European Rugby Thread

[Torquemada 1420]

Is there an Irish rugby thread, or is that risking attracting the swarm?

Anyway, reason I ask is there's an article in Grauniad on Keet Earls and his bipolar condition, but as I can't see Irish thread I'll put it here:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... r-disorder

Thanks for that. Poor lad has been dealt a really sh*tty hand and nothing but respect for his courage and determination.

[Tichtheid]

Good luck to him, brilliant player.

[Torquemada 1420]

[JM2K6]

Is there an Irish rugby thread, or is that risking attracting the swarm?

Anyway, reason I ask is there's an article in Grauniad on Keet Earls and his bipolar condition, but as I can't see Irish thread I'll put it here:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... r-disorder

Christ. Never liked him, always thought he was a bit of a cunt. An object lesson for me there (albeit one I learned with Marler already, not that my own mental health issues didn't give me any pause). It's funny, I'm a huge advocate of considering people's mental health, trying to treat people with respect IRL, helping friends & colleagues get through difficult periods in their personal and professional lives, and when it comes to rugby I'm all "yeah that guy's a cunt / overrated / a bottler" and don't give it a second thought

[Torquemada 1420]

Is there an Irish rugby thread, or is that risking attracting the swarm?

Anyway, reason I ask is there's an article in Grauniad on Keet Earls and his bipolar condition, but as I can't see Irish thread I'll put it here:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... r-disorder

Christ. Never liked him, always thought he was a bit of a cunt. An object lesson for me there (albeit one I learned with Marler already, not that my own mental health issues didn't give me any pause). It's funny, I'm a huge advocate of considering people's mental health, trying to treat people with respect IRL, helping friends & colleagues get through difficult periods in their personal and professional lives, and when it comes to rugby I'm all "yeah that guy's a cunt / overrated / a bottler" and don't give it a second thought

Have to confess, that's where I was with Earls. So much so, I always laughed at replays of Hose Gear running over the top of him, Lomu-esque, for that try back way back whenever. That said, I think we have some defence: if people behave like c**ts without having declared a mitigating factor, how else are we to respond? 99% of the time, it is because they are c**ts. Like you and I

[JM2K6]

Is there an Irish rugby thread, or is that risking attracting the swarm?

Anyway, reason I ask is there's an article in Grauniad on Keet Earls and his bipolar condition, but as I can't see Irish thread I'll put it here:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... r-disorder

Christ. Never liked him, always thought he was a bit of a cunt. An object lesson for me there (albeit one I learned with Marler already, not that my own mental health issues didn't give me any pause). It's funny, I'm a huge advocate of considering people's mental health, trying to treat people with respect IRL, helping friends & colleagues get through difficult periods in their personal and professional lives, and when it comes to rugby I'm all "yeah that guy's a cunt / overrated / a bottler" and don't give it a second thought

Have to confess, that's where I was with Earls. So much so, I always laughed at replays of Hose Gear running over the top of him, Lomu-esque, for that try back way back whenever. That said, I think we have some defence: if people behave like c**ts without having declared a mitigating factor, how else are we to respond? 99% of the time, it is because they are c**ts. Like you and I

Excuse me I have mental health problems, you're on your own here. I am protected

[Happyhooker]

I have mental health issues
You are crazy
He is a cunt.

[Crash669]

I have mental health issues
You are crazy
He is a cunt.

But enough about your multiple personalities.

[JM2K6]

I have mental health issues
You are crazy
He is a cunt.

But enough about your multiple personalities.

Have you heard about the cocktail-drinking one yet? The shame of it.

[Torquemada 1420]

Excuse me I have mental health problems, you're on your own here. I am protected

Mehhh. We are getting to the US type situation where it's ubiquitous.

[ASMO]

I have mental health issues
You are crazy
He is a cunt.

The good old irregular verb

[Torquemada 1420]

I have mental health issues
You are crazy
He is a cunt.

But enough about your multiple personalities.

[Uncle fester]

Is there an Irish rugby thread, or is that risking attracting the swarm?

Anyway, reason I ask is there's an article in Grauniad on Keet Earls and his bipolar condition, but as I can't see Irish thread I'll put it here:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... r-disorder

There is indeed. https://www.notplanetrugby.com/viewtopic.php?t=8

Good that you posted it here because it brings the point about mental health to a wider audience.
He's always been a super private guy so quite a few people were taken aback by the bio but most Munster fans would be aware of his background and some of the issues discussed in the book. Very few would have been aware as to the extent of them though.
Rugby in Limerick is pretty working class but Moyross, where he's from, is very far removed from the D4 cliché associated with the sport. His father Ger was a formidable enough player, a teak tough flanker who is probably one of the best players from the late amateur era to not be capped by Ireland. His background is part of the reason he wasn't capped so Keith being capped and an established international is big for both his family and the Moyross area.

[inactionman]

Is there an Irish rugby thread, or is that risking attracting the swarm?

Anyway, reason I ask is there's an article in Grauniad on Keet Earls and his bipolar condition, but as I can't see Irish thread I'll put it here:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... r-disorder

Christ. Never liked him, always thought he was a bit of a cunt. An object lesson for me there (albeit one I learned with Marler already, not that my own mental health issues didn't give me any pause). It's funny, I'm a huge advocate of considering people's mental health, trying to treat people with respect IRL, helping friends & colleagues get through difficult periods in their personal and professional lives, and when it comes to rugby I'm all "yeah that guy's a cunt / overrated / a bottler" and don't give it a second thought

If I read between the lines, are you saying Dan Biggar has mental health issues?




To be fair, reports from Northampton are that he's a decent man, and very well liked - just his on-pitch persona is a bit John Terry.

[inactionman]

Is there an Irish rugby thread, or is that risking attracting the swarm?

Anyway, reason I ask is there's an article in Grauniad on Keet Earls and his bipolar condition, but as I can't see Irish thread I'll put it here:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... r-disorder

Christ. Never liked him, always thought he was a bit of a cunt. An object lesson for me there (albeit one I learned with Marler already, not that my own mental health issues didn't give me any pause). It's funny, I'm a huge advocate of considering people's mental health, trying to treat people with respect IRL, helping friends & colleagues get through difficult periods in their personal and professional lives, and when it comes to rugby I'm all "yeah that guy's a cunt / overrated / a bottler" and don't give it a second thought

As a follow-on, it's not just mental health - I remember Jiffy slagging off Jonathan Thomas for quite a passive tackle in the 6N (IIRC he had a 9 lined up and blindsided and he put in more of a wrap, so maybe everyone was disappointed not to see the 9 get shattered) and it turned out he's had sadly suffered all sorts of concussion issues.

[JM2K6]

Is there an Irish rugby thread, or is that risking attracting the swarm?

Anyway, reason I ask is there's an article in Grauniad on Keet Earls and his bipolar condition, but as I can't see Irish thread I'll put it here:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... r-disorder

Christ. Never liked him, always thought he was a bit of a cunt. An object lesson for me there (albeit one I learned with Marler already, not that my own mental health issues didn't give me any pause). It's funny, I'm a huge advocate of considering people's mental health, trying to treat people with respect IRL, helping friends & colleagues get through difficult periods in their personal and professional lives, and when it comes to rugby I'm all "yeah that guy's a cunt / overrated / a bottler" and don't give it a second thought

If I read between the lines, are you saying Dan Biggar has mental health issues?




To be fair, reports from Northampton are that he's a decent man, and very well liked - just his on-pitch persona is a bit John Terry.

Biggar? He's just chopsy on the field. Not seen anything from him like Earls' meltdowns or Marler's behaviour.

[inactionman]

Christ. Never liked him, always thought he was a bit of a cunt. An object lesson for me there (albeit one I learned with Marler already, not that my own mental health issues didn't give me any pause). It's funny, I'm a huge advocate of considering people's mental health, trying to treat people with respect IRL, helping friends & colleagues get through difficult periods in their personal and professional lives, and when it comes to rugby I'm all "yeah that guy's a cunt / overrated / a bottler" and don't give it a second thought

If I read between the lines, are you saying Dan Biggar has mental health issues?




To be fair, reports from Northampton are that he's a decent man, and very well liked - just his on-pitch persona is a bit John Terry.

Biggar? He's just chopsy on the field. Not seen anything from him like Earls' meltdowns or Marler's behaviour.

My comment was tongue in cheek, but that's understating it a touch.

[SaintK]

Is there an Irish rugby thread, or is that risking attracting the swarm?

Anyway, reason I ask is there's an article in Grauniad on Keet Earls and his bipolar condition, but as I can't see Irish thread I'll put it here:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... r-disorder

Christ. Never liked him, always thought he was a bit of a cunt. An object lesson for me there (albeit one I learned with Marler already, not that my own mental health issues didn't give me any pause). It's funny, I'm a huge advocate of considering people's mental health, trying to treat people with respect IRL, helping friends & colleagues get through difficult periods in their personal and professional lives, and when it comes to rugby I'm all "yeah that guy's a cunt / overrated / a bottler" and don't give it a second thought

If I read between the lines, are you saying Dan Biggar has mental health issues?




To be fair, reports from Northampton are that he's a decent man, and very well liked - just his on-pitch persona is a bit John Terry.

Seems to act like that mainly for Wales, don't see it so much in a Saint's shirt. And yes he is hugely liked at Saints

[Uncle fester]

Biggar? He's just chopsy on the field. Not seen anything from him like Earls' meltdowns or Marler's behaviour.

The what now?

[de_Selby]

Off topic but it's funny how people perceive players on the opposition team. I can see how someone might thing Marler is a cunt but can't see how you would think Earls is at all.

[Torquemada 1420]

As a follow-on, it's not just mental health - I remember Jiffy slagging off Jonathan Thomas for quite a passive tackle in the 6N (IIRC he had a 9 lined up and blindsided and he put in more of a wrap, so maybe everyone was disappointed not to see the 9 get shattered) and it turned out he's had sadly suffered all sorts of concussion issues.

Yeah, well we all know what the Welsh ntl side's attitude to player welfare is when it comes to concussion.

[S/Lt_Phillips]

Off topic but it's funny how people perceive players on the opposition team. I can see how someone might thing Marler is a cunt but can't see how you would think Earls is at all.

See his reaction to getting a red card for dumping Fraser Brown on his head

[JM2K6]

Off topic but it's funny how people perceive players on the opposition team. I can see how someone might thing Marler is a cunt but can't see how you would think Earls is at all.

See his reaction to getting a red card for dumping Fraser Brown on his head

Yeah, this. Is that the one where he went tonto on a radio phone or something like that later? I remember him doubling down on it.

He's always struck me as an incredibly angry man on the field with a huge entitlement complex.

[Uncle fester]

Off topic but it's funny how people perceive players on the opposition team. I can see how someone might thing Marler is a cunt but can't see how you would think Earls is at all.

See his reaction to getting a red card for dumping Fraser Brown on his head

Yeah, that was poor on the day that it was.

Anything else? Not really seeing an Irish Chris Ashton here!

[JM2K6]

Ah, I see we're at the stage where fans are angrily demanding I justify an opinion. Fair enough - on the basis that I don't keep a spreadsheet of these things, make it "meltdown [singular] and subsequent dickheadedness in the press, allied to a general sense that he was an occasional twat on the field and an unlikeable member of an unlikeable team".

[sockwithaticket]

Off topic but it's funny how people perceive players on the opposition team. I can see how someone might thing Marler is a cunt but can't see how you would think Earls is at all.

See his reaction to getting a red card for dumping Fraser Brown on his head

That's certainly a stand out and like JMK says, he wasn't exactly repentant in the aftermath. I can understand, given the circumstances around that match, being too fired up getting it badly wrong and not taking it well on the field, but the lack of contrition afterward was cunt behaviour.

There've been other more minor incidents down the years that just made him come across as unlikeable.

[inactionman]

Ah, I see we're at the stage where fans are angrily demanding I justify an opinion. Fair enough - on the basis that I don't keep a spreadsheet of these things, make it "meltdown [singular] and subsequent dickheadedness in the press, allied to a general sense that he was an occasional twat on the field and an unlikeable member of an unlikeable team".

Oil on troubled waters

[JM2K6]

Ah, I see we're at the stage where fans are angrily demanding I justify an opinion. Fair enough - on the basis that I don't keep a spreadsheet of these things, make it "meltdown [singular] and subsequent dickheadedness in the press, allied to a general sense that he was an occasional twat on the field and an unlikeable member of an unlikeable team".

Oil on troubled waters

Twas a somewhat waspish response by me for sure. I'm certainly more likely to just give Earls a pass (and honestly - can't think of any issues with him in the last 2 years) after reading this. But I think some people might have a somewhat rose-tinted view of how opposing fans view their teams and players!

Like I'm sure people understand the Peter O'Mahoney dislike beyond his sometimes legal breakdown success. Earls is in a similar bracket for me. Kinda like Mike Brown for other people. Or the aforementioned Biggar.

[inactionman]

I find the intense dislike of Owen Farrell (by opposition fans, let me be clear) a bit OTT.

Yes, his tackling can be questionable, but he's a back.

[de_Selby]

Hah I wasn't genuinely looking to troll/be precious. I'm not his mother so I don't care. It's interesting how we form views on a player based on fuck all though.

RE: Owen Farrell I think it's largely cos he looks like a wanker. When you hear his accent it completely neutralises it

[Kawazaki]

Off topic but it's funny how people perceive players on the opposition team. I can see how someone might thing Marler is a cunt but can't see how you would think Earls is at all.

See his reaction to getting a red card for dumping Fraser Brown on his head

Yeah, this. Is that the one where he went tonto on a radio phone or something like that later? I remember him doubling down on it.

He's always struck me as an incredibly angry man on the field with a huge entitlement complex.

What's an entitlement complex? I like the sound of it, I want one.

[Kawazaki]

I find the intense dislike of Owen Farrell (by opposition fans, let me be clear) a bit OTT.

Yes, his tackling can be questionable, but he's a back.

This. The hate for Farrell is way OTT. Youngs's body of work has been twice as bad and he pretty much gets a free pass in comparison.

[JM2K6]

It's another way of saying a sense of entitlement. It's possible I just made that phrase up, but a quick Google suggests some usage in media.

[inactionman]

I find the intense dislike of Owen Farrell (by opposition fans, let me be clear) a bit OTT.

Yes, his tackling can be questionable, but he's a back.

This. The hate for Farrell is way OTT. Youngs's body of work has been twice as bad and he pretty much gets a free pass in comparison.

I was referring to opposition fans. I'm not sure they notice Youngs.

[JM2K6]

Quite. Farrell can come across as an angry whining dickhead on the field - along with the occasional cheap shots - and Youngs doesn't do any of that.

[Lobby]

I find the intense dislike of Owen Farrell (by opposition fans, let me be clear) a bit OTT.

Yes, his tackling can be questionable, but he's a back.

This. The hate for Farrell is way OTT. Youngs's body of work has been twice as bad and he pretty much gets a free pass in comparison.

I was referring to opposition fans. I'm not sure they notice Youngs.

Hatred of Youngs appears to mainly reserved for England fans.

[Kawazaki]

Quite. Farrell can come across as an angry whining dickhead on the field - along with the occasional cheap shots - and Youngs doesn't do any of that.

Youngs doesn't really do anything. After 111 caps, he's not even at break even. Be mad about that, a tin of beige emulsion paint has been the England scrumhalf one hundred and eleven times, and counting.

It's like nationwide Stockholm Syndrome.

[sockwithaticket]

I find the intense dislike of Owen Farrell (by opposition fans, let me be clear) a bit OTT.

Yes, his tackling can be questionable, but he's a back.

This. The hate for Farrell is way OTT. Youngs's body of work has been twice as bad and he pretty much gets a free pass in comparison.

I was referring to opposition fans. I'm not sure they notice Youngs.

They notice alright, it seems a fair few ask if he's really the best scrum half we have. Mostly they're fine with him because he does their defense a lot of favours with his dithering at the ruck and erratic passing

[fishfoodie]

I think the, hate, of opposition players, is a product of Professionalism.

While club supporters might get to see them in the clubhouse after games, & when they're coaching the minis, or around with their own families; & generally see them off the pitch; the rest of us just get the 80mins when their being wankers, to the best of their ability.

I know the difference between my, On Pitch persona; & Off; were very much Jekyll, & Hyde. Mates of mine couldn't believe what a bastard I was, when I happened to be on the opposite side; & it was probably just as well we were mates, before I met them on the pitch

Keets Biography was a hot topic before Christmas in Ireland; because they published it to get it in those Christmas stockings. It caused the same response in Ireland, at the time; & it was nice to see such support for him; & gratitude, for him opening up about such a difficult topic, & show young men, in particular; that it's okay to talk about their mental health; & there is help available.

[PornDog]

Ah, I see we're at the stage where fans are angrily demanding I justify an opinion. Fair enough - on the basis that I don't keep a spreadsheet of these things, make it "meltdown [singular] and subsequent dickheadedness in the press, allied to a general sense that he was an occasional twat on the field and an unlikeable member of an unlikeable team".

Oil on troubled waters

Twas a somewhat waspish response by me for sure. I'm certainly more likely to just give Earls a pass (and honestly - can't think of any issues with him in the last 2 years) after reading this. But I think some people might have a somewhat rose-tinted view of how opposing fans view their teams and players!

Like I'm sure people understand the Peter O'Mahoney dislike beyond his sometimes legal breakdown success. Earls is in a similar bracket for me. Kinda like Mike Brown for other people. Or the aforementioned Biggar.

I get the POM and Brown (who apparently is a lovely fella off the field), but don't get the Biggar hate at all, or Lawes who somehow gets people's ire.

Aside from the Glasgow game, which of course he deserves plenty of criticism for, I'm genuinely surprised that Earls got on people's nerves. He's always come across as the quite shy type to me. Which in a way, while not condoning his behaviour in any way, I was kind of glad to see him be a bit obstreperous. Plus it really helped to drive the Munster/Glasgow rivalry which has been great to see.

High shots going unpunished is a big bug bear for me, so Farrell getting away scot free for multiple infractions is a good part of the dislike of him, but to be honest, and its probably the same for Sexton, in the background I know its that he's a huge driver of standards for teams I hate* to see doing well that's really predominantly behind it.

* in a sporting sense