Meanwhile back at the ranch

Not every Leinster and Munster rugby hero can get to Croke Park tomorrow. Some – such as their junior counterparts – will be wading through the mud to keep their passion for the amateur game burning brightly. DIARMUID O’FLYNN met some of them.

From the renowned Tipperary rugby enclave of Kilfeacle, from an almost equally renowned rugby family, Ger Luby was delighted – for the 2009 interpro junior rugby series, he would captain Munster.

“Did you get a call from Paul?”, his father, Johnny, an ex-Kilfeacle president, asked; “From Paul?” Ger replied, nonplussed, not making the connection in time, setting himself up for the follow-up.

“From Paul O’Connell, wishing you all the best against Leinster on Saturday!”

A world-class raconteur, his father delights in telling the little yarn, but in truth Ger could be forgiven for his tardiness; Munster against Leinster in the junior interpros in the cosy confines of Nenagh RFC last Saturday afternoon in front of a support cast of about 100, not a second media man in sight, is a world removed from Croke Park tomorrow in front of a full house of 82,300 and a live worldwide audience. How low down the scale was it, in terms of national interest? Barely a word on the game anywhere, no publicity whatsoever – to all intents and purposes this wasn’t just a non-event, it was a non-existing event.

Even on the morning of the game, the venue was changed, from water-logged Cashel to the rather more elaborate setting of Nenagh, and nobody was in the least put out. Why? Because the only people likely to be affected were also likely to be directly connected to the game, either as players/management/officials, or as relations to those same players.

A pity. Light years removed from its senior equivalent it may be, but this match was a cracker, a full-on, high-quality contest between two totally-committed and well-matched teams, the result in the balance until the last play when Leinster, taking advantage of having an extra man in the backline, finally made their superiority out wide tell with an injury-time try by Aaron Deverell.

It was Leinster’s second try, the first coming in the 47th minute when Munster were again a man down, outside-centre John Keehan (Kilfeacle & District) the unlucky one this time, deemed to have transgressed by a referee (who shall remain nameless, to spare his blushes) who came down heavily against the home side.

“18-5 was the penalty count against us,” said one aggrieved Munster official, 10-9 was the final score, in favour of Leinster. On balance Leinster were just about the better team, possessed far more threat behind the scrum, in full-back Karl Manning (Navan) especially but also in goose-stepping Stephen McGee (Dundalk) on one wing, David Quirke (Skerries) on the other.

Munster stayed in front for as long as they did principally due to the efforts of a hard-working pack, solidly supported by veteran prop Seán O’Neill (Skibbereen) at loosehead, young prospect Seán O’Mahony (Tralee) at number three, the powerful Stephen Ryan (St. Senan’s) at number eight, Ger Luby getting through an amount of work at openside, but due most of all to the boot and the overall generalship of out-half Eamonn Ronan, from Cobh Pirates.

Munster had players from Richmond (young second-row Darren Gallagher), Clonmel (scrum-half John Long), Ennis (inside-centre David Murphy) and Carrick-on-Suir (full-back Adam O’Loughlin). Leinster had three outstanding players – captain Bernard Smyth, Karl Manning and tight-head Eoin King – from recently-crowned round-robin junior champions Navan, while they also had representatives from Boyne, Dundalk, Kilkenny, Tullamore, Seapoint, Portlaoise, Tullow, Railway Union and Monkstown. Between the two provinces, that’s some geographic spread; more tellingly, that’s also the new Ireland, the new rugby Ireland.

More than ever junior clubs have become a gateway to eventual senior success in Irish rugby, and games such as this are one shop window. “A lot of those guys will make it at senior level,” said Leinster manager Karl O’Neil. “The three Navan guys for a start – Karl is only 21, as is Eoin, while Bernard is 26, and they’ll be in AIL Division 3 next season, after winning the junior round-robin. Shane Horgan came through junior ranks (with Boyne) as did Bernard Jackman, and this year Seán O’Brien came through from Tullow; Rob Kearney came through the schools, but he played a lot of his early rugby in Dundalk.”

Karl’s Munster counterpart, Tony Daly from Kanturk RFC, agrees: “Our most famous former Munster junior is Alan Quinlan from Clanwilliam. Alan is the exception, but he’s also the inspiration. You have to remember, this is a world away from the professional game. This is the amateur game, and for most of us involved in rugby, this is where it’s at, really. This is about background, about where you’re from, about pride in the parish as much as pride in the province; none of these guys are getting paid, they’re all doing it purely for love of the game. Some of them come back to us from some of the top senior clubs and they’ll tell us, there’s a lot more people coming to see them playing in their local junior games than went to see them in the AIL. I don’t know that any of these lads will go on to become professionals, even at provincial level – maybe one or two – but many will make it at senior level. “Quinlan has shown what can be done, but even at this level you can see yourself the pride they take in that jersey.”

Nowhere was that pride more evident than in the magnificent effort by towering number eight Stephen Ryan. Now 27, during his time with UL-Bohs, the Clare man has packed down against the likes of Paul O’Connell, Alan Quinlan, David Wallace and several others in the current Munster senior set-up. Though there are those who played last Saturday, certainly, with ambitions to follow the trail blazed by Alan, there are also those like Stephen for whom this is satisfaction enough.

“For the younger players, they’re looking to that and the best of luck to them. Not myself, I enjoy this every year but that’s it. Ulster now next week, up there, and that’s always a good one!”

In a perfect world, Ger Luby and his team would get as much recognition for their efforts as Paul O’Connell and his XV; for now, they’ll have to settle for the support of family and friends, the support of those in the know. “I follow the big team, have been to Cardiff for the two Heineken Cup final wins,” says Johnny Luby. “I prefer this. Alan (Quinlan) learned his trade down here with Clanwilliam, in places like this in Nenagh, on the hill against Kilfeacle, the home of rugby. This is the heart and soul of Munster rugby. Half of those lads will go home this evening and milk the cows, that kind of caper, have a few pints with the lads tonight, enjoy the craic – that’s bringing it all back to reality, back to basics, and you can’t beat it. You can’t beat it.”

As if there was need to repeat it.