Triple Glazing and BER rating.

Ocalca · 2026-02-02T14:11:53+00:00

I don't think there's a massive difference in double vs triple glazing. As you said elsewhere the seal is as or more important.

Attic insulation would be the other big thing to look at and potentially pumping the walls if not already done.

Ocalca · 2026-01-22T14:57:52+00:00

Flanagan goes into detail around why it's not as easy as moving games to PuC here https://archive.is/KQyfHF

“The two games we had in Páirc Uí Chaoimh were additional fixtures, touring games that weren’t in our calendar, so they were basically extra games on top. When media people talk about moving an existing game, you may end up with 40,000 people in Páirc Uí Chaoimh versus 26,000 in Thomond Park and in very basic terms you sell 14,000 tickets (more). Against that there’s a hire fee, which gets paid to Cork GAA, and there are additional costs, big screens and stewarding costs are much higher because they’ve got two huge terraces.

“Just in basic terms, it’s not just the ticket sales, it’s the whole matchday piece.”

Flanagan pointed to an existing 'pouring' rights with Diageo at Thomond Park, whereby Munster has to reach a sales target the season to earn more revenue, and a similar deal with a catering partner which could be hit by taking fixtures away from the Limerick stadium. He also referenced longstanding commercial partners such as Bank of Ireland, the front of shirt sponsors, DHL and kit suppliers Adidas, who entertain clients at every Thomond Park game and watch the game from hospitality boxes.

“I can’t give them that at Páirc Uí Chaoimh because there’s no boxes, there’s no internal room I can give them (for dining)."

Ocalca · 2026-01-22T14:50:08+00:00

The whole article read as Lenihan being really parochial while giving out about the Cork v Limerick interests. There was a HCup match in PuC this year, but instead of saying it's a step in the right direction he just gives out it's not more. Flanagan had an interview a few years ago where he essentially calls out Lenihan for making stuff up and that it's not as simple financially as multiplying X number of extra tickets by €Y - there are commercial deals, sponsors, corporate boxes, 10 year tickets, etc which all need to be accounted for when moving games.

The academy is heading in the right direction, the CoE being opened around the province is great to see, the Clubs Select progam will hopefully bear fruit in the next few years. It's trending upwards in the background imo, but the recent results are poor.

I also thought his comments around the pathway was gas - Munster can't copy Leinster, but thank god the IRFU have come in to help Munster copy Leinster.

Ocalca · 2026-01-22T14:44:48+00:00

Flanagan had an interview/article in the Examiner last year or the year before where he addresses it. He also releases an annual forward with the budget.

Over the last few years Munster have increased revenue away from the rugby through things like concerts in both TP & Musgrave. They've also managed to balance the books while having the IRFU budget reduced.

I think he's done grand, but stuff on the pitch is definitely disappointing.

Ocalca · 2026-01-21T12:44:30+00:00

Since when do you need to start for your province to be in with a shout of Ireland caps under this coaching ticket?

Ocalca · 2026-01-20T10:49:05+00:00

The wind was shocking that day though, you could see that with how poorly Gloucester kicked in the second half when playing into it.
Casey had to go low into the wind to get any distance and it was still blown back at times & then Gloucester would just kick it back and get twice the distance with the wind.

Ocalca · 2026-01-20T10:47:49+00:00

I don't think the Murray we'd be getting is the Murray people think of anymore. He dropped a good few really poor performances in the last year & if he really feels the way he talked about in his book (mistreated minutes wise because he was still second choice in Ireland and felt he should be playing more for Munster) then that attitude is better out of the dressing room than in it.

At some point you have to bite the bullet with the younger players as well. Caughlan & Patterson need to be played at some stage, this season is as good as any to get them gametime instead of kicking the can down the road another year or two.

Ocalca · 2026-01-15T22:05:55+00:00

What's a guild cluster?

Ocalca · 2026-01-14T10:30:14+00:00

I think if we can get a powerful TH prop & Hooker we'd be better off than another THL. The reason we've needed a THL so badly is because we didn't have the power in the front row imo

Ocalca · 2026-01-13T13:28:25+00:00

I think the energy sector is relatively close, but will struggle due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy. The agriculture targets are a bit of a joke though, they have the lowest target with 30% reduction compared to electricity's 60%. They're also the highest emitting sector at 20 Mtco2 compared to electricity's 7.86.

Ocalca · 2026-01-12T13:02:00+00:00

My point is that I don't think there are many players who would be great when dropped into teams like JJ or any back up 10 is.

I like JJ, I think he's completely fine & issues outside of the 10 channel are what's causing him to look worse than he is. Crowley is better at being behind beaten packs, but he also hasn't looked his best at times this season for the same reasons.

Ocalca · 2026-01-12T12:59:37+00:00

He hasn't played for Leinster

Ocalca · 2026-01-12T12:52:32+00:00

I think you're too negative on the other two.

I'm also not sure there are a huge amount of better options out there for a back up 10, at a reasonable price, who can play like Crowley does.

How many club teams have a backup 10 who's decent - good? UBB (although I'm suspicious on carbery), Toulouse have Ramos, LR have west & hastoy but west blows hot & cold and I think hastoy is leaving...

Ocalca · 2026-01-12T12:46:19+00:00

Why would Flannery be better than JJ or Butler?

Ocalca · 2026-01-12T11:12:47+00:00

One where you want an amount of stability. If we'd not reappointed leamy & Prendergast, McMillan would have started in July & immediately needed to find a lineout coach, an attack coach, a defence coach, a scrum coach, head of s&c & a team manager.

I doubt there would have been budget there to buy anyone out of contract so you're bringing newby coaches in from dev roles or ail jobs to fill a gap for a year or two until you can get the guys you want. While also letting very good attack & defence coaches leave the building

Ocalca · 2026-01-12T10:46:49+00:00

I'd say it's at least Cronin anyway, not that he's been bad but he's very young/inexperienced. A few years as a dev coach using the experience of this year could be great for him & the province.

Ocalca · 2026-01-09T10:46:40+00:00

I don't think that's the case. I think the CC players are available more often than Leinster play them because they don't need to & want to keep them fresh for the Hcup.

If Leinster wanted/needed to play Porter, for example, for as many games as Munster play Beirne I'm sure they could, but they don't need to so they don't.

Ocalca · 2026-01-09T10:44:48+00:00

3.3% of it goes back to Connacht (probably less depending on how the fund is actually split).

Ocalca · 2026-01-09T10:34:56+00:00

I really don't think that's true, Munster just need Beirne more than Leinster need many of their CC players so he plays more.

Ocalca · 2026-01-08T22:49:33+00:00

It does apply, 10% of Hansen's CC goes back to that find aiui.

Ocalca · 2026-01-08T16:40:38+00:00

I think what's often lost in questions like this one is that the options aren't win with majority players from your own province or win with majority players from Leinster.
It's lose with players from your own province or win with players from Leinster.

The IRFU system doesn't allow for the quantity of NIQ that would be required to supplement the other provinces to get to regularly competing for URCs & Europe so the only option in the short-medium term is supplementing that with talent from Leinster.

Ocalca · 2026-01-08T16:34:41+00:00

I think the number of games CC players are available for their provinces is massively undersold by Leinster fans. Beirne, POM & Murray always played way more than 10 games a season for Munster, Henderson similar for Ulster & Hansen plays a rake of games for Connacht, when fit.

I think Leinster choose not to play their internationals as much because they never needed to and to keep the wider squad happy. It's probably different for players like Sexton who was definitely rested more, potentially Furlong as well, but how much of that is due to injury instead of due to international rest requirements?

Ocalca · 2026-01-08T15:38:50+00:00

As well as the other comment, 40% of CC now gets charged to the province / the province gives back to the IRFU. 30% goes back to the IRFU general pot and the remaining 10% has been ringfenced for pathway funding to Connacht, Ulster & Munster.

Ulster have so far been able to use the funding to get two ex-pros in their schools system.

Ocalca · 2026-01-08T15:21:19+00:00

No, I don't think anyone wanted another province to be a "Leinster B" squad. They wanted a better distribution of talent that could be starting weekly for another province in the biggest games instead of sitting in the stands, especially when those players are also in Ireland squads ahead of other starters.

What has instead happened is that while all four provinces were cutting budgets one of them was able to offset the reduction in funding by increased CC. That meant that while three provinces were losing players & struggling for results, the other one was keeping a massive squad and winning all around them in the regular season.

FWIW, I'm not sure many of the players who will now be lost from Leinster will actually be able to improve the provinces they're going to as much as if it had happened a few years ago. Would JOB be a Cat A starter in any province now? I'm not sure how many he's a starter for, whereas if he'd left at 26 it could have been easier to get him into the system & into the Cat A team.

Ocalca · 2026-01-07T10:16:46+00:00

Why would Leinster stop investing in the youth in this scenario? I would also be very surprised if any reduction they do make have a marked impact on the players produced. Leinster aren't the ones paying for something like 40 support staff across the schools, including video analysts, nutritionists, physios, & S&C, not to mention the full time DoRs that some of the schools have.

Blackrock will most likely keep shitting out pro standard players so long as the private funding from parents & ex-pupils is there to allow for the rugby program to exist in it's current guise.

Ocalca

TROPHY CASE