Keego on…Rankings & Reality

We should put away the calculators and pay attention to what’s happening out on the pitch, writes Keego.

You have found me in a seriously grumpy mood this week. The amount of people talking about world ranking points and world cups is driving me mad. I don’t know if it is being mentioned by the Irish management team to take attention off the pitch or if people are genuinely interested, but can we please stop?

At the moment, the top ten teams are:

1. New Zealand

2. South Africa

3. Australia

4. France

5. England

6. Argentina

7. Ireland

8. Wales

9. Samoa

10. Scotland

As I understand it, and please correct me if I am wrong, the teams at 4-8 play one of the top four teams and one team from the second four. When you look at the top 8, this really makes zero difference to us. If we somehow slip to outside the top 8, IT MAKES ZERO DIFFERENCE TO US! When we played the Springboks a lot of us thought we would win, they are the second best team in the world. We could have beaten them, but for a few reasons we spoke about last week.

There are people with far more knowledge and experience in the game than I who have said to me, either face to face or through twitter, that we must remain in the top 8. The great Frankie Sheehan made it clear to me that this was the case. Now, I am not one to argue with him (face to face), but I disagree (none of you tell him!). Our over thinking of this has cost us the chance to blood new players. It has made a conservative manager even more conservative.

There were a few new players started against Fiji, and that was great to see. Gilroy played a blinder, and was even (stupidly) compared to Drico’s debut all those years ago. They both scored a hat trick….one against Fiji, who didn’t want to play, who were missing players and who had been disrespected by the IRFU by saying this was a cap-less game. The other scored against a top side in the world, which were at full capacity and wanted to win! I think we need to calm down about our game against Fiji. While we can only play who is in front of us, we have to remember who is in front of us.

It was great to see the Ulster contingent get a run out, they all played well. Northern Ireland exploded on twitter. But they would never been able to do that against the ‘Boks of the Pumas. That is just a fact. It is not provincial bias (as everyone calls it) it is just the truth.

We need to be competing for the 6 Nations every year before we even think about the World Cup. We have been terrible for the vast majority of the tournament. One Grand Slam is just not good enough. We should be using November as a chance to play players in their best positions and blood new players. The only reason we had new faces against Fiji was because we has so many injuries. Do not let anyone else tell you differently. This was not the plan; this was how it ended up.

This weekend we play the Pumas. We know it will be another hard, tough game. They have lost part of the front row and part of their midfield, but they are still big tough lads. We need to forget about the ranking points, and concentrate on the game. We need to get our line out sorted, this would be helped by putting a leader in at 4 or 5, but we have been over this far too many times. I am repeating myself so much I think I have slight brain damage. I think Gilroy should start, and in fairness to Murray I think he should start too. We can win this game! We should win this game!

With victories all the other nonsense people talk about is taken care of, I just don’t think it should be the first thing mentioned in every feckin article/blog/news bulletin.

The line out is more important than the rankings.

The props are more important than the rankings.

I think we should win if we can get the lineout sorted. Gilroy will inject some youthful enthusiasm (I have never said a sentence that has made me feel so old).

Apologies for the grumpiness, I haven’t had enough coffee today. If you want to comment/abuse/counsel me then my twitter is @nkeegan.

Also, the big man has decreed that we are organizing a big Harpin on Rugby gathering. We are looking at the France match in the 6 Nations. It is the 9^th March 2013. A long way away, but mark it in your diaries.

Until next week…..

Keego (@nkeegan): Newbie blogger, former professional wrestler, sometime attempted rugby player (@TheThirsty3rds), professional procrastinator and attempted musician with a fondness for long walks on the bar, tea and the couch. Opinionated Leinster fan and constant gardener.