The Presidential Race

First there was Kurosawa’s film Seven Samurai and then the Hollywood remake to The Magnificent Seven and I can’t help but think of analogies to the Irish Presidential election.

Similar to the Irish Presidential campaign, The Magnificent Seven had a long recruitment process, with some players dipping and then dipping out and some last minute recruits to the campaign.
In the 1960 John Sturges remake, there were seven American gunmen played by Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, and Horst Buchholz.

Each character had their own demons to confront; Chris (Yul Brynner) the ageing gunslinger realising his era is coming to an end; the hotheaded  Chico (Horst Buchholz), is Mexican and hates the culture of farming. Harry Luck (Brad Dexter who was Ol’ Blue Eyes’ minder at one stage), joins because he believes Chris is looking for treasure. Vin (Steve McQueen) signs on after going broke from gambling. Other recruits include Bernardo O'Reilly (Charles Bronson), a gunfighter of Irish-Mexican heritage who is also broke and befriends the children of the village, strong silent type Britt (James Coburn), fast and deadly with his switchblade and Lee (Robert Vaughn), who struggles with nightmares and fears the loss of his skills.

If I was to play a game, which candidate would I associate with each character? Hmmm…

The only problem with this is that four of the original Magnificent Seven die leaving three at the end, but the can only be only one winner in the Presidential race – With the last man/woman Standing, Last Man Standing being a Bruce Willis Hollywood remake of Yojimbo, a 1962 film by Kurosawa, which is where I started off.

I wonder would Primetime have the chutzpah to play Elmer Bernstein’s from the movie for the debate.

Keep on dreaming.

Ireland's Calling - Part Two

OKAY, OKAY let's not PANIC.
 To continue where I finished off last time - 'Who Goes You Decide?'

Well for a start, D'Arcy, Murray, Earls and Jennings.

Murray needed game time, fair enough - but surely he should have had that prior to selection for the plane.He didn't get good service from the pack, which is inexcusable, considering their dominance. At the same time, he's a back, not part of the pack and should have got ball out quicker, despite the forwards' shortcomings.
As for D'Arcy- he hasn't been in form for so long and it shows; bluntly McFadden gets the nod, if only for making the Aussies do more homework on his playing style.
Earls and Jennings - they are very capable players- Earls is a super footballer , but out of his depth, indeed he was playing for his place on Saturday and just didn't cut it. Jennings showed great pace and great defence and textbook tackling, he's just not the guy for Australia. He will play again.

The backs have shown no progress since Kidney took over, in fact, some would argue that the Grand Slam winning team was a result of O'Sullivan's work more so than Kidney's inspirational leadership.
Sexton is having a mare, but putting him straight in with a rookie scrumhalf doesn't help. The play between the two was non existent - beit part of the management strategy or not enough time for gelling, the result has been negative for both half backs.
Kidney needs to understand that, in as much as O'Sullivan made mistakes in keeping with his 'chosen ones' resulting in no competition for places; Kidney has not got the luxury to tinker with the team at this stage - he had August for that.

I'll stand over what I said before - It's the backs that win the games in International rugby.
Bringing Trimble in at such a late stage meant nothing. Changing both half backs doesn't answer any questions, as Sexton could have fared better with Reddan as he plays with him provincially.
If Kidney thinks this will create competition for places - he is mistaken as all it does at this stage is knock confidence in the players.

He needs to tell the players today who is playing on Saturday and then let them play - both BOD and POC need to really and I mean really take the reins on the pitch and show everyone why they were both captains of the Lions.

Ireland's Calling

Just read the opening article in the Irish Times Rugby World Cup supplement and I am wondering when Gerry Thornley wrote it. It goes on about how wily coach Declan Kidney is, though in looking at Kidney's face when interviewed at the end of each of Ireland's warm up games, he looked more bemused than wily.

I must admit that I felt against Scotland, it was a second string team hoping to impress; the first test against France I felt the Irish protagonists were at least only operating at 70/80% optimum and even still in the second test against the French, the Irish team started with venom, though they eventually let the French show their might. There was at least, hope.

Against the English, they were mauled. Badly.

Each time Kidney looked at the camera in his post match interview with a little smirk and gave the 'disappointed with the result, but happy with the progress' reply. Indeed.

What progress is that Deckie? Kidney has at his disposal one of the most potent attacking backlines in Irish rugby history, the majority of whom have won honours in the Heineken Cup. However under his tutelage, they are flat passing from side to side without breaking the gain line.

I've seen better at Under 10's mini rugby.

How can this be ?
Kidney's main success has been with Munster's rightly proud record in the Heinken Cup. Most can remember the miracle match, but many will forget, since the emergence of Leinster's Lady Boys, that it was through the forwards that the Munster team ground out results. The backs were efficient, but nothing spectacular, bar of course, O'Gara's kicking. So he's good with the forwards. Fair enough.
It's the backs that win the games in International rugby though.

So he has barely played his first choice half backs together , Reddan and Sexton. He put his trust in O'Leary, though O'Leary has been out of form, and let him suffer at the expense of the team and O'Leary himself.
He has put Earls, a great footballer, but not a great centre, in at centre. Earls can't pass and looks out of his league when confronted with the English beef on Saturday.
He has put McFadden on the wing, when his best position is centre. Fine, McFadden has played it at Provincial level, but International can destroy you.
And he left Geordan Murphy stew, whilst trying out another first timer.
So Murphy comes in late and Murray comes in with less than an hour of international experience.
For the World Cup. Right Ho.
And to finish with poor David Wallace. Kidney picks him with no match time, expects miracles in the last game, and he gets creamed in a bone crunching tackle. A cruel blow for Wallace, but hardly well prepared. Kidney's love of  'the Munster Way' doesn't cut it on the International stage - you need forwards AND backs to work together.
One hopes that Jennings will grasp the opportunity and not feel a little low in motivation, for being a last minute filler.

I  listened to George Hook on RTE on Saturday, and for once he didn't make me laugh, Pope was laughing for sure, but George, he was making a lot of sense.
There WAS no semblance, evidence or otherwise proof of coaching of the backline.

So here is what I am left with-
a) this was all a training session for the Irish team to get match fit and they have loads of moves that they have saved for the tournament
b) the management and coaching team have only one strategy - ' doing it for your country' , leaving O'Driscoll and O'Connell to take charge on the pitch and change the tactics in order to win as, well, the coaches can't do anything once the game has started. This is known as the 'Ashton Strategy' ' following what the English did at the last World Cup; dumped the coach's plan and ran the team
c) put my money on Australia as Ireland won't even make the quarters.

In the immortal words of Big Brother - 'Who goes?-You decide'