promenader 2 wrote:'Connacht can have similar gripes btw'
So it's not a north-south thing then? I thought from the tone of some of the comments above that it was. Mind you, you'll not find too many Munster fans who'll agree that they are - along with Leinster - one of the favoured children. As for individual player selections, just listen to any panel of 'experts' on any sport - rugby, football, GAA, cricket - and you'll hear a range of conflicting opinions about different players in different positions. It's a pub sport. I'll believe that Ulster players are routinely ignored by Ireland selectors when we are regularly the best team in Ireland, if not Europe, and our players aren't being selected. Until then I'll continue to believe in the gospel of self-interest, which teaches that professional coaches don't ignore good players if they want to be successful and keep their jobs.
agreed.
I'll tip my hat to your ignoring of the facts I brought up in my post.
If you are denying that there has been in the past a pro south prejudice then I can't help you.
Everyone knows Schmidt is a one eyed republican bigot and you may well have his other eye.
I didn't ignore your facts, you didn't provide any - just a set of opinions, to which you're entitled. 'Madigan over Jackson at the World Cup'. Well, I agree that Paddy is a far better 10 than Mads, but Mads can also play in other positions, whereas Paddy can't. Maybe the coach decided to go for versatility to give himself a few more options, who knows. Here's the thing, though: if Joe doesn't take Ireland to at least the semi finals of the next World Cup, he'll be regarded as an under achiever, and he knows that. I would bet my house that if he could be guaranteed finishing in the last 4 by playing 15 Ulster men - including beagle - he'd do it in a heartbeat.
Confident gambling talk, I don’t like gambling myself, but if I were a gambling man, I would say that you would be homeless after a wager like that