Allow me to reveal a little something about myself. No team that I support has ever won any major Championship during the time that I have supported them.
To illustrate:
Mayo: Last All-Ireland victory was in 1951, fifteen years before I was born.
Irish Rugby Team: Last won the Championship in 1985, but I wasn't really following rugby then, so I never really noticed it. Triple Crowns don't count.
Irish Football Team: Qualified for European Championship in 1988, and the World Cups of 1990, 1994 and 2002, but even though it felt like it at the time, they never actually won any of these.
QPR: Last bit of silverware to make it to the trophyroom cabinet at Loftus Road was the League Cup in 1967, I think.
Munster: OK, they won the Celtic League in 2003 and the Celtic Cup in 2005, but it's not the Heineken Cup, is it?
I am hoping that this awful record will finally be broken on 20 May 2006, with Munster at last lifting the Heineken Cup in Cardiff. Unfortunately, I won't be there. The likelihood is that I won't see the game live at all, as I will be travelling back from Southern Spain.
On the other hand, maybe that's a good thing, and the jinx won't work.
To illustrate:
Mayo: Last All-Ireland victory was in 1951, fifteen years before I was born.
Irish Rugby Team: Last won the Championship in 1985, but I wasn't really following rugby then, so I never really noticed it. Triple Crowns don't count.
Irish Football Team: Qualified for European Championship in 1988, and the World Cups of 1990, 1994 and 2002, but even though it felt like it at the time, they never actually won any of these.
QPR: Last bit of silverware to make it to the trophy
Munster: OK, they won the Celtic League in 2003 and the Celtic Cup in 2005, but it's not the Heineken Cup, is it?
I am hoping that this awful record will finally be broken on 20 May 2006, with Munster at last lifting the Heineken Cup in Cardiff. Unfortunately, I won't be there. The likelihood is that I won't see the game live at all, as I will be travelling back from Southern Spain.
On the other hand, maybe that's a good thing, and the jinx won't work.
Well, the doubters were silenced. Munster put Leinster to the sword yesterday afternoon at a sun-blessed Lansdowne Road, in a devastating display of sheer strength and passion. They now go on to the final of the Heineken Cup in Cardiff on 20 May, where hopefully they will prevail over Biarritz.
So much of the coverage going into yesterday's match was about the firepower of the Leinster back line. This back line was the embodiment of champagne rugby, we were told. But who needs champagne rugby when you can have Shaun Payne rugby? (OK, OK, so Payne wasn't the man of the match yesterday or anything, but I've been saving that one up for a long time and might never get the chance to use it again.)
One things for sure - I would not like to play cards against Declan Kidney. All week he kept a straight face and talked as much as any interviewer wanted but said nothing. He may as well have been discussing the price of yearlings at Charleville Mart. But he hatched a brilliant game-plan to stop Leinster's galacticos. First of all, set Denis Leamy on Contepomi to fuck with his mind. When the Rock of Cashel has done his work, attack up the middle and force O'Driscoll and D'Arcy to commit to tackles. Mind the fringes. Let Paul O'Connell get on with just being Paul O'Connell. And be patient.
And so it worked. After nine minutes they had rumbled over for the first try of the game. On the south terrace, we all nearly lost the head. The guy next to me asked who scored. I wasn't sure and said I thought it was Jerry Flannery. Then the announcement came over the Tannoy that it was Leamy. "Ah, fuck it anyway", says my neighbour, ripping up a betting slip for dramatic effect. "I had a fiver on O'Connell to score the first one."
I have been to matches with great atmosphere before, but this was really special. The red army was in place well before kick-off and were there to greet with full voice the Munster team out onto the pitch. For their warm-up. All around was a sea of red, with the odd blue and yellow island. The Fields of Athenry rang out loud and true several times before, during and after the match.
The two tries at the end were just rewards for the gargantuan effort put in by the Munster team. They should have scored after a period of sustained pressure on the Leinster line earlier in the half. ROG leapt over the advertising hoarding just in front of where I was, swiftly followed by Donners. I tried to get a couple of decent photos of that, but in the ensuing melée, my camerawork went somewhat awry (see below.)
Of course the job isn't finished yet. Nothing has been won except the latest round of bragging rights. Munster must now go and do it all again in Cardiff in a little under four weeks time. They will have a dilemma about who to play at 13. Hopefully Marcus Horan will be back by then, although Federico Pucciariello did a fine job in his absence.
Onward and upward. Come on the Munster!!
So much of the coverage going into yesterday's match was about the firepower of the Leinster back line. This back line was the embodiment of champagne rugby, we were told. But who needs champagne rugby when you can have Shaun Payne rugby? (OK, OK, so Payne wasn't the man of the match yesterday or anything, but I've been saving that one up for a long time and might never get the chance to use it again.)
One things for sure - I would not like to play cards against Declan Kidney. All week he kept a straight face and talked as much as any interviewer wanted but said nothing. He may as well have been discussing the price of yearlings at Charleville Mart. But he hatched a brilliant game-plan to stop Leinster's galacticos. First of all, set Denis Leamy on Contepomi to fuck with his mind. When the Rock of Cashel has done his work, attack up the middle and force O'Driscoll and D'Arcy to commit to tackles. Mind the fringes. Let Paul O'Connell get on with just being Paul O'Connell. And be patient.
And so it worked. After nine minutes they had rumbled over for the first try of the game. On the south terrace, we all nearly lost the head. The guy next to me asked who scored. I wasn't sure and said I thought it was Jerry Flannery. Then the announcement came over the Tannoy that it was Leamy. "Ah, fuck it anyway", says my neighbour, ripping up a betting slip for dramatic effect. "I had a fiver on O'Connell to score the first one."
I have been to matches with great atmosphere before, but this was really special. The red army was in place well before kick-off and were there to greet with full voice the Munster team out onto the pitch. For their warm-up. All around was a sea of red, with the odd blue and yellow island. The Fields of Athenry rang out loud and true several times before, during and after the match.
The two tries at the end were just rewards for the gargantuan effort put in by the Munster team. They should have scored after a period of sustained pressure on the Leinster line earlier in the half. ROG leapt over the advertising hoarding just in front of where I was, swiftly followed by Donners. I tried to get a couple of decent photos of that, but in the ensuing melée, my camerawork went somewhat awry (see below.)
Of course the job isn't finished yet. Nothing has been won except the latest round of bragging rights. Munster must now go and do it all again in Cardiff in a little under four weeks time. They will have a dilemma about who to play at 13. Hopefully Marcus Horan will be back by then, although Federico Pucciariello did a fine job in his absence.
Onward and upward. Come on the Munster!!
I'm just back after a long day that started with a three-hour drive up from Cork this morning. What a win by Munster! I'm too knackered right now to attempt to articulate my thoughts on the game, but will have a crack at it in the next day or so.
The world has gone mad. Every season, Munster and Leinster meet at least twice, but never before has there been such excitement in the run-up to the meeting of Ireland's two major teams. Tickets are changing hands for unbelievable sums of money. (Hat-tip for that nugget to Simon.)
The difference this time of course, is that the winner of this particular inter-pro will advance to the final of the Heineken Cup, European club rugby's most glittering prize. Munster have been there twice before, in 2000 and 2002, finishing runners-up both times. In 2000, they lost by a single point to the Northampton Saints (9-8). In 2002, they lost 15-9 to the Leicester Tigers (exception being Neil Back, who was a Cheatah in that particular match.) The furthest Leinster have been so far is the semi-final.
So, what can we expect on Sunday? Given that these players make up the bulk of the Irish international side, the key personnel on both teams know one another very well. The old cliché of it being the Munster forwards versus the Leinster backs may not ring true. Munster have a decent back line that can do damage to any team on its day, and Leinster's front eight had the better of Toulouse on 1 April.
I'd reckon that it will not be a great game to watch. In fact, it could be a real dog of a game. Both teams will be cautious, and may not be inclined to toss the ball around too much. For both teams, the prospect of losing is unthinkable. Little will separate the teams at the final whistle, no more than a score. This is a staring contest writ large, and God help whoever blinks first.
Being a Munster supporter, naturally I hope that the men in red prevail. They have a lot in their favour. For a start, they are regarded as the underdogs going into the game, which is exactly where they like to be. Secondly, a good chunk of their squad have been here many times before. Anthony Foley, Paul O'Connell, Peter Stringer, Ronan O'Gara, David Wallace, John Hayes, John Kelly, Anthony Horgan...these guys know what it's like in this sort of game. As do many others in the squad. Thirdly, Declan Kidney was Leinster coach last season, so he'll know a few trade secrets about the opposition. Fourthly, the Munster fans are, as everyone knows, the best in the business.
And finally, I cannot think of anyone who would want to stand in the way of Paul O'Connell in his quest to win a major championship.
I've managed to score a ticket, and fully expect to have no voice whatsoever by Sunday evening.
COME ON MUNSTER!!
The difference this time of course, is that the winner of this particular inter-pro will advance to the final of the Heineken Cup, European club rugby's most glittering prize. Munster have been there twice before, in 2000 and 2002, finishing runners-up both times. In 2000, they lost by a single point to the Northampton Saints (9-8). In 2002, they lost 15-9 to the Leicester Tigers (exception being Neil Back, who was a Cheatah in that particular match.) The furthest Leinster have been so far is the semi-final.
So, what can we expect on Sunday? Given that these players make up the bulk of the Irish international side, the key personnel on both teams know one another very well. The old cliché of it being the Munster forwards versus the Leinster backs may not ring true. Munster have a decent back line that can do damage to any team on its day, and Leinster's front eight had the better of Toulouse on 1 April.
I'd reckon that it will not be a great game to watch. In fact, it could be a real dog of a game. Both teams will be cautious, and may not be inclined to toss the ball around too much. For both teams, the prospect of losing is unthinkable. Little will separate the teams at the final whistle, no more than a score. This is a staring contest writ large, and God help whoever blinks first.
Being a Munster supporter, naturally I hope that the men in red prevail. They have a lot in their favour. For a start, they are regarded as the underdogs going into the game, which is exactly where they like to be. Secondly, a good chunk of their squad have been here many times before. Anthony Foley, Paul O'Connell, Peter Stringer, Ronan O'Gara, David Wallace, John Hayes, John Kelly, Anthony Horgan...these guys know what it's like in this sort of game. As do many others in the squad. Thirdly, Declan Kidney was Leinster coach last season, so he'll know a few trade secrets about the opposition. Fourthly, the Munster fans are, as everyone knows, the best in the business.
And finally, I cannot think of anyone who would want to stand in the way of Paul O'Connell in his quest to win a major championship.
I've managed to score a ticket, and fully expect to have no voice whatsoever by Sunday evening.
COME ON MUNSTER!!
What a day for Irish rugby. First up, Leinster make April Fools of Toulouse, and then Munster grind out a victory over Perpignan to set up and all-Irish semi-final.
I was at the Munster game, and it has to be said that they were not at their best. The maul never really got going, and the backs just didn't spark. Paul O'Connell was the master of the line-out, yet Munster still managed to lose a few of their own throws. But in the post-match interviews, Declan Kidney, O'Connell and Jerry Flannery all readily conceded that this was an under-par performance by the men in red. Still, it's better to win playing badly than to lose while playing well, and God knows Munster have done that a number of times in the last number of seasons.
Leinster, in contrast, had a magnificent game against Toulouse. The four tries were superbly taken and even though Yannicks Nyanga and Jauzion managed to save some face for the home side late on, the men in blue held out to "do a Munster" on the aristocrats of French rugby. I know it's too late saying it now, but I had a feeling in my water this week that Leinster were going to do a number on Toulouse. (My wife will confirm that I did indeed predict it.) It was because of the loss by Ireland to France in Paris. After that match, every Irish player would have felt that they could and should have won. So having another chance to have a go at a significant part of that French team would mean that Brian O'Driscoll wouldn't have had to say too much to motivate his team-mates in the pre-match huddle.
Denis Hickie's try was something to behold. I was watching the match in Crowe's in Ballsbridge, in a pub full of Munster supporters. As he made his charge up the line and did the lovely little one-two with D'Arcy, the shouts of "Go ON, ya boy, ya!" got louder and louder. And when he touched down, well, the place just went mental.
So now we have an All-Ireland Semi-final to look forward to. There will be a fierce scramble for tickets for Lansdowne Road on 22 April. It just shows how the professional era has helped lift Irish rugby. Most of Ireland's elite players play their club rugby here. Now there will be an inter-provincial match as the semi-final of one of the world's most prized club rugby tournaments. Who would have thought, ten years ago, that you'd pack Lansdowne Road for an inter-pro at the end of April?
An Irish team will be in the final on 20 May, whatever happens. Whoever wins on 22 April deserves the support of all Irish rugby supporters in the final.
I was at the Munster game, and it has to be said that they were not at their best. The maul never really got going, and the backs just didn't spark. Paul O'Connell was the master of the line-out, yet Munster still managed to lose a few of their own throws. But in the post-match interviews, Declan Kidney, O'Connell and Jerry Flannery all readily conceded that this was an under-par performance by the men in red. Still, it's better to win playing badly than to lose while playing well, and God knows Munster have done that a number of times in the last number of seasons.
Leinster, in contrast, had a magnificent game against Toulouse. The four tries were superbly taken and even though Yannicks Nyanga and Jauzion managed to save some face for the home side late on, the men in blue held out to "do a Munster" on the aristocrats of French rugby. I know it's too late saying it now, but I had a feeling in my water this week that Leinster were going to do a number on Toulouse. (My wife will confirm that I did indeed predict it.) It was because of the loss by Ireland to France in Paris. After that match, every Irish player would have felt that they could and should have won. So having another chance to have a go at a significant part of that French team would mean that Brian O'Driscoll wouldn't have had to say too much to motivate his team-mates in the pre-match huddle.
Denis Hickie's try was something to behold. I was watching the match in Crowe's in Ballsbridge, in a pub full of Munster supporters. As he made his charge up the line and did the lovely little one-two with D'Arcy, the shouts of "Go ON, ya boy, ya!" got louder and louder. And when he touched down, well, the place just went mental.
So now we have an All-Ireland Semi-final to look forward to. There will be a fierce scramble for tickets for Lansdowne Road on 22 April. It just shows how the professional era has helped lift Irish rugby. Most of Ireland's elite players play their club rugby here. Now there will be an inter-provincial match as the semi-final of one of the world's most prized club rugby tournaments. Who would have thought, ten years ago, that you'd pack Lansdowne Road for an inter-pro at the end of April?
An Irish team will be in the final on 20 May, whatever happens. Whoever wins on 22 April deserves the support of all Irish rugby supporters in the final.