Irish Rugby and Sevens

lonester99

its not as cut and dry as that … his break got us uo the pitch for our try so without him we wouldnt have even been in the lead, if you were looking for a punching bag for the loss Roche missing every remotely off center kick the entire tournament would have more weight

FtD v2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122427077#Comment_122427077

This is like a bonus second Christmas for him this year.

muck.savage

For the Fijian try from the kick off, was there a Fijian knock on. The replays I saw showed the Fijian player get a hand to it, but couldn't tell if he knocked it forward or sideways. Surprised referee didn't ask TMO to check.

As regards Kennedy, he saw a chance and backed himself. Put Fiji in the corner and ireland nearly intercepted line out. If he had taken the tackle and Fiji turned ball over, same people giving out that he was isolated.

clsmooth

I’m trying to figure out who has the worst online fans. The South Africans who can never accept their team has been defeated fairly and will defend them to the hilt and rally behind them or the Irish fans who see every single defeat as a form of choke and can’t wait to stick the boot in on their own 🤔 has to say something about our psyche as a nation.

Hope Fiji go on to win gold again. They are superb to watch, great mix of skill, vision and athleticism. I reckon they’ll win it quite handily again. Loved watching then since the early 90s, watching Serevi destroy teams with the goose step and kick the laziest drop goal conversion just clearing the bar. Pure magicians. Just a pity the pitch is too small when you put 15 of them on it together!

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122427165#Comment_122427165

the Irish fans who see every single defeat as a form of choke and can’t wait to stick the boot in on their own 🤔 has to say something about our psyche as a nation.

I think the fact that we've lost literally every knockout game we've ever played says more about the Irish psyche.

thebaz

Im no 7s expert, but we lost control and a probable medal, after substitions, not just Keenan who was poor , with all those plays/chances at the end we never looked like scoring , some of this is on the coach, but we have come a long way in 6 years, where we were battling the likes of Germany as also rans

FtD v2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122427184#Comment_122427184

Yeah, it couldn't possibly be the case that we lost tonight to a team that were simply better than us (who even still got the absolute rub of the green with a pivotal refereeing decision)?

It has to be the Irish psyche, gotcha.

We clearly struggled hugely with their physical power. We did what we could do and help possession for as long we could, and took the chances we got for the most part. Fiji were always going to get some chances and they took them.

thebaz

love Fijian rugby too, but would like to see France and duPont win it now, for a change , be good for game

aloooof

I wouldn't have seen anywhere near as much 7's as 15 man rugby, but that Kennedy kick absolutely looked like the right decision to me, and I don't think it's that close.

clsmooth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122427207#Comment_122427207

Might be good for the game but I couldn’t begrudge an island of 1m their only chance of a gold medal in the Olympics. Especially when they play in the style they do.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122427204#Comment_122427204

Yeah sure we were just unlucky this time. And the previous hundred times.

clsmooth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122427184#Comment_122427184

Still looking for bites? 😀 a cursory glance at your post history shows you only come on to post after a defeat. Lots after the first SA test for example and nothing after the second. And then you magically appear again this evening 😂 kudos for the continued efforts!

clsmooth

Was impressed with Chay Mullins. Couple of lovely finishes. Hoping we see him get some game time for Connacht next season.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122426792#Comment_122426792

Hopefully.

Honestly, maybe an unpopular opinion but 7s is a joke, a total nonsense version of the sport. I understand it's subsidised out the arse which is the only thing that makes it viable but every single cent spent on this would be better spent on men and womens 15s instead.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122427165#Comment_122427165

Always being happy with being heroic losers says a lot more about the nations psyche 🤔

FtD v2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122427233#Comment_122427233

Yeah, I forgot about the obvious links between these lads losing to Fiji tonight and Gordon Hamilton, Ralph Keyes and Co losing to Australia back in 1991. 🙄

Trey13

One score game vs New Zealand and Fiji - arguably should have won both. I know people question the merits of the 7s programme but its development in Ireland since 2015 has been remarkable. Keenan, Andrew Smith + few others currently playing professionally in Ireland have spent time there and it is valuable.

Overall, the sport could do a better job at giving itself an opportunity to grow. Some of the venues for the world series are utterly bizarre.

eagle eye

I'm on the Fiji train, they are the most entertaining team in all of sports in my opinion.

Fiji have been far and away the best team in the tournament to this point.

As for the worst fans, they are the ones that bitch and moan about their own players, attack them from every angle including calling them bottlers and chokers.

I love how South Africa fans blame the rest of the world when their team loses. I'm sure the players love those fans too.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122427322#Comment_122427322

Well, it's value comes down to whether you think playing 7s is what made Keenan good at rugby, or whether he'd have been just as good, or maybe even better had he played 15s instead.

Like obviously playing 7s players will get to run with the ball more often than 15s, and therefore they'll learn more about attacking the line or whatever. But it's not all upside, the 2 versions of the sport are so different that they miss out on developing other areas of the game.

The sport won't grow. The overwhelming majority of rugby people don't give a crap about 7s and non-rugby people care even less about it.

Trey13

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122427349#Comment_122427349

Keenan is among many current professionals who have spent time in the 7s programme. Nick Timoney said this week that it was massively beneficial and he found it easier to integrate back into 15s off the back of spending time in the 7s programme. Andrew Smith a good example of someone let go by Leinster, got consistent time with the 7s and then got his chance with Connacht.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122427349#Comment_122427349

Well you are very wrong. People in New Zealand and South Africa care a lot about sevens. That's two of the most successful nations on earth, maybe the two most successful.

Lots of players have came through from sevens in those two countries.

Arendse and Kolbe from South Africa and Liam Messam from New Zealand are all Rugby World Cup winners who started out in sevens.

There's loads more, they are just the ones that come to my mind straight away.

RichieRich_89

Incredibly annoying way to lose a game. They could and probably should have won. It could so easily have gone the other way.

Must be terrible to lose out in such a physically taxing sport. Zac Ward just looked completely spent after scoring his try.

I hope the 7s team won't fall away now without Nucifora to champion them. It seems well set financially at least with the funding for being an Olympic sport.

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122427298#Comment_122427298

I'm with you on that. It's kind of like if they played crazy golf as the Olympic version of that sport.