Quote:
Originally Posted by Legend killer
After dishing out ANOTHER humbling to Pakistan in this evenings cricket match I really think we can classify Ireland with the like of the USA and Aus in the sporting powerhouse Category
CRICKET Have humbled Pakistan(handful of times) , Bangladesh (Handful of times) , England (Handful of times) and West Indies to name a few all while have our team depleted every other game by team like England stealing out best players(Morgan , Porterfield ,Joyce etc) cause there own talent is not up to scratch (the case in most sports). The ICC are running scared of the Irish emergence and continue to refuse our entry as a proper test nation because of it
GOLF Harrington , Mclroy and McDowell nuff said
FOOTBALL IN MCGRATH and Roy Keane we have 2 players that would make it into 99% of countries greatest ever teams. In Shay,Dunne,John,Robbie,Duff in there primes we have players that would walk into an England team ranked top 5 in the world LOOOL. We all saw how a YOUNG irish team recently outplayed both Italy and Croatia in the recent euro's
RUGBY UNION In BOD and POC we have 2 players who easily make it into the top 10 greatest players ever. And in Ulster,Leinster and Munster we have 3 of the top 5 club teams in world rugby
Boxing Fury , Floyd and Canelo nuff said
Aussie Rules So dominant in our version of the game in Gaelic we on a yearly basis play against and beat Australia in a hybrid version of the two games
I COULD go into more detail but will leave it at that for now the above speaks for itself
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Its an amazing time for irish sport I agree (though your claims about POC and keane are way over-stated), but Id say its also wales who are stealing a march, depsite being half the size of Ireland
Rugby. 6 nations champions yet again, 4 titles in 8 years (3 grand slams) and world cup 4th place. 15 welshmen on the lions trip plus several coaches
Football. 2 teams in the premiership now, winners of calring cup at swansea, newport promoted back to the football league and wrexham winners of the football trophy. also players like bale now valued as the most valuable player in UK and giggs the most successful ever
Boxing. Cleverley undefeated world champ, calzaghe the most successful british fighter of all time, other world champs like gavin rees, maccarinelli etc in recent years
Cycling, nicole cooke world champion
Athletics, dai green 400m hurdles world champion
Darts. mark webster BDO world champion
Paralympics. - 3 gold medal winners, adding to 2 of the most successful paralympians ever, tanni grey with 11 golds and david roberts with 11 golds
Olympics, record 30 welsh olympians including golds for jade jones.
Snooker -6 welsh in the top 40 (wales have won 9 of the world championships in the past 43 years)
Golf- well no one can seem to compete with the irish at present. though england have got a load of superb players....wales has jamie donaldson in the top 40 following from the retirement to the seniors tour of former world number 1, masters champion and winning ryder cup captain ian woosie woosnam
Cricket. Glamorgan were very successful up until the last few years when they spent all their money on building a test venue. wales supplied players to ashes victories such as simon jones, robert croft, geraint jones etc
Not too bad for a tiny nation of just 3 million and not a great economic climate