Wolfhounds vs Saxons

[Peat]

Filthy weather in Ravenhill... who'd have thought it...

That report may well be wrong, I was told it was Spence got the first try on a number of sites. By all accounts had a very good game as did iHumph, Henry, Hurley and everybody's favourite Munster lock, Mick O'Driscoll!

I have even been assured by a sober man that Humphreys tackled his heart out.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I have even been assured by a sober man that Humphreys tackled his heart out.

A sober man in Belfast? I don't believe you.

 

[Peat]

A sober man in Belfast? I don't believe you.

And yet it is the more believeable plart of my statement....

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Nice to win but it was a pointless game. I think A internationals during the 6 Nations are a relic of the past. The intensity is no higher than a LV= Cup game. The players are far better off playing meaningful league games for their clubs and provinces.

 

[coonor]

I disagree. Although these games have no real meaning, they help to bring younger players and players just off the senior squad together and helps them to learn how to play international rugby with new people. It also helps the players to understand where they are in relevance to the senior and gives them an opportunity to show how they play against other countries.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I understand that viewpoint but disagree with it. By all means, continue touring at the end of the season by taking part in the Churchill Cup. It gives a bunch of players who are unfamiliar with each other a series of 3 games to develop and shows them that they're in Declan Kidney's plans. Mid season though it's just a group of the last fit players standing - some of those selected over the last two weeks haven't a hope of featuring for the national team so what's the point in picking them?

Mid season I just think it's better to let Tony McGahan, Joe Schmidt, Brian McLaughlin and Eric Elwood work with players who haven't been picked for the full Ireland squad. Putting it another way, players like Dave Kearney will learn more playing a competitive Magners League game than playing a friendly in a scratch team for Ireland A. That will have more long term benefit for Declan Kidney than how a player plays in an uncompetitive game.

 

[coonor]

Good point and I agree we should just play in the Churchill cup and not in one of games. I think the A team is important but like you said players will build more in the provinces. I do think the Churchill cup is important because it give the players an opportunity to play in an international competition. To be honest most of these players are involved in Heineken and challenge cup rugby which is a higher level than these A games.