With Irish rugby regressing from a modicum of bravery to the elephant in the room in the space of six months, Irish rugby's official Twitter account has taken it upon itself to lighten the mood.
The art of the sports doppelgänger has no doubt been transcended by social media in recent years - just look at Leitrim footballer Emlyn Mulligan and Barcelona's Luis Suarez, or somewhat more eerily, the freakish case of Limerick's Barry Cotter.
Hollywood links are somewhat more ambivalent - Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores' resemblance to actor Hugh Laurie, particularly in his role of Dr. House, has divided opinion on more than one occasion.
And yet, even allowing for all of the online lookalike skits, giggles, and back-and-forths, it's difficult to see what Irish Rugby were going for here.
Anyone else see the resemblance? @channingtatum / @CJStander pic.twitter.com/eYr1ARRTP5
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) March 1, 2016
Respective chiselled jawlines and farm-boy good looks notwithstanding, this is - by some considerable distance - one of the most bizarrely inaccurate calls in modern times. And in fairness to the feckin' raillery-merchants behind the Irish Rugby Twitter account, it evoked quite a furore online.
Naturally, a couple of international players were quick to get involved.
@IrishRugby @channingtatum @CJStander Has CJ hacked the account here??
— Fergus McFadden (@fergmcfadden) March 1, 2016
@IrishRugby No need for the feedback on this one #PrettyClose pic.twitter.com/l5f4y5uqVJ
— Sean Cronin (@SeanCronin2) March 1, 2016
Di Caprio would have fit right in at the 2005 Ardscoil Rís debs.
Leinster back Fergus McFadden seemed particularly jealous by the Channing Tatum-CJ Stander comparison, and inexplicably turned the tables on Leinster and Ireland teammate Mike Ross.
@IrishRugby @RyanGosling @MikeRoss03 Found another good one... pic.twitter.com/cnFbejktLu
— Fergus McFadden (@fergmcfadden) March 1, 2016
No man alive would ever wish to see their face lined up alongside that of Ryan Gosling - not least a man from Fermoy - but it was about to get a whole lot worse for Iain Henderson...
#splitpic @IrishRugby pic.twitter.com/qcRTJVFQAh
— JCE1967 (@ceciljames67) March 1, 2016
This wins! https://t.co/Pn4qWJTobJ
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) March 2, 2016
Not quite the Wilkinson a rugby player would wish to be compared to, but nonetheless by far the pick of an uncanny lot. Talk about adding insult to injury. One would imagine revenge will arrive hard and fast from the Ulsterman.
