Madam, - I wish to express my genuine disappointment at the IRFU/Genesis report on the failure of the Irish Rugby team at the World Cup.
As one of the tens of thousands of supporters who travelled to France and cumulatively spent more than €100 million, I believe this report fails completely to deal with any of the problems within the coaching set-up or within the IRFU. Furthermore, it does not attempt to deliver any reasonable explanations as to why "the best Irish team ever" disappointed so miserably.
The principal recommendations are to reinstate a team manager and backs coach, two roles which Eddie O'Sullivan has insisted on performing himself during his tenure. Should we take this as an admission of culpability? The acknowledgement of player development and the demand for greater numbers of players at the highest level, whilst commendable, is fundamentally undermined by Eddie O'Sullivan's continuing role within the Players' Advisory Group.
How can the IRFU attempt to resolve the fundamental issue of excessive individual control, while continuing to allow one individual to continue to occupy multiple roles which have fundamentally different and often conflicting objectives? I can't help but assume that Eddie O'Sullivan shall be a party to the appointments committee formed by the IRFU for these three "new" roles.
Finally, I understand that the feedback from the players has yet to be fully collated. I cannot fathom why the IRFU have announced details of the review while ignoring the opinions of probably the most important stakeholders envisaged by the report. As a committed rugby supporter, I am not calling for the head of Mr O'Sullivan. However, I do believe that the Irish rugby paying public, as stakeholders, deserve more than what can only be described as blatant whitewashing over the cracks. - Yours, etc,
JAMES HUGHES, Tullamore, Co Offaly.
Madam, - The IRFU have paid Genesis to survey the "stakeholders" and discover - it was nobody's fault or it was everybody's fault. Of course it goes without saying that the thousands who forked out to support OUR TEAM in France should not be allowed to read the full report.
Supporters are not real stakeholders. Neither are the thousands of kids who bought the jerseys or worshipped at the altar of O'Connell and O'Driscoll. Although the performance in France stole their dreams, they don't need to know what really happened.
The IRFU and Genesis might care to ponder their concept of sport. In sport you prepare, you go out and try your best, you give your all for the team. If you win, you prepare to win better the next time. If you lose, you face your mistakes and seek to make them right for the next game. The latter process involves courage. It is Olympian. Sport is about "heart and backbone".
In the professional era, where nobody is to blame, how can we ever improve? It takes courage to shoulder blame. Who missed tackles in France? Who dropped the ball? Who set the patterns of play? Who trained the team? Who picked the team? Stand up and be counted. If you do we might have a real genesis.
The Genesis report should be re-named the Exodus report - a neat escape route for all concerned! - Is mise,
JOE MAC GABHANN, Laurel Drive, Dublin 14.
Madam, - The IRFU cannot hide behind the Genesis report. We, the genuine supporters are as wise now as we were when Ireland failed against Namibia and Georgia and were beaten by France and Argentina.
The reality of what happened in France has not been addressed. Until that reality is addressed the future of Irish rugby is out of control. - Yours, etc,
TOM O'GRADY, Marley Rise, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.