Club Rugby April

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LANSDOWNE, MIDleTON and PORTLAOISE

CLUB PROFILEs INSIDE

DONNACHA RYAN TALKS TO CLUB RUGBY

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWs SHANE HORGAN Fergus Slattery ULSTER BANK LEAGUE

Round-up, fixtures & previews

6 nations review l PROVINCIAL TOWNS CUP l SCHOOLS RUGBY l CLUB NEWS

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F ea t ures

12 Heineken Cup &

AMLIN Previews

Club Rugby analyses the fascinating fixtures ahead involving the cream of European rugby

30 SChools Rugby

Tony Ward looks back at another explosive year, and celebrates the achievements of the four provincial winners

34 RBS 6 nations review

Club Rugby looks back at contrasting fortunes for the men’s and women’s teams

38 national clubs focus

Club Rugby visits Lansdowne, Midleton and Portlaoise Rugby Clubs, to hear what’s happening at grass-roots level

NEWS

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REGULARS

06 General news

16 INTERVIEW

38 PROVincial towns

20 INTERVIEW

The very latest talking points from Local, National and International rugby

cup

Club Rugby looks at who will come out on top, as we enter the business end of the Provincial Towns Cup

53 national clubs

In-depth round-up of all the latest from Ireland’s local club sides

Modern-era legend, Shane Horgan, talks through his most memorable moments in the Irish and Leinster jerseys

24 INTERVIEW

news

Ireland’s shining light, Donnacha Ryan chats to Club Rugby

One of Irish rugby’s most celebrated players and characters, Fergus Slattery, talks exclusively to Club Rugby

54 PROvincial focus

Connacht are the subject of this month’s Provincial profile

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Editor: Alan Conway Content Advisors: Shane Byrne Tony Ward Contributors: Shane Byrne Tony Ward Robert Forbes Daire Walsh Design: Barry Sheehan www.ifpmedia.com

Photography: Inpho Financial Director: Tom McGrath Accounts: Gemma Cameron Managing Director: Brian O’Connell Advertising and Marketing Director: Gerard Connon + 353 (86) 6089220 gerardconnon@clubrugby.ie Media Director: J. O’Neill + 353 (83) 1128148 jay@clubrugby.ie Online Community Manager: Michael Corcoran Publisher: Council Publications Ltd. Copyright CLUB RUGBY MAGAZINE 2013. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form without the express written permission of the publishers.

CLUB RUGBY MAGAZINE Unit D4, Swords Enterprise Park, Drinam, Swords, Co. Dublin

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WELCOME MESSAGE from Shane Byrne It has certainly been a busy number of weeks since we last talked and we at Club Rugby have put together another jam packed magazine for you to enjoy.

This month we sit down with Ireland’s very own ‘Ryan King’ Donnacha Ryan. The Munster man talks to us about his career to date in a compelling interview that will give you a glimpse into the sacrifices required to make it to the top of the rugby tree.

We also talk to former Leinster, Ireland and British & Irish Lions star Shane Horgan as he details his hugely successful rugby career along with his burgeoning off the field career, which encompasses his role working with the RTE rugby panel.

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Paul, pictured in Dublin with sons Robert, William & Nicholas.

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LANSDOWNE, MIDLETON AND PORTLAOISE

CluB pRofiles inside

DONNACHA RYAN tAlKs to CluB RuGBy

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS sHAne HoRGAn feRGus slAtteRy ULSTER BANK LEAGUE

Round-up, fixtuRes & pReviews

6 nations review ProvinCiaL towns CUP sCHooLs rUGBY CLUB news

There is an exclusive one on one interview with the legendary Fergus Slattery, in which the Ireland and Lions legend discusses everything from his Ireland career, being a winning Lion and the future of the game in Ireland.

We have a comprehensive roundup of the Six Nations championship, which saw Ireland’s campaign finish on a disappointing note away to Italy.

There is also full coverage of the women’s historic Six Nations campaign, which saw Philip Doyle’s side secure their first ever Grand Slam.

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Lansdowne, Midleton and Portlaoise are profiled in our dedicated club section, with interviews with all the current Presidents along with the latest news from each of the clubs and Tony Ward also rounds up all the action from the four schools cup finals.

There is comprehensive coverage of both the Ulster Bank League and the Provincial Towns Cup, along with an up to the minute review of the RaboDirect Pro12, along with a preview of the Heineken Cup quarter finals.

With all the latest news from clubs around the country, Club Rugby is the only magazine that you will need. I hope you enjoy this issue and I look forward to talking to you next month.

Yours in Rugby,

www.clubrugby.ie PS: If you would like the latest news from your club to feature in our publication please email info@clubrugby.ie with any news that you would like us to cover in the magazine

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GENERAL NEWS Zebo fitness lift for Munster Simon Zebo is set to hand Munster a major boost ahead of their huge Heineken Cup clash with Harlequins this coming weekend, by declaring himself fit to face Conor O’Shea’s Aviva Premiership side.

Zebo suffered a broken bone in his foot during Ireland’s Six Nations game against England last month and it had been feared that the flying winger may miss the end of season run in.

Those fears have been put to bed with the flying winger hoping to play some part in the last eight showdown.

“The Quins game is my target. That’s my immediate goal to get back. I’m probably no more than 50-50, but there is a chance and we all saw what Paulie achieved. He is an inspiration to all injured players.

“It’s great he’s back and I hope I too can put myself in a position where I am in the reckoning for the Quins match.

That’s the target, that’s the goal and so far it is on schedule.

“We will just have to wait and see and hopefully it will work out. It’s what I have been working towards and it is working out well. I have been training in the gym and want to move to the next level.

“I think I could be running on grass next week, all things going well. It brings the Harlequins match into the reckoning and, yes, it is a possibility, but it will be touch and go.

“If I keep progressing the way I’m going then I could be in contention for ‘Quins, but I will take it day by day.”

Irish rugby stars Fergus McFadden, Sean Cronin and Mike Ross lined-out in University College Dublin with a selection of Ulster Bank League Club captains to mark the return of Ulster Bank’s RugbyForce, an initiative which provides rugby clubs with the opportunity to win support packages to renovate their club and upgrade their facilities.

This year, five clubs will receive a €5,000 prize, with one coming down to a public vote. The winning clubs will also receive a special training session from an IRFU coach and two Irish Rugby stars.

Now it in its third year, Ulster Bank continues to show their dedication to grassroots rugby through their partnership with the IRFU as the ‘Official Community Partner’. Last year Ulster Bank RugbyForce received entries from almost 100 clubs across the country, with 54 clubs receiving funding and hundreds of volunteers from the clubs and communities taking part in the designated Ulster Bank RugbyForce Day. This year there will be five lucky winners of a support package worth €5,000, four provincial winners and one winner which will be voted by the public. Those clubs who are shortlisted but not selected by the judges as winners will then be put to a public vote, whereby club and community members can vote for the club of the choice from 22nd- 26th April 2013.

The club with the highest number of votes will be named as the fifth winner of the support package. The winners will also receive the coveted prize of a training session with an IRFU coach and two IRFU players.

The winning clubs will receive: • Goods and resources up to the value of €5,000 to go towards the club’s RugbyForce Day • A training session with an IRFU coach and 2 Irish international players • 50 T-shirts for the volunteer workforce • A signed framed jersey • Enhanced media support • Commemorative Ulster Bank RugbyForce Plaque • Terms and conditions apply and can be found at www.ulsterbank.com/ rugby The Increased support pack for the first 50 clubs includes: • €250 to go towards the club’s RugbyForce event Speaking at the launch, Jim Ryan, Managing Director, Branch Banking, Private & Advice, Ulster Bank said: “Ulster Bank is dedicated to the future of Irish rugby and it is great to see an initiative that supports clubs across the country.

“Support for club rugby continues to grow in Ireland due the outstanding development and performance of our provincial sides and Ulster Bank RugbyForce is a unique initiative that offers clubs the opportunity to improve their facilities while also bringing the community together.”

The four winners of the 2012 Ulster Bank RugbyForce were Ballyhaunis RFC in Mayo, Killarney RFC in Kerry, Newbridge RFC in Kildare and Donaghdee RFC in Down. Renovations and refurbishments in these clubs included upgrading changing rooms, replacement of essential training equipment and development of underage structures.

Rugby clubs can enter RugbyForce on Ulster Bank’s dedicated rugby website – www.ulsterbank.com/rugby - where extensive analysis and information on previous RugbyForce winners can also be found.

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GENERAL NEWS Hibernia College IRUPA Rugby Players’ Awards 2013

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2013 is the 11th year of the Hibernia College IRUPA Rugby Players Awards, the awards are the only accolades voted for by the players themselves and votes are cast from across all four provinces ensuring their status as the most valid and relevant rugby awards in the country. Taking place on Wednesday May 8th at Dublin’s Burlington Hotel, the ceremony consists of seven awards including the prestigious Hibernia College Players’ Player of the Year 2013. Previous winners of this Award include: Brian O’Driscoll, Tommy Bowe, a two time winner, Isa Nacewa, Rob Kearney and Paul O’Connell.

Compelling climax to Pro 12

This year’s event will be hosted by Ben Kay, a member of the England World Cup winning team in 2003 and a British and Irish Lion. Attended by a host of rugby greats both past and present, the event celebrates the efforts of all professional players this season. As well as the awards, guests will be treated to a Q&A with very special guests from Ireland and overseas.

After the conclusion of the Six Nations championship the spotlight was switched back to domestic affairs as the RaboDirect Pro12 enters the final stages of what has been a compelling season thus far.

A limited number of tables for the event are available; to register your interest, please email: sarajane.english@irupa.ie

Despite having lost a number of their key front line players, Brian O’Driscoll and Jonny Sexton, to name but two, Leinster climbed to the summit of the Pro12 table with a narrow 22-17 against another side that had designs on the top spot of the table, the Glasgow Warriors, at a bitterly cold RDS two weekends ago. For most of the game Joe Schmidt’s side looked unlikely to come out on the right side of the score-line, but the assured boot of man of the match Ian Madigan kept them in the hunt as their visitors played the more attractive brand of rugby, scoring two tries in a hugely impressive forty minute display from Gregor Townsend’s outfit.

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Women’s sevens initiative receives €1 million boost Along with the Irish Sports Council, the IRFU have made the decision to commit to a long term Women’s Sevens Programme with the expressed goal of qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro. The programme will entail an investment of over €1.1 million to create a high performance squad with the aspiration to qualify and successfully compete in Rio in 2016.

In addition to qualification for the Rio games, the strategic aims of the new IRFU Olympic Sevens programme are to: • Raise the profile of Irish female team sport • Increase female participation in the game of rugby • Position rugby as the sport of choice for young women To date, over 100 players have taken part in screening camps and further camps will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

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Opened in December 2007 by Robert & Bronagh Kennedy, Avenue already boasts a band of loyal local customers gaining a reputation for excellence.

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The women’s ‘Road to Rio’ journey began when an elite Irish sevens squad departed for China to take part in the Hong Kong Sevens Women’s Invitational (22-24 March) and the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series in Guangzhou, China’s third largest city, (30-31 March).

A delighted Scott Walker, IRFU Director of Rugby Development and the Club Game said of the news: “The success of the Women’s team is a mark of their commitment to the game and the culmination of many years hard work by the players and management. The IRFU will be working to ensure that this success acts as a springboard for recruitment to women’s rugby and we see women’s sevens and the Olympics as a key component to that development. The success of our sevens programme in such a short space of time to qualify for the Sevens Rugby World Cup, which takes place in Moscow in June, is a mark of the talent and commitment of our representative women.

“The IRFU’s Olympic Sevens programme will entail both the talent identification process and necessary support structures for athletes to compete at the levels necessary to not only hopefully qualify for the Rio game, but compete for a podium finish.”

Further information on how to become one of Ireland’s elite sevens players, and potentially represent Ireland in the Rio games, can be found on www.irishrugby.ie

Yet it was Madiagn who would proved to be the difference between the two sides, giving hope to the provinces legion of fans that the three time Heineken Cup winners will not be too adversely affected by the impending departure of Jonny Sexton. Madigan ran the game for Leinster, in particular, during the second half. His outrageous chip kick while inside his own try line, showed that he is not short on confidence, yet it was the manner in which he guided a Leinster team, who looked some way short of their best form, that impressed most.

His try close to the end of the game was just reward for a tremendous individual performance and if he can stay in that type of form for the remainder of the campaign then more man of the match awards await this deeply talented out-half.

That win against Glasgow saw Leinster rise to the summit of the Pro12 table and having lost out on the title for the last three occasions, Joe Schmidt and his players will be desperate to right that annoying statistic come the seasons end.

On the same weekend that Ian Madigan revealed a little more of his unique talent, another Irish international was reminding us all that he remains a potent force to be reckoned with. Paul O’Connell made his long awaited comeback from injury when Munster welcomed Connacht to Musgrave Park, and what a welcome O’Connell had for his fellow Irish province. Typically leading from the front, O’Connell scored the first of Munster’s three tries as Rob Penney’s men put Connacht to the sword by a

score of 22-0 that keeps their outside chances of sneaking into the playoff spots just about alive.

Having made his return for Munster A a number of weeks ago, O’Connell looked like he was well on his way back to a level that could very well see him sneak a place on the British & Irish Lions plane to Australia.

Marauding around the pitch and tackling anything that moved, O’Connell helped Munster hit a patch of form that the province has struggled to find over the last number of weeks.

Munster came out of the blocks flying and blew Connacht away in the opening 20 minutes. Damien Varley supplemented O’Connell’s early try to give Munster a 17-0 lead at half time, a half which saw Connacht struggle to get to grips with the intensity and the pressure that Munster applied to Eric Elwood’s men. Munster didn’t relent in the second period and Varley once again crossed the white wash in the early stages of the second half. That try put the match, as a contest to bed. Munster will be disappointed that they couldn’t kick on from there and get the bonus point, but overall it was a big step up and just what they needed ahead of the Heineken Cup quarter finals. Will they sneak into the playoff spots however?

One feels Munster’s best chance of silverware will come in Europe rather than at home.

While Munster hit their right stride with the Heineken Cup knock out stages looming, Mark Anscombe’s Ulster side slumped to a 14-8 away defeat to Edinburgh, a loss that dealt a huge blow to the provinces chances of obtaining a home tie in the playoffs. Despite a try from Andrew Trimble and a penalty from Paddy Jackson, you couldn’t help but feel that it was not going to be Ulster’s night. To credit the home side, Edinburgh played a very good, high intensity game, and were always looking to attack the Irish province at any opportunity. Three missed penalty opportunities early in the second half didn’t help Ulster’s cause one bit and they were made to pay when Edinburgh’s Netani Tale burst through tackles and offloaded to Stuart McInally who spun over the line.

It would prove to be the vital score of the game and now Ulster will have to win their remaining round robin games and hope that either Leinster or Glasgow slip up if they are to gain that all important home advantage for the playoffs.

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QUARTER FINALS ASM Clermont Auvergne v Montpellier

Stade Marcel Michelin 06/04/2013 16:40

One of the leading fancies for the Heineken Cup versus one of the surprise packets as Clermont Auvergne welcome Montpellier to the Stade Marcel Michelin in an all French quarter final clash.

Vern Cotter’s side come back into European competition having made a huge impression in the group stages, having defeated defending Heineken Cup champions Leinster both home and away back in December. Clermont have displayed that unique brand of attacking flair combined with one of the meanest defences in Europe as they look to win their first Heineken Cup, a trophy that they craved more than any other. Standing in their way however is a Montpellier side that also have their eyes on the biggest trophy in European rugby. Currently sitting in the middle of the table in the Top 14 and with the likes of French star Francois Trinch-Duc in their ranks, Montpellier will come to Clermont without any fears and will be looking to topple one of the giants of European rugby. Aside from the galaxy of stars within their ranks, Clermont’s home record in European competition is nothing short of formidable. Clermont not only have one of the classiest teams on paper, but they also back it up when they take the field. They came oh so close to knocking out Leinster in that never to be forgotten semifinal in Bordeaux last April and you get the feeling that it will take a team with a little more nous than Montpellier to stop the Clermont juggernaut. One would have to think that with all things considered Clermont will have too many gears for Montpellier and should advance.

Prediction: Clermont

Harlequins v Munster

The Twickenham Stoop 07/04/2013 14.00 The second England v Ireland clash sees Conor O’Shea’s Harlequins outfit welcome two time Heineken Cup winners Munster to the Stoop. ‘Quins are one of the favourites to lift the Heineken Cup at the Aviva Stadium in May. Led by England captain Chris Robshaw, Harlequins bulldozed their way through the pool stages, running up huge scores against both Connacht and Zebre, playing with a dynamism that has many people believing that they will become the first English club since Wasps in the 2006/07 season to lift the Heineken Cup. Their ability to ruthlessly pick apart good teams, particularly at the Stoop, is one of this team’s defining traits. Having failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup last season, Munster made no mistake this time round, albeit they required a last weekend, bonus point win, against Racing Metro to confirm their spot in the final eight at the expense of Leinster.

However Rob Penney’s outfit have struggled for consistent form during the course of the season thus far. Injuries to the likes of their spiritual leader Paul O’Connell haven’t helped, but one would be more confident about Munster’s chances this weekend if they were in a slightly richer vein of form. Providing he is fit, O’Connell should take his place in the second row, which will be a huge boost for both Munster players and supporters alike. One would imagine Ronan O’Gara, fresh from a Six Nations he would rather forget, will slot into the ten jersey and his experience could very well edge it for the Irish province. It will be tight, perhaps too close to call. Heart says Munster. Head says Harlequins.

Prediction: Harlequins

Saracens v Ulster Rugby

Twickenham Stadium 06/04/2013 18:30 In the first of two Anglo-Ireland ties, last season’s beaten finalists Ulster travel to face the might of the Aviva Premiership in the shape of Saracens.

Mark Anscombe’s outfit have continued the good work that saw them reach the final in Twickenham eleven months ago, topping their pool in terrific style, playing a fantastic brand of rugby along their way. If they are to progress beyond the quarter-final stage they will have to do without two of their big game players in the shape of Tommy Bowe and Stephen Ferris, who are out with long term injuries. The question of player’s in form will also be crucial to Ulster’s chances. Both Paddy Jackson and Rory Best have had a tough Six Nations campaign and it will be interesting to see how they bounce back in the white of Ulster. Awaiting them is the formidable challenge of Saracens. The Premiership side were equally impressive in the pool stages, defeating Munster and Racing Metro along their way to the quarter-finals. Their smash mouth, forward orientated game will pose a huge test for the Ulster’s forwards and one feels that whichever team can win the physical battle will be the favourites to win the game. For all of Ulster’s flair and razzle dazzle, Saracens are just favoured to come away from what is sure to be a hugely exciting game.

Prediction: Saracens

Toulon v Leicester Tigers

Stade Félix Mayol 07/04/2013 17.30 Potential versus pedigree. That could easily describe the meeting of Toulon and Leicester Tigers in the final Heineken Cup quarter final. Leicester have reached the mountain top of European club rugby on two occasions, while Toulon will be competing in just their fourteenth Heineken Cup game.

To simplify matters would be to do both sides a disservice. Leicester topped their pool, one point ahead of French giants Toulouse, which is no mean feat, along with beating the Ospreys and Benetton Treviso along the way to the quarter finals. Currently riding high at the top end of the Premiership, the Tigers are well used to big European occasions and having to travel to the Stade Felix Mayol will hold no fears for one of the bluebloods of Heineken Cup rugby. Although Toulon may be light on Heineken Cup experience, the French outfit have certainly made a big splash in their short time with the big boys of European rugby.

Topping their pool with five wins and only one defeat, Toulon, and aided by the unerring boot of Johnny Wilkinson, the French outfit will no doubt provide a stiff test for Leicester, however one fancies the Aviva Premiership side to just have enough to come away from their French trip with a place in the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup booked. It’s a game to relish.

Prediction: Leicester.

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RECHARGE YOUR SKIN

24HR HYDRATION London Wasps v Leinster

HYDRA ENERGETIC

Adams Park 5/4/13 20.00

If you were told that Leinster would be facing into an Amlin Challenge Cup quarter final rather than a Heineken Cup quarter final when the season started, one could be forgiven for dismissing such an idea out of hand. Yet that is the scenario that the three times Heineken Cup champions find themselves in. It’s been that kind of season for Joe Schmidt and his squad.

ANTI-FATIGUE MOISTURISER HELPS FIGHT

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Having narrowly lost out on that final quarter final berth to their great rivals Munster, Leinster make the trip this Friday to Adams Park to face a Wasps side that will be determined to knock over a Leinster side that will be missing a number of key players.

Joe Schmidt has to plan without Luke Fitzgerald who will miss the remainder of the campaign with a serious knee injury. The Kiwi coach will also have to plan without Brian O’Driscoll, who is currently serving as ban for a stamp in Ireland’s defeat against Italy, along with Jonny Sexton who suffered a ligament injury in his foot on the eve of that Six Nations game.

Leinster will face a Wasps side that are currently mid table in the Aviva Premiership, some 13 points off leaders Harlequins. Despite their up and down domestic form, director of rugby Dai Young will no doubt have his side fired up for what is sure to be a tremendously physical clash between two hugely skilful and talented sides.

How Leinster cope without a number of their frontline stars will go a long way into determining if they can get the better of Wasps. While having to do without O’Driscoll, Sexton et al, the players that have stepped into the breach while others have been away on Six Nations duty have done a hugely commendable job.

The Irish province may also have the slight edge when it comes to big game experience. A team doesn’t win three Heineken’s in four years without knowing how to win a big, pressure filled, game and Joe Schmidt will have his troops fully wound up to deliver some silverware in what is a final European campaign for a lot of players in the blue jersey.

On all form one would have to favour Leinster to get the job done in Adams Park. There is no doubt that they will still be hurting from exiting the Heineken Cup at such an early stage and despite the long injury list, they should have enough class to book their place, back at the RDS, in the semi-final of the Amlin Challenge Cup. It promises to be a cracking game and one not to be missed.

Prediction: Leinster

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club RUGBY talks to ireland’s shining light ive minutes. It may seem like a short period of time, but for some, like Irish and Munster second row Donnacha Ryan five minutes is all it can take to change the course of your life and your career.

It was a five minute difference that could have seen Ryan lost to the game of rugby. Having missed the team bus travelling down to Cork it was thanks to his father’s persuasions that he would still make training, even if they had to travel from Tipperary.

“My Dad still takes credit for that”, a smiling Ryan says. “I remember it was a Sunday we went to Mass. The bus left five minutes before I got there so I went home and thought that was that and I’d move on from the rugby.

“The next thing Dad comes in and says ‘we are going to make that training session’. The session started at 11.30 and I think we left Nenagh about 10.30. Now it’s a fair drive from Nenagh to Cork but we arrived at 11.25, don’t ask me how, but we did. Dad keeps joking that if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be playing now.”

Ryan has taken the long, hard road to get to this place in time, where he has now become one of the most dependable and one could argue indispensable players for both his province and his country.

The huge 6f 6in Nenagh born ball of destruction came to the world of rugby relatively late. Not for the prestigious rugby schools that many a player has taken on the road to further success, Ryan was more inclined to pick up a hurley rather than a rugby ball in his youth.

“Hurling was my first sport I have to admit. We were more of a hurling family. Strangely enough the rugby field was only down from where I grew up, but we never went down there. I only took up rugby to get big for hurling because at the time I had aspirations to get onto the Tipperary minor hurling panel, unfortunately I was a bit too skinny.”

It was thanks to a meeting with Pat Whelan, a man for whom Ryan has the upmost respect, that he became involved playing rugby. Along with Whelan, Ryan’s neighbour Trevor Hogan, taught the young Ryan the basics of rugby in somewhat of an unconventional manner.

“They used a Subbuteo table would you believe”, Ryan says, laughing at

the memory. “I remember during my first year I played against Munchin’s and I gave away ten penalties in the first half at ruck time because I was still learning to play the game at the time.

“I got taken off at half time and was all set to be dropped for the next game, but Pat Whelan stood behind me. The analogy that he used at the time was ‘right he gave away ten penalties, but who was the first player at the breakdown?’ So he must have seen something in me at that time.”

While the technical nous may not have been in Ryan’s game at that time, the natural talent certainly was. He would progress quickly enough to play a major role in helping St Munchin’s College land the Munster Senior Schools Cup back in 2002, an experience that Ryan admits “I didn’t really appreciate it at the time. For me it would be a big deal if I won a Harty Cup. I was playing with the likes of Damien Varley so it was obviously a huge deal to those lads but looking back it was a great achievement, with time you realise just how big it was.”

That initial success should have been the prelude to more underage success, but like so many well laid plans, things didn’t quite go according to script. Having not been selected for the Munster or Ireland school teams Ryan made the decision to go to University College Cork and while not putting rugby on the backburner, he set out some goals that gave him one proper chance of making it at the top level of rugby. It was an all or nothing gamble as Ryan explains.

“I sat down with my Dad and said that if I was going to give rugby a proper go then we had to do it right. We decided on a long term plan that if I didn’t break through before I was 25 then I would stop and focus on another career.

“As it happens Murray Kid was coaching at Sunday’s Wells. He said to me ‘there may not be much of a shop window here, but you’ll get one to one coaching’. I was extremely underweight at the time. In some ways I was like a greyhound, I could run and tackle all day but I had no gym strength, more farm strength.

“So I was with Murray for the year. He would have me doing a heavy weight session the day before I played for the U-20’s. It was more of a mental thing than anything. Looking back he wanted to see how you were going

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to react when you were physically wrecked, would you look for excuses or would you get on with things. Most strength and conditioning coaches may not agree but I thought it was great.”

That slow, almost methodical approach to his rugby became the norm for Ryan.

Combining his studies in Commerce & Irish at UCC with playing for Sunday’s Wells, a balancing act that Ryan says was ‘difficult to juggle’ he continued to progress through the ranks.

With Murray Kid leaving Sunday’s Wells, Ryan spent the next two years playing with UCC, developing his game further, before making the first hugely significant move of his fledging career, by moving to Limerick to continue his rugby education with Shannon RFC. At the time he had the choice between playing for Garryowen or Shannon and that initial meeting, when he sat down with both clubs, proved to be decisive and for Ryan, somewhat funny, as he muses.

“I remember the Garryowen guys arrived into the meeting wearing these sharp suits and they were laying out the prospects that I could have if I joined them. Then Pat O’Connor, who has since passed away, came into the pub 20 minutes late for the meeting covered in muck and basically his pitch was to me ‘You can come play for us, either way we are going to win the AIL’, so off he went to the bathroom and I was sitting there thinking ‘I like this mentality’ so I went to play for Shannon.

The move to Shannon would see him play with the likes of Mick Galwey, Mossy Lawlor, Johnny O’Connor, Alan Quinlan, Jerry Flannery and Ian Dowling. In his first game for Shannon he played against a certain Jonny Sexton and while playing with and against players of that calibre, Ryan would soon find his feet, relishing the step up to a higher level of rugby.

“It was great. To meet those guys and see what it took to get to the level that they were at was priceless. It was their whole mentality of how things should be done. Everyone fed into the environment that was in Shannon at the time.

Obviously things took off from there. I had to go back to college, and then I was offered a full time contract with Munster. I turned that down because I wanted to finish my education. It was a risky move, but it worked out”.

That calculated risk paid dividends for Ryan. He would soon work his way through the ranks at Munster to such an extent that he was on the bench when the province landed their second Heineken Cup when they

defeated Toulouse in 2007.

Having a Heineken Cup winner’s medal would normally take pride of place in any player’s trophy cabinet, but not for Ryan. “I don’t think I earned that Heineken Cup medal”, the second row admits. “I was supposed to come on for Wally (David Wallace) but in the end I didn’t get a chance to get on. It’s gas. People ask me where my Heineken Cup medal is, and to be honest I think Mam has it somewhere in the house. To me it was on the back of other lads that I got that medal.

for when your chance comes along. All you want to do is change people’s perception of you and what you can bring to the team. That’s the business we’re in”.

The perception of Ryan has certainly changed over the last number of seasons. Having come out from the shadows of messers O’Callaghan and O’Connell, Ryan has transformed himself and in the process changed long held views that people had of him.

Dealing with the media and comments from outside the rugby bubble is something that he has had to adjust to. Does he pay much attention to what is said about him in print or on the web? “Not since my first game”, Ryan shoots back. “I remember the first game I played for Munster and I thought I had a good game, all the lads came up to me and said I played well, so I was full sure I had played well enough.

“I went onto one of those fanzines after the game and I got absolutely slated. At that age naivety gets the better of you, but I remember Pat (Whelan) saying to me ‘just don’t listen to them’. It was and is still sound advice. You try to never to get ahead of yourself.”

Having arrived to the provincial and international stage later than most, ‘I joke that I’m like a brand new car with two very careful owners and very low mileage’. Ryan has certainly been clocking up the miles over the last

“It’s more of a motivating factor to me because you want to feel like you have earned one.”

He is enthusiastic about Rob Penney and the direction Munster are taking, but he knows just how tough a challenge it will be when they travel to The Stoop this coming week.

“It was an unusual situation to be fighting it out with Leinster for that final quarter final sport but we are delighted to be there. I know they have had a few players missing over the last while but they are still a class side.

“From my point of view I was in the Six Nations three years ago playing against France. I came on and dislocated my shoulder and I was gone for six months, so I never look too far ahead.

“Obviously it is something to look forward to, but again you come back to the old mantra of taking it one day at a time.

Slowly does it, but it is an attitude and a mind-set that has seen Ryan rise from the ashes to become a shining light over Irish rugby.

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He would have to wait fifteen months before he would make his Six Nations debut for Ireland, coming on as a replacement against Italy. You wonder during that period of time, and faced with such huge competition in the second row, did he ever wonder if it was going to happen for him at international level?

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“There were dark days most definitely”, admits Ryan.

“That’s why at the moment, and I say it to anyone that I talk to, I don’t take anything for granted. There may be pressure but it is something that I thrive on.

“I’m fortunate with injuries that I have got a chance. There is such a limited window for professional athletes so you have to be ready

number of months. In the absence of Paul O’Connell, he has become a lynchpin for both Ireland and Munster. While he was naturally disappointed by the recent result against England, ‘they made less mistakes than us’ there is lots to look forward to beyond the Six Nations championship with a Heineken Cup quarter final against Conor O’Shea’s Harlequins side to focus his mind.

“If you walk, jog or run, the perfect fit changes everything.”

His Ireland career has in many ways mirrored his Munster career to date. Having made his Ireland bow during the 2008 Autumn International series against Argentina in Croke Park, his time in the green jersey was truncated mainly due to the presence of both Donnacha O’Callaghan and the imposing figure of Paul O’Connell casting a shadow on Ryan’s international aspirations.

“Wondering what time I would come off the bench is a tough thing to take. You just have to back yourself and just give it all you have.

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TALL TALES

Mention the name Shane Horgan and a thousand images flicker through the mind. From his out stretched, last gasp try against the ‘auld enemy’ to secure Ireland the Triple Crown in 2006, or his majestic, soaring leap in Croke Park the following year, he gave rugby fans throughout the land images that are seared into the mind, forever and a day.

Affectionately known to all and sundry as ‘Shaggy’, Shane Horgan’s career ran in conjunction with perhaps the most successful period in Irish rugby, both internationally and domestically. Standing 6f 4inch he strode across the rugby landscape with an uncanny mix of deft handling, bone shuddering defensive capabilities and a sniper’s eye for the try line, unmatched by few before or after him.

Born in Co. Meath in 1978 Horgan’s journey to the top of the rugby tree, which saw him win 65 caps for Ireland, two Heineken Cups with Leinster and three caps for the British & Irish Lions, began not just on the rugby fields that he would later dominate but also on the pastures of the GAA. “I suppose like many kids in Ireland I played whatever sport I could really”, a smiling Horgan says. “Rugby would have been a big part of my life growing up. I would have played mini’s and stuff like that along with GAA, but rugby gradually became a bigger part of my life as I got older”.

Talented enough to play minor football for Meath, Horgan’s love for the oval ball game really began to flourish when he joined Lansdowne FC upon leaving school. Not surprisingly one of Horgan’s heroes growing up was another dashing winger, albeit with a different hairstyle that would become his trademark that also dashed down the wings of Lansdowne Road.

“Simon Geoghegan for sure”, he confirms. “Although it wasn’t a great time for Ireland during that period, Simon was one of those players that made you, sit up and take notice and ask ‘who’s that guy?’ he had it all.

“Going further back both Hugo McNeil and Paul Dean were two of my younger heroes if you like. Then you had the likes of Campo and Blanco as well. So there were a lot of players that I followed”.

His natural precocity and ability would soon see him rise through the ranks, culminating in him making his Leinster debut against Ulster in 1998. His ascent wouldn’t stop there and in the space of two years he would make his full international debut against Scotland in the Six Nations.

It was a debut championship to remember for Horgan. Not only did he cross the whitewash against Scotland, but he would go onto score tries against Italy and Wales to truly announce his arrival on the international stage.

His route to the top may seem to have come without any bumps in the road, but as he explains, growing up the heady heights of provincial and international rugby were not at the forefront of his thoughts.

“It was only really when representative rugby, U-16’s onwards, came along that you could see that there was a ladder that you could follow, be it getting on the Leinster youth team or the Ireland youth team.

“Getting on those teams was the priority and when you succeeded with those teams other avenues were opened. Then when you start playing for Leinster you begin to think that you could play for Ireland, but it was all gradual steps”.

The Leinster side that Horgan debuted back in 1998 is a far cry from the triple Heineken Cup winning machine that has achieved unprecedented European success over the course of the last number of seasons. You wonder just how different things were back in the days before success flowed so freely from the RDS. Horgan’s smile tells it all.

“It was barely professional”, a laughing Horgan admits. “When I came in I think there were four guys on professional contracts. Things were very limited but they evolved over time. You have to remember that Leinster didn’t have too many games at the time. They would have the interprovincial games and a few games in the Heineken Cup, but there was no Rabo League, or Celtic League as it was back then.

“I think in my first game for Leinster there was maybe 300 people at the game, and you would have known most of them!. It was all about the AIL (Ulster Bank League) back then, so you couldn’t really see the potential for growth in regards to Leinster because there wasn’t really the facility for it to grow. That only began to turn when the correct structures were put in place.

“For me I think it was only in the last five years of my career that I felt things were done to a really professional level”.

Those last five years of Horgan’s career would prove to be the most bountiful of his time in the Leinster jersey. Having finally reached their holy grail of winning the Heineken Cup, when they defeated the Leicester Tigers in Edinburgh, Horgan also played a huge role in helping Leinster win their

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second Heineken in three seasons in that never to be forgotten, dramatic comeback against the Northampton Saints in the Millennium Stadium back in 2011.

Having been there in many senses from ‘day one’ with Leinster, could he appreciate at the time that Leinster were sweeping all before them, just how far both he and Leinster had come? “At the time you are not really thinking of the evolution of Leinster. You are just concentrating on winning the next game, be it a Heineken Cup final or a RaboDirect Pro12 game.

“Looking back now that I am out of the game, it was to be a part of the very genesis of something to were Leinster are now. To have a played a part in that is something special”.

Not only did Horgan achieve as he puts it ‘something special’ with Leinster, ‘Shaggy’ also achieved a tremendous amount of success with Ireland.

After that breath taking debut in the 2000 Six Nations, Horgan quickly established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet when he was fit to play. You take him back to that debut game, wondering if the memories are still crystal clear, the glint in his eye gives you the answer you knew all along.

“It was the ultimate”, he says of that first full international. “You go through various stages. Primarily you just want to get picked, first and foremost. That’s your only goal really, to play once for Ireland.

“You find out though that when you get capped once, you want more.

You get very greedy and you want to have that experience again and again. Then when the caps come you want to have success.

I was lucky enough to have some success but I never won a Grand Slam”.

That final phrase almost takes your breath away. Then you remember that amid all the delirious celebrations on that glorious day back in 2009, there was one player that wasn’t there, and a lot of people would argue that he should have been out in the midst of the Grand Slam party. Not being a part of that Slam winning side is still something that stings Horgan to this day.

“It was terrible and something that was a really big issue for me. When you have been working towards something for eight years and then, all of a sudden, not to be a part of it anymore was very disappointing.

“Luckily for me Leinster won the Heineken Cup that year so that softened the blow a little bit and kept me from going completely mad!”.

Despite being cast out into the international wilderness, Horgan refused to rage against the dying light and bounced back stronger than ever with Leinster, adding to his Heineken Cup collection, before a long term knee injury forced him into early retirement, far sooner than he wanted.

Again though, Horgan rebounded. He is now working alongside the likes of George Hook, Brent Pope and Conor O’Shea as part of RTE’s rugby panel.

Since he made his television debut Horgan has won universal praise for his sharp insights into a game that he can read as well as anyone.

Making the transition from playing the game to analysing it allowed Horgan to keep links with the game but at the same time smooth the changeover that he was going through.

“I think the work that I am doing with RTE has aided my transition as opposed to being completely immersed in rugby and then having no involvement in it whatsoever, so from that point of view it has been very fluid for me. “There have been no real issues and I have been able to continue with other aspects of my life at the same time.

“When I did retire I wasn’t sure if I wanted to have any involvement in rugby. When you finish up playing you feel like you should just step away entirely from it, but rugby has shaped a lot of my life. I realised very quickly though that I wanted to stay involved”.

Talking with Shane Horgan, you realise that the fire that drove him to such lofty heights still remains. His career was taken from him before he was ready to walk off the stage. Yet he is contented, rightly proud of a fantastic career and the legacy that he left in the number 14 jersey.

If he could take one memory from the vault, one moment that he still looks back on with utter fondness. He shoots the answer back before you can fully ask the question.

“Winning the Heineken Cup for the first time. It came after a very long period of trying to win it and there were times when it looked when we were not going to win it. It was a tough year for me internationally so to win something after all that was extra special.

“There were a few people missing that day, the likes of Denis Hickie, Reggie Corrigan and Victor Costello, players who were unbelievably committed to Leinster and had a significant role in the success that Leinster had. It was nice because it’s not something that every player has. It will be something that I’ll never forget.

Neither will we Shaggy.

Neither will we.

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A legend among men. In the pantheon of Irish rugby legends, Fergus Slattery stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Mike Gibson, Ollie Campbell and Brian O’Driscoll as perhaps one of the finest players to ever pull on the green jersey of Ireland.

Educated at Blackrock College, Slattery was as he puts it ‘fashioned by his environment’ and was immersed in rugby from a young age. He went to a rugby playing school which was the closest school to his house ‘it was my mother’s logic I suppose’.

Rugby and soccer only sport that the young Slattery loved growing up, as he explains.

“I suppose when you go to a south Dublin school there was only going to be one sport that I was going to play. There was no GAA only rugby. When you played a garrison game, you weren’t left with too many other options”.

While rugby may have been the only sport that Slattery played growing up, his sporting heroes came from a number of different games. Like many, Slattery was drawn in and captivated by a dazzling team in red jerseys who left a lasting and somewhat tragic legacy behind them.

“The Busby Babes”, he says without hesitation when you ask him about his sporting role models. “When the Munich air disaster happened, it was such a huge event. To me it was a very profound moment. It was even more poignant because there were a number of Irish players involved, including Liam Whelan and Harry Greeg.

“As a consequence of that I became a Manchester Utd supporter. They have always worked hard at keeping an Irish presence within the club. It is something that they have kept doing from the time of World War II”.

A naturally talented player of the 15 man game, Slattery rose through the ranks, firstly with Blackrock College then with University College Dublin. Such was his precocious talent Slattery would soon make his Ireland debut against South Africa in 1970.

Having shot through all the various ranks throughout his formative rugby career, you wonder if Slattery ever had to pinch himself at what was happening. His answer, gives you a glimpse into the mind set that took him to glorious heights with both Ireland and the British & Irish Lions.

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“Your ambitions are confined to your surroundings. I wouldn’t have been thinking about playing for Ireland or anything like that. The step up, from playing at UCD to Ireland for example, was big but you just adjust. You appreciate that the standards and the quality of the player that you are playing against is going to be better. Once you accept that and you can adjust accordingly. I never felt any additional pressure. Your number one critic should always be yourself. There is a standard that you have to play to, but you set that standard yourself. You know what you can do so it’s about going out and doing it”.

That inner confidence and self-belief in his own ability was one of the defining characteristics of Slattery’s rugby career. His fourteen year, 61 cap career for Ireland began against a South African back-row that included Tommy Bedford, Jan Ellis and Piet Greyling, who formed one of the most potent back-row combinations during that period. Slattery’s belief in his own ability stood him in good stead as he readied himself to test his talent against some of the best players in the world.

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“They were a huge back-row, but against that, I was playing alongside Ken Goodall and Ronnie Lamont which was a big help. I was also playing in a very experienced Ireland side with the likes of Syd Miller, Willie John McBride, Mike Gibson and Tommy Keirnan. That side had buckets of experience, so I was in good company. Before the game I was just looking forward to getting going, nerves didn’t really come into it. It was a bit surreal because we were playing South Africa. My teammates would have been aware of me and would have made their minds up about you. If you needed doting or something like that they would be on hand to give it, if you didn’t need it then they let you get on with it.

“I quickly became friends with a lot of the guys which was a huge help”.

Slattery’s rise through the rugby ranks didn’t plateau with his first Ireland cap. Indeed it would be only the start. Less than a year later he would be selected for the 1971 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. Sadly for Slattery it would be a tour to forget. An injury the week before the first test when he was playing against Canterbury would see him side-lined and miss out on selection for the first test game, he was then selected for the third test but had to cry off, a series that would see the Lions make history by becoming the first touring party to win in New Zealand, a feat that has yet to be matched.

“From my perspective it was a disappointing tour because I didn’t get to play in any of the test games. I got injured and I was left behind in Canterbury to get treatment. It was a pain in the ass but you had to get on with it”.

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He would soon make amends three years later when he was once again picked for the Lions tour of South Africa. The 1974 tour has subsequently become the stuff of legend, along with Willie John McBride’s famous ’99 call’, that tour would see the Lions crush their hosts 3-0 in the test series.

While he admits that ‘once something is done I tend to move on’, that tour still raises a smile on Slattery’s face along with all the warm memories that were made on the tour. “It was a tremendous experience. The fact that we were successful helped make the tours enjoyable. In South Africa we were the dominant side, in New Zealand we weren’t. I felt we were the better side (in ’71). It was touch and go, so we had to go and prove it.

“In South Africa there was more confidence because we had a nucleus of players from ’71. To be honest after the ’74 tour I didn’t want to go on any more Lions tours. You have to remember that in those days a Lions tour could go on for three and a half months. I wanted to get on with my working life etc.

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Along with playing a hugely influential role in the success of the Lions throughout the 1970’s, Slattery was also amongst a core group of players that delivered huge success for the Ireland team during that same period of time.

Having made his debut in 1970, Slattery was a part of Ireland’s famous tour to Australia in 1979, when Ireland won seven of their eight matches on tour,

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including the two test matches in Brisbane and Sydney, making it the most successful tour by any Irish side in history.

He would become one of the most successful captains in Irish history, but as he explains, it was a tough time during the build-up to their eventual 1982 Triple Crown winning season. “At the time the team was going through a transitional period. A lot of the players that had been there for a long time had moved on, which made things difficult. I think some mistakes were made during that period with regard to selection.

“We took a good side to Australia and they played to their potential. Funnily enough the side that went to South Africa, one could argue that was a crap side, because we were missing a lot of players and when an Ireland side is missing a number of players we tend to suffer. We were really bereft of players but we still did really well in the two tests. I would say the achievement in South Africa was equally as good as the one in Australia having regard to the circumstances.

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“The Triple Crown was something very special. Once the side was in place the standard was very good. I have no doubt that we would have won a Grand Slam in 1972, but both Scotland and Wales didn’t come here because of the troubles in Northern Ireland. It shouldn’t have taken us that long to win something. I said it to Karl Mullen that the weight of expectation was immense and we had to win something eventually. It was thirty three years since Ireland won anything, so it was overdue”.

Having retired from the game with a huge collection of both individual and collective honours, Slattery is well positioned to offer an opinion as to how rugby has exploded over the course of the last 20 years. He admits that ‘the Heineken Cup has been the single biggest success from an Irish point of view’ but has forthright views of how the amateur game and the professional game have evolved over the decades.

“I am 100% in favour of the professional game and I am 100% in favour of the amateur game. What I am not in favour of the ‘sham-ateur’ game and I’m 100% against it. The ‘sham-ateur’ game is this nonsense that has been created by the open game. It impacts on what I call the middle ground of Irish rugby. I think there are people that are trying to make both the amateur and professional game the same and I think that is a mistake. The amateur game needs to rebrand itself. It should essentially be a different format. The whole principal of payment has to be taken out of the amateur game. There is a lot of nonsense going on and I would venture that a few clubs in Ireland are in contradiction of the rules in terms of payment. All the clubs are chasing the Ulster Bank League. The interest in the league is just not there. So things have to change”.

Such strongly held views are not just confined to the state of the two different strands of rugby in Ireland. The Ireland team also come under his finely tuned gauge. While accepting that the squad has not come up to standard over the course of the Six Nations championship, Slattery feels that injuries have played a huge part in Ireland’s stop – start championship.

“Injuries have played a huge part”, he says. “We don’t have the biggest pool of players in the world so when we lose a number of our key players it puts us at a big disadvantage. Ireland needs every player that they can get. They have to get new players into the squad. The likes of the O’Connell’s, O’Gara’s and O’Driscoll’s aren’t going to be around forever, so they have to be replaced.

It would be better if they weren’t all replaced at once because if you get a big clean out it’s very hard to replace five or six key players in one go. The French, English, South Africans etc can do that because they have the depth of talent at their disposal. We can’t do that”.

Sometimes words like legend can be flung about and lose some of their powerful meaning. In the case of Fergus Slattery there is no doubt that he is indeed a legend of Irish rugby. Now and forever.

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Tony WARD

First up it was Munster where Rockwell, having beaten Crescent (15-5) in the opening qualifying round, seemed destined for a hat trick of titles but here again someone forgot to inform the opposition out Dooradoyle way.

From that defeat, and with Greg O’Shea recovering, Crescent’s cup campaign went into overdrive. Successive wins over Cork’s big two – PBC (18-12) and CBC (7-6) after a replay (3-3) – sent the 2010 and 2011 Junior Cup winners into the Senior Final (first since 1995 when beaten by Pres) riding sky high with confidence.

Rockwell meanwhile rampaged through the best of the rest of Limerick beating Castletroy (25-7) and St Munchin’s (in a repeat of last years final) 13-6 at the penultimate stage this time round.

It set up the first meeting of the schools on the cup final stage since 1990 (won by Crescent). O’Shea’s late, late try in Cork followed by skipper Gearoid Lyons’ match winning conversion from close to the touchline boosted morale no end. And whatever else if Rockwell were going to complete the three in a row they were going to have to do it the hard way while for Crescent, psychologically losing to Rockwell in Clanwilliam in February, was working to their advantage a month on at Thomond.

And so it came to pass as Crescent tore up the book taking their first title in nineteen years with a comprehensive victory (27-5) over the defending champions. Once again it was Lyons and O’Shea to the fore but there were others too with Jack Dineen (the latest in that great Crescent family lineage) and Limerick minor hurler Diamuid Dee absolutely outstanding on the day.

For Mark Butler and for Rockwell it made for a disappointing end to a season that had promised so much while for lock Neville Flynn and flanker Sonny O’Dwyer it brought them as close as they could possibly get to an incredible third senior winners medal in a row. It will be of little consolation I know but the better team playing the better tailored rugby, irrespective of the second half red card reducing the Cashel school to fourteen, won out convincingly and deservedly in the end. In the final analysis there can be no argument as Crescent rule Munster convincingly for 2013.

At Ravenhill great Belfast rivals Methodist College and RBAI were next into the fray with Methody hotly tipped to make it two in a row having dispensed with Campbell and Royal School Armagh comprehensively along the way. ‘Inst were chasing a first Senior success since ’07 (15-0 against Wallace) while for Methody the target was back to back wins making it four titles in the last six years and five in the last eight.

So it’s to Blackrock College, Crescent College Comprehensive Limerick, Marist College, Athlone and Methodist College, Belfast the top provincial titles for 2013. In all four provinces the cream has truly risen to the top although in the case of the latter two with that added burden of massive expectation on the road to back to back success.

It is one thing winning a title, irrespective of the sporting endeavour, but quite another defending it for the second year running as the Athlone School completed Junior and Senior League doubles (over Sligo Grammar) before retaining Junior and Senior Cups courtesy of wins over Sligo and Garbally in both premier competitions respectively.

Out half Simon Keller proved the hero with a late drop goal to send Garbally into the final (11-8) while wing Rob McMicken was the main man with a brace of tries when inspiring Marist to victory over Sligo (28-19) in an exciting semi-final following a brave fight back from a twenty two point deficit in the opening quarter.

In no particular order other than chronological it was Mick Loftus and Marist first on to that winning rostrum for 2013. After a dramatic final played in glorious conditions at the Sportsground on the Wednesday before St Patrick’s Day, Marist beat St Joseph’s College College, Garbally (23-11) to retain the Connacht Schools Senior crown.

What a year it’s been for skipper Rob Ashe and his multi-talented squad as for the third time in its history the most coveted trophy makes its way back to the midlands. In a revamped Pool System Marist emerged on top as expected to set up a home semi-final with closest rivals of recent times Sligo Grammar.

It was a welcome return to the biggest stage in the west for the Ballinasloe School competing in their first Senior Final since 2007. Back then they managed to turn the tables by way of a 25-18 victory over the same opposition. But if 2012 was good for Marist then one year on it was even better.

Having beaten the Mall School in the League Final (13-0) in Ballyhaunis before Christmas the smart money was on a Sportsground Final day repeat of that showdown. But someone forgot to pass Garbally the script as the traditional giant (with 44 outright titles) topped their Pool beating Sligo (14-12) along the way to set up a home semi with Colaiste Iognaid (Jes).

In an equally exciting final it was once again the McMicken/ Barry Goode double act that did the trick. With just ten minutes left and a single try separating the sides full back Eoghan O’Reilly found the supporting McMicken for the free scoring winger to touch down under the posts. Out half Goode added the extras for a personal tally of thirteen to put the game beyond the reach of gallant Garbally as this Marist period of dominance goes from strength to strength.

Meanwhile in the other three provinces with St Patrick’s Day falling on a Sunday the anxiety for all concerned was extended by twenty four hours with the respective finals kicking off at staggered times.

In the process they have opened a gap at the top of the Roll of Honour with 34 outright titles, five ahead of ‘Inst and eleven ahead of Campbell, their two great Belfast rivals.

Although Methody were odds on favourites a well-engineered first half try by skipper Josh Atkinson appeared to be turning the form book on its head for RBAI. But with Methody No 8 James Gallagher, out half Josh Bingham and left wing Conor Kelly outstanding the hard graft and superiority of the Methodist tight five eventually paid dividends.

Bingham sealed the deal and his schools 34th title (and last ever presentation in the old stand) with a second well taken try just three minutes from the end. As in Limerick for Rockwell ‘Inst could have few complaints with the better all-round side on the day emerging triumphant.

In Leinster Terenure College the hot pre-tournament favourites (and with very good reason) bit the dust when bowing out to Roscrea (and the best ever squad to represent the Offaly school) in Tallaght Stadium (13-10) in the 2nd round. That result sent shivers down the spines of the Spiritan big

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two – Blackrock and St Michael’s – with the key to a final place avoiding the exceptional, on fire, in form Roscrea in the semi-final.

But to ‘Rock (in search of a first outright success since ’09 when beating the ‘Nure) the short straw and with it the most enthralling encounter at Donnybrook for a place in the final. Trailing by eleven (20-9) and reduced to fourteen players it seemed all over for Peter Smyth, Charlie Rock and the rest.

But this, although still relatively young, is a resilient ‘Rock group. From somewhere they dug deeper than ever for their two super subs, Dane Fitzpatrick and Jack Dwan, to dig them out of a hole. Alongside the extraordinary marksmanship of Gary Ringrose here was a Blackrock squad of real substance.

And yet even in this hour of triumph it was so difficult not to feel for Roscrea. The Leinster Senior League winners (beating Gonzaga in that Donnybrook Final before Christmas) had been brilliant all season supplying a record number of players for representative duty with Connacht and Leinster.

The return from injury of Sean O’Brien had made such a difference and proved a real catalyst against Terenure. The big No 8 – not unlike former Ireland international Brian Rigney in looks and action – along with back five utility forward Rory Moloney, tight head Oisin Heffernan plus backs Ciaran Gaffney and Cormac Brennan are certainly under age names to remember for the future.

Unfortunately they blew it and they knew it but that should not deflect one iota from a memorable season for the talented men from Roscrea all round. At the other side ‘Michael’s, with total respect for Newbridge, had avoided either of the other two (Roscrea and ‘Rock) and so a second successive final for the defending champions beckoned.

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This was another thriller (21-17) with Ross Byrne showing that anything Ringrose could produce for ‘Rock under pressure he too could replicate.

But Newbridge, though smaller physically, gave every bit as good as they got and laid down a marker that between last year’s beaten Junior Finalists and this crew now there are exciting times ahead for the Kildare School last outright winners under Micky Quinn in 1970.

So to the final where space alone prevents me doing it justice other than to congratulate both schools and their respective coaching teams led by Peter Smyth and Andy Skehan for the individual quality and collective organisation of a game to remember. Certainly I cannot recall a more exciting final of such high technical quality.

‘Michael’s could have won it, perhaps should have won it given their second period dominance inspired by Byrne, but in the semi and final Nick Timoney, David O’Connor, Jeremy Loughman, Sean Coughlan et al showed the real stuff of champions when digging success out of apparent defeat.

Dare we suggest that for Alan McGinty and everyone back at Williamstown title number sixty seven is about as sweet as it gets.

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TRANSITION YEAR

What had started out as a campaign of such hope, ended with a cloud hanging over the Ireland players and coaching staff. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

A blistering start against Wales which saw Ireland, in the opening 40 minutes, play a brand of rugby that they had been searching for over the course of the last twelve months slowly unravelled. Little by little however the wheels began to come off Ireland’s RBS Six Nations campaign. The final weekend defeat to Italy could very well have been the final nail in the coffin for some of the coaching staff and some of the remaining souls of the ‘golden generation’. If it comes to pass, it will be a sad end to one of the most glorious periods in Irish rugby.

This campaign has raised more questions than answers. Yes, we know what these players are capable of individually, but as a collective group when they put on the green jersey something is just not clicking. Why? That is the million euro question.

Declan Kidney has not been helped by a litany of injuries. When you concede that at various points of the campaign he could not call on the likes of Jonny Sexton, Simon Zebo, Craig Gilroy and Mike McCarthy, to go along with the likes of Stephen Ferris, Tommy Bowe and Paul O’Connell, it is no wonder that Ireland began to lose their way at the tail end of the championship. Yet for all that, this was a championship that Ireland will look back on with regret. The defeats to England, Scotland and Italy were all one score games. The loss against Scotland, in particular, will be one that will sting for some time. It was a game that Ireland had in the palm of their hand and they let it slip.

Couple those narrow defeats with a draw with France at the Aviva Stadium on a rain soaked Saturday evening and Ireland went from a possible Grand Slam/Championship, to ending their 2013 Six Nations campaign with their worst finishing position in well over a decade. Small margins and all that.

You look back and think where the campaign got away and you go back to the ‘championship minutes’ against England where Ireland failed to score after Ronan O’Gara bisected the posts shortly after half time.

Or in Murrayfield, where having got into a position of utter dominance, Ireland let Scotland back in to snatch a dramatic late win. That defeat seemed to drain the selfbelief from the men in green. It was a defeat that would prove to be the turning point of the championship.

A lot has been made of some of the decisions that were made during the course of the championship, and one would have to think that, with the fullness of time, Declan Kidney may regret how he handled a number of issues that presented themselves during the last six weeks.

The decision to remove the captain’s armband away from Brian O’Driscoll and hand it to his Leinster teammate Jamie Heaslip is one such example.

Heaslip is a fine player and a leader of men. However one could clearly see the influence and the esteem that the rest of the squad have for Brian O’Driscoll. When the team came under the cosh it was O’Driscoll that the players turned to. It was O’Driscoll that took it upon himself to try and steer Ireland back onto the right path.

This is not to knock Heaslip, who will surely develop into one of the finest Ireland captains of the professional era, but the key word is develop.

O’Driscoll has been there and has the battle scars to back it up. Would Ireland’s campaign have worked out differently if O’Driscoll had the armband? One will never know, but surely it wouldn’t have adversely affected the team.

The vexed issue over the number 10 jersey was another major talking point of Ireland’s campaign. When Jonny Sexton went off against France, most people assumed that Ronan O’Gara would slot in for the trip to Scotland. It wasn’t to be the case and Ulster’s Paddy Jackson came in for what proved to be a baptism of fire. One has to credit Kidney for taking such a bold gamble. At the time O’Gara’s form was not what we have come to expect from the Munster star and Kidney acted. But did he choose the wrong outhalf? Ian Madigan proved in the latter end of the championship that he belongs at the international table. Should it have been the Leinster man rather than Jackson who would fill the gigantic void left by Sexton? Again, small margins.

The final weekend defeat to Italy may prove to be the tipping point.

Declan Kidney is contracted until after Ireland’s tour to North America, but it is very hard to see the Munster man making that trip across the Atlantic. It is reasonable to assume that a new coaching ticket will be in place. The dream team of Vern Cotter and Joe Schmidt has been mooted over the last number of weeks and the prospect of these two hugely talented coaches teaming up, as they did so successfully with Clermont Auvergne, is something that gets the blood pumping.

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If and when a new coach is appointed they will have a huge task on their hands. Ireland currently sit ninth in the IRB World rankings, their worse position since 2003. The last remnants of the golden generation are making their way off the stage and a new band of stars are stepping up.

The 2013 Six Nations championship is now confined to the history books. 13 really did prove to be Ireland’s unlucky number.

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HISTORY MAKERS

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2013 will be forever remembered as a landmark season for Women’s rugby in Ireland.

Coached by Philip Doyle and captained by Fiona Coghlan, the Irish Women’s team made history by landing their first ever Grand Slam and Six Nations championship.

While their male counterparts stuttered and stumbled through their campaign, the women’s side powered through their season, playing a hugely exciting brand of free flowing rugby, which brought tries galore, along with displaying huge reserves of courage, commitment and bravery, to achieve something that up until now had seem like a star in the sky that just seem to be oh so close, but ultimately out of reach.

of the Grand Slam. Standing in their way was the imposing prospect of France coming to Ashbourne and scuppering their ambitions. On that cold Friday night and with President Michael D. Higgins in attendance, Ireland showed that they could dig deep when the going got tough. In a game that won’t be remembered for free flowing rugby, a Niamh Briggs try proved to be the decisive score between the two sides as Ireland swatted away the French challenge, toughing it out and winning by a score of 15-10.

They got their season off to the perfect start with a dogged win away to Wales, however it will be their ruthless dissection of England in the second game of the championship that will linger longest in the memory. England brought a formidable record to Ashbourne that weekend, having lost only one of their previous 39 games. Statistics are there to be broken however and on that freezing cold day in the Co Meath venue Ireland chewed up England and spat them out, with winger Alison Miller leading the way with a fantastic hat-trick of tries in an utterly comprehensive 25-0 win. Miller proved to be one of the players of the tournament, but to single out one player above another would be a disservice. This was a united squad and a unified effort in each of their Six Nations games.

The stage was now set for this Irish side to capture it all and on St Patrick’s Day they travelled to Rome knowing that a win against the Italians would seal their place in Irish rugby history. Once again, standing on the edge of immortality, Ireland rose to the occasion. In atrocious conditions the boot of fullback Niamh Briggs proved to be the difference between the two sides as Ireland fought and clawed their way to a 6-3 win that sparked wild celebrations in the Italian capital. It was a victory that not only earned Ireland a first Grand Slam but it was a landmark moment for a team that has to fight for every win they have got, both on and off the pitch.

On the back of the win against England, the Irish squad stood on the edge of history. A defeat of Scotland would see Doyle’s charges land their first ever Triple Crown. Rather than be bound by fear and the magnitude of the opportunity in front of them, Coghlan and her team-mates were inspired, taking the game to Scotland at every opportunity and running out comfortable 30-3 winners to bag their first silverware of the campaign.

While many a team would have been content with what they achieved up to that point in time, this Ireland team is different. Rather than sit back on their collective laurels, they remained utterly focused on their ultimate goal, the winning

One cannot underestimate the achievement by this group of players who once famously had to sleep on the floors of gyms ahead of international games. While the victory will be cherished by each member of the playing and coaching squad, one can’t help but wonder how Fiona Coghlan, Joy Neville etc feel, players who have been there for the last decade or so, playing the game, not for the financial rewards that so dominate other areas of the game, but for the sheer love that they have for the game. They are fantastic ambassadors and role models for their country. Grand Slam champions 2013.

Say it loud. Say it proud.

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CLUB FOCUS Suppliers of Sportswear & Accessories

LANSDOWNE FC NEWS RESULTS STATS ProfileS It was with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of two men whose names are synonymous with the Lansdowne Football Club in Dublin 4.

Kenny Nuzum passed away at the beginning of March, and left behind him a terrific legacy with Lansdowne. Nuzum was part of the Lansdowne Cup winning team of 1978, and ensured during this period, as well as throughout his time with the club, that he left an indelible mark on the history of the local community around Ballsbridge. At his funeral service, two stories were told that perfectly encapsulated the kind of character and man that Nuzum was. Having seen his opposite number sent off for punching him in a clash with Barnhall, Kenny felt compelled to turn up at the Leinster Branch disciplinary hearing that followed, as he felt bad for his opponent, and wanted to speak on his behalf.

He subsequently told the committee that the incident was just a bit of craic between the two lads, and if any suspension was forthcoming, it should be a short one. He was also reported to have said that ‘the punch didn’t even hurt’. The committee were not influenced by this appeal, however, and the Barnhall player was handed an eight week suspension!

The service then concluded with a final quote that Kenny passed on to a young enthusiastic prop he crossed paths with in a cup encounter: “Youth and skill are no match for age and treachery.”

He will be missed by all those involved with the Lansdowne club, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.

The end of February also saw the passing of Jack Dawson, who died just two weeks after suffering a stroke. Following in the footsteps of his father Michael (the club’s President during the 1928-29 era), Jack joined Lansdowne in the early 1940s, and along with his brother Billy, carried on a family tradition that continued in the shape of their own sons, Michael, Geoff, Mark (who was also Club President in 2009-10), John and nephew Willy.

Jack’s grandchildren are also involved with the club, meaning that four generations of Dawsons have been connected with Lansdowne. Jack was captain of the 1st XV for the 1950-51 season, having made his mark as a pacy winger on the Leinster Cup winning teams in their two previous campaigns. His tremendous work with the club extended beyond his playing days, however, and he was elected President of the club for the 1975-76 campaign.

His funeral mass took place on Wednesday February 27th in the church of the Holy Cross, Dundrum, followed by a cremation in Mount Jerome Crematorium. He is

survived by his wife, Sally, his sons Michael, Geoff, Mark and John, his daughter Gillian, as well as his sons/daughters-in-law and his grandchildren.

On the same night that Philip Doyle’s Irish Women’s side edged closer towards a history-making Grand Slam title, the Ireland Under-20 team were

playing their final home game of the 2013 Under-20 Six Nations in their regular home of Dubarry Park. The Green Army are coached at this level by former Welsh supremo Mike Ruddock, who also doubles up as head honcho of Lansdowne RFC. Despite heading into their final encounter of 2012 against England with a Grand Slam in their sights (although they did eventually come off second best in that game), Ireland’s form has been somewhat erratic this time around, with a magnificent victory against the English on February 8th coming in between narrow losses to Wales and Scotland.

They saved their very best performance of the campaign for the visit of France, however, and Lansdowne were well represented in an impressive 22-5 success for the Irish. Promising prop Peter Dooley played 76 minutes of the game before he was replaced by club-mate Adam Boland, while Mark Roche (who plys his trade at provincial level for Connacht) came in for hot prospect Stuart Olding with just six minutes of normal time remaining. The club’s (and Ireland’s) stand-out performer on the night, though, was Tom Daly who lined out at outside centre alongside Dolphin’s Rory Scannell. This was an excellent stage for Daly to showcase his supreme kicking abilities, and he finished the game with a superb haul of 17 points as a result of five successful penalties, and a conversion following Conor Joyce’s try.

This was Ireland’s third straight win over France at Under-20 level, and served as an indication of the good underage talent that is present in the country. Both Daly and Dooley also started the 21-20 defeat to Scotland, with Daly contributing five points on this occasion (one penalty and one conversion). Himself and Dooley played the full 80 minutes, while Roche made a couple of appearances from the replacements bench instead of Scannell. Lansdowne had three starters in the form of Daly, Roche and Dooley for the dramatic 16-15 win over England in Athlone, with Daly producing a man-of-the-match display, as his successful bonus kick in the final moments gave Ireland a memorable victory, and ensured that he finished with eight points to his name. Boland enjoyed a cameo in the front row alongside Dooley, with unused replacement Eoghan Quinn making it five Lansdowne players in the matchday 22.

Daly also had his range in check for the opening tie against Welsh, but despite kicking ten points between the posts (meaning his overall tally before the final game against Italy was 40 points), Ireland eventually succumbed to a 17-15 reversal.

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CLUB FOCUS Presidential thoughts Rather than take a circular route to the Presidency like so many others, current Lansdowne President Dermot McCarron has come through, from coaching the mini rugby teams to becoming the head person at one of the oldest rugby clubs in the country.

Very much a one club man, McCarron has seen the continued development of Lansdowne, who currently hold a massive lead at the top of Division 1A of the Ulster Bank League. Yet for all the just praise and glory that the senior team receives, McCarron believes that the club’s underage structure is equally important to the continued success that the club continues to enjoy.

“The underage structure is of huge importance to us at Lansdowne.

One of the biggest challenges we face is that sometimes we lose a number of players to rugby playing schools which isn’t of much help to us.

“We have made a conscious decision to put proper structures in place for our underage teams and the fruits of our labour are beginning to pay off. For example, there are two players that are playing in the senior team that were a part of the first mini team that I coached.

That, to me, is the perfect example of what the club is all about”.

While they may be riding high on the rugby pitch, off the field,

Lansdowne, like so many other clubs in Ireland, are facing up to the harsh economic conditions that everyone in Ireland now faces. Rugby clubs are no different, and as McCarron explains, it is an on-going challenge.

“Look, everyone knows that it is a very tough environment at the moment. We are lucky in a sense that we have a tremendous partnership built up with Zurich, who are our main sponsor. Some people may not know this, but our partnership with Zurich has been in place since the inception of the Ulster Bank League, which is one of, if not the longest running sponsorships in Irish rugby.

“It is still very tough however. Things have most certainly got worse over the last

Total Fitness Solutions It is remarkable to think that in a county the size of Galway, there wasn’t a sporting facility on the north side of the county that could cater for people’s sporting needs. That is until Total Fitness Solutions came along.

Along with Damien Burke, Brian Roche founded the company in 2010, Total Fitness Solutions is a fully comprehensive sports and health complex, which has all the modern requirements to cater for the demands of any sports team, from GAA to rugby. Their hydrotherapy baths are among the most effective in the country, and play a huge role in a team’s ability to train longer and recover quicker.

“It was a calculated risk, but one that we felt was worth taking”, says Roche. There was no system in place for sports injuries and we felt there was a big gap in the market.

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“There has been a huge demand from clubs since we opened. Our hydrotherapy baths, in particular, have proved to be very popular. We have had teams come crawling in after training, and after they have a session in our baths, they have fully recovered. All of the teams that have used our facilities have found them tremendously beneficial”.

“We open during hours that suit our members, we are the lowest cost facility around, and we have a range of add on treatments at heavily discounted rates. Most importantly we are a local business which understand the effort people put into their training and will listen to them and any concerns that they may have”

number of years. The crowds are just not coming to the games because they go to the provincial games now. If crowd numbers are down that has a knock on effect on everything else.

“You have to look beyond rugby now for income.

You can’t just use your clubhouse from 5-9 anymore, you have to start thinking about how can you use it from 9-5. It’s all about generating revenue. That keeps the show on the road”.

Which is exactly what McCarron has done with Lansdowne. As mentioned above they looked nailed on to win Division 1A of the Ulster Bank League and should they win it then McCarron will have an extra reason to celebrate as his son Ross captains the first XV. McCarron feels that having that sustained success is

of vital importance to the growth and development of the club. “Oh I think it’s of huge importance”, he says. “When the teams are doing well there is a good feel and buzz around the club. You get people coming to games that perhaps haven’t come before which is terrific to see.

“The same can be said if a team isn’t going to well. Heads may begin to drop and the support might begin to dip a little bit. We are well positioned at the moment, everyone keeps telling me we can’t lose the league, but I will wait until the whistle goes on the final day of the season before I will celebrate.

Aside from their imminent league success, McCarron is determined to continue the good work that the club has done with their youths and mini’s. “We want to make the club as user friendly as possible.

On any weekend we could have upwards of 350 children here and the majority of parents that bring their children here on a weekend are involved with the club, in one guise or another.

“We are very lucky that we have a good dynamic here at the moment and it’s just about keeping that going both on and off the pitch”.

Something I’m sure that will happen.

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CLUB NEWS

Midleton RFC NEWS RESULTS STATS ProfileS

Cashel, who were the top side in the division at the time. Yet, Midleton made light of the Tipperary team’s impressive start to the campaign, and the outstanding Colan-O’Leary was once again the star performer, as he finished with a points tally of 14. Richie O’Sullivan also made the score sheet with a vital try, as Midleton had eight points to spare (19-11) in their third win of the season.

Moving into November, the East Cork brigade managed to maintain their good form, as a 10-0 win over Sundays Well in Musgrave Park on Sunday November 11th made it three wins on the trot.

This moved Midleton up to fourth place, with just three points separating the top four sides in the division. Just before this game, their clash with Dolphin in the same venue had been postponed, and with their meeting against Cork Con in Temple Hill on December 9th also needing to be re-fixed, the Midleton J1s didn’t play again in the league until January 13th 2013. UCC provided the opposition on this occasion, who were seeking revenge for their

With the closing stages of the Ulster Bank League Division 2A firmly on the horizon, Cork side Midleton find themselves in a real battle to avoid relegation to the fourth tier of the All-Ireland League, and with Bective Rangers, Greystones and De La Salle Palmerston also bidding to retain their status in the division, there will be some very nervy moments for those involved with this quartet.

However, Midleton have always paid great attention to all levels of rugby, and all their teams have had eventful campaigns to date in the 2012/13 season.

Their J1 team, in particular, have had a hectic term, and recently enjoyed a good run in the Munster Junior Cup. Their adventures in this competition began back on Sunday December 2nd 2012, when they faced Corca Dhuibhne (who hail from the Dingle Peninsula) in a potentially tricky first round encounter, but thanks to the considerable efforts of Luke McKeown, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Kieran Burns and Greg O’Sullivan, they recorded a comprehensive 62-10 success. This placed the Eastern Rebels in a positive frame of mind ahead of their round three fixture (they received a bye in the second round) against Carrick-on-Suir from the Munster Junior League, and although Adam O’Loughlin recorded a well-worked try for the visitors (with Charlie Boland supplying the conversion), they ultimately came off second best against a powerfully assembled Midleton, who broke through for tries from Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Ryan Lehane and George Glennon in a 25-7 success.

defeat before the New Year. With motivation on their side, it was always going to be tough for Midleton, and despite amassing a healthy 20 point total, UCC emerged with a six-point cushion in the end.

This was only the second defeat of the league season for the J1s, but they were also on the wrong side of a 22-6 scoreline in Cashel on February 17th, meaning that their league record currently stands at: played eight; won four, drawn one, lost three.

The beginning of April will be an exciting time around Towns Park, as Midleton will be running a two day Easter Rugby Camp, costing €15 on the following days; 2nd and 3rd April: U-11, U-12 and U-13s together from 10am to 2pm on both days. 4th and 5th April: U-9 and U-10s together from 10am to 2pm on both days. These dates coincide with the local school breaks for the Easter holidays, and with the weather hopefully holding up, it should be a very worthwhile gathering with plenty of fun and exercise for all who participate. If for any reason a day has to be cancelled, a refund for that day will be made.

They would face a tough challenge in the shape of Cork rivals Kinsale in round four, however, who had seen off another Senior Club side, Thomond, in the previous round. Although a Robert Colan-O’Leary penalty had offered them hope, a try from Joe Lyons and a brace of penalties from Peter Murphy ensured their place in the next phase, as Midleton fell to an 11-3 reversal.

In terms of league form, Midleton have had a mixed season to date in the Munster Seconds League (South), although they did have a superb start back on September 16th on their home turf when Luke McKeown and former Munster star Jason Holland scored two tries each in a thrilling 4511 win over Sundays Well. Their opening away fixture was a cagier affair, though, as Midleton required a try from Gary Meaney (converted by Brian Morris) to secure a 7-7 draw with a competitive Highfield at Woodleigh Park a week after the Sundays Well game.

They faced even tougher opposition in their third league tie in the form of Cork Constitution, who produced an eye-catching brand of rugby on the day, as tries from Mark O’Mahony (2), Sean Glynn, Eoin O’Donnell and Brendan Monaghan eased them towards a 34-9 triumph, with the ever-dependable Colan-O’Leary contributing all of Midleton’s scores. This came as a set-back to Midleton, but they responded in emphatic fashion on October 7th against UCC at Curaheen Road, when two tries from Diarmuid O’Sullivan, and 17 points from Colan-O’Leary, gave Midleton a 37-11 success, and placed them third in the league table ahead of a three week break. When the action resumed, they faced a home showdown with

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Wellington Eye Clinic

Presidential thoughts Despite coming from a GAA hotbed, rugby has always been to the forefront in the life of Midleton RFC President Andrew McCarthy. Having been schooled in the local area around Midleton, McCarthy has always had an involvement with the club. A promising career, which saw him play for the likes of the Munster schools sides and Dolphin RFC was cut short as McCarthy explains.

“I suffered a bad knee injury at the worst possible time. I was playing for Dolphin when I suffered the injury. It was a blow at the time, but things happen and you just have to get on with things”.

Which is exactly what McCarthy did. He combined his working life while retaining an interest in an off the field capacity with Midleton. Stints in a various amount of different roles, which varied from coaching to being the PRO for the club, preceded his move to becoming the club’s President. As he would admit, while he was delighted to become President, it wasn’t something that was on his radar, he was more than happy to take over the role.

“I think it was a case of being the last man standing”, McCarthy jokingly admits. “It was a tremendous honour to become President but it wasn’t something that I was looking towards, but I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the role”.

That time in charge has seen McCarthy face a number of tough challenges, both on and off the pitch. Like the majority of clubs around Ireland, Midleton have had to face a reduction in player numbers, due in large part to emigration. It is a situation that is not ideal, but one that McCarthy is realistic about.

“It is something that we are struggling with. This year, for example, we have already lost three players who have left for Australia. For a club of our size that is tough. There was a lot of experience that we lost which hasn’t helped us”.

Despite facing the challenges and pressures that life in Ireland now brings, both McCarthy and Midleton as a club are determined to fight the tough times ahead. One of the most important aspects of the club is the role that they play within the local community of Midleton. Not only is there a number of small, locally based, companies that provide sponsorship to the club, but Midleton provides a vital resource for young children growing up in and around the local area, as McCarthy explains.

“The club is in a prime location. We are based in east Cork and we get a huge number of children coming into our club every weekend. The whole underage system is of huge importance to us. We could have a couple of hundred children at any weekend, which is terrific to see. They are the future of the club so it is important that the right structures are in place for them to develop their game. Off the pitch McCarthy is looking to develop and sustain the clubs infrastructure, as he puts it ‘keep things ticking along’. “We are working on improving our floodlight systems at the moment and it something that we have put a lot of time and effort into“.

Along with driving Midleton on an upward curve, McCarthy also feels that a number of external changes are required for both clubs and senior rugby as a whole to grow and develop.

“Personally I would move games to the middle of the week, or if that wasn’t feasible I think if games were shifted to a Thursday, Friday or a Saturday evening. There is a huge social aspect to rugby, which some people tend to forget. If you had a game on 7pm on a Friday night, for example, you could get more people through the gate, which helps the club and gets people involved with the club. One thing leads to another”.

With Andrew McCarthy at the helm one can fully believe that Midleton will continue on their upward curve for many seasons to come.

It only takes one second for a player to miss a pass. Therefore having the best eyesight possible is of paramount importance if a sportsperson is to achieve their maximum potential, and if someone is looking to squeeze that extra half percent out of their ability, then the Wellington Eye Clinic is the place to go.

The Wellington Ophthalmic Laser Clinic is situated at Suite 36, 2nd Floor, Beacon Hall, Beacon Court, Sandyford, Dublin 18. The area is well served by public transport, including the LUAS Green line.

The clinic, which was founded in 1980, has since then it has expanded its premises and services. In December 2006 the Clinic relocated from its Ballsbridge premises to its state-of-the-art new premises in the Beacon Medical Campus in Sandyford.

The Clinic was awarded the status of Global Ambassador Clinic for the Wavelight Laser Company in 2006.

Among the most common type of eye conditions that people suffer from are Hypermetropia (long sightedness), Myopia (short sightedness) Cataracts and Glaucoma.

Mr Arthur Cummings has been at the Wellington Eye Clinic since 1998 after relocating from South Africa and has played a huge role in establishing the Wellington Eye Clinic as one of the premier eye consultants in Ireland. He has vast experience in LASIK and refractive surgery and is an internationally renowned expert on customised laser treatments.

He has performed more than 15,000 LASIK procedures and 4,000 cataract and other intra-ocular lens procedures. He is involved in lecturing and teaching refractive surgery both locally and international and has presented more than 105 lectures at international meetings on the topic of laser eye surgery.

Mr Cummings feels that having the correct eye sight is of vital importance

My approach and goals for each patient: Identify the root problem and treat the current injury and correct the cause of the problem: biomechanically and functionally Teach the individual how to manage their injury while it heals and continue their training plan Prescribe a specific treatment, recovery, and rehab plan to prevent future re-occurrence. - Ciarán McDonagh

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if sportspeople want to get the very best out of their game. “Having the correct sight is of huge importance”, says Mr Cummings. “You can take any sport, be it GAA, rugby or soccer, every sportsperson needs to have the best possible eyesight. Over the years we have dealt with the likes of rugby players, GAA players and golfers and they all have seen a big improvement in their game as a result of the treatment that they have received.

“As the years pass treatments get more refined. However we still feel that laser surgery is far more beneficial than wearing contact lenses.

The Wellington Eye Clinic has a full array of diagnostic and testing equipment. The surgeons undertake consultations to detect diagnose and treat a wide range of ophthalmological conditions and diseases.

A full adult eye examination starts from €180. A children’s eye exam along with a consultation also costs €180. *During the eye exam there is a possibility that a scan may also be required. These scans are charged at €50 per scan.

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Under the guidance of Ciarán McDonagh, McDonagh Physical Therapy has become one of the industry leaders in relieving all manner and various types of pain.

Holder of the Irish record in the long jump, physical therapist Ciaran McDonagh has over ten years first-hand experience of the rigours of training and competing at the highest levels. This background in professional sport has provided the level of knowledge that underpins the treatment and support that his clients can expect to receive at his clinic in Lucan, Dublin.

Among the expert treatments that the company provides are in the areas of: • Neck & Back Pain

• Shoulder injuries

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• Knee injuries

• Repetitive strain injury

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Marty McKenna, Senior Hurling Manager of Faughs Hurling Club, feels that without McDonagh’s help, his side would not have enjoyed the success that they have enjoyed over the last number of seasons. “Ciaran has played a critical role this season, treating our injured players and putting in place recovery programmes to ensure complete return to fitness of all the players in his care. Without his skills we would not have won a Leinster Title this year” On top of the treatment, clients also receive detailed rehabilitation advice and plans, all aimed at getting them back to full health in the shortest possible time. McDonagh knows from his experiences the disruption and frustration of injuries and he works to ensure that with his treatment players will spend the shortest time possible on the sidelines.

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Specialising in all aspects of sports construction and maintenance

PORTLAOISE RFC

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NEWS RESULTS STATS ProfileS There are many major events in the coming months involving Portlaoise RFC that will bring excitement to the Midlands area, and one such occasion will take place on Saturday April 13th in their home grounds of Togher. This event is the IRFU AVIVA All-Ireland Under 10 Mini Festival, which consists of 20 or more Under 10 mini rugby sides from all four provinces of Ireland.

This acts as an excellent showcase for the future stars of rugby in Ireland, and it is worthwhile for anyone with an interest in this aspect of the game to keep this date free in their calendar.

Just a week later, Portlaoise will also act as hosts for the Leinster Women’s Rugby Cup Finals, which should provide plenty of excitement, with the day’s action commencing at 1pm, when the Shield Final takes place, followed swiftly by the Plate decider at 1.30pm.

Later on at 2pm, the Cusack Cup Final will be featured on the Laois outfit’s home turf, before the Paul Flood Cup Final at 2.30pm brings the curtain down on what should prove to be a fine afternoon of rugby. The day will also take the form of a Ladies Day (an increasingly popular concept for clubs around the country), and there will be various stalls set-up in the grounds by local business owners. Those with an interest in booking a stall can contact John Brennan on 087-2536160 or Harry Nicholls on 0876179990.

However, perhaps the most exciting event for Portlaoise RFC will occur at the very beginning of April, when they take their place in the All-Ireland Plate Final on Saturday the 6th. This will help to bring the curtain down on a terrific season for the Portlaoise ladies, as they already have two pieces of silverware under their belt, and will be extremely hopeful of achieving a treble success.

Their most significant milestone of 2012/13 came at the end of November, when they sealed the All-Ireland Division 2 crown with a battle-hardened performance against Queens University in Ashbourne. Portlaoise had produced a very impressive opening half of rugby against their Ulster rivals, and even though Queens made a gallant attempt to force the tie in their direction, Portlaoise eventually secured a 15-12 triumph.

Before taking to the field for one of their key games of 2013, the Portlaoise Ladies held a social event to help raise money for their Player Injury Fund.

Taking place on Thursday March 28th, the team hosted a table quiz and raffle in Grellan Delaney’s & Sons in an effort to raise money to fund player expenses, physio supplies and investment in an injury prevention program.

The ladies team in Portlaoise has suffered a number of injuries throughout the campaign, and this evening (along with a number of other gatherings) will help to provide the ladies section in the club with the resources that they need.

The activity at Togher will extend beyond the regular league season, as Portlaoise will be hosting the Evening Herald Leinster Rugby Summer Camp in their grounds from Monday July 22nd until Friday July 26th. This camp is designed for girls and boys between the ages of 6 and 12, and is being organised by the Leinster Branch, with all the coaches on duty being properly qualified and accredited personnel.

with a connection to the island of Ireland, but March 17th 2013 will have even greater resonance for Philip Doyle and his Ireland Women’s Rugby squad, who secured their first-ever Grand Slam/ Women’s Six Nations crown with a dogged 6-3 victory over Italy in the Venegoni Stadium.

Current members of the Leinster squad will be in attendance during the week of the camp, which makes the venture extremely worthwhile for interested kids and parents.

Registration for the camp currently stands at €89 per child for the first child, and €80 for subsequent children.

However, it is also possible to avail of an early bird offer, which is priced at €70, saving people a substantial €19 provided they register before 1st June 2013.

Incredibly, the Italian game was only Miller’s sixth cap in a green jersey, but in her limited time operating at international level, she has made an extraordinary impact. The narrow 12-10 opening day triumph over Wales at Talbot Athletic Grounds was only her second game in an Irish shirt, but she truly rose to prominence in the first home fixture of the campaign, when her magnificent hat-trick of tries sealed a shock 25-0 success over red-hot favourites England.

Registration forms for this camp are available from Portlaoise Rugby Club, although you can alternatively register on line through the Leinster Rugby website: leinsterrugby.ie. Those who are booking through the club can do so on Saturday mornings.

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For almost 40 years we have been specialising in in the construction, revamping and maintenance of Golf Courses and Sports Pitches throughout Ireland, the U.K and across the globe .

Key to their success in 2013 has been Portlaoise club member Alison Miller, who has made a massive impression for the Green Army from her left-wing posting.

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This put Ireland in pole position to achieve a first-ever Triple Crown when they faced Scotland in Lasswade on Saturday February 23rd, and Miller was once again the star of the show, as her brace of five-pointers helped Ireland to record the win that they craved.

Having started the competition hoping to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, these three excellent performances put Ireland in a dream position, and even though Ireland were pushed all the way by France in Ashbourne at the beginning of March, another fine display by Miller & Co. ensured that they came out on the right side of a 15-10 score line.

This set things up for a grand finale against the Azzurri, and although it was a titanic battle in treacherous weather conditions, Doyle’s charges managed to pull through, with Miller once again representing her club, province and country with great distinction.

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Pulse Security

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When a high volume of people are gathered in one area, the safety and security of the paying public is of paramount importance. This is where Pulse Security come into their own. Established in 2005, by Michael McQuillan due to market demands, Pulse Security is the premier security operation in the country and has won a number of industry awards to back up their reputation.

Pulse Security Management has been independently quality approved and operates to the optimum industry standards. Our quality assurances and industry affiliations include.

• National Standards Authority of Ireland IS: 999:2004 • National Security Inspectorate QUALSEC GOLD & SILVER • Private Security Authority Contractors Licence

Presidential thoughts While most people take the traditional route of playing for their local rugby club and working their way through the various committees before becoming President of their club, Sloane Cooper, President of Portlaoise RFC, took a somewhat different route.

Not many people would consider coming from the Middle East to Portlaosie a normal route into a route into a rugby club, but that is exactly how Cooper became involved with his club. Having returned to Ireland in the mid 1970’s, Cooper pitched his tent in Portlaoise and became immersed in a club that was still in their formative stage, having been founded some ten years previously in 1966.

He would work his way up through the club, spending time as both a selector and the chairman of selectors, before taking the step up to become President. While it was not a stated goal of his to become President, he was ‘delighted and honoured’ when he did make the step up to the highest office within Portlaoise.

Cooper has seen a lot during his time with the club. While not wanting to

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hark back to a bye gone age, he does admit that the last number of years have been a challenge, both on and off the pitch.

“The 1980’s and 1990’s were a great period in the club. It was a social hub and we created a lot of great memories in that period of time. Over the last ten years there is a lot less social rugby being played. There is a lot more external pressure on people nowadays. I think people have become disillusioned with the state of the economy and so forth. We have also lost a huge number of young lads to emigration which hasn’t helped.

“I tell people that we have as good a side in Australia as we do in Portlaoise. We went through a period when we won three Harry Gale cups and we thought those players would make the step up. Then the downturn hit and most of them left Ireland”.

While the loss of players has hit Portlaoise, Cooper and the club as a whole, have, like the majority of clubs around the country, have had to keep a watchful eye on the purse strings too. One of Cooper’s goals when he became President was to keep a secure reign on the club’s finances, something that he feels that the club have managed to achieve.

“It hasn’t been easy but we feel that we are in a good place”, says Cooper.

“Everyone is in the same boat. We are just concentrating on what we can control and we just keep tipping away. Along with stabilising the clubs finances, we are looking to consolidate our league position. Having lost so many players through emigration etc has been tough. It’s not like a couple of years ago when you get a player in from New Zealand for example, because you have to pay him a fair few quid and also try find him a job, which is hard to come by nowadays. We have a nice mix of young and older players at the moment, so we’d be hopeful of progressing over the next couple of seasons”.

That progression is not just confined to the men’s side at Portlaoise RFC. The club boasts Grand Slam winner Alison Miller among their female members. Along with their ladies setup, Cooper is also keen to point out the underage structure that Portlaoise have in operation at the moment, something which he is rightly proud of.

“We are hugely proud of Alison and everything that she and the Ireland team have achieved to date. They work unbelievably hard and they deserve all the success that they get. We also have a very good underage system in place. At any weekend there could be upwards of 250 children, ranging from all ages at the club, which is tremendous to see, because they are the future”.

That future does look bright for Portlaoise RFC, albeit it with some challenges on and off the pitch, Cooper knows full well the role that the club plays for the local people.“We cater for the majority of Laois. The club plays a huge role in the local community and we are very aware of that. Of course there are going to be challenging times ahead, but we will keep our heads down, keep working away and I’m sure the club will continue to meet those challenges head on”.

The company is an established security operation that works in tandem with clients to develop superior security management solutions. Their methodology combines business analysis, branding and technology with a superior project and development team to provide dynamic, scalable and measurable security solutions.

Working in partnership with their clients, Pulse Security strives to develop strategies, direction and provide functional leadership of security and loss prevention.

“We are very lucky to work with a number of leading companies”, says McQuillian. “Among the companies that we work with are the IRFU, FAI, the Clarion Hotel group, the Gibson Hotel, KPMG, UCD etc, along with those companies we also provide security for horse racing events and concerts.

“All the companies that we work with have very high expectations and they only want the best. That is a unique selling point for us because we do things a little bit differently. We have a clean image and have built a very good reputation for ourselves over the last number of years”.

In dealing with a huge volume of people at any given event, there are a wide and varied amount of challenges that Pulse Security face. It is however, a challenge that McQuillian relishes.

“The biggest challenge we face is trying to get people in and out of a particular venue in as safe a manner as possible. In 2012 we looked after 3.2 million people who attended various events that we provided security at. Thankfully the public that we deal with are fairly easy to manage.

“At a rugby game for example, you usually have a last minute rush of people who want to get in for the anthems. The Aviva Stadium is so modern, so we are able to cope with a high concentration of people at any one time.

“For a rugby game the planning would start weeks in advance of a particular game. There is plenty of dialogue between us and the IRFU. On any given rugby game at the Aviva we could have up to 100 staff working at the game”.

Pulse Security Management has been independently quality approved and operates to the optimum industry standards, our quality assurances and industry affiliations include.

National Standards Authority of Ireland IS: 999:2004 National Security Inspectorate QUALSEC GOLD & SILVER Private Security Authority Contractors Licence Guaranteed Irish Irish Security Industry Association Security Institute of Ireland

Huntsman House, Ballymount Cross Ind Est, Dublin 24 +353 1 450 9153 +353 1 450 9107 www.pulsesecurity.ie

Pulse Security Management has been independently quality approved and operates to the optimum industry standards, our quality assurances and industry affiliations include.

National Standards Authority of Ireland IS: 999:2004 National Security Inspectorate QUALSEC GOLD & SILVER Private Security Authority Contractors Licence Guaranteed Irish Irish Security Industry Association Security Institute of Ireland

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It has been a lively competition to date in 2013, but matters are beginning to intensify in the quest to decide who will the 88th Champions in the Cleaning Contractors sponsored Leinster Provincial Towns Cup. Thanks to the outcomes of the quarter-finals played on St Patrick’s Day, we are now down to the last four teams, and as suspected there are a couple of familiar names to be found in the dying stages of this year’s fare.

The first name out of the hat when the draw was made in Edenderry RFC on the evening of March 17th was Tullow, who are aiming to go one better than last year, when they finished runners-up to Enniscorthy on a scoreline of 23-17. With Leinster and Ireland star Sean O’Brien steering the ship as the club’s Director Of Rugby, Tullow have been mightly impressive during the 2012/13 season, and despite not having a huge pedigree in this competition, they won’t feel overly fazed by what awaits them at the penultimate stage, as they can also draw on their 2008 experience, when they progressed to a final showdown with Navan, with the Meath side emerging victorious with 17 points to spare (30-13).

This term has been a pretty special one for Tullow on the whole because, as of March 10th, they had played 14 games from a grand total of 16 in the Leinster Senior League Division 1B, with an astonishing gap of 23 points separating them and second place Clondalkin. This means that they will comfortably secure the divisional title come the end of the season, and they have carried their strong form into the Towns Cup. Following triumphs against Rathdrum (38-0) and Kilkenny (36-16) in their opening two contests, they set up a quarter-final date with Ashbourne, who had recorded a narrow triumph over Tullow’s rivals, County Carlow, in the previous round, which followed a 27-5 first round success against Clane, when captain Rory Gleeson finished with a hat-trick of tries.

The men from the South-East came out on top in the semi-final of last year’s competition, as well as in their October 14th league encounter, and although the north Meath club caused their opponents plenty of problems in the cup, Tullow simply had too much for them in the end, as they came out on top 47-14. As a result, Tullow will now take on Tullamore in the last-four at Athy RFC, which will unquestionably be their toughest game to date this season, because as terrific as Carlow have been, the Offaly men have been equally effective in Division 1A, as seven wins from opening seven league ties (including a 100-0 demolition of Garda) has helped them towards a 15 point hold at the summit of the table.

Like Tullow, they will not be short on motivation having lost three straight finals from 2009-2011, although their name is already on the roll honours thanks to their four wins in the 1946, 1960, 1976 and 2006. After receiving a first round bye, Tullamore stormed into action with a 52-8 win against Mullingar in round two, before seeing off the stern challenge of Division 1B outfit Wicklow (29-12) with the help of tries from Conor Molloy (2), Adrian Hanley and the experienced Paul Deering.

In the other semi-final, it will be a battle between the fourth placed teams in the Leinster Senior League Division 1B & Division 2A respectively, as Roscrea and Longford face off in Edenderry RFC, hosts of the 2011 final.

der The Rea pril 5pm A h t 4 y Thursda C

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a certain extent, have been the surprise package, as despite recording an expected victory over North Kildare (9-6) in their opening fixture, they followed up by knocking reigning champions Enniscorthy out at the second round stage on a 14-9 margin. This was a fine moment for Longford, but when they were drawn against another Division 1A unit in Cill Dara when the last-eight draw was made, they realised that they needed to be on top of their game again.

Yet, The Demense men came up trumps when required, and a pulsating start to the proceedings saw Longford going 13-0 in front with just 15 minutes gone courtesy of two Barry Trueick penalties and a converted James O’Connell try. Cill Dara did finally opened their account with a Jack Ryan penalty a minute later, however, and despite Trueick securing his third three-pointer, another brace of place kicks from Ryan meant that the Kildare men had reduced their deficit to seven (16-9) by the mid-way stage.

Indeed, a resurgent Cill Dara really threw a spanner in the works during the second period, as influential Number 8 Damien Broughall touched down to leave just two points separating the sides, but Longford rode the storm successfully, as two penalties from club coach Colm Glynn helped them towards a 22-14 victory. Given their league status, Longford will be favourites against Roscrea, but the men from North Tipperary are not to be discounted, as they have won this competition twice before (1975 and 1980). They also impressed with wins over Boyne (31-3) and Athy (17-7), before seeing off Edenderry in ruthless fashion on their home patch 25-0 in the quarter-finals, thanks in no small part to tries from Joe Tracy and captain Paul McNamara, as well as a first half penalty try.

However, while anticipation is high in the province of Leinster, the Powerade Ulster Towns Cup is at an even more advanced stage now, as we know who will be contesting the final of this year’s competition in the North, which continues to blossom despite having entered into its 14th decade at this point. After the event-filled opening rounds, things started to become very interesting at the quarter-final stage, as Clogher Valley aimed to secure the Towns Cup for a third straight year.

The Fivemiletown side had shown their worth in a 31-21 success over Ballymoney in the second round, but with Omagh waiting in the wings for an eagerly-awaited local derby at the quarter-final stage, they knew that they had to fight tooth and nail to make it through to the semi-finals. It is always hard to predict the outcome of clashes between the two clubs, but no one would have expected to see the reigning champions facing into an 11-0 deficit at the interval stage. This was precisely what happened, though, as a try from skipper Mervyn Edgar, and two penalties from fullback David Ward, gave Omagh a pivotal advantage with 40 minutes of play gone.

Clogher rallied impressively upon the restart, however, and three Paul Armstrong penalties reduced the gap to two by the 52nd minute.

Momentum was now firmly with Clogher, but despite enjoying a multitude of possession, they simply couldn’t break down Omagh, and when Armstrong came up short with an injury-time penalty attempt, their opponents were able to celebrate a famous 11-9 victory.

Because of this, a lot of focus was paid to Omagh in the semi-final, but they had no cause for being complacent, as their opposition in the last-four were Ballyclare, who are second in the Kukri Qualifying League (Section 2) having won 13 of their 15 games so far.

Indeed, Omagh were on the receiving end of a 24-6 defeat when the teams met back on September 1st, and Ballyclare had shown their worth when comfortably dispatching Dromore 27-3 in their quarter-final thanks to tries from Mark Weatherup, Nathan Loughlin and Graeme McKinstry.

Yet, it was always going to be a tough assignment for the county Antrim side in Omagh’s Mellon Park, and with the hosts aiming to recapture the intensity shown against Clogher Valley, they edged into an early 7-0 lead with a try from number eight Andrew Ferguson, converted by David Ward.

Ballyclare came up with the appropriate response, though, as a plethora of tries from Nial Lawther, Nathan Loughlin and David Clarke meant that they had a 12-point cushion (19-7) at the mid-way point. Ballyclare were now comfortably in the driving seat, and though their challenge was reined in to a certain degree by a brace of David Ward penalties, they deservedly held out for a 19-13 success.

On the other side of the draw, Enniskillen were made to fight all the way for their place in the semis, have earlier enjoyed more comprehensive victories over Larne (31-6) and UUC (25-10), with a couple of vital scores helping them to see off the Ballynahinch 2nd XV on an 18-14 scoreline.

The Fermanagh outfit were the only 1st XV on their side of the draw, with the final last-eight game seeing the City Of Derry 2nd XV facing Dungannon’s 2nd XV. The margin of victory was certainly far greater in this game, and despite the best efforts of the game Tyrone side, strong displays from the likes of Sam Duffy, Rodney Balfour and Mark Walker helped Derry to secure a 30-12 win.

Enniskillen were two time winners of the Ulster Towns Cup back in the 1930s, and also competed in the 2007 decider, but with their opponents once again being a second-string outfit (the kind of team that they would never face in league competition), it was hard to predict how they would fare in the last-four.

Indeed, City of Derry started the tie in bright fashion, as a superbly converted Richard Peoples penalty from all of 40 metres was added to in the closing moments of the opening period, when Adam Blair touched down at the end of a lengthy sequence of play, and with out-half Peoples on hand to secure the bonuses, Derry started the second half with a 10-0 lead.

Enniskillen had enjoyed plenty of possession before the break, but they found themselves even further behind three minutes after the restart when Peoples was once again on target with a tricky penalty. Enniskillen did eventually open their account with a three-pointer from Ally Duncan after 57 minutes, and also crossed the whitewash courtesy of Gavin Parke.

The latter score came during the final play of the match, however, as City of Derry squeezed through to the final on a three point winning margin (13-10).

This means that City Of Derry’s 2nd XV will take on Ballyclare in the final, which takes place on Easter Monday in Ravenhill. This is a very intriguing prospect for all those with an interest in grassroots rugby in Ulster, as the latter aim to put on their name on the trophy for a sixth time following previous wins in 1976, 1978, 1980, 1986 and most recently in 2004.

City Of Derry are a club steeped in Ulster Towns Cup folklore, though, as they were the very first winners of the competition back in 1883, and have been crowned champions a further ten times since then, with their recent 2009 success over Ballynahinch 2nds being their first in 73 years.

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CLUB NEWS

The Latest From Around the Grounds ARMAGH

SEAPOINT

The City Of Armagh Rugby Club has been progressing rather nicely to date in the Ulster Bank League Division 2B, and with their Annual General Meeting taking place on Friday May 31st, there is much for those involved with the Orchard County club to be positive about. As is customary for AGMs, there are a number of nominations for office that are being accepted in anticipation of the event, and are to be made to the club’s Honorary Secretary on or before April 30th.

All proposals will have be signed by the proposer, as well as a seconder, and must contain a written signed agreement by the person that he/she will accept and carry out the duties of the office should they be elected to their chosen position.

Nominations are being accepted for a number of positions, including Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and Club Captain, while there must also be nine elected members of the General Committee. The most important position to be filled, however, is arguably Junior Vice President, as the person who fills the role is expected to be a prominent public figure, and will have ambitions of serving as President at some point in the future.

Sunday 28th April 2013 is a date worth keeping free in your diary, as it will see the Seapoint Rugby Club in south county Dublin hosting an Annual International Mini Rugby Festival at their club grounds in Kilboggett Park, Killiney. This event is being organised in conjunction with Hostels Worldwide, whose official website can be found at www.hostelworld.com. The games at this festival will be held for teams that fit into the U-10, U-11 and U-12 age groups, and promises to be a special day for all concerned, as the Seapoint RFC International Festivals is one of the largest mini-rugby events of its kind in Ireland The registration form for each participating club is to be completed by that club’s youth coordinator, and all entries are to be received no later than April 14th with the appropriate payment. Further details can be ascertained by contacting the Seapoint International Mini Rugby Festival, which is seapointfestival2013@gmail.com.

NUIM BARNHALL A very important International event took place in Parsonstown on March 27th, as NUIM Barnhall welcomed two teams from Wisconsin University to their home patch for a couple of very unique transatlantic friendlies.

The Club House was opened from 3.30pm in the atmospheric Leixlip venue, with food being made available in the club house bar after the completion of the matches. There was also plenty of music and entertainment throughout the night, as Barnhall welcomed their second overseas visitors of the month having already played host to De Wrotters RFC of the Netherlands on March 10th.

QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY An exciting progression in the development of Queen’s University Rugby Football Club is set to occur at the beginning of April, as they host their first-ever Easter Rugby Talent camp between the dates of April 1st and April 5th. Taking place at the college’s state of the art Upper Malone Facilities, the camps will start at 9.30am each day, before concluding at 1pm.

The camp is for players aged 14-16 who are interested in developing the skills required for competitive rugby, and through the guidance of excellent coaches, will be offered expert advice on nutrition and the different aspects of strength and conditioning training.

The cost of the camp is priced at £25, although there is also a promotional price of £100 for those who wished to attend throughout the week. This offer included a t-shirt and water bottle, and was a very enticing deal given the first come first served basis of the camp.

SHANNON Monday March 18th was a key day in the schools rugby calendar, as it saw the Leinster, Munster & Ulster Schools Senior Cup Finals taking centre stage in the respective venues of the RDS, Thomond Park and Ravenhill. The Leinster decider was perhaps the most dramatic of the three, as Blackrock College sealed a narrow 23-20 victory over neighbours St Michael’s College, whereas Methodist College had 15 points to spare (20-5) when defeating RBAI in the Ulster finale.

The margin was even wider at Munster Rugby HQ (27-5), although Rockwell College did have to operate with 14 men for a considerable period following the dismissal of full-back Steve McMahon on a red card offence. Victors Crescent Comprehensive had dominated the proceedings up this point, though, and were well represented by Shannon RFC on the day, as William Leonard and Greg O’Shea lined out at inside centre and left-wing respectively, with Jack Dinneen also joining them in the starting XV in the position of openside flanker. The overall display of the team is testament to the work being done by in the Dooradoyle, but the performances of the aforementioned trio also bodes well for the future of rugby at Shannon.

YOUNG MUNSTER Another piece of silverware was added to the Young Munster trophy cabinet on the morning of February 24th, as the Greenfields club’s Under-14 side were crowned league champions thanks to a gutsy victory against old rivals Garryowen in a tense decider at Annacotty.

A successful penalty then increased their cushion to 10-0, but a sustained period of play eventually paid off for the Tom Clifford Park brigade, as a seven-point salvo reduced their deficit to three (10-7) by the mid-way point. Following a difficult opening period and despite the best efforts of a spirited Garryowen, Young Munster held out for a memorable 17-10 triumph.

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CONNACHT

BEST OF THE WEST Whenever the name of Connacht Rugby is mentioned, more often than not, a divisive argument will take place. Depending on your point of view, Connacht Rugby are the province that has been neglected in some quarters by the powers that be in the Irish Rugby Football Union, or they are the province that continue to see themselves as held down, while Leinster, Munster and Ulster thrive with the support and help of the Union.

the rugby community in this country. All four provinces circled their wagons, and began adopting a more professional approach, both on and off the pitch, with Connacht leading the way.

Whatever your view, one thing is hard to argue, and that is that Connacht have been a tremendous success story, having to fight, scratch and claw for every modicum of success that has come their way.

The 2003/04 season would be the zenith of Connacht’s time in European rugby. Their efforts in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup (now Amlin Challenge Cup) still linger long in the hearts and minds of many a Connacht fan. A try from World Cup winner Will Greenwood, 12 minutes from time denied Connacht their place in their first European Cup final.

To come so close, with such a committed group of players, having swam against the tide for so long, spoke volumes of the good work that was taking place out in Connacht. However, once again, the political powers that be, decreed that Connacht would not be automatically entered for the European Challenge Cup, as had been the norm, but rather let Connacht’s European aspirations be determined by their league position in the Celtic League.

Founded in 1885, Connacht were the history making province in Ireland, long before Irish teams began collecting Heineken Cups in the manner that they have over the last decade. The men from the west were the first Irish team to win on French and English soil, when they defeated both Bordeaux Begles and Northampton Saints in the pool stages of the 1997 European Challenge Cup. Led by such warriors as current Connacht coach Eric Elwood, Pat Duignan and Mervyn Murphy, and coached by current British & Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland, Connacht, it could be argued, paved the way for the success that the other three provinces would later enjoy. The advent of professional rugby in Ireland, changed attitudes and mind-sets within

Along with those two history making wins in France and England, Connacht consistently produced a high level of performance on the pitch during the early part of this century. In 2001/02 they came desperately close to making it into the Celtic League final, losing narrowly at the quarter final stage to Glasgow.

For the next six seasons, Connacht would continue to ply their European rugby trade in the European Challenge Cup, until the 2010/11 season

when, thanks to Leinster’s dramatic success against Northampton, Connacht qualified for the first time in their history, for the Heineken Cup.

Despite the relative success that Connacht have enjoyed over the last number of seasons, they still struggle to gain a strong foothold, in terms of gaining traction and developing a squad capable of challenging the other three provinces within Ireland.

Their first season in Europe’s premier competition would see them pitted against French aristocrats Toulouse and English heavyweights Harlequins & Gloucester.

Despite facing such stiff competition, Connacht took readily to the step up to Heineken Cup rugby. They were unlucky not to win their opening couple of pool games, coming within minutes of beating both Harlequins & Gloucester. One could argue that Connacht did not quite have the killer instinct that a team needs at the highest level of European rugby. They would however, leave their mark on the competition, when, on a rain swept night in January at the Sportsground, Connacht gained their first at Heineken Cup win, with an emotional 9-8 defeat of Conor O’Shea’s Harlequins outfit. It would be a fitting way to cap their first season at the top table of European rugby.

Over the last number of seasons, the likes of Sean Cronin, Fionn Carr, Jamie Hagan, Jerry Flannery and Ian Keatley ,have all moved from Connacht at formative stages of their careers while Eoin Reddan, Johnny O’Connor, Gavin Duffy, and Damien Browne moved across the Irish Sea, before continuing their careers further afield from Connacht. More recently Mike McCarthy made the decision to move from Connacht to Heineken Cup champions Leinster, in a move that may further hamper Connacht’s chances to develop as a major force in Irish rugby.

Despite swimming against the tide, Connacht have still produced the goods this season. They bowed out of the Heineken Cup at the pool stages with three wins to their credit. The capture of fly-half Dan Parks has proved to be a terrific investment, with the No10 providing an extra edge to Connacht’s attacking play. Along with Parks, the likes of the hugely exciting Robbie Henshaw, the future looks bright both on and off the pitch for the men from the west.

Only time will tell if Connacht will reach the rarefied heights that have been scaled by Ulster, Leinster and Munster in recent years, but one thing is for sure, it won’t be for lack of effort or commitment from the Irish province.

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dress, groom’s suit by Louis Copeland and wedding rings by Paul Sheeran Jewellers.

Club Rugby and Superscrum Equipment Rental Initiative

Win a Superscrum machine!

All you have to do is collect ten tokens, one of which will appear on page two of the Irish Independent every day from now until Saturday 9th March and fill out the entry form. You can enter as often as you like, so get your entries in and you could be saying ‘I do’ to the wedding day of your dreams.

The Irish Independent, Club Rugby Magazine and Superscrum are offering one School and one Club the opportunity to win a 1 man Superscrum machine, each valued at over w3,000.

The Superscrum machine provides a safe way to improve scrummaging techniques and increase fitness levels to players of all ages, at all levels of the game and brings rapid results in muscle development in the neck, shoulder, back and legs, as well as improving awareness re safety levels during training and game time.

To be in with a chance of winning a Superscrum machine for your club or school simply collect ten tokens, one of which will appear on page two of the Irish Independent every day from Monday April 1st to Monday May 6th and attach the tokens to the entry form below.

Completed entry form and tokens must be sent to: SCRUMCRUM COMPETITION, PO Box 11, Independent Newspapers, Independent House, 27-32 Talbot Street, Dublin 1.

The closing date for receipt of entries is Friday, May 10th at 5pm.

To assist Clubs and Schools Club Rugby in conjunction with Superscrum are pleased to announce a new rental system for their Irish made patented scrummaging machines.

We know that finances are tight and capital expenditure is a problem for both Clubs and Schools, but we also recognize that without the proper facilities players will not develop their technique’s to the proper levels and standards required for competitive action. www.25fitzwilliamplace.ie

So with that in mind… We can now offer the following options:

Why not rent a Superscrum machine and training kit from us?

1 man Superscrum machine........................€25.00 per week* 8 man Superscrum machine........................€30.00 per week* Superscrum rucking machine......................€25.00 per week*

Tackle

Bag 1 x Training Set including: R epair Service 2 x Tackle Bags Available 3 x Rucking Shields 3 x Tackle Suits/ Body suits 15 x Match Balls............................................€275 x 3 monthly payments

Remember, you can enter as often as you wish.

�

Entry Illegible entry forms willwill NOT be be processed) Entry Form Form(complete (completeininCLEAR CLEARBLOCK BLOCKCAPITALS. CAPITALS. Illegible entry forms NOT processed) Title (circle Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss/Other) First Name(s) Last Name(s) Gender (tick one) Male or Female Address Address Address Town/City County Country (ex. ROI only)

Year of birth

(for e.g 1982)

Email address: Mobile Number Landline Note: Landline/Mobile number will be used to contact you in case of win.

What date does Valentines fallRory on every 14th jersey? B) DecA)14th Question: What number day does Bestyear? wear on A) hisFeb Ireland 2

B) 10

C) 14

TESTOF OFSKILL: SKILL:WeIf want the Irish a rugby unique and imaginative would you title it? & Nerves Cake’ TEST you toIndependent come up withhad a unique andteam, originalwhat name for a wedding cake recipename ie. ‘Pavlover’ or ‘Butterflies Tick this box to receive future correspondence by email from Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd. Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd. would like to contact you by post so that you are first to hear about upcoming promotions and competitions in our newspapers. If you would prefer not to receive such correspondence, please tick this box

* Terms and conditions apply. Minimum Term 3 x Seasons, payment only due for 10 months per annum. Payments are monthly, 3 months in advance ** Only available in conjunction with rental of Superscrum machine Terms and conditions: 1. The competition is open to persons over the age of 18 except employees or agents of Independent Newspapers or anyentries third party involved in this competition.

2. The are Independent Newspapers Ireland Ltd. 3. Independent No. 25 Fitzwilliam Place, will provide a wedding reception Terms and conditions: Completed along with your ten tokens must be promoters sent to: SCRUMCRUM COMPETITION, PO Box 11, Newspapers, Independent House, for up to a maximum of 60 guests. Prize valid for bookings until October 2013. Late bar licence offering 27-32 bar service until 12.30-1.30 onONLY the day the event. includes four course setThe menu including coffeeofand two glasses of May wine 10th and aat glass of Only prosecco from aper specially Talbot Street, Dublinam 1.depending Entries will be of accepted at Prize Independent Newspapers. closing dateteaforand receipt entries is Friday, 5pm. one entry selected list. 4. Louis Copeland will provide the Grooms suit, from the Louis Copeland range only. 5. Designer de Stafford bridal will provide awill dress to thetokens value ofon€2,500.

Thiseveryday offer will be non-transferable and6th. not open to of exchange for credit or transferred to anyThe other designer collection purchase. envelope.

The Irish Independent publish page two from April 1st to May A total ten tokens are required for entry. winning entry chosenormust be 6. Paul Sheeran Jewellers will supply €1,000 towards wedding bands of the couple’s choice. 7. All entries for the competition must be completed on an official entry accompanied by 10 tokens. No photocopies accepted. 8. There are no limits to the number of entries permitted. 9. The entrant must also use that deemed by the judges as the most unique and imaginative name for an Irish Independent Rugbyteam. their skill and judgment to provide a unique and imaginative Wedding Cake Recipe name. 10. The entry form must be completed in the name of the individual entrant. Independent Newspapers will be in no way responsible for any dispute arising from the participation of syndicates, or groups of individuals.

11. Entries to: Dream Wedding, PO Box 11, Independent Newspapers, Independent House, 27-32 Talbot Street, Dublin 1. Closing date Friday 15th March. 12. Proof of postage is not proof of receipt. 13. The winner will be notified on or before Friday 12th April. 14. The promoters and Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd reserve the right in their absolute discretion to disqualify any entry, competitor or nominee, to add to, or waive any rule without prior notice to the entrants and, in the event of circumstances beyond their control, to cancel the competition at any stage. 15. Participation in this competition is hereby deemed to indicate acceptance of the Terms and Conditions as outlined.

www.superscrum.com www.clubrugby.ie

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ULSTER BANK LEAGUE As we enter into the final weeks of the Ulster Bank League Division 1A, it is almost certain that Lansdowne will be crowned All-Ireland League Champions for 2012/13.

Three successive bonus point wins has given them a seemingly insurmountable 19-point cushion at the top of the table, and while a number of teams around them have started to display erratic form, Mike Ruddock’s charges have simply gone from strength to strength.

They got off to a flying start in March, with a brace of bonus point wins at home against Young Munster (37-17) and St Mary’s College (35-6) placing them in fine form ahead of the March 23rd clash with UL Bohemian, which also doubled up as the Mick English Cup. On a day when chaotic weather played havoc with the majority of the league’s games, the Annacotty pitch was deemed playable, and once again Lansdowne returned to the capital with five points under their belt, as telling contributions from Simon Morrissey, Craig Ronaldson, Ron Boucher and Marcus Walsh eased them towards victory.

It has been a difficult season thus far for last year’s champions, St Mary’s College, but although they fell to their seventh defeat of the campaign away to

Lansdowne, they came into that game with a rich vein of form, as four wins on the trot against Clontarf, Cork Con, Dolphin and Garryowen keeps them nine points clear of the bottom two sides.

Lan sdo wn ec los e in Doing their level best to apply some form of pressure to the Lansdowne challenge are last season’s runners-up, Clontarf, who are currently on a winning run stretching to four games, as they followed up their 41-13 demolition of Old Belvedere (when Simon Crawford helped himself to a hat-trick of tries) with an even more comprehensive 47-7 triumph over the struggling UL on March 16th. They are currently three points in front of Garryowen, who dropped off the pace in the wake of two defeats in Dublin to St Mary’s College (2515) and Old Belvedere (15-12) before getting back to winning ways on their splendid astro-turf pitch in a Friday Night Lights clash with Young Munster on February 22nd, when a brace penalties from Matt Jarvis proved decisive in a 20-14 winning performance.

A day later, Cork Constitution and Old Belvedere produced what was arguably the tie of the round, as the Temple Hill men earned a hard-fought 37-32 win with the help of tries from John Ryan, Darragh Lyons, Andrew Cudmore and Alex Ryan, even though Belvo also crossed over four times through Danny Riordan, Kieran O’Gorman, Johnny Slattery and John Kennedy. As a result, they are now in fourth place having also beaten Young Munster by the narrowest of margins (10-9) the previous week in a game that was notable for the presence of fit-again Munster and Ireland lock Paul O’Connell in their opponents’ starting XV. The Cookies now find themselves on a run of five straight defeats following reversals to Clontarf, Lansdowne, Dolphin and Garryowen, leaving them in mid-table on 35 points along with Dolphin, who recorded impressive victories over UL Bohemian (27-9) and Shannon (32-17) either side of their re-fixed clash with Young Munster, when they had 13 points to spare (23-10) at Musgrave Park.

In a slightly more precarious position are 2011 winners Old Belvedere, who finally brought a run of seven games without a win to an end on March 16th, when a terrific Danny Riordan drop-goal gave them a narrow triumph (15-12) over Garryowen. Although they succumbed to their 11th defeat against Cork Con, they did manage to pick up two losing bonus points to keep five clear of Shannon (with a game

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more played), who most recently lost out to Dolphin having previously secured memorable victories over Old Belvedere (28-17) and Cork Con (45-26).

However, Shannon are still three ahead of UL at the foot of the table, following the college side’s three losses in March to Dolphin, Clontarf and Lansdowne.

The torrential downpour on the weekend of March 23rd had its biggest impact in Division 1B, as all five fixtures set for that period had to be postponed, which means that it is much the same as before in the second tier.

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At the end of February, Ballynahinch had an eight lead at the top of 1B, which has now increased slightly to nine thanks in large part to resounding bonus point wins over Bruff (59-7), when they crossed the whitewash on ten occasions, and Malone (58-3), when Aaron Ferris secured a hat-trick of tries at Ballymacran Park.

was less disruption to games in Division 2A on March 23rd, as only the Banbridge V Seapoint & De La Salle Palmerston (DLSP) V Queen’s University ties had to be called off. It is currently a three-way tie to decide who will be the 2A Champions for 2012/13, although third place UCC are an outside bet at the moment.

While it seems unlikely that the race for top honours will go down to the wire, the battle for the promotion play-off place is a very compelling one, as UCD are currently a point in front of third placed Dublin University (Trinity). The principle reason for this is the Belfield outfit’s sensational 84-15 win over Dungannon on their travels at the start of March, when they recorded an incredible try scoring tally of 13, with right-wing Sam Coghlan-Murray and Alex Kelly chipping in with five between them.

It was a much closer affair at home to Buccaneers in mid-March, but with

Terenure College currently occupy first place with a better scoring average than Galway Corinthians (both sides have 53 points), even though the Tribesmen got the better of them 21-15 in Corinthian Park back in midFebruary. Terenure and Corinthians have won all their games since then, but the Dublin men have been that bit more clinical, with their most recent victories coming against Midleton (52-14) and Old Crescent (24-7).

out-half Niall Earls kicking 14 points, they were able to secure a 19-14 triumph over the Athlone men.

Buccaneers were also on the receiving end of a slender 23-19 defeat to Trinity in College Park a couple of weeks earlier when Paddy Lavelle and Niyi Adeolukun helped themselves to tries courtesy of Paddy Lavelle and Niyi Adeolukun, and Tony Smeeth’s men confirmed their return to form with a dogged 12-7 win over Belfast Harlequins.

The aforementioned Buccaneers have been showing plenty of spirit throughout the season, but their consecutive defeats to UCD and Trinity leaves their promotion prospects in doubt, while in fifth place Belfast Harlequins have managed to move up the table despite suffering two losses in a row to Malone (26-22) and Trinity.

Just behind them on scoring averages are Blackrock who, in many ways, have been the story of 2013, as as five wins and two draws have steered them clear of relegation trouble. They had 15 to spare (32-17) over Ballymena at Eaton Park on March 2nd courtesy of tries from David Godfrey, Emile van Wyck, Jan-Simon Byrne and Peter McCague, before crucial scores from Mick Carroll and Mark Scott-Lennon paved the way for their hard-fought victory over Bruff (21-15).

Further down the table, Malone will be disappointed to be in seventh position, but despite their comprehensive loss to Ballynahinch, they are in no danger of relegation, as 15 points separate them and third from bottom Dungannon, with three tries from Ali Birch in a 51-0 demolition of Ballymena at Stevenson Park helping the Tyrone brigade to bounce back from their heavy loss to UCD. This win could be vital come the end of April, as it puts them five clear of Bruff, and ten clear of ‘Mena in 10th place. Bruff were unfortunate to lose out to Blackrock, but they will need to halt a slide that has seen them lose their last eight game stretching back to December 1st.

It looks more than likely that they will have to take on the second placed team in Division 2A, and equally Ballymena simply can’t afford to lose any of their remaining fixtures if they want to avoid the drop to the third-tier. There

Corinthians did comfortably see of the latter 48-20, but were made to fight for a slender two-point win (24-22) at home to Old Wesley towards the end of March.

UCC managed to maintain their title push with a confident 56-17 success over Banbridge on March 2nd, and outside of this eye-catching trio, there are still just six points separating fourth placed City of Derry and Cashel in seventh, with Galwegians and Banbridge nestled in the middle.

The likes of Old Wesley, Seapoint, Highfield and Queen’s are in relatively comfortable positions as the final fixtures begin to mount, and though Bective Rangers and Old Crescent have, at the very least, a bonus point win hold over the bottom three, they could do with one victory from their last three games to be assured of safety.

It appears, therefore, that Greystones, Midleton and DLSP are the three that will be fighting against relegation, with the north Wicklow side having lost recently to Seapoint (30-20) and City Of Derry (24-20), while Midleton had started brightly before losing to Bective Rangers 17-8.

DLSP are presently four points off their two nearest rivals, but with a game less played, they won’t be giving up hope just yet.

Only two games from eight survived on March 23rd in Division 2B, which means we can’t read into the fourth tier in the same as the third, although there was significance in Naas’ 35-7 victory over Sunday’s Well, as two tries each from Rob Campbell and Johnny Delaney helps to maintain the promotion charge of the south Kildare side, who also squeezed past Nenagh Ormond in their other home league tie during March.

They are now just five points behind (with a game more played) top team, Rainey Old Boys, who are yet to lose a game this season, and showed plenty of resolve during a 26-22 triumph over Navan on March 2nd.

This puts them in pole position for top spot, though they will have to be wary, as NUIM Barnhall are only six behind (with the same number of games played) thanks to three league wins in a row.

With Armagh trailing them in fourth spot by seven points, it seems that there won’t be a major re-shuffle of the top three, although there is very little to separate fifth place Nenagh Ormond and Skerries (who will be delighted with the way they have established a safe footing in senior club rugby).

Instonians in ninth place, with 25 points to their name, occupy the middle ground, but even though Thomond (who enjoyed a win over Clonakilty in the other fixture on March 23rd), Suttonians, Sunday’s Well, Clonakilty and Ards have found the going tough at various times this season, Connemara seem destined to finish as the bottom team in the Ulster Bank League with just four points and one win from their opening 12 games.

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The Dental Suite

While various injuries, such as shoulder, head and knee, get the majority of attention, one area of injury prevention that has somewhat slipped under the radar is the importance of mouthguards and the vital role that the play.

Despite having only been in business for little over a year now, The Dental Suite has rapidly become one of Ireland’s foremost dental practices in Ireland.

Facial injuries have become more commonplace over the last number of years. The rates and the ferocity of hits on a rugby field have dramatically risen. The nature of these hits means that players are now more susceptible to facial injuries. If players do not wear the correct type of mouthguard then they run the risk of causing long term dental damage, which can not only cost them financially but can impact on their standard of living when they retire from the game.

Dental care and protection As the sport of rugby union continues to develop and physical hits becoming greater as the seasons pass, the need for protection has never been more important.

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Led by Sharon McAllister, the Dental Suite provides a vitally important role for people of Wicklow, and in particular the local sports teams in and around the area.

Sports injuries are becoming more commonplace. Young children are more at risk of sustaining injury, especially if they do not wear the proper equipment, in particular, mouthguards. At The Dental Suite the protection and the welfare of player’s mouths is of the highest importance, as Sarah McAllister explains.

Originally developed by a London dentist, Dr Wollf Krause, in 1890, the original mouthguard was designed to protect boxers from lip lacerations.

While there have been any number of modifications made to the first model, the core value of the mouthguard has remained the same.

“At The Dental Suite we are very conscious of how important protection of the mouth is. Having played rugby myself I am all too aware of the dangers that can take place out on the pitch. There is a huge percentage of people that come to us with chipped teeth, all of which can be prevented with the use of a properly fitted mouth guard.

Throughout the years there have been a number of different variations.

There are ready-made, out of the packet mouthguards, which are perhaps the most ineffective type of protection as the guard is not fitted to the individual player but rather a ‘one size fits all’ guard that offers minimal protection and comfort.

“We work closely with a number of local sports teams in the area, going out to clubs, taking impressions of the player’s mouths and making sure that they get fitted correctly for their own personal mouthguard”.

The second type is known as the ‘boil & bite’ mouthguard. This type of guard is a step-up on the standard type of mouthguard. Made of a thermoplastic material, the guard is dipped into to boiling water which allows the guard to be ‘fitted’ to the individual player’s features.

The Dental Suite offer free examinations for mouthguards for children of all ages. We also do a range of custom mouthguards with a child’s name imprinted on the guard from €65.

There is also a selection of heavy duty, adult, mouthguards which are priced at €75.

SHOCKBUSTER Sports Mouthguards

SHOCKBUSTER mouthguards are worn by many professional rugby players throughout Ireland and UK.

Wellington DENTAL

SHOCKBUSTER is a brand name custom made mouthguard supplied by your dentist.

Wellington Quay Dental Centre based in Drogheda, Co Louth, is owned by Cormac Reynolds who took over the practice from Des Gogarty in 1993. The team includes a consultant orthodontist, oral surgeon and two hygienists.

They are supported by two receptionists and two dental nurses.

SHOCKBUSTER mouthguards are designed to be tough, impact absorbing, resilient, close fitting and retentive, tasteless and odourless and suitable for use in any sport.

Suitable for junior and senior players.

The practise is proud to offer a full range of general and cosmetic dental treatments. We aim to make your visit with us a pleasant experience in a caring, relaxing environment, using state-of-the-art equipment and techniques.

Contoured and smooth at the border edges to ensure comfort for the wearer.

SHOCKBUSTER comes complete with name in guard and protective case with SHOCKBUSTER logo for storage.

Boil + bite mouthguards from sports shops are not recommended as often are a very poor fit and can block the airway if a blow is received causing suffocation and breathing difficulties.

The Smile People Wellington Quay Dental Centre is unique in the Drogheda area in offering the full range of dental treatments including implants (permanent replacement teeth), orthodontics (straightening teeth for children and adults) and complex restorations (following disease or an accident or for aesthetic reasons).

Over the years, Wellington Quay Dental Centre has invested heavily in new equipment and we use the latest dental instruments and materials to perform first class treatment.

We actively seek out new methods of working to provide a service that is right up to date with developments in modern dentistry.

Available in all team colours & clear.

McDowell + Service Dental Laboratory LTD

4c, Dargan Court, Dargan Crescent, Belfast, BT3 9JP Tel: 02890370708 • From R.O.I. Tel: 04890370708 email: enquiries@mcdowell-service.com • website: mcdowell-service.com

Wellington Quay Dental Centre, Drogheda, Co Louth Email: info@wqdental.com Tel: 041-983 8740

The cornerstone of Wellington Quay Dental Centre is our dedicated and professional team, from reception through to the end of your treatment. Our friendly reception staff will greet you and resolve any queries you may have.

Wellington Quay Dental Centre is unique in the area in offering the full range of dental treatments including implants (permanent replacement teeth), orthodontics (straightening teeth for children and adults) and complex restorations (following disease or an accident or for aesthetic reasons).

Over the years, Cormac has invested heavily in new equipment and at Wellington Quay Dental Centre we use the latest dental instruments and materials to perform first class treatment. We actively seek out new methods of working to provide a service that is right up to date with developments in modern dentistry.

The company recently completed a full makeover of the Centre, giving it a very contemporary finish. This makeover included the installation of state-ofthe-art equipment such as intra-oral cameras, enabling you to see the inside of your mouth on a monitor during treatment. Our new digital x-ray system significantly reduces your exposure to radiation.

All of our dentists are committed to continued professional development, and regularly attend courses and lectures to keep up to date with new developments.

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While acknowledged as an improvement on the original model, there are a number of flaws with the ‘boil & bite’ mouthguard. When dipped into the hot water the guard becomes expanded and medical experts believe that this gives players a ‘false protection’ as the guard is not the exact size that it should be.

Because of the disproportionate feel of the ‘boil & bite’ mouthguard, players, on occasion, have to trim down the length of the guard to make it sit more comfortably in their mouth. By taking this course of action, a player is leaving themselves open to facial and dental damage by not wearing a sufficiently effective mouth piece.

It has been determined that when players trim the length of their mouthguard, their back teeth are at greater risk of been exposed, and while this lessens the gag reflex for a sportsperson, the back teeth run a greater risk of been damaged should they be met with any kind of force.

The third, and perhaps the most effective mouthguard, is the custom made type. A custom made mouthguard, fitted by your local dentist, allows them to address multiple important considerations, before fitting a player with the right type of mouth piece.

Among the considerations that a dentist has to take are a player’s age, competition level and any other dental or medical concerns that a player may have. Custom mouthguards display good retention of shape and do not adversely affect a players breathing when in competitive action. They also allow a player to communicate with their teammates in an effective manner, which is vital considering the amount of communication that

takes place on a rugby pitch over the course of a game.

The importance of a custom mouthguard can be seen by the fact that sporting giant Under Amour now has a dedicated line of ‘Performance Mouthwear’. Under Amour works together with your local dentist who takes an impression of a player’s mouth, before sending it off to the Under Amour laboratory and, once finished, the mouth piece is returned to the dentist so that he or she can install the piece into the player’s mouth.

Not only do mouthguards play a vital role in the prevention of damage to the teeth and the surrounding area, they also play an important role in limiting concussion damage. The structure of the mouthguard acts like a shock absorber which along with scrum caps can reduce the risk of players suffering concussions.

Along with prevention, dentists also play a crucial role should a player require any treatment for injuries received on the field of play. Among the highest percentages of treatments that players require are from a tooth or teeth that became chipped, fractured or loosened during the course of a rugby match.

Very often these procedures can be very costly and dentists will always advise getting fitted for a custom mouthguard before one engages in any physical contact games, rather than taking the risk of not wearing a mouthguard, which opens the door to the player suffering facial and structural damage to their teeth.

More often than not it pays to be fitted for a correctly fitting mouthguard before any damage occurs.

From 1st January 2013 all players playing in grades up to and including minor will be required to wear a gumshield / mouthguard in all football games and at training.

Arrangements can be made for our dental team to visit your club on a training night to take impressions.

Dr. Chris Williamson, our sports dentist, has extensive postgraduate training in the prevention and management of sporting dental injuries.

Easofen – for the relief of pain

‘Easofen 200mg film-coated tablets. Easofen Max Strength 400mg film-coated tablets. Ibuprofen.

Always read the label. The tablets should be swallowed with water. Do not exceed the stated dose. Consult your doctor if there is no improvement. Available in Pharmacy only.

Clonmel Healthcare Ltd., Waterford Road, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.

2013/ADV/IBU/010’.

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