Puttin On The Fritz

The IRB, FFR, LNR & Stade Toulousain should have issued a joint statement by now admitting that Florian Fritz’ return to the field was wrong. 

 

“Never mind 5, 10, 15 minutes fanciful assessments - you come off, and you stay off.”

Dr Barry O’Driscoll on The Right Hook 

“It’s worth having a zero tolerance approach to it and staying out of that game [where you have been concussed].  It’s only a game at the end of the day.”

Bernard Jackman on Off The Ball

I am not a former medical advisor to  the IRB who resigned in protest on account of the regulations regarding concussion being insufficient.

Nor am I a former Heineken Cup winning hooker who has suffered many a blow to the head in his career and has since come out strongly on the subject of concussion while openly acknowledging that he and many of his fellow professionals were known to do all they could to disguise it at the time.

When it comes to rugby commentary, I am merely a blogger and in many ways my only contribution to the topic can be taking the name of the player at the centre of the latest controversy and trying to make a fitting pun for my headline.

But I also wear another hat relevant to this issue…I’m a parent.

That Toulouse v Racing Métro match may have been a quarterfinal or “barrage” as the French call it but having watched all 80 minutes of it (as well as the Clérmont v Castres contest the following day) it had an intensity to rival any test match let alone Heineken Cup one.

In fact, if you’re looking for something to prove these two matches were distinct from “ordinary” Top 14 clashes, you need look no further than the fact that the away side won both times.

To add to this importance, you have what has been a dismal season for Toulouse by their standards.  So when Guy Novès, European rugby’s answer to Sir Alex Ferguson in many ways, wants to know if Fritz can return because he chose to go for a 6/2 forwards/backs split on his bench, there won’t be many who are willing to stand in his way.

But as George Hook often says, let’s “back up the truck” for a moment.

When it comes to player safety, it shouldn’t matter what the situation is, if it’s Under 10s, Junior 4ths, Top 14 or a World Cup final.

 

Nor should it matter who the personalities are, whether it’s Florian Fritz, Novès and yes, even  Brian O’Driscoll.  BOD is a legend and now may be the time to be remembering all the amazing things he has done over the years, but this topic is too serious to overlook the fact that more than once during his career he played on after a knock when perhaps he shouldn’t have.

 

The fact remains that legislation needs to be proactive rather than retroactive and I’m beginning to wonder just how serious the consequences have to be before the appropriate action is taken by the lawmakers.

And if I’m watching a big match like Toulouse v Racing with my son, I want to be able to say to him “Ah look at the replay of that!  Fritz took van der Merwe’s knee full to the head and can hardly find his way off the pitch!  He won’t be back on, it’s for his own good.”, with a strong degree of certainty that I’ll be right.

To see Fritz then return to the field of play before the half was over creates an impression for everyone watching that things like this can be overcome. 

 

Never mind the blows to the head that aren’t picked up by the cameras.  Never mind the concussion symptoms which aren’t as obvious to the untrained eye yet every bit as dangerous.

 

Bernard Jackman says the French players’ union are considering strike action if the league doesn’t appoint an independent medical advisor to Top14 & ProD2 matches - someone with the power to over-rule not only the player but anyone involved in either club.

That is all well and good, but this is an issue too serious to be dealt with merely by one national union or competition.  Reading reports saying things like “The IRB and a sports concussion expert respond with alarm over the Florian Fritz fiasco and actions of Toulouse boss, Guy Novès” doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence.

The experts are saying that the “concussion bin” is not enough and that “zero tolerance” is the only option, so the game at large should be listening.

All I’m saying is that in my humble opinion, someone needs to get the IRB and all the national unions and bash their heads together to sort this out once and for all for every level of the sport.  [Yeah, I know, another woeful pun…sorry, it’s what I do]

 

Heaven forbid my son ever finds himself in a situation similar to Florian Fritz, but if he does, he should have the protection of the rugby family at large.  I don’t even know why we need to be discussing it.  JLP

Dealing With The Pro12lem

Rather than put lipstick on the pig, what say we carve it up so more can get a taste?

		PLD	PTS
1	Irish team ending in “-ster”	21	78
2	The good Scottish team	21	74
3	Another Irish team ending in “-ster”	21	73
4	Yet another Irish team ending in “-ster”	21	66
5	OSPREYS	21	61
6	SCARLETS	21	51
7	CARDIFF BLUES	21	41
8	The bad Scottish team	21	37
9	Irish team that doesn't end in “-ster”	21	35
10	NG DRAGONS	21	31
11	Not the Benetton Italian team	21	29
12	The Benetton Italian team	21	29

What you see above could be how Welsh rugby fans see the Pro12 table.  Well…the ones who follow the regions that is.  If it’s the ones who follow the clubs, they wouldn’t be looking at it at all because they’d probably fear getting some Roger Lewis stink on them.

But whatever we say about the crisis in Welsh rugby, it seems this imperfect entity, once called the Celtic League (which at least had some branding to bind all the teams together) but now is simply called the Pro12, is to stay with us for a while.

Today we saw the publication of a Pro12 “Team Of The Year” for the 2013/14 regular season.  I’m not writing this post just to complain about the composition of the team, though I definitely could as there is only one from the Glasgow Warriors despite their having won more matches than any other team in the league this season.

Anyway…arguing over such teams is pointless.  Nobody is ever going to agree anyway.  If it were down to me, I wouldn’t have an official team like that for a multi-national league and leave such squabbles to us bloggers.

What the Pro12 needs to do in my opinion is to turn it’s biggest weakness into a strength.

I called for a conference structure before when I wrote up the Zebre v Leinster match back in February. 

Thing is though…I probably have to make my argument again - why?  Because not many people were all that interested in a writeup for Zebre v Leinster back in February, probably not even fans of the two teams involved as it was also a Six Nations weekend.

So here’s a snippet of what I said back then :

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One thing is for sure…a single 12-team league for teams from three or four separate nations is not sustainable.

In American sports, they of course have their own issues, but in general they have a decent handle when it comes to structuring the season.  One key element of this is the organisation into conferences and divisions.

This format, which was adopted by Super Rugby a couple of years ago, is designed almost exclusively to deal with many of the problems we now have in the Rabo. 

Say, for example, the 12 teams played each other throughout the season but instead of one big table there were three divisions of four along geographical lines.  Teams would still play across the divisions but there would be more emphasis on matchups within their own.

Under this system not only could you have more derby matches and less travelling, but in the Welsh case it would surely be a lot easier for the press to cover the league over there - a four-team league table of all regions looks a whole lot better (remember : a major goal is to attract new fans, even the fair-weather ones) than a big 12-team one with Irish provinces at the top.

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Here’s my suggestion for the Pro12 conferences:

IRISH	WELSH	INTERNATIONAL
Connacht	Cardiff Blues	Edinburgh
Leinster	NG Dragons	Glasgow
Munster	Ospreys	Treviso
Ulster	Scarlets	Zebre

I suggest that the regular season fixtures are cut to 20, so we can lose two rounds during international time. (If clubs are still concerned about losing two matches from a revenue standpoint why not organise lucrative exhibition matches for those dates?)

Then teams play each other within their conference four times instead of two and then each team from the other conferences once.  Would you be up for extra chances to get to interprovincial matches throughout the year?  Ulster v Leinster in Ravenhill was last Friday but the last time they met there competitively was December 2012.  Over a calendar year in between. 

I know the Scot-Italian thing could pose problems travel-wise, but what if double-headers were arranged with 5-day turnarounds?  GLA v TRE & EDI v ZEB on Sunday, GLA v ZEB, EDI v TRE on Friday, for example.  Wouldn’t be perfect, but we have to play with the hand we’ve been dealt.

Overall what it means is more derby matches, though still some cross-over ones, but most importantly when, say, the Welsh press report on the league they can focus on their own conference and a region will always be “top of the league”.  That may sound like a trivial point, but in marketing terms I feel it’s an important one. 

The common consensus is that nobody cares about clubs from other jurisdictions, so with a tweak to the structure we can give them the chance to ignore them, at least until play-off time.

As for qualification for those play-offs, obviously the winner of each conference would reach the knockout phase, plus there can be any amount of “wild-cards” you want, though I would suggest the two runners-up with the best records play each other to join the conference winners in the semifinals.

I’d also ditch the “Pro12” name to leave the league open to expansion. Maybe a long term multinational sponsor can lend it’s name (I hear Heineken might be available) but should the Welsh ever want to add a 5th region, the proposed Aberdeen franchise ever come about or dare I say it, teams from places like Georgia want to join, it should be done without having to re-brand every time.

By the way…on the notion of a “British & Irish League” - that sounds great but I very much doubt the English would ever agree to it.  It would create the very real possibility, even with the Rugby Champions Cup super-loot, of all PRL clubs going without a major trophy in a season.

I’m not saying my suggestions are perfect by any means. It’s just something to get a debate going, based on a premise that we cannot force this league through as it is and just hope that the problems it currently has will go away.

Surely it has to be better than naming three players from a region that can’t finish higher than sixth to the league’s so-called “Team of the Year”?  JLP

Marseille and Me

The story of a Munster fan’s overall experience of the last-ever Heineken Cup semifinal, by Michelle Tobin

Monday 28 April

Waking up this morning, it felt like I’d had the strangest dream, with an ending that just didn’t feel right. When I looked around and saw my Munster jersey on the wash basket and my passport on the floor beside my bag, it all came rushing back. Alas it wasn’t a dream.

If you’ve started reading this expecting a critical or passionate match review I’m sorry to disappoint you. There are hundreds of articles on the game already, and to be honest, until I can bring myself to watch it back I’m in no position to write properly about the game, it’s true that you never see it fully when you’re in the stadium. I’ll get back to the stadium later, as this post is about the experience, the trip, the invasion of Marseille.

At times of big games, the reminder that I live in Dublin, and not in my native Munster comes loud and clear. The pictures of Limerick and Cork, of Shannon airport all highlight that I’m missing out on a little something. My “choice” of course but there’s always a “wish I was there” feeling..though of course this time I was going to be where it mattered on game day, in Stade Velodrome with thousands of other Munster fans. Still, as I arrived at and departed from Dublin airport, it was a little disappointing that on a weekend when at least 5 dedicated flights departed to Marseille, there wasn’t even a sign. More disappointing was that the sole comment on our Aer Lingus flight was “as a Leinster supporter, I’m delighted to see so many Toulon fans on board today”. Humour from the captain, sadly never followed by a good luck message.

Having considered the packages for the weekend and day trip charters, the lovely @Cathreonine and I had opted for a day trip taking flights put on by Aer Lingus for the occasion. There are pluses and minuses for doing the independent trip versus the guaranteed transfers etc but in this case it worked well. A bus into the central station and public transport from there, easily done. A lovely touch as we boarded the metro, an announcement over the tannoy “We would like to welcome all the Munster fans travelling with us today”. It appears we had to go to France to get such a welcome.

With about four hours to kick off, we opted to go to the MRSC (Munster Rugby Supporters Club) meeting point pub closest to the stadium, O’Brady’s pub. En route we had to walk through hordes of Toulon fans, be passed by their open top bus, see the businesses decked out in the black and red, all of a sudden, the realisation of what it must be like to be a visiting fan in Thomond, hit home. We would be a minority, a vocal and passionate one but for all the talk of invading Marseille, we were never going to rival Toulon, just thirty minutes down the road. And so, arriving in O’Brady’s was a much needed respite. 95% of the crowd sported Munster jerseys, new and old, red and navy and a couple of other former alternates. Bank of Ireland was clearly outnumbered by Toyota, the older the jersey the bigger the credit in many quarters.

Here in O’Brady’s we passed a few hours, had a few social beverages and shared the craic, and our journey stories with so many wonderful Munster fans, we laughed and chatted and the time just flew. The Toulon open topped bus had the pub as a stop and with each arrival the cries of “Munster, Munster” and renditions of the Fields rang out and indicated that we had a small fortress in a narrow street in Marseille, far from Munster.

We had been invited, through the MRSC, to share this bus and travel with the Toulon Fans to the stadium but with no evidence of it sticking to the every 15 minutes schedule we decided to walk to the stadium, about 20 minutes up the road. Getting to the stadium wasn’t a problem, getting to right entrance….now that was a different matter.

It reminded me of following the route signs at the Aviva to the purple entrance, the signs say one direction but to be honest, you’d get there in half the time if you went the other way. Though in the Aviva’s favour, at least there are signs. Some kindly gendarmes directed a group of Toulon and Munster fans to the best way to Ganay Tribune, our entrance. I suppose it’s a big ask to have permanent signs for a stadium that’s largely under construction but a few temporary signs would have gone a long way, like the long long walk we had before we finally found the dusty track leading to the stadium.

I was surprised at how close we got to the stadium before tickets were checked, just one check point at the entrance, nothing on the approaches, testament probably to the stadium not being finished. Did I mention the dusty track? Shoes will never be the same! Lots and lots of steps and we were finally in our section. Thanks to the kindly people in our row who recognised that we had friends further down the row and offered to move into our seats so that we could all sit together. Still it was a Munster block and we were among friends. Having been isolated at the recent Rabo game in the Aviva, it was amazing to be part of a Munster section, united in voice, though totally outnumbered in the stadium.

Stade Velodrome will be an amazing stadium when it’s finished, here’s hoping they pay more attention to location of match clocks and scoreboards at that time, their visibility wasn’t great and we were dependent on the video screen for this info. The atmosphere, the acoustics, the design, are something special, it will be one of the great stadia. Maybe we’ll be back in future years when it’s completed, who knows.

The stadium was a sea of red, though mostly red and black. Thanks to the MRSC there were thousands of Munster flags in among them, again mostly in blocks, there’s safety in numbers after all. With ten minutes to go, Cara O’Sullivan took to the pitch and led the Munster fans in our adopted anthem “Stand Up and Fight”. We didn’t want it to end; we all sang our hearts out, full of hope and belief.

The game happened. We shouted, we sang, we cheered, we hugged, we clapped, and in the end we cried. We asked a lot of our players and they really gave their all, the heartbreak was evident in their faces and bodies too, this was a game that we could have won, despite all the pundits writing us off, we were so close but fell at the final hurdle. It almost felt harder to take than sitting in Twickenham in 2000 when we lost that awful final to Northampton, we could have done it.

The vast majority of Toulon fans we met after the game were wonderful. Hugs, kisses, appreciation for the performance, sympathy for our hurt. My message to them all, please beat Saracens in the final. That would make it all just a little bit easier to bear. Of course there were a few who wanted to gloat but even then it was in a friendly way.

Rather than pass an hour of post mortem back in O’Brady’s it was back to the airport, another time a teleporter would have come in handy. Tired, and drained, physically and emotionally, this was a journey that would have been nice to fast forward. And in a way it was. Arriving at the security area in the airport we went to go through the general section and were redirected to the VIP fast track security, a beautiful touch from Marseille airport to anyone travelling for the match. I almost cried, again.

The final heartbreak was seeing the players in the departure lounge as they waited for their delayed flight home. They sat around in small groups, looking dazed, and disappointed and despondent. We all felt their pain. Sitting on our own flight, the contrast with the jovial, lively atmosphere of the morning flight was huge. Quiet, tired, disappointed, you’d hardly believe it was largely the same people…and a Rabbi. I guess he was lucky we’d lost, I’m not sure he would have enjoyed a plane full of partying Munster fans!

With a delayed departure (though nowhere near the four hour delay suffered by those heading to Cork) it was 1am by the time we landed it Dublin. A long day, a special day, an expensive day, a tough day but a day I’m glad to have spent, to have been there. Thanks to everyone who made it special, the people we met, the players who tried, and all the people back home that sent good wishes to the team. As a committed Twitter user, I was blown away by the messages I got from fans of other provinces over the weekend. Particularly memorable was the Leinster fan who asked if they could borrow my blue Munster jersey should we make it to the final, oh how I would have loved to have handed it to her ;)

Munster will be back, there’s silverware left to fight for this season, the final bell is yet to toll. May the best team win!

PS…Toilets! Yes I have to mention them because it was a day of strange experiences. From walking in on a guy in the ladies in Marseille airport, to the long unisex queue for the loos in O’Brady’s, I might have seen what was about to happen but no. Sports stadia never have enough ladies loos right? Stade Velodrome is the only major sports or arts venue where I’ve seen massive queues for the gents, none for the ladies, and the lads unashamedly ducking into the ladies rather than get caught short. Wonders will never cease!

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Bio: Michelle (@corkseashell) is a passionate rugby fan, and far too prolific tweeter.

A Munster gal living in Dublin with a mountain of half-written blog posts languishing on her desktop, there simply are not enough hours in the day.

She no longer looks like her picture but cannot let go of #ThomondThursday

It’s the calendar, stupid

The European Rugby Champions Cup is going to fix everything, right?

As the English press constantly harp on how much rosier things look in the European garden now, what say we take a look at what exactly has changed?

Teams will now find themselves in a pool of four, with two matches in October, two in December and two in January.  The pool winners will qualify for the quarterfinals.

Don’t worry - I’m not on a mission to suggest that nothing has changed at all.  With four places stripped from the Pro12 and seeding weight based on the previous season’s form rather than an overly-complicated points system spanning the last four years, in theory at least the pool strength should be a lot more equal than before.

So as you can see by the above paragraph, even though I am an Irish fan but I actually see some good in the new system.

But has the new dawn really sorted all that ails the game on this continent?  I think not.

The reasons for this “fix” have nothing to do with anything other than money.  We all know that.  With fewer clubs dividing a greater pot, it’s pretty clear what helped resolve the row.

Yet days after this major pronouncement, we are now reading that the English clubs which Mark McCafferty suggested were so unified don’t actually trust each other when it comes to playing by the rules, so how can we expect to trust them with being fair with the new competition?

And if the whole thing about Irish provinces resting players was such an issue, why wasn’t the suggested solution one that would actually fix it?

I still don’t understand why root and branch reform of the European rugby calendar isn’t higher on the pecking order of talking points these days, and I firmly believe that a major opportunity has been missed with these negotiations.

We don’t rest players for big matches here in Ireland because we want to cheat.  We rest them for big matches because the calendar gives us no choice if we want to have any hope of competing in the major competitions. 

Pro12 games one week, Heineken the next, the Six Nations slap bang in the middle of the season (sometimes with Pro12 on the same day)…when I step back from my long-term familiarity of the status quo it really does seem absurd.

Then we wonder why an All Black side can drive down the field to score a winning try at the Aviva Stadium in what was literally the final play of their season at the end of November.  Could it have something to do with the fact that the squad had been together since the beginning of August?

Meanwhile at the end of our regular season, we have the ludicrous situation of the Pro12 Grand Final happening a week AFTER the Heineken Cup one so if you happen to be in both, you are effectively punished for it. 

Never mind the fact that a team can win all it’s matches from the beginning of September to the middle of May and have absolutely nothing to show for it.

Ideally, I would like to see the Pro12/Premiership/Top14 kick off the European season, played to a finish (with fewer league matches), the Euro comps (with more pool matches) then played to a finish, then a short break before the Six Nations rounds off the season in April/May.  Then the national squads can head to the southern hemisphere for tours a lot more ready for what lies ahead.

Or, if the Six Nations absolutely had to stay where it is on the calendar (best reason I can think of for this is to make organising of Lions tours easier), why not start the season with the Euro comps before Christmas, and let the domestic ones run alongside the 6N and on through to the end of the season, a bit like the ITM Cup & Currie Cups do in the southern hemisphere.

Are we afraid here in Europe to copy systems that work elsewhere?  Because Super Rugby & the Rugby Championship are not set up the way they are to spite us, they’re set up the way they are because they tend to work.

I really don’t think it’s ridiculous to allow coaches of elite rugby teams to have the tournaments they are competing in ring-fenced on the calendar to ensure they can get the most out of their squads for the duration.  But that’s just me I guess.

We’ll just have to wait another 5-8 years until the next European row over money comes to the fore before we can look at it again. JLP

The Eyes Don’t Have It

I shook my head so much after the Payne sending off it nearly gave me a migraine. 

Absolutely no way was it anything like a sending off offence, I thought, and surely the ref was swayed by the sight of a player being stretchered off the field.

Now in the calmer times of a few days later, well, I STILL don’t think it warranted a red, but I can see why Garces gave it.

Can we look at these decisions objectively?  Is it possible to remove our allegiances towards one team or indeed our dislike of the opposition from the equation?

Well I’ll tell you this…the uniformity of the opinion from the English media certainly didn’t help.  I saw very little in their reactions to suggest they wouldn’t have a completely different view were the roles reversed.

Let’s at least try to be objective.  Take two rugby players A and B who play full back for opposite sides.  A puts up a high ball and goes to chase it.  B has it in his sights and goes to catch it.

Both are entitled to go for the ball, but B has a distinct advantage in that he is facing the ball every step of the way. 

A has kicked it in such a way that he can have a shot at retrieving it, but if he is to make it clear that he is keeping his eyes on the ball as it travels, there is no way in the world he can know what B is going to do.

Stop the frame right there.

This is all legal so far.  But isn’t it also a potential disaster waiting to happen? 

Well, where we stopped it, the worst case scenario is that the two players collide, never the safest when both are at full tilt.  But then player B takes the added measure of JUMPING for the ball.

Please note that the jump is HIS choice, and in the sport of rugby union, particularly at the highest level, he won’t be merely concerned with catching the ball, he will also have a mind to protecting it for his side when he gets to the ground.

Trouble is, when your focus is on those two things, you tend to think less about how exactly you get from mid-air to the ground.  And if your eyes are on the ball, you probably won’t notice that player A who initially kicked it is also looking back at it.

[update - as pointed out by @paddylogan13 on twitter, there is also the added dimension of player A raising his knee as he jumps]

Of COURSE I get the whole idea of player safety and that it is paramount.  But for me, a player leaving his feet for a high catch has to take some of the responsibility for what happens next - instead what we are saying is that once you jump, the laws of the game are providing a protective cocoon around the area in front of you.

Clearly the Garces decision has set a precedent that it’s not enough for the original kicker of the ball to try and keep his eyes on it in order to catch it.  So in future, either don’t kick it or if you must, rather than contest the catch you should stop a few yards away from where it’s going to land and aim to tackle the catcher (plus if he jumps then you must wait until he lands)???

I am very happy that responsibility for legislating for such things is not up to me.  I can feel that migraine coming on again after writing this post. 

But there has to be a way of dealing with this area of the game otherwise we’ll be back here again in a big match before not too long. JLP

6 Nations Round 2 by @BigJoeShep

Who were the inspirations and who were the donkeys in round 2? asks @BigJoeShep…

Ireland V Wales

Well we expected the battle of the giants here. The 2 times champs against Joe Schmidts young and developing usurpers. Add on the Gatland / O’Driscoll “Relationship” that probably everyone else apart from them believes is STILL a going concern and it was going to be a real test. Wales pushed hard early on with some attacking play but it lacked the totality of previous years. Ireland in return were good in the defensive roles, have certainly been concentrating on the lineout / rolling maul areas. In addition they never over committed too many players at the contact but Wales were strong and physical and Ireland did, just on the odd occasion looked a little sparse out wide when the Welsh threatened. More of that though later.

I wondered whether Ireland had failed to capitalise on their chances in this first half, but I suspect that Schmidt has said try out some kicks, put them under pressure, use that along with the lineouts, mauls et al and see how it goes? He is building and not in a hurry despite the undoubted pressure on him to deliver. I DO wonder about the amount of “Box Kicks”. Perhaps I’m not a big fan of them being utilised all the time that I notice them more, but I wish we’d open up our backs more instead? Just a thought.

Anyhow, Sexton was kicking on a sixpence. He really is a playmaker and you can see the encouragement others get from his play. It was only going to be when not if the first try would come and on 32 minutes following another lineout / maul combo, that was it. I have to say at this point both Trimble, O’Mahony and Toner were all standing out. Now I haven’t changed my opinion on Big Dev but you cannot argue with his abilities in the line outs. A human “Lighthouse” lol but still needs to “Grow” in more open play and be more aware in the contact.

Ireland came out 13 – 3 up in the 2^nd half and continued the way of the 1^st. Excellent “Slow” build up forced another penalty. Straight from this though, Wales attacked and again we looked a little suspect on the wide. Great defence though and O’Mahony is providing a steady, rock-like performance and continues to make me believe he is an Ireland captain in the making. I’d caveat that with the fact his passion needs to be streamed into the play at ALL times. He was lucky not be yellow carded for “Back chatting” the referee who was unbelievably tolerant lol!!

Wales pressed on, scored a penalty and then were unfortunate not to get their try but for some “Bunny Hopping” on the ground by the Welsh forward. A superb rolling maul of around 20 metres and break off gave Ireland a second try through Paddy Jackson.

In sum then, Ireland produced an extremely workmanlike display. Their pack were dominant, lineouts well drilled and the rolling maul developing nicely. I think a lot of work has gone on under the new forwards coach, John Plumtree. How England and the remaining teams will counter that now everyone knows it’s a drilled machine will be interesting. There were some very good displays by Cian Healy (whose facial expression when he broke through and the realised he was away AND alone was to be seen!!), Sexton, Murray, Toner, Henry all excelled but two people stood out. Andrew Trimble has clear vision, awareness and technical ability. How he has been overlooked for so long is surprising. MOTM though goes to Peter O’Mahony. He is truly everywhere on the pitch, strength, passion, aggression, belief, hunger and is inspiring at every step. Ireland have an untested back row in real terms for me and I REALLY look forward to when they open up. A final thought that we MUST watch the wide open. A number of times we look vulnerable and a quality side will punish us.

For Wales however, they lacked courage, belief, vision and controlled aggression (I say that after watching Mike Phillips’ display. Time to retire Mr Phillips me thinks!), innovative thought and generally a second rate tired display. Perhaps my assertions last week that Wales’ “Window” for championships is over. They have a long way to go if they harbour any thoughts of a 3^rd 6 Nations in a row now?

MOTM: Peter O’MAHONY (Ireland)

SCOTLAND V ENGLAND:

I will keep this one briefer…not because it’s Scotland v England, but because it was dire! Scotland turned up, played (and I use that term very loosely) and their performance made England, who were very comfortable in an almost training ground run out look good! I could stop there but it would be unfair to England.

Good opening play and running from several English players and those who in both games are beginning to show they need to be watched. Burrell, Brown, Jonny May, Twelvetrees (yes I know the jury is mainly still out on him with some?), the as ever powerfully strong Vunipola (Billy type) and the ever ever impressive Danny Care. The English line out was well drilled; the pack dominated on what was a poor standard of ground and as a retired prop, what a ‘mare it is to try and gain any standing on such a pitch?

Scotland only ever started to come alive when they lost a player yellow carded…………..in fact the ONLY player of note was Dave Denton their inspiring No 8. Why Kelly Brown was dropped was beyond me. Scotland were in England’s’ 22 for a massive 1% (yes 1%) of the 2^nd half! Says it all really.

To sum Scotland’s’ performance up, I was talking to my ex-wife yesterday, she reminded me that this time last year her late lamented father Bill, an avid Scotland Rugby fan and ex 2^nd row himself was in hospital in what turned out to be his final days and not as she explained 100% “In the room” with everyone. The England v Scotland game was in the background and the family were watching when Bill suddenly sat up, shouted that he wanted to play rugby with those men outside his window cos they were “going great!”? Everybody looked out the hospital window only to see a long line of road cones all in a pile. The family lamented over the weekend that those road cones still performed better than Scotland did at Murreyfield this weekend. I’m sure Bill was watching down and laughing. Vern Cotter cannot come soon enough for Scotland!

MOTM: Jonny MAY (England)

FRANCE V ITALY:

The final game saw Les Bleus against Azzurri. It is fair to say it was a closely contested 1^st half. Italy defended well and won a number of scrums against a usually dominant French pack. This was in fact a highlight of Italy’s game, the whole front row were exceptional but Martin Castrogiovanni and Alberto Di Marchi the props were outstanding. I don’t use that word lightly and as a former prop, am always buoyed by such fine displays (and I suppose anything that takes away the usual glory from the backs lol). These comments are made easier by the “Interesting” display of the Italian backs lead by Luke Mclean who tried to run a ball out from behind their own line! I’m sure the Italian backs coach will be reviewing that one and by a poor kicking display from Tomasso Allen. Not a brilliant day for those of mixed Scottish / Italian persuasion?

The French tight head, Nicholas Mas carried well and was very strong but no-one really stood out for France, not for me anyhow in the 1^st half. Picamoles had a few runs as well. Basteraud did his usual strength & power demolitions but I do have an issue with him. Perhaps we are spoilt by certain other No 13s but that role I do expect a player with real innovation, vision, flashes of sheer genius, awesome technical ability and skill not just a huge lump who can power through a few players. A decent prop can do that. Hey ho, France though lead 9 – 3 at half time.

The 2^nd half saw the French scrum improve greatly and a well conducted lineout and maul saw Louis Picamoles peel off and get over the line for Frances first try. 2 minutes later a great break from Wesley Fofana gave France a 2^nd try and leading 23 – 3 and finally in the 52^nd minute a superb run by Fofana ably assisted by Huget and Bonneval saw them score a 3^rd try. 12 minutes, 3 tries, game over!

France finished with 13 men after their lock was yellow carded and then 2 red cards were issued for opposing props who were literally involved in a “Head to Head” engagement. Not good for the game.

Italy kept pressing and in the 76^th minute, they scored a well-executed try courtesy of Tomasso Ianonne following yet again, another successful lineout & maul. A trend in games this weekend.

Overall the score didn’t really do the efforts of Italy justice but the 12 minute spell shows that you can never AND must never write off the French.

MOTM: Wesley FOFANA (France)

FINALLY:

This week I have gone for inspiring and an out and out “Donkey”

Inspiring: Jointly between Danny CARE (England) and Peter O’MAHONY (Ireland) for their passion, technical AND footballing ability all of which was a joy to watch.

“Donkey”: Mike PHILLIPS (Wales) for his continuing and blatant negative aggression lack of thought, technical play and someone who really should consider retirement.

See you in Round 3 folks!

@bigjoeshep is the Owner and Head of Information & Knowledge Management atDigital Knowledge Zone.   An avid Leinster & Ireland Rugby fan, he came to rugby at the late age of 24, was a tight head prop, had at least 2 good runs in every game and retired at only 36 after 3 operations on his legs and now forms the 4th "virtual" person in a front row each time his beloved teams are playing (much to the annoyance of his suffering girlfriend who has to put up with being "embraced" by the Big Fella at each scrum!!!)

6 Nations Rd 1 - My Perspective

Earning his first cap today for HoR2 please welcome Big Joe Shep as he gives us his take on last weekend’s Six Nations action

Wales v Italy

On Saturday we saw an indifferent Wales and a still- improving Italy at the Millennium Stadium.

Italy under a new coach clearly came to play an attacking game; they seem to have lost a little in the strength of their pack but are playing a much more expanse wider / outfield game. I won’t even cover the howler from young debutant Esposito that lead to the Welsh try instead I was very taken by the skill and play of their centre Campagnaro who scored 2 tries and some excellent kicking by young Tomasso Allen.

Wales showed some good aspects and I was impressed as ever with Jamie Roberts who together with Williams combined some good play. North, Cuthbert et al weren’t that outstanding but did enough, clearly. In sum a scoreline that mostly flattered Wales, who for me looked slightly ragged, tired, made too many un-Wales like mistakes and were unconvincing. NOW before anyone starts questioning this, I am conscious that the same start occurred last year! I just wonder whether the winning / championship “Window” of opportunity for Wales has closed and they have had their day? Dublin next week will be the true marker for them I suspect.

France v England

The French……………….well who can play that poorly for large spells and still win? You simply don’t know which French team will turn up. Huget, Dulin, Yannick Nyanga, Dimitri Szarzewski all played well when France eventually opened up the play on the occasions they did and especially towards the latter part of the game. Basteraud was a powerhouse but Wesley Fofano was extremely quiet by his usual standards. Their 2 tries were lucky but hey that’s the way a game can go but the last try by Fickou wasn’t and a tired England let it slip. I would put an early marker out that I don’t believe France will win the 6 Nations!!

I DO feel for England. A terrific display at times by some elements of their team. I was particularly taken with Burrell, Twelvetrees (though many wouldn't be), Lawes and Wood however I was especially taken with the vision, speed and attacking flair of Danny Care and the sheer power, strength and awareness of Billy Vunipola. Here’s one where I’ll take some stick no doubt, I really am not sure on Owen Farrell or Brown and I think Robshaw is a tad overrated?? Perhaps there’s something I’m missing? There is however a belief in many of the English players that bodes well and I just think that they are not quite gelled together as much as a team needs to produce win after win after win. I’m not actually convinced Lancaster is that type of coach, you know the Joe Schmidt type who REALLY gets the best from each individual and gels them as a complete team? Their displays in the Autumn Tests and yesterday do say they are a potential. Can they live up to and realise that potential though?

Ireland v Scotland

A game of 2 halves at The Aviva saw Scotland come to Dublin to attack and play an open game which they did for most of the first half. Stuart Hogg, Alex Dunbar and the ever rampant David Denton allowed Scotland to play an attacking game which threatened Ireland and only a great defensive display from O’Mahony and Murray stopped a certain try by Denton. Phew! Ireland were slow and almost were in a defensive mindset. Missing Paulie O’Connell from the line out perhaps they feared losing ground there? They definitely missed the carrying and bulldozing of Sean O’Brian but when they did open up you could see the potential of where open and wide play could take them. The only real highlight was Sextons run which an outstanding defence by Scotland prevented a certain Heaslip try.

The second half however was different. Scotland made little in ground or threats to Ireland in real terms. On the couple of occasions they did, the Irish defence was excellent. Ireland played with an increased intensity and more belief and the game simply opened up. Terrific displays by the Kearney brothers, O’Mahony, Heaslip all added to the fray. Likewise as ever Cian Healy’s surging runs and carries were evident (Clearly I will ALWAYS favour a prop!) and Chris Henry showed why he deserves his place. The outstanding playing for me though was Conor Murray. His vision, technical ability, strength and simply being just about everywhere on the pitch and was very impressive. Oh, and for those who believe I’m Leinster biased (Of course I am!!), I will still maintain I’m not sure on big Devin Toner at Lock. I believe he has ability but he’s not there yet. The problem is O’Connell won’t be around at RWC 15 so I’d like to see more of Ian Henderson playing with Dan Tuohy amongst others. A good start though for Ireland then but let’s see what the Welsh game brings next week.

Overall Team of the Round

Italy (For their grit, determination and improvement)

Overall Referee of the Round

Craig Joubert : A good fair overall match which in the main flowed, but especially for his comments to Scotland captain Jim Hamilton : “Jim, every time something funny happens, you seem to be involved” to which Big Jim replied, “But I’m just sticking up for myself”. Sometimes it’s the little things that makes the game go well!

See you for Round 2. Cheers Folks!

@bigjoeshep is the Owner and Head of Information & Knowledge Management at Digital Knowledge Zone.   An avid Leinster & Ireland Rugby fan, he came to rugby at the late age of 24, was a tight head prop, had at least 2 good runs in every game and retired at only 36 after 3 operations on his legs and now forms the 4th "virtual" person in a front row each time his beloved teams are playing (much to the annoyance of his suffering girlfriend who has to put up with being "embraced" by the Big Fella at each scrum!!!)

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Succession planning at the centre of attention

Much has been said about Ireland’s post-BOD options, what of Leinster? asks @curates_egg…

Brian O'Driscoll turned 35 this week, following on from his last ever Heineken Cup game at the RDS last weekend.

While the other half of Leinster's dynamic midfield duo - Muhammad D'Arcy - is contracted until the end of next season, it is clear that the moment feared by all Leinster fans is as good as upon us. The old cliché about it being impossible to replace Brian O'Driscoll is certainly valid but what will Leinster's future midfield look like?

Succession planning in the centre must have been on the minds of all in the Leinster establishment for 18 months (when Demented Mole last reviewed the options) but it is hard to decipher what their actual plan is. Based on the season so far, it is far from clear if it has been included as part of Matt O'Connor's remit, as he has continued to rely heavily on the dynamic duo.

Following the premature retirement of Leinster's great white hope Eoin O'Malley, the understudy at outside centre this season (and essentially last season) has been 22 year old Brendan Macken. Macken has stepped-up admirably when called upon, with two Heineken Cup starts this season building on his steady progression since his first senior team start in the 2010-11 season. However, it is not clear whether Matt O'Connor has full confidence in Macken - the eyebrow-raising decision to play Lote Tuqiri at 13 against Munster in October seemed to indicate a desperate attempt to find an alternative ahead of the Heineken Cup. With O'Driscoll's return, Macken's frontline game time has been curtailed.

There has long been talk of Luke Fitzgerald converting to centre to eventually replace his cousin O'Driscoll and he has played at 12 or 13 on numerous occasions over his career: his most recent cameo for Ireland as a replacement for O'Driscoll against New Zealand gained him plaudits. However, Matt O'Connor's selections have given no indication he sees Fitzgerald as a centre. Who could blame him? Fitzgerald has been in sizzling form on the wing, running exciting lines, making serious yards and beating defenders at will.

The situation at inside centre is not much different. Ostensibly, based on minutes played, Noel Reid is understudy to Muhammad. Despite being almost exactly a year older than Macken, Reid's progress is almost exactly a year behind. He has yet to make his way on to a Heineken Cup matchday squad, with outhalf Ian Madigan having played at inside centre a number of times for Leinster both in the Heineken Cup and Rabo Pro12 over the past 2 seasons. 31 year old Kiwi Andrew Goodman has yet to return from a long-term injury.

The other variable at centre is Fergus McFadden, who started out with Leinster as a centre and formed a convincing understudy midfield partnership with Eoin O'Malley on many occasions. However, his stated intention to focus on securing a wing berth last season poured cold water on hopes among the Leinster faithful that McFadden might be part of Leinster's midfield succession planning.

As a Leinster fan, it is very hard to know what to expect. Very little new prospects have been aired since Demented Mole took stock of the situation 18 months ago. Some, like Academy prospects Tom Daly, Colm O'Shea and Jordan Coughlan, have fallen off the radar a little bit under O'Connor. Of the erstwhile anointed ones, O'Malley was sadly forced into early retirement, and McFadden has gone out of his way to rule out his candidacy. Another great white hope, Harrison Brewer, just got called up to the Ireland under-20 squad however.

The messaging coming out of the Leinster set-up on the succession planning has been far from clear. Will some combination of the players above provide the core of the future Leinster midfield? If so, it would be nice to know. If not, who will?

Like St Patrick was to snakes in Ireland, the phenomenally successful and durable dynamic midfield duo at Leinster has for years banished all emerging centre talent from the RDS: who would want to toil away in their shadow with no hope of breaking through? As a result, there is a veritable plethora of Leinster centres (either academy or former schools players) plying their trade elsewhere.

David McSharry left the Leinster Academy for Connacht and has had plenty of exposure, with 13 Heineken Cup starts over the past 3 seasons. Kyle Tonetti left Leinster in 2010 for Sale before being signed by Connacht but he has yet to get a consistent run for Connacht, in part due to injuries. After a season with Leinster, James Downey left Leinster in 2004, subsequently playing for Connacht, Munster, Calvisano and Northampton (gaining rave reviews) before resigning for Munster last year.

Other former Leinster centres following in Downey's footsteps in the English premiership include Eamonn Sheridan at London Irish, who has been getting plaudits for his performances this season. Shane Monahan has also been winning praise at Gloucester but he has played predominantly on the wing.

There are more.

In short, 18 months down the road, Leinster's fans have no more clarity about our midfield succession planning. As we pause for breath in the middle of the season, and with contracts now being finalised for frontline players for next season, now would be as good a time as any for the powers that be to provide some long overdue clarity.

@curates_egg : Expat Irish rugby fan living on the continent but regularly travelling to Leinster and Ireland rugby matches. Strong believer in rugby as a family game and a fair sport.

TMO = Too Much Officiating?

While the powers-that-be tinker with the scrums mid-season they could also look at TMOs, writes Ball-Handling Hooker

One sporting story that happened to cross the threshold from one sport to another last year was the Luis Suarez biting incident. On 21st April 2013, Luis Suarez bit Branislav Ivanovic. The incident was seen by millions around the world on replays within seconds. Suarez was later banned as the disciplinary commission regarded it as more than a red card offense. However, the officials at the game missed the incident, and Suarez stayed on the pitch, later scoring a late equaliser.

This is what the extended powers for the TMO in rugby are trying to address. If an act of foul play has been committed against a team, surely they should get most of the rewards for it (playing against one less man for a period of time) instead of the beneficiaries being the oppositions following opponents when a player is retrospectively banned. In short, the idea behind a TMO looking at foul play is brilliant and I'm all for it; but not in it's current form.

Rugby has become a lot more stop start in it's nature this season, with the primary cause being referees who are becoming too scared to make a call themselves without checking with the TMO. The game is drifting towards the pedestrian pace of American Football, and while that's exciting, a free flowing rugby game is what the audience has come to see.

One feature of the foul play TMO checking that has irritated me most is when the TMO themselves intervene to stop play, and then spend several minutes checking the footage to conclude that nothing happened. If the TMO thinks they have seen something, why not check it BEFORE they tell the referee to stop play and have the right angle ready for the referee should they wish to view it? So instead of taking several minutes to potentially look at something, it takes 30 seconds to view something definitely worth checking.

This could be extended so that the referee tells the TMO to check something while the play continues, just like the referee notices a touch judges flag and plays on, before going back to check.

Referee's are only human, and any way that helps them, like the use of a video referee should be encouraged, but not when it takes away from the spectacle.

Follow BallHandling Hooker on Twitter and Facebook

My Beloved Connacht and the HCup Privilege

Care to win a pair of match tickets to Saracens v Connacht this weekend courtesy of Heineken?

Then by all means click here to find out how.

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One fan certainly not taking the Heineken Cup for granted is @Connachtman87…

My beloved Connacht fell short in Galway this weekend, and my heart sank to think of all the lost opportunities! Having said that, if you would have told me a few years ago that we would be going into Round 6 with a chance of qualification, even a mathematical one, I'd have thought I was dreaming!

It has been a tough season out West, and I for one think there are big question marks around the Coach, but to be in this position is something I could never take for granted. Hopefully the boys will be made well aware of the significance of this match, particularly in light of the imminent change in format for the European Cup next season.

The next game the province plays at the top level in Europe could well be many years off, a sobering thought after the highs of the last three years. Indeed, this could be a one off opportunity to make our mark on Europe. A glorious opportunity to make a stand against a team who are at the centre of the political wrangling which has threatened our precious game and this most wonderful of competitions. To throw it in the face of a certain so-called journalist who doesn't rate us - indeed he hates us! - by winning at a venue which has no history in this competition; a venue which is a product of the inherent commercialism in the English game, right down to its hybrid, fake-grass playing surface.

The Saracens can never understand what it means to us to play in this reverential competition. They cannot appreciate what a privilege it is for us to participate in the Heineken Cup because we could never take it for granted. We watched on from the Challenge Cup wilderness for so many years as the other Provinces had their glory days and asked only to be allowed to dine at the same table as those legends. The very system itself conspired to keep us out for so long before, mercifully, that same system, and the same Irish provincial success, granted us the keys to the gates of heaven and let us in! Such was the sense of celebration and the outpouring of emotion the day Thierry Dusatoir and Toulouse came to the Sportsground that the defeat against the giants of European Rugby felt like a noble moral victory against the odds! They came to the Sportsground, and they came in force, as Guy Noves recognised the occasion and paid us the highest compliment.

That wasn't the best of seasons for us, but it mattered for a few very important reasons. It has been said that the average Irish Rugby fan has come to feel more connected with their Province than the National team in recent years, and I can attest to this. Declan Kidney and his men seemed so far removed in Carton House and the Aviva Stadium, but when I leant my voice to the crowd in the Sportsground on a rain-soaked night in January 2012, I felt like I mattered!

I've never felt anything like it before or since but on that night I felt like every ounce of energy I could put into roaring at the top of my lungs helped Michael Swift stand up and make another tackle, as we downed the mighty Harlequins in a ferocious battle of determination and will! Quins were at the height of their abilities, but we did more than just beat them that night, we knocked them out! Word went around after the final whistle that Gloucester had beaten Toulouse in the other pool match and our little 3-penalty victory on the edge of the Rugby World had put the mighty Rouge et Noir into the Quarter Finals. They loved us for that, and word came back that they thought our fans were some of the best that had ever visited their mighty Ernest-Wallon fortress.

Of course, that wasn't to be the end of that particular saga. Before we would meet again we had taken down the once great Biarritz and we were on the Sky Sports map! By the time we came full circle and returned to Toulouse once again we had added a few new weapons to the armoury and our fledgling internationals out-gunned the once-great Galacticos before settling down to grind out a win with blood and guts defence. It was magic!

The league results have never matched-up, a sticking point for all us hardcore Rugby heads! When you spend as much time analysing the game as some of us Twiterati do you just don't appreciate the one-off results as much as some people, and that's a shame. I shouldn't care about a disappointing home loss to Scarlets that much, but I just do! We may not have the pedigree of the other three Provinces have, we have to make do with what we have got; and that's heart! I am as weary of the 'plucky' moniker as the next Connacht fan, but when I think back to that rainy night in January 2012 I remember the sheer bloody-mindedness of it all! We've tried to develop some flash over the last couple of seasons, but like every Rugby team ever, you are at your best when you're revved up and ready to smash a few lads!

So when I say I hope the Connacht lads understand what this fixture means to us, I really mean it! Someone needs to get them in a room this week and spell it out: this game can never mean as much to Saracens, or anyone else for that matter, as it means to us. This game is for every fan who has every stood in the Sportsground on one of those miserable Friday nights only Galway can produce. For every Connacht fan who has ever watched a Munster match with envy and admiration, shouting the lads on with every yard won, desperately hoping for the day that it could be his men in green scaling the European Heights. For every tackle Michael Swift has ever made where you thought there was nothing more the man could do only to see him get up and make another, get up and make another and never ask for anything from you, though he deserves every last bit of your respect and admiration.

The Heineken Cup journey may come to an end this weekend for Connacht, and it may be the maths that does for us in the end. But we have a chance to go out on our terms. So much of this opportunity has been granted to us because of the achievements of our neighbours. But we have proved our worth in this competition. We have proved the naysayers wrong. We have proved we can compete, and win. And now to have a chance to win once more and return to the Challenge Cup, not as leftovers of the Professional game in Ireland, but as true men of European Rugby's highest echelon. That would indeed be a fitting conclusion to our European odyssey.

Connachtman [@connachtman87] - sometime blogger, long time reader, avid supporter of Connacht rugby against all odds and in any weather.

Stephen Fry is right, AGAIN. But what are we doing about it?

It’s time for rugby to get involved in the conversation on sexual orientation and sport, writes Conor Cronin

Louisa Wall, Gareth Thomas, and league cousin Ian Roberts. What do these 3 rugby players have in common?? The same thing as they have in common with people like former Redskins and Giants Guard Roy Simmons, English Olympic Gold Medal boxer Nicola Adams, Cork hurler Donal Óg Cusack, and most recently Olympic bronze medallist Tom Daley.

They’re all homosexuals. And the big question I have to ask is this… Who cares?!

Nigel Owens, in spite of the abuse I might occasionally fling his way during a match, is one of my favourite refs. He’s mostly fair (even if it's to be wrong for both sides!), admits when he’s wrong, is a great tweeter, is well known for being good for a sound bite (“this is not soccer”), and none of that has anything to do with the fact that he is openly Gay.

I love watching rugby.

Do I care about the sexual orientation of the players or officials? Not even a little bit.

Do I care what they get up to in their private lives? Only if it reflects badly on the game or a club, or if the players in question are being a bad example (like 2 certain nameless Irish boys, or the kinds of people who throw the vertically challenged, or show up drunk to work).

Do I think that having gay players will reflect badly on the sport? No.

It seems I’m asking a lot of rhetorical questions here, but don’t worry, I have a point.

At this stage, most people have seen, or at least heard about the letter Stephen Fry has sent to his Prime Minister and the Olympic Council. And I’m expecting most people know why, the decision of the Russian Government to introduce laws that affect the way that homosexuals can live their lives.

There have allegedly even been attacks in Russia on the LGBT community, and the police have basically been told to ignore it.

And it’s not just in Russia this happens. In Jamaica last year a transgender Teen was killed for going to a party dressed as a girl.

So here’s my question for all of us… Is Stephen Fry right. Should the Winter Olympic games in Russia have been boycotted?

Would we, as rugby fans decide to boycott the rugby world cup if it was being held in Russia in 2 years time rather than in England?

It is suggested that in the English Premiership (soccer), a number of the players are gay, but can’t be open about it for fear of the thuggery that may follow. It is even suggested that it was a reason for not playing former player Justin Fashanu.

There are in fact no "out" Gay footballers in the top 4 divisions. (Yes Thomas Hitzlsperger has come out in the last week, but he is retired. Is that too little too late if he really wants to compare himself to Tom Daley?)

Would we, as fans of rugby be tolerant of that? I highly doubt it. I think it would be more likely that, much as we shush some rowdy in the crowd during a penalty kick, we would shush the rowdy who had a go at a player for his sexual orientation. Or at least I’d like to hope so.

And where does the IRB as a whole stand on this? I know that separate to the IRB is the International Gay Rugby Association and Board (IGRAB), but should players not be welcomed regardless of sexual orientation? I applaud the Emerald Warriors RFC as a team, here in Dublin, who do just that. They have had (and I assume still do) players who were straight and gay playing on the same team.

People will argue that there are players who would feel uncomfortable, whether in ruck, scrum or changing room, if they knew a fellow player was Gay.

But again I have to wonder who cares?! I’ve no idea if any of the guys in the sailing club I’m a member of are or aren’t gay, I still need to shower after a sail. I’m very sure a number of the guys I’ve been on stage with (I do a lot of musical theatre!) were definitely gay, but I still needed to change out of my costume at the end of the night. They know I’m straight, and never once have they been suggestive, leery, or tried anything on.

I’ve found that the rugby community is a very accepting place. But I find myself agreeing with Stephen Fry; we can’t accept the actions of a government who, in 6 weeks time, may have a number of international athletes who find that they’re not legally allowed be present because they are the “wrong sexuality”.

I’m writing this piece because I’m generally interested in what people have to say about this. I’m curious to know what the rugby community think of both the Russian Winter Olympics, and the idea of homosexuality in sport. I welcome any comments either here, as a Facebook reply, or on twitter @ccbooms

But to quote Pope Francis after World Youth Day: “Who am I to judge them? They shouldn't be marginalized ... they're our brothers."

Conor Cronin (@ccbooms) is a Leinster fan cursed with a Munster loving father. You'll regularly find him screaming in the north stand in the RDS.

The Wolfhounds 2014

We’re delighted to award a first HoR2 cap to new contributor Kevin O’Brien, who offers his Wolfhounds selection…

It’s that time of year we are all attempting to offer up our Six Nations squad & starting fifteen just in case Joe needs an outside opinion.

Given what has happened in the November tests, which I won’t go over again, and a coach who is new to the championship there is some excitement around selection.

There is a hope for fresh ideas new faces and new desire. However in this post I am taking a step back from the senior team to have a look at some of the players knocking on the door, namely the Wolfhounds Squad who have a very difficult game against the English Saxons before the Six Nations kicks off.

One of Joe Schmidt’s stated goals upon appointment was to increase the number of players capable of playing test rugby. With this in mind I am picking my squad for the game which will be played in Kingsholm on Jan 14^th.

I am using this goal of growing the squad as the main selection criteria and want to try to avoid the “pick a guy who deserves a game for being a good servant” syndrome. With this in mind I now give to you my selection:

1. Dave Kilcoyne

Killer really burst onto the scene last year with some robust displays for Munster. He was back up to Cian Healy for the Six Nations campaign and looked to be developing into a top loose head. His performances especially in the early part of the season were below the standards he set himself last year and though he has improved steadily he has been passed out by Jack McGrath who has been having an exceptional season at Leinster. Kilcoyne should benefit greatly from a game against what is sure to be a tough Saxons side.

2. Rob Herring

South African born and Irish qualified Herring performed admirably in Rory Bests absence. It proves there is nothing like game time. His line throwing has been good and he has not been found wanting at scrimmage time . His contribution around the park has been decent too. A bit hard on Varley, who continues to perform with aggression for Munster. But I feel Herring is a better long term bet.

3. Martin Moore

A breakout season for Moore who is already an integral part of the Leinster squad. A strong scrummager and good on the loose. Personally I would have him starting ahead of Ross but it seems he will have to bide his time. Judging from the November games Irish management seem to prefer Ross & Fitzpatrick at the moment. A decent performance against the Saxons could go along way to pushing him into the senior squad.

4. Iain Henderson

Could be in contention for the senior squad. Not yet a regular starter for Ulster no doubt hurt by his versatility. I see his long term position in the second row. He needs a steady run of games at lock in my opinion. Again a run against the Saxons will be beneficial. A class act, which will grace the International scene though, may have to be patient in the short term.

5. Dan Tuohy

Another who has been performing well this season. He has been a very strong presence for Ulster. He has been knocking on the door a while now & hasn’t quiet made the breakthrough. There is probably a few ahead of him in the queue and a decent performance could keep him firmly in the managements thinking.

6. Rhys Ruddock (Captain)

A player Schmidt knows well. Finally living up to his vast potential following an injury free run. Consistent performances for Leinster have put him on the radar for the senior squad. Strong competition in the backrow positions sees him having to make up some ground but he is well capable. His leadership skills are well documented. Team captain.

7. Tommy O‘Donnell

Has a good chance of senior involvement especially with Sean O’Briens injury, if he stays fit himself. Has missed a lot of games this season so a run at 7 against the Saxons can only be beneficial in terms of 6 nations preparations.

8. Robin Copeland

Has come to prominence this season following a number of dominant & dynamic displays for Cardiff. Maybe a bit too soon for the senior squad, where competition for backrow positions is fierce. Hate to use the phrase but he deserves a call up to the Wolfhounds. Great signing for Munster.

9. Kieran Marmion

Part of recent training squad over Xmas period & not before time. In my mind he deserves to be in the senior squad however it’s hard to look past Murray & Reddan. Would have him ahead of Boss at this stage. A run with the Wolfhounds is a good way of further introducing him to what is expected at international level & to what it is to be around the squad.

10. Ian Madigan

Would be in the senior squad on last seasons form. However he has slipped back in the pecking order this season due to inconsistent displays and also the excellent form of Paddy Jackson. No doubting his quality he just needs to find last years consistency and better game management.

11. Craig Gilroy

Assuming Earls, Bowe, Fitzgerald & Zebo are fit I would expect them to be ahead of Gilroy. Certainly has the ability to force his way in to the senior squad. An injury free run with Ulster would certainly help.

12. Fergus McFadden

As is often said he suffers from his versatility. In my mind 12 is my fellow Curragh man’s best position. But as of yet not been able to shift Darcy from that position for Leinster or Ireland. He needs a consistent run at 12 to force his way into the senior team in this position. And when all wingers are fit he probably won’t get in there.

13. Robbie Henshaw

“Massively talented player” is an understatement. Getting plenty of game time with Connaught at 13 and has great chance of succeeding the “Great One” in the long run. Has a bit to go though before he is running the defence ala BOD. Run out against the Saxons will further help his international education. Having said that he will probably be heavily involved with the senior squad.

14. Andrew Trimble

Has slipped down the pecking order through the excellent form of others. He continues to perform strongly for Ulster. Would be a good experienced head in the back three and is always a threat.

15. Felix Jones

Another who is showing great form after long battles with injury. Strong runner and good defender. Saxons game would a good re-introduction to international rugby.

Replacements

James Croinin, Stephen Archer, Damien Varley, Mick Kearney, Cathal Sheridan, JJ Hanrahan, Kevin McLaughlin

As mentioned I have based this selection on Schmidt’s stated desire to grow the squad. At that some experience is needed hence the selections of the likes of Tuohy & Trimble. However these players too offer good options for Schmidt and are worth looking at closely. Others like Henshaw, Henderson & Marmion will be in and around the senior squad however I feel a run for the Wolfhounds against what is bound to be a strong Saxons team will further help their development.

I see the Wolfhounds as a key part of developing players for test rugby. I feel there aren’t enough such games throughout the season due primarily to finance I assume. Still further matches for the Wolfhounds should be considered by the IRFU and senior management.

Kevin O’Brien (@marywards) : Rugby mad Leinster man exiled in Connaught. Father of 3 with wife who hates sport but tolerates rugby.