Will Andy Farrell get the adoration Jack Charlton got?

No I don't think so in relation to the OP. Rugby is a great game but it's not easy for kids to play - a lot of rules whereas with soccer kids can get together and play any day of the week in small numbers. So it's never going to get the type of following from a young age that soccer attracts. There is a class divide in the country with the sport as well that doesn't help.

So yes Farrell will get deserved respect but it won't be like Charlton even though in reality we would have achieved the country's biggest ever sporting success if we won the rugby world cup.

What are you on about?

So Jack Charlton is the reason for the celtic tiger and the recession?

It doesn't really. Born in Ireland? Loads of kids "born" in Ireland who don't have Irish nationality.

What's your point?

No, simply because Rugby Union is still an elite sport of the middle classes while Football is class encompassing and, therefore, vastly more popular in this country. If Ireland were to win the World Cup I could never envisage such a massive outpouring of joy and support on the streets comparable as that seen when Jack and the lads returned home after Euro '88.

The thing is while it would be great if they won it, I just couldn't relate to most of the Irish players on the team and I think that goes for the majority of the people in Ireland. I couldn't possibly imagine having a conversation with Sexton or Ryan and the likes. They're more foreign to me than the actual foreigners on the team. The only one who comes across like a normal Irish man is Peter O'Mahony.

I have a lot of respect for them and how Irish rugby has gone about becoming a global force, and it really puts the FAI to absolute shame. But if you don't feel that they are the same as you it's hard to have that same feeling like when the football team was good back in the day.

Mocker gods approve.

Though it could be argued that Ireland winning the RWC would be by far the bigger achievement. Only one team from the northern hemisphere has ever won the RWC (England in 2003) and even France have never won it.

Earls is unique in terms of the profile snd background of Irish professional rugby players. I use the word "unique" in the sense of him growing up in a deprived local authority estate in Limerick. Despite his outstanding ability he may not have become the world class star he has become without having the stable family background that he has and the support and guidance of his father, himself a distinguished former (amateur) player.

Oh, it would be a far greater sporting achievement than being knocked out in the first round of the soccer world cup, for instance. Of course it would. I don't think it would be celebrated as widely though, perverse as that sounds.

I'm living in a bubble and a chip on my shoulder? Potentially 100's of thousand a week paid to a teenager and rugby players are not normal?

Any sports person who gets to an elite level is in 0.01%. I don't which them ill whatsoever. But mediocre players in soccer should be set for life after 3/4 seasons. Fair play, but inevitably they feck up their finances.

Education is the key. I'm not saying there's is any difference in intellect between the sports, but it's Education again.

I've really enjoyed the games so far, but I don't think it will be the same as soccer.

Rugby union is small but well organised sport, and the RWC feels like the six nations + South Africa and NZ (we won't mention Oz).

If we had a decent soccer team qualifying for major tournaments I don't think Rugby would be getting as much attention.

To be honest I enjoy watching Rugby League more and I reckon that could be more popular if people knew more about it.

League sucks balls to be honest. Poor person's real rugby .

Correct. Born in Dublin but support kerry football and kilkenny hurling (I'm a mongrel and know no better).

Sport is great and should be encouraged.

Aresholes will probably say I'm a posh person because I played rugby in a private school. I'd like to take you on a tour of my area in 1988 and see how possible am. My parents gave every penny they could to our education.

Niall quinn, Brian kerr, Robbie keane, Damien duff. All within walking distance of their gaffs.

No actually. There were people there from very rich families, doing well and just want to do the best for their kids families.

Don't get me wrong. There were a minority of aresholes, but they were given short shrift.

More a educational school than a rugby school. Small school and fond memories.

Perhaps it's unusual, but we didn't care where you were from as long as you tried your best to be the fonz.

College, different thing.

Truth?

You obviously don't know rugby.

Schools, club, provinces, country, there's a huge connection.

Don't talk about something you know nothing about.

I’m not saying there isn’t a connection from those involved in the sport, or from rugby schools.

That’s not my point.

The average person didn’t go to a school where rugby was king, they don’t go regularly to provincial games (otherwise the avg. attendance for Munster and Connacht would be much higher).

None of my close sports mad friends ever go to Connacht games for instance even though they watch Ireland. The connection to rugby is superficial.

I’m based in Galway county. I could easily go about my day not knowing the rugby was on. Not the same last year when Galway were in the football final, loads of flag’s about. If Ireland were in the soccer would cup I’d certainly know it too.

That is absolutely what you asked.

You asked me a question and I answered honestly.

Your reply to my message is very Beal bocht.

You are messaging in bad faith. Everyone in Ireland knew we were playing Scotland last night. Everyone!

I think it's very generational.

Italia 90 is engrained into the psyche of everyone 40 and over who lived through it, and to be honest, I think people have made a lot more of it in recent times. It was a zeitgeist moment that won't be recreated.

Rugby (purely IMO) has been on the radar for the past 20 years. BO'D and RO'G became the first "poster boys" of rugby that the general public were well familiar with. Leinster and Munster get regular good attendance at matches, not so sure of Connaught and Ulster.

On your point about knowing players, you'd have a better chance with Irish people knowing half the rugby team than the soccer team.

I said most people don’t have a connection to rugby and I stand by that. Most haven’t even played the sport at any level to have any real connection.

The playing numbers are a testament to that. You can’t suggest rugby is on a par with soccer and GAA when so few actually bother to play the sport.

You’re a twisting my words again, I never said no body knew the game was on. What I implied was that from walking through my local large Galway town you wouldn’t know there was a big rugby game on later. There was no flags, there was no bunting, there was nothing of note to suggest a big national sporting event was taking place in a few hours.

Stop being needy.

You don't need to play to appreciate it. Go to a loi match so.

World cup will bring a country together.

I had to explain to Americans and German's what the he'll rugby was about. They loved it!

I'd watch tiddley winks if Ireland was playing.

Ireland team to play Italy had 11 players and Morris, McCarthy, Houghton, Sheedy, Townsend and Aldrigde all born outside of Ireland

How did you get to 74%?

That’s like ladies gaelic football for years saying it was the fastest growing sport in the country ignoring that the baseline was initially low.

Same for rugby, not difficult to grow the sport by 35% in 20 years when the playing base was so low to start in the first place.

As I mentioned earlier there are more GAA clubs in Cork than rugby clubs in the whole island.

I would hazard a guess there are more soccer clubs in Dublin than rugby clubs in the whole of Leinster.

Rugby has a long was to go before we can be say with a straight face that “this is rugby country”