The UAFC was awash with frenzied mutterings on the musings of rugby pundit Neil Francis and having had the sound turned to mute in the Rosie when he spoke I have listened to the Rooster excerpts to try and make up my own mind if he speaks sense, shunt or sweet nothings.
Saint Franno was appearing on Setanta as a pundit and was asked if Ulster were going in the right direction, with the appointment of D. Humphreys mentioned as a factor. Good appointment agreed Franno, but no, Ulster weren’t going in the right direction and to back this up he mentioned the conveyor belt academies of Leinster and Munster which were producing an indefatigable line of quality player.
Ulster meanwhile had their plastic paddy’s, Schifcofske, Diack, Kyriacou, Botha and Nagusa. He went on to say they (Ulster) had 8 non local players and of those who were Irish qualified they were from outside the Province. Until they produce a line of quality players of local origin they would struggle.
Tom Court’s name was thrown into the ring and Franno mentioned how Mal O’Kelly had only got a few minutes pitch time in the 6N and so had Tom Court. Not too clear what the connection was there other than a moan about Mal O’Kelly not getting the time he (Franno) thought O’Kelly warranted. Anyway he went on to say that he’d seen TC in trouble too many times against mediocre opposition. Court, in Franno’s view, didn’t carve up the midfield, make huge tackles nor was he a decent lifter. Wasn’t Tom Court’s biggest fan obviously.
Mentioned there was no pressure on I Humph in the Connacht game and then went on to say that Ulster would get beat away from home in the Heiny and struggle against those same teams at home, with iHumph unable to stand the pressure of tight games. His brother got away with it remarked Franno, his expression barely meandering beyond the deadpan, but iHumph isn’t as clever apparently. Ulster according to Franno have been on the wane for 3 years now and whilst they got in good crowds, bolstered by folk from outside rugby when they were successful they would now struggle to get the numbers they should in the Magners except when they played Munster and Leinster. Not sure what the numbers would have to be, for us to be successful in Franno’s view.
Well there you have it, a summary, hopefully accurate of what the pundit said.
To answer the Academy question from my perspective, the Ulster one is producing a decent number of players and if Munster and Leinster were producing the conveyor belt quality Franno says they are, then why does the Munster backline consist of the likes of Howlett, Mafi and De Villiers and of course Manning who came on as a sub. Not to mention Williams in their back row and war horses like Quinlan and O’Driscoll in the pack who are hardly Academy material. True Leinster have the Kearney’s, Fitzgerald’s etc. but they too could hardly be said to be brimming over with Academy players and indeed their tight five feature, Stan Wright, CJ van Der Linde and Nathan Hines, plastic paddy’s one and all.
So can’t say St Franno was correct on this one and if anything is a tad blinkered with respect to the big two.
Franno’s view of Tom Court is perhaps a little derisory as it’s difficult to say I’ve seen Court in trouble that many times against mediocre opposition let alone Franno who can hardly be regarded as having watched Ulster too often. As for Court not carving up the midfield, surprise, he is err a prop, not a feckin’ centre. Tom Court doesn’t set the world on fire but methinks he is not a bad player and is an asset to Ulster so have to give Franno the bird for letting vindictiveness and cheap shots creep into his punditry. Court v O’Kelly and game time was a meaningless point as the two are hardly connected other than being in the same team but in different playing positions.
The jury is out as to whether Ulster will get beat away from home or struggle against their Heiny opponents. However a recording of Franno’s comments played to the Ulster team and in particular Ian Humph before they take the pitch in the Heineken should ensure Ulster as a competitive contender in their group.
Would have to say Ulster’s crowds have been relatively healthy given the dire run of circumstances on and off the pitch over the last 3 years and I can foresee Ravenhill returning to its tumultuous best this season. Not too clear what Franno’s idea of a healthy crowd at Ravenhill is.
Overall this was a very negative and at times personal piece of punditry by St. Franno and smacked of vindictiveness against some players whilst also featuring a significant rose tinted view of Munster and Leinster if not a clichéd one pandering to popular perception. Results on the pitch of course tell their own story and only through time this season will we able to prove Franno right or wrong in his comments. For now one must bite lip and hope Ulster do their talking on the pitch, hopefully with Setanta televising it.
As B.J. Botha might say, who is this guy Francis, is he a girl??.
Corrections, comments or questions?