A rugby miscellany, compiled by JOHNNY WATTERSON
Old gold: Stan still the man
WE UNDERSTAND nothing is ever certain. In that light, it’s not that you will never find one but that you are unlikely to find a player who played in the 1999 European Cup, still playing his rugby at senior level. But look no further than this season’s All-Ireland League, the first round of which begins this week.
Take a bow Stanley McDowell, who is currently mixing it with the young and good in south county Dublin. The Ulster man, who came on after 40 minutes for Jan Cunningham in Ulster’s triumphant European Cup win over Colomiers in the 1999 Cup final in Lansdowne Road, is with Blackrock College RFC this season. No he’s not there as a coach but as a bona fide player, at fullback we believe.
Now 40 years old, McDowell is living proof that you don’t always have to finish a competitive career in the game with a bad knee, back or shoulder and that life in rugby can truly begin at 40. He is also the only current player with Blackrock who holds what these days is called a Heineken Cup winner’s medal as Ulster beat the French team 21-6 thanks to six penalties from Simon Mason and a drop goal from Ulster’s current director of rugby David Humphreys. ’Rock, incidently, will entertain Division 1A champions Cork Constitution in Stradbrook in the first match in the AIL next weekend.
Leinster old boy Cheika outdoing new man Schmidt
DIFFERING fortunes for the coaches with Leinster connections. While the Dublin-based team struggled badly in Scotland against Edinburgh this weekend, Stade Français earned a 12-27 win on the road against Agen in the French Top 14. Of the two coaches, former Leinster boss Michael Cheika and current coach Joe Schmidt, it would have seemed Cheika may have had the harder task. Maybe not. Cheika has four wins from eight games in France and Stade sit ninth in the table of 14 teams, while Schmidt is ninth in the table of 12 Magners League teams with one win from four.
“It’s like a scene from MASH down there. There’s bodies everywhere. It’s a huge ask for us . . . . It’s tough, it’s unfair, it’s crazy. Cardiff played last night so they’ve an extra day’s rest. It’s a TV game, TV dictates, so that’s what we have to do – Eric Elwood
Steenson one to watch
FORMER Ireland winger Tyrone Howe, who is a columnist in the Belfast Telegraph, has been recently trumpeting the talents of former Ulster boy Gareth Steenson. The Dungannon-born outhalf repaid Howe’s kind words this weekend when the Chiefs beat Newcastle Falcons 22-17, with Steenson’s boot sending 17 points over the bar in another near flawless display of kicking.
It’s not the first time this year the player has performed from the tee, having also punished Gloucester for indiscretions on the opening day of the campaign.
Might just be one to watch.
He said what?
“He was supposed to come to Paris on September 18th but he cancelled the meeting. It’s not the first time that he’s done it. It’s a lack of respect for Racing-Metro and for me.
Francois Steyn seemed to be putting his Springbok career in jeopardy when he said it as it was to French newspaper Midi Olympiquelast week about South African coach Peter De Villiers.
The SARU explained that visits were planned to Bath, Ulster (Wannenburg, Botha, Pienaar) and racing Metro, Steyn’s table-topping team. But following a cancellation of an IRB conference all three clubs were advised the visits would be postponed.
Springbok-packed Ulster and Bath acknowleged. Racing Metro did not. Believe it or not.
Concussion survey shock
INFORMATION published in the HEALTHplus supplement last week seems to have missed by many rugby fans. It concerns a survey focused on concussion in rugby and should cause some concern in the game, especially in the younger age groups.
The survey among players under 20 in Dublin rugby clubs revealed that more than 40 per cent of those who suffered concussion last season did not receive any medical assessment afterwards.
The survey received a 95 per cent response rate, with 133 players filling out questionnaires. Of that number, 64 reported they had sustained at least one concussion and 33 continued to play knowing they were concussed.
Needless to say the doctors don’t like what they are hearing and advise strongly not to play if concussed as it can be dangerous.
What particularly concerns doctors are the players who are concussed more than once.
Attention rugby fans with no focail at all
RUGBAÍ BEO Magners League. We like it. First they got Wimbledon tennis. Now it’s rugby on TG4. Some of us don’t fully understand it because of the sad state of our Irish. We all have our problems. But later this week you will be watching and listening to the Munster match against Leinster on TG4. Then get in the swing, why don’t ya?
Try “Come on, Leinster” – Laighin abu”, or “Come on, Munster” – Mumhan abu.
If a player is like Ulsters Andrew Trimble at the weekend, who was binned for cleaning out a player in the air then it’s off to the loca pionois (sin bin).
The scrum is clibirt, the lineout síneadh amach and the pack pure and simply, an paca.
A converted try becomes the more abbreviated ud, whereas the ionsai (attack) and particularly in Leinster’s case, an cosaint (defence) will be imperative if they wish to win what is likely to be a sell-out match at the Aviva.
For infringements Jonathan Sexton and Ronan O’Gara will be awarded a cic pionóis (penalty) and any as an imirt (offside) infringement should be immediately flagged by the touch judge.
Of course if either of the lineouts start to go belly-up during the match the person who will immediately take the blame is the huicéir (hooker).
Handy words
Scrum = Clibirt
Pack = Paca
Forwards = Tosaithe
Lineout = Síneadh amach
Converted try = Úd
Sin bin = Loca pionóis
Come on Leinster = Laighin abú
Come on Munster = Mumhan abu
Attack = Ionsaí
Defence = Cosaint
Penalty = Cic pionóis
Offside = As an imirt
Hooker = Húicéir
