Susan Hated Literature

After we left the RWC and headed home I has to switch and support some other countries. As mentioned, I did the almost unthinkable and cheered on England against Australia. And what a match! And that was followed by France V new Zealand. And for all the moaning about the ref I couldn’t see much wrong with his decisions. Yes, it was a forward pass that led to the French try, but refs miss forward passes all the time. It hurts when it your team that suffers, but swings and roundabouts folks. For the rest of it I thought he was quite fair, although France do seem to be able to play different refs a lot better than other countries.

Sun didn’t go so well. Fiji lost, although South Africa almost threw it away before realising what was happening and putting the squeeze on. And in the final quarter-final, I know, I said before hand that I’d support Argentina, but once it started I just couldn’t. Too many years of cheering Scotland on.

I don’t think Argentina played their best, but their game plan is very effective, and those moments of brilliance mean you just can’t begrudge them a win. Apart from when they beat us, obviously, and I suppose if you were Scottish.

So we’ll have one Six Nations team in the final and probably one Tri Nations. There is the possibility that Argentina will beat the South Africans, and wouldn’t that be something, but I just think that SA have too much skill and power all over the pitch. I’m hoping that Argentina do it, but my head says they won’t.

If they make it I’ll be cheering them on in the final, otherwise I’ll be shouting for France. I can’t see England doing the impossible two weeks in a row. Although anything is possible I suppose.

For those that may not know^[1] ; Ireland got knocked out of the RWC at the weekend. It wasn’t unexpected. After scraping the bonus point against Namibia, not getting one against Georgia, and losing to France, it would have required a miracle to get past the pool stages. We’d have needed to win by 7 or more points, score 4 tries, and make sure that Argentina didn’t score 4 tries. And, considering the poor performances that the team had been putting in it never seemed likely.

Course you still hope.
Cause what is the point if you don’t?

But in the end Argentina won, and won well, 30 to 15. Maybe that scoreline would have been closer had we not had to chase the four tries, maybe we would have won if all we’d needed was to beat them by a single point, but that is irrelevant. We lost. We came home.

And the post-mortems will continue for many months. Why did we perform so badly? What happened to the team that could run and pass and “had a chance”? Why did we struggle to get our game going?

Some have argued that the players didn’t want to win that much, that they are all paid so much money that they didn’t have the passion of earlier and perhaps less talented teams. Pschaw I says to that. Pschaw^[2] Did you see BOD when he scored that try against Argentina? I think maybe^[3] he would have liked to win.

He had a good game. As did Paul O’Connell, despite some missed lineouts. And Geordan Murphy had an okay game, considering the support runners he was getting^[4] and the options he was presented with^[5] and the whole performance of the team was considerably better than earlier in the tournament.

But we should have started the RWC like that, and progressed. Instead we dug ourselves a huge ginormous hole by starting sluggishly.

In a way the tournament was like an extended version of our recent games. We start poorly, realise that we are in deep shit and start to play. Trouble is we just didn’t have the time or confidence to get out of that hole. And so the 2007 RWC is over for Ireland. And for many of those players this is the last RWC they’ll get to go to. Over the hill now. And what a sad way for Denis Hickie to finish his career. And possibly many others.

The debate about whether we should blame the players more or whether management should take responsibility seems to have been ignored in the rush to shout that Eddie O’Sullivan must go. I’ve always been quite supportive of Steady Eddie, but I’m back-tracking now, not that I think he should be fired in some knee-jerk reaction^[6] but for the IRFU to be describing this as some sort of blip? Are they insane?

Maybe it is just that they want to get O’Sullivan back, to pick his brains, behind closed doors and try and figure out what went wrong before coming out and saying what is what, I don’t know. Maybe they’re hoping to persuade him to “agree terms” and don’t want to force their hand yet? Who can tell.

But this isn’t something that can be solved with a quick fix. I’d've had no problem^[7] with us going home had we played to our potential and still been defeated. But, *shrug* we didn’t. We seemed lacking in strategy. lacking in skills. Lacking in just about anything that a rugby team needs to play. And I haven’t even mentioned the whole substitution fiasco.

Of course the RWC isn’t over yet. There are still a whole heap of teams left in the competitions. And I’ve made my decisions and I shall be supporting: France when they play^[8] the All Blacks ; Argentina when they play Scotland^[9] ; Fiji when they play^[10] South Africa ; England^[11] when they play^[12] Australia.

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Title was something one of the commentators said after we started so well and people began to think, hey, maybe, just maybe…

Okay, so I did say that it was the end of the road as far as me and optimism were concerned. But I’m so not down with the whole negativity thing that is going on in the meeja at the moment. We are all^[1] disappointed. But as Emmet Byrne said on d’telly last night it is easy to be negative. Not only is it easy, it is a fairly pointless exercise.

I’m not saying that we ignore the shite play, or pretend that everything is okay with the rugby team, but we aren’t out yet, so why not hope? Why be so negative in the questions to the players? And don’t give me that “hard-hitting journalism” tosh, cause that isn’t the reason. The reason is that it is easy to hit someone when they are down and taking the easy option is, well, easy, innit?

So lets hold all post-mortems and “Alas, ochrone” wailing and keening until after the final match on Sunday. Yes, we’ll probably be going home, but this is sport, and stranger things have happened.

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Title provided by BOD

I’ve been out. Doing things. You know, that I shouldn’t be, *glances warily around* going places I shouldn’t.

Yup. Shopping again. It’s shocking^[1] how easy it is to spend money when you don’t have to hand over any actual cash. Just flash the plastic and away you go^[2] Crazy easy it is. And not only am I going to moan about spending the money, I’m also going to moan about not spending the money.

See I found this nice pair of trousers^[3] Tried them on and all was grand apart from the length^[4] Went hunting for the short-arse version. None to be found at all^[5] Now, people of whatever Debenhams shop I was in, bet you wish you stocked petites, don’t ya.

And while I’m in semi-moan mode^[6] why is it that I’m forced to try on 3 different sizes in the hope of finding one that fits. Three! That’s like all you’re allowed to take into the dressing rooms in some shops.

Craziness I tells ya.

However, in the good news stakes I did finally get my hands on season three of The Wire. Just what I need to distract me from the depression that is the RWC^[7] I get to watch the dvds with the ineffectual POlice and the drugs wasteland and the death and the killings. Yay!

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Title from Epsiode 30 of The Wire

Yeah. So. Optimism…

I think I’ll revert to my usual pessimism from now on.

I am not, in general, an overly optimistic person. Especially where Irish sport is concerned. Hopeful, always, but confident that we’ll win? Rarely.

And this isn’t a new thing. Back in the heady days of Italia ‘90 when the entire country was caught up in football-fever I can remember being asked if I though we’d win our next match. Against Italy. I answered confidently, telling my uncle that we hadn’t a hope. My mathematical prowess tells me that for the world cup in 1990 I was all of 11. Eleven years of age and already I was a cynical little git who knew we couldn’t win.

And yet for some reason I have a good feeling about tonight’s match. I may be proven wrong. France may run riot. Eoin Reddan may have a mare of a game. Ronan O’Gara may continue with the terrible kicks. The pack may continue to stand around waving their hands in the air instead of getting stuck into rucks. But if that happens I will simply accept the slagging at my optimism, because I’m confident that the Irish team has enough talent to win this match. I’m not predicting a bonus point win, although that would be nice, but I think we’ll “get it done”.

I may deluded and crazy. Given the recent performances there is no real reason to forecast an Irish victory. And France need to win. If they lose they are out. If we lose there is still the vaguest of chances we can progress, depending on our Argentina match. But for the hosts, for France! to go out at the pool stage. Well, there are upsets and then there are upsets.

Wouldn’t it be nice though?

Maybe it is because I’ve gotten used to the rugby crowd performing well, and even winning major competitions. And maybe it is misplaced because we can only judge ourselves against the other Six Nations teams. But for once, I’m remaining hopeful. I remaining positive. I may be deluded and irrational but isn’t that what sport is all about?

And any supporters in France are being asked to head down to the team hotel (Sofitel Porte de Sevres, 8-12 Rue Louis Armand, 75015, Paris) and show your support before they leave for the stadium.

It is a bit chilly out this morning. But sunny so far, so its all good, plus, I suppose it is really and truly Autumn now, so I can’t complain.

I know, I know, talking about the weather, not exactly a gripping start to a post, and after I’ve been a tad lackadaisical about updating, but what do you expect? Do you really want me to moan about the RWC again? I can. It’d be easy. After all we did almost lose against Georgia. And as Roy Keane might say, all credit to Georgia, but, at the end of the day, we did win. And that is what is important. Never mind the shocking display. Never mind the lack of skills on display. Never mind that if it hadn’t been for Leamy getting under that ball they would have scored another try.

And now, now we have Eddie O’Sullivan dropping Stringer in favour of Reddan. Georgian Murphy out of the 22, Duffy on the bench. Trimble in for Hickie. I’m not sure I want to watch the game on Friday.

But you know what, I’m staying optimistic. Or deluded. Either way that good feeling I had before the RWC began, it is still here, and I’m sticking with it. Clinging desperately may be slightly more accurate, but whatever.

And of course the rumours are floating around about trouble in the camp. So dilemma. Do I repeat them and feed what may just be lies? Of course not. Because if the rumours of bust-ups at training are true then at least it shows some bit of passion. And while I don’t believe that it has gone totally Saipan on us, rumours of Geordan Murphy walking out may just breathe a bit of life back into the team.

Or maybe I really am totally deluded.

In other news have you heard the story about the body found on a Kerry beach, and taken away in a hearse? You know, the one that turned out to be a fish.

The world is a funny funny place sometimes.

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Today’s post title was supplied by Karl Richardson and he was referring to those Saipan-style rumours.