In some ways, things in sport are cyclical. Unless of course there happens to be an all-dominating force at the head of affairs. Manchester United in the early years of the Premiership, Dublin currently in Gaelic football, Willie Mullins in National Hunt racing. Now read on... Examine rugby through that lens and you get both... Continue Reading →
Nigel made me see things in a different light
To my knowledge, I've only been blocked by three users on Twitter. Two of which were Nigel Owens and Joseph O'Brien. While the reason for the young horse trainer putting up the barricades remains a mystery, the occasion which apparently stirred Nigel's ire was another - possibly the first in fact - case of reacting... Continue Reading →
Plenty done, lots more to do after weak Welsh challenge
IRELAND......32 WALES......9 When yours truly was in the formative stages of understanding fare with the oval ball, it seemed like the Five Nations Championship - as it was then - generally ended up a tug of war between England and France. Be mindful, this was after the Irish glory days of the early to mid... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
‘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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
Ongoing legacy only part of a changing landscape
Life is an ongoing collection of fine margins. A few inches in a different direction at any time can alter circumstance beyond recognition. For the purpose of what’s about to roll out here, consider Munster’s eventual scaling of the European rugby mountain top. Entities of lesser fortitude would have crumbled under some of the... Continue Reading →