The 2008, 2012 and 2016 Six Nations are not remembered fondly by Irish supporters, and for good reason. Well-worn teamsheets and coaching tickets that were viewed as lame duck combined to produce insipid performances from the Irish national side, but this time round, Andy Farrell has the luxury of being able to select numerous … Continue reading Back In The Saddle
Category: Conor Murray
Ground Zero
“There’s two kinds of pain in this world. Pain that hurts. Pain that alters.” Robert McCall, The Equalizer 2 (2018) You would think that Irish supporters would be used to World Cup quarter-final defeats by now, but every time that they happen, the wound cuts just as deep. In fact, this one is … Continue reading Ground Zero
Litmus Test
When Ireland played Samoa in 2013, they ran out comfortable winners in the end, although the 40-9 scoreline didn’t reflect how scrappy Ireland’s performance was on the day until Cian Healy, Paul O’Connell and Seán O'Brien were brought off the bench to put the Pacific Islanders to the sword. It’s oddly fitting that it … Continue reading Litmus Test
Armageddon
Before going into the ins and outs of why Ireland lost today, Japan deserve enormous praise for pulling off an unthinkable win over a team who were ranked second in the world. Just like in 2015, they have lit up the tournament with a stunning victory, and the Tier 2 label is becoming less … Continue reading Armageddon
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