SIX NATIONS 2021

[Ds69]

Irish rugby fans are the worst. They are on Billy's Instagram account writing on photos from weeks ago. Terrible stuff. Other pros are pleading for them to stop.

To be fair, this time of year you get a lot of soccer fans, chipping in suddenly becoming rugby experts saying pom and Billy should be dropped off the squad. On other forums I read, most rugby regulars have been alot more fair about billy.

[big mervyn]

I'm glad they never read my texts or know what I got up to...'

I think we're all in the same boat Solid.

That's true Snipe. None of us want to read Solid's texts or know what he got up to

[Bart S]

One of the big problems is that when push ones to shove, for the big games Leinster’s pecking order is Sexton at 10 and Ross Byrne on the bench. Harry Byrne whom the likes of Quinlan and BOD are advocating to start against France doesn’t make Leo’s first choice 23. You have to ask why that is and why therefore Ireland should pick Leinster’s 3rd choice outhalf for such a big game now.

One of the problems in Irish rugby is that if you are a “legend” you are pretty much undroppable. If Johnny Sexton wants to play at the next World Cup, who would have the balls to drop him? Ditto Conor Murray given his form, over the past few years and even BOD a few years before he finished. Remember the outrage at Gatland not picking him for the final Lions test in 2013 which the Irish pundits couldn’t accept, as no-one in Ireland would ever have dared to do this. Some people never forgave Kidney for dropping ROG at Murrayfield when Paddy Jackson replaced him, even though watching ROG at that time was pretty painful, as he was a shadow of what he had been.

Sexton has been injured or average over the past couple of years, yet Harry Byrne has not yet challenged him. Is this because Sexton is still viewed as a better player or that he will just not get dropped regardless, given his legendary status in Irish rugby circles.

If BOD was calling for Byrne to start ahead of Sexton in the big Leinster games then fair enough, but I don’t recall him saying Johnny should make way for Harry.

[rumncoke]

Sexton is playing on memories -- injury prone and having to play games where there is no place to hide. Byrne the Elder is robotic and his younger sibling is even more inexperienced than he is -- neither can time a pass or pass with conviction. Truth is every out half option other than Sexton are kicking out halfs rather than game controllers , which means they play a predictable game which at International level unless you are extremely accurate all your doing is giving the ball to the opposition.

If you kick long the opposition will run the ball back at you at pace and basically all them are long kickers with a few soft cross field kicks to the wings -- due to the fact -- the ball will never get to the wing by passing -- and cross field kicks can be extremely high risk if caught by the opposition because it can be a clear run in under the posts.

PoM -- Sexton should have spoken to him after Barnes penalised him early in the match -- " keep a cool head" Ireland were never going to win the match in the first 20 minutes .. a Head Down mad rush totally blind as to what he was running into totally unnecessary .

PoM is not a dirty player just "hard" and head strong with a short fuse -- just the right person to have beside you in a "barney" if it starts He take a blow and give one for any team mate .

While there maybe better loose forwards they lack the ability to function in the line out to the same degree of consistence -- and with out Toner he is a necessary alternative because Beirne and Henderson lack pace to be an International back rows and Baird failed miserable for Leinster at back row. Ireland need 3 line out options .

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Irish rugby fans are the worst. They are on Billy's Instagram account writing on photos from weeks ago. Terrible stuff. Other pros are pleading for them to stop.

To be fair, this time of year you get a lot of soccer fans, chipping in suddenly becoming rugby experts saying pom and Billy should be dropped off the squad. On other forums I read, most rugby regulars have been alot more fair about billy.

Aye, that must be what it is - those soccer types really let the side down. Rugger chaps would never behave in such a manner.

Away an boil yer heed.

[justinr73]

There’s someone called Phil Redmond posting on the 42.ie site who admits to not having seen Billy play for Ulster but is adamant that he’s useless.

He also stated (with the confidence that only true ignorance can elicit) that Janny would never try a cross -field kick at the death and the second and third best Irish 10s are playing abroad.

It’s been pointed out to him that Janny did just that shortly before the DG in Paris and that Ian Madigan now plies his trade in Belfast.

He’s not posted since. Must be concentrating on developing a new TV show.

[volvo]

See O'connor in the Irish Inde has big piece on Irish OH's states PJ in great form and that Fucifora left the door open for his return (as we know) but also states that Petrie is definitely adamant that he wont ever re-sign for Ulster, is he scared of the backlash? after near 3 years or that on top of the KS impending fall out from their court case? Petrie out!

[lovesthehardground]

Yes Burns missed touch at the end. As others have said Sexton did the same earlier and Hogg did the same for Scotland during the autumn internationals (Ithink). Point is I think the bigger error occurred at the start of the second half leading to North's try. Ireland had to hold out for the first 10-15 minutes after half time. Anybody who has played the game knows the importance of this when down a man or turning round to play into a strong wind. However what happened.
We had a defensive scrum about 10 yards out from our line. We brought Henshaw onto the blindside of our scrum leaving the backs one man short. We won the scrum and Murray fed Sexton who instead of booting it into the stand inexplicably ran the ball out the backs (with one centre less). Keenan took the pass under pressure and tried to offload a pass in the tackle. Ball spilt and Wales took possession and scored.
That to me was the turning point of the match. Yet no mention of Sexton making this crucial error - again. He is a poor captain and a player well past his best. Hopefully his latest hamstring injury (head) will stop him from being selected on Saturday. Ireland need to move on from him even if the backups aren't up to scratch. Hopefully this would hasten the return of Jackson. I doubt it but here maybe Gatland will have to balls to pick himfor the Lions. Oh how funny would that be?!

[Snipe Watson]

Newsflash: Billy Burns is a very average flyhalf.

[Snipe Watson]

See O'connor in the Irish Inde has big piece on Irish OH's states PJ in great form and that Fucifora left the door open for his return (as we know) but also states that Petrie is definitely adamant that he wont ever re-sign for Ulster, is he scared of the backlash? after near 3 years or that on top of the KS impending fall out from their court case? Petrie out!

Petrie is not the organ grinder.

[lovesthehardground]

Newsflash: Billy Burns is a very average flyhalf.

He's still not the reason Ireland lost on Sunday.

[big mervyn]

Newsflash: Billy Burns is a very average flyhalf.

He's still not the reason Ireland lost on Sunday.

Tell you what. Madigan would have relished that wee spell after Sexton went off.

[Jackie Brown]

See O'connor in the Irish Inde has big piece on Irish OH's states PJ in great form and that Fucifora left the door open for his return (as we know) but also states that Petrie is definitely adamant that he wont ever re-sign for Ulster, is he scared of the backlash? after near 3 years or that on top of the KS impending fall out from their court case? Petrie out!

Petrie thinks he can stick his head in the sand over it. Fans won't forget how the province and IRFU put an online hate mob over player welfare.

[Bart S]

Newsflash: Billy Burns is a very average flyhalf.

Agreed and unfortunately his kicking game is below average.

At the end of the day he was not Gloucester first choice consistently and would not have been near the england radar so fair play to him for getting capped by Ireland. He has done ok at Ulster but I would question if he is much better than Madigan and whether Mike Lowry would be a better 10.

Not all his fault Ireland lost and not his fault that he gets picked for ireland but I can't see him or Ross Byrne becoming international standard. Byrne's kicking game and Burns' running game might make for a half decent player though.

[solidarity]

I'm glad they never read my texts or know what I got up to...'

I think we're all in the same boat Solid.

That's true Snipe. None of us want to read Solid's texts or know what he got up to

To quote in full...'I guess most of the players see it from his point of view with not a few saying, 'Phew, I'm glad they never read my texts or know what I got up to...'
I was pure as the driven snow.
Sort of.
Still am.
Sort of.