Taking refuge on rugby’s winter trail
I’m aware of how well the Irish hockey teams, men and women, have done recently, the same with the basketball teams, even the cricket team, for God’s sake. But the soccer?
God love us. My interest in that sport is only passing, passing a lot faster these days, with the greed and dishonesty so endemic in the game, at the top especially.
Nevertheless, I am following with keen interest the hectic battle at the top of the eircom Premier League between Cork City and Derry City, a more honest (and pertinent) affair than anything cross-channel.
And of course, I am hoping beyond hope for a favourable outcome to Ireland’s final World Cup qualifier tomorrow against Switzerland.
But I am not a dedicated soccer fan, and failure this week will only marginally affect me.
But, what of the dedicated soccer people, those who are looking after the U-10s, lining the pitch, putting up the nets, in their local clubs, week after week?
As we part-time fans, us refugees from GAA especially, condemn the efforts of the Irish team this past weekend, these past few years, spare a thought for those hardworking soccer people for whom these games are almost life or death.
Speaking of GAA refugees, even before the end of the inter-county season, All-Ireland champions decided, my thoughts turned to rugby.
Munster rugby particularly.
I know it’s early days, but I like what’s been happening lately down south. Prior to the start of the season, I wasn’t very optimistic.
Cullen injured again, no big-name flyer signed up to reinforce what had become Munster’s Achilles heel, its back-line, and with Jim Williams retired, it didn’t look good.
Funny what a few weeks can do.
In come new signings Federico Pucciarello, Gary Connolly, Trevor Halstead, Anthon Pitout, promoted are Tomas O’Leary, Ian Dowling, Barry Murphy, Frank Murphy, Trevor Hogan, back to the fold from France, Mick O’Driscoll, and suddenly, there’s a new look to Munster, a menacing look.
They took on Leinster without Paul O’Connell, John Hayes, Peter Stringer, Anthony Horgan, Christian Cullen, Mike Mullins and Halstead and hammered the visitors.
Which brings me to another point.
One returnee to the Munster fold I didn’t mention above is Declan Kidney. I’ve always had great time for this man, not just because he brought Munster to the brink of glory on so many occasions, but for the manner in which he did it, the attitude he brought to bear.
When everyone in rugby was talking us down Kidney was a lone voice of hope.
We did have the players, at club, provincial and national level, we did have the resources; we still do. What we didn’t have was the attitude and this is one area where I still absolutely disagree with our current national coach, Eddie O’Sullivan.
Middleweights in the heavyweight division? Absolutely not.
Anyway, Kidney was at it again this weekend, and again I’m in total agreement. His current subject was the much-maligned Celtic League.
Recently, Shane Byrne, who moved cross-channel this season, was quoted as saying that the Celtic League was tougher than England’s much-hyped Premiership.
His statement was greeted with ridicule. Why? Well, because, you see, we’re only the Celtic cousins, the plebs; it’s just another manifestation of the old forelock-tugging, kow-towing, bending the knee to the old aristocracy. I hate that attitude. So does Declan.
Winning it obviously doesn’t have the same prestige as the Heineken Cup, one is a European competition, the other a bit more local, but the Celtic League has got to be given the same respect, must be approached by the team and its supporters with the same level of concentration and focus.
The team that thinks they can just flick a switch and take themselves up another level is a team doomed to failure. Win the big one, by all means, but win your local patch too.
With time running out on the GAA scene, us refugees to rugby have a good winter to look forward to.
And our soccer brethren (and sistren)? Hopefully, the week turns out well for them also.
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