Monday Round-Up
- 1364
Monday Round-Up
O'Mahony on managing expectations: Ireland flanker Peter O’Mahony is grateful for the support the team have received building up to the Rugby World Cup, while also learning to manage expectations.
Back-to-back Six Nations titles have led many pundits to tip Ireland for great success at this year’s tournament.
"We have to have some of the best supporters in the world and the fact that it's only going to be over the pond will probably make it a bit crazy for us.
"But it's something that we really enjoy and we get a huge lift from during games.
"Sure, there is an expectation there, but I think it is a realistic expectation from everyone. They want us to do well but they know we have to take it game by game.
"You'd want at the end of it to say that we played to our potential. That's what you want to say.
"You can't put a game on that, or base it on how far we want to get. But if we can look ourselves in the mirror and say we played as well as we can and there was no lock left unturned or there was nothing else I could have done, then you'll be in a good place.”
Tuilagi was found guilty of assaulting two police officers and as a result was dropped by England until January 2016.
"As far as we were concerned, we didn't know if he was going to be fit or not. We were hoping he was,” Lancaster told the Press Association.
"He was very much in the Ben Morgan category for me. Ben Morgan was injured at the time but we were going to bring Ben into the camp even if he wasn't quite right to allow him as long a time as possible - that was our take on it.
"The decision changed off the back of the court decision, from our point of view. You never know how long these injuries are going to take.
"I waited for the court to make their decision and reacted off the back of that. The decision was made that he was found guilty. Yes [I would have taken the same action had Tuilagi been fit].
"My decision was always going to be based on whatever the court decided, and the court decided that he was guilty."
Back-to-back Six Nations titles have led many pundits to tip Ireland for great success at this year’s tournament.
"We have to have some of the best supporters in the world and the fact that it's only going to be over the pond will probably make it a bit crazy for us.
"But it's something that we really enjoy and we get a huge lift from during games.
"Sure, there is an expectation there, but I think it is a realistic expectation from everyone. They want us to do well but they know we have to take it game by game.
"You'd want at the end of it to say that we played to our potential. That's what you want to say.
"You can't put a game on that, or base it on how far we want to get. But if we can look ourselves in the mirror and say we played as well as we can and there was no lock left unturned or there was nothing else I could have done, then you'll be in a good place.”
Lancaster on Tuilagi: England head coach Stuart Lancaster has revealed that the team may have waited to see if Manu Tuilagi could be fit in time for the Rugby World Cup had it not been for his court case.
Tuilagi was found guilty of assaulting two police officers and as a result was dropped by England until January 2016.
"As far as we were concerned, we didn't know if he was going to be fit or not. We were hoping he was,” Lancaster told the Press Association.
"He was very much in the Ben Morgan category for me. Ben Morgan was injured at the time but we were going to bring Ben into the camp even if he wasn't quite right to allow him as long a time as possible - that was our take on it.
"The decision changed off the back of the court decision, from our point of view. You never know how long these injuries are going to take.
"I waited for the court to make their decision and reacted off the back of that. The decision was made that he was found guilty. Yes [I would have taken the same action had Tuilagi been fit].
"My decision was always going to be based on whatever the court decided, and the court decided that he was guilty."
