Category: RUGBY
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Healy hits 100 with Championship on the line
Leinster loosehead prop Cian Healy will ascend into a unique group of players in Paris on Saturday when collecting his 100th Test cap as Ireland take on the French with the Six Nations Championship at stake. The Clontarf clubman – who made his debut against Australia in 2008 during the period when Croke Park was […]
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Trouble with big numbers becoming a major issue
It would be fairly well accepted at this stage that Dublin should have won most if not all of the four games against Meath in the first round of the 1991 Leinster SFC. To a large extent, the reason they didn’t was the almost unerring accuracy of Brian Stafford from placed balls. The Kilmainhamwood sharpshooter […]
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You might think you’re ready – you never really are
It has often been said here before that the occasion of Meath’s ten-point defeat to Dublin in the 1995 Leinster Final was one of the few occasions tears were shed here at a match. Reasoning was (a) the manner of the defeat (b) the fact that it was the third year on the spin the […]
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‘Silly season’ invading several sports
It can be attested to all too easily, having an occupied mind can be essential. An idle mind can cause problems. It’s the type of thing that usually leads to the phenomenon known as the ‘silly season’. Now, obviously, in sporting terms, it besieges different disciplines at various times. For example, during the two and […]
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Direct drilling is the way of the forward thinkers!
#RUGBY It has oft been aired here before that fifth class was the most enjoyable spell yours truly spent in the education system. That was because it was spent under the tutelage of Willie Lyons. Now, aside from the Mayo native being an absolute gentleman and very good teacher, to say he was a GAA […]
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Feelings on strength and depth were handsomely vindicated
Reactionary decision making is best avoided. Happenings in a certain sporting sphere of late prove that. Whether right or not, in the aftermath of the defeats to Scotland and Wales, there was considerable call for change within the Irish rugby team. Inference being that, perhaps, Joe Schmidt had been too loyal to some of his […]
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From Moynalvey to Ballinacree to Pungaheru this was big business
Even from the time of my school days, which is not all that long ago, how we ingest the daily news has altered seismically. Where once the day commenced with David Hanley on Morning Ireland and Gay Byrne followed, now a tap of a phone – even a dinosaur model of same – or comparable […]