Fine, but when was the last time two Ulster players were red-carded in one season? I've been an Ulster supporter for 60 years and can't remember when last this happened. It's bad for Ulster's reputation and for the game itself. Is this an example for our young players to follow? I hope David Humphreys can re-introduce discipline to the Ulster set-up as coach Anscombe seems to be incapable.
If another red card is given in the remaining two games - I'm assuming Ulster will not reach the final because of their weak front row - then I would expect the coach to resign as it would then be obvious that he has lost the respect of his players.
All in all it's been a very frustrating season for Ulster supporters. The only bright spark on the horizon is Ravenhill's new ground. But can we ever attract the quality of players needed to grace it? I had high hopes for Payne but his careless tackle on Goode which cost us the Heineken Cup still penetrates my little grey cells. I can't see him now putting on the Irish 13 jersey. A cautious coach like Schmidt would never risk it.
A very interesting article but it fails to answer 2 basic questions: 1. Why is Sinn Fein suddenly more loyal than the loyalists? 2. Why should HM Queen wish to join in the 2016 celebrations of the Easter Rising? In relation to 1 could it be that Gerry Adams, who "instructed" Martin to attend the Windsor banquet, sees the ageing monarch as part of the Sinn Fein strategy to alienate the unionists, ie playing the Royal card? Re2 the Easter Rising didn't bring peace to Ireland but set in stone the anti-British mantra of physical force republicanism. Why would Her Majesty honour such a violent tradition? We all love patriots but at a time when thousands of Irishmen from both North and South were being slaughtered in Flanders fields another group chose England's difficulty as Ireland's opportunity. Should such perverted patriotism be honoured by HM Queen?
Not so remarkable as the dirty deals between former British govts, eg the OTR deal, and the IRA begin to see the light of day. I'm trying hard as an Ulster unionist to see Martin's toasting the Queen in a positive light but have a nasty suspicion that Sinn Fein has now moved from the ballot box and the Armalite strategy to playing the royal card in an attempt to isolate the unionists and undermine the status of Northern Ireland. The Old Lady,HM Queen Elizabeth II, may not be up to Sinn Fein's strategems as the frailties of old age set in but PM Cameron should have asked Martin in their Windsor confab to (i) recognise Northern Ireland, (ii) instruct his MPs to take their seats in the House of Commons, (iii) opt for justice and reconciliation as a way forward, as distinct from peace and reconciliation & (iv) come clean on the OTR dirty deal. I still don't fully understand why Martin was there at all? Did the Old Lady perhaps think that he was a citizen of the Republic of Ireland (not Ireland as she repeatedy claimed)?
I too was initially incandescent with the two French officials' decision but in the cool light of day most of the blame must rest on Payne's shoulders. His action was both reckless and dangerous. He must expect a long ban. Why does a senior player behave so irresponsibly in a critical match which the team and its supporters have looked forward to all year? Was it a rush to the head or an attempt to coerce his opposite number early in the game? If so then he hadn't done his homework on this particular ref who plays the game strictly to the rules - as indeed does the French TMO.
Ms Lo is also ignorant of Irish history. As I pointed out to Prof Niall Ferguson, who also described Ireland as a colony of the UK, Ireland had representatives in the House of Commons. No British colony was ever given that privilege and indeed if George III had conceded parliamentary representation to the American colonists there may never have been an American revolution. As we can now see America not only uses British place names but also the core features of British law. The Republic of Ireland has also retained many British cultural & legal features. As the Chinese ambassador to Greece once asked me (in the presence of the then Irish amabassador) at a reception: Why doesn't Ireland, ie the Republic, return to its motherland just as Hong Kong has just returned to its motherland? Ms Lo should at least indicate whether she supports the 1998 Belfast Agreement - the most uncolonial document in modern British & Irish history. Perhaps she also thinks Scotland & Wales are British colonies even though they have both their one parliaments AND representation in the House of Commons?
There are two competing narratives of what happened prior to the signing of the 1998 Belfast Agreement: one by commentators and the other by the British govt. The latter - which I have never believed - claims it was effective British army action which brought Sinn Fein/IRA to the negotiating table. The alternative version is that the IRA was never defeated and that the British govt was so fed up with the tragic events that it was prepared to do a "dirty" deal which gave Sinn Fein political legitimacy and the IRA certain agreed amnesties. Recent and ongoing events are now challenging the British govt narrative. If they believed they had defeated the IRA why did they agree to the IRA amnesties since Sinn Fein/IRA were in the weaker position? Let's hope a more objective account of what actually took place will become clear in the near future. History and historians will also need clarification.
I don't think any Playstation moves will work against Wales because the latter's coach is impossible to beat on tactics. Remember what happened to Australia in the Lions' third test? Drico will have to tackle his heart out but I still think the Welsh centres will be hard to stop. I can't see any way Ireland can win this one but as an Irish supporter I hope I'm wrong. We'll miss Bowe, Ferris & O'Brien badly. Could Ferris & Bowe be ready for Twickers?
My feeling is that if Ireland lose on Saturday there will be wholesale changes in prepartion for the RWC as there would be little hope of a win in either England or France; however a win will propel the Irish team towards all the glittering prizes. Marshall is the 12 for the future and at some stage tomorrow evening will join Payne in the Ulster centre. This pair must be the favourites for the Autumn series and the RWC. My fear is that the present pair - D'Arcy & Drico - is in for a torrid time on Saturday. Ireland will be facing virtually a Lions' team and will need all the backs to tackle low from the outset. Bowe, Ferris & O'Brien will be sorely missed; hopefully at least Bowe will be ready for the trip to England. Will all three be ready for the RWC?
As an honest Ulsterman living in Europe I totally agree with the sentiments of the Tanaiste but as I understand it no respectable Unionist or religious organisation in NI opposes the learning or use of the Irish language, ie Erse. The question about treating it like Welsh, however, is in a different category. Welsh is spoken as much as English in Wales. When I was lecturing for a Welsh university I had often to ask my fellow Welsh lecturers to speak English so that I could communicate with them. All university business, however, was communicated in English. When I lived in NI and often visited the Republic of Ireland I never once had to make this request, not even on the Falls Road. The only one occasion when I heard people speaking Erse unreservably was in an Irish language area in Donegal. As for the question of national identity, in Europe I always state that I am Irish and British. Most Europeans then infer, rightly, that I'm from Northern Ireland. In Greece and Germany where I've lived there's never been a problem with translation. In German I actually liked the title "Nordirlander" (Northern Irishman). My German student friends made a big thing of it.
Always a pleasure to read Tony Ward's analysis but in my book Bowe & O'Brien are irreplaceable as they proved in the final Lions' test. Bowe is now fit and should have been selected against Scotland. Gatland picked him for the third Lions' test in spite of his injury beforehand. You can't leave players of his quality in the dressing room. Trimble plays well for Ulster but has never delivered for Ireland. This is indeed his last chance as it may well be for young Luke Marshall unless he can learn how to deliver the telling pass once he has passed the gain line. D'Arcy, Henshaw & Fitzgerald are waiting in the wings. I have also concerns about Henry playing out of position. He's more a scrapper than a ball carrier like O'Brien & Ferris. Could the latter be ready for England and France? O'Donnell will be on long before the last quarter methinks. Ireland should win but Scotland have strength in key positions. Too close to call. Wales & France should win the other games in this post-Lions' 6N.
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