The Humours of Donnybrook

All-time Irish record try-scorers list ☘️🏉 Brian O'Driscoll - 46 Keith Earls - 36 Tommy Bowe - 30 Denis Hickie - 29 𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙗𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 - 28 Alison Miller - 24 Shane Horgan - 21 Jacob Stockdale - 20 Hat-trick for Beibhinn today 📈👏 📸 @Inphosports

It doesn’t feel much better today. I’m still shocked at just how badly Connacht were humiliated last night. Three defeats from five URC games, with our only two wins coming against the sides sitting bottom and second-bottom of the table. We’ve already played three of our more favourable fixtures, and any realistic ambition of securing a home knockout match has taken a serious hit. It’s certainly not where Connacht supporters expected to be heading into the November internationals. I was chatting to a former Connacht player yesterday and he was convinced we would lose. His reasoning was interesting. Over the last couple of seasons, whenever Connacht have faced a weakened second or third-string side while fielding a weakened team themselves, we’ve generally come off second best. And I think he’s onto something. Our strongest XV can compete with most teams in the URC. But take away a handful of key players and the drop-off is frightening. Leinster can field lads who probably should have been at home studying for exams and still look better organised, more physical and more comfortable with the ball than we do. That’s not just a coaching problem. It’s a recruitment, development and squad-depth problem that has been there for years. But Lancaster can’t escape scrutiny either. He’s now into his second season, with 16 wins from 32 competitive matches. A 50% win rate. For a coach who arrived with his reputation, those numbers are hardly inspiring. The Champions Cup victory over Saracens showed what this team is capable of. But how do you go from scoring seven tries against Saracens to being completely humiliated by a weakened Leinster side just two weeks later? Even last week’s bonus-point win over Zebre was deeply unconvincing. The warning signs were there for anyone willing to look beyond the scoreboard. Nobody expected Connacht to stroll past Leinster. Losing an interprovincial is one thing. Being dismantled at home by a side missing so many established internationals is something else entirely. And that’s what worries me most. Not simply the defeats, but the lack of consistency, the defensive problems and the enormous gap between our best players and those expected to replace them. Is Lancaster getting the best out of the squad available to him? Or is he discovering that Connacht simply don’t have the depth to compete when their internationals are missing? After more than a season in charge, both questions deserve answers. We’re not quite at the stage of borrowing Eamon Dunphy’s famous “He’s a spoofer, Bill!” line just yet, but another few performances like last night and we might not be far off it. 😂

Whatever about Furlong, Coombes, SART reaction; one thing really baffles me: The “name dragged through mud” line Lads… that’s a dog whistle in defence of sexual impropriety and has been for decades. Stand up for your guy, by all means, but think before you speak

An chéad úd don chluiche faighte ag Gus McCarthy do na Laighnigh Leinster strike first as Gus McCarthy goes through for the try 16 nóim ⏳️ @connachtrugby 0 @leinsterrugby 5 @RSAIreland @IrishRugby #URC

'It's closed' - Cullen and Leinster happy to move on from Furlong saga: the42.ie/7210701t

First of many? 👀 A moment to remember! 🤩🔥 Todd Lawlor gets his FIRST try for @leinsterrugby 👏🔵 Don't miss a minute - LIVE on Premier Sports. #BKTURC #URC | #CONvLEI

Statement | Independent Disciplinary Committee Decision 👉 munsterrugby.ie/news/stateme… #SUAF 🔴

World Rugby, the URC, the IRFU and Leinster Rugby are all headquartered within a few miles of one another in Dublin.

Breaking: Tadhg Furlong has been cleared of any wrongdoing against Munster last weekend. He is free to play.

The Kiwi URC Franchise Concept. Here is an idea I would like to float on how to fix the massive player drain and give New Zealand Rugby the ultimate edge. With the Welsh teams expected to pull out of the United Rugby Championship, a massive opportunity is about to open up. The URC board is going to be desperate for a heavyweight replacement that brings eyes, sponsors, and broadcast dollars to the table. Instead of looking at emerging nations like Spain or Georgia, who, of course are worthy considerations, why doesn't New Zealand enter an expansion team? Right now, there are over 200 Kiwi players plying their trade in Europe. We could easily pull together a high level, 36 man squad out of that massive talent pool, and base them permanently in a European hub. Because they are already living and working up north, the travel and logistics issues are completely off the table. They wouldn't be crossing the equator every second week, they would function just like any other European club, only traveling down for the standard South African touring windows. This idea isn't about interfering with what NZR is trying to do back home to fix Super Rugby. This is a completely self sustaining, commercially driven franchise that the URC board would jump at because the viewer pull of a New Zealand styled team would be massive. More importantly, it forces NZ Rugby's hand on eligibility in the best possible way. Right now, we are bleeding top tier talent overseas and refusing to pick them for the All Blacks, how long will this conversation go on for. By centralizing 36 of them into one official URC franchise, NZR could adjust the rules to make just this one team eligible. We have all seen what high level exposure up north does for our best talent, just look at Jordie Barrett and Reiko Ioane heading to Leinster for experience. Playing week in and week out against bruising South African sides, clinical Irish provinces, and heavy European clubs would take these players to an entirely new level. It keeps these players in our system, and it puts them directly in front of the All Blacks selectors, and prepares them perfectly for the physical realities of test rugby. It is a commercial win for the URC, a career win for our offshore players, and the ultimate development tool for the All Blacks. Why aren't we doing it, can you give me reasons? #URC #NZRugby #AllBlacks