RUGBY: SEÁN FITZPATRICK spent 15 minutes patiently instructing and then cajoling a group of Dublin jersey clad young hurlers and footballers in the grounds of Kilmacud Crokes to produce a fiery rendition of the Haka.
The former All Black captain led the traditional pre-match Maori challenge and by the fourth or fifth run through he had found some willing mini-acolytes.
Fitzpatrick, who captained New Zealand for the last five years of his 92 test match career that spanned 12 seasons and is regarded as one of the great All Blacks, was on hand as a Laureus World Sports Academy member and was invited by Vodafone to address not alone young players but also the Dublin senior footballers and hurlers in a motivational capacity on a one-day whistlestop tour of the capital.
It’ll be interesting to note what Pat Gilroy, Anthony Daly and their respective charges made of the experience.
The 47-year-old Fitzpatrick is largely based in London and amongst other things is a regular television rugby pundit with Sky Sports but his presence could not have been more opportune to discuss comments made by New Zealand Rugby Union’s Steve Tew in the New Zealand Herald in which the latter was robustly critical of what he saw as the IRFU’s role in enticing All Blacks to Ireland.
The newspaper suggested that John Afoa and Jared Payne had signed contracts with Ulster reported to be worth €417,000. Matt Berquist will join Leinster in the summer while Benson Stanley is being courted by Connacht and Corey Jane linked with Munster.
Tew railed: “The disappointing thing is that if the numbers we are led to believe that have been put on the table by Ulster, and therefore the Irish Rugby Union, are accurate, it is a shame. The Irish are certainly one union we have talked to previously about the way the French system corrupts the market. Now we find in our situation the Irish are out-pricing us.
Losing Jared Payne is annoying, as is losing Johnny. He (Afoa) is a world class player and would continue to make an incredibly valuable contribution to Blues and New Zealand rugby for a long time. But hes at a junction of his life and hes made his decision and he goes with our blessing.
Our sense of it is that the international market is not as strong as it was. That’s why it (Ulsters recruitment) is a wee bit annoying. We have been talking with the Irish and when they were out here in June last year, it was woe is me because the French are buggering up Irish rugby. At the end of the day, we will lose some players we wanted to keep.”
Fitzgerald, while sympathetic to the player drain out of New Zealand, recognises the right of players to pursue the best financial rewards. He points out: “In terms of us competing on the world stage it is always going to be difficult because we cant afford to pay the players what they get paid here (in Europe). There are a few recent signings who will probably be earning twice what they are in New Zealand.
“It is just what the market is demanding. If you want to pay that silly sort of money . . . whether it is benefiting Irish rugby, I would beg to differ. What players are getting paid in England, compared to what they are getting paid in Ireland and France, well good on them. As a former player I think it is fantastic.
“What the IRFU has to ask itself is, is it good for our game? I would have thought that you had enough experienced, big time players in Ireland without having to bring in other players. But we are in a business where winning is very important and sponsors want teams that are winning.
“(We are) seeing it in Super 14, especially the Rebels in Australia who have made some big signings and have started to win a few games. All of a sudden you have a team like the Brumbies, who are a hugely successful franchise, and the number of (high profile) players leaving there. Initially you might have to pay a big of money to get the big players in.”
On a tangential note, the former All Black captain has been a consistent advocate of Leinster, tipping them last December to win this season’s Heineken Cup.
“They have been there before and they know what it is about, especially against Leicester which was probably just a follow-on from what the Irish did three weeks earlier against England.
“They have got a good set-piece, a good scrum and the lineout works well. They have got some experience obviously and they are playing with a lot of passion, a lot of desire and they have got a bit of depth too.”
So at the tournament’s semi-final stage would he change horses? “Perpignan would worry me if they both get through but Toulouse being away from home is probably a huge bonus for Leinster. But no, I would still say Leinster. They can compete with the best and they have shown that.”
He is quietly confident that the All Blacks can bridge a 24-year gap next October and win the World Cup for a second time. “As a fan, I look at the All Blacks now and it is very hard to question what they have done in terms of their preparation.
“They have a huge amount of experience, good mix of youth and they are playing good rugby; the players are physically fit so as a fan it’s hard to criticise what they have done. If they don’t win it then they will have given their best shot.
“Potentially there are six teams that can win the World Cup. The three southern hemisphere sides; with France you don’t which team is going to turn up. Ireland, if they play the way they did against England. (It was) healthy for Ireland that they can still perform that way; I had my doubts they could perform that well. They did and they showed they can mix it with the best.
“England are a dangerous team. What happened to them in the autumn and the Six Nations will probably benefit them: that loss to South Africa and the hiding they got against Ireland.”
