Tag: Graham Rowntree
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Rowntree’s shock departure leaves a sour taste
A deceased Irish rugby legend once said to yours truly in a tent at the Punchestown Festival “Rugby, my friend, is a game for thugs played by gentlemen, whereas soccer is a game for gentlemen played by roughens”. Whether you agree with the actual nuts and bolts of his views or not is immaterial. At…
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Big Pete’s procrastination threatens to ruin the time of his life
Some people cannot equate the situation whereby a person can be an animal lover and still enjoy hunting and/or fishing. Yet for a huge number of people – including some very close to home – the two facts co-exist without so much as a whim. On foot of same, I ended up being in a…
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Forgotten man Zebo still has a part to play
Munster… 29 Toulon… 18 There was a time I was bitterly disappointed with Simon Zebo. As a rugby fan first off. Because his decision to go and play his club fare in France meant he was (wrongly) automatically excluded from the Irish setup. Also, mind you, because loyalty is one of the qualities held dearest…
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Plenty of problems but a shortage of solutions
Sport never loses its ability to amaze. No matter how much of it you look at. In fact, maybe the more of it you observe, the more confusing it becomes. How else to explain Manchester United holding Liverpool to a draw? At a time when the form of the two sides was about as polarised…
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What was once a fortress now has swinging saloon doors
MUNSTER… 17 BEYONNE… 17 If there were any positives, let’s get them out of the way first. Which, you suspect, is exactly what Graham Rowntree will be doing when the debrief begins. If he hasn’t got the paint stripper out already. So here goes. Even though it was the French side who put the first…
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Carlsberg don’t sponsor Munster…but if they did…
Hans Christian Andersen, you may stand down sir. For those who produce fairytales to rival anything ever penned by yourself did so again on Saturday evening in some far flung corner of South Africa. Though I don’t think anybody in the celebrated writer’s works ever endured as much heartache and disappointment between pots of gold…
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Progress can mean different things to different people
In the overall annals of GAA history, one wonders where the Centenary Cup resides. For Meath however, it was without doubt the spring board for the greatest era in the county’s football history. Fast forward to the present day and Westmeath will be hoping that last year’s Tailteann Cup success will similarly set them on…
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Moral victories aren’t even written on paper
Leinster… 20 Munster… 19 You often hear it said that certain things “Aren’t worth the paper they’re written on”. Well, moral victories aren’t even written on paper. If they were, it may as well be used toilet paper. Even the most ardent Munster fan must surely be sick of patronising platitudes at this stage in…
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Ulster progressing, Munster stuck in gear at best
Ulster… 36 Munster… 17 Graham Rowntree must be wondering is he insane. One of the most decorated players in rugby, you’d imagine he could have plumped for any coaching job he wanted in the game. But spare an even bigger thought for Denis Leamy… The former back row forward only during the week moved back…