Tipp-top Foley keeping his discipline

IN A manner with which all Munster GAA fans will be most familiar, Tipperary have lately forced their way into rugby’s consciousness in the province, to the extent that one of these days we can expect the clamour to begin for the jersey to be changed from the famous red to blue and gold.

“There’s a nice lot of us alright,” says young Clonmel native Dave Foley, looking down at you from the full height of his 6’6” frame. “There’s Quinny (Alan Quinlan), (Denis) Leamy, Tommy O’Donnell, Donncha Ryan, Denis Fogarty, Eoghan Grace, Paddy Butler and myself with Munster, and you have Trevor Hogan and John Fogarty with Leinster – a good few Tipperary men.”

Don’t just look at the number of players either – look at their positions. Forwards, every last one of those mentioned above, hookers, backrowers and a couple of giants for the second row, of which Dave himself is one. No shrinking violets in their midst, just typical well-fed Tipperary beef, and typical confident Tipperary aggression also.