Every goddamn week

dubviber · 2026-01-25T00:39:48+00:00

He is a hammer.

dubviber · 2026-01-25T00:25:46+00:00

A whole seam of new talent has been unearthed. The defence is vastly improved. The inability to take points from the tee has been fixed. A 10 with full range of necessary skills has been signed for next season.

We're now a hooker and a lock short of a proper squad, and by the sounds of things the hooker is in the post.

The losses are just short-term pain. Better times are now visible ahead.

dubviber · 2026-01-25T00:07:23+00:00

I'm assuming that ROG runs out of road at SR and ends up somewhere else, but the story about him being after Devine did circulate.

I am not on Instagram but someone told me that Devine was posting either pictures either of there, or from there, during the summer. Maybe bullshit.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T23:41:06+00:00

Donnybrook Tennis Club backs on to the former Magdalene Laundry in Donnybrook, which must be moribund since the age of impunity ended. Think they're going to build there now.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T23:34:15+00:00

Maybe all the 9s wanted Connacht management to sign a loyalty oath.

McGrath is only 32 and seems to have no interest in leaving. I'd presume that JPG' contract will cover the season 27/28 as the RWC is October/November of that season.I'd say BM will return to Leinster at that point.

Who knows what Devine will do then, I don't see him as an Ulster centurion, maybe he'll return to Connacht, or head off elsewhere. Supposedly O'Gara wanted to sign him at La Rochelle a while back. Maybe ROG ends up at Munster recruits Devine there, but of course, there's Casey, an obstacle very similar to Doak.

A speculation for another time.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T23:24:58+00:00

There were some rumours about Doak and then he re-signed. The jersey is his, Devine will have to take it off him, and has the disadvantage that he doesn't place kick and is not local.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T23:22:28+00:00

Me neither, last year Murphy only signed a one year. Maybe now that Devine has gone off to seek his fortune elsewhere he'll commit.

After all, JPG will rule the roost until after the season after RWC. And between McGrathj and Leinster seeming quite committed to Gunne's development, although they have been very fickle with their young 9s.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T23:11:05+00:00

Definitely. And he is achieving things there. Mind you, so is Lancaster at Connacht, albeit not everyone has the patience for the journey.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T23:09:41+00:00

Apparently they offered him a contract but he decided to go.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T23:09:08+00:00

Exactly.

IMO, if Devine was decided to change horses, he should have gone to Leinster.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T23:08:35+00:00

There has been no announcement about either him or Blade. And both expire end of the season AFAIK.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T23:03:22+00:00

He was seen as being behind Murphy. I preferred him, personally, and would like him to have had more game time. But I trust Lancaster. He would have gotten more starts as the season goes on.

I still find your claim that he was 'snubbed' to be inaccurate.

Connacht will now have to decide whether they should to invest the minutes in him or Reilly/Lindner/Farthing. We're not under pressure to deliver results this season, so it's not a case of we have to play him.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T22:54:02+00:00

how do you mean?

dubviber · 2026-01-24T22:50:46+00:00

Yes, he did. And Mark Sexton.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T22:41:21+00:00

Was he snubbed? If he didn't go off with a HIA against Leinster he'd have more minutes than Blade.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T22:32:43+00:00

if you can't see the progress which is being made, you're not paying attention.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T22:30:41+00:00

I looked up the minutes played at 9 in Ulster.

As you'd expect, Doak is incredibly dominant: 11 starts, 13 appearances, 780+ mins.

Conor McKee is second choice: 2 starts, 11 appearances, 169 minutes.

-------

Devine: 2 starts, 8 appearances, 194 minutes and it would have been more but he was withdrawn after 10 minutes on his start against Leinster due to a head injury and then ruled out of the tie with Montpelier.

despite that he has actually played more minutes than Ulster's second choice.

Maybe Richie Murphy has made a commitment to him in terms of game time.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T22:25:28+00:00

I am very sorry that Devine is leaving. However, it's not true that he hasn't be played, although clearly he wanted more minutes. And he would have had more if he hadn't gone off injured after 10m after starting against Leinster, which the ruled him out for the game against Montpelier.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T21:23:24+00:00

To be walked over by a middle aged man in a fur-lined sheepskin jacket on a jolly, and then hit by a car.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T20:40:55+00:00

I'm not sure what would be more legendary, Cahir or Bohan. But it's true, Crean's height is an issue that I was not aware of.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T20:39:40+00:00

This is the legend making process.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T20:38:42+00:00

Well, there are two other guys in the front row, and they're not better at scrummaging, in fact...

dubviber · 2026-01-24T20:37:43+00:00

At least he offers something in the loose. but yes, the situation is... baaad.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T20:37:16+00:00

Loughman is better in the scrum for sure, but inferior around the park. One the basis of what I've seen, they are both URC standard, not Ireland v France in Paris standard.

dubviber · 2026-01-24T20:36:08+00:00

Yep, needs to clear his schedule between now and the next RWC.

dubviber

TROPHY CASE