere there if you want to watch it with a like minded crowd

Hey, like I said. There are some genuine fans out there. It's the other idiots I despise..

**shakermaker1982** · 02/02/2009, 11:50 AM

Anybody else confident about the 6N this year?

**joeSoap** · 02/02/2009, 12:10 PM

I'm confident that we will win our home games. France are in transition, and England are in dire straits at the moment. I'm pretty sure we will beat Italy but it won't be the customary doddle, but fear we'll lose our games in Cardiff and Murrayfield.

Wales are the form team and will take all the beating. Scotland are on the up and will surprise a few people.

**shakermaker1982** · 03/02/2009, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by joeSoap

I'm confident that we will win our home games. France are in transition, and England are in dire straits at the moment. I'm pretty sure we will beat Italy but it won't be the customary doddle, but fear we'll lose our games in Cardiff and Murrayfield.

Wales are the form team and will take all the beating. Scotland are on the up and will surprise a few people.

I hate playing the French. We struggle to work them out and often bring the best out of them

. It's the game I always fear. I can still feel the pain last time out at Croke Park. I agree Wales are the team to beat this year but I'm optimistic. Our back line is as good as anyone out there in the Northern hemisphere and if Munster can transform their club form into a green shirt over the next few months we may end up heading to Cardiff with the chance of winning a 6N at long last.

I see Goode has been recalled for England. Danny boy gets dropped

he was the greatest player of all time only 6 months ago. It's funny how a few charged down kicks can change the mood of a nation.

**pete** · 03/02/2009, 11:15 AM

I fancy France to win due to their strength in depth. As mentioned above we have real trouble beating them.

England have real trouble now at half back - can't think who they will play there.

**charliesboots** · 03/02/2009, 12:09 PM

Ireland team announced to play France this Saturday in the first 6 nations game.

http://www.irishrugby.ie/10735_15920.php

Ireland Coach Declan Kidney has named his first Ireland team for the RBS 6 Nations

O'Driscoll and Wallace started together in the midfield during the summer tour to New Zealand and Australia in 2008 and rekindle that link for the first time at home.

Robert Kearney is selected at fullback and his Leinster colleague Luke Fitzgerald is named on the left wing, with Tommy Bowe making up the back three for the side.

Ronan O�Gara and Tomas O�Leary continue their provincial partnership at outhalf and scrumhalf respectively.

The forwards include Jerry Flannery at hooker. Flannery will pack down in the front row with Marcus Horan and John Hayes, who will be winning his 90th cap for Ireland in his 46th appearance in the Championship.

Donncha O�Callaghan and Paul O�Connell start in the second row together for Ireland for the 23rd time.

The back row trio of Ferris, Wallace and Heaslip remain in place from the side that started against Argentina during November.

IRELAND Team (v France, 2009 RBS 6 Nations Championship, Croke Park, Saturday, February 7, kick-off 5pm):

15 - Robert Kearney (UCD - Leinster)

14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)

13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD - Leinster) Captain

12 - Paddy Wallace (Ballymena - Ulster)

11 - Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College - Leinster)

10 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution - Munster)

9 - Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin - Munster)

1 - Marcus Horan (Shannon - Munster)

2 - Jerry Flannery (Shannon - Munster)

3 - John Hayes (Bruff- Munster)

4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution - Munster)

5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster - Munster)

6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon - Ulster)

7 - David Wallace (Garryowen - Munster)

8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas - Leinster)

Replacements:

16 - Rory Best (Banbridge - Ulster)
17 - Tom Court (Malone - Ulster)*
18 - Malcolm O�Kelly (St.Mary�s College - Leinster)
19 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution - Munster)
20 - Peter Stringer (Shannon - Munster)
21 - Gordon D�Arcy (Lansdowne - Leinster)
22 - Geordan Murphy (Leicester)

Not considered due to injury:

Keith Earls (Young Munster - Munster)

Sensible selection IMO - Wallace is the only Irishman playing twelve at the moment.

Disappointed Reddan wasn't in the 27 ahead of Stringer. Would be hopeful of an Irish win on Saturday.

**Youths4Ever** · 03/02/2009, 1:20 PM

Ireland A Team (v England Saxons, 'A' International Match, Donnybrook, Friday, February 6, kick-off 7.35pm):

15 - Gavin Duffy (Galwegians - Connacht)
14 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena - Ulster)
13 - Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins - Ulster)*
12 - Keith Matthews (Buccaneers - Connacht)*
11 - Mark McCrea (Malone - Ulster)*
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College - Leinster)*
9 - Eoin Reddan (Wasps)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf - Leinster)*
2 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers - Connacht)*
3 - Mike Ross (Harlequins)*
4 - Bob Casey (London Irish) (capt)
5 - Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon - Ulster)*
6 - Neil Best (Northampton)
7 - Shane Jennings (St. Mary's College - Leinster)
8 - John Muldoon (Galwegians - Connacht)*
Replacements:
16 - John Fogarty (Clontarf - Leinster)*
17 - John Andress (Exeter)*
18 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon - Munster)
19 - Sean O'Brien (Clontarf - Leinster)*
20 - Isaac Boss (Ballymena - Ulster)
21 - Ian Humphreys (Ballymena - Ulster)*
22 - Barry Murphy (UL Bohemians - Munster)
*denotes uncapped players

still think Casey should be in main squad

**Youths4Ever** · 03/02/2009, 1:22 PM

Originally Posted by charliesboots

Sensible selection IMO - Wallace is the only Irishman playing twelve at the moment.

Disappointed Reddan wasn't in the 27 ahead of Stringer. Would be hopeful of an Irish win on Saturday.

Agree with Wallace at 12.

Story about Reddan a few days ago that he chose to start in A team rather than seat on bench in Croke Park.

**pete** · 03/02/2009, 2:40 PM

Dropping Reddan has to be a surprise. Surprised at Wallace in at 12 but to be fair to him he is more a 12 than a 10. Also surprised Earls not in either team - is he injured? I thought O'Kellys days were over - can't see him offering much off the bench.

**Schumi** · 03/02/2009, 3:13 PM

Earls is injured, yeah. It's mentioned at the bottom of charliesboots' post.

**pete** · 03/02/2009, 3:17 PM

Originally Posted by Schumi

Earls is injured, yeah. It's mentioned at the bottom of charliesboots' post.

For once I actually went back to read the post but obviosuly I only read the top part.

**brianw82** · 03/02/2009, 3:29 PM

Happy enough with that team. I think it can beat France, but the question is 'do the players believe they can beat France?'

**paudie** · 06/02/2009, 6:30 PM

Looking forward to the game tomorrow. France seem very beatable and a champioship doesn't seem out of the question. Will be a huge blow to the team and Kidney if we lose.