Club Rugby Issue 2 December 2012 by Dan Ruane

C O M P L I M E N TA R Y COPY

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH KEITH EARLS

joe’s show

EXCLUSIVE joe SCHMIDT INTERVIEW

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Ballymena, Buccaneers Clontarf, Cork Con, Dolphin, Shannon,

CLUB PROFILEs INSIDE

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS with Tom McGurk, Foley family, Joy Neville, Mick Galwey

NEWS l SCHOOLS l Provincial focus l Player profiles l Cyrotherapy l Towns Cup

07/12/2

The Perfect Line-out.

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Annesley Williams, Old Airport Road, Cloghran, Co. Dublin. T. 01 8428855. W. www.annesleywilliams.ie

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Features

NEWS

10 Heineken Cup review

26 SChools Rugby

44 national clubs focus

14 INTERVIEW

38 guinness Autumn

18 INTERVIEW

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

series

Tony Ward sees Leinster as Ireland’s best bet for future stars, and we profile Michaels and Hartstown schools teams

A look back at the positives and negatives from Ireland’s Autumn Series, and what bearing results and performances will have on the upcoming the Six Nations.

41 national clubs news

Club Rugby visits Ballymena, Buccaneers, Clontarf, Cork Con, Dolphin and Shannon Rugby Clubs, to hear what’s happening at grass-roots level

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

62 JUNIOR CLUB focus

RTÉ’s own rugby ‘Anchorman’, Tom McGurk, chats to Club Rugby

Munster’s brightest star tells Club Rugby how it all began, and what the future holds for Keith Earls

23 INTERVIEW

The Foley family, Ireland’s greatest rugby dynasty, talk exclusively to Club Rugby

30 INTERVIEW

Glamorous floodlit games are player’s and fan’s favourite, and look set to be the future of club rugby in Ireland

One of world rugby’s finest coaches gives Club Rugby a unique insight into his amazing, trophy-laden years at the Leinster helm, and what the future holds for the in-demand Kiwi

Club Rugby talks to a giant of Irish rugby on how he paved the way for so much success in Munster’s recent history

37 INTERVIEW

77 FITNESS & Nutrition

34 INTERVIEW

Club Rugby profiles Kifeacle RFC

66 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

RE G U L ARS

06 General news

The latest news, results and previews of Irish Provinces involvement in Europe’s elite rugby competition

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Club Rugby looks into the benefits Cryotherapy, and investigates how safe supplements are for young players

Irish women’s rugby icon, Joy Neville, tells Club Rugby what the future holds for the women’s game in Ireland

68 Player Profiles

Connacht’s Gavin Duffy and Munster’s Ian Keatley profiled

70 PROVINCIAL FOCUS

Munster are the subject of our Focus this month, as we celebrate the achievements of Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer

74 ULSTER BANK LEAGUE

WE REPAIR www.click.ie | call 0818 365 665 | email info@click.ie

Round-up of all the best action from the National League

Laptops /PC’s iPods / iPhones Printers Mobile Phones Games Consoles Screens

WELCOME MESSAGE from Shane Byrne Editor: Alan Conway Content Advisors: Shane Byrne Tony Ward

On the back of the launch of our first issue, we are delighted to welcome you to the second issue of Club Rugby magazine. In this issue we have a blockbusting array of interviews, features and profiles for you to enjoy.

Contributors: Shane Byrne Tony Ward Robert Forbes Daire walsh

This month we sit down with Leinster coach Joe Schmidt, for an exclusive one on one interview to discover just what makes the two time Heineken Cup winning coach tick. Munster legend Mick Galwey takes a look back on his career in our dedicated ‘legends section’.

Design: Barry Sheehan

Ireland and Munster star Keith Earls talks to us to discuss everything from pre match rituals to his ambitions, both personally and for his province and country over the coming months.

www.ifpmedia.com

Joy Neville gives her own views on the state of women’s rugby in Ireland at the moment in a revealing interview.

Photography: Inpho

The Foley family, comprising Brendan, Anthony, Orla and Rosie, are profiled in our brand new ‘rugby dynastys’ section that gives you a fascinating insight to one of the most decorated families in Irish rugby.

Financial Director: Tom McGrath Accounts: Gemma Cameron Managing Director: Brian O’Connell Advertising and Marketing Director: Gerard Connon Advertising: Amy McLoughlin Claire Dillon Dean Gargan Printing: GPS Colour Graphics Publisher: Council Publications Ltd. Copyright CLUB RUGBY MAGAZINE 2012. 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 p f e t

(01) 5359631 (01) 5358752 info@clubrugby.ie @clubrugby1

www.clubrugby.ie

RTE panellist Tom McGurk pulls no punches in an explosive no holds barred interview that cuts to the core of all the major issues currently going on within rugby circles. While Tony Ward gives his own unique take on the state of schools rugby in Ireland, in his brand new column that covers every aspect of the underage game. Clontarf, Cork Constitution, Dolphin, Shannon, Buccaneers are profiled in our club section, featuring interviews with all the current presidents of the respective clubs, a full history, and all the latest news from each team. Munster club Kilfeacle are featured in our junior club section. In our last issue we highlighted Craig Gilory as our young player to follow and in this issue Connacht’s Gavin Duffy and young Munster star Ian Keatley come under our microscope as our two players to follow as the four provinces enter a crucial period of the season. We also take a look back at Ireland’s autumn campaign, which finished on a tremendous high, following their win against Argentina. With all the latest news from clubs around the country, and the latest, up to the minute information from the Heineken Cup, Club Rugby is the only magazine you will need. I hope you enjoy this issue and I look forward to talking to you in Issue 3.

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

Trevor Twamley

Commercial Director of Setanta Sports Ireland

CAN SETANTA MAKE SCHOOLS RUGBY AN ALL IRELAND TV EXPERIENCE? Despite a gilt edged international career, Triple Crown architect Ollie Campbell insists it was his schools senior cup experience with Belvedere College that provided his penultimate sporting moments. “I went on to play for Old Belvedere - captained Old Belvedere; I played for Leinster - captained Leinster; I played for Ireland - went on tours with Ireland. I was very fortunate to be on the Ireland Triple Crown winning team of ’82 – the first Triple Crown that Ireland had won for 33 years. I went on two Lions tours, one to South Africa, one to New Zealand. “But none of those experiences surpassed the experience of being on the cup winning teams of ’71 and ’72.” The great kicker’s confession - revealed in the incisive schools rugby documentary “For God ”- will surprise none who have been carried along on the emotional rollercoaster that is the Powerade Leinster Schools Senior Cup – the 3,000 or so who regularly turn up to the games and the 25,000 or so who flock to the finals each year on St Patrick’s Day. Thanks to the marriage of all-or-nothing clashes with the high production television values of Setanta Sports, we can add to this tally an additional 500,000 spectators – the total who tuned in to watch the eight Leinster schools games screened live last year by Setanta Sports. It’s easy to see why the televised matches are now sucking in the neutrals watching both at home and via Eircom broadband. Senior schools is unique in offering its players just one shot (two at best) to achieve rugby immortality in a tournament that escalates rapidly into a knockout. And like Campbell, the young players never, ever forget. Fellow Belvo veteran Tony O’Reilly - who stayed back a year for second shot at cup glory later wrote in his own newspaper: “Senior Cup Final day is one of the blue riband annual sporting events - not only in Ireland, but in the world.” As Taoiseach, former Blackrock full back De Valera would later defy the “foreign games” GAA witch hunt when he stated that “rugby and hurling (in that order) are the games most suited to an Irish temperament.” Former Clongowes winger James Joyce was later moved in literature to describe how “the greasy leather orb flew like a heavy bird through the grey light,” over his beloved Kildare fields. Now that the 2013 season is almost upon us we ask will it be St. Michaels again or can Clongowes fight back and avenge last year’s defeat? Can a newly resurgent Terenure play their way into the mix and what are the chances of a lively outside chance like Kilkenny causing an upset? These are the questions Setanta’s senior schools commentator John Forrest is already asking himself as he prepares to anchor the new season’s action. “Leinster schools rugby always presents an especially unique viewing

experience. But the new generation of players have become inspired by the professional game and increased their commitment levels accordingly. Combined with a rapidly improving quality of coaching, it means that standards have lifted immensely in recent years. “Today we’re seeing teams who can think extraordinarily quickly on their feet and who can move the ball so rapidly in hand - almost to a professional pace. But because they’re not professionals and thus capable of making mistakes, it means absolutely anything can happen. Adding to the unpredictability is the fact that every school line up changes completely within two years. It’s all to play for.” Last year’s final proved his point when champions Clongowes dominated early on before Michaels broke through in the 44th minute with a stirring intercept try. Michaels scored again thanks to a barnstorming second drive from their captain. The Clongowes captain responded in style and put the Kildare boys right back into the game. Both teams were in it all the way to the wire. In fact six of the last eight finals were won by a margin of ten points or less. Now Setanta Sports says it has an unexpected ace up its sleeve for the 2013 season. Setanta Sales Director Trevor Twamley adds: “First off we’re increasing our level of investment by adding one if not two additional live games to our 2013 Powerade Leinster Senior Schools Cup programme – it means we’ll be screening nine or ten games instead of the eight we showed in 2012. We’re also investigating further sponsorship proposals at the moment so we can further increase the resources Setanta Sports can bring to bear in promoting this vital tournament.” Most exciting of all however is his idea for a new “All Ireland” senior schools cup backed by the network. “We believe that it might be time to take the exhilarating schools rugby television experience to a new all Ireland level – perhaps with an additional event to follow after the Leinster School final. This would pitch the top schools from each province against one another to reveal an ultimate winner.” The Munster man Twamley adds: “Rugby is growing at pace all over Ireland at schools level and it’s important that we do everything within our powers to encourage that growth. A nationwide all-or-nothing trophy which adds an underdog element into the mix might just add that little extra bit of excitement.” The prospect of a schools rugby “All Ireland” shake out? Remember where you read it first.

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GENERAL NEWS

Ireland to face France & Italy in 2015 RWC Ireland will face two familiar foes in the pool stages of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, having been pitted against France and Italy, following the draw in London recently. Declan Kidney’s men will also face a team from the Americas, possibly America or Canada, and one other team from Europe, which has yet to be determined. Speaking after the draw, Kidney admits that it will be a tough pool to qualify from, given the fact that Ireland know France and Italy so well. “We’ve been drawn in a pool where everybody knows one another. It’s going to make things really tight in 2015”, he said. “We’re obviously playing (France and Italy) in the Six Nations three times before then. We also have a tour to North America next June when we’ll be playing Canada twice and America once. “And then we have World Cup history with Russia and Georgia (who could potentially be the Europe 2 qualifiers in our pool), so there won’t be too many surprises. We played France a couple of times in the World Cup and came second by a bit. They’ve always shown themselves to be an extremely good side that peak for that competition.

“I’m sure they’d like nothing better than to win the World Cup in England. We know we have a huge task ahead of us.” Captain Brian O’Driscoll also admitted that it will be a difficult pool for Ireland to escape from. He also suggested that Ireland will have to take on Pool D without him. The Leinster centre said ““Well, we’ll have plenty of practice in the upcoming Six Nations Championships,” he said, referring to the yearly clashes with France and Italy. “We’ve played against the Romanias and the Georgias of the world. We’ve got a summer tour to America and Canada coming up. We’re going to know our opposition (at the World Cup), for sure. “We’re definitely capable of beating all teams on our day. It’s just a matter of making sure you’re consistent for all four games (in the pool stages). “My World Cup ship has sailed but I’ll be there as Ireland’s number one supporter,” O’Driscoll also said. I think it’s fair to say I’m not going to make it. If I did I’d be as shocked as you would be, so it’s best if I just say, no, it’s highly unlikely.”

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GENERAL NEWS

Connacht Rugby announce new deal

Ulster star sign long term deal

Connacht Rugby has announced an exciting new strategic partnership with global giant, Boston Scientific. Boston Scientific is recognised in Ireland and around the world as a global leader in medical device innovation and is one of the biggest employers in the Connacht area, employing over 2,500 people. The partnership with Connacht will be focused on a number of strategic and commercial opportunities for this non-traditional partnership which will see the emphasis shift towards shared expertise and experience in the pursuit of performance excellence.

Ulster Rugby have announced that highly rated star Darren Cave has signed a long term deal with the province. Having come through the Ulster academy, Cave has made a tremendous impact during his time at Ravenhill, scoring 20 tries, since making his full debut in 2007. The 25 year old, a former Sullivan Upper pupil, has won three caps for Ireland, the most recent of which came against the All Blacks in last summer’s tour of New Zealand. He also recently starred in Ireland’s non cap game against Fiji during the recent November international series. Commenting, Darren Cave said: ‘Signing this new contract with Ulster was probably the easiest decision that I have ever made in my life, especially at a time when the team have just won 12 competitive matches in a row. I honestly think that Ulster are going to win something between now and the summer of 2015 and I would never forgive myself if I wasn’t around to be a part of that.’ Ulster’s Director of Rugby, David Humphreys, added: ‘I am delighted that Darren has committed to Ulster for a further two years. He is a highly dedicated player, who gives his all in both training and matches. Darren has been an important part of our success in recent seasons and the exciting thing is that his best years in an Ulster shirt are ahead of him.’

WIN

Connacht Rugby Head of Commercial Alex Saul is excited about a partnership that presents a new means of collaboration between sports bodies and large corporations away from traditional sponsorship. “This is really exciting news for both Connacht Rugby and Boston Scientific. We are two forward thinking and ambitious organisations who are proud to represent the West of Ireland. This new partnership offers us new ways of working together to raise the profile of rugby and remain at the cutting edge of what we do. “Boston Scientific’s committed workforce and our on-going pursuit of on field excellence means that we can come together to share resources, ideas and help offer value to the people that drive both our businesses”. Also commenting at the launch of the sponsorship, Mike O’Flynn, Managing Director and VP Operations, Boston Scientific, Galway added, “We are delighted to establish a partnership with Connacht Rugby. It reflects our company’s history of supporting community programmes and initiatives. We believe that working closer together in the pursuit of on and off the field excellence we can deliver mutual benefits to Connacht Rugby and the Boston Scientific team” .

Jerseys for your team

Masita Sportswear in conjunction with Club Rugby magazine, Ireland’s newest rugby magazine have teamed up together to reward a team with a brand new rugby jerseys for 23 players. The jerseys, which have been kindly donated by Masita, will carry the Club Rugby logo across the front of the jerseys. Masita are one of the premier clothing suppliers in Ireland, catering for all sports including rugby soccer and GAA. While Club Rugby magazine is Ireland’s first dedicated rugby magazine that covers every aspect of rugby from grass roots all the way up to the Ireland international team. We also have dedicated sections to club, schools and women’s rugby. In each issue of Club Rugby magazine there will be a chance for every club to win a set of jerseys for their club. All you have to do is tell us why it should be your team that gets kitted out in a brand new kit. Simply email alanconway@clubrugby.ie and in no more than 500 words outline why we should select your club above the rest. Please include all contact details, including mobile phone number. The winner will be chosen and notified by phone no later than seven days after the magazine is released.

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GENERAL NEWS

Ferris injury jinx strikes again Stephen Ferris’s injury curse has struck once again, with the news that the flanker is set for another period on the side-lines following recent ankle surgery. The destructive No6 sustained the injury in Ulster’s RaboDirect PRO12 game against Edinburgh on 2nd November. At the time it was thought the injury wasn’t thought to be serious, however after further scans, it was determined that he needed surgery on an ankle tendon and now has to be rated as a major doubt for Ireland’s Six Nations campaign which opens against Wales on February 2nd. The news was confirmed in a short statement, which was released by Ulster, which said ““Ulster back-row forward, Stephen Ferris underwent surgery to repair a tendon injury which occurred as a consequence of the ankle damage he sustained in the RaboDirect Pro12 game against Edinburgh on November 2 last. “Stephen will be reviewed in the coming weeks to establish an accurate time period for recovery and to assess when he will fit to return to play”. The player himself remained upbeat about his latest setback, simply tweeting ““And so another journey begins ... “

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LEINSTER With three Heineken Cup triumphs in the last four seasons, Leinster have orchestrated a seismic shift in the power balance of European club rugby since their first success back in 2009. This was exemplified in last year’s decider, when they secured back-to-back Heineken Cup Final wins in emphatic style against Ulster, becoming only the second club to win the top prize in European rugby in consecutive seasons (Leicester Tigers in the 2000-01 & 2001-02 campaigns being the other). Their minds have been focused on creating history with a three in-a-row feat in 2012/13, but Joe Schmidt, Leo Cullen & Co. are discovering just how a difficult a task this is, as they were made to work for narrow victories over Exeter and the Llanelli Scarlets in their opening fixtures. This brought Leinster’s unbeaten run in the Heineken Cup to 17 games, but this finally came to an end in France on December 9th, when the combined forces of Morgan Parra and Brock James helped Clermont Auvergne to a 15-12 win over the reigning Champions.

POOL 5 FIXTURES/REsults 13/10/12 Leinster 9-6 Exeter RDS, Dublin / KO 3.40pm

20/10/12 Scarlets 13-20 Leinster Parc y Scarlets, Wales / KO 1.35pm

9/12/12 Clermont Auv 15-12 Leinster

Jonathan Sexton’s radar was sharp throughout the contest, and his four penalties accounted for all of Leinster’s points on the day, but Clermont’s 15-9 cushion at the mid-way stage (comprising of four place kicks from Parra and a drop-goal from James) proved decisive in the end. This result means that Leinster trail the in-form Clermont by five points in Pool 5, and with the corresponding fixture taking place on December 15th in the Aviva Stadium, it is imperative that the Blues aren’t on the receiving end of another defeat to Vern Cotter’s men.

Std Marcel Michelin, France / KO 3.00pm

A battling display on the road did at least give the province a losing bonus point, and now that Sean O’Brien and Andrew Goodman have gotten some valuable game time under their belts, they will feel that they can reduce the gap substantially when the two teams re-commence for battle at Irish Rugby HQ.

tbc/01/13 Leinster v Scarlets

The absence of Brian O’Driscoll, Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald has, unquestionably, been felt by Leinster, but if they manage to negotiate the difficult task that awaits them in Lansdowne Road, they will stand an excellent chance of reaching the final-eight, a goal they have managed to achieve in seven of the last eight seasons.

15/12/12 Leinster v Clermont Auvergne Aviva Stadium, Dublin / KO 3.40pm RDS, Dublin / KO tbc

tbc/01/13 Exeter v Leinster Sandy Park, UK / KO tbc

Please note: Fixtures are subject to change. Club Rugby Magazine is not responsible for any changes that may be made.

ULSTER Although a lot of attention is being paid to Leinster’s bid to record an unprecedented third consecutive Heineken Cup success, their opponents in last year’s decider, Mark Anscombe’s Ulster, are arguably the form team in European rugby at present with an incredible 13 wins from 13 outings since the New Zealander replaced Brian McLaughlin in the summer.

POOL 4 FIXTURES/REsults

They currently hold a nine-point advantage over the Llanelli Scarlets at the summit of the Rabo Direct PRO12 table thanks to ten straight triumphs, and they are in control of their own destiny with 14 points at the mid-way juncture in Pool 4 of the Heineken Cup.

Ravenhill, Belfast / KO 8.00pm

12/10/12 Ulster 41-17 Castres

They had impressed with opening round victories over Castres Olympique and Glasgow Warriors, but they were expecting a tough assignment in week three when they travelled to Franklin’s Garden to face 2011 finalists Northampton.

19/10/12 Glasgow 8-19 Ulster

However, the Ulstermen are playing with supreme confidence at the moment, and the current strength in depth of their squad was emphasised by the decision to keep rising Irish international Craig Gilroy in reserve.

7/12/12 Northampton 6-25 Ulster

Andrew Trimble was said to be the man to benefit most from Gilroy’s exclusion, and he repaid the faith shown in him by Anscombe with a splendid try in the early stages. This set the foundations for an assured display from the visitors, and courtesy of further tries from Tommy Bowe, full-back Jared Payne and Dan Tuohy, they came away with all five points on offer in the contest.

Scotstoun, Scotland / KO 8.00pm

Franklin’s Gardens, UK / KO 8.00pm

15/12/12 Ulster v Northampton Ravenhill, Belfast / KO 6.00pm

This puts Ulster in pole position to top the group, as they aim to secure their place in the last-eight of the competition. As a result of Castres’ narrow 9-6 win over Glasgow in the Pool’s other tie, Northampton have slipped down to third place, and with a return fixture against Ulster taking place on Saturday December 15th, it looks like they may have to settle for a place in the Amlin Challenge Cup after Christmas.

tbc/01/13 Ulster v Glasgow

Ulster should be wary of a potential backlash from Jim Mallinder’s charges, but with the likes of Trimble, Bowe (whose return to Ravenhill has been a major boost to the province) and Paddy Jackson firing on all cylinders, and Tuohy, Tom Court, Iain Henderson and Rory Best building momentum in their pack, there is no reason why they can’t maintain their winning streak moving into 2013.

Stade J-P Antoine, France / KO tbc

Ravenhill, Belfast / KO tbc

tbc/01/13 Castres v Ulster

Please note: Fixtures are subject to change. Club Rugby Magazine is not responsible for any changes that may be made.

LEINSTER V CONNACHT SAT 29 DEC, RDS, KO19.45 www.leinsterrugby.ie/tickets

Your stocking fillers sorted

Choose from one of the following matches as that perfect gift Scarlets 4/1/13 Ospreys 8/2/13 Zebre 15/2/13 Treviso 1/3/13 Buy now via our website www.ulsterrugby.com or call 028 90 493222

Merry Christmas from Ulster Rugby

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MUNSTER After suffering a surprise defeat to Racing Metro in the opening week of the Heineken Cup Pool One, Munster have shown their trademark steel and determination to register back-toback wins over Edinburgh and Saracens in their subsequent fixtures, which means that their quest to reach the knock-out stages of the European Cup is now firmly back on track. It has certainly helped that Rob Penney and his team have been back in familiar terrain recently, as their record in Thomond Park has been extremely impressive since the introduction of this competition, and their response to losing 22-17 to Racing Metro in Paris was to overcome Edinburgh (coached by former Munster hooker and Connacht supremo Michael Bradley) 33-0 with tries from Conor Murray, Peter O’Mahony, Sean Dougall and Damien Varley giving them a vital bonus-point success. This meant that, despite the loss on their first day out, they had six points to their name ahead of their second home game of the season on December 8th against Saracens. Following the one-sided nature of the Edinburgh clash, this proved to be a much edgier affair, as it became clear the accuracy of the respective out-halves was going to have a major bearing on the final outcome. As ever, Munster had the evergreen Ronan O’Gara at their disposal, whereas Saracens had IRB Player Of The Year nominee Owen Farrell on their side. As it turned out, it was the experienced head of O’Gara that won the day for the hosts, as his five from five return far outweighed Farrell’s disappointing three from seven ratio. Certainly the England international had the more testing opportunities of the two, but having displayed flawless composure against the All Blacks the week before, it clearly wasn’t one of Farrell’s best days in a Saracens shirt. He did find the range towards the end, however, which secured a losing bonus point in a 15-9 defeat, ensuring that they stay just above Munster on score difference. This heightens the anticipation ahead of the forthcoming return encounter at Vicarage Road, which will go a long way towards deciding the fate of both sides in Pool One, although Racing Metro (just two points behind Saracens and Munster in third) will also have a major say in the remaining rounds.

POOL 1 FIXTURES/REsults 13/10/12 Racing Metro 22-17 Munster

Stade de France, France / KO 1.35pm

21/10/12 Munster 33-0 Edinburgh Thomand Park, Limerick / KO 12.45pm

8/12/12 Munster 15-9 Saracens Thomand Park, Limerick / KO 6.00pm

16/12/12 Saracens v Munster Vicarage Road, UK / KO 3.00pm

tbc/01/13 Edinburgh v Munster Murrayfield, Scotland / KO tbc

tbc/01/13 Munster v Racing Metro

Thomand Park, Limerick / KO tbc

Please note: Fixtures are subject to change. Club Rugby Magazine is not responsible for any changes that may be made.

CONNACHT At the tail end of last season’s Heineken Cup, Connacht made history when they recorded their first-ever victory at the top level of European competition with a shock win over Harlequins. This was a major step in the right direction for the Westerners, and thanks to the participation of Leinster and Ulster in last year’s final, their place in the 2012/13 campaign was secured. They took advantage of this opportunity with an opening round win over Zebre in Italy, before going extremely close to making in two wins on the trot against Harlequins on October 20th, only to eventually lose out by a margin of eight points (30-22). With a number of players missing from their squad when French outfit Biarritz arrived in Galway City at the start of December, it seemed like it was going to be a bridge too far for Eric Elwood’s side. However, with important figures like Dan Parks and Mike McCarthy in their starting lineup, Connacht always had a chance, and with the latter putting in a Man Of The Match performance, Parks was able to dictate the game at his own pace, and by the time the 80 minutes had elapsed, the former Scottish out-half had 15 points to his name, including a brace of eye-catching drop-goals. Imanol Harinordoquy did cross over for Biarritz late on, but the hosts had done enough to secure another major scalp by this point, as a first-half try from Tongan winger Fetu’u Vainikolo paved the way for a 22-14 victory. This means that Connacht suddenly find themselves in second place in the Pool with eight points, and in the hunt for a place in the quarter-finals. A place in the Amlin Challenge Cup is probably still the most likely outcome for the Sportsground faithful, but now that they have a seven-point hold over bottom side Zebre, and there is no reason why Elwood shouldn’t be aiming his sights high in his final season with his home province. The men from the Basque region will still be favourites when the two teams face each other in Parc des Sports Aguilera, but the continued heroics of Connacht has undoubtedly put some doubts in the mind of the Top 14 brigade in one of the Heineken Cup’s most interesting pool groups.

POOL 3 FIXTURES/REsults 13/10/12 Zebre 10-19 Connacht Stadio Aprille XXV, Italy / KO 1.35pm

20/10/12 Connacht 22-30 Harlequins Sportsground, Galway / KO 6.00pm

7/12/12 Connacht 22-14 Biarritz Sportsground, Galway / KO 8.00pm

14/12/12 Biarritz v Connacht Ravenhill, Belfast / KO 8.00pm

tbc/01/13 Harlequins v Connacht The Stoop, UK / KO tbc

tbc/01/13 Connacht v Zebre

Sportsground, Galway / KO 6.00pm Please note: Fixtures are subject to change. Club Rugby Magazine is not responsible for any changes that may be made.

ALWAYS PROTECT THE SCRUM HALF

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His name is as familiar as a Brian O’Driscoll or a Paul O’Connell. His face as recognisable as Declan Kidney’s or Eddie O’Sullivan’s. For many thousands of rugby fans throughout Ireland, Tom McGurk is the face of Irish rugby coverage.

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Sitting in the plush surroundings of a Dublin Hotel, McGurk speaks with a passionate and intense tone, which has become intrinsically linked with the RTÉ rugby coverage over the past fifteen years, alongside his panel of George Hook, Brent Pope and Conor O’Shea. However if people think McGurk is simply a presenter, that guides people through the various games involving the likes of the four provinces and the Ireland team, then they would be misguided. A son of a Welsh father, McGurk had a passion for sport for as long as he could remember, a habit which he credits to his dad “My father was a sports fanatic. So when your father is a sports fanatic, the chances are that his son will be one as well. “Growing up I played Gaelic football where I played midfield. I only took up rugby when I was eighteen or nineteen. In rugby I played second row, where I’m told all the intellectual players played, however the real intellectuals play in the front row!” The amateur game that McGurk was involved in while growing up is a far cry from the multi branded tournaments like the Heineken Cup and the RBS Six Nations. It is a turn that McGurk still rallies against. “The old amateur game was a different proposition than what we have nowadays. It was inevitable that money would try get its hands on the game. It’s no secret that I regret what’s happened. I think that the amateur game did something different. It was more authentically a sport in that sense, because I think that rugby is in a terrible crisis for the rise of the professional game. “The club game has been very badly hit. Like the commercialisation of sport that began in America, inevitably the game will become strict and you end up trying to defy commercial forces. Look at the crisis now in Scotland and Wales, and in England where only three clubs have good bank balances. “Something similar has happened in England, and France seems the only place to go now. The big successful clubs in France have ended up dependent on the sponsorship of the likes of Peugeot (Toulouse), Renault (FFR) and Michelin Tyres (Clermont). I think a lot of people don’t realise the context at the moment that rugby is now a business. Isn’t that a very precarious place for the game to be commercially? “Sport is about the beauty and the marvel of the human body and courage, all of which are a substitute for war in many ways. Yet sport can reach people on an emotional level like few other things. You could have five and six year olds playing rugby together, who in fifty or sixty years’ time could be standing at each other’s graves. If you go into any rugby club you automatically feel at home. Its important to remember that rugby doesn’t just belong to the proffessionals, it belongs to the hairy prop on the fifth fifteen. It belongs to the guy that paints the posts, and to the mothers that wash the jerseys week in, week out. I fear for the game if it loses contact with its roots. “My father can remember busloads of children coming to international games, singing all the Welsh anthems and the whole community came down. That has been drained away today with idiot sponsors invading the game. To me that feels wrong”. Having such passionate opinions is at the very essence of what makes Tom McGurk who he is. Following school, he studied drama in college. McGurk then embarked on a long and distinguished broadcast and literary career before turning to sport broadcasting. In his 40 years in television McGurk has worked for the BBC, Grenada,

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Channel 4 and RTÉ. He was also the Mail on Sunday’s foreign correspondent for a number of years. However it is his work covering the various provinces and the Ireland team throughout the years that have made McGurk a household name with sport fans the length and breadth of the country. His booming personality has lit up televisions and captured audience’s attentions throughout some of the most dazzling highs and savage lows that Irish rugby has seen over the last two decades. But how did it all start for Tom? “Tim O’Connor, the former Head of Sport at RTÉ first brought me into sports from current affairs. Tim was a wonderful Head Of Sport and we should all be grateful that he inspired the level of sports analysis that RTÉ is now uniquely known for. Tim never wanted meat and two veg, and he firmly defended the rights of panellists to their opinion. One of those panellists that spring to mind is the larger than life George Hook. Over the years Tom and George have enjoyed many, never to be forgotten moments on camera, with both refusing to give an inch in their opinions. It is that stubbornness, Tom feels, that brings out the best in the rugby panel and why it sets itself apart from any other channel that broadcasts rugby at the moment. “We all love our sport. George Hook is a very courageous man. He has changed broadcast television and punditry in this country. We call it as we see it and we don’t take any prisoners. “The three guys on the panel (Brent Pope, George Hook & Conor O’Shea) are fantastic readers of the game and it’s a lively place when we get going. “Recently, Shane Horgan has also been a wonderful addition to the team. He is still so close to the game and to the players that when I look at Shane I can see that he is reading the players’ minds. In Irish sport, rugby has never seen such success at provincial and international level as it has over the last decade or so. A number of Triple Crowns and an elusive Grand Slam in 2009 have been won by Ireland, while both Leinster and Munster have won five of the last seven Heineken Cups. Such success could only have been dreamt of twenty years ago, and McGurk believes that the current setup at Leinster is a prime example of what Irish rugby can do. “What Leinster continue to do astounds me. They are able to get bigger crowds at the RDS than some Premier League clubs are able to pull in. If West Ham got 18,000 at one of their games, they would be on their knees. “Leinster are the most exciting and the most successful example of what can be done. What that proves, is that we have the talent and all we needed was the leadership and the expertise to carry it out. What Mick Dawson and Joe Schmidt have done is incredible. “You look at the quality of the players that Leinster have now. They are out-developing the other provinces. They have taken the game out of the city and into the province which is fantastic. If you think of what it costs to assemble Toulouse or Clermont, what Leinster have achieved over the last few seasons is extraordinary. They are probably the best team in Europe right now”. You get the sense talking to Tom McGurk that there aren’t enough hours in the day to scratch the surface of his passion for the game of rugby. Leaving him you get a sense that we are lucky that he chose the path that he now currently walks. “I don’t know what my life would be without rugby”. And we couldn’t imagine life without Tom McGurk.

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Tom on... ...THE PROVINCIAL SETUP “I think Connacht are beginning to come good. The quality of the young players that are coming through, is very exciting. However our quality players that we have in respective academies might be better off spending a season at Connacht to further their development. The IRFU have done terribly well in owning the players and keeping the contracts centrally based. But it is crazy that we have the amount of talent sitting on the bench in the Leinster, Munster and Ulster academies while we are buying players from all over the world to play for Connacht. Maybe the solution is that the academies are centrally run by the IRFU and the players are offered a contract to one of the provinces and they can either take it or leave it. I’m not a fan of this notion of buying players in and essentially, I believe that Irish rugby should be kept for Irish players.”

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Tom on...

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...THE BEST COACH IN IRELAND “I think at this point in time that Joe Schmidt is among the best coaches in the world. He has Leinster playing like the All Blacks at the moment. Brent Pope has always talked about the mindset of the Irish sportsperson, and Joe has changed it. He has got rid of the second class citizen mentality, to such a point that the guys at Leinster now think that they are the best in the world. On their day they can beat anyone. Leinster have developed the technique that the All Blacks have had for years. They can kill you in five minutes. That’s the sign of a great team. The famous Toulouse and Leicester Tigers teams could do that too.

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He has introduced the 22 man game. Rugby is no longer a 15 man game and it has taken a long time for that to sink in in this country.

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Shane Horgan said that when Schmidt came to Leinster, they used to practise with a tennis ball. The theory was that if you could catch and kick a tennis ball, then a rugby ball would be no problem. It’s been a wonderful experience watching this Leinster team.

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ouncing tennis balls off a wall hours before a must win game against Argentina in the Aviva Stadium, may not be everybody’s idea of the ideal pre match preparation, but for Munster star Keith Earls, such a relaxed routine is now part of the norm, for a player who’s star and influence continue to grow with each passing season. Born in Moyross, Co Limerick, Earls has come a long way in a relativity short space of time, since he made his debut for Munster against the Ospreys in 2007. Blessed with magical feet, that can turn any defender on a six pence, and an electric turn of pace, Earls early exploits and style of play saw him dubbed, somewhat unfairly as the ‘new Brian O’Driscoll’. Yet growing up, Earls could have well become the next Roy Keane instead of the next Brian O’Driscoll. Despite growing up in a heavily rugby dominated area, it was the soccer, rather than the rugby ball, that grabbed the young Earls attention. “I was soccer mad growing up”, he admits. My father was the only rugby person in his family, both my uncles, Robert and Michael played soccer, so up until I was 14 or 15 that was my sport of choice. After that point I was getting burned out trying to fit time in for all the sports. There would be times when I would come home and fall asleep on the couch because I would be that tired. It was around then that my father sat me down and advised me that I should pick one sport and stick to it. Gradually the other game would become my attention”. That ‘other game’ that Earls played was a natural fit for the Limerick man. His father Ger Earls played and starred in Munster’s famous win against Australia in 1992, and from a young age there was something that attracted Earls jnr to the oval ball game. “There is just something different about the game of rugby. I’ve watched my father play rugby all of my life, so it is something that rubs off on you. It is a great game. The physicality and the buzz that surrounds the game, along with the freedom to express yourself on the pitch, did it for me”. Having attended St Munchin’s College, where he would bag himself a Munster Senior Cup medal, Earls garnered himself a reputation as a young player to watch, with a number of man of the match performances during that Cup winning season, including a memorable try in the final of the Senior Cup against PBC (Presentation Brothers College) in 2006. Such performances had seen Earls drafted into the Munster setup, where his start continued to rise at such a rate of speed, that it wasn’t long before he would find himself lining up alongside some of his childhood heroes, the likes of Paul O’Connell and Ronan O’Gara, to mention but two.

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Growing up and supporting Munster as they marched along the Heineken Cup highway, Earls was captivated by the buzz that surrounded the team. His dedication to following the men in red, was so serious at times, that it led to him finding himself in some strange situations, no more so than in the ‘miracle match’ against Gloucester in Thomond Park, back in 2001. “My friends and I used to jump the walls at Thomond Park, so we could get in and watch the games for nothing. We managed to get into a man-made scaffolding area for the miracle match. We were lucky because we were seated right in front of where Mick O’Driscoll scored his try. It’s safe to say that is a day I won’t forget”. Having got to the point where people would pay to see him play, and not the other way around, Earls made a tremendous impact in his first number of seasons in the Munster first team, progressing to such a level, that Declan Kidney included Earls in his match day squad for the 2008 Heineken Cup final, when Munster got the best of French heavyweights Toulouse in Cardiff. The following season would prove to be the breakout one for Earls. 10 tries, including 2 in the Heineken Cup quarter-final against Ospreys in May, confirmed him as one of the most natural finishers that Ireland had produced since Brian O’Driscoll. Having made such an impressive start to his career, comparisons were naturally made between Earls and his legendary Leinster counterpart. You wonder, for such a young player to be compared to the likes of BOD, what affect, if any did it have on him back then? “I didn’t really pay any attention to the hype”, Earls admits. “At the time you had the likes of Luke Fitzgerald and Rob Kearney coming through, along with myself, so there were other people there to deflect the attention away from me. “When I played in schools I was marked out as a player who could have a bright future, but I didn’t feel any pressure on myself personally. I just went out there, tried to express and enjoy myself. I never bought into the tag of the ‘next Brian O’Driscoll, for the simple reason is that there will never been another player like Brian. There is always going to be pressure on whoever takes the number 13 jersey when Brian retires, whoever takes over will always be compared to him unfortunately”. The number 13 position is one, of many, that Earls has played. Along with stints on both the wing and fullback, for both province and country, he is seen as a player who can cover a wide number of positions, wherever he is needed. Having such flexibility in terms of positional play, has both strengths and weaknesses. While he feels a lot more comfortable now, in the early stage of his career, being shifted around the park, was something that used to irk Earls. “It was something that did get to me, mainly because I wasn’t comfortable in the positions that I was playing in. As I have grown up and matured I have found it easier to slot into different positions. What is most important to me at the moment is to just be on the pitch and stay healthy”.

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RUGBY is a great game. I LOVE The physicality and the buzz that surrounds IT, along with the freedom to express yourself on the pitch Since breaking through the ranks Earls has been at the heart of the Munster evolution that has taken place over the last number of seasons. With the likes of Jerry Flannery, Alan Quinlan, Denis Leamy et al all retiring from the red jersey, Munster have undergone a change of play which has seen the province embrace a more expansive, attacking based game. While going through such changes has presented its fair share of problems, Earls believes that Munster are adapting well to the new changes in their system and is now looking to develop a more senior role within the Munster squad both on and off the pitch. “I think we are adapting really well. There are a number of young lads coming through who are willing to speak up and take some of the leadership responsibilities. It’s up to me to become one of those players that can push Munster on in the future. It’s up to us now to carry the Munster name on for the next generation of players”. Such a mature outlook is now part and parcel of who Keith Earls has become. In the early stages of his career, he freely admits that his pre match rituals and routines used to occupy his mind before kick-off. However a meeting with Irish boxer Kenny Egan, while he was in camp with the Ireland team during the November series, showed him that instead of concentrating on what sock goes on first, it is better to simply go with the flow. It was a conversation that would strike a chord with him.

“The routine used to wreck my head”, he admits. “I had a few rosary beads that I had to wear and I always had a specific seat that I had to sit in. I felt that the lads maybe thought I wasn’t concentrating if I wasn’t sitting there with my headphones on. “Before the Argentina game I was playing with the tennis ball in the warm up area, placing the ball on something and trying to knock it off. It is something to do to keep your mind fresh. I was a lot tenser in the early part of my career. Rugby was on my mind 24/7, thinking negative thoughts, which wasn’t good for me. Now because I don’t have a routine, it keeps my mind off things”. While he is embracing a new routine, Earls will have plenty to occupy his mind over the next couple of months. With Munster currently slugging it out in the pool stages of the Heineken Cup, Earls has a Six Nations campaign to look forward to, with an Irish team infused with confidence, following their dissection of Argentina last month. Having seen both the very good (Argentina) and the very bad (60-0 against New Zealand) Earls knows fully that if Ireland click in the upcoming Six Nations, then anything is possible. It is the clicking part that he feels Ireland need to master first and foremost. “It’s going to be tough, there is no doubt about it. We have Wales up first and they are going to be bitter after what happened to them in November. There has been an element of frustration, because we haven’t played to the level of ability that we know we can play at. I think we have only really played well against England, when they came over here in their Grand Slam game a few seasons ago, and Argentina last time out. If you look at the provinces, Leinster, Munster and Ulster, have all reached finals recently, so it is just about taking that success and transferring it to Ireland”. And with a mature and focussed Keith Earls in both the Munster and Ireland ranks, sustained success can’t be too far away.

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THE FOLEY TRINITY In a small part of Clare, a dynasty lives. Tucked away in the village of Killaloe the Foley family, comprising father Brendan, siblings Rosie, Anthony and Orla, go about their business in a quiet manner, yet the influence that the family has had on Irish rugby is immense. Sitting down with such a family is a rare treat and from talking to them one can not only see the passion they have for the game of rugby, but the love that they have for each other as a family. Brendan, a giant of a man with a reputation to match, has such a warm and friendly manner that you automatically feel at home once you cross the door into their home. Friendly welcomes aside, Brendan talks about his career in rugby with a warm glow, sharing memories of a hugely successful career. Educated in St Mary’s CBS Limerick, Foley Snr had a long and distinguished career for both Munster and Ireland, however growing up it wasn’t the oval ball game that attracted his attention as he explains. “Soccer would have been my main interest growing up from an early age. I used to get a season ticket every year and I would go to all the Limerick soccer games. That would be my earliest sporting memory, along with going to games at Thomond Park. “I went to a Christian Brother’s school and I played every sport that I could, be it soccer, GAA or hurling. It was only when I was 13 that I began to play rugby and by 18 I was playing junior rugby for St Mary’s Limerick. Starting off you don’t even plan to play senior rugby so it was more of an evolution than anything else”. That evolution progressed at such a rate that Foley would soon line up for Munster, and the beginning of what would become one of the most enduring family associations with Munster rugby. Foley would have many memorable days in the famous red jersey , having come into the provincial setup as a young 20 year old.

“At the time you had inter-city trials. There were the Limerick v Cork games and Limerick v Dublin games, as hard as that may be to believe. I played in the Limerick games, then Gerry Murray got injured and I came in to the Munster setup. That first season I played a few matches, played more the following season, missed a year and went from there. “Even back then you got the feeling that when you put on the Munster jersey, you were representing something very special. You knew a lot of the fellas that played in the jersey before, so you knew that you had a duty to represent the jersey”. Alongside such giants of the Irish game like Tony Ward and Moss Keane, Foley Snr starred in that famous game against the New Zealand All Blacks in Thomond Park. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since that famous day in 1978, but he admits that at the time there was a feeling within the group that Munster could indeed beat the All Blacks. “It’s only in latter years that the game has taken on this aura. At the time, we had come close against them a few times, so it wasn’t a major surprise to us when we did eventually beat them. After professionalism you didn’t have the touring teams, so maybe that’s why the record (against New Zealand) has stood for so long. “A lot of the players that played in that game had played two or three times previously against New Zealand so it was a very strong team. The backrow was excellent that day with Tucker Spring in particular standing out. It was a great day”. Such great days became a feature in the Foley family, even when Brendan hung up his boots. In a family is it rare for more than one child to follow in

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Growing up in such a competitive household meant that when it came to sibling competition, Rosie refused to give an inch to her brother. their parents footsteps. The Foleys are an exception. When Brendan retired, there would be not one, but two names to carry on his legacy. Anthony would follow in his father’s footsteps and leave a deep and meaningful impact on the Munster jersey, as he led the province to their first Heineken Cup success, when they defeated French outfit Biarritz. Educated in St Munchin’s College in Limerick, ‘Axel’ was also part of the Shannon side that won a remarkable 4 All-Ireland Leagues in a row, a sequence of 48 games, in which Foley played in every single one. When he did make his Munster debut in 1995, did Foley Jnr feel an extra weight of expectation, knowing the esteem that his father was held in. “Not really to be honest. I was more nervous than anything when I came into the Munster squad. Back then you got a letter informing you that you had made the squad. So when I did come into the team I took it one step at a time”. While Anthony’s deeds with the Munster team will forever remain a part of rugby folklore, ‘Axel’s’ sister Rosie is a distinguished player in her own right. Growing up in such a household, what was it is like having a famous rugby playing father to look up to? “It was a mad household growing up”, a smiling Rosie admits. “We would go to watch Dad play for Shannon which was great craic. We just did everything together growing up. I remember when I was six and Dad brought Tony Ward into the sitting room and Anthony ran under the table with the surprise that he got, so it was a bit surreal at times, but it all felt very natural most of the time”. That normal family environment is one of the things that also strikes Anthony, looking back “I suppose it was just fairly normal to us. At the time you don’t appreciate been around such big name players and such good teams like the ones Dad was involved in. One of the things that I remember is the great sense of camaraderie back in those days. Every one of the lads looked out for each other. It was proper old school then”. Having such a successful father means that you are bound to pick up one or two traits that will help you as one begins to grow up and develop into their own person. When Anthony was cutting his teeth playing rugby ,did his father ever sit down and pass on words of wisdom to his son?. “It wasn’t really passing on his wisdom”, he says. “I was lucky, that most of the teams that I was playing with when I was young, Dad would have been coaching that particular side. At that time you were just grateful of getting a lift to the game, but he always gave me tons of encouragement when I was playing”. Growing up in such a competitive household meant that when it came to sibling competition, Rosie refused to give an inch to her brother. “Oh yes. I was just as competitive as Anthony growing up”, says Rosie. “I remember when I was 13 and I tried to give Anthony a shoulder and I more or less bounced off him, so from then on I think he had the advantage”. When you ask Anthony was Rosie as competitive as him, the rueful look that he gives, leaves only one conclusion to draw. “Rosie was very rough growing up. Especially with a hurly in her hand”, a laughing Axel admits. “She most definitely had that drive and wanted to win at anything she competed in. “She came first in most things she turned her hand to, especially when it came to swimming. There was nobody who could touch her in that sphere. I also think she got the first hole in one when we played at our local golf

course. I still joke that she didn’t really mean to get that hole in one”. While she may not have turned into a star golfer, Rosie has carved out a highly successful career, on and off the pitch, for herself. A teacher by day, she has enjoyed a wonderful career with Shannon and Ireland over the course of the last decade. A naturally competitive and aggressive number 8, Rosie earned her first international cap against Spain in 2001, which led to a dilemma for the family as Anthony was in Rome the same weekend playing for Ireland in the Six Nations Championship against Italy. So where did the family spend that very special weekend? “Not with me anyways”, a joking Rosie admits. “I suppose because I was on the bench against Spain there was a chance that I may not come on, while Anthony was more than likely going to start against Italy. But it was a very special weekend nonetheless. “To pull on that green jersey, regardless who you are playing against, is one of the best feelings in the world. Very few things come close to the honour you feel when you line up for your country”. Rosie, along with international team mates, were at the forefront of breaking new barriers with the women’s international team over the last ten years and Anthony feels justifiably proud of the role that his sister has played in bringing women’s rugby to the place it is in now. “I feel very proud and so should Rosie. She was involved in the start-up at UL (University Limerick) and Shannon, so she has been there since the beginning. It’s an amazing feat what they have achieved. When you put your mind to something, there is nothing you cannot achieve, and those women proved that. They have broken barriers and have become more competitive as they have developed through the years. It’s great to see”. While having her own successful playing career, Rosie always made time to follow her brother as he and Munster blazed a trail across Europe in search of that elusive first win in the Heineken Cup. Having been there when the province lost out in 2000 and 2002, both Rosie and Brendan were present when Anthony put years of hurt and suffering behind Munster, when he guided the province to victory against Biarritz in 2006. When recalling the events of that magical day you can see just how much this means to Rosie, with a quiver in her voice, she explains what it meant to be there in Cardiff that day. “It was such a magical day. We travelled all over Europe with Anthony and the team. We were there through all the bad days, when they lost the two finals, and to be there when they finally won, after so many years of trying, was just brilliant. “If you told somebody of the script behind the Munster team, and the journey that they went on to win the Heineken Cup, they wouldn’t believe you. It is a cliché but you just couldn’t write it. It was just a very special day. And for Brendan, how did it feel to watch his son lift Europe’s most prestigious trophy, having been one of the players who laid the foundations for Munster way back when? “It was just brilliant. It was almost indescribable. There was a great sense of pride at watching it because they all worked so hard to get to where they got to. I remember coming back on the boat on the Sunday, and it was just pouring with rain, so the celebrations were a little bit muted. We had a right auld celebration when we had the trophy in the town in the days after the final. It was a great few days”. Those great few days were the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice for Anthony and ‘Axel’ looks back on that day in Cardiff with the fondest of memories. “I just felt very honoured. There were better players and better captains that went before me, so it was just very gratifying to be there on that day, having lost two finals previously. Everyone that was involved got a real buzz out of it. When we came back home we really let our hair down and had a great few days with everyone in the province”. Turning away from the Foley household and pointing the car towards Dublin, you take one long, lingering, look back. Brendan sees you off with a wave and a smile. And that is all you can do too. Smile. The Foley family legacy continues to live.

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Tony WARD

If anyone doubts the efficiency of the conveyor belt feeding into Leinster underage Rugby then I suggest a radical rethink is required. There have been some great provincial teams down through the years backboned by great players, many of whom went on to become household names, but this Leinster class of 2012/2013 must surely rank alongside the very best. They say a league table never lies and the utter dominance of Noel McNamaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brilliantly prepared squad is reflected in the raw stats at the end of this page. With the significant input of Jeff Carter, the Leinster coaching duo inherited a group, not overly big physically but huge on talent. Between them the Clongowes and Kilkenny College mentors instilled a desire to express considerable talents with the bottom line winning product positively scintillating. It is often said the whole is greater than the sum of the parts but here for sure the whole equalled its individual parts with the level of rugby breathtaking in quality and execution. Well coached, well organised and encouraged to play the opposition as the game evolved rather than adhering to any robotic strategy this was the type of spontaneous rugby that continues to make the game at this level so unique and, dare we suggest, still the enticing spectacle it is. Despite hitting the ground running with an early Fergal Cleary score against Ulster in the series opener they immediately conceded to a Thomas Donnan intercept followed by a timely pass from the big lock to set left wing Rory Campbell racing free for the equalising try. Most sides in similar circumstances would close ranks, at least appear rattled, but not this multi talented crew. Within minutes they were fourteen clear and by half time an unbridgeable 33-5 ahead. Highlighting individuals is probably unfair because in truth from Roscrea loose-head Oisin Heffernan to full back Billy Dardis through the eight man replacement bench this group is the real deal.

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That said Terenure full back Dardis is a bit tasty. And while a myriad of factors can come into play when progressing from school to university/club provided the attitude is right (and what I hear is good on that count) this ex Newbridge lad is the business. I cannot recall a full back closer in playing style to Christian Cullen at this stage in development and we have had some great schools full backs in modern times – think Gordon D’Arcy and Rob Kearney to name but two more recent guardians of the last line. Dardis, Harrison Brewer (big but deceptively skilful too) and flanker Paddy Thornton (son of Terenure school and club stalwart Des) are three key cogs in the Leinster machine. To that add scrum half Tim Schmidt (son of Joe) plus hooker Andrew Roche and you’ve five fairly substantial reasons why Terenure College are one of the ante post favourites for the upcoming Leinster Schools Senior Cup. With an equally significant St Michael’s presence through lock James Ryan (son of former Lansdowne flanker Mark), wing forward Josh Murphy plus hugely influential half backs Nick McCarthy and Ross Byrne and on to wing Adam Leavy (brother of 2012 cup winning skipper Dan) plus back five forward Alex Penny little wonder – draw depending – that the ‘Nure and ‘Michael’s are fancied at this distance for a repeat of the 2010 Junior Final (won by Terenure). On the same day at Musgrave Park Munster, with tries by Ard Scoil Ris full back Stephen Fitzgerald and Rockwell centre Stephen McMahon, both converted by Crescent College full back Gearoid Lyons, in addition to three successful penalties saw the home side take the spoils on a 23-15 margin. Connacht centre Dwayne Corcoran landing all five penalties for a fifteen point personal haul. A brace of tries from Coleraine out half Conor Shiels was the undoubted highlight of Ulster’s twenty three point win over Connacht at the Sportsground. RBAI’s Rory Campbell added the other try (following his touch down against Leinster) with Campbell College full back Jack Owens tagging on a penalty. Meanwhile in Thomond Park it was the clash of the hitherto unbeaten two as a couple of Lyons penalties kept Munster within reasonable range (17-6) at the break. Cistercian College, Roscrea’s extremely athletic utility forward Rory Moloney (another to watch) burrowed in for the game’s opening try while a typical Dardis counter attack paved the way for Roscrea flyer Cormac Brennan to post the second. With typical unerring accuracy Byrne slotted both conversions and a penalty. Two Lyons penalties to one from Byrne narrowed the gap to eight (20-12) but that was as close as it got with Cleary posting his third try of the campaign and fleet footed Castleknock winger James McCormack added the fourth both converted by the ice cool Byrne for a fourteen point personal tally. In the final series of games and inspired by the outstanding backrow of Down High’s Thomas Doonan (switched from lock), powerfully built BRA flanker Daniel Dass and outstanding Armagh Royal skipper and No 8 Daryl Morton Ulster pipped Munster 17-15 at Ravenhill to take second place. Even before cutting loose against Connacht (61-3) Leinster were home and hosed. By some distance the best team in this year’s Schools Interprovincial Championship and while overall judgement is by its very nature subjective certainly this observer cannot recall a more complete squad playing a more vibrant brand of winning rugby.

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2012 SCHOOLS INTER PROVINCIAL FINAL TABLE P

For

Agnst

Pts

Leinster

163

Ulster

Munster

Connacht

107

Musgrave Park - Munster 23 (Stephen Fitzgerald try, Stephen McMahon try, Gearoid Lyons 3 pens, 2 cons) Connacht 15 (Dwayne Corcoran 5 pens) Donnybrook - Leinster 68 (Billy Dardis 2 tries, Fergal Cleary 2 tries, Nick Timoney 2 tries, James McCormack try, Rory Moloney try, Josh Murphy try, Tim Schmidt try, Ross Byrne 9 cons) Ulster 5 (Rory Campbell try) Sportsground - Connacht 0 Ulster 23 (Conor Shiels 2 tries, Rory Campbell try, Jack Owens 2pens, con) Thomond Park - Munster 12 (Gearoid Lyons 4 pens) Leinster 34 (Rory Moloney try, Fergal Cleary try, Cormac Brennan try, James McCormack try, Ross Byrne 4 cons, 2 pens) Donnybrook - Leinster 61 (Billy Dardis 3 tries, Rory Moloney 3 tries, Fergal Cleary try, Nick Timoney try, Patrick Thornton try, Ross Byrne 8 cons) Connacht 3 (Dwayne Corcoran pen) Ravenhill - Ulster 17 (Jack Owens try, 4 pens) Munster 15 (Paul Kiernan try, Robbie Deegan try, Gearoid Lyons pen, con)

Schools Cup NEWS Following last season’s Leinster Schools’ AGM a review group, including schools’ committee representatives as well as commercial and marketing personnel from the Leinster Branch, was set up with stated aim of keeping the Schools Cup Competitions in the highest regard. In early October the findings of the review group were presented to the schools committee at which there was widespread support and agreement on the need to change. To that end a number of proposals were refined and presented to the schools for their consideration. In broad terms the main proposals were: 1) That an open (or rolling draw) take place after each round of the Senior and Junior Cups with pre-selected dates for each round including the finals. 2) That a discounted family ticket for two adults and two children be introduced. 3) That the feasibility of later kick off times (under floodlights) be examined as a possible alternative, enabling people who might not otherwise attend, due to daily work commitments, come along. 4) That a possible rescheduling of the St Patrick’s Day Final (perhaps under floodlights) be considered due primarily to increased overlapping with Six Nations International weekends. 5) That the possibility of using Tallaght Stadium (out of soccer season) be pursued thereby alleviating the yearly pressure on Donnybrook. Should the reaction of South Dublin County Council be favourable then the possibility of double headers (Senior and Junior) taking place on the one date be examined.

In all they scored twenty three tries conceding just the one. Nine different players crossed the whitewash with the outstanding Dardis topping the list with five while the impressive Fergal Cleary (Clongowes) along with forward leader Rory Moloney (Roscrea) registered tries against all three provinces with Moloney and Dardis crossing for a hat trick each in the final game. Like Dardis, Moloney can be earmarked as another of so many in this multi talented squad with the relevant bits and pieces to go a long way.

Following a further meeting of the Schools Committee on the 12th November it was decided (as expected) to put the floodlit proposal (evening kick off) on hold. However the ‘rolling’ aspect was approved and will add enormously to the excitement and intrigue of both great competitions going forward. St Patrick’s Day will continue the traditional Final date and, the occasional Six Nations obstacle allowing, I know I am one of the very many in favour of ‘what we have we hold’ on March 17. Bring it on.

And for all the attacking quality perhaps the most salient detail just one try (that intercept against Ulster) conceded in three seventy minute matches. Messrs Mc Namara and Carter take a bow.

Leinster will now join Ulster in administering the rolling draw after every round while Connacht and Munster will continue the current ‘all in’ system albeit the southern province again implementing their version of the ‘back door’ double opportunity prior to the semi-finals.

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TWO RUGBY SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT What does the future hold for Leinster rugby and after the current dizzying highs of European glory what can we expect? The schools and the clubs who develop our young players hold the key. To get some insight into the excellent work being done in many quarters we look at two rugby schools with vastly different history in the game, differing goals and challenges - but both equally important components of the Leinster Schools Rugby system and integral to the future of the game in the province.

St. Michaels College, Ailesbury Road, Dublin 4. For a long long time St Michaels College were the least decorated of the ‘big 6’ schools. A rich tradition and history had not borne significant fruit in terms of silverware in the cup competitions. Good facilities and generations of good athletes had failed to return any kind of regular success in the schools cup competitions. Now all has changed…utterly. St Michaels have, quite simply, become one of the standard bearers in Leinster and indeed Irish schools rugby. The Dublin 4 side are now regular finalists (including an incredible six Junior Cup finals 2007-12) and with it are becoming quite familiar to winners podium – the Holy Ghost College is setting the standard to which others must compare. A coffee with St Michaels own Greg McWilliams (a former pupil, player, coach and current teacher) sheds a little light on the subject. McWilliams is plying his coaching trade outside of the schools game at present, having coached the Senior Team to their 1st cup success in 2007 and final in 2010. He is now Leinster U19s coach and also assistant coach to the Irish Six Nations Women’s side, and is in a position to see the transformation to where St Michaels currently find themselves.

So what changed? First off McWilliams points to the St Michaels overall set up. “This year all coaches in the school are teachers, which is very positive step. We have put great emphasis on developing our own coaches as they are only too familiar with the environment we are trying to create. We are blessed with their contribution. I’m very proud to look at the school now, seeing the way they approach the game, these coaches are impressive. People change

but the system stays the same so guys can come in and get on with their job, we have a way that works for us. Mr Tim Kelleher the principal has had a great deal to do with the development, as he supports all that the coaching staff are trying to create.”

Well what kind of things? In what way did Michaels evolve? “It was the little things off the park, becoming more professional and encouraging the players and coaches to prepare in a professional environment and mindset. Getting the physical preparation right made a huge impact too, so players were physically better prepared than before. A lot of effort went in to laying the right training paths, so young players could develop functional strength and the lads, when they’re ready, can progress to strength training. Junior Charlie leads the strength and Conditioning programme, being an ex-professional, he is impressive with his innovated training methods which are top drawer. Even seemingly insignificant things like having good equipment, clean balls, clean cones, matching pads – so players felt like they were in a professional environment.”

What about on the pitch, we venture, it’s not just the gym, Michaels play some good rugby too? McWilliams tilts his head and with a grin and gently scolds you that ‘Michaels always played good rugby” and you are reminded just how “Michaels’ through and though he is – truly ‘dyed in the wool’. He reels off a list off coaches from the past few decades and speaks with reverence at what they brought to St.Michaels tradition in their time and the teacher inside finishes his lesson by bringing you right up to date with the current crop of coaches blazing a trail in Leinster Schools rugby. It is more than

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Hartstown Community School, Clonsilla, Dublin 15 Seven years of rugby behind them, the ‘Braveharts’ of Hartstown Community School are once again competing in the Development half of Section A in the Leinster Schools Cups. They’ve yet to win a cup at either Junior or Senior grades but you cannot but recognise success and achievement in their story so far. Jeremy Kerr, a teacher in Hartstown CS (and still gracing the turf as a player with Coolmine RFC), has had one of the largest parts to play from inception till now and the rugby mad science tutor has a fascinating insight on the role and relevance of rugby in his school.

Give us a quick picture of the genesis of rugby in Hartstown? “A decision was made after much consideration to take rugby into the school based wholly on what comes with the game, rather than just the game itself. We wanted to identify a game that would be a good fit with the pupils we have and their needs. Rugby is a formative game and that’s much more important than just carrying a ball’.

So how have the past few years been for Hartstown since that decision? “Well it’s been an upward curve for the most part, but not always. Most of our players would have no involvement with clubs and some would have no interest in pursuing club membership off their own bat, for one reason or another, but they love playing for the school. We’ve had great numbers some years and fewer players take up the sport at other times, but that’s not always a bad thing either. You get to ask the question and learn from it. In one case it was thought that the atmosphere had changed on a team, but that was good to hear, at least we knew. In our school that atmosphere is very important, you’ve got to have that right. We’ve had some highs and we’ve had some lows, but our highs aren’t as high as some of the bigger rugby schools and our lows certainly aren’t as low. “

What’s next? What could be done for the benefit of rugby in the school? clear that there is a plan in which every coach knows his role, cogs in the machine, with a focus on maximising the potential of every player to the benefit of the team. “This is the system right up to the top , where Andrew Skehan and ex Irish International, Brian O Meara are the Senior Coaches, and have again added to the current rugby programme. They are very experienced with a proven track record.”

So where do Michaels fit in to the bigger picture? What is their ultimate goal for players and how does the school see itself contributing to Leinster and relating with the clubs? A pause for thoughts and McWilliams offers his view, “The first priority is to the pupils of the college. It’s a huge operation. We’ve sixteen teams taking the pitch each week and a very organised programme for these teams and the players is essential for success. It is great to see St Michael’s College ex players now contributing to the Provincial set up too, and makes all those who have contributed to the rugby programme from the under 7’s through to the senior side very proud. Keeping guys in the game is something that we have become very aware of. It is a major problem not just for our past pupils, but most schools. That they’d go on and contribute in clubs as players or in some way, but that their rugby journey wouldn’t stop when they leave Michaels. That has to be the bigger picture.”

“Club involvement is a great help, but also it’s about realising for us that the cups aren’t the be all and end all, nor the whole story. We could use a meaningful league with similarly positioned schools running alongside it (the cups). A first or second year league maybe would be helpful as our school is geared towards competitive sport.”

And the challenges? “There is no half day wednesday at Hartstown, but this can have both a positive or negative effect on numbers, so playing in school time actually suits us. Then there’s getting releases, not so much pupils but teachers too to go with them. Coaching is always very tough but we’ve had past pupils come back and help with teams which has been great for us. We hope more past pupils will want to come back and help - Kevin Fagan, was the first past pupil to come back and assist, thus opening the door for others to join. Kenneth Moore, came back and after 2 years of deputy coach, became head coach of the senior teams. Christian Stemmett, at the time our Leinster CRO, was a huge help in setting up the team in Hartstown. James Kershaw was an integral part of Hartstown’s rugby program for years even while in school, trained by Order of Malta, he was always our 1st aid go to guy. More recently Gerry McCleary, the current Fingal CRO from Leinster, is always assisting the rugby in school including taking PE classes. Without this kind of contribution we’d struggle.”

So what does the future hold for the school and your players? “The biggest thing is giving players the opportunity and seeing guys take the opportunity to play. Rugby is very valuable for some of our players and to that end we are focussed on players first. Club involvement with the school is very important to us. Garda RFC have provided coaching to the school and the Leinster Branch offer coaching which is great. We hope for ongoing relations with the clubs and we need it to keep it going. And for the players? Well to see them going on to continue and play for clubs would be really something.”

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joeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

show

Luck is a fickle thing. It can sometimes come calling at the most opportune time. For Joe Schmidt a chance phone call with Isa Nacewa, paved the way for the Kiwi coach to make his way to Leinster and enjoy the most successful portion of his career to date. But that is only a part of the tale.

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alking through the halls of Leinster’s training base in University College Dublin, one thing becomes apparent very quickly; Joe Schmidt doesn’t do waiting around. That impatience for hanging about is just one of a myriad of characteristics that has seen Schmidt become one of the most respected coaches in world rugby. Since arriving in Dublin, he has overseen the most successful period in the history of Leinster Rugby. Back-to-back wins in the Heineken Cup over the last two seasons, has brought Schmidt’s side to the forefront of European rugby, with their brand of All Black-esque attacking rugby and flair for creative play, this Leinster team is very much branded with the Joe Schmidt style of play. Growing up in a rugby-mad country like New Zealand, the attraction to the oval ball game was never far away. However in his youth it was more the lure of competition, rather than a love of one particular sport, that grabbed the attention of the young Schmidt. “Wherever there was a bat and ball, I wasn’t too far away”, he explains. “I played a fair bit of tennis until I was around 14, along with cricket in the summer and a little bit of basketball and rugby too. If there was a bit of fun in a competitive environment, I was fairly keen to be involved in it”. That love of competition sustained Schmidt throughout his teenage years and well into his college days. Having qualified as a teacher, he combined his love of teaching, sport and a desire to see the rest of the world, packed his bags and headed west, where he would pitch his tent in Mullingar, an experience that he remembers fondly. “I was playing with Manawatu at the time and our coach was guy by the name of Mark Donaldson. He knew that I was looking to head overseas and Mullingar had made contact with him. Originally I was going to teach in the United Kingdom, but when I heard about Mullingar, I thought playing a bit of footy in Ireland would be a bit more fun than teaching in the UK, so I came here. “One of my funniest experiences of Mullingar was when I went to one of the selection committees for the senior team. At the time there were four senior teams and I went as the player coach of the First team. “I remember not actually having a vote on the selection committee and being put at No 10, when I was more of a wing or fullback, which took some adaptation. Even back then though I remember Mullingar as a really progressive club and still have fantastic memories from my time there”. Having committed himself to returning to New Zealand and his teaching job, Schmidt continued to combine his two loves of teaching and playing sport. A series of Achilles tendons injuries, along with starting a family with his wife Kelly, saw his on field career take a back seat to more pressing matters. It would be a move that would see him take the first formative steps into his career as a coach. “When I went into the school that I was teaching at, you had to choose a co-curricular activity. It was a sports mad school, so I decided to take on the role of basketball coach. Coaching in basketball is very interactive, with the amount of stops that happen in a game, unlike in rugby where you get the group organised, watch a half, give a couple more directions and watch the second half. “My principal at the time was a guy called Dave Syms and when I took the basketball role, he said ‘That’s great if you’re coaching basketball, but you’re going to take a rugby team as well aren’t you?’ I was playing first class rugby at the time, so there was an expectation that I’d coach rugby.” That first involvement in schools coaching would lead to an involvement in the New Zealand Schools Rugby Team. From there Schmidt, who was at the time finishing off his Master’s in Business Management, became involved with Bay of Plenty, where he would work with Vern Cotter (a man who played a major role in Schmidt’s career). A three year stint with the Auckland Blues saw his profile raised even further. It wasn’t however until Schmidt, once again, packed his bags and headed for Europe, that his coaching expertise would become known to a wider audience. When Schmidt joined French giants Clermont Auvergne in 2007, the Top 14 side had yet to win the coveted Bouclier de Brennus (French Championship). Working alongside his close friend, Schmidt and Cotter set about bringing Clermont from a nearly team, into the premier team in France. Having travelled without a word of French to his name, and very little experience of Northern Hemisphere rugby, what were Schmidt’s initial impressions of the new rugby culture that he arrived into?

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JoE on... ...Leadership Leadership is very hard to replace, but at the same time, leadership doesn’t necessarily mean being experienced. For me, what defines a leader in a group is the respect that others have for you, and for what you bring to the team. I think we at Leinster have a very good core group of experienced players, but, and I think people will be surprised, we also have a number of young players that people defer to for leadership, which has been really important for us. Rhys Ruddock has captained the team a few times. The likes of Eoin O’Malley and a few of the younger guys have really stepped up, especially when some of the senior internationals haven’t been there. It’s great to see when the likes of Brian O’Driscoll sits down and invests time and energy in guys like Brendan Macken and Eoin O’Malley, and when Jamie Heaslip sits down with Ben Marshall to help him, and better understand their role within the group. One of the leadership guys in the group has actually gone around to one of the academy guys flat and cooked a couple of meals, showing them the proper foods to cook. That sort of stuff is invaluable. Being a professional rugby player is a way of life, coping with the physical battering that you take, trying to get your recovery and your nutrition dead right. Certainly with the group of players that we have at the moment, they have been really proactive in helping each other.

“One of the major differences was the length of the seasons. Coming from the NPC, which is a ten team competition where you play each other once, then Super Rugby which is also mostly a sprint, then going into the Top 14, where you play 26 games, then playoffs, then the semis and final, was a real eye opener. Combine that with six Heineken Cup pool games, it was a heck of a lot of games to fit into one season. The experience of the squads was another thing that stood out. In New Zealand, players tend to come through a bit younger, because the older players in the squads tend to head off to Europe in the latter stages of their careers. Because of the depth of the squads they have in France, there is less need to call on the younger players in the squad, especially with such an influx of foreign players. “I think they just have a bigger pool of players to choose from. They are trying to bring in a limit on the number of foreign players In France, but the league and the federation tend to battle a bit about that, so who knows what will come of that”. His time in France proved to be a tremendous success. Clermont would finally reach their holy grail of winning their first French championship in Schmidt’s final season with the club in 2010. Having worked alongside Vern Cotter, and coming up agonisingly short for the three previous seasons, when Clermont did finally get their hands on the trophy they craved more than any other, what was Joe’s overwhelming emotion? “It was more relief then anything”, a smiling Schmidt admits. “Winning the championship was phenomenal, primarily because of the impact that it had on the town. I’ll never forget coming back on the train the night after the game. It was about 6.30am when we got back to our hotel, so we had no sleep getting on the train back to Clermont. At every station along our route, we had people in cars driving past us shouting and blasting their horns. We had 65,000 people in the center of Clermont and the excitement of the people there was something that I’ll never forget”. Reaching the top of the mountain with Clermont would prove to be a fitting end to Joe Schmidt’s time with the French outfit. However if it wasn’t for a telephone conversation from a certain Leinster star then Schmidt may never have left France.

At the time Isa Nacewa’s star was shining brightly thanks to his exploits in the blue of Leinster. Among the many suitors who were looking to entice the former Aucklander away from the RDS were Clermont, and when Schmidt put the feelers out to see the availability of Nacewa, he had no idea what would happen next. “I tried to get Isa to come to Clermont”, recalling the initial conversation. “I had worked with Isa at the Auckland Blues and when I suggested he come here, he replied that instead of him coming to France, why didn’t I come to Dublin. Mick Dawson got in contact with me a few weeks later and in the end I came here”. Schmidt had joined a province on the up and with expectations on the rise. Success in the Heineken Cup under previous coach Michael Cheika against Leicester Tigers, had brought Leinster to the top of European rugby. With Cheika gone to pastures news, Schmidt came in and took charge of a group of players hungry for sustained success. When he arrived from Clermont to the RDS, he immediately saw similarities between the side he had left, and the squad he was now in charge of. “One of the main things that struck me was the passionate nature of both supporters. We (at Leinster) always manage to get a really good crowd at the RDS and it was the same when I was at Clermont. There is a very good relationship between both sets of supporters, maybe it’s because we keep playing each other!” Leinster’s early games in that first season under Schmidt didn’t go according to plan. Following a win against Munster in the Aviva Stadium, the season began to pick up steam, as the Kiwi began to stamp his own brand of rugby on the province. His all attacking style of rugby brought Leinster huge success in his first year, which culminated in that never-tobe-forgotten 2011 Heineken Cup final against Northampton Saints in the Millennium Stadium. While the story of how Leinster came back from a near impossible 22-6 half-time deficit has been told on many an occassion, Schmidt remembers that when he gathered his troops at the break, he knew that coming back from so many points down, was something that was well within his sides compass.

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“We felt at half time that we had a couple of clear messages. People forget that we had three really good line breaks in that opening half, but we lost the ball on each occasion. We knew that if we could make that amount of line breaks in the first half, we could do the same in the second. People point to Johnny Sexton’s performance in the second half. The thing about Johnny is that, while he may not have said as much as some players at halftime, what he said, he did two fold. He really grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. It was some game to be involved in”. That first Heineken final capped a fantastic campaign for Schmidt, yet it would only be the prelude to his second season in charge; Leinster grew and developed into a true bone fide European giant, as they powered to their third Heineken Cup victory against Ulster in Twickenham last May. Having such a hungry, and driven, group of players is at the core of Schmidt’s coaching philosophy. At times though, does he find it difficult to maintain a level of happiness in the squad, given that there can only be 15 players on the pitch at one time? “There is no perfect solution to player frustration”, he admits. “You try to keep a team ethic within the group and when players aren’t selected, their responsibility is to help the guys who are starting prepare as best they can. A lot of times, those headaches don’t exist. There are usually players who are out injured, or players that have to be managed by the national programme. So there are a lot of factors that help make team selection easier”. One decision that Schmidt recently made was to extend his current deal with Leinster for one more season. On the back of Leinster’s success, Schmidt has become hot property. There are many people who believe that he would be a natural fit to become the next Ireland coach, when you probe him to see what the future holds, he bats away any suggestion that he will be anywhere but at Leinster. “We haven’t got anything planned. You become consumed with what you are doing. I’m busy with all that, so I will leave all the future planning to my wife and family. Obviously New Zealand holds some appeal. The bulk of my extended family are over there as is my eldest daughter, and it is a nice part of the world But I have enough going on here to keep me well and truly occupied”. Leinster will be looking to deliver many more highlights and Joe Schmidt will be working hard to help make those happen.

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JoE on... ...the club structure in Ireland There has been a big change. I can remember when there used to be televised AIL games between the likes of St Marys and Garryowen and that was the pinnacle for many years. The interprovincial games didn’t have the same profile as the club game did back then. I think, at the moment, there is always another layer being added on, which isn’t helping the club game. For example, England and Wales adding another test puts extra pressure on their clubs and provinces, and when you do that, the whole thing becomes diluted. If you keep diluting things then I think the base becomes porous and the whole structure can collapse in on itself, and I think we have to try and support the club game as best as we can. I’m not sure if there is a disconnect between the clubs and the provincial game. That is someone else’s domain. What I do know is that the club game is important to us at Leinster. I spent some time taking sessions at Suttonians a couple of weeks ago, along with going down to the likes of Portlaoise, Coolmine and Navan. I know Issac Boss was out in Terenure College a few weeks ago taking a training session; Aaron Dundon does a lot of work out in Newbridge. There are different players that go back to their alma mater and help out. Sean O’Brien was telling me recently that Tullow had a big win over Carlow a number of weeks ago. He still manages to get back to Tullow at times, so having that connection that extends beyond the central Dublin area is very important to us. We try as best we can to get around and meet people and take the odd training session. Keeping the connection between the professional and amateur is very important. I think that if you don’t have the amateur game then the professional game doesn’t have a base.

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His name is as big as his personality. Mick Galwey is not only a giant of a man, but a giant of Munster rugby. Galwey, along with the likes of Peter Clohessy and Anthony Foley, paved the way for the stunning success that Munster enjoyed at the beginning of the century, yet he remains as humble and modest as can be about his part in such success.

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alking in a Dublin hotel, Galwey reflects on a career that took him to the very heights of the provincial game with Munster, international success with Ireland, and the ultimate rugby achievement, touring with the British & Irish Lions. When you mention the name Mick Galwey, you think of the giant second row, who played with unbridled passion, enthusiasm, and with a will to win that was unmatched by many whom he played alongside. His career with Munster may not have included any of the Heineken Cup medals that the province craved so much, however Galwey played his part in laying the foundations and teeing up the Heineken Cup success that the province enjoyed after Galwey had exited the playing field. “Gaillimh” as he is known to everyone, left behind a huge legacy. Capped 130 times for Munster, 85 of them as captain, the Kerryman was there when the bright lights of the Millennium Stadium and winning the Heineken Cup seemed a distant dream that may not be reached. Growing up, sport was always a big part of Mick Galwey’s life. Born in Currow, Co Kerry, he had a number of sporting heroes to admire growing up, including the legendary Moss Keane. Having such figures to look up to had a huge bearing on the young Galwey growing up. “I suppose growing up in Kerry, GAA football would have been my main interest. I remember when Kerry won the All-Ireland in 1975, I was nine years of age at the time and I can remember that is all I wanted to do when I grew up. When I was growing up, I played any sport that you could think of. Football, soccer and basketball. You name it and I more than likely played it”. His natural talent in the sporting sphere stood out from a young age. Galwey’s rate of progression on the GAA field was such that he came into the Kerry senior football team in 1986, as a fresh faced 19 year old, bagging an All-Ireland winners medal, having played a starring role in that years semi-final defeat of Meath. It is a period of time that that he remembers well, “It was a phenomenal experience”, he says fondly. It was around that period of time that Galwey became interested in rugby. A self-confessed outdoors person, Galwey admits that it was his love of playing sports and being outdoors that brought him to the oval ball game. “It was something to do for the winter I guess. I played GAA and also played on a soccer team, but that kind of fell through, so it kind of went from there, and in 1987 I was playing senior rugby for Munster. You could say it was a quick transition for me”. That transition came naturally to Galwey however. A naturally gifted handler of the ball from his time playing GAA, he made the switch to rugby without too much effort. But aside from having something to do in the winter, what else attracted him to rugby? “I suppose it’s the fact that you learn something every day when you are playing rugby. I have been lucky to work with the likes of Niall O’Donovan, Declan Kidney and Warren Gatland, and when you are around those type of coaches you can’t help but pick up things along the way”. And from working with such a distinguished group of coaches, is there one common link that makes them as successful as they have become. “Well I wouldn’t model myself on any one coach, but I would certainly have picked up the best bits from each individual coach. There are no two coaches the same, but I suppose it’s a basic rule, that they all kept it simple. They kept things simple on and off the pitch. One other thing that I noticed was that each of them was very passionate about what they did. “I remember Sir Ian McGeehan from my time with the Lions and he was a very passionate coach. Warren Gatland was very much the same and

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It wasn’t something that was said to you, but you could feel it. That feeling of doing the jersey justice was something that was passed down the generations.

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Declan (Kidney) at times was passionate too. Eddie (O’Sullivan) was more tactically aware and astute, but I suppose Eddie was passionate when he needed to be. The passion of each of those coaches is something that really struck a chord with me. Everyone out there is talented, but I suppose it’s the guys with the top three inches, and it could be passion or intelligence, makes a good rugby player into a great one”. Having this makeup is one of the things that not only made Mick Galwey into the player he became, but also made Munster into the team that they evolved into. Many people, of an older generation, would associate Munster, with that famous win against the New Zealand All Blacks in 1978, as the genesis of what Munster has become today.

can still recall the hurt at losing out so narrowly to Northampton in the Twickenham final, although he admits that Munster didn’t really perform on the day. “A lot of people say that we were too emotional ahead of the game, but I don’t think we performed as well as we could have that day. I know ROG missed that penalty late on but even still, I don’t think we were 100% that day”. While he admits some slight regret that he wasn’t around for that first Heineken Cup win, “I was thrilled for everyone involved”, he is proud of the heights that Munster have reached and feels it’s only a matter of time before the province hit the heights they once did.

Galwey feels that the win against New Zealand in Thomond Park was not only a great occasion at the time but it set a standard for the team to try and match, as the decades have passed. It also put a huge amount of onus on the Munster jersey, and what it meant to wear it every time that he stepped out on a rugby pitch.

“Look it’s obvious that Leinster are the top team in Ireland at the moment. But these things go in cycles, Munster were at the top of the tree for a while, Leinster are there now but things never stay the same. “I think if you look at European rugby, the three teams that have dominated the Heineken Cup have been Munster, Leinster and Toulouse. It’s a very select list and Munster are up there with the best”.

“I suppose we were aware of just what it meant to pull on the Munster jersey. For me it goes back to that New Zealand game. When you think of what happened that day, we took on New Zealand, the best team in the world at that point; we took them on and beat them in our own back yard. That proved not only what a special jersey the Munster one is, but it also showed that we could take on the best in the world and beat them on our patch.

Talking about Munster rugby, one can see the depth of passion that Galwey has for his province. When you mention his time with the Ireland team, the fire that lights him is ignited once again. Galwey made his Ireland debut against France at Lansdowne Road in 1991 and despite having the unfortunate title of been the most dropped player in international history, he remembers his time with the Ireland setup with the warmest of memories.

“For me it was a tremendous honour to wear the Munster jersey. You were always aware that you had the jersey on loan. It was never fully yours. You took it from the guy that went before you and all you could do was represent it as best as you could.

“I loved every minute of my time with Ireland. It meant so much to me to pull that green jersey on. To represent your Country, there is no bigger honour. To make your debut against France at home, I mean it doesn’t get much better than that, it was a great occasion. I remember one day playing for Ireland and Keith Wood tried a drop goal. Now Keith wouldn’t be a drop goal expert and the ball went about two feet off the ground.

“It wasn’t something that was said to you, but you could feel it. That feeling of doing the jersey justice was something that was passed down the generations. Professionalism has been great, but I still think that if professionalism had not come in, and the All Blacks played Munster, they would still be very passionate about it”. Along with the weight of expectation that came with playing with Munster, came a fair deal of pressure when they played at Thomond Park. The Limerick venue, along with the team, has evolved throughout the years. It has played host to some of the most memorable moments in Munster’s history. You think of a cold, wet, Friday Heineken Cup night, with the stadium packed to the rafters, the noise swirling around the ground and it makes for quite an intimidating place to play rugby. Playing in such an environment, did Galwey feel any additional pressure playing in front of such an expectant crowd? “In some ways there was pressure, but you could turn it around on the opposition. There was pressure because we were at home and we were expected to win. When the Heineken Cup started, teams wanted to come to Thomond Park and take our scalp. I played that first game and we were lucky to win that day. It was only thanks to a late try from Pat Murray, and if Pat hadn’t got that late try, then maybe the story of Munster and the Heineken Cup may not have reached the heights it did”. Reaching such heights was not without pitfalls. Galwey played in both of Munster’s Heineken Cup final defeats to Northampton and Wasps and he

“Now we didn’t have much cover and I was tracking back as fast as I could, when who do I see but Keith coming flying by me to make the cover tackle. I think he knew that if he didn’t make that tackle he would be in trouble”. Over the last number of seasons, Galwey has witnessed somewhat of a sea change at Munster. Following on from their two Heineken Cup wins in three seasons, Munster entered a period of transition. It was a period of time that saw Munster fail to qualify for the quarter final stages of Europe’s premier rugby competition, and while Galwey admits that it the team is evolving, he still demands that Munster maintain the highest of standards on the pitch. “I know that the team is going through a period of transition, but I don’t think that means that there should be a falloff in the expectations that the supporters have of the team. The players know that they still play for Munster and they know there is a big weight of expectation that playing for the province brings”. The word legend brings with it certain expectations. You always wonder when you meet someone, will they match up to what you think they will be like. Leaving Mick Galwey, he exceeded expectations. A trait that he carried with him through a distinguished career. Some may call it a legendary career. They wouldn’t be wrong.

W I N T E R

Pride and passion are just two of the words that one thinks of when the name of Joy Neville is mentioned. Sitting in Thomond Park on a cold November night, you begin to realise that those words barely do her justice. Neville, who has won over sixty caps for Ireland, was in town for a rugby business network meeting when she sat down with Club Rugby magazine and in the time that she spent talking, it was clear from an early stage that rugby and competition is what makes Neville tick. Speaking in a cool, yet fiercely determined manner, you can see how Neville drove herself to the heights that she currently enjoys, as one of, if not the most, recognisable faces in women’s rugby in Ireland.

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Over the course of the next few years, both Joy and the team began to grow and develop, although she admits that in the beginning there were more than a few teething problems.

Pride & Joy

Growing up in a family, that included four brothers, Joy was a naturally competitive person in her youth, and even back then she had a focus on what she wanted to and where she wanted to go. “I suppose growing up with four brothers I was exposed to competition at a young age. Growing up I always loved playing rugby, but there were no structures in place for girls to play underage rugby at the time so I had to wait until I was 17 before I could play for Shannon, which was highly frustrating”. Such annoyances only served to drive Joy on in her rugby career. She plays her club rugby with Shannon RFC, along with Munster and Ireland. Combine that with a full time job as Head of Rugby at Limerick IT, and Neville’s life is as busy off the pitch, as it is on the field of play. “I’ve been doing it for a long time, so I have got used to it at this stage. It can be difficult at times, for example when you have to make a weight session, before your day job starts, but you get on with it. You do it because you love the game. That’s what keeps me motivated. Everyone has personal goals that they want to achieve in life, so you just have to work as hard as you can and see where it takes you”. That hardworking ethos has brought Neville huge success in her career thus far. The Munster woman made her international debut against Scotland in 2003. While that first cap was a source of tremendous personal pride, Joy was also made immediately aware of the level that would be required for Ireland to become a competitive force on the international stage. “It was an occasion that I will never forget. There is no higher honour than playing for your country and it is something that still excites me”.

“During the first few years that I was involved in the Irish setup, we had a lot of talented individuals, but as a team we made too many basic errors. Because we didn’t spend that much time together as a group, we didn’t get a chance to develop any continuity to our play, which hampered our progress. It was around the World Cup in 2006 that I began to see the first real signs of development within the squad. There was real thought and focus put into that campaign, be it from a weight programme aspect, or being given adequate preparation time ahead of the tournament. Going into that particular World Cup, you could see that the preparation had paid off. You could see the proper definition of the player’s bodies coming out. We got bigger, faster and stronger because the right structures were in place, and the results justified the investment that was made”. The current state of women’s rugby in Ireland is a subject close to Joy’s heart. Having had a long international career, Neville is more than qualified to offer her opinion on the current landscape of rugby and she doesn’t pull any punches. “It’s getting better, but there is a long way to go. I think from where the game was when I started playing, to where it is now, there have been great strides made, but a lot more could be done. There needs to be systems put in place. We have just missed out on a Grand Slam in the last few years, and to do that with the systems in place at the moment, speaks volumes for the team and the management that we have”. That burning ambition to continually improve and push herself to new heights, means that Joy is always on the lookout for future challenges, and with the advent of Women’s Sevens rugby, could Joy see herself, in four years’ time, representing Ireland at the 2016 Rio Olympics?

“Rio is such a long way off, and anything can happen between now and then, but if I do make it, it would be an opportunity that I would jump at. To represent Ireland at an Olympic games would be something completely different. It would be some experience if it happens. At the moment my main professional goal is to win a Grand Slam with Ireland. What we need is someone to come in and push the idea of women’s rugby. If we could get a strategic plan in place then I really think things could take off”. With Joy Neville involved in the Ireland set-up, you feel assured that the long overdue success that Ireland team have craved won’t be long in coming.

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IRELAND NEWS Date

Time

Result

Venue

NOVEMBER 2012

Sat 10th Nov 12

17:30

Ireland XX - XX South Africa

AVIVA Stadium

Sat 17th Nov 12

17:30

Ireland XX - XX Fiji

Thomond Park Stadium

Sat 24th Nov 12

14:00

Ireland XX - XX Argentina

AVIVA Stadium

Positives taken from autumn series Two wins and a defeat, from three games in the Guinness Autumn International series for Declan Kidney’s Ireland team, only tells part of the tale, in what could be described as a highly informative set of games for Kidney and his coaching staff. Having come into the autumn internationals on the back of a 60-0 drubbing at the hands of New Zealand back in the summer, the pressure was certainly on Declan Kidney, with some suggesting that if Ireland failed to fire, then his time in charge of the national team would be coming to an end. His cause wasn’t helped with the loss of Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell, Sean O’Brien, Rob Kearney and Stephen Ferris, with respective injuries. Led by Jamie Heaslip for the first time and a raft of new faces Ireland narrowly lost 16-12 defeat to South Africa at the Aviva Stadium, in a game that the home side will look back on as a missed opportunity. That defeat put Ireland in a must win clash against Argentina, with World Cup ranking points on the line. It would be a game that would see the birth of a genuine international star in Ulster’s Craig Gilroy. The 21 year old, set the Aviva on fire in his first full cap against Argentina with a mesmeric opening try to confirm his arrival at the top table of international rugby. Gilroy played with fearlessness and a heartwarming abandonment that belied his tender years. Gilroy aside, the November series saw a number of other players put the hands up for selection, when Ireland open up their Six Nations campaign against Wales on February 2nd. Simon Zebo, like Gilroy, made the step up to test rugby in his stride. A solid display against South Africa was bookended with another assured display against Argentina, as the Munster man took full advantage of the injury to ERC European Player of the Year Rob Kearney. Both Zebo and Gilroy brought freshness to the Ireland backline that has been missing over the last number of games. Their electric pace, combined with two mature performances from Johnny Sexton gave Ireland an extra bit of bite out in the backline and has given Kidney extra options going into the Six Nations. Mike McCarthy filled the sizable shoes of Paul O’Connell in the second row, with a man of the match display in the opening game of the series against South Africa. Along with Donnacha Ryan, the Ireland second row had an unfamiliar look to it, but McCarthy settled into test rugby very well, demonstrating the power and strength that has seen him become one of the focal players for Connacht over the last number of seasons. Chris Henry also took advantage of the absence of Sean O’Brien and Stephen Ferris, slotting into the back row alongside Heaslip and Peter O’Mahony. However it would be hard to imagine to see him shifting O’Brien and/or Ferris should both big ball carriers be fit come February. The rise and the impact that the new members of the squad were impressive. However the one aspect of Ireland’s game that will surely stick in the management’s craw, is the inconsistent nature of Ireland’s performances.

A good forty minutes against South Africa, was not backed up in the second half. Having gone in 12-3 points up at half time, Ireland’s pace and intensity dipped in the second half, allowing the Springboks to inch their way back into the game. A Ruan Pienaar try, in the early stages of the second half, brought the southern hemisphere team right back into the game, and ultimately gave them the win. In the game against Argentina, Ireland conceded two late tries, and despite having the game wrapped up at that stage, giving away two soft tries will be something that the coaching ticket will be looking to eradicate from the team’s performance. Finding that consistency of performance is one aspect that Kidney and his lieutenants will be trying to work on in the build-up to that opening clash against Wales. The second game of the Guinness Series, saw a much changed Ireland team take on Fiji in Thomond Park, with a raft of fresh faced players pulling on the green jersey, including the likes of Paddy Jackson at 10, Craig Gilroy at 11, and David Kilcoyne in the front row. Despite the prevailing weather conditions, the young Ireland tyros put in a hugely impressive display, routing the visitors by 53-0. The lob sided nature of the score line may not have been a true reflection of Fiji’s capabilities; however it was hard not to be impressed by the nature of Ireland’s win. The Thomond game also gave people a glimpse of just what a special talent Craig Gilroy is. While the game may not have had full test status, the young Ulsterman blew Fiji away with an excellent hat trick of tries, in a man of the match display that had fans and commentators alike clamouring for his inclusion in the squad for the Argentina game. They would get their wish, as Gilroy, not only played, but starred in his full international debut with a performance that had people reaching for the superlatives. While it is easy to lose the run of oneself after such a display, there is every reason to believe that Gilroy will become an international star of real note in the future. If all things are equal, then you would be expect Gilroy to be involved in that Six Nations opener against Wales, most likely at the expense of his Ulster teammate Andrew Trimble. The defeat of Argentina has left a feel good factor around the Irish side and when the team regroups for the Six Nations in two months’ time, the challenge will be to recreate the type of performance that saw Ireland so ruthlessly take Argentina apart. Given how the fixture list for the Six Nations has fallen (Ireland host England and France), as well as Wales and Scotland having recent troubles and Ireland boasting a host of front liners hopefully fighting fit to pull on the green jersey again, one could begin to dream, ever so slightly that Ireland could enjoy a successful campaign. It is a thought to shorten the winter nights.

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BLACKROCK COLLEGE Owing to the current absence of former Leinster star Tania Rosser, Blackrock College have apppointed Jess Belchos as interim coach of their ladies senior side. Canadian International Belchos, 23, had been looking to experience rugby in Stadbrook (and possibly with Leinster), but saw her season end prematurely because of a cruciate ligament injury to her knee. However, she was keen to stay involved in the coaching side of things in Blackrock, and had been working in this capacity for the past couple of months. Her role has become more significant since, though, as she has now taken on the head coach position with Shannon Houston, who was also affected by injury in the first AIL game of the season, occupying the role of backs coach. Although this is just a temporary arrangement for the time being, Belchos is having a considerable impact in her new role, as ‘Rock enjoyed their first win of the season on November 11th. They will have a tough task on their hands as they seek to maintain their Division 1 status, but Belchos will no doubt be driven on by the prospect of playing top-flight rugby upon her playing return.

DOLPHIN Available since the end of November, the Dolphin club shop has a series of new stock in preparation for the festive season. Special Christmas packs are on sale, which comprise of a club hoody, jersey, socks, ruck sack and club beanie hat for €160. However, items can also be purchased individually. Packs of casual gear, worn regularly by the Dolphin Senior Squad, are also available, namely club polo shirts, tracksuit pants + tops, jacket/ training tops and gearbag. This selection is similarly priced at €170. The following items are also available in stock from the Cork side’s club shop: Socks & shorts (€35), Parker jackets (€55), and there is also a clearance rail of Rugbytec stock.

NUIM BARNHALL Even though his book has been available from a number of on-line sources since early October, John Looby’s Investing through Troubled Times: Reflections from the Front-line is well worth seeking out, as all the proceeds from the book go towards NUIM Barnhall, which is a club that has always been close to Looby’s heart. This brings together 28 opinion pieces written by Looby in The Sunday Times between October 2010 and July 2012. In his articles, he tackled the topics that Irish savers and investors have been dealing with during the period of often terrifying upheaval. From assessing the challenges of the Irish predicament to the machinations of the Euro-zone crisis, Looby’s book brings a broad range of hopefully provocative opinions together in a single volume.

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CLUB NEWS

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ST MARY’S COLLEGE There will be no rest for golf aficionados around Templeville Road this Christmas, as the St Mary’s College RFC Golf Society will be holding two competitions on the same day in Grange Golf Club. Starting at 10.30am on Thursday December 27th, they will be playing off the Benny Lynch Trophy and the Floody Cup, along with the Visitors Prize, so the club are encouraging all interested parties (even if they only have a vague connection to someone involved with St Mary’s) to make the effort to travel to Grange during the Christmas period. The Benny Lynch Trophy takes place on the Front 9 of the Grange Golf Club with a single stableford. First tee time is 10.30am, and the Green fee is €30 if you want to enter into both competitions. The Floody Cup takes precedent on the Back 9, and like the Benny Lynch section, 10.30am is the time of call for the first tee. The Visitors Prize is perhaps most intriguing, though, as it is an 18 hole competition, which is for non-members of the rugby club. It is a single stableford with a green fee of €30 (although this is for entry into the visitors prize only). First tee time is also 10.30am for this event. Both of these competitions are being held together because of aborted attempts to hold the competitions during the year, but it should prove to be a worthwhile occasion for the Templeogue club.

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CLUB NEWS

TERENURE COLLEGE Saturday November 24th saw the Terenure College Gym hosting the annual Brawl 4 Nepal, starting at 7.30pm and ending at 11pm. Now in its 4th year of existence, Brawl 4 Nepal aids the Umbrella Foundation, which seeks to relieve the impact of poverty and war on the children of Nepal through projects which provide education, vocational training, and community enrichment, so that they may grow up to become responsible, contributing citizens of Nepal. The Brawl in Terenure involved 14 lads and 2 girls, who trained for 8 weeks with a handful of other volunteers helping the make the night success. Images and footage from the night can be found on the Brawl for Nepal Facebook page. December 1st was also an eventful date in the calendar for Terenure College, as they hosted a comedy night in Lakelands Park featuring a number of well-known comedians, all at the relatively low price of €10. Headlining the gig was Eric Lalor, who is a regular fixture on RTÉ. He was supported on the night by Andrew Stanley, star of RTE’s cult programme I Dare Ya, and Niamh Marron, one of Ireland’s finest female comedians, who has become a major force on the stand-up circuit in recent years.

UCD It has been announced that the next Colours Match between UCD and Dublin University (Trinity College) will take place at the UCD Bowl on the night of Friday, February 22nd. A pre-match dinner will be held in the Astra Hall for what is always a memorable game for all involved. The Colours Match is an annual fixture between the two colleges, and the next meeting will be a home tie for UCD, who were the winners when the fixture was inaugurated in 1952. The Belfield men currently hold a 35-22 advantage over Trinity on the roll of honour with three draws in the middle. UCD were convincing 31-9 victors when the sides met last November, but with Trinity currently flying high in Division 1B (having defeated UCD 36-14 in College Park), it should prove to be a much closer contest this year.

YOUNG MUNSTER It is with great sadness that we report on a number of bereavements in connection with Young Munster RFC in recent weeks. At the very beginning of the month, club stalwarts Hugh Maye and Dan Campbell both passed away, the former after a short illness which came as a huge shock to those in the Limerick club. Hugh was a regular attendee at Young Munster’s games and pre-match functions in the clubhouse, and his passing comes as a big loss to all of those involved with the Yellow Road outfit. He is survived by his sons Tony and Donal, and his daughter Geri. Dan Campbell was a member of Young Munster for many years, and also held the position of club secretary for an extended spell. Through his devotion to ‘Munster, he has made many friends down through the decades, and his presence will be sorely missed. Our deepest condolences to his wife and family. More recently, the death of Paddy Egan brought to an end his long association with Young Munster. Paddy was a loyal supporter of the club, and was a constant presence at all their matches. In addition to Young Munster, he was also a life-long oarsman and member of St Michael’s Rowing Club. To those connected with both clubs, and to his family and large circle of friends, he will be sadly missed, but never forgotten.

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SUTTONIANS December 29th will see the Fat Turkey Run at Suttonians RFC, starting at 11am. This was a very successful event for Suttonians and the IRFU Charitable Trust last year. Registration will take place in the club on the day, along with race briefings from An Garda Siochana. Race chip collection, route maps and all other information will be available there on the day. This is a not-for-profit race, and as a result there are no goody bags or t-shirt available. For further information on the Fat Turkey Run, patrons can contact either Simon Sheahan or John Wallnutt. Their e-mail is fatturkeyrun@ gmail.com. Details can also be found on a number of web links and social networking sites. The official web page for the event is www.fatturkeyrun. wordpress.com, and their twitter handle is twitter.com/fatturkeyrun. Updates can also be found on the Suttonians RFC website for interested parties. In further news, the Suttonians RFC V Dublin Airport Authority White Collar Boxing event (in aid of the IRFU Charitable Trust and 3TS – Turn The Tide of Suicide), originally set for December 8th in the Wright Venue, has been deferred until February 8th 2013, which will give the would-be boxers more time to prepare for this worthy cause.

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balLymena RFC NEWS RESULTS STATS ProfileS

Following on from an impressive first season in Division 1B last term, when they finished joint fourth with rival Ulster side Ballynahinch with nine victories and one draw from 18 outings, 2012/13 has been a difficult season thus far for Ballymena. A third of the way through the campaign they had lost all six of their second-tier encounters, and had only two losing bonus points to their name (from fixtures with Buccaneers and Belfast Harlequins). There is a good deal of rugby still to be played in the coming months, and there is no reason why they can’t reclaim some degree of form from last season, but they will certainly need a change in fortunes when the league re-commences in January. They will take great confidence from their performances in the cup, however, as they once again reached the final of the Ulster Senior Cup on November 24th with an excellent display against City Of Derry. Derry, who operate out of Division 2A of the Ulster Bank League, had been on the back-foot from the early stages, as two penalties from Ballymena’s Tim Small gave the hosts an early platform. Indeed, in a tight but competitive opening period, this proved to be the sum total of the scoring, and in a tie of this importance, Ballymena were more than content with a 6-0 interval advantage. They built on this cushion almost immediately after the re-start, though, when Alan Smyth crossed the whitewash via some incisive running by Darrell Montgomery. Small was on hand to convert this score, and he was also on target with a third successful penalty, giving Ballymena 16 points to spare over Derry. At this point, it looked like Ballymena were going to canter towards victory, but Derry showed tremendous character to reduce the margin to four (16-12) with two tries and a conversion. This led to some agonising moments for ‘Mena in the final quarter, but they held firm and an injury time penalty by Small handed them a memorable 19-12 triumph in the end. They will now face Rainey Old Boys in the decider on December 12th at Ravenhill, following their close neighbours’ penultimate round win against Ballymena’s fellow Division 1B outfit, Malone. Ulster HQ was also the venue last year when Ballymena got the better of Banbridge 17-11, and they will be hoping that they can have the same sort of joy against Rainey this time around. They certainly have good recent history in the competition, as they competed in five different finals between 2003 and 2009, securing three consecutive Senior Cup crowns in 2003, 2004 and 2005, so there is plenty of cause for optimism. For the past three years, Ballymena have been hosting their very own Christmas Lunch in their Clubhouse in Eaton Park, and this year was certainly no different, as they once again kicked off their festivities with a successful luncheon on Sunday December 9th. For adults, the price was

£20, and for children it was £10. Cormac, the club’s bar steward, worked tirelessly in ensuring that all patrons were able to reserve their tables in time, as the event is generally regarded as one of the key dates in the club’s social calendar. This is one of a number of events that Ballymena RFC are participating in during the Christmas period, and next up is a Carol Service in St Patrick’s Parish Church in the town on Tuesday December 18th, which always garners a large attendance from all those connected with the Eaton Park men. The arrival of Christmas Day won’t be slowing down their off-field activity either, though, as the Apex Jazz Band will be performing in the club on December 26th from 6pm to 9pm. This coincides with their third 500 CLUB draw of the season, coming hot on the heels of the second draw of the series on November 30th, which was accompanied by wine and cheese, and a large selection of music. The opening draw was on Chinese Night in the club on Friday November 2nd. Unfortunately, the response to this particular draw hasn’t been as good as the club would have hoped, and it is unlikely that they will make the same amount of money from the venture as they did last year. The good news for those entering, however, lies in the fact that, with fewer members of the club involved, the chances of winning are greatly increased. Those who have chosen, or will be choosing, to pay by Direct Debit, should note that £15 will be taken from their account on the 30th of each month. Last but not least, the Ballymena Dinner Dance will be happening on New Year’s Eve, bringing a fitting end to the 2012 calendar year for the Antrim side. While it may seem like an unusual time of year for a rugby club to be hosting their Dinner Dance, especially in comparison to other clubs, it is expected that there will be huge interest from members. For further information, you can check out the club’s website (www.ballymenarfc.com) in the days and weeks leading up to it. In contrast to the fortunes of their first XV, the Ballymena second team have had a fairly productive season to date, with six wins and four losses from ten games at the time of writing. They did kick off the 2012/13 campaign with a heavy 60-13 defeat away to Malone, but they picked things up with consecutive home victories over Instonians and Ballynahinch, with their complete shut-outs of the opposition on these occasions highlighting the potential of their defence. Alongside their endeavors in the league, Ballymena enjoyed a comprehensive success over UUC in the Cup back in September, and even though they eventually crashed out to Portadown in the second round, they will be well prepared for what awaits them in the New Year.

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BalLymena RFC: History Although they were affiliated with the Northern branch of the IRFU in 1887, the modern version of Ballymeana RFC came into existence after the first World War when they joined the local Junior League in the 1922/23 season. Over the course of the next ten years the club enjoyed a number of hugely successful seasons. They twice won the Provincial Towns· Cup and the Junior Challenge Cup, and they competed in the Senior Challenge Cup in that time period also. The club continued to grow and prosper, so much so that at the end of the 1951/52 season they applied to the Ulster branch of the IRFU to become a senior club. Their application was passed without haste and they became the latest senior club in Ulster. Success did not happen overnight for Ballymeana. They would have to wait ten years before they tasted success, which came in the form of a win in the 1962/63 Senior Cup, with a lot of credit due to the excellent place-kicking of captain Jonathan Moffett. That win in the Senior Cup didn’t prove to be the catalyst for sustained success that Ballymena would have been hoping for. It wasn’t until the 1970’ s that Ballymeana would have success both on and off the pitch. Indeed on could argue that the template adopted by Ballymeana in the 1970’s is one of the most successful ever used in Irish rugby. Ballymeana became one of, if not the first team, to appoint a principal coach to their team and to adopt a squad system within their club. During that period of time, Ballymeana were one of the most forward thinking and progressive teams in Ireland. They contributed layers to the Ulster Provincial side and to the Irish International team during that time period. The pinnacle came when the club enjoyed a successful tour of Canada in 1980. Throughout their history Ballymena have had countless players represent both Ulster and Ireland. Players like Gordon Hamilton, Derek McAleese, Jonathan Bell, David Tweed, David Humphreys, James Topping, Dion O’Cuinneagain, Gary Longwell, Paul Shields, Matthew McCullough, Andrew Trimble, Bryan Young, Isaac Boss, Paddy Wallace and Ian Whitten, have played for both their province and country. On the pitch Ballymena have enjoyed a lot of success over the last two decades. Ballymena won Ulster League and Cup doubles in 1988-89 and 1989-90, and with the beginning of the All-Ireland League saw them placed in Division One, where they have remained except for a brief sojourn to Division Two in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. Ballymena have enjoyed the benefits of having a number of high class coaches during that time period also. South Africans Nelie Smith, Andre Bester, Steph Neil and Jacques Benade have all taken the reigns at the club for a number of years, along with the Australian Tony D’Arcy. John Andrews, an ex-Ballymena, player took over from D’Arcy and has continued to guide Ballymena and although they have not reached the heights they would demand of themselves, it won’t be too much longer before Ballymena are back among the big teams in Irish club rugby. In the last ten years the club has undertaking two major developments. First, with the assistance of a Grant from the Sports Council of Northern Ireland, a major drainage scheme was completed, and then a refurbishment of the Bar, kitchen and toilets, which has given Ballymena some of the best facilities in the country.

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BUCCANEERS RFC NEWS RESULTS STATS ProfileS Buccaneers RFC recently had a change in personnel when senior coach Hendrik Marnitz departed the club following their crucial 17-13 away victory over Ballymena. Marnitz tendered his resignation after he was offered an enticing coaching role back in his native South Africa. Known for being a quietly-mannered and extremely personable coach, Marnitz will be greatly missed around Dubarry Park, where he has made a telling impact during the last two anda-half years. Indeed, so strong was his contribution to the club,that it came as no surprise when informal presentations were made to him by the club, the players and also St. Hilda’s School. He took regular voluntary coaching sessions at St. Hilda’s, and his involvement there will have a massive effect on how they approach the game of rugby in the coming years. Marnitz is taking up a key role with the South African Super 15 franchise The Bulls. Both Hendrik and his wife Cori were wished every success in the future upon their return to the Southern Hemisphere. On the field of play, November 10th saw the Buccaneers Under-16 team set a benchmark for the 2012/13 season, as they recorded their first victory of the season in their opening Under-16 Connacht Division 1 league fixture against Monivea in near perfect conditions at the Castle Grounds. 3217 was the final scoreline from this encounter, as Buccaneers maintained the Indian Sign over Monivea, who they also defeated in last season’s cup quarter-final. Buccaneers had set the tempo for the game early on by dominating Monivea in the possession stakes, although the direct running from the county Galway men did lead to a suprise lead for their opponents. However, the Buccs didn’t panic, and they soon opened their account thanks to a penalty by Tristram Ryan via excellent approach work by Jack Ryan and Willie O’Meara. In a lively opening period, Buccaneers and Monivea traded instinctive five-pointers, but as half-time beckoned, the Athlone-based outfit were starting to get on top of a previously dangerous Monivea offensive line. After the restart, Buccaneers were beginning to exert more pressure on the hosts thanks to the probing of Luke Carty, Patrick Browne, Brian Daly and Conor Murray, the latter proving to be just as diligent with his hands as he was with his boot. Second-half tries from Murray, Jason Wentzel, O’Meara and David Deehan, alongside two conversions from Carty, ensured that Buccaneers

recorded a memorable triumph over their always competitive rivals. They were brought down to earth with a 29-0 home defeat on November 25th against Sligo, but there was enough evidence in their display against Monivea to suggest that they will be tricky customers for their would-be opponents in 2013. With Dubarry Park being such a prominent venue when it comes to club, interprovincial and underage Internationals, it would be of great benefit to the league, as well as to Buccaneers, if the The Bounty men were to force their way into the top-flight of the Ulster Bank League, and their early season form has put them in a strong position to push for promotion in the latter half of 2012/13. What has been particularly impressive about the Buccaneers Seniors so far this term is how well they have performed on their travels. To date, they have won all three of their away fixtures, with successes over the division’s struggling sides – Blackrock College and Ballymena – being followed by a stunning comeback against Malone at Gibson Park on November 17th. This was the second game of the post-Marnitz era for Buccaneers, and was also their third consecutive league win. However, what made this particular victory all the more special was the fact that Buccaneers fell 12-0 behind in the opening moments. The club’s Irish U-20 star, Jack Carty, played a big part in their revival with four penalties and a conversion, which complemented five-pointers from Kolo Kiripati and Callum Boland. Buccaneers first away trip of the New Year will also see them travelling to Belfast, when they take on Belfast Harlequins in Deramore Park on January 26th, three weeks after they play host to UCD in their opening tie of the calendar year. Those interested in getting their hands on some Buccaneers replica gear for the Christmas season are advised to make contact with Buccaneers as soon as they can. Though stocks may be limited (as they have been on offer for quite a while now), the gear that is currently on sale from the club includes shirts, hoodies, hats, jackets and socks. To check out what is currently in stock and/or to place an order, you can contact Ms. Jacqui Pears at 085-1133806. A supply of club ties have also arrived in Buccaneers RFC, and are available to be purchased from Geraldine, the club’s administrator, in the offices at Dubarry Park. Costs are approximately €15, and can be secured by phoning Geraldine at 086-1732711.

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BUCCANEERS RFC: History The Buccaneers Rugby Football as we know it now, came into being in the 1993/94 season, when Athlone RFC and Ballinasloe RFC joined forces and played as a joint team in Division Three of the All-Ireland League under the name of Athlone/Ballinasloe RFC. The following year the relationship was consolidated and formalised and the title Buccaneers R.F.C. came into being. However the roots of Buccaneers RFC go back a lot further than 1993. In the 1930’s a team called Shannon Buccaneers were formed with the help and leadership of Diarmuid Murtagh. Murtagh’s ambition was to establish a dominant midlands based rugby club, and a pair of Town Cup wins, looked to have been the start of a long and successful period of time for the fledging club. The outbreak of World War II brought a premature end to the lifespan of Shannon Buccaneers, and it wasn’t until 1950 that rugby made a return to Athlone, when the suitably named Athlone Rugby Football Club was formed under the presidency of Dr. Jim Kean. Success wasn’t long in coming for the Athlone based side. They landed their first Connacht Senior Cup in 1955 with the Connacht Senior League being captured the following year. Further Senior League championships were won in 1977, 1987 and 1988 while the Cup triumphs accrued in 1976, 1977 (making it a Cup & League double), 1990 and 1991. The Connacht Junior League was also won in 1957, 1980 and 1988. Having such a deep and rich history meant that international honours for Athlone players were never too far away. Leo Galvin, who would play a big role in the alliance with Ballinasloe RFC, was the first clubman from Athlone to be capped for Ireland in an international, when he made his debut against Argentina in 1973. Paddy Kilcommons, Ray McLoughlin, Dermot Fitzpatrick, Paddy Grogan, Gerry McNamara, David Henshaw, Patrick Cooney, P.J.Dwyer, Kevin Canavan and Pat Hynes are just some of the well-known names that have lined out for the Athlone club throughout the years. The link up in 1993 saw Buccaneers narrowly avoid relegation in that first season. It wasn’t until two seasons later that they began to find a deal of success. They ran away with the Division Three title, remaining unbeaten culminating in a decisive win against Portadown on the final day of the campaign.

Buccaneers’s upward curve continued with the introduction of a young coach, by the name of Eddie O’Sullivan in 1997. That season saw them lose just one league game and they qualified for a two-leg home and away promotion battle with Dungannon. Buccaneers lost the first leg by 17 points to 7. But the away game proved to be one of the biggest upsets in Irish club rugby history with the home side going down by 27 points to 10. The shock win would propel Bucs into Division 1, where they not only survived, but thrived. A series of fine wins saw them finish in third place in the League, a position that secured a play-off spot away to Cork Constitution which they narrowly failed to win. The departure of O’Sullivan in the 1999-2000 season failed to hold Buccaneers back. John McKee guided the midlanders to two Top Four finishes in three seasons. Geoff Moylan then took over the role of Senior Coach for two seasons in 2005/6 but Buccs struggled in his first season at the helm and were relegated to Division Two after the following campaign. Following two seasons in Division 2, Buccs made their return to the top division of club rugby in Ireland under the guidance of Tony Dolan and Jude Lennon. South African Hendrik Marnitz then took over the reins in 2010/11 and Buccaneers have consistently been among the frontrunners in Division 1B under his tutelage. Ballinasloe withdrew from the amalgamation at the end of season 2005/6 and returned to the junior ranks in Connacht, winning the J2 league title at the first attempt. That decision meant that all Buccaneers teams are now based in Athlone with the underage teams also playing as Buccaneers since season 2006/7 following the AGM of Athlone RFC which voted to change the name of the club to Buccaneers RFC. Buccaneers current ground was renamed Dubarry Park in 2003 when the brand new clubhouse and facilities was officially opened by IRFU President Don Crowley. Since then the main pitch has been developed into a top class venue including a 650-seater Stand, covered terracing, international standard playing surface and TV quality floodlights. The grounds have played host to All-Ireland League and Cup finals and also has staged Ireland’s U-20 Six Nations Championship fixtures for the past seven seasons.

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Presidential thoughts Becoming a President of a rugby club is a huge honour. To be elected to the highest role possible within in a club is something that comes to few. For Diarmuid Murphy, President of Buccaneers Rugby Football Club, the role of President has brought its challenges.

“Being President takes a tremendous amount of time and effort. It puts a strain on both your professional and personal life. For my sins I also referee. There is a lot of mental pressure, but you just have to find the right balance to make things work”.

Having heroes like Tony Ward and Ollie Campbell meant that Murphy always had an attraction to rugby. However unlike many Presidents, his time playing rugby was all too brief as he explains. “I only played rugby until I was 14 or 15”, Murphy said.” Growing up I wasn’t really interested in GAA or soccer, rugby would have been the only sport that I followed”.

And make things work is exactly what Murphy has achieved in his time as President. Currently playing their senior rugby in Division 1B of the Ulster Bank League, Buccaneers have continued to progress both on and off the pitch, something which Murphy is keen to see continue under his presidency.

Murphy’s journey to the top of Buccaneers is at odds with many of his fellow Presidents. Unlike so many, who have a long playing career with their club, then make the transition into the administrative side of the game, his journey began in the car parks of the rugby club.

“I suppose we have the same objectives as every other team. We don’t want to be any worse off than we are now. On the pitch we would like to move up a division and I think with the group of players that we have at the moment, that is a realistic goal.

“I became involved with the club, mainly because I was hanging around the car parks waiting on my children to finish playing their matches. From then I did some coaching with the underage teams and things progressed from there”.

“Away from the rugby field, I think it’s important to continue our role within the community. We are a club that is right at the heart of the local area and I think it’s very important to keep the ties that we have built up as strong as we possibly can”.

A stint as Club Secretary preceded his rise to the role of President , and while he described becoming President, it wasn’t something that particularly lit his fire. “It was a huge honour, but I would describe myself as a reluctant President. I took on the role for two reasons. One, I was asked by a number of people would I step up to the role, and the second reason was that there were very few people out there that actually wanted to do it.

While he has enjoyed his term as President of Buccaneers, when the time does come for Diarmuid Murphy to step aside and hand over the reins, it is something that he will be comfortable leaving behind. “I suppose I will be back waiting in the car parks for my sons”, he smilingly admits. “I will have some involvement with the club when I do finish my presidency, but not anything like I have at the moment. When the time does come I know that I have given all that I can to the role and nobody can do more than that”.

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clontarf RFC NEWS RESULTS STATS ProfileS While the on-field travails of their various teams has, as always, captured the attention of all those involved with Clontarf Rugby Club, there has also been plenty of activity behind the scenes in Castle Avenue recently, which has helped to bring all of the club’s members together as one.

It proved to be a unique experience for all involved, and it helped in raising some much-needed funds for the rugby and GAA clubs in Clontarf as a result. That particular weekend also ended very successfully for Clontarf RFC, as they hosted their very own Halloween party for under 12s, set-up to raise money for the Cow and Gate Smiles for Crumlin Appeal.

The Halloween period was a very busy one for those involved in fundraising and event planning at the club, as it saw the 2nd Battle of Clontarf taking place on Friday October 26th. This is a white collar boxing event, where Clontarf Rugby Club and Clontarf GAA engage in a number of bouts over one night. The location for this year’s battle, as well as the one last year, was the Wright Venue in Swords. Tickets for the event were priced at €20, which not only included entry to the fight arena, but also to the Wright Venue nightclub afterwards, where they were kicking off their Halloween weekend celebrations. Training for the Battle Of Clontarf 2 commenced back in early September and, following training sessions twice a week from expert boxing coaches (over a six-week period), they were all well primed for action.

Throughout the year, the Clontarf Rugby Golf Society (known affectionately as the Tarf Bulls Golf Society) has been hosting a number of events, with their most recent outing taking place on November 23rd. Interested parties are advised to check regularly behind the clubhouse bar ahead of events, as that is where the team sheets for the specific outings can be found.

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Those who are seeking Clontarf club merchandise can check out the club shop in the Castle Avenue grounds, which offers a large selection of items with a number of different ranges. An item that was added to the club shop during the month of November are Clontarf Rugby cufflinks, which are gold coloured and feature the Clontarf Bull (which has been synonymous with the club down through the decades) and a logo donning the club colours of red and blue. They are presently available at the price of €20. On the field of play, Clontarf have had their ups and downs in the 2012/13 to date, as they have already lost out in three games so far in Division 1A, which will come as something of a worry for coach Andy Wood, as they have only lost four group league games in each of their previous two league campaigns. They will be on a revenge mission in their first game of the 2013 calendar year, though, as they make the trip across Dublin to face St. Mary’s College on January 5th in Templeville Road. This is the first of two meetings between the sides in a matter of weeks, as they also face each other on February 1st in Castle Avenue, and Clontarf will be hoping that they can do the business against a team that pipped them to the league title on the final day of last season. As far as ‘Tarf’s J1 team are concerned, it has had a positive season up to this point under the stewardship of coach Adrian Clarke. In the Leinster Senior Seconds League Cup, they won three games from four in Section B of the competition, before losing out marginally in the play-offs to Lansdowne (20-23) at Castle Avenue in October. There were plenty of plus points from their League Cup displays, however, and they have carried this into the Metro J1 League, where they have achieved successes over Dublin University, Greystones, St Mary’s College and Old Belvedere, and even though UCD got the better of them on November 11th with eight points to spare (21-13), they are well positioned to challenge for top honours after Christmas. The Clontarf J2 side are similarly well-placed with two wins from three in Phase 2 of Section A in the Metro J2/J3 League, while the J3s are also in contention in the Lower 12 of the same league base having won Section 2 of the Leinster J3 League in 2011/12 with 11 victories and one draw from 12 outings.

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CLONTARF RFC: History Clontarf RFC was founded in 1876 and holds a unique place in Irish rugby history. While the majority of clubs are known as Rugby Football Clubs, Clontarf RFC is known as Clontarf Football Club, along with Lansdowne FC. This came about because when the club was formed before either the Irish Rugby Football Union or the Football Association of Ireland was formed. Clontarf remains one of the very few clubs in Ireland to hold that entitlement. The club had a number of different homes for the first number of years of their existence. Between 1876 and 1896 the Club transferred grounds several times in the Clontarf area firstly to a ground beside the Boat Club, which has since become the Clontarf bus depot, then to the Howth Road and ultimately to Castle Avenue, their home for the last number of decades. Their ascension to the senior ranks of Irish rugby didn’t take long. In the 1902-3 season, Clontarf were admitted to the Leinster League. The following year they came desperately close to landing their first senior cup but they were outpointed by Landsdowne by 5-3. One of the clubs biggest successes came in 1936 when they won their first Leinster Senior Cup. That win would prove to be the last in that competition for an amazing 63 years, until the club put that unwanted record behind them when they won the cup again in 1999. Another huge moment in the clubs history came in 1966 when they defeated Athletic Rugby Football Club from New Zealand. That team, captained by I.N. McEwan, suffered their only defeat on that tour at the hands of Clontarf that day. The win against ARFC is still regarded by many as one of the greatest achievements in the clubs history. While they have won trophies throughout the course of their history, the last twenty years have seen Clontarf blossom into one of the biggest clubs in the entire country. In what was a fruitful number of years, Clontarf won the Leinster Floodlight Competition in 1989, 1990, 1997 and 1998, the All-Ireland Floodlight Competition in 1990 and the All-Ireland League Division II in 1996/97. The clubs success has continued right up to the present day. They landed their third Leinster Senior Cup in 2002 and more recently they landed the Metropolitan Cup in 2012. Current Leinster and Ireland star Cian Healy plays his club rugby for Clontarf. The club continues to go from strength to strength and they have a tremendous impact on the local community. A lot of work is put into their “Mini” rugby team and Youth Rugby, a section that is of large importance to the club. Clontarf are currently playing their rugby in Division 1A of the Ulster Bank League.

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Presidential thoughts “We are a parish club in the city”, says current Clontarf President Terry Browne. Such sentiments illustrate that, although Clontarf have become one of the most successful teams in club rugby their roots, much like their President, are tied into the local community. Growing up in Raheny, North Co. Dublin, Browne’s initial sporting attraction was far away from the game of rugby as he explains. “The place that I grew up in wasn’t what you would call a rugby bastion. I was more into GAA and soccer in my childhood. “My first exposure to the game of rugby was when I played ‘vactional rugby’ which took place around the Christmas and Easter holidays. Up to then I didn’t have much interest in the game, but as soon as I was exposed to it, I knew it was the game for me”. Having played some rugby for Trinity while in college, it was when Browne made the move to Clontarf that his rugby career really began to take off. He played a big part in the success that the Dublin based club enjoyed throughout the 14 years that he played for the club. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing for Clontarf. It was great to be part of the success that we enjoyed. The one period of time that really stands out for me was between 1989-1992. We won a Leinster League title, and we also qualified for the inaugural All-Ireland League during those few years”. During Browne’s career, the likes of Brent Pope, Terry Tuschen, who captained South Africa, along with Max Smith and Damien O’Brien from New Zealand, all had a big impact during their time with Clontarf, and he feels that there is something unique about the club, that makes it an attractive option for overseas players. “We are very much a local club and when a player from the Southern Hemisphere would join us, they were always warmly welcomed. The guys from down there brought a level of focus to the team that, perhaps, we may have been lacking. We had good, solid, players but having that outside experience was a huge help. When the new guys came in I think they could see that we had a professional attitude,

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both on and off the pitch, even though we were an amateur club in name”. Following his retirement from the Clontarf jersey, Browne committed himself to bringing along the next generation of players, with a stint as coach of the U-20 side, along with working behind the scenes on the administrative side of the club. While admitting that the role of President didn’t really cross his mind, when he did assume the role, his goals for the club were crystal clear. “When I became President I wanted to break down barriers and make everyone involved in the club, feel as one. I didn’t want us to be known as just a senior club team, but as a wholly inclusive club, who looked after not just the top team, but all teams, at every age level”. For Browne, the huge success of Leinster, Ireland and Clontarf RFC native Cian Healy is the perfect example of what the club is all about. While Healy played his schools rugby with Belvedere, his heart has always remained with Clontarf, which is something that Browne is justifiably proud of. “In many ways we gave Cian his first love of rugby. He came back here after playing schools rugby with Belvedere, and went through our system before progressing onto Leinster and Ireland. We are all very proud of him, and he comes to our games whenever he can”. And as for future ambitions, what does Browne want for his club? Well he is very keen for an annoying itch to be scratched. “I’d dearly love to win the Ulster Bank League”, admits Browne. “We have lost out in three finals over the last number of seasons, so to win the League is a big ambition for us here. Off the pitch, I want to see the junior and the mini set-ups continue to develop and progress, along with maintaining our strong links in the local community. A lot of our DNA comes from the local area, so maintaining that link is very important to us. “A parish club in a city”. It’s very hard to disagree with that statement.

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CORK CON. RFC NEWS RESULTS STATS ProfileS A school disco may not be everyone’s idea of starting a long and successful association with a rugby club. In the case of current Cork Constitution President Finian O’Driscoll, that is just how he first became involved with the Munster club. For O’Driscoll the lure of rugby didn’t come calling too quickly. A natural jovial person, he speaks with a passion about his club, but as he explains, growing up, his interests encompassed more than just rugby. “Growing up, I wasn’t really attracted to rugby and to team games. I was more interested in the likes of sailing and more individually based sports. My earliest memory of Cork Constitution would have been going to the junior discos when I was growing up. I would have only become interested in the rugby aspect of the club when I was around 18”. Despite joining the club at a somewhat late stage of his teenage years, O’Driscoll made up for any lost time, by helping Con continue the success that the club enjoyed in the years before O’Driscoll put on the Con jersey, including captaining them to a Munster Junior Cup success. “I suppose the games that we had with Shannon would be the standout. Both teams were successful during the time that I was playing, so it was only natural that we would play them a lot. We got the better of them sometimes, and then they would have the verdict over us at times, so it was never dull between the two sides”. A successful career, which finished at 32, preceded an even more successful career, off the pitch with Con. Having travelled to the likes of America

and Zimbabwe with the team, O’Driscoll became involved with the junior team, becoming a selector, along with a stint with the senior team. His passion and commitment to the whole ethos of Cork Con, saw O’Driscoll become more involved with the off the field running of the club, a role that he relished, as he looked to bring the Cork based outfit to the highest of standards both on and off the pitch. “When I finished playing, I wanted to remain part of the club and help in whatever way that I could. Becoming President was obviously a huge honour and one that I take tremendous pride in”. Having made it to the top position in the club, O’Driscoll oversaw the clubs continued success on the pitch, while steering them through the economic downturn a number of years ago. The downturn had a negative impact on the club as O’Driscoll reveals. “I suppose the biggest impact that they downturn had on us here, was the fact that we had to put our move away from Temple Hill on hold.

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Everything was set up and ready to go, until the downturn really hit. “If everything went to plan we would have been finished around now and we would be playing in our new facilities. In many ways we were lucky that we didn’t go ahead with the move, given how bad the downturn has been”. Despite the move away from Temple Hill falling through, it hasn’t affected Cork Con on the pitch. Continued success in the Munster Senior Cup, along with a victorious campaign in the AIL League (2010) has copper fastened Con’s status as one of the premier clubs in Ireland. This, O’Driscoll’ puts down to hard work and dedication, on and off the field. “We are fortunate in many ways”, says O’Driscoll. “There a huge number of volunteers here each and every week, who play just as an important role as the players and coaches do. Without their help, I don’t think we would be in the position that we are. “It’s also great that the likes of Ralph (Keys), Tommy (Kiernan) and Donal (Lenihan) continue to be involved with the club. Having their experience around the club can only benefit us going forward”. That go forward attitude is one of the defining characteristics of Cork Constitution. Having one eye to the future is a big priority for O’Driscoll. At any one weekend there could be up to 700 young boys and girls at the club, playing at all levels of the game, and having that strong emphasis on local children in the community, is something that he wants to see continued. “Having a strong foothold in the local community is very important to us”, O’Driscoll explains.” It is fantastic to have young children from the likes of Douglas and Blackrock come to our club. There is a tremendous sense of pride of having such a strong involvement with local people. “Our premises are not just used for rugby, but for local people who may need to use them for various events, so we are aware of the role that the club can play in the community”. Under the stewardship of Finian O’Driscoll, Cork Con are in safe hands for the foreseeable future.

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CORK CONSTITUTION RFC: History The origins of Cork Constitution begin with a newspaper. The Cork Constitution was a newspaper that printed six days a week. On Sunday’s, the day that the newspaper didn’t print, a group of people, led by David Kilroy, started a cricket club to occupy themselves during the summer months. With no cricket been played during the winter months, a rugby club was formed and that is how Cork Constitution was formed in 1892. Three years later, in 1895, Cork Con held a meeting to discuss the inauguration of a junior cup for clubs around the Munster area. In 1896 they landed the first trophy, winning the first junior club cup by three tries to nil. Cork Con continued to progress until the outbreak of the Great War halted their progress. Among the people to lose their life in the battlefields of Europe was H.C. Mcgrath, who was elected captain of the team in for the 1914-15 season. He died in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The war of Independence also had a negative impact on the development of the team. Cork became one of the epicentres for the war including the deaths of two Lord Mayors, the burning of the city in December 1920 before the war came to an end in 1921. The following decade proved to be a barren period for the Cork outfit with just a single win in each of the main competitions. Led by J.V. Rearden, Cork Con landed the Munster Senior Cup, defeating Limerick Bohemian 12-0 in the second of two replays, after both the final and the first replay ended scoreless. There were also further Munster Junior Cup final defeats at the hands of Bohemians in 1932 and Shannon again in 1939. During the 1950’s the club underwent a few changes. After been put on notice by University College Cork that their lease at Mardyke would not be renewed the club were forced to look for a new home. A site at Temple Hill was chosen and two pitches and a small clubhouse were built. The official opening was performed by Club President John Tierney, with many dignitaries in attendance including P.A.McGrath, Lord Mayor, who was the former club President and Captain. That period of time was also very fruitful on the pitch too. Four Munster Junior Cup’s found their way to Cork Con, along with two Munster Senior Cup’s and a Munster Senior League title. That good success on and off the pitch continued throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s. Having settled into their new base at Temple Hill, Cork Con completed two ‘grand slams’ of Cup, League and Charity Cup in 1967 and 1970. The success in 1967 was a huge moment in the clubs history with Jerry Murray, Captain, and Jim Donovan, President, coinciding with the celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the club’s foundation. Along with capturing two ‘grand slams’ Con also captured the Munster Senior League an incredible eight seasons in a row from 1963 to 1970. That time period also saw Cork Con represented at the highest international level along with the ultimate honour for any rugby player,

the British & Irish Lions. Noel Murphy and Tom Kiernan played with Ireland throughout the decade and were both honoured with captaincy. Noel Murphy gained his second Lions tour to Australia & New Zealand in 1966, while Tom Kiernan was selected as Captain of the Lions tour to South Africa in 1968, having previously toured South Africa in 1962. The club continued to expand off the pitch during that time also. A third pitch was built along with a new dressing room complex being added in the1980-82 period at Temple Hill, while the roadway was re-aligned and a new boundary wall and entrance ramp built. Their legacy on the pitch continued to grow during the 1980’s. The Munster Junior Cup which was won in 1982, contained some future stars of domestic and international rugby. Young tyros Michael Bradley and Ralph Keyes starred in a 43-7 defeat of Shannon, having defeated Thomond in a gruelling semi-final. That junior team would enjoy a successful decade, landing the Munster Junior Cup five years during the 1980’s Cork Con also welcomed Donal Lenihan, who was already an established international to the club from UCC in 1984, and together with Moss Finn and Anthony O’Leary, they formed the steely backbone of the Cork Constitution. The IRFU made the long-desired decision to introduce an All Ireland League for club competition and the qualifying process was put in train in 1987. Constitution qualified for the 1st Division with two Munster Senior League wins in 1988 & 1989, though they had to win a crucial game in 1990 against Young Munster to seal the place. The inaugural AIL League would see Cork Con land the title after an almighty battle with Garryowen, with captain Michael Bradley leading his side to a narrow 9-3 win. The 1990’s also saw Cork Con celebrate their centenary year in the 1991-92 season. The Barbarian’s touring team played a combined Constitution / Old Wesley XV at Temple Hill in September, while the full Irish team played a warm up game against Constitution prior to the Rugby World Cup tournament in October. Constitution won a second All Ireland League in 1999 defeating Garryowen 11-6, after extra time in the final at Lansdowne Road. The team, captained by Philip Soden, contained players who were also contracted to the Munster team, including the likes of John Kelly, Anthony Horgan, Ronan O’Gara, Frank Sheahan, David Corkery and Donncha O’Callaghan.

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DOLPHIN RFC NEWS RESULTS STATS ProfileS

For quite some time now, Pat McDonnell Paints have been loyal supporters of Dolphin Rugby Club, and with their main office being based in the heart of Cork City (on Centre Park Road in Bachelors Quay to be exact), making them an ideal partner for the Togher men. Aside from the Rebel County, they also have outlets in the profitable areas of Galway, Kilkenny, Athlone and Tralee. However, next February will also see them moving into the everexpanding Dublin market, when they will take up residency at the old Nutgrove Shopping Centre on the southside of the county. This will certainly help to boost the profile of Pat McDonnell Paints, and in the long-term that can only be of benefit to all involved at Dolphin. The Dolphin club shop is in demand throughout the year, but Christmas tends to be the busiest time of year, and with a number of specials available for the festive season, patrons of Dolphin will be eager to cash in on some of the offers that are in store. Orders are currently being taken for new ranges of Dolphin gear, including jerseys for children up to the age of 4. Jerseys of this nature, and for those as old as 12, can be purchased at a price of €55, while for ages of 13 and upwards, it is €60. Socks are on sale at €10, shorts at €25 and hoodies at €55. Beanies are at a cost of €10, club ties are €15, with the much-sought after gear bags coming in at €30. For the season that’s in it, Parka Jackets are €60, Wet Jackets are €55, whereas Pink Polo Shirts and Pink Hoodies are €30 each. Zip Tops are €55, Jumpers are €25 and Track Suit Bottoms are on sale at €30. In order to aid health & safety measures, Gum Shields and Ice Packs can also be bought from the shop at prices of €2.50 and €25 respectively. You can also check the club shop for special offer clearance lines, and in addition there is a ‘Christmas Special Offer’ where you can purchase a selection of items as part of one overall deal. These items are: jersey, shorts, socks, hoodie, gear bag and beanie, and the offer is available at a total cost of €160 for age 12 and under, and at €170 for age 13 and upwards. Like a vast array of clubs around the country, Dolphin participated in the ‘Movember’ initiative during the

month of November, with their chosen charity being Cork Cancer Research. The club members involved had their ‘taches removed at Karizma Barbers in Douglas, another sponsor of the club, on Friday November 30th, and images of this can be viewed on the club’s website. History will be made on Saturday December 15th, when Dave O’Flynn will become the first-ever Dolphin referee to be involved in the officiating of European competition. He will be on duty in Rovigo in Italy, where he will be the Second Touch Judge (TJ2) in the Amlin Cup game featuring Femi-CZ VEA Rovigo and Bizkaia Gernika RT. He will form an all-Irish team for the clash, with Leo Colgan acting as referee, and John Carvill joining him as Touch Judge. O’Flynn is not the only former AIL player from Dolphin to make his mark as referee in recent times, as former club captain George Finn has taken charge of numerous J1 fixtures across Munster and other provinces, with former full back Gary Conway also looking after his fair share of Ulster Bank League Division 2A & 2B games. There was a massive push over the last couple of months for the IRFU Your Club Your Country Draw, which finally got underway on Friday November 9th under the auspices of independent auditors. In total, there were ten prizes on offer, which were sold by a variety of clubs around the country, ranging from the 10th place prize of an Elverys Sports voucher to the value of €1,000 (sold by Charleville RFC) and the top prize of touring with the British & Irish Lions in Australia next June (sold by NUIM Barnhall). Dolphin were lucky enough to sell the second prize on offer, which was a VIP Gold Package for Ireland’s RBS Six Nations encounter with England, comprising of VIP match tickets, official IRFU hospitality, hotel accommodation and PUMA Irish rugby goodie bags for 2 persons. Dolphin club member Niamh Yelverton was lucky enough to be the recipient of this enticing prize for what should be a memorable occasion.

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Presidential thoughts A deep love and passion for Dolphiin RFC. These are just two of the things that one notices when you talk to the clubs current President John Sylvester. Sport has always played a huge role in Sylvester’s life, going back to his days in Terenure College, where he got his first real exposure to the game of rugby as he explains. “Growing up, the two sports that I loved were GAA and rugby. When I went to Terenure, I was exposed to rugby a good bit more and I was soon bitten by the game”.

Dolphin club men James Coughlan and Denis Hurley are both on the verge of milestones for their province as, at the time of writing, they are on the verge of making 100 appearances for Munster. Ahead of the Heineken Cup tie with Saracens on December 8th, Coughlan had donned the famous Red jersey 99 times, which is quite a feat for a late developer, who had to wait until September 2006 to make his debut for Munster, at the age of 25. He has enjoyed a number of highlights with his province, including captaining the Red Army in their victory over Australia and being voted Munster player of the season during the 2010/11 campaign. During his time with Dolphin, Coughlan has played 85 times in either the AIB League or AIB Cup, scoring an impressive 32 tries, which is a club record. At 28, Hurley has plenty of rugby left in him as well, and though there is a lot of competition for the back three positions in Rob Penney’s team, the one-time capped international is likely to build on the eight games he has featured in so far this term. He has also been an important figure for Munster ‘A’ in recent times, and was on the side that overcame Cross Keys in the British & Irish Cup decider in April.

Becoming Dolphin President may have seemed far-fetched at that time, but Sylvester soon made his way, to Cork, where he would soon immerse himself in the rugby culture of the county. A stint at Youghal, where he would work with future Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan, preceded a move to Dolphin in 1982. His career with Dolphin spanned three decades, in which time he enjoyed a good deal of success domestically and also had the good fortune to travel internationally with the Munster based club. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing with Dolphin. I had the fortune to travel to the likes of America and Canada with the team, over the course of the 30 years that I played. We went to the likes of Vancouver in Canada, and we would take coaching sessions with a number of teams over there, and try to pass on some of the skills that we acquired, as the game was still developing over there when I was still playing”. After his long playing career had come to an end, his involvement with the club continued. A stint on the administrative side of the club, preceded a number of seasons coaching in the underage setup, a role that Sylvester took huge pride in. “The coaching was something that I really enjoyed. I became involved in that area when my own son began to play mini rugby. There is nothing like watching a young player, who has a love of the game, develop on and off the pitch. That is something you cannot buy”. Sylvester balanced both coaching and the off the field activities for a number of years, and gradually his attention was directed away from the training paddock and more toward the office. It would be a move that set the wheels in motion for a gradual move up the ranks, until he reached the highest office in a rugby club. While he was thrilled to become President of Dolphin, Sylvester does admit that taking the role wasn’t a concrete goal that he had set for himself, but more of a slow burning journey that took him to the top. “I felt very honoured when I became President. When I started out it wasn’t something that I set out to become. I always wanted to be involved with the club in any way that I could, but when the opportunity came along, it was something that I couldn’t turn away from”. Like every President, Sylvester is justifiably proud of the tradition that Dolphin has built up over the course of their history, and when he assumed the Presidential role, keeping the core values and principals of Dolphin were very much at the forefront of his thinking. “Continuing the tradition that Dolphin has, on and off the pitch, is very important to us here. We are progressing nicely in the League (Division 1A of the Ulster Bank League) and we are striving to continue to improve our mini and underage setups. Those areas are where the next generation of players come from, so we have to protect the future, both on and off the pitch”. With John Sylvester, Dolphin’s RFC future is in the safest hands possible.

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SHANNON RFC NEWS RESULTS STATS ProfileS When one mentions Shannon RFC, many names and images come flooding back into the mind. They are one of the most decorated clubs in Irish rugby and have had many players that have worn the green jersey of Ireland and in some cases the red of the British & Irish Lions. While he may not have reached those rarefied airs, current Shannon President, Vincent Ryan, has played a huge role over the last thirty years in bringing the club to the current position they enjoy, which sees them play their rugby in the top division of the Ulster Bank League.

Brian O’Brien was the life blood of Shannon AND Such an inspiration and a motivation to all of us

Ryan’s connection with Shannon goes far beyond just his own personal involvement with the club. His grandfather Michael Burke was involved in the formative years of the club in 1905, while his father Frank Ryan brought the young Vincent along to games when he was growing up, from which a thirty year love affair with the club began. Educated at St Clements, which Ryan admits ‘was more of a Garryowen then a Shannon school’ his involvement was always based with Shannon. ”Growing up, Shannon was always my club. My playing career as such began was when I was 15. We had three teams at the time and we trained on the back pitch at Thomond Park. I had some great days playing back then, and I met a lot of very good people, many of whom I am friends with to this day”. “One of the standout people that I remember at that time was Brian O’Brien. Brian was the life blood of Shannon. He was the first international at the club and was such an inspiration and a motivation to all of us here”. Along with Brian O’Brien, Ryan has seen, and played with a number of top class players during his career. Ryan’s story with Shannon may not have been decorated with medals “I played for 30 years with the club and I never won a medal’ but he remembers fondly some of the players that he played with. “Oh there are too many to list, but playing with the likes of Brendan Foley and Mick Milan would be a huge highlight for me. I mostly played with the 2nd and 3rd teams at second row, but when I did get the chance to play with the 1st team, it was something that I looked forward to immensely. “While I was never going to play for Ireland, I took great pride in playing for Shannon. It is a club that means an awful lot to me and it is a source of tremendous personal pride that the club enjoys the position it currently has in Irish club rugby”. Ryan’s journey to the most prestigious honour in the club was a long one. Having retired from on field activities, he continued to have a hand’s on involvement with the club, developing the next generation of players that would pull on the Shannon jersey. “I coached the 2nd and 3rd team for 10-15 years and was also a selector during that period of time for the 1st team. That area of the game is one that I get a real thrill from. To have a hand in bringing along the next

generation of player, watching them grow and develop, on and off the pitch, was great to see”. Along with coaching at the club, Ryan began to become more heavily involved in the administration side of the game too. Becoming President wasn’t something that figured on his radar, but a meeting with fellow Shannon man Oscar Tunner, gave Ryan food for thought. “I was talking to Oscar one day about non rugby related issues, when we got onto the topic of the club and the direction that it was headed in. At the time I never had serious designs on becoming President, however Oscar said to me “We need people like you at the top”. I suppose it was then that the idea of becoming President became more than a concept”. The untimely death of Jim McNicholas in February this year speeded up Ryan’s step up to the Presidency, which is a role that he takes a lot of personal pride in. “It is a tremendous honour to be President of this club. Some people may not know this, but Shannon is the oldest rugby club in Ireland. Both ourselves and Garryowen were formed in 1884, but we were founded seven months before them. “Like everyone who becomes President of their club we are trying to be the best that we can be. Each year we want to see the club develop on and off the pitch. At the moment, from a playing point of view, we are looking to improve our position in Division 1A of the Ulster Bank League. We are in the bottom half of the table at the moment, so we have plenty of work to do on that front. “Off the pitch, we are very focused on developing our underage setup. At any given weekend we could have up to 400-500 young children at the club, so we have a duty to look after the next generation of players. If we don’t look after them, then the future will be lost”. One gets the feeling that with Vincent Ryan at the helm, Shannon RFC will be in safe and secure hands for many years to come.

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With nine titles to their name, Shannon Rugby Football Club currently stand at the top of the All-Ireland League Roll Of Honour with more than twice the number of successes in comparison to the next nearest on the list, Cork Constitution Along with an illustrious, trophy laden, past, Shannon have also provided a number of players that have pulled on the green jersey for Ireland, with the likes of Brendan Foley, Colm Tucker and Gerry McLoughlin having played their club rugby with Shannon, before going onto represent their country. Currently, Paddy Butler, Marcus Horan, Felix Jones, Niall Ronan and Peter Stringer are all contracted to Munster, while they also have Munster Academy representatives in the shape of Luke O’Dea, Gareth Quinn McDonagh and Paul Rowley. However, Shannon’s season to date in the Ulster Bank League Division 1B has been a tough one for all those involved in the club, as it has only seen them collecting two losing bonus points from their opening six fixtures. These points were accrued from improved displays against Garryowen and St. Mary’s College, but they took the field for these showings without the presence of coaching duo Stephen Keogh (a former Leinster and Munster flanker) and Eoin Cahill, who departed their positions following their fourth defeat of the season against Old Belvedere on November 3rd. It was felt that it would be best for both parties if a new voice was introduced into the dressing room, as Shannon continued their battle to secure their top-flight survival come the end of April. In a statement released on the club’s website, Shannon RFC Chairman Jack Keane expressed his gratitude for the efforts of Keogh and Cahill during their 18 months at the helm, and also stated that they wouldn’t make any rash decisions about their successors, especially with games still to play before the end of 2012. “There’s no doubt we are in difficult times in the Ulster Bank League, but nonetheless, Stephen and Eoin have worked assiduously during their time as head coach and assistant coach respectively,” Keane stated. “The process of finding suitable replacements has only just begun, but we are very conscious that we still have two more AIL games to play before the November break including a hugely important game on Friday against Garryowen. However, despite the urgency, our executive committee will not

make any decision in haste and will look to carry out the process with all the due diligence expected,” Keane added. Off the field, Shannon had a special occasion in their office bar on December 1st when they held a reunion to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of their very first Ladies team. Getting underway at 7pm in the Office Bar on a busy Saturday night, this event was open to all those who had been involved with the Shannon Ladies team during the past 20 years. The event also acted as a fundraiser for the continuing development of the current ladies side, with donations of €10 made on the night. With a larger number of Shannon players having represented their country at international level – including the likes of Joy Neville, Olivia Brown, Joss Hanrahan, Jacky McCarthy and Fiona Steed – it is crucial that a club like Shannon continues to thrive in women’s rugby, and events like this are certainly a help in ensuring that the team are allowed to prosper in the future. Though it is still a few months away, anticipation is already starting to grow about Ireland’s 2013 RBS Six Nations Campaign, which will be a crucial tournament for all the Irish players who have aspirations of making the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia in the Summer. As they traditionally do, Shannon are selling tickets for these matches, and members of the club have until the close of business on December 31st to book their tickets for Ireland’s final tie, an away fixture against Italy in the Olympic Stadium. Tickets are currently available at a variety of prices in six different categories: Cat 1 - €80.00; Cat 2 - €70.00; Cat 3 - €60.00; Cat 4 - €50.00; Cat 5 - €40.00; Cat 6 - €25.00. Each of these tickets are subject to a Munster Branch administration fee of €1.00. Those who wish to reserve tickets are advised to contact Tadhg Crowe at tadhgcrowe@ yahoo.com or by mobile on 087-6524958 or alternatively Nicky Hogan at nickyhogan10@ gmail.com or by mobile on 086-1562409. It was with much sadness that we learnt of the passing of Dr. Darragh Little during the month of September. A native of Galway, Darragh served as Shannon’s doctor for an incredible 38 years, before taking on the role of club President just months after the passing of his great friend, Pat O’Connor. He performed this

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particular role with the same level of commitment that he showed during his time as the club’s medical professional, and he also played a valuable part as one of the club’s trustees. His involvement with the club started in fortuitous circmunstances more than 40 years ago. Upon meeting Shannon club man Fonsie O’Halloran in Angela’s pub (now known as The Swamp), he was invited to become the Shannon doctor for the following Saturday’s senior game, and the rest as they say is history. A hooker

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Shannon RFC: History Shannon Rugby Football Club was founded in February 1884. Among the founding members of the club were Paddy Lynch, Dan Duggan, Richie Gleeson, Pierce Hartney and Joe Hegarty. Paddy Lynch would become the first captain of the Shannon team, while Stephan Hanrahan was President of the club for the first two years of its existence. For the first seventy years of their existence, Shannon RFC remained a junior club. During that period of time Shannon provided a number of high class players for the senior team in Garryowen. Success for Shannon wasn’t too long in coming. They won the Munster Junior Cup for the first time in 1914. 1940 also proved to be a fruitful year for the club. Along with winning their first Charity Cup, they also landed the Munster Junior Cup and the Transfield Cup, to cap a wonderful season. It wasn’t until the 1953-4 season that Shannon would gain senior club status, becoming Limerick’s fifth senior club. In 1960,having drew the first game 8-8, they defeated UCC by 6-3 in a cracking game at Thomond Park, to win their first Munster Senior Cup.

with UCG during his playing days, Darragh was a member of the backroom team when Ireland won the Under-19 IRB World Cup, coming back home with a winner’s medal for his efforts. Once again, his inclusion as the team doctor was a last-minute occurrence for Darragh, but it was just reward for his efforts on the club scene down through the decades. He watched with immense pride in recent years, when his daughter Alanna married club stalwart David Quinlan. He is survived by David, Alanna, and his wife Eileen, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family and to all those involved in Shannon RFC.

In the long and illustrious history of Shannon RFC, they have had a long list of players that have gone on to represent Ireland at the highest level. Brian O’Brien, Brendan Foley, Colm Tucker, Gerry McLoughlin, Mick Moylett, Mick Galwey, Mick Fitzgibbon, Anthony Foley, Eddie Halvey, Alan Quinlan, John Hayes, Peter Stringer, Marcus Horan, Trevor Hogan Jerry Flannery and Tony Buckley, are just some of the names that have pulled on the green jersey of Ireland throughout the decades. The rise of the Munster Rugby brand is closely tied in with the success of Shannon. Players named above, the likes of Quinlan, Flannery, Hayes etc, have all won Heineken Cup winners medals while playing their club rugby with Shannon. The likes of Dominic Ryan are just one of the upcoming stars for the Ireland team that currently ply their trade for Shannon. Shannon have had many homes throughout their existence including the fields at the Island Bank, Gilligan’s field, Johnny Cusack’s field and Egan’s Field on the Mill Rd. The first grounds that the club purchased were located at Fir Hill, Gortatogher. The rapid growth of the club meant that the grounds couldn’t meet their needs and the grounds were sold to Corbally Utd. The move was made to a new ground just off the Ennis Road in Coonagh where there are currently 3 training pitches there, floodlights and newly built dressing rooms, which sets Shannon up for a bright and successful future, both on and off the pitch.

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JUNIOR CLUB Profile

Founded in 1891, Kifeacale & District Rugby Football Club, is situated in Morrissey Park about four miles from Tipperary Town on the Cashel / Tipperary road. The club is adjacent to the horseracing stables of Tommy Stack, who trained Red Rum to win three Grand Nationals. It is also situated near the world famous Ballydoyle stable of Aidan O’Brien. Kifeacle came into being when a group of local rugby enthusiasts decided that there was sufficient interest in the local community for a rugby team to be formed. After all the necessary formalities had been completed, Kifeacle & District was established with Fr Michael Lavelle as the clubs first President. Their beginnings were rather humble. Having no official home of their own. Kilfeacle played their formative years in a field that was kindly donated by a local landowner. Because of the lack of a proper playing facility, the players at the time had no alternative but to get changed by car light and go their separate ways after training, indeed so basic were the facilities, that there was no showering area for the team. Despite their basic surroundings, success came quickly for Kilfeacle. They won their first trophy, the now sadly extinct AIB Cup, in 1983/84 under the captaincy of Seamus Clarke. The bones of that winning cup side that would go on to enjoy great success later on with the club were the likes of Michael Ryan, Tony Cooney, Philly McLoughlin and Conor Ryan.

That initial success would be the prelude to a hugely successful period of time for Kilfeacle and particular, the junior teams. After the club was formed, the junior 1 team would bring the name of Kilfeacle into the bright lights, with tremendous wins in the Mansergh Cup. For five seasons, from 1985/86 to 1990/91, there wasn’t a team that could compete with Kilfeacle in that particular competition. Captained by the likes of Noel Ryan and Seamus Hanley, Kilfeacle were unstoppable, playing an exciting brand of rugby, as they made a deep and lasting impression on Munster rugby during this period. They also made a small piece of history during that bountiful time. Led by Tony Cooney, Kilfeacle won the Munster Junior Plate in the 1994/95 season, when they defeated Bandon in a closely fought game at Thomond Park. This was the first time in the club’s history that they won a game at the legendary Limerick stadium. Kilfeacle’s next major outing would see them come up short against a Munster team in the Junior Cup at Thomond Park. That game would see the emergence of a young star, that would go

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onto have a long and distinguished career for both Munster and Ireland, namely Paul O’Connell (pictured left). The Munster Junior Cup competition has been the source of tremendous success for Kilfeacle. One of the most memorable days in the clubs history came in the final of the cup back in 2001. That day, in a sun kissed Thomond Park, Kilfeacle came up against the might of Cork Constitution. In a game that has subsequently passed into legendary status around the club, Kilfeacle slayed the giant of Cork Con in a pulsating, rip-roaring game, coming out on the right side of the result, narrowly winning 18-15 thanks to Seanie Heuston, who scored the last try of the game. Led by P.J McLoughlin, Kilfeacle finally reached the holy grail of Munster Junior club rugby in a victory that sparked huge celebrations around the local community. An open top bus journey from Oola to Tipperary saw huge number of people come out and celebrate the

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success with the team, in a campaign which saw Kilfeacle defeat no less than four senior clubs, on their way to the final. The following number of seasons would see a number of peaks and troughs for the club. They narrowly missed out on gaining Senior club status when they lost to Bruff in the final of the Munster Junior League. Once again they would come up short the following season when Nenagh saw them off at the famed Nenagh Ormond grounds. While Kilfeacle have thrived on the pitch, they have continued to operate in modest surroundings. Having started their playing days in a humble field, Kilfeacle moved to a prefabricated building, which came from the Presentation Convent in Clonmel. 1992 saw the official opening of the new clubhouse when the President of the Munster Branch, Gerry Moore came to Kilfeacle’s home in Morrissey Park. The occasion was marked with a game between a Gerry Moore selected XV and the then Kilfeacle President Joe Hadnett’s chosen XV. The year 2004 saw another notable expansion to the club, when the Minister for Sport at the time, John O’Donoghue came down to the club to open the new lighting system.The addition of floodlights to the ground brought a whole new dimension to a club that continues to grow and prosper to this very day, as they continue to play their rugby in the Munster Junior League 1.

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PROVINCIAL TOWNS CUP

Enniscorthy Rugby Club currently enjoys the unique distinction of being the first and last winners of the Provincial Towns Cup after they won the 87th renewal of the fabled competition last April, having also won its first ever running in 1926. The club on the banks of the Slaney won its sixth ever Towns Cup before a huge attendance in Portarlington earlier this year when they beat Tullow 23-17. As a result they have also moved up to fifth place in the winners’ roll of honour trailing only the big four of Co Carlow (12), Skerries (11), Dundalk (10) and Navan (10) on the all-time list. The draw for the 1st round of this season’s Provincial Towns Cup, which is sponsored by Cleaning Contractors, will take place at a reception in the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 15th December ahead of the Leinster v Clermont Auvergne Heineken Cup tie with the holders among three teams receiving a bye into the second round. The Provincial Towns Cup has a rich and varied history with the trophy being one of the oldest in Irish Rugby, having been purchased in 1892 in Wests of Grafton Street for £25 and bearing the title of Leinster Junior Challenge Cup. The first Leinster Junior Cup was run in 1889, a full six years after a sub-committee established by the Leinster Branch was set up to investigate the creation of a Cup competition for Junior clubs, but took five years to report back that “no club that entered the Senior Cup in the same or previous year should be allowed to enter the Junior Cup”. Nine clubs entered the first Junior Cup (Blackrock College, Clontarf, Cabra, Rangers, Ranelagh, Claremont, Farra, Santry and Athy) with Blackrock College being the inaugural victors for which medals were presented to the winners but there was no cup. A slow response to a request from the Leinster Branch that the clubs subscribe to the cost of the new cup delayed the purchase for three years and when the Leinster Junior Cup was first presented it was initial competition winners Blackrock College who again triumphed in 1892. Co Carlow were the first provincial club to win the Junior Cup in 1904 and were victorious another couple of times prior to the suspension of the tournament for the duration of World War I. When play resumed at the end of hostilities the provincial clubs started to dominate with the Carlovians being joined on the winners’ rostrum by Dundalk, Kilkenny, Co Kildare (forerunner of Naas) and Enniscorthy. The conditions of the competition were changed for the 1926 running of the competition and only Junior clubs that were located at least 18 miles from the General Post Office in O’Connell Street were eligible to compete. Enniscorthy won the first two Provincial Towns Cups in 1926 & 1927; following on from their victory in the 1925 Junior Cup they became a Senior club and competed at this level until they were regraded in the 1930-31 season. Until 1953 the finals were staged in either Donnybrook or Lansdowne Road (with the exception of the 1928 replay which was held in Carlow) before moving to Provincial venues with Tullamore having hosted most deciders, twelve in all. There has been one four-in-a-row won by the legendary Skerries team of the early 70’s while one of the great achievements in the Cup’s lengthy history is the win by their 2nd XV whose participation in 1979 came about as their firsts were Senior by then. Skerries also completed a three-in-a-row in the 50’s shortly after Dundalk had attained that first ever feat at the end of the 40’s while the most recent period of prolonged dominance was by the magnificent Co Carlow team of the 90’s that included a hat trick of victories as part of

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five triumphs in a six year span as a prelude to an ultra-successful spell in which they rose to the dizzy heights of the AIL Division 1 by the beginning of the millennium. One of the basic laws of physics is that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction and in the case of the Towns Cup this almost holds true; Athy lost three finals in succession between 1928 and 1930 while Tullamore achieved the same unwanted feat in the deciders from 2009 until last year. A number of captains have lifted the prized pot more than once including three Co Carlow skippers, Bill Duggan (1931 & 1933), Trevor Atkinson (1993 & 1994) and Lenny Peavoy (1996 & 1997) while Bernard Smyth of Navan (2007 & 2008) and Craig McGrath of Boyne (2009 & 2010) have also being presented with the trophy twice. But the honour of leading his team to ultimate victory on an unprecedented three occasions lies with Darragh McMahon of Skerries who was at the helm for the first two years of the four-in-a-row in 1971 and 1972 before repeating the deed with the 2nd XV in 1979. The only player to experience the depths of defeat while wearing the captain’s armband more than once was Fred Butler of Mullingar in 1993 and 1996 while there is the most unusual occurrence of a father and son losing captain combination for different clubs – and both losing to the team the other captained. Confused? Well, in 1929 Dan Carbery led out Athy in Lansdowne Road when they lost 9-0 to Co Carlow and in 1981 his son Brian was in role reversal as he captained Co Carlow the day Athy beat them 8-3 in Portlaoise. And to add to the family’s Towns Cup connection another of Dan’s offspring Eugene refereed the 1995 and 1998 deciders, which were both won by Naas. The Carbery family, like many throughout the province have quite a link with the Towns Cup and one famous story goes along the lines that another of Dan’s sons (also called Dan) while still at school and only after taking up rugby, arrived home one Sunday evening in the spring of 1957 and put a medal on the kitchen table, nonchalantly announcing as he did that he’d just won the Towns Cup with Co Carlow. Poor old Dan, who’d moved the ten miles down the road from Athy in the 30’s to start a business and had reared a family that loved sport, was overcome that he’s spent years with Athy trying to win a Towns Cup but here’s his young fellow who’d only just started playing and out he goes and collects a precious medal at the first time of asking! He hadn’t even told his dad beforehand he was playing in the final. Incidentally, back in the days when Dan senior was playing it was a case of “first up, first down”, which referred to the first players to arrive for a scrum went into the front row. You’d wonder how Dan and his ilk would enjoy the modern “crouch, touch, pause, engage” ritual; ah sure they’d probably have had the ball in and out before today’s ref got to engage! This season’s Provincial Towns Cup gets underway on Sunday 27th January with 29 teams competing, and along with Enniscorthy the other two teams to receive byes into the 2nd round are Tullamore and Newbridge who are the top three teams in Division 1A of the Leinster League and may be involved in the semi-finals of the All Ireland Junior Cup the same weekend. The remaining clubs will be looking forward to the 1st round draw on the 15th December and there is the added drama of a fresh draw thereafter at the end of each round at one of the match venues. LET THE ACTION COMMENCE!

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In the modern age of rugby, the spectacle of the floodlit game has become part and parcel of the make up of many different competitions across the globe. It is not difficult to spot the attraction of playing under floodlights. It provides spectators with an enticing event to plan their evening around; from a marketing and public relations viewpoint it helps if they have a glamorous fixture to promote, and most importantly of all, they are the kind of games that players love to take part in. It is therefore no surprise that this phenomenon has taken off in Ireland, and although it has proven to be a huge benefit at provincial and international level, it is on the senior club scene that the advent of floodlights has perhaps been most effective. Of the many innovations that have been introduced in recent years, the so-called ‘Friday Night Lights’ series has proven to be the most vital in terms of raising the profile of the Ulster Bank League across all divisions, and not just in the top flight. Indeed, at the time of writing, the scheme has enjoyed arguably its most productive spell, with ten matches taking place across the nation on November 9th alone. Including the clash between last season’s Division 1A runner-ups Clontarf and 2011 champions Old Belvedere at Castle Avenue at the end of November, there have been a total of 21 floodlit matches to date, and that number is expected to rise up to 40 by the end of the season. This represents a significant increase from last year’s total of 24, and is a further indication that floodlit fixtures are becoming a regular part of the present domestic league set-up. Of course, playing rugby under floodlights is a concept that has been around for a number of years, and played its part in Shannon Rugby Club’s historic 1997/98 campaign, when they achieved an unprecedented four-in-a-row All-Ireland League Division One success. In the early part of the season, they took on Old Crescent under lights, and racked up 50 points on their way to a comfortable victory. However, for a long time Friday night games proved to be nothing more than sporadic occurrences, with Saturday and Sunday afternoon games ruling the roost. This started to change at the beginning of the 2010/11 season, when the inaugural Friday Night Lights Series was announced, starting with the meeting of Garryowen and Young Munster in Dooradoyle on October 1 2010, which ended in victory for Young Munster. During its initial launch, it was decided that four games would take place on Friday evenings (two of them hosted by Old Wesley in Donnybrook), but this had been expanded to eight games by the time the season drew to a close, which was a sign of the growing interest that supporters had in the premise, and also the willingness of the league organisers to push the idea. The following season (2011/12) was when ‘Friday Night Lights’ really took off, though, as it was the first time that the Dublin clubs in Division 1A took part in the intiative. In an intriguing tie-in, the first floodlit occasion in the capital was also the first AIL game to take place in the fully-developed Aviva Stadium, which is situated directly across from Lansdowne’s club house. Mike Ruddock’s men were taking on then-champions Old Belvedere for this historic fixture, and after a contest that complemented the event perfectly, Lansdowne came away with a narrow triumph (22-18) that set them on the road towards a respectable fifth place finish. On the same evening, a Cork derby took place between Dolphin and Cork Constitution in Musgrave Park (Munster’s secondary venue), meaning that two Ulster Bank League matches took place under lights on the same night for the very first time. Since then, all the teams that currently occupy the top-flight have had a taste of ‘Friday Night Lights’ on more than one occasion, with varying degrees of success, and as mentioned above this came full circle in week five of this year’s league (November 9-10) when all ten teams were in action on Friday evening. Playing in their third evening clash of the season (all of which have been away ties), Lansdowne got past Clontarf by the skin of their teeth in Castle Avenue, putting them a point clear of Garryowen, who were also victorious on their home pitch in a low-scoring encounter with struggling Shannon. UL Bohemian and Cork Constitution had good wins over Young Munster and Dolphin respectively, while Old Belvedere were on the right end of the result in a ‘Friday Night Lights’ match at the fifth time of asking when they got the better of reigning champions St. Mary’s College. Following this win (their second of the campaign), Dolphin are now the only side in Division 1A who are yet to taste success in a Friday night showdown, having lost all four of their games in the series thus far. They have come away with losing bonus points from three of these showpieces, though, and their positive form to date will give them plenty of confidence when they take on Cork Con in the reverse fixture on Friday March 29th 2013.

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The Temple Hill outfit won’t be easily dismissed, however, as they are the only side who are yet to experience the losing feeling under the spectre of floodlights. Along with Clontarf, they have played in the fewest Friday night games (3), and all their successes have come against Dolphin (local battles are the order of the day in the series), but they have developed a winning habit nonetheless. Thanks partly to their presence as co-tenants in Thomond Park, Shannon have played the highest number of times, and their record currently stands at two wins, one draw and five losses from eight. Aside from the aforementioned Cork Con, Lansdowne and Young Munster have the most reason to be happy with their ‘Friday Night Lights’ form, as they have only lost once from five and six attempts respectively. With just over a third of the Division 1A season gone, 11 Friday meetings have taken place from a proposed 23, and Thomond Park is the port of call for the first night time tussle of 2013, when UL Bohemian face-off against Shannon on Friday January 4th, in a game that will prove crucial in determining the status of both sides come the end of April. Owing to their ground share agreement, UL and Shannon will clash again at Thomond just four weeks later, and it is more than likely the Aviva Stadium will be utilised for one of Lansdowne’s final two home games against Clontarf (March 29th) and Old Belvedere (April 12th). Due to certain geographical considerations, there is yet to be the same level of Friday night activity in Division 1B, and it wasn’t until November 9th of this year that ‘Friday Night Lights’ made its second-tier bow in Dublin. This particular division only started with the scheme last year, when UCD were the only Metropolitan team competing, but there are now three with the addition of Blackrock College and Dublin University (Trinity), meaning that Friday night games can now be more vast in 1B. The Belfield men played host to Blackrock College on this night, and they will also be entertaining Trinity on February 22nd, meaning that their fine facilities in Dublin 4 will be utilised to their full potential. In all, there will be a total of ten Friday night Division 1B games, but significantly four of these occurred on November 9th, which proved to be a real watershed evening for the series. Aside from the UCD/Blackrock duel, Ballynahinch took on Dungannon in Ballymacarn Park, Belfast Harlequins were up against Ballymena in Deramore Park, and Buccaneers were faceto-face with Bruff in Dubarry Park. With the exception of UCD, the home sides were the ones who came out on top from these clashes, which is an indicator of the advantage that can be derived from playing under floodlights on your own turf. Of the ten clubs in Division 1B, Dublin University, Blackrock College and Ballymena are yet to host a floodlit game, though Trinity and Blackrock have had some enjoyable experiences when playing at night. Trinity have beaten both Bective Rangers and Old Wesley in the third-tier under the fluorescent lights of Donnybrook, while two of Blackrock’s five league victories since September 2011 have arrived as a result of them taking to the field on a Friday evening, the encounter with Old Belvedere in Anglesea Road last season being the first of these. To date, there are four secondlevel teams who remain unbeaten in the ‘Friday Night Lights’ series (Ballynahinch, Malone, Buccaneers and Belfast Harlequins), though only Ballynahinch have lined out on more than two occasions, with a brace of wins and one draw from three games being their record to date. In Division 2A, only nine of the sixteen teams have sampled the unique ‘Friday Night Lights’ experience, and the other seven aren’t due to make their bow this season. Of those who have competed, Old Wesley have been the most frequent participants, and have been afforded the opportunity to host all four of their Friday night clashes. It wasn’t until the start of the present campaign that they came out on top, though, with a 25-18 triumph over Seapoint. Greystones stand alone as regards avoiding defeat thanks to victories against De La Salle Palmerstown (DLSP) and Old Wesley last term, but their resolve will be tested to the max in 2013, when they will be involved in all three remaining floodlit fixtures away to Bective, Seapoint and De La Salle. Their journey to DLSP and Kirwan Park on March 29th will be the eighth floodlit tie in Division 2A this season, which is an increase from 2011/12’s total of five. The Friday night experience is gathering pace slowly but surely in the league’s bottom tier as well, with five games set to have taken place in time for the season’s conclusion. For many in Division 2B, ‘Friday Night Lights’ is still a rather alien concept (eight teams at this level are yet to be involved), although the addition of Skerries and their excellent surroundings at Holmpatrick can only be good for the league. They had nine points to spare over Suttonians on Friday October 5th, and will also welcome Navan to the North County Dublin venue on February 15th.

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PROFILE PLAYER GAVIN DUFFY

STATS DOB:

18th SEPTEMBER 1981 (age 31)

Birthplace: BALLINA, Co. Mayo Ireland Height:

1.85m (6’ 1”)

Weight:

92kg (14st 7lb)

Position:

Wing/Full Back

SCHOOL:

Cistercian Clg, Roscrea

UNIVERSITY: UI Galway, Setanta College

One of the most versatile players of his generation, Gavin Duffy, has been one of the mainstays in the Connacht team over the past number of seasons, helping the province in their quest for provincial and European success. Born in 1981, Duffy was not only a skilled rugby player growing up, but also a very talented GAA player. Despite having played with the Irish schools setup, Duffy first made his name in the GAA sphere. Indeed for a period of time it looked like Duffy may have decided against playing rugby, as he enjoyed a hugely successful number of seasons with his native county Mayo, getting to the 1999 All-Ireland Minor final where there were defeated by Down. That relative success did not persuade Duffy to abandon the oval ball game, and with his GAA ambitions on the back burner, his rugby career began to blossom, Duffy gained international honours around that time, when he was capped by the Ireland U-21’s. It was during that period of time that Duffy signed with Connacht. Despite attracting the attentions of Munster (who signed Christian Cullen at the time), Duffy decided to up sticks from Ireland and make the move to Premiership side Harlequins in 2003. His move proved worthwhile as he helped them to success in the Parker Pen Cup (now the Amlin Challenge Cup) in his first season. His success in England didn’t go unnoticed at international level, and Duffy was duly awarded for his fine club success, with his first full international cap when he played in Ireland’s tour to South Africa in 2004. His international career continued, albeit at a modest pace. Having made an appearance in the 2005 Six Nations Championship against Scotland, Duffy started his first game for Ireland that summer. He lined up at outside centre against Japan in a two games series, making a tremendous impact, scoring two tries in the second test. Duffy has been in many ways unlucky

that his international career clashed with some of the best players to play in his position. The likes of Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Girvan Dempsey, Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan have, at one point or another, stood in Duffy’s way of making a more meaningful impact at international level. Despite facing a glass ceiling with the Ireland team, Duffy’s provincial career continued to go from strength to strength. In 2006, after three fruitful seasons, Duffy left Harlequins in 2006 and made his way back west to Connacht. The quality of his performances back with Connacht, once again impressed the Irish management and Duffy earned a place in Eddie O’Sullivan’s squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, earning the huge honour of becoming the only Connacht player selected for the final squad. Duffy’s contribution on the field was to be minimal however, with a substitute appearance in the final pool game against Argentina, his only game time in a tournament that everyone in Irish rugby will want to forget. With his deceptively quick change of pace, allied with a powerfully built frame, Duffy proved to be Connacht’s go-to man when his side needed a try. The Mayo man grew to have such an influence in the province, that he was named captain for the 2011/12 season as Connacht qualified for the Heineken Cup for the first time in their history. With his provincial career flourishing, Duffy was once again called into the Ireland setup for the 2011 Six Nations Championship, after a raft of injuries necessitated his call up. Despite not receiving any game time during the Six Nations, his domestic form earned him a place on Ireland’s tour to New Zealand earlier this year as a replacement for the injured Keith Earls. A model professional on and off the pitch, one can only hope that both Gavin Duffy, and indeed Connacht rugby, have the success in the future that their hard works deserves. Few would begrudge them.

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PROFILE PLAYER IAN KEATLEY

STATS DOB:

1st APRIL 1987

Birthplace: DUBLIN, Ireland Height:

1.80m (5’ 11”)

Weight:

91kg (14st 4lb)

Position:

FLY HALF

Honours: ireland (2 caps)

There is always the danger of any rising young player been dubbed ‘the next’. For Munster fans, one question that has been thrown around the various bars after a Munster game is ‘who is the next Ronan O’Gara?’ Thanks to some impressive performances over the last two seasons, Ian Keatley now has that title attached to him.

Keatley made his Munster debut against the Newport Gwent Dragons in September 2011, impressing with a cool headed and a mature display that belied his tender years. His first standout game came against the Cardiff Blues that same month, kicking six penalties in an 18-13 win. It was a performance that would earn him the man of the match award.

Born in April 1987, Keatley played rugby in his formative years for Suttonians, having been educated at both Blackrock College and University College Dublin. Upon finishing college, Keatley moved west to Connacht, where his star began to rise.

A step up to the cauldron of the Heineken Cup proved well within his compass also. The 25 year old made his Heineken Cup debut in the 2011 pool stages against Castres Olympique, helping the province to a 26-10 win. His first points in Europe’s premier club competition came in the January of that season, slotting over a conversion in Munster’s impressive 51-36 win against the Northampton Saints.

During his three seasons with Connacht, Keatley played in a number of different positions including fly-half, centre and full back, which is testament not only to his natural talent, but also his versatility in being able to play in a varitey of positions which place such different demands on a player. His time at Connacht would reap plenty of rewards for Keatley. He scored 668 points before the red jersey of Munster came calling and he left Connacht in the 2010/2011 season to occupy the number two fly-half position behind Ronan O’Gara after the departure of Paul Warrick, who left the province.

it won’t be long before we see Ian Keatley challenge both Ronan O’Gara at Munster and Johnny Sexton in Ireland, for the number 10 jersey

Along with his rise through the ranks to the senior team in Munster, Keatley has earned a cap at every level with the Ireland team. He was part of the U-20 team that won the Grand Slam. His senior debut came when he made his senior international debut against Canada during Ireland’s 2009 tour to North America. Keatley continued his upward curve with a mature display in his first Heineken Cup start against Edinburgh in round 2 of this years Heineken Cup against Edinburgh. A hamstring injury to Ronan O’Gara gave Keatley the opportunity and he seized it with both hands, controlling the tempo of the game well, helping Munster to a 33-0 win against their Scottish opponents. Such a measured performance spoke volumes of the strides that Keatley has made over the last number of seasons. A naturally gifted footballer with a keen sense of positional awareness and with a Ronan O’Gara-esque ability to kick the ball with laser like accuracy, it won’t be long before we see Ian Keatley challenge both Ronan O’Gara at Munster and Johnny Sexton in Ireland, for the number 10 jersey. A jersey that he is sure to be in contention for, for many seasons to come.

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MUNSTER

REDARMY When New Zealander Rob Penney was appointed to the position of Munster’s Director Of Rugby back in May 2012, it is fair to say that Munster were in a different place to where they were when Tony McGahan took over from current Irish coach, Declan Kidney, in 2008. McGahan had been handed the reigns of a Munster side that had just won the Heineken Cup for the second time in three seasons, and was expected to make a seemless transition from his role as defence and backs coach to being the main man at Thomond Park. However, despite a couple of memorable successes in the Celtic League (then the Magners League) in the 2008/09 and 2010/11 campaigns, Munster ultimately fell short of expectations in Europe, as Leinster finally emerged from the shadows of their southern rivals to become European champions during three of McGahan’s four seasons in charge. There was cause for optimism in the season just past when they secured a home Heineken Cup quarter-final after they won all six of their pool matches (including a memorable double over 2011 finalists Northampton), but they were on the receiving end of a 22-16 defeat to a rejuvenated Ulster, and could only watch as the northerners and Leinster faced off in an all-Irish European Cup decider.

Edinburgh with relative ease, and their 33-0 victory left Munster old boy Michael Bradley with much to ponder as his team made the journey back to Scotland. As for Paul O’Connell & Co., they knew that they were now firmly back on track in the competition, and crucially came away with a bonus point, which was sealed in dramatic fashion with three tries inside the final nine minutes of play. Although they will undoubtedly face much tougher tests in their remaining pool ties, there was enough in this display, as well as in some of their showings in the Rabo Direct PRO 12 this term, to suggest that Munster could be a force to be reckoned with at some point in the near future. From their four tries against Edinburgh, three of them were scored by players who are only 23 years of age; Peter O’Mahony, Sean Dougall and Conor Murray.

After much promise, this brought McGahan’s tenure at Munster to an underwhelming end. As things stand, Penney is only ten games into his term as the Red Army’s supremo, and so far his record stands at six wins and four losses.

Since making his European debut for Munster against Brive as recently as April 2011, Murray’s star has risen rapidly and, having overtaken both Peter Stringer and Tomas O’Leary as the first-choice scrum-half for his province, he also became a viable option for Ireland within a matter months, starting against both Italy and Wales during the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. He has also featured prominently in the recent Guinness Series for Ireland, and should he continue to produce the same level of quality that he has shown in his 35 appearances to date for Munster, then we can look forward to the Limerick man donning the Irish No. 9 jersey for many years to come.

However, as Munster teams have done so often in the past, they stepped up to the plate, and overcame last season’s suprise semi-finalists

Having first made his name at club level with Cork Constitution (he was awarded man of the match in the 2010 AIB Cup Final), O’Mahony has

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become a valuable component of the Munster back-row in the past couple of seasons. His versatility is one attribute that makes him so important to Penney’s plans; he can operate as either an openside or blindside flanker, in the number 8 position (as he did against Edinburgh), and he also filled in as an inside centre during his time in Temple Hill. His capability as a No. 7 may well solve a problematic issue for Ireland (even if it will give the coaching staff a few selection headaches), and he seems a potential long-term replacement for David Wallace on both the domestic and international stage. A Scottish-born former Ulster academy member, Dougall is perhaps behind Murray and O’Mahony as regards development having only joined in the summer from Rotherham, but there have been encouraging signs from him in his seven appearances to date, and hopes are high that he will achieve senior honours for Ireland in the future, having already represented them at Under-18 and Under-19 level. Of the starting XV that Munster fielded against Edinburgh on October 21st, Munster had a total of seven players under the age of 25, which shows a willingness on the part of Penney to blend youth and experience. Aside from the try-scoring trio, the most notable of these were Simon Zebo and Ian Keatley, the latter deputising for the injured Ronan O’Gara. Zebo was a former club-mate of O’Mahony at Cork Con, and came into his own during the 2011/12 campaign, when he became a regular fixture in the side following a season-ending injury to Kiwi legend Doug Howlett. At just 22 years of age, Zebo is still very a much raw talent, but his 20 tries from 38 Munster appearances, including an eye-catching hat-trick against Northampton Saints in January of this year, suggests that there is plenty of potential to work from. Clontarf native Keatley is also an interesting case, as he originally arrived at Munster (following an impressive three-year stint with Connacht) as a back-up to O’Gara, but is now emerging a genuine contender and future replacement for the record-breaking No. 10. His kicking game is improving all the time, and even when O’Gara is available, Penney finds it hard to leave a player with his creative influence out of the team, often selecting him at centre or full-back. Of those who have left Connacht to seek challenges in Ireland’s other provinces, Fionn Carr, Shaun Cronin and Niall O’Connor being the most notable, Keatley is the one who seems to be benefiting the most in terms of game-time, and with time on his side, he may well build on the two Ireland caps that he currently has. There is of course no reason why the likes of O’Gara, O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan, Marcus Horan, Peter Stringer and Doug Howlett can’t still make an impact at the highest level, but it is essential that there is good young talent waiting in the wings when the time comes for them to step away. This successful campaign by Ian Costello’s men shows that there is plenty of talent waiting on the fringes for Munster, and with 11 of them having featured against a promising-looking Leinster ‘A’ unit in a recent friendly encounter, there is certainly plenty of progress being made behind the scenes at Thomond. That fixture in Donnybrook also saw Felix Jones and Johne Murphy returning to action, and with Keith Earls also back in the mix after recent injury troubles, there are a number of options available to Penney moving into the New Year. It remains to be seen how Penney’s time as Munster supremo pans out, and there is plenty of hard work ahead of them from now until the end of May, but as former Leinster coach Michael Cheika discovered during his time in Dublin, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

MUNSTER LEGENDS When Limerick native David Wallace first made his Munster bow against Connacht in August 1997, even the most foresighted observer would have struggled to anticipate just how big an impact he would have for both Munster and Ireland in the 15 years that followed. A veteran of four Heineken Cup Finals, two British & Irish Lions tours and one World Cup, Wallace hailed from a strong rugby family, as his brothers Richard and Paul were also Irish internationals in the past. Both Richard and Paul have been selected on Lions tours, (1993 and 1997 respectively), and David sealed his place in the Lions history books when he became the third Wallace brother to represent the British & Irish Lions during the tour of Australia in 2001. Wallace made his European debut for Munster against Harlequins during the 1997-98 Heineken Cup campaign. As Munster grew as a force in Europe, Wallace’s presence in the side started to take shape, and he played a pivotal role in the province’s journey to the 2000 Heineken Cup Final against Northampton Saints, where he scored the only try in a narrow 9-8 defeat against the English powerhouse. He was also part of the Munster team that faced Leicester Tigers in the 2002 decider, which also saw the Red Army suffering an agonising defeat. Injury ruled Wallace out of Munster’s 2002-03 Celtic League success, but he returned to win his first piece of silverware in the Celtic Cup Final of 2005 against Scarlets, before Declan Kidney’s Munster finally reached the promise land with a 23-19 victory over Biarritz Olympique in the 2006 Heineken Cup Final. He added a second European medal in 2008 when Munster got the better of Toulouse on a scoreline of 16-13, and he also collected Magners League honours in 2009 and 2011, winning the Man of the Match award in the latter’s Grand Final against Leinster. On the international stage, Wallace was a major part of Ireland’s 2004 Triple Crown success, and enjoyed his finest season in an Ireland shirt during 2009, when he was part of Ireland’s triumphant Grand Slam winning squad. This was the crowning glory of his time with Ireland, as it made up for so many near misses under Eddie O’Sullivan in the years that preceded it. Persistent injury problems led to him announcing his retirement on May 3rd 2012. David Wallace leaves a lasting legacy behind him for Irish and Munster fans alike, and for that he will always be remembered.

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MUNSTER

MUNSTER MILESTONES Though the result on the pitch was obviously disappointing, Munster’s opening Heineken Cup game of 2012/13 against Racing Metro 92 on October 13th was a landmark occasion in the history of the province, as it saw legendary out-half Ronan O’Gara equalling Peter Stringer’s record as the most capped player in Munster’s history with 227 appearances. Since then, an injury to O’Gara has limited him to just one subsequent appearance (at the time of writing), the Rabo Direct PRO12 victory over Cardiff Blues on November 2nd. Stringer had a cameo in the same game as a replacement for Duncan Williams, meaning that the half-back pair are still neck-and-neck when it comes to overall appearances for their province. Stringer does have the edge in terms of games played at the highest following the 16 appearances he clocked up during his loan spells with Saracens and Newcastle last season, but it will be interesting to see where they stand come next May. O’Gara is the obvious favourite to become Munster’s stand alone record caps holder given that he is still commanding a regular place in the starting XV, whereas Stringer is finding himself behind Conor Murray, and more recently Duncan Williams, in the pecking order, but injury and form may play a big part in the next few months. O’Gara was the first to make his presence felt for Munster, as he made his debut against Connacht in 1997, which was also the first glimpse of David Wallace in a red jersey. The San Diego-born O’Gara kicked 19 points in this game, and has been a prolific place-kicker in the decade and a half since with just under 2,500 points to his name. Stringer arrived on the scene a year later against Ulster on October 3rd 1998, before turning out in the Heineken Cup for the very first time against Perpignan just a week later. During his time with Munster he has crossed the whitewash a total of 11 times, which complements his six tries in an Irish shirt.

Between them, they have amassed 223 caps for Ireland, many of them together in the half-back division. They have been at the centre of the most of the successes for Munster and Ireland during their time in the game. With the emergence of Tomas O’Leary initially, and now exciting prospect Conor Murray, the likelihood is that Stringer will only be used sparingly in the near future. Like O’Gara, though, he is a valuable asset to have in the squad, and with matches coming thick and fast in the New Year, the former Presentation Brothers College schoolmates could have a major say in where the season goes for Munster from here.

RONAN O’GARA: • • • • • •

School: Presentation Brothers College Lions Tourist: 2001 (Australia), 2005 (New Zealand), 2009 (South Africa) British & Irish Lions Caps: 2 Ireland ‘A’ Caps: 1 (v Italy) Ireland Caps: 125 Munster Caps: 228

PETER STRINGER: • • • • •

School: Presentation Brothers College Ireland ‘A’ Caps: 3 Ireland Caps: 98 Munster Caps: 228 Barbarian Caps: 2 (v Germany, Australia)

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ULSTER BANK LEAGUE

League taking shape As we approach the end of 2012, things are starting to become very interesting on the domestic front, and with seven games having already taken place in all four divisions of the Ulster Bank League, it is starting to become clear who the major players will be come next April, and also who will be the ones fighting for their survival. Currently leading the way at the summit of Division 1A are Garryowen, who have accumulated 27 points thus far, giving them a two-point hold over their nearest rivals, Lansdowne. The Dooradoyle club had gotten their campaign underway with back-to-back victories, and secured their third success on October 27th, when a hat-trick of tries from Munster prospect Barry O’Mahony helped them to maintain a 19-point cushion over Old Belvedere. They did suffer a set-back on November 2nd with a 16-12 reversal against UL Bohemian, but they quickly got back to winning ways with 12-6 and 21-14 triumphs over Shannon and Young Munster respectively, followed by a third victory on the bounce against current holders St Mary’s College at the start of December when Cian O’Shea, Conan Doyle and Shane Buckley registered tries, and the league’s top scorer, Jamie Gavin, brought his points tally for the campaign up to 89. It was important for Garryowen to finish the calendar year on a high note, and the significance of it was made clearer when word of Lansdowne’s 1615 defeat to Young Munster came through. This was the second loss of the season for Mike Ruddock’s men, their first coming at the start of November, when a stoppage time penalty from Johnny Holland sealed a dramatic 2522 victory for Cork Constitution in the capital. These games have put something of a dent in Lansdowne’s title challenge, but thanks to impressive wins over St Mary’s College (29-9), Clontarf (2018) and UL Bohemian (36-13), they are still well in the hunt heading into

the New Year, with winger Cian Aherne emerging as their star performer courtesy of eight tries from seven games, which included a hat-trick against UL. Elsewhere in the top-flight, Young Munster and Cork Con are finding themselves in joint-third position, with The Cookies just edging their provincial rivals on score difference thanks largely to the losing bonus points they gathered against Clontarf, Garryowen and Cork Con themselves. Dolphin and Clontarf are also showing plenty of mid-table solidity at the moment, and despite being in seventh place, Old Belvedere will be happy with their form heading into the Christmas break, as they recovered from a difficult start with three wins on the bounce against Shannon, St Mary’s College and Cork Con (a magnificent 44-13 win which featured three tries from full-back Danny Riordan), before losing out to a Richie Lane penalty deep into over time against ‘Tarf in the final ‘Friday Night Lights’ event of 2012 in Castle Avenue. Much like ‘Belvo last term, St Mary’s are finding out just how difficult it is to defend your Ulster Bank League title, as their current form shows just one win from six since their opening round success against UL. They are joined on ten points by division debutants UL, who have recorded satisfying wins over Cork Con and Garryowen, and will stand every chance of staying in Division 1A if third-choice Munster No. 10, JJ Hanrahan, stays available for the majority of the season. The team in the most perilous position at this stage, however, are Shannon, who parted company with their coaching team of Stephen Keogh and Eoin Cahill in recent weeks, and find themselves bottom of the table, with just two losing bonus points against Garryowen and St Mary’s to show for their efforts.

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With seven games also gone in Division 1B, Ballynahinch have the honour of being the only team holding a 100% record, with their recent 55-3 success over Bruff at Ballymacarn Park on December 1st being their most rewarding performance to date. Chris Quinn was top scorer in this tie with 19 points (a try, 2 penalties and 4 conversions), and he is currently the division’s top points and try scorer with 95 points and seven tries respectively. The comprehensive nature of Ballynahinch’s triumph over Bruff is something that has become a recurring theme with the Ulster men in 2012, as they also powered to victory against Blackrock College (52-19) and Ballymena (43-24), and with an astonishing 31 tries to their name at the moment, they are arguably the most feared team in the second-tier. However, they are by no means the only team making waves in Division 1B, as there is only four points between themselves and Dublin University (Trinity) in second place, who made it six wins from six following their successful showings against Ballymena (25-11), Bruff (12-6), Malone (28-24) and their great rivals UCD (36-14). The latter increased Trinity’s winning streak in the league to 19, but this finally came to an end on December 1st when tries from Kolo Kiripati (2), Alex Hayman and Callum Boland handed a 25-23 victory to a resurgent Buccaneers. The Athlone-based outfit have been unfortunate to lose the services of Hendrik Marnitz as senior coach, but they are clearly hell-bent on doing justice to his legacy, as they have won all three of their games since he moved back to his native South Africa (against Bruff, Malone and Dublin University), with U-20 international Jack Carty playing a starring role. Just lurking behind them in the table are UCD, Belfast Harlequins and Malone, who have all shown mixed form in their opening seven games. Malone, in particular, will be looking to rebuild in 2013, as the tail end of 2012 saw them following three wins from three with four defeats in succession against UCD, Dublin University, Buccaneers and Belfast Harlequins. As things stand, however, there is no reason for them to panic, as they are eight points clear of Blackrock College and Bruff, who have nine points apiece. For a while it looked like Blackrock and Ballymena were going to be left behind by the rest of the teams in the division, but the kicking prowess of Rob Keogh helped Blackrock to pick things up with victories over UCD and Dungannon. This eased the pressure on the south Dubliners, and they were hot favourites ahead of their final home game against Ballymena, but the Antrim men put a spanner in the works, as a bonus point success gave them their first win of the season, which puts extra heat on ‘Rock, along with Bruff and Dungannon, who haven’t been on the right end of a league encounter since September and October respectively. In Division 2A, it is Banbridge and Terenure who are the early pace-setters with six wins and just one loss so far. The men from County Down hold the edge over Terenure at the moment thanks to their five bonus points accrued from their victories to date, as opposed to three for the South Dubliners. Banbridge are the top scorers in the division with 250 points, 27 of which came in their most recent outing on December 8th against bottom team Bective Rangers, when Johnny Little, John Porter, Ashley Finlay and Peter Cromie all crossed over for tries at Rifle Park. They had set the standard for

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the season with five successive wins before finally letting their guard down in a 30-23 defeat to Old Crescent at the start of December. This means that Terenure are still hot on their heels, despite their own reversal against Seapoint in a Friday Night Lights clash in November. The addition of Willie Staunton from Young Munster has galvanised the Lakelands unit, however, and his combined total of 31 points from triumphs against City Of Derry, Bective Rangers and Highfield has put ‘Nure in an excellent position to push for promotion in 2013. Banbridge and Terenure are by no means the only two in contention for top honours, though, as UCC (with former Cork hurler Darren Sweetnam at full-back) are just point behind in third place, with Corinthians, Old Wesley and Highfield also showing plenty of promise. Galwegians, who were relegated from Division 1B last term, had shown indifferent form in the early part of the campaign, but three straight wins over Corinthians, De La Salle Palmerston (DLSP) and City Of Derry has eased the pressure around Crowley Park. Moving towards the foot of the table, DLSP, Midleton and the aforementioned Bective Rangers are the ones with most cause for concern, although DLSP did end the year on a high when a 22-11 victory over Old Crescent lifted them off the bottom of the table. Alongside the excellent Ballynahinch, Rainey Old Boys have also remained unbeaten in the opening part of 2012/13, and while ‘Hinch have possibly been the more spectacular of the two, with just 65 points conceded, Rainey currently have the meanest defence from all four divisions of the Ulster Bank League. They hold a five-point cushion over both Naas and Boyne, and despite being made to work for a 22-16 victory over Nenagh Ormond in their first game of the season back in September,they have gone from strength to strength in the meantime, with their seventh win in as many games coming against Ulster rivals Instonians, when prop Neil O’Kane touched down twice. Naas have been striving for consistency in the past few seasons, and they have finally discovered it this season with their only defeat coming against Boyne in a titanic encounter on November 17th. The ability of Naas’ David Aherne and Niall Kirby of Boyne from place kicks has been crucial, and it was very much the case in this tie as well, with the latter’s drop-goal in the dying moments giving the points to the Shamrock Lodge men. This has been the only let-up from the Kildare men thus far, though, and their more prolific attack (they have scored 211 points compared to Boyne’s total of 156) means that they will occupy second place at the start of 2013. Yet, Boyne are in a rich vein of form at an excellent period in their campaign with four consecutive wins over Suttonians, Naas, Thomond and Armagh since their October 26th loss to Navan. With five wins from seven, Navan, NUIM Barnhall and Nenagh Ormond all have reason to believe that they can close the gap on the top three when the festive break comes to an end, and division new boys Skerries can feel satisfied with their progress, as their record at present reads as three wins, three defeats and one draw from seven games. With only one victory between them, the bottom four of Thomond, Ards, Clonakilty and Connemara will be feeling anxious, although the latter two have a game less played than the remaining teams in the league.

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ULSTER BANK LEAGUE Date

Time

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Fixture

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Fri 4th Jan 13