jonesy2 says...

well steve hanson is obviously correct but very well handled by ogara

Posted 06:06 20th June 2012

Ripzy007 says...

To the Irish fans...apologies but what is it with Munster, Leinster and Ulster - it seems like their is internal turmoil amongst Irish fans...

Posted 02:26 20th June 2012

gerryp says...

Hansen and co should have used the kicking option more as the Irish defence was rushed and a clever kick or two would have had them scrambling back,However Hansen is no Henry but he will learn

Posted 20:30 19th June 2012

BillyMutt2 says...

Agree with @tha_mai - this appears to be a little over the top. I don't think Steve Hansen intended it as a "jibe" at all, and it doesn't appear as if O'Gara interpreted it that way either.

So not sure how this got twisted out of context, must have been a slow news day or something.

Posted 19:42 19th June 2012

bothhands says...

I personally think Hansen is correct, but how I would love to be proven wrong. Ireland rarely build on good performances; we play emotional rugby, and what happened last weekend was a product of the previous hammering. The humiliation of that beating, followed by the Kiwi press driving the point home provided the emotional stimulus for the last performance. I am not sure that the present emotion of utter disappointment is the same catalyst. But as I said I really really wish to be proven wrong.

Posted 17:34 19th June 2012

Norm says...

I have said for a while I think he will break through in terms of his consistency composure and confidence at test level, that appears to have happened and stranger things have happened than him show his class to the world come this saturday. He needs to stop telegraphing that wrap around though :)

Posted 16:35 19th June 2012

blametheref says...

Norm, yes Sexton's a pretty special player and still not quite getting the accolades he deserves, Schmidt at Leinster recognizes how positive a player he is and builds Leinster around his abilities and strength in defence. In the current circumstances I want no other than Sexton at 12, not even BOD, as Sexton will not let us down in the role and even will be fired up with that never say never attitude of his

Posted 15:16 19th June 2012

Norm says...

Blametheref/ Leinsterblue

I want to believe we can match the intensity. I want too. I do think that if we can get in the AB faces from the start it is possible. This AB team is the best in the world no questions but I think one of their weaknesses is that they do not deal with pressure very well as they are not very familiar with it. Their talent carries them through ( along with fortuitous calls on a given day) and it is when they are under pressure you see a cyncism come out in their play which is not normally as prevalent.

I like this measured response though, it speaks of a calm camp, there was too much shooting off at the mouth by players over the past year and it has been a lot more measured of late. Plus taking positives of the second game, O'Driscoll aside, it was not a storming performance by our golden generation which carried us through. It was the resurgence of Heaslip, it was SOB, Sexton, Kearney, Healy, Best and a potential future skipper in Donnacha Ryan. These guys are staking their claim as the bedrock of the next world cup effort! They will have no intention of skulking back to the airport with their tail between their legs, and certainly BOD wont. As he says it is going to happen that we beat the ABs, he will want to be there on that day and saturday is his last chance to do it on NZ soil. We can do it, I would say even judging it on saturdays game alone and history discounted it is more likely that we wont, but if we can get at them early and get in their faces we can do it! A lot depends on how the ABs arrive on the pitch, that sadly is the biggest factor.

Posted 14:31 19th June 2012

leinsterblue says...

looks like the media making mountains out of molehills with this story...great answer by ROG...personally, I don't think there was any jibe in what Hansen said as he just spoke what he felt to be true - I will be incredibly surprised if we reach that level of intensity next Saturday, although the misguided optimist in me has to believe that we can :)

Posted 13:10 19th June 2012

rugbylover says...

Gracious & sensible, Ronan O'Gara.

Posted 11:58 19th June 2012