In a league of their own again
Now after two remarkable stands in the face of adversity in their respective clashes against Edinburgh and Cardiff over the weekend, the appetite for battle and the prospect of silverware has served to revive aching hearts and bodies in both camps.
Leinster, by virtue of their spirited second-half comeback which sees them top the table, are in pole position for honours. By finishing top of the pile they have earned the right to host the semi-final and the final should they win on Saturday. That is as it should be. The other semi-final between the Ospreys and Glasgow ensures that all three Celtic nations are represented at the penultimate stage which is good for the tournament.
While there have been some excellent games in this year’s competition, I would agree with the views expressed by Brian O’Driscoll in relation to the standard of refereeing.
I am always reluctant to be over critical of referees as they have a difficult job which is not helped by the constant tinkering not only of the laws of the game but the interpretation of those laws.
No wonder controversial New Zealand whistler Steve Walsh commented during the week that the game has become so complex that it needs two referees to officiate.
One shudders to think what would happen if two of the Scottish panel were in charge of the same game at the moment! You could have the prospect of different interpretations at the breakdown depending on which half of the pitch you were in.
I have done commentary on a number of games in this year’s Magners League and there are serious problems to be addressed on the refereeing front. Just take the last few rounds as an example. James Jones from Wales had a shocker when Leinster travelled with a very young side to Glasgow while Michael Cheika also had cause to be frustrated by the performance of Ireland’s Peter Fitzgibbon in their ties with Connacht and Edinburgh.
In the Munster game against the Ospreys in Thomond Park last month, Scottish official Neil Paterson was a constant thorn, holding up play lecturing the players and constantly losing his way with the scrum engagement. Mind you he is not alone on this aspect with South African referee Marius Jonker receiving a public reprimand for his handling of the scrum in the Six Nations match between Scotland and England at Murrayfield.
Ireland has the best group of officials in the game at present but unfortunately they do not officiate that many games involving Irish teams. Under the circumstances the news that Welsh official Nigel Owens has been assigned to Saturday’s semi-final is welcome. Let’s hope that we have no cause to mention him on Monday.
While the professional domestic league is set to be decided over the next few weekends, it is also worth reflecting on the domestic club scene which reached a climax last weekend.
The long overdue changes implemented in the AIL this season with the introduction of Divisions 1A and 1B and the sides playing on a home and away basis was a resounding success. The standard of games improved immeasurably as did the intensity, a point made forcibly by the competing captains Evan Ryan and Hugh Hogan prior to last Saturday’s Division 1A final between Cork Con and St Mary’s.
That decider was a cracker and a great advertisement for club rugby with the drama of extra time adding to the occasion. Of more importance the message that was there for all to see is that the club game still has a massive role to play in the fabric of the sport in this country. A vibrant club structure to underpin the professional game is necessary to support the continued growth in the popularity of rugby. It would be great to think that the honesty of effort displayed by both teams on Saturday might attract even a small percentage of the people who have been smitten by the efforts of the provinces over the last few years and entice them to attend club matches.
It is also true to say that the club game can still offer an avenue to aspiring professionals who are not involved in the academy systems and who may be late developers. Dolphin’s James Coughlan stands as an inspiration to many while the fact that St. Mary’s powerful winger Darragh Fanning looks set to be offered a development contract by Connacht offers further evidence of the role the AIL has to play.
Further adjustments to the structure of the league are a must however. With due respects to the Buccaneers club, playing the final in the midlands venue was a bad joke. It is obvious that the people who made that decision in the IRFU have never driven from Cork to Athlone. Fifteen coaches set out from the respective clubs last Saturday morning at a considerable cost to the two participants at a time when all clubs are finding it very difficult to balance the books. The final should be hosted by the team that finishes highest in the league section just like the Magners League. Both club houses lay idle last Saturday with the opportunity to generate badly-needed revenue missed.
The parish feeling so many of the seasoned campaigners in the Munster squad refer to when extolling the virtues that the AIL played in their formative years competing with the likes of Garryowen, Shannon, Cork Con and Young Munsters was also there for all to see.
The St Mary’s side was backboned by eight players who had come through St Mary’s College Rathmines while several of the Cork Con squad including Duncan Williams, Peter O’Mahoney, Simon Zebo, Billy Holland, Stephen Archer and Richie Lane took their first steps in the game with the Con mini rugby set-up many years ago.
Many of those are on the brink of promising careers with Munster and the character required to negotiate their way through extra time in Saturday’s final provides exactly the type of experience that the likes of Alan Quinlan, Ronan O’Gara, John Hayes, Marcus Horan and David Wallace constantly reference from their early exposure to the AIL. The fact that 16 of the 19 titles played for since the introduction of the AIL back in 1990/91 have found a home in Munster has contributed greatly to the development of so many professional players in this province.
A word too for the manner in which the final was played with the St Mary’s club and supporters magnanimous in defeat and magnificent in support of their team. For me the day was best summed up by the attitude of the impressive St Mary’s coach Peter Smyth who, when Gavin Dunne was lining up the conversion attempt to draw the game in the ninth minute of injury time, came over and offered his hand to the experienced Cork Con coaching ticket of Brian Walsh and Brian Hickey. The message was clear – whatever happens, happens.
It summed up the spirit of the day perfectly. Contrary to those who take pleasure in knocking it, the club game is still very much alive but deserves more from those in authority.
