THE FIRST PROVINCIAL senior finals of 2016 took place yesterday in Croke Park and Fitzgerald Stadium.
Kilkenny and Kerry lifted the trophies with Cats midfielder Conor Fogarty and Kingdom attacker Paul Geaney rewarded for their displays by claiming the man-of-the-match awards last night on The Sunday Game.
Fogarty shot 0-3 as the Cats came from behind in the second half to see off Galway in Croke Park as they lifted the Bob O’Keeffe Cup. The Erins Own man saw off the other nominees in teammate Jonjo Farrell and Galway’s Cathal Mannion.
Geaney struck 2-3 for Kerry in a devastating attacking display that saw him get the nod ahead of Kerry teammate Paul Murphy and Tipperary’s Robbie Kiely.
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Who would you have given the awards to? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Furlong really is exceptional. There isn’t another tighthead prop even close to him in world rugby. Any thoughts on the sub position? For me I think John Ryan has done enough to be second behind Furlong. He was very good in the first test and I think he’s slightly ahead of porter. Only slightly though.
@Jim Demps: I agree regarding Ryan/Porter but I’d say Ryan is further ahead than you might. What largely sealed that for me, apart from Ryan’s excellent performance last week, was the fact Porter had serious difficulties in the few scrums he was involved when he replaced Furlong. Porter’s all round play is excellent but Ryan’s scrummaging was very impressive
@Richard James: That’s what it comes down to really, what do you want off the bench, more impact around the park or greater solidity in the set piece. I think Schmidt will persist with Porter on the bench, but if, God forbide, Furlong got injured, Ryan would be the starter
@Jonny Martin: Yea I’d probably go along with that but I think Schmidt is going to invest lots of time in Porter before the World Cup. The guy is incredibly talented and is so new to the position. He’s already made huge strides in the last 18 months.
@Jim Demps: Jim Demps in Munster player preference shocker! :)
@Jonny Martin: How comme Ryan didn’t start in the 6N then when Furlong injured?
I must have imagined Porter more than holding his own in two games in the scrum, including a 78 minute shift.
@Jim Demps: porter is younger and has vast more natural ability to ryan. He will be favoured by the management id imagine going forward. If you consider ryan better now porter will gain on him all time. Predict a similar injured blighted career for porter to healy and obrien. His body is carrying so much muscle and his current playimg style he will be broken up by 27
@Jim Demps: At 29 Ryan is only coming into his prime as a TH. Considering this is only his third year as a tighthead, he has been a revalation for Munster. I thought he put in a tremendous shift in semi final. Particularly against Jack McGrath who is so technically proficient in the scrum. In choosing between Porter and Ryan, i think it depends on the opposition. Porter is so tall, that shorter props cause him difficulties, and he is continuing to learn as he develops. However, he is incredibly dynamic around the field. Exciting times for Ireland fans, and 2012 looks ever more distant.
@Brian Meagher: Porter and Ryan are the same height. I don’t disagree though, Porter is not as good in the set piece, Ryan not as good around the pitch. The Aussie scrum is very good, so I’d go with Ryan on the bench for next week.
Furlong was immense, just rewatched there with the Aussie commentators who were quite biased in their teams favour, but they were still blown away by Furlong. I haven’t seen the stat replayed, but they said he’d made the most metres of any Irish player so far, and they predicted he was odds on for MOTM. Even after he break, his attempted looping pass would have been a beauty, all other tightheads would have gone to deck. And then when it was touched by an Aussie player, to still have the wherewithal to regather. He really is a new breed.
@Conor Paddington: I think Tupou could potentially be better than Furlong. He just turned 22 and is already better in the loose I think.
@Conor Paddington: Unfortunately I had to watch the game, again, with Aussie commentators on Rugbypass. Again, I had it muted long before half time. This time it was after POM won a turnover penalty early in the first half. The first thing Phil Kearns do was suggest POM came in from the side. Their default position is always that the ref is wrong, then the reply comes up. Oh. Commentators annoy fans. Ryle Nugent was useless. BBC too. The NZ commentary team were so patronizing towards France. The problem with Aus is not bias. It is the terminology they use. They strike me as very ladish, masochistic, sneering and yet yet groveling (towards Pocock). Rod Kafer is the best of a truly dreadful bunch. Collectively, they offer absolutely nothing as team.
@Minami: of course he is
@Conor Paddington: Aweeee that pass, so close. Would have been fitting for him to pop a pass like that which led to a try. We really can’t do without Sexton, Furlong or Murray for the world cup. Everyone else can be replaced by someone as good, if not far behind.
@Alan Madden: I’d have to add Ringrose to those players as well, we have very good midfield options but he is a step above the rest.
Watching this on Aussie TV. Second week in a row they have a go at Ireland’s project players (Stander et al).
They think nothing however of their own Tongan Thors , and so many other Islanders that the likes of the Wobblies or the ABs consistently ensure will never get to play for their country of birth.
You don’t know how lucky you are not to have to suffer watching this on such blindly biased and myopic TV here down under
@Gordon Kelly: worth it when they lose tho
@Gordon Kelly: u ok hun?
@Gordon Kelly: hear hear. I say the same thing every match. Phil Kearns being by far the worst culprit.
@Gordon Kelly: it’s moronic. Stander was the only project player yesterday as I think Herring qualifies through his heritage. Let them off.
@Gordon Kelly: Superiority complex. They think they have a right to these Pacific Islanders. Sure aren’t they taking them out of poverty and giving them a better life? Dreadful.
@Gordon Kelly: Aussie commentators really are pathetic. The bias doesn’t bother me. That’s just how it is everywhere. But their attitude is so awful. They know it all. They’re the guardians of the game. They strike me as pals who pat each other on the back regularly throughout the game, then collectively scoff when a decision goes against them. “It’s a ripppppppppaaaaaaa.” Morons.
What a player. He was looking tired at the end of the season for Leinster but that was a performance for the ages. The range of skills he’s shown for Ireland this season has been incredible. And at just 25 years old he’s got plenty of years ahead of him to get better.
Immense – that’s how you deal with Pocock.
It was a right on all right. Not as good as SOB against France in the last world cup.
@John A. Dixon: Are you not thinking of SOB against France in Lansdown 3 years ago?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVUHFFUvjKk
@yvan buggy: Best clearout i have ever seen from a standing start.
@yvan buggy: I stand corrected. Good man. Some clear out.
Can you imagine how Pococks body must be after regularly getting cleaned out like that.
I think that is part of England’s problem. Guys like Billy Vunipola and Robshaw seem to be going through the motions and trying to avoid really putting their bodies on the line. Almost like the physical toll is too much.
Seeing that again pocock makes no attempt to release, just goes for the ball straight away when he clearly was part of the tackle. Have i got that wrong?
@Patrick Corrigan: he releases. Went down with his left hand on the player but takes it off before his initial swipe at the ball with his right
@Patrick Corrigan: No, you got it right, he is often illegal. I read recently that his body movement looks like he is disengaging, but his hands stay in there.
@Patrick Corrigan: spot on. he gets away with murder. him hooper similar to mccaw. Savage player tho!
Some player .
Sean o briens clear out v france is way better and the best I’ve seen!
@Fred McHugh: O’Briens was amazing, no doubt. Which one was better? Donno. Furlongs one hurt more, Pocock didn’t know what hit him. I bet it made him think twice about putting his body on the line again like that.
Furlong was immense but you also have to give it to Pococks reading of the game to get into those positions multiple times during each half.
Yeah he is. Spot on in fact..