He, he, if the Irish are so inferior to the English, how come we won the last war between our countries (1920's war of independence), which was an early death blow to the British Empire. We have also won the last football match between our two nations, the last rugby match between our two nations, and believe it or not, the last cricket match between our nations. All sports you guys invented. Now what was that you were saying about an inferiority complex?!
Well considering that we have won the championship twice in the last 5 years, with only one victory to England, I'd say you are engaging in the usual ill informed condescendence that is a trait of many English (*dark humour)! Hmm, how could England have played in less 6 Nations? I will admit that England have historically been stronger, but as a Liverpool fan I can now accept that living in the past is not a healthy pursuit. Here is a hint to the absurdity of your claim: Ireland have defeated England 8 times in the last twelve 6 Nations championships. England have only won four times. If you take the period between 2004 and 2011, Ireland won seven to England's one victory. With Ireland winning 3/4 of the games at Twickenham (London). Now, not that I would use this a factor in this debate, our North American friends might be interested to hear that England has approx. 200,000 registered senior players, as compared to Ireland's 25,000. But as with all the other field sports that we are better at, it is never a case of lack of numbers that affects us. The warrior blood of the Irish takes care of all perceived weaknesses. I will give you that one, a magnificent achievement. Especially against that Australia team and their ridiculous media.
To be fair, they were one of the least exciting teams in history, but it was certainly successful, and you can't argue with that. As for the 6 nations championship, it's been won 5 times by France, 4 times by England, 4 times by Wales, and three times by Ireland. Since that world cup victory in 2003, though, England have won it only once (2011), compared with 4 times for Wales and 3 times for Ireland and 4 for France. England's other victories were over a decade ago (2000, 2001 & 2003), whereas Ireland have won the last two, and Wales the previous two to that. On Grand Slams in the 6 nations era, England have 1, Ireland have 1, Wales have 3 and France have 3. Neither England nor Ireland have had the wooden spoon (Wales and France have had it once each). England do top the 6 nations table overall in terms of wins, ahead of Ireland, then France, then Wales, but much of that for England is due to the early years of the championship, while for Wales and Ireland the balance of the victories are in recent years. The reality of where we all are from this year's table, though, is that Ireland, England and Wales had the same wins/losses, and could only be separated by a points scored/let in difference of 10 between top and bottom of the three. Ireland scored less tries than both England and Wales, but conceded less too. In fact, the figures make it pretty clear that Ireland's defence won it for them this time, but a win is a win. How ever you look at it, in terms of achievement in the 6 Nations championship over the last decade England seem to have been behind both Ireland and Wales (though they have won 1 triple crown in that time). Where they have probably been ahead has been in victories over the big 3 southern hemisphere sides, which is fair enough (and that's why they've done so well in world rankings).
Registered players is an interesting one. According to wiki, in terms of 'senior males' (which is the important one for this comparison): England have 131,399 Ireland have 25,440 Wales have 22,408 With 50,211, the USA have more registered senior male rugby union players than Ireland and Wales put together. In terms of total registered players of all kinds, apparently England has over 40% of the players in the World.
As fair an assessment as one could give. Shall we move this up a notch and discuss European club championship winners!!
All díck swinging aside, there has been some interesting football going on. Mourinho's Chelsea blitzed by the ever improving Naysmith, with an Everton attack that could reverse Martinez's recent decline. This is champions Chelsea's worst start to a season in almost 30 years. Anthony Martial, the most expensive teenager in the history of the game ($80m), comes on as a substitute for Man United, and scores with his first shot. I am delighted for the guy, that is a huge amount of pressure for anyone, let alone an unproven 19-year-old. *Disclaimer: as a Liverpool supporter, that is the last time you will hear me complimenting the kid. After a summer of speculation about the great and the good of Europe buying Ronaldo, he scores five goals against Espanyol. Then there is Juventus doing a Chelsea in the Italian league with two losses and a draw in their opening three games. Not to mention the Champions League group stages starting tomorrow.
Actually, the Irish Republicans LOST the 1920s War of Independence because didn't achieve their aim of an independent all-Ireland. So that makes you superior to the English does it, just because you beat us the last time we played in those sports? Come back and rave about your supposed superiority when you win more football and rugby World Cups than us - you have won none so far. Come back when you overtake us on Five/Six Nations victories - which will, admittedly, take many years, because you've only won about three. Sorry, but the Irish have an inferiority complex towards the English - and you can't blame them - not the other way around.
I'm looking forward to England playing Wales at this World Cup (anyone else think it unfair that, despite England being the host nation, Wales get to play some of their matches at the Millennium Stadium? It's a travesty). I'd love England to give the Welsh an absolute drubbing. I still remember this piece of anti-English bigotry in the Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...t-is-lunacy-to-expect-them-to-beat-Wales.html - just before this year's Six Nations encounter between the two sides when James Corrigan insisted that "English rugby is overconfident and only the deluded could fancy them to win their Six Nations opener in Cardiff". The result of that match? An inexperienced England side won 21-16.
Nice try. The aim of the war was independence from the British Empire. The clue is in the name of the war. We were the first to successfully take the fight to the evil Empire, and our victory effectively began the collapse of the largest empire the world has ever known. Well, that and the savage Mongol Empire who shared similar levels of deviance in their time. Well done, it's a sports thread, my friend. So finally you admit that Ireland, with their back to back 6 nations championships, are currently a better team than England. We have beat you from one end of the last decade to the next, both at national and at club level. Yet, all you have to say is something akin to a Liverpool support without a title in 30 years. "Yeah, yeah, but we have 5 European cups". You keep saying that, but you haven't defined it yet. Fasted growing economy in Europe. Way, way, above England for almost every optic for quality of life, crime rate, desirability for investment etc., but hey I'll let you explain.
Bringing a new meaning to "Swing low", alright. Well, nothing more than the English fans in the tournament deserve. They were singing that Mordor anthem (Swing Low)at the 79th minute, during a game deciding push by the Italians in their game v Canada. It is kind of an unwritten rule in any world cup, that if you are neutral in a ground, you are either neutral, or you get behind one of the teams that are actually playing. As for the match, England imploded. It was utter lunacy to go for a try, when a kick for a draw wouldn't have lead to the nuclear situation of having to beat the might of Australia, just to stay in the tournament.
Yup. They were also singing it (and making other noise) while Dan Biggar was taking kicks, which is hugely disrespectful and another thing that really annoys me - when the opposition kicker is taking kicks, you stay silent (and expect the other team's fans to do the same). It has crept into the game a little recently, but I suspect that the world cup has attracted a number of people who don't normally go to rugby matches and don't know the score on things like that. There should really have been stadium tannoy announcements about respecting the kickers (as happens at the Millennium Stadium when it happens, again usually at games that have attracted people who don't normally go to rugby like the 'cheap' autumn international), but I didn't hear any being made.
There shouldn't be any need for an announcement, but I know what you mean. To be fair, the pesky French are the worst at it. This is a great soccerball thread, init?! We should rename it the grumpy British Islers thread.
Don't mind if I do. When you are the first host nation ever to be knocked out of the world cup at the group stages your little song becomes very appropriate. Swing low, sweet chariot, Comin' for to carry me home; Swing low, sweet chariot, Comin' for to carry me home.
Yesterday I attended our neighborhood high school soccer team's match and it was a great event. Both teams had many South East Asians whose families know each other very well. Because of that they have an intense rivalry. For those who don't like soccer, it's too bad you were not there to see it. It's so much fun to watch this type of intense, well played actions especially when its' for FREE. And out team won!
I wish that this was possible. We do have an 8th grader playing high school ball - if he grows to be 6' tall and 185 lbs he will a good college or possibly a minor league pro prospect. But, like a great many South East Asians in our neighborhood, he's kinda small. Let's hope he grows up to be big and strong as well as highly skillful in the game. I think you have something like a 10-11% unemployment rate there in Ireland - so why don't you send a few of your healthier and more athletic soccer players into this area? Please ???
It is pretty big in the US too. With over 4 million registered players, I would estimate that there are more registered players playing soccer in the US than there are playing US football. I base this on the fact that there are just over a million registered college players in US football. Obviously this is not a fair comparison, as there are very little restrictions regarding equipment costs for soccer. I do like US football. It would be my preferred North American sport. You will laugh, but I only watch the Superbowl every year. In my defence, it does start at around midnight here. I count myself lucky to to have seen the Baltimore win, and this years battle between The Seahawks and that guy who listens to balls whisper!
Height in soccer is really only relevant to central defenders, goalkeepers, and a certain type of forward. It is not the be all and end all. The genius and destroyer of nations that was Maradona, was a mere 5' 4". Whilst current Argentine messiah, Lionel Messi, is only 5' 6". I guess that this accommodation of all shapes and sizes in the sport, is in part, why it has been so successful through the years. Whatever about our poor unemployed, who usually go to New York, Boston, or Chicago, and play Gaelic games (amateur). Last season, Irish international captain, and all time Irish international top scorer Robbie Keane, was awarded the MLS Most Valuable Player Award. He topped that off with an extra time penalty that won LA Galaxy the MLS Cup. In his time in the MLS, he has a scoring rate of about 1.5 goals per game, which is phenomenal. Also, striker Kevin Doyle, a very experience goal scorer plays for Colorado Rapids, along with Sean St Ledger. Both of whom are current Irish internationals and will be in the Irish squad to face world champions German, in our attempt to qualify for the next European championship. We drew with Germany in Germany, in the competition already. So fingers crossed.
Great, great, win for Ireland tonight against Germany. Probably the most important Irish win in over a decade. Which secures Ireland, at the very least, a place in the play offs. My sincerest commiserations to our friends in Scotland. They are in the same group and conceded, literally, a last second goal to Poland. Before tonight it was a three way race between Ireland, Poland, and Scotland for second place behind Germany. Now it is a three way race to top the group, with Ireland v Poland on Sunday. It is not every day you beat the World champions. Hell, yeah! German World cup winning manager Jogi Love, in meltdown. Priceless!
That is true and something I mentioned in another thread - whenever poor illegals enter into the States from Latin America, the right wingers get up in arms. But whenever poor people escape from Europe, Russia, or Israel the right wingers embrace them. Still, this particular neighborhood needs a bit more integration and a few white refugees from Europe would likely be welcomed. So, send them over.
Congratulations for that win. Since Germany's chances for qualification are still pretty good, I felt quite happy for the Irish. Always been a bit of a fan of their fighting spirit.
