Keith, Ronan and petulance

First topic message reminder :

So, we all know how ROG moaned and complained when he was rightfully displaced by Johnny Sexton in the Irish 10 shirt. Not wanting to re-hash the past, he petulantly retired after being dropped and then very quickly changed his mind and "rowed in behind the team".

Now, 80% of us on here recognise Earls ' best position as wing or full back (he is not a center). Yet, he reputedly spat the dummy over being picked in the back 3. However upset the youngish man was, I was bemused to read this morning, a quote passage from the Irish Independent highlighting his disdain:

"Keith Earls "absolutely hated playing at 11" and never wanted to play there again. And not just at international level. Rob Penney had barely stepped off the plane from New Zealand when one of his star players was rocking up to his office.

Penney, obviously cognisant of wanting to keep Earls on side, did confirm that he would be given opportunity in the centre. There was a caveat, though, and the Munster coach only went so far."

So, is this good for the Irish team? Is the coach pondering to such Prima Donna esque behaviour? Would a new coach tolerate such rubbish from 2 such senior players? Is the fact that Kidney is "close" to the 2 clouding his judgement in continuing to play Earls out of his best position, just cause he wants to play there? Is this the reason why O'Gara is continuing to get cheap caps at the expense of Messrs Jackson, Keatly and Madigan? Is this contributing in our never ending search for a new centre?

Will Ireland continue to be stifled by blind loyalty until the Kidney Clock hits zero?

Thing is notch I don't think he is a utility back. He is probably our most talented back, one of our highest try scorers in recent years and I believe he is the best replacement for BOD. I don't think he blows hot and cold. He has been one of our best performers over the ladt few years at wing and OC.

The last thing we need is someone I believe won't cut it at intl level. Again that is my opinion which you clearly disagree with but there you go...maybe it is Munster bias but I think earls record speaks for itself at all levels.

rodders wrote:

DOD wrote:I often wonder when it comes to Keith Earls does he suffer from the same snobbery a lot of Young Munster players have had to put up with down the years. His father certainly suffered from it..
Before everyone howls in protest it wasn't too long ago that this behaviour existed and in certain quarters still does

That's funny because I've often wondered has Earls benefited from positive discrimination because of the snobbery that his father faced.

He's a good player in several positions because of his versatility and pace but not an international starter for me in a million years. A talented but limited player who's had far too many chances in my book.

Rodders you crack me up when you try to put forward a serious argument. Not an international starter....ho ho ho

Always happy to entertain DOD

He's a good player but no Davy Tweed....

He hasn't had long enough at centre to blow anything.

Todate, internationally Earls has had 7 (intermittent) games at centre for Ireland (32 caps). In those 7 games, he has had played at 12 and has had 3 different partners in a team where all the players surrounding him are from different provinces. And after Kearney in the 6Ns, he was our best Back.

I don't think he blows hot and cold, but a run in one position might with a decent inside centre might just elevate his performance to another level.

No fair play who he gets paired with makes a big difference....the balance hasn't worked with D'arcy, Wallace ( ) or BOD...

I'll give him another chance against the pumas but if he screws it up then no more mister nice rodders....

rodders wrote:No fair play who he gets paired with makes a big difference....the balance hasn't worked with D'arcy, Wallace ( ) or BOD...

I'll give him another chance against the pumas but if he screws it up then no more mister nice rodders....

Well you better tell Tommy Bowe to get on his skates and be ready for passes when he gets them

Sin é wrote:He hasn't had long enough at centre to blow anything.

Todate, internationally Earls has had 7 (intermittent) games at centre for Ireland (32 caps). In those 7 games, he has had played at 12 and has had 3 different partners in a team where all the players surrounding him are from different provinces. And after Kearney in the 6Ns, he was our best Back.

I don't think he blows hot and cold, but a run in one position might with a decent inside centre might just elevate his performance to another level.

I would give a lot to see Ireland with a decent inside centre, and yeah our 9-10-12 are clearly not firing and that has to be taken into account. But he had pretty much a whole Six Nations there. If it's enough to judge form for a Lions tour... And I'd disagree about his Six Nations. It was fine, but not world beating stuff. Most of the criticism of him at 13 comes from an average Six Nations at 13, compared to previously excellent campaigns as a winger.

Please tell me the Tommy Bowe thing is a joke!

rodders wrote:Always happy to entertain DOD

He's a good player but no Davy Tweed....

Poor old Davy..in a spot of bother these days it appears

in the six nations he was our best performing back after Kearney and with a non performing inside line...give a bloke a break...oh hang on its Earls...not a hope

Davy Tweed was a bit of an embarrassment. Thank God we don't have the attitudes he had as a player in the professional ranks of Ulster Rugby now. Times have indeed changed.

Apparently he could catch a lineout though, so maybe it was a shame the way things went. He was before my time. I know him more as Davy Tweed the one eyed eejit than Davy Tweed the rugby player.

Pity Fitzy has such a sh!te time with injuries, because I think he would have been a better 13 than Earls or Cave with some gametime there.
The Cave vs Earls... Reckon cave is more consistently decent whereas earls flips between brilliant and Poopie. Earls has more potential because there is far more to his game he can improve than cave.
Cave is due a shot at it this week, he's not had a proper one yet

Notch wrote:Davy Tweed was a bit of an embarrassment. Thank God we don't have the attitudes he had as a player in the professional ranks of Ulster Rugby now. Times have indeed changed.

Apparently he could catch a lineout though, so maybe it was a shame the way things went. He was before my time. I know him more as Davy Tweed the one eyed eejit than Davy Tweed the rugby player.

And I gave him his first game of rugby for Ballymoney Fourths

Thats some claim to fame.

Forgive my ignorance, but why didn't Zebo play fullback last week?

Another cheap cap for an old Munster buddy, Hurley?

Is DK now actually taking the wee wee out of us?

looks that way Leinster Siné

Hardly a cheap cap when no caps were awarded. But it was a strange selection either way, you'd think Zebo would have benefitted from another game at fullback.

GunsGerms wrote:Thats some claim to fame.

Well it seemed like a good idea at the time

Mickado wrote:Hardly a cheap cap when no caps were awarded. But it was a strange selection either way, you'd think Zebo would have benefitted from another game at fullback.

Agreed it was an idiotic decision.

Very surprised no-one has posted about Chris Henry's tangential criticism of ROG kicking the ball away aginst SA.

toml wrote:Pity Fitzy has such a sh!te time with injuries, because I think he would have been a better 13 than Earls or Cave with some gametime there.
The Cave vs Earls... Reckon cave is more consistently decent whereas earls flips between brilliant and Poopie. Earls has more potential because there is far more to his game he can improve than cave.
Cave is due a shot at it this week, he's not had a proper one yet

Can you give me a few examples of where Earls flipped between brilliant and Poopie?

Don Alfonso wrote:Very surprised no-one has posted about Chris Henry's tangential criticism of ROG kicking the ball away aginst SA.

Actually I posted it a while back Don....good old Chris giving ROG a taste of his own medicine....

A colleague in work who's a Munster supporter says that the reason he keeps picking Earls in his favoured position(and no one else's) is due to the fact that he never gave his father Ger Earls who was a very highly regarded back row player a professional contract with Munster and is trying to make up for it.

Anyone hear similar? Would make sense...

Warthog wrote:A colleague in work who's a Munster supporter says that the reason he keeps picking Earls in his favoured position(and no one else's) is due to the fact that he never gave his father Ger Earls who was a very highly regarded back row player a professional contract with Munster and is trying to make up for it.

Anyone hear similar? Would make sense...

that is the biggest load a bullshite i have ever heard

I assume Kidney is persisting with ROG too because he taught him in school in PBC in Cork.

Sorry, got that off PR website. Should have paraphrased it.

So, I guess you don't believe it GITS? It would bring logic to the situation...?

GunsGerms wrote:I assume Kidney is persisting with ROG too because he taught him in school in PBC in Cork.

Star pupil apparently. Gave Kidney apples and all he did...

Warthog wrote:A colleague in work who's a Munster supporter says that the reason he keeps picking Earls in his favoured position(and no one else's) is due to the fact that he never gave his father Ger Earls who was a very highly regarded back row player a professional contract with Munster and is trying to make up for it.

Anyone hear similar? Would make sense...

Something like 6 of Earls' 34 caps have been in his 13 favoured position! The rest of them have been everywhere else and rarely 2 in a row.

McGahan or Penney seems to select him at 13 as well, so I'd say that is a cowpat conspiracy theory.

Sometime ago Ger Earls gave an interview where he said he was really peed off with Kidney at the time for not giving him a Munster contract, but he realised later why he hadn't. Ger would have been well into his 30s at that stage and there were only a few contracts going in Munster then as it was only semi-professional at the time.

Warthog wrote:Sorry, got that off PR website. Should have paraphrased it.

So, I guess you don't believe it GITS? It would bring logic to the situation...?

it would but my mates aunt is a munster supporter and she said the she hear someone else say that Ger Earls not getting a contract with munster had anything to do with it.

Sin é wrote:

Warthog wrote:A colleague in work who's a Munster supporter says that the reason he keeps picking Earls in his favoured position(and no one else's) is due to the fact that he never gave his father Ger Earls who was a very highly regarded back row player a professional contract with Munster and is trying to make up for it.

Anyone hear similar? Would make sense...

Something like 6 of Earls' 34 caps have been in his 13 favoured position! The rest of them have been everywhere else and rarely 2 in a row.

McGahan or Penney seems to select him at 13 as well, so I'd say that is a cowpat conspiracy theory.

Sometime ago Ger Earls gave an interview where he said he was really peed off with Kidney at the time for not giving him a Munster contract, but he realised later why he hadn't. Ger would have been well into his 30s at that stage and there were only a few contracts going in Munster then as it was only semi-professional at the time.

So it IS true !!!!

Oh and Earls has only had games in the centre cause of a certain BOD... remember him?

I'm sure you could pull a stat or 2 out of your hole regrading Brian as well if you wanted...

rodders wrote:

Don Alfonso wrote:Very surprised no-one has posted about Chris Henry's tangential criticism of ROG kicking the ball away aginst SA.

Actually I posted it a while back Don....good old Chris giving ROG a taste of his own medicine....

... and guess what. No one cares what Chris says

Warthog wrote:

Sin é wrote:

Warthog wrote:A colleague in work who's a Munster supporter says that the reason he keeps picking Earls in his favoured position(and no one else's) is due to the fact that he never gave his father Ger Earls who was a very highly regarded back row player a professional contract with Munster and is trying to make up for it.

Anyone hear similar? Would make sense...

Something like 6 of Earls' 34 caps have been in his 13 favoured position! The rest of them have been everywhere else and rarely 2 in a row.

McGahan or Penney seems to select him at 13 as well, so I'd say that is a cowpat conspiracy theory.

Sometime ago Ger Earls gave an interview where he said he was really peed off with Kidney at the time for not giving him a Munster contract, but he realised later why he hadn't. Ger would have been well into his 30s at that stage and there were only a few contracts going in Munster then as it was only semi-professional at the time.

So it IS true !!!!

Oh and Earls has only had games in the centre cause of a certain BOD... remember him?

I'm sure you could pull a stat or 2 out of your hole regrading Brian as well if you wanted...

Yea I remember him, but Earls likes playing 12 as well, I'm sure he would accommodate Brian.

Drop D'Arcy and everyone would have been a winner (judging by the amount of stick that D'Aarcy gets).

Sin é wrote:

toml wrote:Pity Fitzy has such a sh!te time with injuries, because I think he would have been a better 13 than Earls or Cave with some gametime there.
The Cave vs Earls... Reckon cave is more consistently decent whereas earls flips between brilliant and Poopie. Earls has more potential because there is far more to his game he can improve than cave.
Cave is due a shot at it this week, he's not had a proper one yet

Can you give me a few examples of where Earls flipped between brilliant and Poopie?

There have been examples quoted to you previously on this thread. We don't need to hear "Tommy Bowe was too slow to get on the end of that pass" again

Notch wrote:

Sin é wrote:

toml wrote:Pity Fitzy has such a sh!te time with injuries, because I think he would have been a better 13 than Earls or Cave with some gametime there.
The Cave vs Earls... Reckon cave is more consistently decent whereas earls flips between brilliant and Poopie. Earls has more potential because there is far more to his game he can improve than cave.
Cave is due a shot at it this week, he's not had a proper one yet

Can you give me a few examples of where Earls flipped between brilliant and Poopie?

There have been examples quoted to you previously on this thread. We don't need to hear "Tommy Bowe was too slow to get on the end of that pass" again

Lol personal attack removedhe actually saying that?

Has he ever played the game,from that distance you aim the pass about a yard in front of the receiver.No matter how quick a player is he won't catch a forward pass 3 yards in front of him.

Without getting into the trigonometry (just give me an excuse!) it would depend on how far the two players were from eachother.

Solve for x

asoreleftshoulder wrote:

Notch wrote:

Sin é wrote:

toml wrote:Pity Fitzy has such a sh!te time with injuries, because I think he would have been a better 13 than Earls or Cave with some gametime there.
The Cave vs Earls... Reckon cave is more consistently decent whereas earls flips between brilliant and Poopie. Earls has more potential because there is far more to his game he can improve than cave.
Cave is due a shot at it this week, he's not had a proper one yet

Can you give me a few examples of where Earls flipped between brilliant and Poopie?

There have been examples quoted to you previously on this thread. We don't need to hear "Tommy Bowe was too slow to get on the end of that pass" again

Lol is the clown actually saying that?

Has he ever played the game,from that distance you aim the pass about a yard in front of the receiver.No matter how quick a player is he won't catch a forward pass 3 yards in front of him.

Anyway, as I said before. Bowe was too slow. Earls would have caught that pass, side stepped all 25 of the Saffers and scored under the posts. Nae Probs!

As rodders said earlier the real problem is Sexton and his complete inability to do anything except tackle and kick goals. To obvious and too pedestrian.

Although apparently to some posters on here he is very fast...dont think Adriaan Strauss thought so and he also missed two tackles so I guess his defense isn't that great oh and I forgot he missed the relatively straight forward kick at goal to make it 15-3 before halftime, so I guess that rules out that

So just remind me what is he good at again?