A lot to cover

Well a lot has happened in Irish Rugby since my last post which followed the conclusion of last year’s World Cup. The IRFU recently announced that Munster, Leinster and Ulster will have to abide by a strict overseas players limit of one foreign player across all three provinces per position. This means that if Munster were to keep Doug Howlett in Limerick, neither Ulster nor Leinster could field a foreign player to play on the right wing. This new policy is being introduced to encourage the provinces to field as many Irish-qualified players as possible with a view to improving our standing at test level.

At provincial level Munster have shown us that Ronan O’Gara is just as important part of their plan this season as the irrepressible Simon Zebo. Indeed the frighteningly unsettled nature of their performances last year had many of us worrying that perhaps ROG, POC et al had no more to give to the game but this year’s transformation shows there’s life (and indeed, bite) in these old dogs yet. The exquisite balance between youthful exuberance and wily experience that has made them so dominant in their march to the Heineken Cup quarter-finals this season is reminiscent of the unbeatable Ireland of 2009. Leinster for their part will be happy enough that Munster’s Indian summer has taken much of the focus off them of late, as they continue their bid to become only the second team to win back to back european honours, the only team who have managed it being Leicester who were utterly dismantled by Ulster recently and so the three main contributors of players to the Irish team for this weekend’s RBS Six Nations have sent their players into the competition full of confidence built on recent impressive successes.

The fourth province, while still lagging behind in the IRFU’s priorities are continuing to defy the odds as they played at the highest level this season for the first time in their history. They’re style of play suggests that they are determined to carve out their own place in Irish Rugby whether the governing body support them or not. Indeed, “Front Up, Rise Up” is Connacht’s motto this season and it smacks of revolutionary undertones that seem to be seeping through the province, no less so than on the final weekend of pool matches where they shut the door on Conor O’Shea’s Harlequins in a packed Sportsground in Galway, and in the process secured their landmark first victory in the Heineken Cup.

So Irish Rugby is flying high so far this season, no doubt about it. And we need to be, because the path to the final of last year’s World Cup, which consisted solely of northern hemisphere teams once we left the pool stages, provided us with our greatest opportunity ever to (a) get to a World Cup final and (b) beat New Zealand. Many would say that only the first of those was realistically achievable but even so, I’d have been more than happy with that. Instead I was genuinely heartbroken with the lacklustre performance we put in against Wales in the quarter-final and that was only magnified by the poor standard of play that unfolded once we had exited the competition. All of the nearlies, all of the could-have-beens. And it all goes in the pot. No matter how many quotes we have read this week from the players who insist that the previous two encounters between Ireland and Wales (Mike Phillips’ shockingly illegal try in last year’s RBS Six Nations and then just how easily we rolled over for them in the New Zealand) we simply cannot believe them. At test level rugby in the modern game, it’s all a part of it. You dump the niggles, the mistakes, your trust your systems to right the wrongs of the past but any fuel, anything that can be used to motivate, to sharpen the mind goes in the bag along with every other bit of kit. Slay the Dragon, lads.

Rugby brings us together

This time tomorrow the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup will be taking place and with that in mind I wanted to share my favourite promotional poster for Ireland’s latest kit.

It’s just a pity that in an advertisement featuring ten Irish players celebrating a World Cup victory, three of those shown won’t have a part in our progress. Nevertheless, Irish rugby really does bring us together, as the slogan goes. Given the reliance on different physical attributes in different positions on the pitch, the sport we love teaches us to see the deeper benefits of teamwork, but what’s more, in an island that has only recently started to leave a lengthy violent dispute behind us, it give us the opportunity to support a team truly representative of all corners of this beautiful island. Four proud provinces, one green team.

The Bull set to bow out on his terms

With the Irish World Cup squad having touched down in New Zealand today and all of our attentions so keenly focused on their miserable preparations thus far, one man who is far from most minds is veteran Munster and Ireland prop John Hayes. And why not, after all he’s not a part of the World Cup squad. Maybe so but it seems as though the I.R.F.U. made the assumption that he would have been, given that his current contract comes to an end right around the time the tournament does. Having not made the grade (presumably purely because of his age) and with Tony McGahan obviously more focused on his side’s opening fixtures of the inaugural Rabo league (the first 7 of which take place while the World Cup is ongoing) he will no doubt be including Hayes in those games, if only for the stability of his experience with so many of his key players otherwise engaged in International duty. With no contract extension being offered and with his retirement from the game coming at a point in the season where interprovincial derbies are the largest spectacle on offer, it seems as though the man affectionately known as “The Bull” will end his career with more of a whimper than a grunt but I suspect that will suit him just fine.

Keith Wood, who packed down alongside John in his first outings in the green jersey, once described him as “having the personality of a ninja, if not the stealth” and Donnacha O’Callaghan, who has scrummaged directly behind him for both province and country for years, said of him that “he’d rather get on, do his job, get off and get home to the farm and rub his cows” so it’s clear that these circumstances could well suit the Bruff man’s disposition. Nevertheless, a man who has played such a reliable role in the most successful period of Irish rugby deserves a decent send-off and we deserve the chance to give him one. It’s a shame that he won’t hang up the boots on a high note but it won’t bother the man himself, after all he’s had more than his fair share of them. The first man to receive 100 caps for Ireland won two Heineken Cups and three Magner’s Leagues with Munster as well as four triple crowns and a grand slam RBS Six Nations championship with Ireland. Not a bad haul for a guy who only started playing the game at 18 years of age.

“You know John Hayes, straight in, putting me in the recovery position and making sure I hadn’t swallowed my tongue you know ’cause if it was something serious theses are probably vital seconds. Just another sign of what a good man he is”

Ronan O’Gara on John Hayes’ vital interventions after O’Gara lost consciousness at the bottom of a ruck in the 2007 Six Nations match against Scotland.

Built on greatness

Back in March my parents gave me vouchers for two for a tour of the Aviva stadium as part of my birthday present and seeing as my father is the person solely responsible for my love of the game there was no choice – it had to be him I brought along. We had a look at the calendar and booked ourselves in for last Saturday the 13th as it was a week before the first of the home World Cup warm-up matches. In fact, other than the major holidays the only days that you can’t book tours of the stadium on are the days preceeding match days and obviously enough, match days themselves. At €10 for adults and €5 for children it’s cheaper than both Twickenham and the Stade de France both of which charge the equivalent of €15 for adults and €10 for children.

Built on the site of the oldest rugby stadium in the world, work first began on the Aviva back in May 2007 when the Lansdowne road stadium was torn down after 135 years. Three years later to the day the Aviva opened at an under-budget final cost of €411million. Jamie Heaslip scored the final try in Lansdowne road during Leinster and Ulster’s “final stand” match that set a record attendance for a Magner’s league game. Ulster’s Craig Gilroy wrote his name into the history books as the first scorer in the new stadium during the O2 challenge which was a combined provinces match where the academy players of Leinster and Ulster took on those from Munster and Connacht.

Arguably the part of the tour that brings the visitor as close as possible to being in the player’s boots’ is the home dressing room.

Whilst it’s the same size and layout as the away team’s dressing room, it has the advantage of two hydrotherapeutic plunge pools which are set at shockingly divergent degrees which the players use as part of their post-match routine to aid in muscle recovery. Another nice feature is the warm-up room which enables some of the more private, albeit close quarters, preparations such as line-out calls.

Then when you’re ready, it’s time to head out onto the pitch.

The darkness of the tunnel means that when you do take to the field the visual impact is magnified to ensure maximum wow factor. One can only imagine what it must be like at night, under lights, packed with 51,700 roaring fans.

Once you’re out in the open you can really appreciate the architecture of the stadium as you look up at the nest of poles that make up the roof support system.

The tour continues on up to level 5 where you’re free to venture up as far into the stand as you like to test out the stadium’s boast of unobstructed views from all seats. Certainly the commentator’s have some of the best seats in the house.

All in all it’s a great way to spend an hour and it really will last long in the memory. Hopefully we will be given many great victories and occasions in the future when we can feel that bit closer to our heroes because while most of us won’t know what it’s like to represent our province or country at the highest levels we’ll know that we’ve been there. In the rooms they’ve prepared in, the steps they’ve taken, and as we’re always a major part of the celebrations and consolations that follow each occasion, it bridges the divide between those who represent us and those of us who support them because it’s a very special relationship. Like any relationship it needs to be nurtured and both sides need to feel the appreciation of the other. It’s easy to see why we need them but it can sometimes be just as easy to forget that they need us. We play an integral role in the success of the teams we support and often the Irish players have said that it’s much harder sitting in the stands with an injury, watching a game unfold in front of them because they know they can have no impact. Clearly they empathise with the mill of emotions that they put us through so it can be quite a thrill, even as an adult, to take these opportunities to see how things are from their point of view. A truly special experience.

If I were a Kidney…

The deadline for the World Cup’s 20 participating nations to declare their final 30-man squads will be quickly upon us. On the 22nd of August (three weeks from today) the ink will be dry on the airplane tickets so it seems like the time to outline my selections of the men who I believe can best be relied upon to play the sport we love on the biggest stage of them all with the utmost skill, pride and success.

Props:

John Hayes, Cian Healy, Marcus Horan, Mike Ross

Hookers:

Rory Best, Sean Cronin

Locks:

Leo Cullen, Donnacha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Donnacha Ryan

Back Rows:

Stephen Ferris, Jamie Heaslip, Denis Leamy, Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O’Brien, David Wallace

Scrum-halves:

Conor Murray, Tomas O’Leary, Eoin Reddan

Fly-halves:

Ronan O’Gara, Jonathan Sexton

Centres:

Gordon D’Arcy, Brian O’Driscoll, Paddy Wallace

Wingers:

Tommy Bowe, Keith Earls, Fergus McFadden, Luke Fitzgerald

Fullbacks:

Felix Jones, Rob Kearney

Pool matches:

U.S.A. – Sunday Sept 11th Australia – Saturday Sept 17th

Russia – Sunday Sept 25th Italy – Sunday October 2nd

Potential quarter-finals:

Wales (likely runners-up to South Africa in their Pool) – Saturday Oct 8th

Potential semi-finals:

England (likely to top pool and beat France in the quarters) – Saturday Oct 15th

Potential final:

New Zealand (likely to top pool, beat Argentina in quarters & South Africa in semis) – Sunday Oct 23rd

Don’t forget to calculate your own tournament possibilities using the Rugby World Cup 2011 planner.

Pulling the strings

Meeting Peter Stringer in Dublin’s Gresham Hotel. Lovely guy, and a genuine legend of Irish Rugby. Thanks to Aoife Craig for the tip-off!

Puma’s 2011 Ireland kit

As promised I can reveal the new Irish jersey before it hits shops in two days time. The only images that have been released by the IRFU are of the home jersey with the alternative kit to be revealed when we take on France in next month’s World Cup warm-up match in Bordeaux. What they did reveal is that the control panel on the chest has been re-designed using the Giant’s Causeway as inspiration with each section modelled on the famous basalt columns and that the crest has also been given a makeover that includes a unique application that has given it a three-dimensional appearance. The authentic jersey will set you back €90 and the replica, €66.

Evolution not revolution for the Northern hemisphere

The Magner’s League is no more. The 11th Celtic League season will see a re-branding as it becomes the RaboDirect Pro 12. Currently Rabo are the sponsors of southern hemisphere strugglers the Melbourne Rebels and there’s a distinct southern flavour to the name of the competition as this year was the first season that the South African New Zealand and Australian Rugby board (SANZAR) dropped the number from the name of their club tournament in an attempt at brevity and better branding. At one point or another the SANZAR club competition has been known as the Super 6, Super 10, Super 12, Super 14 and now SupeRugby. It seems as though Rabo could’ve learned that lesson and come up with a more concise name as it seems unlikely that supporters will take to such a lengthy title. Something they will hopefully take to is the pre-season warm-up games in August which added to the Guinness Summer Series of World Cup warm-up games will give us a month of mouth-watering clashes. Ireland will take on both England and France in the Aviva Stadium and little needs to be said about the importance and the level of interest that those fixtures will provide. The action in the provinces should be just as fascinating. Ulster will travel to Bayonne before welcoming Harlequins to Ravenhill. Munster will entertain two London clubs as Wasps will come to Cork and London Irish to Limerick. Oddly, Connacht will only have one game as they will host the Exeter Chiefs in Galway. Leinster, predictably, have the real showpiece encounter as they will face Northampton Saints in Donnybrook in a re-match of this year’s Heineken Cup final. Both sides will be missing key players to World Cup training duty and that will probably favour the Saints as you would imagine that Leinster will contribute more players to their national side than Northampton will. The boys in blue will also become the boys in green as they aim to raise climate change awareness when they square off against the Queensland Reds who are currently atop the SupeRugby table. Plenty to keep us entertained in the lead-up to the World Cup and the new season.

A growing grip on Europe

Dublin’s Aviva stadium has been unveiled as the venue for the Heineken Cup final in 2013. Considering the growing strength and importance of the provinces in recent years, it was a pity that the re-development of Lansdowne road came when it did as we could and should have held more finals in Dublin than we have (only two, when Ulster won in ’99 and Toulouse in ’03) but with this announcement hopefully we can make up for lost time and catch up on Murrayfield and the Millennium stadium who have hosted four finals each. More importantly though, here’s hoping that there’ll be a sizeable native contingent to the crowd supporting our boys, whether blue, red, white or even green. On that note congratulations must go to all four provinces (particularly Connacht) for qualifying for the Heineken Cup next season. Leinster’s group looks to be a more forgiving group than they are used to with Glasgow, Bath and Montpellier all up for trips to Dublin. Munster will face Castres, Llanelli Scarlets and this year’s beaten finalists Northampton Saints. Ulster have drawn Aironi, Clermont Auvergne and Leicester Tigers but as fascinating as some of those clashes will be surely one of the most exciting prospects for Irish rugby is tournament novices Connacht being drawn against European goliaths Toulouse. Gloucester and Harlequins make up the group but this is a huge opportunity for Eric Elwood’s men to take that next step and show the Northern hemisphere the great work that has been ongoing in Galway in recent years. Again, what a shame that this achievement didn’t come one season earlier but as it is Connacht will be without the likes of Sean Cronin and Fionn Carr both of whom had massive parts to play in getting the men from the west into Europe’s elite competition but who have left for greener pastures as it were. Plenty to look forward to over the coming years, change is on the horizon with many of Ireland’s golden generation surely soon to retire. Another person who has represented Ireland with tremendous grace, dignity and pride will soon be stepping down. Our president Mary McAleese has been the embodiment of modern Ireland during her time in office and has always shown great warmth in her relationship with all of those who represent us. Here’s hoping her successor will enjoy the same relationship with the people of Ireland (as well as many victorious days in the Aviva!)

The ebb and flow of provincial dominance

The mantle has been passed and the tide, at least for the moment, has turned. Until very recently, Munster were the superpower of Irish rugby in all aspects of their game. In 2006 they were crowned kings of Europe for the first time, after years of prolonged improvement and disappointment. A legendary 30-6 win over Leinster in the semi-final in Dublin helping them towards conquering Biarritz in the Millennium stadium. The following season was very poor by Munster’s standards, losing their unbeaten European record at Thomond park and finishing sixth in the Magner’s league. They made amends the following year however, by beating Toulouse in the Heineken cup final, again in Cardiff’s Millennium stadium.

The next season brought with it Ireland’s grand slam success in the RBS six nations which set the tone for perhaps the greatest year in the history of the sport in our country.

In 2009 Munster won the Magner’s league and Leinster won the Heineken cup for the first time, squeezing past Leicester after having put Munster to the sword with a scoreline of 25-6 in Dublin. The following year proved to be something of a hangover for Leinster as they lost the inaugural Magner’s league grand final at home to Ospreys and were comprehensively dispatched from the Heineken cup by the eventual winners Toulouse. But the boys in blue bounced back this season and won their second Heineken cup, two seasons after their first.

So let’s recap. Both teams had years of coming close, a one-sided Dublin semi-final derby, their first ever Heineken cup win, followed by a big dip in form and success the following season, and then a return to continental supremacy once again after that.

The manner in which Leinster have emulated their southern rivals’ success in recent seasons is tantamount to tribute. But there will be no praise in their performance this weekend as they travel to Thomond park as European champions to take on Munster in the Magner’s league grand final. Munster will be licking their lips at the thoughts of dethroning their old foes while Leinster will be looking to be the first team ever to complete a European and domestic double. They have had by far the better season and will be strong favourites despite being away from home. Indeed, Munster will be hoping that the crowd don’t let them down as they have done of late. The recent Amlin challenge cup semi-final against eventual winners Harlequins was played with closed terraces at both ends of the pitch as well as noticeable gaps in the stands. Such scenes would have been unimaginable three seasons ago when Munster became the first Irish team to conquer Europe twice and any ticket for every game was being snapped up without exception. Their fans have long been known as the red army and tales of their dedication has become as important to the folklore of Munster rugby as the results themselves. But as I’ve mentioned, this formerly religious-like devotion has dwindled this season when it has been needed most. This is particularly puzzling given that many Munster fans would long have considered Leinster fans to be the fickle bunch, ready to make other plans on matchday when the trophy cupboard is bare, but Saturday’s showdown will surely be enough to get them through the gates. Munster need the silverware badly but the Irish team need them to win it even more so. One of the most acknowledged aspects of the grand slam success two years ago was the collective confidence that Declan Kidney and his team had managed to instill in the Irish squad and Ronan O’Gara has said that the best thing players can do for their confidence is to win. If Leinster were to win this weekend we could be facing into the preparatory stages of a World Cup with a large contingent of the squad used to winning and therefore full of confidence and another sizeable contingent who are getting all too used to losing, both games and support. Hunger is usually the deciding factor in this biggest of European rugby derbies and both teams always reserve special efforts for each other but this meeting has the potential to mean more than any of recent times.