Concern for ROG ahead of the WC, but to be fair i think its a bit of a storm in a teacup.
http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2011/0714/ogarar_injury.html
O'Gara Injury worry...
posted on 15/7/11
Is the concern that he'll be fit?
Sorry, that was a bit cheeky. But in all seriousness I think Sexton offers more and you'd only be losing the 2nd choice.
posted on 17/7/11
gecko
Well your not telling us anything we don't know there gecko but if i further explain the dynamic perhaps it will be easier to get a hold of what it would mean if we lose him.
Sexto and ROG have been in a battle for the #1 spot for 2 years now with sexton coming to the front this year well and truly. We all knew its was coming but the competition for that place has seen ROG playing better this past year then he has in a long time so it has been really good for us. To very good and very different Out Halves playing very well and challenging each other to improve.
Also through this past and rather disappointing 6N's we saw that when things were going bad we could swich out the OH and it always changed the game for the better. It was a very interesting dynamic to see either player coming on at 60mins and having a storming 20mins showing us what we have been missing in all the years when we had only one true out half.
So while Sexton is better, he better perhaps knowing that ROG is sitting on the bench licking his lips waiting to take the spot back. And indded the situation goes both way.
posted on 18/7/11
To be fair though ROG is perfect for those days when the weacther is atrocious and its hard to get the handleing going he can keep pining it into the corner an keep a team pinned in same when we need to kill a game off.
posted on 18/7/11
All good points - I always thought he was a bit of a bottler - upto the grandslam year - he finally won me over (ish Im not an Irish fan after all)
posted on 19/7/11
Always nice to have ROG coming on with 20 left to close a game out.
Just let him kick to the corners.
posted on 19/7/11
Well its like this gentlemen.
ROG is a quandary
The plain fact its he was never quite as good as people said he was once being touted as possibly the best OH in the world and to be fair i don't think he was ever the best but in the top 5 yes (at one time)
Equally as important is that ROG has never ever been as bad as some would have you believe his glaring weakness in defence is only marginally worse then some other OH's but where he had a weakness he certainly more then made up for it with attributes such as Metronomic dead ball kicking. Still a master of that.
Tactical Kicking possibly still one of the best in the world at that
Vision and ability to put people in space with his excellent passing to which Brian O'Driscoll owes him a fair few beers as BOD's try scoring record can thank ROG for putting him in space and time to finish his chances.
Ireland can thank him for that in the form of the over the top pinpoint chip for tommy bowe against wales in the recent grand slam year.
Defensive organiser (probably because he dont want to tackle himself hahaha)
the list goes on folks....
A kicking to the corner one trick pony is not who he is. Best one live description of ROG would be:
A world class game manager.
To be fair to ROG he would be missed and while i favour sexton because he does indeed bring more to the table, what ROG does well.... he does very very well indeed.
And its all to easy to ignore that. And all to easy to berate him.
Saying that i have never liked his loose lips when it comes to post match interview, pre match interview or even general comments made to the media. some like him for his honesty. I personally think he should say those things in the dressing room like a proper professional and not be such a controversy out of it. Take a page out of declan kidneys book.
posted on 19/7/11
to be fair its only non Irish fans who berate him hes a top class out half he seems to always know which way the game is turning and adjust his game accordingly but its his out off hand kicking is the best in the world no matter what anyone says and his place kicking is always reliable aswell its just johnny sexton can bring a more explosive edge to the game and personally i feel because the 12 plus 13 will nearly always be from leinster its better to have johnny because its just a better fit haveing three lads that know eachother