AIL away days are still very special

THE alarm went off at six - a peal from the past. For rising at that ungodly hour on a Saturday could only mean one thing ... AIL away day.

It runs like this: Up at six, Kent station for seven, train to Dublin with water and bananas, arrive Heuston 10, bananas and sangers at 11, lineouts at 12, team meeting at half 12 (bananas optional, water obligatory), ground half one, game half two, post-mortem half four to six, train back at seven.

Dolphin’s away match to De Le Salle Palmerstown was a face-off between the top two teams in the second division. However, the waning interest in AIL rugby, Munster’s home match against the Ospreys and the fact that it was the week before Christmas meant only seven alickadoos travelled with the team.