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'I was told to f**k off to my country': Our readers on their experiences of racism in Ireland
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Australia v British & Irish Lions, second Test
Anti-Syrian regime protestors hold up a Syrian army defector as they chant slogans during a protest in central Syria last night. STR/AP/Press Association Images
Syria
UN to hold key talks on resolution demanding Assad steps aside
The move comes as Syrian troops push further into Damascus suburbs, crushing pockets of resistance.
ACTIVISTS SAY SYRIAN troops are crushing pockets of resistance on Damascus’ outskirts as they advance into suburbs previously held by rebel forces.
Today’s offensive comes hours before key U.N. talks over a draft resolution demanding President Bashar Assad step aside.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the British and French foreign ministers will be in New York to push for backing of the measure during talks at the United Nations.
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“The status quo is unsustainable,” Clinton said, saying the Assad regime was preventing a peaceful transition and warning that the resulting instability could “spill over throughout the region.”
The draft resolution demands that Assad halt the crackdown and implement an Arab peace plan that calls for him to hand over power to his vice president and allow creation of a unity government to pave the way for elections.
Government forces yesterday regained control of most of the capital’s eastern suburbs after dissident soldiers briefly captured the territory last week.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says “intense shooting” was heard in Zamalka and Arbeen as the tanks and troops advanced.
Meanwhile, army defectors gained full control of the central town of Rastan on Tuesday after days of intense clashes, according to a town activist who identified himself as Hassan. He refused to give his full name, fearing reprisals.
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@Peter: Doesn’t matter who won, NZ will destroy SA in final and England if they won? Argentina game will be interesting though and their love of the English.
@Horsebox: exactly. I couldn’t understand why sexton kicked the ball to the line at least twice when the penalty kicks were kickable. We had our chances to win the match last week against NZ but didn’t take them and that is sport. Hopefully Ireland learn, regroup and take the lessons learnt and become a better team in the future
@Peter: better team of the two in the tournament, SA were wrecked after last week, England had fresh legs! Wonder how that happened. Nah, the better team overall got through.
@DJ D: this argument again? It’s really simple, don’t know why people keep bringing that up, they were down to 14 men at the time, it’s the logical decision, the outcome didn’t happen but statistically it does so if statistically it works against 14 men and is logical, what you’re suggesting is you go for the lesser points on offer. Oh you mean in hindsight it was something you couldn’t understand? In hindsight. Yes, must remember that one.
@Anna Carr (Morrigan_Dubh): but I’m not an armchair supporter! I’ve supported Irish Rugby all my life which is nearly 50 years so don’t make BS accusations!!! I know what I am talking about unlike you who just clicks a studid comment
@TheGood Feign: sometimes logic doesn’t come into it especially when you are playing a Team of NZ character. You take whatever scores that come your way! Simple!!!
@DJ D: England in fairness did that tonight ie penalties, a drop goal and also did the same against Argentina. My point is you do whatever beats your opponent
@DJ D: obviously England didn’t win but could have won the game which it was looking like towards 70 minutes even if they didn’t score any tries. SA thankfully prevailed which hopefully will make a better final against NZ. N H teams need to learn and hopefully when the next world cup comes around it is the 2 from Europe who ultimately in my view are the best 2 teams in the world who play in the final in Australia
@TheGood Feign: I don’t think the statistics stack up kicking to the corner, even against 14 men. He did it to try and mentally dominate SA but it failed
@DJ D: to be fair the argument of taking points vs going to the corner isn’t a particularly good one. Whatever choice one makes is wrong if the team end up losing. The perfect example was actually last weekend where you had two teams, both 4 points down going into the last 10 minutes. One team took the points on offer, the other tried to go to the corner. One team lost by 1 point and fans said they should’ve gone to the corner as the likelihood of getting a second chance in attack wasn’t in their favour. The other team went to the corner and lost by 4 points, with people claiming they should’ve taken points and tried then to get the chance for another penalty or drop goal. Whatever way you look at it at the end of the day there is no right answer unless you win.
@DJ D: I said armchair sportsmen not supporters. Those who know everything, but aren’t actually on the field. I also supported rugby from my mother’s lap, which is also over 50 years.
@Anna Carr (Morrigan_Dubh): you’re the EXPERT so I guess you’ll get a call from Andy Farrell any day now!!! Wow, how could he leave such an EXPERT out of the team is beyond me
@DJ D: yeah, great comeback to cover up a silly mistake. I’m not claiming to be an expert, because I’m not on the pitch. That Sir, is my point. Thanking you!!!!!
@Mick Duvanny: worked a lot of the time for both Ireland and Leinster (who also do this against 14 all the time). Show me these stats you’re referring to and I’ll believe you. You look at the points racked up against 14 men over 2022 and 2023 for Ireland and Leinster. Otherwise I’m afraid you’re not really talking about stats now are you?
@DJ D: haha no complaints from the armchair fans when it was working the past 2 years. Really. Logic came into it all through 2022 and 2023 for Ireland v 14 men, just look at that situation in previous games. Yes in hindsight you look like a genius saying this but if we’d lost and we had taken the points you’d be first on here saying why didn’t we go for the corner when we were against 14 men because we usually have success against that. We usually have success doing that statistically we usually score from that situation! Instead of focusing on Sextons kicks (because that logic was sound) the focus ought to be on how great NZ were, what if we’d got that try down but was held up huh?
Lovely to see the wheels of the Chariot fall off in Paris….
Here’s hoping Argentina help too next Friday evening and England leave empty handed again….. I couldn’t even listen to the English people at work with their “it’s coming home”
@Luka Roche: You won’t have to listen to ,,,,,,,,?? What about the likes of us that have to put with the likes of you with this, such predictable comment? If you haven’t got anything positive to show (apart from your clearly anti English feelings) then say nothing.
@Chris Thaunton: is this a rugger only page then, can only rugger types comment, not many of us could go through another 80 minutes of Farrell kicking the leather off the ball and serial boring renditions of Swing low sweet chariot.
@Luka Roche: The ‘Big Chip on the Shoulder’ brigade emerges, eh? A heroic performance from England. Pity Ireland didn’t perform with the same intensity after the flukey win againsy the Boks.
@P. V. Aglue: wow good point, didn’t think about that fiasco. Tortorous game even the players don’t want to play. It’s interesting World Rugby don’t want to pursue a Plate/Bowl off shoot run simultaneously, but persist with the farcical 3rd place run off. Just do like boxing and award both teams a bronze….and proceed with the Plate/Bowl
Thank Christ for that. England were brilliant in fairness but they are also still essentially terrible and the thought of them in the final would turn you off ever watching rugby again. Next match for Ireland and France is against each other in the stade France in the six nations, that is basically the third place match for this World Cup
I’m delighted. England didn’t belong in the semi final and south africa played badly. We beat them, and they’re in the final. Anyway, I’m thrilled with that result. Yay.
Irish rugby fans are every bit as difficult to listen to as English ones these days. Both would have been unbearable to listen to winning the World Cup. The final for the neutrals to all enjoy happened thank god.
Typical Engerland, fall at the first difficult hurdle. They always seem to get the easiest draws in football and rugby and when they beat the minnows all the troglodytes think that they are world beaters. It’s glorious to see them fail after all the hype that surrounds Engerlandish sport.
@Plastic Paddy: Well your name says it all…. It was an interesting match as a neutral, South Africa didn’t play good rugby at all …. And now, both finalists should make a great game of it..
@Blue Moon: All blacks and Ireland are by far the best teams,would have been a great World Cup if they were playing each other.
The draws unfortunately were just not in our favour,we were better than any other team bar the all blacks who had slight edge on us but not a lot…we actually could have been World Cup winners.
Sorry for England,good game but nothing as good as ours last week…
Last rwc England lost the final and refused to put on their medals, this time lost to sa again and started to push the sa team around, and they wonder why people don’t like them.
This was a boring game of rugby it was all kicking and scraping very little open play. But saying that England should have won they played their hearts out…
Whilst England were the better team for 75 mins, they never once looked like scoring a try. It’s that lack of ambition and final third attacking prowess that holds them back. The best teams always look to score with ball in hand.Surely New Zealand will have the fresher legs in the final. But will their setpiece hold up against the bomb squad. Intriguing!!
@EVAN MEADE: provincial bias in a world Cup that’s sad. I suppose Leinster will be happy to have signed Nienaber for next season but it’s a bit of a yawn fest to go on about it.
Reg Morrissey… because Farrell was afraid to upset sexton by taking him off.. could you imagine the toys he would have thrown out of the pram. heavens above the terrible twos.
Sexton mentally bottled it on the night and kicked for the corner
@hi from heaven: Correct …. He should have taken him off after 50 minutes. Whining Matt Williams would have Byrne on as he’s a better player than Crowley …. that man is clueless… no wonder Leinster got rid of him.
Personally, Eng had an easy route, but what was worse was the UK commentary, as only northern team and.. God they are shocked now the free counts were the difference bad game as the World Cup has gone
Fair play to rassie. His team were atrocious so he made wholesale substitutions.i never understood why,when teams are playing terribly that the coach doesn’t take off all the ones playing terribly. Make changes while you can and don’t complain when the game is lost.
Sexton bottled it and kicked for the corner…they were not always down to 14 when this decision was made,as above comment suggests( probably watched it in a pub and doesn’t remember), he kicked for corner in opening couple of minutes
England have cemented their place as the best team in the northern hemisphere. South Africa easily win the final. New Zealand aren’t a good outfit nowadays.
Anti English you’re having a laugh. It’s just a bit of banter between people/countries with a history of rivalry. You think the Scottish and Welsh people are not doing the same. Chill man
Terrible tournament not one single upset in the whole world cup, winner of each game could have been predicted well before the tournament started. SA must be laughing, most of their squad picking up handy money and coaching with European sides. The game should go back to being amateur
@Peter Byrne: so you called fiji beating Australia, Georgia drawing with Portugal and portugal beating Fiji? You must be a very wealthy boy with that sort of foresight
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Australia v British & Irish Lions, second Test
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