Six Nations 2010: calm down Ronan OGara and well done John Hayes

By Keith Wood, former Ireland captain Published: 9:11PM GMT twenty-five February 2010

Booting "bad press" in to touch? Ronan O"Gara attempts a chastisement flog opposite France Photo: AP

An perspective square by Kevin Myers, of the Irish Independent, on Ireland"s loss to France had the extraordinary greeting of a published repartee by Ronan O"Gara. Curious, given sportsmen frequency ever reply in kind. Myers has right away countered and we are all watchful with bated breath for the tale to continue.

In short, Myers blamed O"Gara for Ireland"s better in Paris, but the fly-half strike back, observant "I do not accept being castigated by a publisher who I think knows zero about rugby".

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An perspective square is only that, and in his counterclaim of the conflict on his credentials, Myers declares rightly "one does not need to be a carpenter to see that the chair keeps descending over".

Equally, O"Gara is entitled to his reply, nonetheless I can"t recollect an additional player receiving that right. By you do so it leaves O"Gara open to the question, "will he right away honour a bard when a understanding square is written?"

Myers" primary essay was along a some-more philosophical focussed than quite a rugby one and if his declarations in propinquity to the player appear oppressive and personal, it is given they were.

They additionally had elements of law to them, as manager Declan Kidney right away has O"Gara consigned to the bench. But comparing O"Gara"s rebellious to that of Kate Moss"s … well, unequivocally harsh, really. Or may be we are removing as well critical here. And, you never know, may be Kate Moss is an overwhelming tackler.

My primary thought was that O"Gara was brash to reply. In fact, I still think so. But, to be fair, the reply is unequivocally majority in keeping with the O"Gara we know. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, and he is wouldnt to contend what he thinks, not what we would design a diver to say. It creates him interesting.

He has flaws, we know it and he knows it. And lest we dont think about it, he additionally is the longest-serving, majority successful Irish outside-half.

He, similar to all sportsmen, doesn"t wish to speak about his weaknesses. When I was in the horrors with my line-out throwing, the last thing I longed for to do was pull courtesy to it. I can now, usually given the suffering has been dulled by the years of retirement.

It is one of the toughest elements of sport, where each move is scrutinised and you get appraised each Saturday. Not startling to be a small bit supportive in those circumstances, I suppose.

And afterwards on the alternative side of the spectrum is John Hayes. At twenty-one stone, frequency a claimant for sensitivity. He as well has his faults: 6ft 4in was never the preferred tallness for a tighthead. He gets in positions where he gets buckled. His scrummaging has been the brunt of critique for scarcely all of his 99 caps. But how silly does that sound?

It could be the unequivocally clarification of irony. The man is an institution. He has drawn scarcely the total farming village of Ireland along with him to rugby. We have altered couple of front rows in Ireland and that is mostly trotted out as the main cause of Hayes"s selection. But that only trivialises his extraordinary achievement.

He transposed one of the heroes on the 1997 Lions tour, Paul Wallace, after the hammering at Twickenham in 2000, and has not longed for a Six Nations diversion in the 10 years since. At scarcely 36 he played in the last Test of last year"s Lions series. He has completed incredibly majority in the sport, Grand Slam, Triple Crowns, Heineken Cups, Lions tours.

His longevity has done him an easy aim to prominence and nonetheless all one has to do is ask his team-mates to get an thought of how he is rated. He is the cornerstone of this Irish team. Beaten at times, but frequency defeated, he has shouldered the expectancy with the hold that he can"t go off to be substituted.

The French guys in the front row get hauled off on 50 mins but Hayes is constantly there for the duration. I played with him for 3 or 4 seasons and I can absolutely contend he regularly gave everything. You can"t ask for more.

As the law altered and light became authorised he came in to his own. Mick Galway"s resurgence in the group came at the time when unassisted a rizla paper wouldn"t fit underneath his jump, but with the Bull Hayes at the back of he could soar in the sky, and we could have an additional personality on the field. Gallaimh should keep him in pints for the rest of his life!

Hayes would hatred all this gushing. Jason Leonard sent him a content last year when he reached an additional milestone, and he abandoned it. Not that he wouldn"t similar to a content from Jason, but he couldn"t hold Jason would content him. He thought one of the lads was carrying a laugh. Last giggle to you, Bull. If a week is a prolonged time, how does 10 years sound?