Sport
More Munster Escapology
14/12/08 22:27
I reckon the
cardiac unit at Limerick Regional was working to
absolute capacity yesterday evening. Why do Munster
do this to us? They take us to the edge of the cliff,
dangle us over it and then just when we think we’re
about to plummet into the abyss, haul us back to
safety.
I wasn’t at the match yesterday. Mr & Mrs Munstermad had tickets and they dropped off their little ‘un to us en route to Limerick. Watching a high-stakes rugby match while looking after a toddler is often a recipe for disaster, but when we had the two of them yesterday, by full-time the house looked like it had been burgled. Mr & Mrs M stayed with us last night, so this is the first opportunity I have had to write about the match.
One thing is for sure, Clermont came to Limerick with a completely different mindset from the last time they were here. Having beaten Munster in France last week, they were looking for the double on the champions. And there were long periods throughout the match yesterday when they looked like they were going to do just that.
The turning point was when Jamie Cudmore was sent off
half
way through the first half for repeatedly punching
Paul O’Connell. O’Connell himself got a yellow for
his troubles. You might expect Munster to run riot
from that point on, having numerical advantage, but
Clermont dug their heels in and refused to lie down.
David Wallace got in for a late try just before
half-time, but when the teams re-emerged, it was all
Clermont.
The French side held Munster scoreless for almost the entire second half, but the introduction of veteran scrum-half Peter Stringer seven minutes from the end completely turned the tables on the visitors. At that point 14-man Clermont were leading Munster 13-11, and the men in red were facing the real prospect of not only their second ever home defeat in the Heineken Cup, but also the possibility of having the destiny of their qualification from Pool One taken from their hands. With Stringer on the field, straight away Munster’s ruck ball was fast and the passing was crisp. Having been pinned in their own half of the field for so long, suddenly they were in Clermont’s 22. A delicious flip pass from Lifeimi Mafi to Marcus Horan saw the fleet-footed prop barge over in the corner. ROG missed the conversion, and Munster led 16-13. (All afternoon, Sky’s stats-obsessed commentators kept going on about O’Gara’s imminent passing of the 1000 points mark in Heineken Cup games. It seemed like it was a monkey on his back, as his place-kicking game yesterday was poor.) Had it stayed like this, Clermont would have claimed a losing bonus point, and the two sides would have been even-stevens over their two matches.
But this is Munster. The next time they secured possession, flanker Niall Ronan chipped ahead and ran onto the ball to score. That put Munster eight points ahead, keeping Clemont out of range for a losing bonus point. ROG nailed the conversion this time, taking his personal tally of Heineken Cup points to 1001.
Further good news came Munster’s way later yesterday evening, when Sale went down to defeat away to Montauban. If Munster can win their remaining two matches (home to Sale and away to Montauban) they are through to the quarter-finals.
No doubt Munster will provide some more nail-biting moments before the pool stages are over, but hopefully we won’t have to sweat like we did yesterday.
I wasn’t at the match yesterday. Mr & Mrs Munstermad had tickets and they dropped off their little ‘un to us en route to Limerick. Watching a high-stakes rugby match while looking after a toddler is often a recipe for disaster, but when we had the two of them yesterday, by full-time the house looked like it had been burgled. Mr & Mrs M stayed with us last night, so this is the first opportunity I have had to write about the match.
One thing is for sure, Clermont came to Limerick with a completely different mindset from the last time they were here. Having beaten Munster in France last week, they were looking for the double on the champions. And there were long periods throughout the match yesterday when they looked like they were going to do just that.
The turning point was when Jamie Cudmore was sent off
The French side held Munster scoreless for almost the entire second half, but the introduction of veteran scrum-half Peter Stringer seven minutes from the end completely turned the tables on the visitors. At that point 14-man Clermont were leading Munster 13-11, and the men in red were facing the real prospect of not only their second ever home defeat in the Heineken Cup, but also the possibility of having the destiny of their qualification from Pool One taken from their hands. With Stringer on the field, straight away Munster’s ruck ball was fast and the passing was crisp. Having been pinned in their own half of the field for so long, suddenly they were in Clermont’s 22. A delicious flip pass from Lifeimi Mafi to Marcus Horan saw the fleet-footed prop barge over in the corner. ROG missed the conversion, and Munster led 16-13. (All afternoon, Sky’s stats-obsessed commentators kept going on about O’Gara’s imminent passing of the 1000 points mark in Heineken Cup games. It seemed like it was a monkey on his back, as his place-kicking game yesterday was poor.) Had it stayed like this, Clermont would have claimed a losing bonus point, and the two sides would have been even-stevens over their two matches.
But this is Munster. The next time they secured possession, flanker Niall Ronan chipped ahead and ran onto the ball to score. That put Munster eight points ahead, keeping Clemont out of range for a losing bonus point. ROG nailed the conversion this time, taking his personal tally of Heineken Cup points to 1001.
Further good news came Munster’s way later yesterday evening, when Sale went down to defeat away to Montauban. If Munster can win their remaining two matches (home to Sale and away to Montauban) they are through to the quarter-finals.
No doubt Munster will provide some more nail-biting moments before the pool stages are over, but hopefully we won’t have to sweat like we did yesterday.
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Losing Bonus Point For Munster
07/12/08 22:10
I didn’t get
to see the Clermont - Munster match today, as I was
at a family get-together. I have it canned in the
Sky+, but my better half had also recorded Strictly
Come Dancing. So I’ll have to wait to get to see the
match.
Although we were hoping for a win, this was always going to be hard to come by. Even for a team with an away record like Munster’s, we can never take a French team for granted on their home ground. Crucially, by staying within seven points of Clermont, Munster got a losing bonus point, which would have been the minimum required from their travels.
The return fixture is next Saturday, and Munster must win this one. Not only that, but they must prevent Clermont from getting the losing bonus point, thus keeping their noses ahead.
Hopefully, Munster will put on a better show that they did against Montauban back in October.
Although we were hoping for a win, this was always going to be hard to come by. Even for a team with an away record like Munster’s, we can never take a French team for granted on their home ground. Crucially, by staying within seven points of Clermont, Munster got a losing bonus point, which would have been the minimum required from their travels.
The return fixture is next Saturday, and Munster must win this one. Not only that, but they must prevent Clermont from getting the losing bonus point, thus keeping their noses ahead.
Hopefully, Munster will put on a better show that they did against Montauban back in October.
World Cup Draw
01/12/08 22:38
The draw for
the 2011 World Cup was made this afternoon, and
Ireland have been drawn with Australia and Italy.
Being a second seed team meant that there was never going to be an easy draw. We have beaten Australia in the past (though never at the World Cup, but we came close twice), so we should be reasonably happy with the outcome. At least we didn’t get hosts New Zealand.
We were unlucky to be in the Pool of Death last time with France and Argentina. This came about because Argentina were third seeds going into that draw, and the French were in the top rank. Last time around the seedings were determined by where you finished in the previous World Cup, and because we beat Argentina in the pool match in 2003, we got to the quarter final and they exited at the pool stage. This time around the seedings were done on world ranking position, and our beating of Argentina last Saturday week meant that we maintained our eighth place in the rankings. Had we lost, we would have slipped to ninth, and if ROG had converted Tommy Bowe’s try, Argentina would have been in the second tier with us.
We should get out of that group, even if we lose to the Wallabies. Declan Kidney now has the best part of three years to prepare, and we will play Italy at least three times before the tournament, so barring a crash in confidence like we had in 2007, we should be able to see them off handily enough.
The rest of the groups are quite interesting. Current World Champions South Africa were drawn with current Six Nations Champions Wales. Also in that group are Fiji, who dispatched the Taffies last time around. 2011 hosts New Zealand and 2007 hosts France are in the same group, setting up the mother of all grudge matches. The only potential Pool of Death is the one with Argentina, England and Scotland.
Still, it’s all a good way off yet. We have Six Nations business to deal with first.
Being a second seed team meant that there was never going to be an easy draw. We have beaten Australia in the past (though never at the World Cup, but we came close twice), so we should be reasonably happy with the outcome. At least we didn’t get hosts New Zealand.
We were unlucky to be in the Pool of Death last time with France and Argentina. This came about because Argentina were third seeds going into that draw, and the French were in the top rank. Last time around the seedings were determined by where you finished in the previous World Cup, and because we beat Argentina in the pool match in 2003, we got to the quarter final and they exited at the pool stage. This time around the seedings were done on world ranking position, and our beating of Argentina last Saturday week meant that we maintained our eighth place in the rankings. Had we lost, we would have slipped to ninth, and if ROG had converted Tommy Bowe’s try, Argentina would have been in the second tier with us.
We should get out of that group, even if we lose to the Wallabies. Declan Kidney now has the best part of three years to prepare, and we will play Italy at least three times before the tournament, so barring a crash in confidence like we had in 2007, we should be able to see them off handily enough.
The rest of the groups are quite interesting. Current World Champions South Africa were drawn with current Six Nations Champions Wales. Also in that group are Fiji, who dispatched the Taffies last time around. 2011 hosts New Zealand and 2007 hosts France are in the same group, setting up the mother of all grudge matches. The only potential Pool of Death is the one with Argentina, England and Scotland.
Still, it’s all a good way off yet. We have Six Nations business to deal with first.
Accentuating The Negative
23/11/08 21:44
You’d be forgiven for
getting the impression that Ireland had lost to
Argentina yesterday, given the amount of negative
commentary in the wake of the game. OK, it was a
dreary match to watch, but there was a lot at stake.
Ireland had to win it in order to stay in eighth
place in the rankings. If they lost, they would have
dropped to ninth and into the third seeds for the
World Cup draw. Argentina would have climbed into
fourth place and would have claimed a top seeding.
The way these things work out, we would probably have
ended up in the same pool again in the World Cup.
Against this background, it was never going to be a free-flowing game. There was never going to be any of that fancy-Dan sort of play from the backs. Both teams are strong in defence, and that showed yesterday. Throughout the match, RTE commentators Ryle Nugent and Tony Ward claimed that Argentina were winning the defensive battle, but I cannot recall a single time that Ireland’s line was broken, or that Irish defenders had to scramble back. There was only one genuine try-scoring opportunity in the match, and it was taken by Tommy Bowe, who collected Ronan O’Gara’s exquisite cross-field kick to run in unopposed. (Incidentally, one or other of RTE’s commentators referred to ROG’s kick as if he had learned the manouevre from Dan Carter. Sorry, but ROG has had that one in his arsenal for a long, long time.)
The Irish rugby team is still in transition. They are still getting over the trauma of the 2007 World Cup when their confidence imploded. Decaln Kidney has had three games in charge so far and won two of them. Add to this the ELVs, which have forced Ireland to radically rethink the way they approach the game.
Even though we won yesterday, Kidney still has some way to go to get his charges into the sort of form that is capable of competing at the top table. Last week’s result emphasised that. If it’s any small comfort, Scotland and Wales were also thumped by New Zealand during this Autumn series, and England suffered a record home defeat to South Africa yesterday. As Ronan O’Gara said, the national team needs to show a bit of the spirit Munster’s second strings displayed in their Herculean display against the All Blacks last Tuesday night. There needs to be genuine competition for every place on the team.
The next test come in the New Year, when the Six Nations comes around. Once that’s over and done, we will be in a better position to see how Declan Kidney’s new regime is shaping up.
Against this background, it was never going to be a free-flowing game. There was never going to be any of that fancy-Dan sort of play from the backs. Both teams are strong in defence, and that showed yesterday. Throughout the match, RTE commentators Ryle Nugent and Tony Ward claimed that Argentina were winning the defensive battle, but I cannot recall a single time that Ireland’s line was broken, or that Irish defenders had to scramble back. There was only one genuine try-scoring opportunity in the match, and it was taken by Tommy Bowe, who collected Ronan O’Gara’s exquisite cross-field kick to run in unopposed. (Incidentally, one or other of RTE’s commentators referred to ROG’s kick as if he had learned the manouevre from Dan Carter. Sorry, but ROG has had that one in his arsenal for a long, long time.)
The Irish rugby team is still in transition. They are still getting over the trauma of the 2007 World Cup when their confidence imploded. Decaln Kidney has had three games in charge so far and won two of them. Add to this the ELVs, which have forced Ireland to radically rethink the way they approach the game.
Even though we won yesterday, Kidney still has some way to go to get his charges into the sort of form that is capable of competing at the top table. Last week’s result emphasised that. If it’s any small comfort, Scotland and Wales were also thumped by New Zealand during this Autumn series, and England suffered a record home defeat to South Africa yesterday. As Ronan O’Gara said, the national team needs to show a bit of the spirit Munster’s second strings displayed in their Herculean display against the All Blacks last Tuesday night. There needs to be genuine competition for every place on the team.
The next test come in the New Year, when the Six Nations comes around. Once that’s over and done, we will be in a better position to see how Declan Kidney’s new regime is shaping up.
Video Footage From Last Night's Match
19/11/08 23:35
Four Minutes From Immortality
19/11/08 00:27
Just back from
Limerick, having witnessed one of the most
breathtaking games of rugby in my life. The standard
of the game certainly lived up to the occasion, with
full-blooded commitment from both teams.
Munster led for almost the entire
game. We were 16-13 up with four minutes to go, when
the heart inside every red-clad chest was broken by a
Joe Rokococko try that the All Blacks two points
ahead.
Every Munster supporter should be proud of their team
tonight. They put in a heroic performance and left
nothing on the field. And this team was lacking
almost all its internationals.
I had the video camera with me as well as the still
camera, and got some good footage. I was on the West
Terrace, just at the 10 metre line, which was perfect
for capturing the event. I’ll trawl through the tape
to see what’s useable and horse it up onto YouTube
over the next few days or so.
Off To Thomond Tomorrow
17/11/08 22:02
After the abject
disappointment of Saturday’s defeat to the All
Blacks, attention now turns to the encounter between
the Men in Red and the Men in Black. International
duty and the garnering of vital world ranking points
mean that both sides are shorn of most of their first
choice players, but this should not take in any way
from the sense of occasion at Thomond Park tomorrow
evening.
There’s nothing shabby about either side. In red, former All Black Doug Howlett starts at full back, with fellow Kiwis Rua Tipoki and Lifeimi Mafi in the centre. Veteran international scrum-half Peter Stringer will start, as will fellow Irish caps Frank Sheahan at hooker and Mick O’Driscoll in the second row. O’Driscoll has the honour of captaining the side. Denis Leamy eases himself back into the swing of things following several months out due to injury with a gentle workout at No 8.
In the black corner, scrum-half Piri Weepu captains the team. Joe Rokocoko starts on the wing, and is the only member of the starting XV from Saturday’s game. In the replacements, Mils Muliaina and Brad Thorn were also in Saturday’s match day 22.
Hopefully, we’ll see more creativity from Munster than we did from Ireland on Saturday. I’m not going to predict anything, but here’s hoping we give their cage a bloody good rattle.
There’s nothing shabby about either side. In red, former All Black Doug Howlett starts at full back, with fellow Kiwis Rua Tipoki and Lifeimi Mafi in the centre. Veteran international scrum-half Peter Stringer will start, as will fellow Irish caps Frank Sheahan at hooker and Mick O’Driscoll in the second row. O’Driscoll has the honour of captaining the side. Denis Leamy eases himself back into the swing of things following several months out due to injury with a gentle workout at No 8.
In the black corner, scrum-half Piri Weepu captains the team. Joe Rokocoko starts on the wing, and is the only member of the starting XV from Saturday’s game. In the replacements, Mils Muliaina and Brad Thorn were also in Saturday’s match day 22.
Hopefully, we’ll see more creativity from Munster than we did from Ireland on Saturday. I’m not going to predict anything, but here’s hoping we give their cage a bloody good rattle.
Blackout
16/11/08 22:17
So much for my
prediction of a narrow Irish win over New Zealand.
Next time, I’ll just keep my big mouth shut.
Twenty-two games played over 103 years and we have
yet to register a single win. Twenty seconds into
yesterday evening’s game and it was clear that the
record was not going to change.
What went wrong? First up, Ireland showed too much respect. They knew that New Zealand were going to come at them with all guns blazing, and they just let them for the first twenty minutes or so. Secondly, they didn’t put any faith in their own ability to attack. Possession was hoofed away aimlessly all throughout the game.
A good kicking game has two aims. The first is to get the ball to touch in order to get a foothold in opposition territory. Even if it is an opposition lineout, there is the opportunity to disrupt and get both possession and field position. The second aim is to get the ball into open space behind the opposing three quarter line, in order to force them to turn back and secure possession, by which time your forwards will be in their faces forcing them to clear their lines. Ireland did neither yesterday. They had possession in their own half, got it back to Ronan O’Gara who just wellied it down the field, straight down the throats of the All Black three-quarters. Five seconds later, play was back at the point where ROG had kicked, except this time New Zealand had the ball. Utterly pointless play. He may as well have just taken the ball and passed it over to the other side of the ruck.
There was no creativity in Ireland’s play yesterday, mainly because they spent most of the match in defensive mode. If you don’t have the ball, you can’t attack. And if you keep giving possession away, you have no-one to blame but yourself.
Hopefully, Ireland will have learned something from yesterday’s match. Next weekend, we face Argentina, who have twice put us on the plane home from the World Cup.
In the meantime, next Tuesday evening, Munster face New Zealand at Thomond Park. This match is to commemorate the famous Munster win over the All Blacks in 1978, and is also the official opening of the new Thomond Park stadium. My old mucker Munstermad has secured the necessaries, and I will be there. Report to follow.
What went wrong? First up, Ireland showed too much respect. They knew that New Zealand were going to come at them with all guns blazing, and they just let them for the first twenty minutes or so. Secondly, they didn’t put any faith in their own ability to attack. Possession was hoofed away aimlessly all throughout the game.
A good kicking game has two aims. The first is to get the ball to touch in order to get a foothold in opposition territory. Even if it is an opposition lineout, there is the opportunity to disrupt and get both possession and field position. The second aim is to get the ball into open space behind the opposing three quarter line, in order to force them to turn back and secure possession, by which time your forwards will be in their faces forcing them to clear their lines. Ireland did neither yesterday. They had possession in their own half, got it back to Ronan O’Gara who just wellied it down the field, straight down the throats of the All Black three-quarters. Five seconds later, play was back at the point where ROG had kicked, except this time New Zealand had the ball. Utterly pointless play. He may as well have just taken the ball and passed it over to the other side of the ruck.
There was no creativity in Ireland’s play yesterday, mainly because they spent most of the match in defensive mode. If you don’t have the ball, you can’t attack. And if you keep giving possession away, you have no-one to blame but yourself.
Hopefully, Ireland will have learned something from yesterday’s match. Next weekend, we face Argentina, who have twice put us on the plane home from the World Cup.
In the meantime, next Tuesday evening, Munster face New Zealand at Thomond Park. This match is to commemorate the famous Munster win over the All Blacks in 1978, and is also the official opening of the new Thomond Park stadium. My old mucker Munstermad has secured the necessaries, and I will be there. Report to follow.
Ireland Team For Saturday Named
11/11/08 22:11
Earlier today, Declan
Kidney named the Irish squad
to face New Zealand
this coming Saturday in Croke Park, in the second
of the Autumn internationals.
The personnel line up is virtually identical to that which wiped the floor with Canada last Saturday, the only selection changes being Girvan Dempsey taking the place of Leinster team mate Shane Horgan; and Tomás O’Leary coming in for Peter Stringer. The rest of the changes are all swaps between starting XV and the bench.
Despite a confident performance in his full international debut last week, young Keith Earls has to be content with a place on the bench for the upcoming match. I will admit to arching an eyebrow when I saw the name of Girvan Dempsey at the top of the list that was published this lunchtime. But, thinking about it, it is the correct choice. The All Blacks are starting Dan Carter at outhalf, and he has the potential to torment a relatively inexperienced full back in a match like this. Best to put in a solid and experienced man in this role, even if he is at the twilight stage of his international career.
Elsewhere in the back line, it’s as you were last week. Ireland’s back five all played well last week, in atrocious conditions and against poor opposition, so all those that are starting this weekend have won their places on merit.
It’s all-Munster in the half-backs. No surprise to see ROG reacquaint himself with Carter, McCaw & Co., and you can be sure that the Kiwis will try to exploit his channel, as they have done in the past. Tomás O’Leary comes in at scrum-half in favour of Eoin Reddan, who drops to the bench. This is a good call, as I feel that Reddan has been somewhat ponderous about his recycling. O’Leary is a fast recycler of the ball, kicks well and isn’t afraid to break if need be.
Up front, it’s wise old heads all round, almost without exception. Hayes and Horan prop, either side of Rory Best. My personal preference at hooker would be Flannery, but then I would say that, wouldn’t I? Best generally does little wrong, is reasonably accurate with his darts, and scrummages well. He will give way to Flannery late in the game. The second row consists of DOC and POC as usual, but it’s in the back row that Kidney has played his best hand.
Stephen Ferris might feel somewhat aggrieved to only have a place on the bench, given his man of the match performance against Canada last weekend. But this encounter needs a special type of player at 6, and that player is Alan Quinlan. Opposing teams hate him, because he causes havoc at the breakdown. This is where the match will be won or lost, and where New Zealand traditionally dominate, so we need the best, most experienced players at 6,7 and 8. Alongside Quinlan, Munster team mate David Wallace starts at 7 and Jamie Heaslip is at No 8.
Add to this a strong bench, most of whom started last week, and this is a formidable Irish side. It mixes the wisdom of experience with the zeal of youth and it demonstrates one thing about the dawn of the Declan Kidney era. The Corkman means to win these matches.
When Eddie O’Sullivan was coach, he simply couldn’t work out a way to pick the lock of either New Zealand or France. He seemed to be content with “moral victories” and “running them close this time.” Kidney doesn’t do that shtick. Look back at his CV and you will see winning teams all over it, from
schools to
underage to Munster. Declan Kidney has put out the
team that he believes will beat the All Blacks, the
first Irish international team ever to do so. He
knows that New Zealand can be felled, that they are
mere mortals like his men. Remember that the All
Blacks under Graham Henry were beaten by France in
Cardiff in the quarter-final of the World Cup, a
tournament they should have walked away with.
This is a relatively inexperienced All Blacks side at the end of their season facing a very experienced Ireland side at the beginning of theirs. This crop of players want to lay the All Black hoodoo to rest, and this is probably their best opportunity to do so. They are not going to Croke Park on Saturday to make up the numbers.
I’m sticking my neck out on this one. Ireland to win by a very tight margin.
The personnel line up is virtually identical to that which wiped the floor with Canada last Saturday, the only selection changes being Girvan Dempsey taking the place of Leinster team mate Shane Horgan; and Tomás O’Leary coming in for Peter Stringer. The rest of the changes are all swaps between starting XV and the bench.
Despite a confident performance in his full international debut last week, young Keith Earls has to be content with a place on the bench for the upcoming match. I will admit to arching an eyebrow when I saw the name of Girvan Dempsey at the top of the list that was published this lunchtime. But, thinking about it, it is the correct choice. The All Blacks are starting Dan Carter at outhalf, and he has the potential to torment a relatively inexperienced full back in a match like this. Best to put in a solid and experienced man in this role, even if he is at the twilight stage of his international career.
Elsewhere in the back line, it’s as you were last week. Ireland’s back five all played well last week, in atrocious conditions and against poor opposition, so all those that are starting this weekend have won their places on merit.
It’s all-Munster in the half-backs. No surprise to see ROG reacquaint himself with Carter, McCaw & Co., and you can be sure that the Kiwis will try to exploit his channel, as they have done in the past. Tomás O’Leary comes in at scrum-half in favour of Eoin Reddan, who drops to the bench. This is a good call, as I feel that Reddan has been somewhat ponderous about his recycling. O’Leary is a fast recycler of the ball, kicks well and isn’t afraid to break if need be.
Up front, it’s wise old heads all round, almost without exception. Hayes and Horan prop, either side of Rory Best. My personal preference at hooker would be Flannery, but then I would say that, wouldn’t I? Best generally does little wrong, is reasonably accurate with his darts, and scrummages well. He will give way to Flannery late in the game. The second row consists of DOC and POC as usual, but it’s in the back row that Kidney has played his best hand.
Stephen Ferris might feel somewhat aggrieved to only have a place on the bench, given his man of the match performance against Canada last weekend. But this encounter needs a special type of player at 6, and that player is Alan Quinlan. Opposing teams hate him, because he causes havoc at the breakdown. This is where the match will be won or lost, and where New Zealand traditionally dominate, so we need the best, most experienced players at 6,7 and 8. Alongside Quinlan, Munster team mate David Wallace starts at 7 and Jamie Heaslip is at No 8.
Add to this a strong bench, most of whom started last week, and this is a formidable Irish side. It mixes the wisdom of experience with the zeal of youth and it demonstrates one thing about the dawn of the Declan Kidney era. The Corkman means to win these matches.
When Eddie O’Sullivan was coach, he simply couldn’t work out a way to pick the lock of either New Zealand or France. He seemed to be content with “moral victories” and “running them close this time.” Kidney doesn’t do that shtick. Look back at his CV and you will see winning teams all over it, from
This is a relatively inexperienced All Blacks side at the end of their season facing a very experienced Ireland side at the beginning of theirs. This crop of players want to lay the All Black hoodoo to rest, and this is probably their best opportunity to do so. They are not going to Croke Park on Saturday to make up the numbers.
I’m sticking my neck out on this one. Ireland to win by a very tight margin.
Dawning Of A New Era
04/11/08 22:21
Declan Kidney
named the starting 15 and replacements
today for
his first game in charge of the Irish team. They
take on Canada at Thomond Park on Saturday, in the
first of three matches in the Guinness
International Series.
The big news is the start for Munster full-back Keith Earls, making his Irish debut in the No 15 shirt. This is a richly deserved start for Keith, as he has been outstanding for the European Champions so far this season. Confident under the high ball, incisive in his running and blessed with a fine kicking game, he has great potential both in the red shirt of Munster and the green of Ireland.
Earls
is joined in the back line by Leinster youngsters
Luke FitzGerald and Rob Kearney, both of whom were
bright lights in an otherwise gloomy Six Nations 2008
campaign. Brian O'Driscoll retains the captaincy and
partners his Leinster team-mate FitzGerald in the
centre, while The Ospreys' Tommy Bowe starts on the
opposite wing to Kearney.
ROG is at 10 as normal, understudied by Ulster's Paddy Wallace, while Eoin Reddan continues his stint as first choice scrum half, with back up from Peter Stringer.
In the forwards, Tony Buckley starts in the front row alongside his Munster colleagues Jerry Flannery and Marcus Horan. It's good to see Buckley get the start, as Ireland have to start preparing for the eventual retirement of the great John Hayes, who's on the bench. Donncha O'Callaghan and Paul O'Connell make up an all-Munster tight five. The starting back row is remarkably Munsterless, and it must be the first time in years that an Irish starting XV hasn't had at least one Munster player at 6,7 or 8. Fear not, as David Wallace and Alan Quinlan will be prowling the touchline, ready to come on and cause mayhem to the Canadians if need be. Ulster's Stephen Ferris is at 6, and Leinster duo Shane Jennings and Jamie Heaslip are at 7 and 8 respectively.
In the subs, alongside those already mentioned above, are Ulstermen Rory Best and Ryan Caldwell, and veteran winger Shane Horgan.
This is a well-chosen team, with a good balance of youth and experience. Under a new coach (and also being one with a proven track record in actually winning things that matter), the players should be well up for it. What I hope to see is an efficient performance from Ireland, with good set pieces and discipline, and minimum handling errors. How many times in the last fourteen months have we seen promising passages of play lost because of a knock-on, or a crooked throw, or a touch-finder missed, or a stupid penalty conceded?
This is a new start for the Irish rugby team, and one that hopefully will bring tangible results. Triple Crowns are all well and good, but Irish rugby supporters deserve more. We need to win the Six Nations, preferably with a Grand Slam, and we need to start putting to rights our completely one-sided record against the All Blacks.
The future starts here!
The big news is the start for Munster full-back Keith Earls, making his Irish debut in the No 15 shirt. This is a richly deserved start for Keith, as he has been outstanding for the European Champions so far this season. Confident under the high ball, incisive in his running and blessed with a fine kicking game, he has great potential both in the red shirt of Munster and the green of Ireland.
ROG is at 10 as normal, understudied by Ulster's Paddy Wallace, while Eoin Reddan continues his stint as first choice scrum half, with back up from Peter Stringer.
In the forwards, Tony Buckley starts in the front row alongside his Munster colleagues Jerry Flannery and Marcus Horan. It's good to see Buckley get the start, as Ireland have to start preparing for the eventual retirement of the great John Hayes, who's on the bench. Donncha O'Callaghan and Paul O'Connell make up an all-Munster tight five. The starting back row is remarkably Munsterless, and it must be the first time in years that an Irish starting XV hasn't had at least one Munster player at 6,7 or 8. Fear not, as David Wallace and Alan Quinlan will be prowling the touchline, ready to come on and cause mayhem to the Canadians if need be. Ulster's Stephen Ferris is at 6, and Leinster duo Shane Jennings and Jamie Heaslip are at 7 and 8 respectively.
In the subs, alongside those already mentioned above, are Ulstermen Rory Best and Ryan Caldwell, and veteran winger Shane Horgan.
This is a well-chosen team, with a good balance of youth and experience. Under a new coach (and also being one with a proven track record in actually winning things that matter), the players should be well up for it. What I hope to see is an efficient performance from Ireland, with good set pieces and discipline, and minimum handling errors. How many times in the last fourteen months have we seen promising passages of play lost because of a knock-on, or a crooked throw, or a touch-finder missed, or a stupid penalty conceded?
This is a new start for the Irish rugby team, and one that hopefully will bring tangible results. Triple Crowns are all well and good, but Irish rugby supporters deserve more. We need to win the Six Nations, preferably with a Grand Slam, and we need to start putting to rights our completely one-sided record against the All Blacks.
The future starts here!
Heineken Cup 2008/09
09/10/08 21:11
Tomorrow night sees the
return of European Rugby’s premier club/province
tournament - the Heineken Cup. Now in its fourteenth season,
it has had its ups and downs. I was at the 2003
final between Toulouse and Perpignan in a
half-empty Lansdowne Road. At the end of the 2007
season, the French and English clubs were
threatening to pull out of the competition
altogether, which would have doomed it.
But the downs are nothing compared to the ups. The quality of the rugby on display is awesome. The rivalries are intense. This is a very competitive tournament, and of all the teams taking part at least half of them could be touted as potential winners. All-Ireland Hurling Championship it ain’t. And of course, Munster are the current champions, and have won it twice.
From this Munster fan’s point of view, the Heineken Cup is very special. Only in the Heineken Cup has a team I actively support actually won something meaningful.
Apart from the
wins in 2006 and 2008, who can forget that amazing
match against Gloucester in 2003? Or the semi-final
against Leinster in 2006? Or Rob Henderson of Munster
running through Austin Healy of Leicester in 2003? On
the flip side, there was the agony of losing to Wasps
in the semi of 2004, a game cited by many as one of
the finest games of rugby ever played. The
Back-Hander that robbed us in the final of 2002. John
O’Neill’s perfectly good try being disallowed in the
semi against Stade in 2001 (the day after my
wedding.)
Having won the tournament twice, Munster are now one of the most feared sides in Europe. Since 1995, they have been beaten only once at Thomond Park. They have qualified for the quarter-final stage for ten seasons on the trot, contesting four finals (winning twice) and seven semis along the way. This year they have a new head coach and have had a good start to the Magners League with five wins from five. Alongside their many veterans, they have some really exciting talent coming through the ranks, most notably Keith Earls. In addition, there appears to be genuine strength in depth in key positions.
As champions, Munster are also the team that everyone will want to beat, so you can be sure that every match will be high-octane stuff. Munster didn’t like very much losing their 100% record at Thomond Park to Leicester in 2007, and will be keen to re-establish their newly-revamped home as the impregnable fortress it once was. Like last season, Munster are again in a tough group. Last season, they won all their home matches, picking up a bonus point against Clermont, and denying all three visitors the opportunity to pick up losing bonus points. On the road, they beat the Scarlets, and picked up losing bonus points at Clermont and Wasps. They will need to emulate that performance if they hope to get to their eleventh successive quarter-final.
Their pool opponents this season are Clermont, Sale and debutants Montauban. Tomorrow’s match is against the newbies at home. It should be a comfortable win, hopefully with a bonus point for good measure, but to borrow a cliché from the round-ball game, it is a potential banana skin. Montauban are an unknown quantity and have nothing to lose coming to Thomond. An even mildly complacent Munster could have difficulty putting them to the sword, but I don’t believe that this will happen. Munster don’t do complacency, and the team selection for tomorrow night shows that Tony McGahan is taking the opposition seriously.
Elsewhere, Leinster find themselves with their perennial nemesis, Edinburgh, as well as Wasps and Castres. If they can get over their Murrayfield hoodoo this weekend, then they will have a good chance of qualifying from the group. If they don’t (and remember that they are coming off the back of two Magners League defeats to Munster and Connacht), they are sunk.
In Pool Four, Ulster are in with Stade, the Scarlets and Harlequins. The group page on the Heineken Cup website lists the four clubs alphabetically in the table with no games played. By virtue of the initial letter in their name, Ulster are bottom of the table. Expect them to stay there. They shouldn’t even be in the competition and have their place by virtue of being only marginally less useless than Connacht were last season.
I will know in the morning if I am going to be making the journey down the N7 tomorrow afternoon. Me old mucker Munstermad (who used to be one of the contributors at The Fear of God) texted me this evening to tell me that he might be able to get his hands on a spare ticket.
Here’s hoping.
But the downs are nothing compared to the ups. The quality of the rugby on display is awesome. The rivalries are intense. This is a very competitive tournament, and of all the teams taking part at least half of them could be touted as potential winners. All-Ireland Hurling Championship it ain’t. And of course, Munster are the current champions, and have won it twice.
From this Munster fan’s point of view, the Heineken Cup is very special. Only in the Heineken Cup has a team I actively support actually won something meaningful.
Having won the tournament twice, Munster are now one of the most feared sides in Europe. Since 1995, they have been beaten only once at Thomond Park. They have qualified for the quarter-final stage for ten seasons on the trot, contesting four finals (winning twice) and seven semis along the way. This year they have a new head coach and have had a good start to the Magners League with five wins from five. Alongside their many veterans, they have some really exciting talent coming through the ranks, most notably Keith Earls. In addition, there appears to be genuine strength in depth in key positions.
As champions, Munster are also the team that everyone will want to beat, so you can be sure that every match will be high-octane stuff. Munster didn’t like very much losing their 100% record at Thomond Park to Leicester in 2007, and will be keen to re-establish their newly-revamped home as the impregnable fortress it once was. Like last season, Munster are again in a tough group. Last season, they won all their home matches, picking up a bonus point against Clermont, and denying all three visitors the opportunity to pick up losing bonus points. On the road, they beat the Scarlets, and picked up losing bonus points at Clermont and Wasps. They will need to emulate that performance if they hope to get to their eleventh successive quarter-final.
Their pool opponents this season are Clermont, Sale and debutants Montauban. Tomorrow’s match is against the newbies at home. It should be a comfortable win, hopefully with a bonus point for good measure, but to borrow a cliché from the round-ball game, it is a potential banana skin. Montauban are an unknown quantity and have nothing to lose coming to Thomond. An even mildly complacent Munster could have difficulty putting them to the sword, but I don’t believe that this will happen. Munster don’t do complacency, and the team selection for tomorrow night shows that Tony McGahan is taking the opposition seriously.
Elsewhere, Leinster find themselves with their perennial nemesis, Edinburgh, as well as Wasps and Castres. If they can get over their Murrayfield hoodoo this weekend, then they will have a good chance of qualifying from the group. If they don’t (and remember that they are coming off the back of two Magners League defeats to Munster and Connacht), they are sunk.
In Pool Four, Ulster are in with Stade, the Scarlets and Harlequins. The group page on the Heineken Cup website lists the four clubs alphabetically in the table with no games played. By virtue of the initial letter in their name, Ulster are bottom of the table. Expect them to stay there. They shouldn’t even be in the competition and have their place by virtue of being only marginally less useless than Connacht were last season.
I will know in the morning if I am going to be making the journey down the N7 tomorrow afternoon. Me old mucker Munstermad (who used to be one of the contributors at The Fear of God) texted me this evening to tell me that he might be able to get his hands on a spare ticket.
Here’s hoping.
Munster Whitewash Leinster
28/09/08 23:21
Sky+ is feckin’ brilliant. I don’t
watch much telly at the best of times, but it
often happens that what I want to watch is shown
at times that don’t suit. Like tonight, when the
Leinster-Munster clash coincided with bath ‘n’
bedtime for the little ‘un. Where once upon a
time, we were able to dunk her in the bath, get
her into her PJs and Grobag, read the bedtime
stories and have her off to the land of nod in
under half an hour, these days it’s at least an
hour or more. Being an independent little Miss,
she insists on dressing herself. A parental
attempt to put on a vest or PJ top elicits a sharp
cry of “I self!”, followed by a ten minute process
of actually getting the garment on, usually with
parental intervention.
So it was 9.30 by the time I got to sit down and watch the match. I could think about little else today. Opening up the Turbine this morning and reading Neil Francis’s preview almost brought out the Kevin Keegan in me. I was seconds away from donning the headphones, stabbing my forefinger and declaring “I will LUV IT if we beat them” with my voice cracking and tears in my eyes.
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why do the Irish media have such a hard-on about Leinster? OK, Franno is Leinster to his bone marrow, so it is natural for him to talk them up. But tonight, watching the match on Setanta, the commentary was all about Leinster. If a Munster player broke three tackles and was hauled down by the fourth, it was all about the tackle that brought him down, not about the way he skinned the three players en route. Even Donal Lenihan, a Munsterman through and through was commentating on this game like it was Ireland (Leinster) v. Anyone Else (Munster). In case you haven’t noticed, lads, Munster are the current Heineken Cup Champions. They have won it twice in three seasons. They are a decent outfit. Give them some credit, will yiz?
But, anyway, on
to the match. Leinster should have been up 9-0 (or
maybe 9-3 if ROG’s attempted drop goal had gone over)
by the end of the first quarter. But Dr Felipe had
obviously left his kicking boots elsewhere, as he
missed three penalties on the trot. He never got
another shot at goal for the rest of the match.
Munster’s lineout was a weak point for the whole
match, and Leo Cullen in particular made hay on
Munster’s throw. But it was Munster’s tenacity that
showed through. They defended like their lives
depended on it. From the second quarter on, they gave
away no penalties within kicking range (not that it
would have made much difference, as Contepomi
couldn’t hit a pig’s arse with a banjo tonight.) ROG
nailed the two penalties he was offered, and Munster
took their chances to score two tries.
Even though the one-eyed commentary was constantly talking up Leinster’s defence tonight (and it was good, save for the two tries they conceded), there was precious little comment for Munster’s defence. Leinster never looked like scoring tonight. Any promising-looking move was snuffed out well before the line. Munster put in some monster tackles and turned over a huge amount of ball.
This was a very satisfying win for Munster for several reasons. First up, it was a whitewash. On Leinster’s patch. For all their huffing and puffing, and their great pack and their brilliant backs, Leinster failed to score, on their own patch. It was also a big two fingers to the Irish media, who need to be reminded that Munster are still officially the best team in Europe.
So it was 9.30 by the time I got to sit down and watch the match. I could think about little else today. Opening up the Turbine this morning and reading Neil Francis’s preview almost brought out the Kevin Keegan in me. I was seconds away from donning the headphones, stabbing my forefinger and declaring “I will LUV IT if we beat them” with my voice cracking and tears in my eyes.
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why do the Irish media have such a hard-on about Leinster? OK, Franno is Leinster to his bone marrow, so it is natural for him to talk them up. But tonight, watching the match on Setanta, the commentary was all about Leinster. If a Munster player broke three tackles and was hauled down by the fourth, it was all about the tackle that brought him down, not about the way he skinned the three players en route. Even Donal Lenihan, a Munsterman through and through was commentating on this game like it was Ireland (Leinster) v. Anyone Else (Munster). In case you haven’t noticed, lads, Munster are the current Heineken Cup Champions. They have won it twice in three seasons. They are a decent outfit. Give them some credit, will yiz?
Even though the one-eyed commentary was constantly talking up Leinster’s defence tonight (and it was good, save for the two tries they conceded), there was precious little comment for Munster’s defence. Leinster never looked like scoring tonight. Any promising-looking move was snuffed out well before the line. Munster put in some monster tackles and turned over a huge amount of ball.
This was a very satisfying win for Munster for several reasons. First up, it was a whitewash. On Leinster’s patch. For all their huffing and puffing, and their great pack and their brilliant backs, Leinster failed to score, on their own patch. It was also a big two fingers to the Irish media, who need to be reminded that Munster are still officially the best team in Europe.
The Big Rivalry - Part One
27/09/08 22:21
After a
few seasons establishing itself, the Magners League
is shaping up into a fine competition. Tomorrow sees
the first clash between the two Irish heavyweights,
defending champions Leinster versus Heineken Cup
Champions Munster.
Traditionally, this match has been seen as the clash between the brawn of the Munster pack and the flair of the Leinster backs. How that has changed. Leinster now possess a pack capable of beating up any opposition up front, while Munster’s fleet-footed backs have the capability to mix it up behind the pack.
The Irish media,
being mostly Dublin-based, is drooling over Leinster.
The arrival of prop CJ van der Linde and flanker
Rocky Elsom has only added to this. This is something
of a make or break season for Michael Cheika. The
Magners, even though its stature is growing every
season, is still very much a lesser prize than the
Heineken Cup. Bragging rights among the Celtic
nations of These Islands™ is all fine and dandy, but
coming top of the pile in a competition that includes
the best of England and France is the gold standard
for Irish rugby. Cheika and his charges do not need
reminding that their opponents tomorrow have reached
the European summit twice in the last three years.
Leinster’s best Heineken Cup finish was in 2006, when
they got to the semi-final (beaten by guess who?),
whereas Munster have been to the final four times,
winning twice.
Both teams have had good starts to the Magners and remain unbeaten. Munster have won all three of their matches so far, picking up two bonus points. Leinster were held to a draw in their opening match against Cardiff, and won the next two, picking up a bonus point in their thumping of Edinburgh.
Tomorrow is very difficult to call, because there are too many variables in play. It’s a home game for Leinster, and a noisy, partisan crowd at the RDS will help lift the man in blue. (Not that hostile away matches faze Munster all that much.) Leinster will be keen to maintain the domestic superiority of last season, when they won home and away against Munster. The men in red will want to put that right. Munster have a new coaching line-up in Tony McGahan and Laurie Fisher, who will be eager to best their fellow Aussies Cheika and Alan Gaffney.
What I can predict with a degree of certainty is that it will be a tough match, it will be close, and that one of these two teams will be the eventual winner of the Magners League.
Traditionally, this match has been seen as the clash between the brawn of the Munster pack and the flair of the Leinster backs. How that has changed. Leinster now possess a pack capable of beating up any opposition up front, while Munster’s fleet-footed backs have the capability to mix it up behind the pack.
Both teams have had good starts to the Magners and remain unbeaten. Munster have won all three of their matches so far, picking up two bonus points. Leinster were held to a draw in their opening match against Cardiff, and won the next two, picking up a bonus point in their thumping of Edinburgh.
Tomorrow is very difficult to call, because there are too many variables in play. It’s a home game for Leinster, and a noisy, partisan crowd at the RDS will help lift the man in blue. (Not that hostile away matches faze Munster all that much.) Leinster will be keen to maintain the domestic superiority of last season, when they won home and away against Munster. The men in red will want to put that right. Munster have a new coaching line-up in Tony McGahan and Laurie Fisher, who will be eager to best their fellow Aussies Cheika and Alan Gaffney.
What I can predict with a degree of certainty is that it will be a tough match, it will be close, and that one of these two teams will be the eventual winner of the Magners League.
Arsenal 6-0 Sheffield United
23/09/08 22:45
Blimey!
An Arsenal team with an average age of 19
canes Sheffield United in the Carling
Cup. 16-year-old
Jack Wilshere was among the scorers.
Imagine what would have happened if they had sent out
the senior squad…
Something Is Rotten In The State Of Hurling
07/09/08 21:29
Environmentalists all over the world have a neat turn
of phrase to encapsulate their campaign - “Ten years
to save the world.” After today’s farce of an
All-Ireland final, the GAA have a task of their own -
ten years to save hurling.
Today, Kilkenny annihilated Waterford by 3-30 to 1-13, a winning margin of 23 points. I had a quick look at the list of All-Ireland Final results on Wikipedia, and you have to go back to 1941 to find a bigger margin (Cork put Dublin to the sword that day, 5-11 to 0-6.) Today was Kilkenny’s third All-Ireland in a row, and their sixth in the last ten years. Overall, this is their 31st All-Ireland title, the most won by any county.
Hurling is often described as Ireland’s national game, and the GAA themselves claim that hurling in some form or other has been played in Ireland for 2,000 years. But what we are seeing now is a decline in the game as a national sport, as it becomes more entrenched within its heartland of the south/south-east of the country. Unlike gaelic football, there are only a handful of counties that are competitive in the championship (i.e. have a chance to get to the All-Ireland final to be cannon fodder to Kilkenny.) All of them, with the exception of Galway are in Munster or south Leinster. The Ulster championship is Antrim v. Down (although a couple of years ago, New York made it to the Ulster final, but they couldn’t play the final in Ireland, because they were afraid that several of the New York team wouldn’t be able to get back into the US.) There is no Connacht championship anymore. It could be argued that neither is there a meaningful Leinster championship - Kilkenny have won it every year since 1998, with the exception of 2004 (though they did make it to the All-Ireland that year, losing to Cork.)
Waterford were the lambs to the slaughter today, but in truth fans of Tipperary, Limerick, Cork, Wexford, Clare and Galway needn’t feel too smug. Such is the power of the hurling machine that is Kilkenny, any of those other teams would have been on the end of a comparable hiding. I feel really sorry for the Waterford fans, as they have been there or thereabouts for the last few years, and this was their first shot at the All-Ireland in 45 years. They haven’t won it since 1959. They have nothing to take from today’s match. A bad refereeing decision or an unlucky bounce of the ball would at least have provided some succour if the game had been tight, hope that next year they could come back and finish the job. But the brutality of their defeat today will have the hearts of the Déise’s followers in their boots. I should know something about this. After all I am a Mayoman, and we have been to the All-Ireland football final five times in the last twenty years, with nothing to show for it. Three of those defeats were to the football equivalent of Kilkenny (Kerry) and two of those encounters with the Kingdom were hidings (2004 and 2006.) And I’m not even a serious follower of the game. This lad will tell you a thing or two about what it’s like to lose five All-Irelands in twenty years.
At the moment Kilkenny are unassailable. But for a neutral’s point of view the future is not rosy. Not only did the senior team win the All-Ireland today, but the minors also beat Galway. There will be wild celebrations all over the county of Kilkenny tonight. The festivities will go on to the wee small hours in such places as Grangemockler, Callan and Mullinavat. But deep down, even the most ardent of Kilkenny fans must realise that each passing year and each facile All-Ireland won, the victory is going to get hollower and hollower. Unless the GAA do something to stem the decline of hurling as a national game, it will be practically gone within a generation.
Today, Kilkenny annihilated Waterford by 3-30 to 1-13, a winning margin of 23 points. I had a quick look at the list of All-Ireland Final results on Wikipedia, and you have to go back to 1941 to find a bigger margin (Cork put Dublin to the sword that day, 5-11 to 0-6.) Today was Kilkenny’s third All-Ireland in a row, and their sixth in the last ten years. Overall, this is their 31st All-Ireland title, the most won by any county.
Hurling is often described as Ireland’s national game, and the GAA themselves claim that hurling in some form or other has been played in Ireland for 2,000 years. But what we are seeing now is a decline in the game as a national sport, as it becomes more entrenched within its heartland of the south/south-east of the country. Unlike gaelic football, there are only a handful of counties that are competitive in the championship (i.e. have a chance to get to the All-Ireland final to be cannon fodder to Kilkenny.) All of them, with the exception of Galway are in Munster or south Leinster. The Ulster championship is Antrim v. Down (although a couple of years ago, New York made it to the Ulster final, but they couldn’t play the final in Ireland, because they were afraid that several of the New York team wouldn’t be able to get back into the US.) There is no Connacht championship anymore. It could be argued that neither is there a meaningful Leinster championship - Kilkenny have won it every year since 1998, with the exception of 2004 (though they did make it to the All-Ireland that year, losing to Cork.)
Waterford were the lambs to the slaughter today, but in truth fans of Tipperary, Limerick, Cork, Wexford, Clare and Galway needn’t feel too smug. Such is the power of the hurling machine that is Kilkenny, any of those other teams would have been on the end of a comparable hiding. I feel really sorry for the Waterford fans, as they have been there or thereabouts for the last few years, and this was their first shot at the All-Ireland in 45 years. They haven’t won it since 1959. They have nothing to take from today’s match. A bad refereeing decision or an unlucky bounce of the ball would at least have provided some succour if the game had been tight, hope that next year they could come back and finish the job. But the brutality of their defeat today will have the hearts of the Déise’s followers in their boots. I should know something about this. After all I am a Mayoman, and we have been to the All-Ireland football final five times in the last twenty years, with nothing to show for it. Three of those defeats were to the football equivalent of Kilkenny (Kerry) and two of those encounters with the Kingdom were hidings (2004 and 2006.) And I’m not even a serious follower of the game. This lad will tell you a thing or two about what it’s like to lose five All-Irelands in twenty years.
At the moment Kilkenny are unassailable. But for a neutral’s point of view the future is not rosy. Not only did the senior team win the All-Ireland today, but the minors also beat Galway. There will be wild celebrations all over the county of Kilkenny tonight. The festivities will go on to the wee small hours in such places as Grangemockler, Callan and Mullinavat. But deep down, even the most ardent of Kilkenny fans must realise that each passing year and each facile All-Ireland won, the victory is going to get hollower and hollower. Unless the GAA do something to stem the decline of hurling as a national game, it will be practically gone within a generation.
Well, He Would Say That, Wouldn't He?
07/09/08 21:23
Neil Francis writes in today’s
Turbine
on who should be Declan Kidney’s choice for Irish
captain. His Leinster bias shows when he contemplates
the possibility of Munster captain Paul O’Connell
taking the armband.
Munster coach, Munster
captain and majority of the side from Munster –
Ireland might as well play in red.
Indeed, Franno. We might win something then, mightn’t
we?
Awash With Greatness!
24/05/08 20:36
Well, what can I say
after that? Me nerves!!!
After a pulsating, nerve-wracking, tightly-fought contest, Munster prevailed over the might of Stade Toulousain to claim their second Heineken Cup title in three years, and can now truly be known as one of the world's greatest rugby teams. Whatever critics may say of their style, they know how to win, and that's what counts.
After an opening period of Toulouse domination, Munster were on the back foot, but managed to keep the damage down to a single drop goal. The fact that Ellisalde chose to take on the role of sniper possibly showed that Tououlse realised from early on that they were going to get little change from the Munster defence. Once Munster managed to get hold of the ball, they made ground and started to control the game, and after a sustained ten-minute period of pressure were 10-3 to the good. They conceded a penalty on the stroke of half time, which allowed the French to get back to within four.
The turning point in the second half was Fabien Pelous getting sin-binned. ROG slotted the penalty, but in the ten minute period when they had numerical advantage, they conceded a try. It was a work of genius conceived by full-back Heymans, who ran like a train down the left touchline, and slotted the ball in-field .Jauzion ran on to it to give it another poke, allowing wing Donguy to fall onto it.
Minutes beforehand, we were treated to the genius of Doug Howlett, who ran onto a pass from fellow Kiwi Rui Tipoki and then shredded the Toulouse defence. Sadly, the pass from Tipoki was adjudged to be forward and it didn't count.
A further penalty from O'Gara nudged Munster in front again, and they controlled the ball through the forwards for most of the last quarter to run down the clock and keep the French on the back foot. In the end, Toulouse ran out of time and Munster prevailed.
There were some
immense performances from the Munster men,
particualrly in the pack. Alan Quinlan rightly won
Man of the Match for a barnstorming performance in
the back row. He made a menace of himself all day and
was instrumental in several turnovers. Captain Paul
O'Connell kept the line-out ship steady and even
managed to nick a few off the French. He was off for
a blood injury for a short period in the second half,
and in that time Munster shipped two line outs.
Donncha O'Callaghan was superb, driving, tackling,
and assisting, especially when he added his muscle to
Denis Leamy's lunge for the line for Munster's try.
Similarly Jerry Flannery, who picked and drove
magnificently. And never forget John Hayes, who's
scrummaging was magnificent.
A nice touch came at the presentation of the trophy. Instead of just hoisting it over his own head, Paul O'Connell shared the lifting duty with Ronan O'Gara, who captained the side throughout the treacherous pool campaign.
There can be no doubt now as to Munster's standing at the top of the pile of European rugby. To get to where they are tonight, they had to get past last year's champions, last year's Challenge Cup champions, the side that knocked them out last season, two of the top sides in the English Premiership (both away), and then today overcome the aristocrats of French and European rugby.
Declan Kidney now goes on to the national set up. Two things he has brought to Munster which he hopefully will bring to Ireland will be: always winning tight games, and knowing how to beat French teams.
After a pulsating, nerve-wracking, tightly-fought contest, Munster prevailed over the might of Stade Toulousain to claim their second Heineken Cup title in three years, and can now truly be known as one of the world's greatest rugby teams. Whatever critics may say of their style, they know how to win, and that's what counts.
After an opening period of Toulouse domination, Munster were on the back foot, but managed to keep the damage down to a single drop goal. The fact that Ellisalde chose to take on the role of sniper possibly showed that Tououlse realised from early on that they were going to get little change from the Munster defence. Once Munster managed to get hold of the ball, they made ground and started to control the game, and after a sustained ten-minute period of pressure were 10-3 to the good. They conceded a penalty on the stroke of half time, which allowed the French to get back to within four.
The turning point in the second half was Fabien Pelous getting sin-binned. ROG slotted the penalty, but in the ten minute period when they had numerical advantage, they conceded a try. It was a work of genius conceived by full-back Heymans, who ran like a train down the left touchline, and slotted the ball in-field .Jauzion ran on to it to give it another poke, allowing wing Donguy to fall onto it.
Minutes beforehand, we were treated to the genius of Doug Howlett, who ran onto a pass from fellow Kiwi Rui Tipoki and then shredded the Toulouse defence. Sadly, the pass from Tipoki was adjudged to be forward and it didn't count.
A further penalty from O'Gara nudged Munster in front again, and they controlled the ball through the forwards for most of the last quarter to run down the clock and keep the French on the back foot. In the end, Toulouse ran out of time and Munster prevailed.
A nice touch came at the presentation of the trophy. Instead of just hoisting it over his own head, Paul O'Connell shared the lifting duty with Ronan O'Gara, who captained the side throughout the treacherous pool campaign.
There can be no doubt now as to Munster's standing at the top of the pile of European rugby. To get to where they are tonight, they had to get past last year's champions, last year's Challenge Cup champions, the side that knocked them out last season, two of the top sides in the English Premiership (both away), and then today overcome the aristocrats of French and European rugby.
Declan Kidney now goes on to the national set up. Two things he has brought to Munster which he hopefully will bring to Ireland will be: always winning tight games, and knowing how to beat French teams.
Flannery
23/05/08 22:34
Here We Go Again
22/05/08 22:07
I missed the Heineken
Cup Final in 2006. You know, the one that Munster
won. As in Munster, the team I regularly write about.
Here's what happened.
Back in January of that year, I was asked to take a group of customers to Jerez de la Frontera in southern Spain on a wine trip in the middle of May. Not wearing a rugby hat that day, I agreed. As the season panned out, it became apparent that I was going to miss the final due to the trip, but by that stage it was too late to back out.
We arrived on the Tuesday and were due to leave on Saturday afternoon. We were flying out of Seville, so we had an hour's bus journey to the airport, and that hour was right splat in the middle of the match. I had my laptop with me, and managed to get the first 20 minutes in the lobby of the hotel, listening to the great Michael Corcoran on RTE's streaming web coverage. Back home, my wife, six months pregnant, was watching the match live and sending me updates by text. Being a proud Cork woman and Munster supporter, she naturally got caught up in the emotions of the day, and as the match wore on, her missives to me on the bus between Jerez and Seville became more cryptic.
But then one came through loud and clear. "STRNGR TRY!!!!!!!"
When we got to the airport, she rang me. It was all over. She was speechless, but eventually managed to squeak out "We won!" between sobs of joy. She still maintains that if she had been a few weeks further along the pregnancy that day, she would have been in The Coombe that night.
So here we are again. Munster stand on the cusp of glory once more, and if they make it to the top of the hill this time, it will be even better than '06. (Apologies for the mixed metaphors.) Two years ago, they had a home quarter final and to all intents and purposes, a home quarter final against Leinster. This time, they had to practically tunnel out of the worst possible pool draw, and then face two away knock-out draws. And once that was over, face the only side that has contested more Heineken Cup Finals than they have, a side who have won three so far. As Sheryl Crow sang, no-one said it would be easy.
On the plus side, this is a more complete Munster side than in 2006. Alongside the well-established pack, there is a back line that any opposition would fear. The two Kiwi centres, Mafi and Tipoki have been awesome for Munster this season. Once Trevor Halstead left, I was afraid that our back line would miss that line-smashing element he brought to the game. Thankfully Tipoki has it, and his partnership with his fellow New Zealander means that we have a mean centre partnership. Plus the fact that these guys can run. I remember Mafi's first appearance in a Munster shirt. Can't remember the opposition, but I think it was a Welsh team in the Celtic League. He got hold of the ball, saw a gap, slid through it and put on the afterburners. He didn't score, but he really showed that he had pace.
Then we have Doug Howlett on the wing. Everyone thinks that Decaln Kidney signed him just for his try-scoring ability, but it's his defensive work that has more than repaid the fee laid out for him. On the other wing, Ian Dowling is maturing into a fine player, with a keen eye on the break and also on keeping his channel secure. Likewise, Denis Hurley will most likely secure the full-back berth, having done well in the position in recent matches.
So, how's it going to go? I'm not as confident going into this final as I was back in 2006, but I still think Munster can win it. There will be no more than a score between the teams, and it will either be won by an act of genius or lost by a cruel mistake.
The cake would be a Munster win. The icing would be seeing the "Man of the Match" award going to Munster's most faithful servant. The man the commentators never see securing the rucks, steadying the scrum and launching Paul O'Connell single-handedly into the sky at the line-out. The man known as "The Bull". Munster's unsung hero, John Hayes.
Back in January of that year, I was asked to take a group of customers to Jerez de la Frontera in southern Spain on a wine trip in the middle of May. Not wearing a rugby hat that day, I agreed. As the season panned out, it became apparent that I was going to miss the final due to the trip, but by that stage it was too late to back out.
We arrived on the Tuesday and were due to leave on Saturday afternoon. We were flying out of Seville, so we had an hour's bus journey to the airport, and that hour was right splat in the middle of the match. I had my laptop with me, and managed to get the first 20 minutes in the lobby of the hotel, listening to the great Michael Corcoran on RTE's streaming web coverage. Back home, my wife, six months pregnant, was watching the match live and sending me updates by text. Being a proud Cork woman and Munster supporter, she naturally got caught up in the emotions of the day, and as the match wore on, her missives to me on the bus between Jerez and Seville became more cryptic.
But then one came through loud and clear. "STRNGR TRY!!!!!!!"
When we got to the airport, she rang me. It was all over. She was speechless, but eventually managed to squeak out "We won!" between sobs of joy. She still maintains that if she had been a few weeks further along the pregnancy that day, she would have been in The Coombe that night.
So here we are again. Munster stand on the cusp of glory once more, and if they make it to the top of the hill this time, it will be even better than '06. (Apologies for the mixed metaphors.) Two years ago, they had a home quarter final and to all intents and purposes, a home quarter final against Leinster. This time, they had to practically tunnel out of the worst possible pool draw, and then face two away knock-out draws. And once that was over, face the only side that has contested more Heineken Cup Finals than they have, a side who have won three so far. As Sheryl Crow sang, no-one said it would be easy.
On the plus side, this is a more complete Munster side than in 2006. Alongside the well-established pack, there is a back line that any opposition would fear. The two Kiwi centres, Mafi and Tipoki have been awesome for Munster this season. Once Trevor Halstead left, I was afraid that our back line would miss that line-smashing element he brought to the game. Thankfully Tipoki has it, and his partnership with his fellow New Zealander means that we have a mean centre partnership. Plus the fact that these guys can run. I remember Mafi's first appearance in a Munster shirt. Can't remember the opposition, but I think it was a Welsh team in the Celtic League. He got hold of the ball, saw a gap, slid through it and put on the afterburners. He didn't score, but he really showed that he had pace.
Then we have Doug Howlett on the wing. Everyone thinks that Decaln Kidney signed him just for his try-scoring ability, but it's his defensive work that has more than repaid the fee laid out for him. On the other wing, Ian Dowling is maturing into a fine player, with a keen eye on the break and also on keeping his channel secure. Likewise, Denis Hurley will most likely secure the full-back berth, having done well in the position in recent matches.
So, how's it going to go? I'm not as confident going into this final as I was back in 2006, but I still think Munster can win it. There will be no more than a score between the teams, and it will either be won by an act of genius or lost by a cruel mistake.
The cake would be a Munster win. The icing would be seeing the "Man of the Match" award going to Munster's most faithful servant. The man the commentators never see securing the rucks, steadying the scrum and launching Paul O'Connell single-handedly into the sky at the line-out. The man known as "The Bull". Munster's unsung hero, John Hayes.
Another Jammy Champions League Win For Man Yoo
21/05/08 23:43
Like in 1999, Man Yoo
had to rely on luck to win the Champions League
trophy tonight. Chelsea equalised on the stroke of
half time through Frank Lampard and controlled the
game from then on. They struck the woodwork twice (as
did Bayern Munich in the '99 final), but eventually
lost on penalties.
Naturally the Glory Glories will be filling their scrapbooks from tomorrow on, but this victory is a hollow one. At least nine years ago they managed to win in normal time. This time their win came about as a result of John Terry's misfortune in losing his footing as he took his penalty.
Just in case anyone thinks that I am an embittered Chelski fan, think otherwise. I can't stand either of them. It's just that my dislike of United has deeper roots.
There were two highlights for me, though: Drogba's sending-off and Ronaldo missing the penalty. If Ronaldo's miss had cost them the title, that would have been the icing on the cake, but, hey, you can't have it all.
(Unless you're a United fan, that is.)
Naturally the Glory Glories will be filling their scrapbooks from tomorrow on, but this victory is a hollow one. At least nine years ago they managed to win in normal time. This time their win came about as a result of John Terry's misfortune in losing his footing as he took his penalty.
Just in case anyone thinks that I am an embittered Chelski fan, think otherwise. I can't stand either of them. It's just that my dislike of United has deeper roots.
There were two highlights for me, though: Drogba's sending-off and Ronaldo missing the penalty. If Ronaldo's miss had cost them the title, that would have been the icing on the cake, but, hey, you can't have it all.
(Unless you're a United fan, that is.)
DK Has A Pop At DK
13/05/08 07:53
From today's
Indo:
David Knox, The Goys' backs coach is perplexed by Declan Kidney's appointment as Irish national coach.
"The Irish international team badly needed a foreign coach."
Like an Aussie, maybe? One with blond hair?
"Kidney's methods, like making the team train in the away strip they'd be wearing at Gloucester in the Heineken Cup and playing them a tape of the crowd noise at Kingsholm to get them used to the conditions, are bizarre. I would be embarrassed as a coach for people to know that."
Lemme see, who won that quarter-final? Oh yes, it was Munster, wasn't it?
Knox was also heavily critical of Munster's playing style under Kidney. He acknowledges their successes in the Heineken Cup but maintains they have achieved glory in that competition at the expense of any style or flair.
In a straight choice between "glory" and "style or flair", I think I'll pick…hmmm…tough one this…
He also has a go at Ronan O'Gara:
"I have been here, coaching in Ireland for three years, and I have never seen that guy create space for anybody. I've never seen him put anyone into a hole."
And that's the be-all and end-all of everything, is it? Controlling the pace and tempo of the game, gaining field position, etc., means nothing?
"Munster's record is fantastic but you can't tell me they play anything but 10- man rugby."
Come on Dave! Admit it. You're going for the Munster job, aren't you?
"Munster get 30 points on the board by grinding away and when the other team is shot, they try and throw the ball around a bit. Then people say, what a great team. It's rubbish."
Eh, which Irish team is in the final of the Heineken Cup? The only one to get out of their pool this season?
"If Doug Howlett had played for Leinster this season, he would have ended up scoring 30 tries."
And if your Auntie had bollocks, she'd be your uncle. What about your own Galacticos? Any of them score 30 tries this season?
"He's seen as the greatest buy of the year but how often has he touched the ball? Maybe 10 times in a real attacking sense? I'm talking about serious attacking play, not chasing kick-aheads. Yet this is one of the world's premier wings. They have no idea how to use him."
If anything, Howlett's defensive work alone has more than justified what it cost to sign him.
"And the two other guys they brought in from the southern hemisphere, Rua Tipoki and Lifeimi Mafi, hardly ever played Super 14 rugby I think Tipoki made a couple of appearances off the bench. They are both steppers, they never pass the ball."
But they're playing Heineken Cup Rugby at the highest level and will start in the final on Sunday week, while your charges will be sitting on their orses in Kiely's, roysh, necking the Heinos and watching the game.
He goes on to rail against "the paranoid world of Irish [international] rugby", and I actually agree with most of what he says there.
David Knox, The Goys' backs coach is perplexed by Declan Kidney's appointment as Irish national coach.
"The Irish international team badly needed a foreign coach."
Like an Aussie, maybe? One with blond hair?
"Kidney's methods, like making the team train in the away strip they'd be wearing at Gloucester in the Heineken Cup and playing them a tape of the crowd noise at Kingsholm to get them used to the conditions, are bizarre. I would be embarrassed as a coach for people to know that."
Lemme see, who won that quarter-final? Oh yes, it was Munster, wasn't it?
Knox was also heavily critical of Munster's playing style under Kidney. He acknowledges their successes in the Heineken Cup but maintains they have achieved glory in that competition at the expense of any style or flair.
In a straight choice between "glory" and "style or flair", I think I'll pick…hmmm…tough one this…
He also has a go at Ronan O'Gara:
"I have been here, coaching in Ireland for three years, and I have never seen that guy create space for anybody. I've never seen him put anyone into a hole."
And that's the be-all and end-all of everything, is it? Controlling the pace and tempo of the game, gaining field position, etc., means nothing?
"Munster's record is fantastic but you can't tell me they play anything but 10- man rugby."
Come on Dave! Admit it. You're going for the Munster job, aren't you?
"Munster get 30 points on the board by grinding away and when the other team is shot, they try and throw the ball around a bit. Then people say, what a great team. It's rubbish."
Eh, which Irish team is in the final of the Heineken Cup? The only one to get out of their pool this season?
"If Doug Howlett had played for Leinster this season, he would have ended up scoring 30 tries."
And if your Auntie had bollocks, she'd be your uncle. What about your own Galacticos? Any of them score 30 tries this season?
"He's seen as the greatest buy of the year but how often has he touched the ball? Maybe 10 times in a real attacking sense? I'm talking about serious attacking play, not chasing kick-aheads. Yet this is one of the world's premier wings. They have no idea how to use him."
If anything, Howlett's defensive work alone has more than justified what it cost to sign him.
"And the two other guys they brought in from the southern hemisphere, Rua Tipoki and Lifeimi Mafi, hardly ever played Super 14 rugby I think Tipoki made a couple of appearances off the bench. They are both steppers, they never pass the ball."
But they're playing Heineken Cup Rugby at the highest level and will start in the final on Sunday week, while your charges will be sitting on their orses in Kiely's, roysh, necking the Heinos and watching the game.
He goes on to rail against "the paranoid world of Irish [international] rugby", and I actually agree with most of what he says there.
Excuse Me While I Stifle A Yawn
12/05/08 21:45
So yesterday, one obscenely wealthy football
club managed to beat another obscenely wealthy
football club to the Premiership title. And if
that wasn't enough, next week the same two
obscenely wealthy football clubs will battle it
out for the Champions' League title in Moscow.
I have noticed over the last month or so, a sudden reappearance of replica Manchester United shirts in the cities, towns and villages of our fair isle. They had been conspicuously absent for the last couple of years, but now that Man Yoo are back in their pomp, it's time t
I have noticed over the last month or so, a sudden reappearance of replica Manchester United shirts in the cities, towns and villages of our fair isle. They had been conspicuously absent for the last couple of years, but now that Man Yoo are back in their pomp, it's time t