Tim. If you told me 20 years ago we'd have finished 2024 with a back to back 6 nations trophy (beating France away), a drop goal away from back to back GS and then a drawn series in SA, and beating Australia we'd have snapped your hand off. We've come a long way. Yeah, the QF jokes remain. But who actually cares. Its a good time to be an Irish rugby fan, and the journey is just starting as far as im concerned
Despite losing in the quarter finals we beat the team that ended up winning it who also had 7/1 forwards on the bench. Then we backed that up by beating them again in their own backyard without 5/6 of our best players. That’s extremely encouraging and shows the resilience in Irish rugby in general. Lots of teams are going through transitional periods and Ireland is currently going through somewhat a transitional period of their own. Johnny Sexton has retired, PO’M, Murray, Healy, Henderson are coming to the end so it’s now time that we give younger guys a chance. The Autumn internationals have been the start of that. Prendergast looks like the real deal. Further depth coming through in the front row, hooker, back three. It wasn’t the best Autumn Internationals losing to New Zealand but we didn’t lose by that much. Then we fixed our issue and beat Australia, Argentina & Fiji so it was a good turnaround all things considered. Considering we won the last 2 6 nations, I don’t mind if we don’t win this upcoming one as long as we continue to blood new talent. There’s some serious prospects coming through in the Irish clubs and in the academies so I’m really looking forward to that. Onwards & upwards. Let’s continue to keep proving the world wrong Ireland 🇮🇪🇮🇪☘️☘️💪🏻💪🏻
Love your podcasts, totally addicted to them. I am Irish and thoroughly enjoying our rugby. Last quarter of this year has been scary with our penalty count, handling errors, poor scrum and line-out. Leinster have shown the same frailties and it worries me for the 6 nations. I hope that we can get it back together as England, France and Scotland are queuing up to punish us if not. Anyway, this is a great time to be a rugby fan and what will be will be! I am 65 and watching ireland for over 50 years, during much of this time we have been whipping boys and wooden spoon contenders so right now I can't complain!
Tim, I watched the Leinster vs Clermont game on Saturday and the match commentators (both Irish) remarked on the same exact issues that you did. The Lineout has become a lottery at both Provincial and National levels. Leinster had to literally fight at every lineout on Saturday to secure their own throw in. This was a similar issue for Ireland at the '23 World Cup. Opponents originally struggled to slow down ruck speed ball for the Irish teams but, once they realized that effective tackling and 'jackel-ing' were the keys to slowing it down, they achieved parity. Then they had to deal with the 'Strike Plays' from lineouts, another preferred weapon of Irish teams. It's obvious now (or it certainly should be) that opponents have sussed out exactly what lineout calls Ireland (and Leinster, Munster, Ulster) are using. There's obviously more than just the attack that is in need of attention - I get the sense that the backline itself is in need of change. Some of the stalwarts are showing signs of their age. A couple have been clearly trying to do too much, forcing the issue when a cooler head is called for. It's not completely surprising given that Mike Catt & Johnny Sexton, the former longtime conductors, have left the scene. You can see the same issues at Leinster today. There are moments when everything clicks like it used to on attack but then they have an error strewn patch of ball handling mistakes and timing. Overall I think your analysis is spot on.
Good analysis Tim , I was giving us a 7 when you mentioned at start ! I think definitely Line out a huge issue but attack generally is lacking since Stuart L and Mike Gatt left , Leinster have mirrored the Ireland problems in last 12 months . Performance is still way ahead of say 5 yrs ago and standards are now higher so everything you say re blooding new players is really important, can’t wait now for Irl v Eng !!!
I would mark as a 7/10 myself (as an Irishman). Ireland can do so much better but some fantastic highs also. As for November, winning while playing poorly is always a good sign. I'm looking forward to next year.
7/10 seems too harsh when you’ve won the only thing that mattered this year : the Six Nations. Especially doing in with France and England away. Add to that an amazing win in South Africa and that will be a year to remember. 8.5/10 imo.
Our line-out has been mystifyingly bad. Paul O'Connel and Ian Henderson....two of the very best line-out gurus in the game and we still can't get it right. Huge work needs to be done there as it's traditionally our main weapon of choice to launch attacks. As for overall year score....7.5/10. We had some outstanding perfomances (France and SA away) but also some very poor scrappy displays (NZ and Oz).
The South African lineout has also taken a dip in 2024 although it’s not struggling like Irelands. I don’t think that it’s Paul O’Connels fault as lineouts have been lacking with Leinster as well. I really hope it improves and becomes the best version of itself in future. Good luck until then👍🏼
If we didnt have so much lineout issues things would be looking much better. That said we really have set a high bar for ourselves. I remember back in the day we were rubbish.
People forget in Ireland camp there are over 40 players selected, there are loads that havent even got a cap that know our systems. We have seen a handful come through this year and get a cap or 2. We'll see more next year.
Quite a fair read of the year, I would say, though I might have been harsher with the overall off the back of the latest results, but the earlier 2/3s of the season carrying it enough. Good to be getting some guys a bit more hardened and experienced, creating better competition for places. Need more depth as it is starting to creak in a few positions. Keep creating insightful content.
Harsher because of 1 loss to New Zealand? Sure they won games ugly. They still won't though. 8 seems very fair. If they had beaten New Zealand what would you have showed them?
Hello Tim. I have to say I enjoy your analysis on Rugby and all the fine trims surrounding the sport and cultures. Isn't it wonderful to be part of this ever evolving sport and all that contributes to it. Ireland have definitely evolved in this sport in the last decade or more. They get a 7 from me. But aren't they wonderful. Keep up the good work Tim ! Lines out ...early fixed ...keep it simple.
We did not have as much of a issue with the lineouts when sheenan is playing , our set piece needs alot of focus ,at best at the moment it's workable, just
Personally I think I'd have us at a 7/10, mstly based on how we wfinished the year, but also partly based on the general vibes around the team, particularly the age profile of some of our players.
The 6N will be very telling, worth noting in the autumn 2022 and WC warm ups Ireland were very messy and both times came good when the 6N came around and WC came around, obviously went out in the QFs but the performances overall were still pretty good. If Ireland have an average 6N, as in only win 3 games, then the real question marks will follow.
I actually feel pretty good about the slight decline happening now. 2025 is a great time to blood some fresh talent as you said, then 2026 will hopefully see the dust settling toward what will hopefully be a well-timed peak in 2027 to finally break the QF curse.
@@x-latetv-x6816Ireland are fine in WC years also The issue is we don’t seem to get anywhere near the same amount of luck England or Wales do in the WC draw The last 2 tournaments we had to play either a side that is 1st or 4th in the world in 2019 or a side ranked 2nd or 4th in 2023… If only we got to play Fiji in a QF…
@@cathalsheehan9596 same with ireland in 91, we got australia and scotland got western samoa, scotland still have lost in the quarter finals 7 times, imagine ireland got western samoa in 91 and scotland australia, then the quarter final curse would be on scotland. Luck of the draw i guess
@@x-latetv-x6816 I think the fact you have to go back to 1991 kind of says it all. At least they arent as bad as the bottle jobs of France who couldn't get past the QF's of their home WC!
We were very poor during November, shite even and bad as we were we still won 3 games with no lineout, multiple handling errors and injuries in quay positions particularly hooker and sheehan is probably the most important player to come back from injury, we are a different team when he's fit and playing, we will learn alot more about this team in February.
I'd give Ireland a 6.5. The 6 nations ended in an anticlimax against England and Scotland. South Africa tour was 50/50, and November was well below standards. I want Ireland to win the six nations, but we could definitely come anywhere as low as 3rd. Otherwise I agree with everything else you said Tim. It's a good video.
I’ve got to say I thought the flyhalf situation was really harsh on Crowley. I thought it was just that Prendergast was a Leinster player so was getting preferential treatment. But there’s no denying Prendergast’s talent. I think he starts in the 6 nations.
8 out of 10 is spot on (as an Irish supporter). Have to agree with the graph as well, it is graduating downward. However I do believe we will win the championship, but not the slam, France always get better as the season goes on and they have extraordinary players.
Agree with so much of what you have said and would have awarded 7.5 before seeing your score. The worry i have is the Autumn performances - they lacked fluidity, precision, discipline and they failed to put opposition teams under consistent pressure - something we had grown used to. We had some big injuries for sure but this feels to me like a team in transition for me - i hope its a quick one!
To think that a 10 point loss against the All Blacks is considered a pretty bad loss, is pretty telling. Ten years ago Ireland would be trashed by the All Blacks.
Fair and comprehensive analysis. I was hovering between 7 and 8 but we did win the 6N, losing at Twickenham by a point and did well in SA. Bad loss to NZ and scratchy in the other 3 Autumn games - as you say, attack, line out and scrums all need a bit of work before taking on England on 1 Feb. Optimistic about players coming through - u-20s have been good the last few years and we have seen Sam Prendergast and Gus McCarthy this year. I would have John Hodnett in the frame to succeed JvdF, and Tom Ahern as a 4/6 - as are Ryan Baird and Cormac Izuchukwu. Also some talent in the backs -we have seen Chay Mullins and Zac Ward in recent weeks.
I think Ahern at 5, McCarthy and 4 and Izuchukwu at 6 would be lethal. Also if Doris ever gets injured it would be nice for Coombes to get a chance to show what a 6 foot 6 tank with anger issues can do when he has something to prove. I'm also disappointed Scott Penny seems to have been forgotten about completely by Farrell.
@stiofain88 100% agree with u re Izzy, the guy can create something from nothing and has serious power and speed. I'm a munster fan so am a big Coombes fan but I think he lacks the speed to be an international 8, however I'd love to see him given a chance this summer and prove me wrong. I think hodnett will get in ahead of penny as he misses out on all the big games for leinster
Disagree with the Joe hype. People are easily influenced by bandwagon effect and optics. Look at the data, and the stats: Joe is making defensively good tackles and disrupting rucks but negative gainline compared to WC running. Alternatively, Ryan has only become more physical the last two years, and the data shows he’s more tackles, has a positive gain line consistency and Luke Fitzgerald and Cian Tracy were right in how underrated and appreciated he is, and how crucial. A Ryan, Beirne lock pairing with Baird is balanced as Baird is taking over Leinster lineout: three tree have technicality, pace, physicality combined. Second half, swap in Joe for 35 for defensive power and Cormac for offensive power, again, good balance.
@andrewbrennan4423 my only concern re baird, beirne and ryan is they are lighter lads so up against a big pack with slow ball they could find it difficult to generate fast ball
8 is a fair measure, loss to NZ, work to do on lineout which remains a problem ( Paul O'Connell) and the relative penalty count. The really good news is we have young players coming through from a series of successful U21 slams and 6 nation victories and seeing four already with full; caps is great, as in Osborne, Prendergast, Gus McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu. Looking forward to see how Ireland can now move on and how great would it be if we see Felix Jones coming onboard with Farrell after the Lions tour ( expect he gets chosen by Farrell there)
I would also say 8. A 6n and win in durban is good going. Its Irelands 6n nations to lose. TF and AP just renewed their contracts for the next world cup but bloody hell we need more time for other props. If Ireland fixes the dropped balls and lineouts, theyll be back to harassing teams like they do best.
i don't know man. I think we have some issues and indeed i have my doubts about us turning france over in the upcoming 6 nations and indeed without farrell. teams have the measure of us, so we need a bit of a shift somewhere
Ireland have never been a revolution it's generally an evolution, 1/2 players coming in. WE haven't really had major changes in a big game since O'Gara/Stringer/Horgan came in, in '00 vs Scotland. The Emerging Ireland tour/players are important, as they have the players playing in the system. Clarkson/Boyle seem to be getting more gametime, and should probably replace Healy/Bealham in the 6n. Performances aren't perfect, but usually at this stage we're mostly winning comfortably and being accused of "Peaking too early"
The only positive about irelands drop in form is that Ireland is mid world cup cycle, when we're normally at our peak.. so does it augur well for the possibility to get out of a world cup quarter final...?
That’s something I’ve also been thinking. I’m happier to see the bad performances when there’s time to fix them. Flying high in November and tanking at the 6N or winning the 6N and flopping at the World Cup is what usually happens. There’ll be no complacency going into the 6N this time.
Don't think it'll be a grand slam. This'll be France's year, unfortunately. Maybe not a slam, but don't see us beating them this year. Scotland might finally get us, too.
Rugby is an armsrace and Ireland have been left behind a bit at the breakdown. Slightly slower ball means the whole machinery is not as effective. Add to that a curse from the knock-on fairy and a diabolical line-out, Ireland are probably down to 4th or 5th overall. It could be an ugly 6 nations without Faz. Prendy is no doubt a talent but his slowness and lack of going into contact really works in the favour of opposing defences. Buckets to improve on.
I think with new players like Joe McCarthy, Gus McCarthy , Jamie Osborne, prendergast, Izzy, Tom clarkson and I think soon Brian Gleason all under 24 years old they will bring new impetus to the Irish team, watch out in the 6 nations under 20s for a very special talent Casper Gabriel and you will see something very special in Irelands future. It will take awhile to bed in but the future looks promising and should see Ireland with a good squad for the next WC. Lineout and better ball handling need some attention.
I think Ireland's biggest problem is their Prop depth. If i were an Ireland fan in 2024, I would have been extremely nervous anytime a replacement prop came on to the field. Finlay Bealham being Irelands 3rd best prop with respect, is not someone I would be too happy about being the starting replacement. Furlong and Porter getting long term injuries could kill Ireland and that's not an over exaggeration
Think the attack is affected by the fact that most of the team are switching between Leinster play and Ireland Playing styles. The Nienaber approach to D seems taxing. Also, Mike Catt left the Ireland Coaching Staff.
Any other northern team would score 8 or 9 however Irelands standards and the rugby publics expectations would tend to lower the score. I still expect them to be favourites for six nations with a grand slam on the table for them.
Line out is shambolic just now. Scrum holding its own. Defence still huge but attack not as fluent/penetrative. Too many forced passes/handling errors,and penalty count high. Maybe try too hard when not going to plan. Healy, Murray, O'Mahony, Henderson to take a step away. Gus McCarthy, Clarkson, Timoney, Coombes, the Prendergast boys, Frawley, Osborne,etc to get more game time especially in summer games
I think if the overall quality of rugby from NZ, France and and England was better we would maybe be a bit more judgmental of Ireland. I think they underperformed big time. That said, I’m very hopeful with the players coming through. That’s the biggest take from the trip to SA. No shortage of heart and talent.
Tim I think they have lost there way a bit , unless they bond a bit better and get back the good basics of there game then I can't see past France being slam champs, hope I'm wrong because when they click there a sight to behold.
7.5 to 8, need a fresh approach the LO needs a reset, I think 2025 will be their best chance of another GS, given their decline and England, Scotland and France improvement
Not sure I understand your point. You say England, Scotland and France have improved while Ireland have declined, but that points towards another GS? How does that logic work?
@@RossoVerdeNero I feel with having the 2 bigger games at home we wil prevail. However, I think the decline will start showing as we move into 2026 and beyond. Hence 2025 is are best chance of a GS
Did laugh when Tim laughs about England beating Ireland. Such a poor result. Overall Ireland were solid - marking down a further half point for not refreshing the squad. Overall 6.5
O’Connell has one more 6?nations to sort the line out. Legend or it, it’s been malfunctioning for too long - need someone different to work on it, if Paul can’t fix it.
Strong start and middle but s fairly below average ending nothing wrong with it but just shows where we need to fix next year especially that lineout. Stevie Wonder would be more accurate at the than us this year.
the fixtures of the 6 nations with the greatest respect to italy should not be ending with ireland playing italy! The best teams should be playing each other on the final weekend, the super saturday. It would make far more sense to have an ireland v england or france, or even scotland on the final day! bloody italy! FFS anticlimax
@T2Lam10 like picture this, If ireland beat england and france, and indeed get past Scotland, wales are not going to beat ireland so then on the final day you have ireland going for a grand slam against... bloody ITALY! give me a break what a crappy final day. like that's it, the slam is done you know ireland gonna wallop them.
@@RossoVerdeNero it’s really a shame that we haven’t had any France - Ireland in round 5 over the past 3-4 years. 3 years in a row that they finish 1-2 and likely to be the case next year again.
There was hyperbole over Crowley in the 6N. The France match was good, albeit against 14 men as was his performance against Italy. He hasn't had a great game in green since, and very few in red.
No way an 8 for me Tim. I was going 7 at best, in comparison to the standards of the past few years. There were a few big highs as you said, but the sense has been there since the six nations that standards have slipped a bit, and that was only strengthed by the performances in the Autumn. I think we are definitely in a rebuild phase and hopefully we will have a clearer sense by next Autumn of the direction we are going in. Also it seems obvious to me that the (relative) decline in our attack is due to the changes at Leinster, ie. Lancaster out- Nienaber in. Watching Ireland in the Autumn, and Leinster generally, it is clear that the strongest part of our game at the moment is our defence.
Cian Prendergast is over rated. I don’t watch Connacht that much, more focused on Munster and Leinster, but I always watch the highlights. I don’t see what the Irish coaching staff see in Cian Prendergast, he always seems like a bit of a dopey penalty machine. And he isn’t a big ball carrier, he isn’t a massive hitter or a workhorse in defense, he isn’t a lineout specialist. He is just there, he’s alright for Connacht but no where near what I would expect for an international flanker, especially given the calibre of flankers we have across the other 3 provinces. One thing he is commonly guilty of internationally is dropping the ball. Something as simple as that shouldn’t be happening to the best players in the country, let alone 3 or 4 times in a game by 1 player. He needs to remain in Connacht for a while longer, he’s undercooked and irish coaching staff need to let the other young lads through, put pressure on him to perform better
😂 shame timmy, you really ought to stop this year end report on each team , its boring. Rather just stick with reality and whats happening in the present games happening. By the time international rugger starts again, who knows who will be unscathed by the idiotic amount of players that will still be available. Its a complete fck up , look at the stormers, all the boks init are down. Nz have the right idea, u play there or ur toast. Of course the rules are bent for losers like sam cane.
I think we are in somewhat of a rebuild now, a few players with a lot of miles on the clock. Prop is a serious issue going forward as we don't seem to have much coming through there. I don't think we win another 6N, France are winning it imo.
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Tim. If you told me 20 years ago we'd have finished 2024 with a back to back 6 nations trophy (beating France away), a drop goal away from back to back GS and then a drawn series in SA, and beating Australia we'd have snapped your hand off. We've come a long way. Yeah, the QF jokes remain. But who actually cares. Its a good time to be an Irish rugby fan, and the journey is just starting as far as im concerned
💯 Still those memories of the 90's if you're of a certain vintage.
@romanutd the first ever 5 nations I remember watching was in 1997 with my dad.... not the best introduction to Irish rugby 🤣
@@Cpchurch87 Consider yourself lucky you weren't around for the miserable 70's. 😉
@@clydebear6914 I've seen the clips 🤣
Yash let’s go
Despite losing in the quarter finals we beat the team that ended up winning it who also had 7/1 forwards on the bench. Then we backed that up by beating them again in their own backyard without 5/6 of our best players. That’s extremely encouraging and shows the resilience in Irish rugby in general.
Lots of teams are going through transitional periods and Ireland is currently going through somewhat a transitional period of their own. Johnny Sexton has retired, PO’M, Murray, Healy, Henderson are coming to the end so it’s now time that we give younger guys a chance. The Autumn internationals have been the start of that. Prendergast looks like the real deal. Further depth coming through in the front row, hooker, back three. It wasn’t the best Autumn Internationals losing to New Zealand but we didn’t lose by that much. Then we fixed our issue and beat Australia, Argentina & Fiji so it was a good turnaround all things considered.
Considering we won the last 2 6 nations, I don’t mind if we don’t win this upcoming one as long as we continue to blood new talent. There’s some serious prospects coming through in the Irish clubs and in the academies so I’m really looking forward to that. Onwards & upwards. Let’s continue to keep proving the world wrong Ireland 🇮🇪🇮🇪☘️☘️💪🏻💪🏻
Choking in world cups means 👎
As a saffa with Irish mates, we like Ireland. The nations have many similarities and we wish Ireland well vs (except against us of course 😉)
Love your podcasts, totally addicted to them. I am Irish and thoroughly enjoying our rugby. Last quarter of this year has been scary with our penalty count, handling errors, poor scrum and line-out. Leinster have shown the same frailties and it worries me for the 6 nations. I hope that we can get it back together as England, France and Scotland are queuing up to punish us if not. Anyway, this is a great time to be a rugby fan and what will be will be! I am 65 and watching ireland for over 50 years, during much of this time we have been whipping boys and wooden spoon contenders so right now I can't complain!
Tim, I watched the Leinster vs Clermont game on Saturday and the match commentators (both Irish) remarked on the same exact issues that you did. The Lineout has become a lottery at both Provincial and National levels. Leinster had to literally fight at every lineout on Saturday to secure their own throw in. This was a similar issue for Ireland at the '23 World Cup. Opponents originally struggled to slow down ruck speed ball for the Irish teams but, once they realized that effective tackling and 'jackel-ing' were the keys to slowing it down, they achieved parity. Then they had to deal with the 'Strike Plays' from lineouts, another preferred weapon of Irish teams. It's obvious now (or it certainly should be) that opponents have sussed out exactly what lineout calls Ireland (and Leinster, Munster, Ulster) are using.
There's obviously more than just the attack that is in need of attention - I get the sense that the backline itself is in need of change. Some of the stalwarts are showing signs of their age. A couple have been clearly trying to do too much, forcing the issue when a cooler head is called for. It's not completely surprising given that Mike Catt & Johnny Sexton, the former longtime conductors, have left the scene. You can see the same issues at Leinster today. There are moments when everything clicks like it used to on attack but then they have an error strewn patch of ball handling mistakes and timing.
Overall I think your analysis is spot on.
To be fair last two weeks Munster’s lineout has been fairly solid.
Good analysis Tim , I was giving us a 7 when you mentioned at start ! I think definitely Line out a huge issue but attack generally is lacking since Stuart L and Mike Gatt left , Leinster have mirrored the Ireland problems in last 12 months . Performance is still way ahead of say 5 yrs ago and standards are now higher so everything you say re blooding new players is really important, can’t wait now for Irl v Eng !!!
Spot on Tim. Was thinking 8 myself.
Great year with a 6N and SA win. But definitely not on par with the 2023 Ireland. 🤞they turn it on in February.
I would mark as a 7/10 myself (as an Irishman). Ireland can do so much better but some fantastic highs also. As for November, winning while playing poorly is always a good sign. I'm looking forward to next year.
7/10 seems too harsh when you’ve won the only thing that mattered this year : the Six Nations. Especially doing in with France and England away.
Add to that an amazing win in South Africa and that will be a year to remember.
8.5/10 imo.
Six nations victory is great but yeah, I dunno. I feel there is a possibility we’re falling off. 7 for me, maybe a 6.5
Our line-out has been mystifyingly bad. Paul O'Connel and Ian Henderson....two of the very best line-out gurus in the game and we still can't get it right. Huge work needs to be done there as it's traditionally our main weapon of choice to launch attacks. As for overall year score....7.5/10. We had some outstanding perfomances (France and SA away) but also some very poor scrappy displays (NZ and Oz).
poor against the argies too
The South African lineout has also taken a dip in 2024 although it’s not struggling like Irelands. I don’t think that it’s Paul O’Connels fault as lineouts have been lacking with Leinster as well. I really hope it improves and becomes the best version of itself in future. Good luck until then👍🏼
The lineouts of all the provinces and Ireland are terrible, it's bizarre.
If we didnt have so much lineout issues things would be looking much better.
That said we really have set a high bar for ourselves.
I remember back in the day we were rubbish.
People forget in Ireland camp there are over 40 players selected, there are loads that havent even got a cap that know our systems.
We have seen a handful come through this year and get a cap or 2. We'll see more next year.
Hopefully John Hodnett as I feel like he has a lot to offer Ireland.
Quite a fair read of the year, I would say, though I might have been harsher with the overall off the back of the latest results, but the earlier 2/3s of the season carrying it enough. Good to be getting some guys a bit more hardened and experienced, creating better competition for places. Need more depth as it is starting to creak in a few positions. Keep creating insightful content.
Harsher because of 1 loss to New Zealand? Sure they won games ugly. They still won't though. 8 seems very fair. If they had beaten New Zealand what would you have showed them?
Hello Tim. I have to say I enjoy your analysis on Rugby and all the fine trims surrounding the sport and cultures.
Isn't it wonderful to be part of this ever evolving sport and all that contributes to it.
Ireland have definitely evolved in this sport in the last decade or more.
They get a 7 from me. But aren't they wonderful.
Keep up the good work Tim !
Lines out ...early fixed ...keep it simple.
We did not have as much of a issue with the lineouts when sheenan is playing , our set piece needs alot of focus ,at best at the moment it's workable, just
Personally I think I'd have us at a 7/10, mstly based on how we wfinished the year, but also partly based on the general vibes around the team, particularly the age profile of some of our players.
The 6N will be very telling, worth noting in the autumn 2022 and WC warm ups Ireland were very messy and both times came good when the 6N came around and WC came around, obviously went out in the QFs but the performances overall were still pretty good. If Ireland have an average 6N, as in only win 3 games, then the real question marks will follow.
I actually feel pretty good about the slight decline happening now. 2025 is a great time to blood some fresh talent as you said, then 2026 will hopefully see the dust settling toward what will hopefully be a well-timed peak in 2027 to finally break the QF curse.
Ireland are great inbetween world cups, thats the problem, so maybe not been so great inbetween will help getting past that awful quarter final curse
@@x-latetv-x6816Ireland are fine in WC years also
The issue is we don’t seem to get anywhere near the same amount of luck England or Wales do in the WC draw
The last 2 tournaments we had to play either a side that is 1st or 4th in the world in 2019 or a side ranked 2nd or 4th in 2023…
If only we got to play Fiji in a QF…
@@cathalsheehan9596 same with ireland in 91, we got australia and scotland got western samoa, scotland still have lost in the quarter finals 7 times, imagine ireland got western samoa in 91 and scotland australia, then the quarter final curse would be on scotland. Luck of the draw i guess
@@cathalsheehan9596 sorry correction, scotland have lost 6 quarter finals but my point still stands
@@x-latetv-x6816 I think the fact you have to go back to 1991 kind of says it all.
At least they arent as bad as the bottle jobs of France who couldn't get past the QF's of their home WC!
Look at the Leinster line out at the weekend, it was horrible too. Kian Healys fair well game will be at home to France I think. Solid warrior.
We were very poor during November, shite even and bad as we were we still won 3 games with no lineout, multiple handling errors and injuries in quay positions particularly hooker and sheehan is probably the most important player to come back from injury, we are a different team when he's fit and playing, we will learn alot more about this team in February.
I'd give Ireland a 6.5. The 6 nations ended in an anticlimax against England and Scotland. South Africa tour was 50/50, and November was well below standards. I want Ireland to win the six nations, but we could definitely come anywhere as low as 3rd.
Otherwise I agree with everything else you said Tim. It's a good video.
Incoming rage from a certain country.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I have no idea what you mean 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
why do those Peruvians hate us? It is Peru, right?
@@SMacCuUladh eye twitching, muscles flexing, forehead vein buldging... Nkosi Sikielelie Africa, Manu phaka 🌈...... WhoooooSaaaaaaah..... GO BOKKE.
I’ve got to say I thought the flyhalf situation was really harsh on Crowley. I thought it was just that Prendergast was a Leinster player so was getting preferential treatment. But there’s no denying Prendergast’s talent. I think he starts in the 6 nations.
8 out of 10 is spot on (as an Irish supporter).
Have to agree with the graph as well, it is graduating downward. However I do believe we will win the championship, but not the slam, France always get better as the season goes on and they have extraordinary players.
But we have France and England at home this year. That's usually our best chance of a slam. 😉
The French players didn’t look that extraordinary when Ireland beat their ass in Feb 😂
Agree with so much of what you have said and would have awarded 7.5 before seeing your score. The worry i have is the Autumn performances - they lacked fluidity, precision, discipline and they failed to put opposition teams under consistent pressure - something we had grown used to. We had some big injuries for sure but this feels to me like a team in transition for me - i hope its a quick one!
To think that a 10 point loss against the All Blacks is considered a pretty bad loss, is pretty telling. Ten years ago Ireland would be trashed by the All Blacks.
The fact that we were EXPECTED to win is something I still wrap my head around.
Fair and comprehensive analysis. I was hovering between 7 and 8 but we did win the 6N, losing at Twickenham by a point and did well in SA. Bad loss to NZ and scratchy in the other 3 Autumn games - as you say, attack, line out and scrums all need a bit of work before taking on England on 1 Feb.
Optimistic about players coming through - u-20s have been good the last few years and we have seen Sam Prendergast and Gus McCarthy this year. I would have John Hodnett in the frame to succeed JvdF, and Tom Ahern as a 4/6 - as are Ryan Baird and Cormac Izuchukwu. Also some talent in the backs -we have seen Chay Mullins and Zac Ward in recent weeks.
Tom ahern at 6. He is 6 9" so will help with lineouts and he also has a nasty edge to him like POM
I think Ahern at 5, McCarthy and 4 and Izuchukwu at 6 would be lethal. Also if Doris ever gets injured it would be nice for Coombes to get a chance to show what a 6 foot 6 tank with anger issues can do when he has something to prove. I'm also disappointed Scott Penny seems to have been forgotten about completely by Farrell.
@stiofain88 100% agree with u re Izzy, the guy can create something from nothing and has serious power and speed. I'm a munster fan so am a big Coombes fan but I think he lacks the speed to be an international 8, however I'd love to see him given a chance this summer and prove me wrong. I think hodnett will get in ahead of penny as he misses out on all the big games for leinster
@@101MIGHTYJOE Hodnett is solid but when Penny is playing well he is absolutely lightning for a flanker.
Disagree with the Joe hype. People are easily influenced by bandwagon effect and optics. Look at the data, and the stats: Joe is making defensively good tackles and disrupting rucks but negative gainline compared to WC running.
Alternatively, Ryan has only become more physical the last two years, and the data shows he’s more tackles, has a positive gain line consistency and Luke Fitzgerald and Cian Tracy were right in how underrated and appreciated he is, and how crucial.
A Ryan, Beirne lock pairing with Baird is balanced as Baird is taking over Leinster lineout: three tree have technicality, pace, physicality combined.
Second half, swap in Joe for 35 for defensive power and Cormac for offensive power, again, good balance.
@andrewbrennan4423 my only concern re baird, beirne and ryan is they are lighter lads so up against a big pack with slow ball they could find it difficult to generate fast ball
8 is a fair measure, loss to NZ, work to do on lineout which remains a problem ( Paul O'Connell) and the relative penalty count. The really good news is we have young players coming through from a series of successful U21 slams and 6 nation victories and seeing four already with full; caps is great, as in Osborne, Prendergast, Gus McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu. Looking forward to see how Ireland can now move on and how great would it be if we see Felix Jones coming onboard with Farrell after the Lions tour ( expect he gets chosen by Farrell there)
I would also say 8. A 6n and win in durban is good going. Its Irelands 6n nations to lose. TF and AP just renewed their contracts for the next world cup but bloody hell we need more time for other props.
If Ireland fixes the dropped balls and lineouts, theyll be back to harassing teams like they do best.
i don't know man. I think we have some issues and indeed i have my doubts about us turning france over in the upcoming 6 nations and indeed without farrell. teams have the measure of us, so we need a bit of a shift somewhere
They look over the hill and stuttering ...as are Leinster...I think the attack and their passing has lowed a lot.
I think Kendellen could be the long term van der Flier replacement
Ireland have never been a revolution it's generally an evolution, 1/2 players coming in. WE haven't really had major changes in a big game since O'Gara/Stringer/Horgan came in, in '00 vs Scotland. The Emerging Ireland tour/players are important, as they have the players playing in the system. Clarkson/Boyle seem to be getting more gametime, and should probably replace Healy/Bealham in the 6n. Performances aren't perfect, but usually at this stage we're mostly winning comfortably and being accused of "Peaking too early"
The only positive about irelands drop in form is that Ireland is mid world cup cycle, when we're normally at our peak.. so does it augur well for the possibility to get out of a world cup quarter final...?
That’s something I’ve also been thinking. I’m happier to see the bad performances when there’s time to fix them. Flying high in November and tanking at the 6N or winning the 6N and flopping at the World Cup is what usually happens. There’ll be no complacency going into the 6N this time.
I have to go with 7.5/10 I agree with you Tim, a great team with a great structure but the did drop off quiet a bit
Don't think it'll be a grand slam. This'll be France's year, unfortunately. Maybe not a slam, but don't see us beating them this year. Scotland might finally get us, too.
Tim, we are working on the new set of lineout rule changes coming in in January 2025.
This is why the lineouts are not great of late.
Rugby is an armsrace and Ireland have been left behind a bit at the breakdown. Slightly slower ball means the whole machinery is not as effective. Add to that a curse from the knock-on fairy and a diabolical line-out, Ireland are probably down to 4th or 5th overall.
It could be an ugly 6 nations without Faz.
Prendy is no doubt a talent but his slowness and lack of going into contact really works in the favour of opposing defences.
Buckets to improve on.
Good analysis
Does this actually mean we’re not peaking 3 years out from the RWC? I’ll take that
Can't wait to see the Wales report card... 😮
It spontaneously combusted.
I think with new players like Joe McCarthy, Gus McCarthy , Jamie Osborne, prendergast, Izzy, Tom clarkson and I think soon Brian Gleason all under 24 years old they will bring new impetus to the Irish team, watch out in the 6 nations under 20s for a very special talent Casper Gabriel and you will see something very special in Irelands future. It will take awhile to bed in but the future looks promising and should see Ireland with a good squad for the next WC. Lineout and better ball handling need some attention.
Please dont do Wales, we relly just want to forget about 2024 😭
its below the scale
I think Ireland's biggest problem is their Prop depth. If i were an Ireland fan in 2024, I would have been extremely nervous anytime a replacement prop came on to the field. Finlay Bealham being Irelands 3rd best prop with respect, is not someone I would be too happy about being the starting replacement. Furlong and Porter getting long term injuries could kill Ireland and that's not an over exaggeration
Think the attack is affected by the fact that most of the team are switching between Leinster play and Ireland Playing styles. The Nienaber approach to D seems taxing. Also, Mike Catt left the Ireland Coaching Staff.
Who could fill Jvf flanker position? John (da man) Hodnett, just need to pick him!
Any other northern team would score 8 or 9 however Irelands standards and the rugby publics expectations would tend to lower the score. I still expect them to be favourites for six nations with a grand slam on the table for them.
Line out is shambolic just now. Scrum holding its own. Defence still huge but attack not as fluent/penetrative. Too many forced passes/handling errors,and penalty count high. Maybe try too hard when not going to plan. Healy, Murray, O'Mahony, Henderson to take a step away. Gus McCarthy, Clarkson, Timoney, Coombes, the Prendergast boys, Frawley, Osborne,etc to get more game time especially in summer games
Great analysis: you seem very familiar with Ulster, a good N Irish mate perhaps?
I think if the overall quality of rugby from NZ, France and and England was better we would maybe be a bit more judgmental of Ireland. I think they underperformed big time. That said, I’m very hopeful with the players coming through. That’s the biggest take from the trip to SA. No shortage of heart and talent.
8/10 is about right ✅
I'd say Ireland were on par with us - 8/10
Italia allo stesso livello dell'Irlanda? Veramente? 😂
@@RossoVerdeNeroNovember 2016, Allister Coetzee....Yours Truly
Delusional
@@RossoVerdeNero He means on a subjective standard.
I'd go with an 8 too.
Lineout issues drops the score from a 9 to an 8.
Scrum isn't exactly rock solid either.
Tim I think they have lost there way a bit , unless they bond a bit better and
get back the good basics of there game then I can't see past France being slam champs, hope I'm wrong because when they click there a sight to behold.
Not bad for a rebuilding year!
7 or 7.5. But really happy if this is our nadir.
What about Jamie Osborne
Boyle and McCarthy with take over from Porter but probably won't see them until the summer
7.5 to 8, need a fresh approach the LO needs a reset, I think 2025 will be their best chance of another GS, given their decline and England, Scotland and France improvement
Not sure I understand your point. You say England, Scotland and France have improved while Ireland have declined, but that points towards another GS? How does that logic work?
@@RossoVerdeNero I feel with having the 2 bigger games at home we wil prevail. However, I think the decline will start showing as we move into 2026 and beyond. Hence 2025 is are best chance of a GS
Did laugh when Tim laughs about England beating Ireland. Such a poor result. Overall Ireland were solid - marking down a further half point for not refreshing the squad. Overall 6.5
7 for me
I think you’re being a bit to generous Tim , maximum 7/10
O’Connell has one more 6?nations to sort the line out. Legend or it, it’s been malfunctioning for too long - need someone different to work on it, if Paul can’t fix it.
The province's lineouts are shit too, so it's not all O'Connell.
Strong start and middle but s fairly below average ending nothing wrong with it but just shows where we need to fix next year especially that lineout. Stevie Wonder would be more accurate at the than us this year.
the fixtures of the 6 nations with the greatest respect to italy should not be ending with ireland playing italy! The best teams should be playing each other on the final weekend, the super saturday.
It would make far more sense to have an ireland v england or france, or even scotland on the final day! bloody italy! FFS anticlimax
It should depend on the results of the previous year.
Last round : 1 vs 2 ; 3 vs 4 ; 5 vs 6
@T2Lam10 i agree
@T2Lam10 like picture this, If ireland beat england and france, and indeed get past Scotland, wales are not going to beat ireland so then on the final day you have ireland going for a grand slam against... bloody ITALY! give me a break what a crappy final day. like that's it, the slam is done you know ireland gonna wallop them.
I don't mind the order of the fixtures changing each year. It adds layers of unpredictability in the earlier rounds.
@@RossoVerdeNero it’s really a shame that we haven’t had any France - Ireland in round 5 over the past 3-4 years.
3 years in a row that they finish 1-2 and likely to be the case next year again.
There was hyperbole over Crowley in the 6N. The France match was good, albeit against 14 men as was his performance against Italy. He hasn't had a great game in green since, and very few in red.
7/10
No way an 8 for me Tim. I was going 7 at best, in comparison to the standards of the past few years. There were a few big highs as you said, but the sense has been there since the six nations that standards have slipped a bit, and that was only strengthed by the performances in the Autumn. I think we are definitely in a rebuild phase and hopefully we will have a clearer sense by next Autumn of the direction we are going in. Also it seems obvious to me that the (relative) decline in our attack is due to the changes at Leinster, ie. Lancaster out- Nienaber in. Watching Ireland in the Autumn, and Leinster generally, it is clear that the strongest part of our game at the moment is our defence.
Wow, first comment.
🥱
@simonmorgan225 eat me.
Before i watch, david walker will be raging in the comment section.
9/10
It's easy to replace Porter. Just find somebody that can't do anything other than pulling down or boring in.
Jog on.
Cian Prendergast is over rated. I don’t watch Connacht that much, more focused on Munster and Leinster, but I always watch the highlights. I don’t see what the Irish coaching staff see in Cian Prendergast, he always seems like a bit of a dopey penalty machine. And he isn’t a big ball carrier, he isn’t a massive hitter or a workhorse in defense, he isn’t a lineout specialist. He is just there, he’s alright for Connacht but no where near what I would expect for an international flanker, especially given the calibre of flankers we have across the other 3 provinces. One thing he is commonly guilty of internationally is dropping the ball. Something as simple as that shouldn’t be happening to the best players in the country, let alone 3 or 4 times in a game by 1 player. He needs to remain in Connacht for a while longer, he’s undercooked and irish coaching staff need to let the other young lads through, put pressure on him to perform better
😂 shame timmy, you really ought to stop this year end report on each team , its boring. Rather just stick with reality and whats happening in the present games happening. By the time international rugger starts again, who knows who will be unscathed by the idiotic amount of players that will still be available. Its a complete fck up , look at the stormers, all the boks init are down. Nz have the right idea, u play there or ur toast. Of course the rules are bent for losers like sam cane.
They're not in the top 2
They are No 2:)
@@EggchasersRugby I just double checked. My bad they are no. 2
Forgot All Blacks dropped points after the France loss
I think we are in somewhat of a rebuild now, a few players with a lot of miles on the clock. Prop is a serious issue going forward as we don't seem to have much coming through there. I don't think we win another 6N, France are winning it imo.