No passion from these professionals
Wednesday September 26 2007
During the non-professional era when collective talent was in limited supply, players who represented Ireland displayed honesty of effort and passion, along with great pride in playing for their country. Ciaran Fitzgerald springs to mind.
The highs were few and far between but one accepted the results, good and bad, in the knowledge that everyone performed to the best of their ability.
I have not heard one person question or disagree that the Ireland team playing in this RWC is the best prepared team ever to represent this island.
Rugby is now a professional sport and, to survive, all professional sport must be run as a business. In business, all involved are paid a salary.
Well paid professionals, who have worked together for a number of years, should be able to perform when left to their own devices.
Sadly, this has not been the case with those representing Ireland in this World Cup.
Over the years, along with provincial and county teams, I have supported Ireland teams in several sports.
Let nobody compare this team's performances with those from another era. Past performances, the ones I refer to, did not involve paid professionals.
This group, every man-jack of them, from top to bottom of their respective salary scales and responsibilities, are not fulfilling their contracts.
I would like to know what penalties, aside from 10 minutes off the playing field, apply to a senior professional player who is sin-binned with 20 minutes remaining in such an important game.
His own words were, "You just have to take in on the chin". Not good enough.
I was in Stade de France on Friday having purchased the "follow-your-team" ticket package from the IRB about 18 months ago. I have never experienced such emptiness and disappointment at a sporting occasion.
I do wish this team well in their next game but I will not return to Paris at the weekend (flights and hotel all non-refundable) to support them.
Based on their performances to date in Rugby World Cup 2007, this team of well-paid professionals is not worthy of my passionate support which was unconditional in a previous era.
CO WICKLOW
