'Pathetic. Pitiful. Practically pointless' - Irish media turn knife into Irish team

Ireland's lacklustre 25 - 7 defeat to Wales in the Principality Stadium yesterday brought a grueling and underwhelming Six Nations campaign to an end- and it has not been met with mercy from the Irish media.
Far from it.
St Patrick's Day has signaled open season on Joe Schmidt's men. Just three months ago they were the toast of the nation after defeating the All Blacks on home soil for the first time. Now a target is writ large on their backs.
Eamonn Sweeney wrote in the Irish Independent:
"Pathetic. Pitiful. Practically pointless...The end of an era feel to it all evoked memories of similar displays in the dying days of the Eddie O'Sullivan and Declan Kidney reigns.""Forget your World Cup fantasies. Turn Ireland over. We're done."
Roy Curtis, writing in the same publication suggested:
"The last 50 days have unspooled as crippling anti-climax, a brutal, slow-motion car-crash."Ireland are suddenly an unmoored elevator, clacking helplessly downwards through the floor. Lost momentum is notoriously difficult to rediscover."
"Sexton had surely his most ruinous 80 minutes in an Irish shirt: His kicking radar completely malfunctioned, he sent simple passes straight to touch, he turned-over ball.
"It was as startling as observing a grand-master struggling to recollect the basic rules of chess."
Gavin Cummiskey in the Irish Times described some of Ireland's decision making as uncharacteristic unthinking, describing a Conor Murray decision to kick away possession as 'brainless':
"It was brainless rugby by a team that prides itself on street smarts."
Former Ireland lock Neil Francis, famous for his biting criticism of pretty much anyone and anything worth having a pop at was in relatively generous form, sparring his poison pen for Sean O'Brien.
"As for some of Ireland's heroes, this match marks a watershed. We might not see some of yesterday's participants in a green jersey again. I'm always relieved when someone is delivering a eulogy and I realise I'm listening to it. Sean O'Brien had the most listless performance of his illustrious career in a green shirt.""Our half-backs need to go and reinvent themselves at their provinces and in the Heineken Cup, an arena where I think they might thrive. The candles have been burning low in Joe Schmidt's cathedral recently: there have been no voluminous canons of play, no invention, no surprises, no continuity, no wit or dazzle and quite often when his teams win, all of his players play well."
Former Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris speaking to RTE wasn't afraid to single out a former backrow colleague:
"As a collective they have been off the mark, but individually they have too. Today was a nightmare for Johnny Sexton. Conor Murray couldn’t get himself into the game. Rory Best didn’t have his best game, Peter O’Mahony was non-existent, as were a number of other players."
Latest Comments
“Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.”
Good lad, just checking. So you’re not a bot! Chelsea bombed the 2008 final more than United won it. John Terry… couldn’t happen to a nicer fella.
“The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”
Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made.”
So the difference between 2021 and 2023 would of course be TWO YEARS. 24 months would account for 3 different seasons. They contested ECL finals twice in two years. The first in 2021 - which they lost - was still the first elite European final in the clubs then 141 year history. Explain clearly how that’s not an achievement? Guess what age he was then…
“I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright.”
I thought you don’t care what certain managers did 10 years ago…
Why would I address Eddie Jones? Why would he be deserving of a single sentence?
“I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.”
So you haven’t watched even a minute of Super Rugby this year?
“lol u really need to chill out”
Simply frightful! If you’re not a bot you’re at least Gen-Z?
Go to commentsBloody hell. What’s Rassie got to do with Xavier Roe coming on? Ridiculous.
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