ON RUGBY:AS WORLD Cup cycles go, the 2010-11 season took to three the number of Heineken Cups and Magners Leagues won by Leinster and Munster in that timespan, to augment the Grand Slam of 2009. But for a lack of tactical ruthlessness and belief at home to France, and being the victims of the worst officiating decision of the season in Cardiff, the season might even have emulated two years ago.
Of course, Ireland were reasonably well set in 2007 as well, and we all know what happened, while as the All Blacks’ 24 years of hurt underline, what happens in between World Cups counts for far less than the last four months or so. Still, Irish rugby looks in reasonably rude health.
It’s also been a good season for Irish coaches, with Mark McCall and Conor O’Shea helping Saracens and Harlequins to silverware.
Yet there remains no immediately obvious replacement for Declan Kidney and his assistants. At this point four years ago, the IRFU, in their wisdom, had already granted Eddie O’Sullivan (who had been contracted until the end of the ’07-08 season anyway) a four-year extension.
Burned by that, the union have only contracted Kidney and co until the end of the World Cup. Come November, the Irish team have no coaches in place, so therefore it might be no harm to extend Kidney and his prized assistants for another year or two.
Coming almost at the end of a World Cup cycle, there’s been the usual spate of retirements along with quite a few departures as the provinces rebuild with the first two months of the season, especially, in mind.
As Irupa surveys have shown, modern professional players pay a high toll with their bodies well into retirement, and increasing numbers are forced to call time on their playing careers early.
Uppermost among these are Ian Dowling (28), Barry Murphy (28), David Pollock (24), Bryn Cunningham (33), Conor O’Loughlin (28), Robbie Morris (29), Paul Ryan (23), John Fogarty (33), Trevor Hogan (31), Ronnie McCormack (34), and, on a voluntary basis, Stephen Keogh (to coach Shannon) and Cillian Willis.
For Pollock, a former captain of Ireland at under-19, 20s (winning the Grand Slam in ’07) and 21s, and Ryan, it is far too soon, while premature for Dowling and Murphy too. Dowling, imported from Kilkenny RFC, was first and foremost a product of Shannon, like Mick Galwey, Anthony Foley, Alan Quinlan, John Hayes and many more besides.
A clever, footballing winger, Dowling was an important part of the 2006 and ’08 successes as one of the younger players who energised the team, and started both finals.
Murphy, a naturally quick and gifted runner, was a product of UL Bohemians scholarship programme. Injuries restricted him to just 49 starts in his 63 appearances for Munster, effectively over six seasons, and prevented him from reaching the potential he showed with his impression of a gazelle in scoring Munster’s bonus-point try in the final home game against Sale to earn a home quarter-final.
In that 50-metre run, he too made a very significant contribution to the breakthrough ’06 success. He would also win four caps and be the only player to score a try against the All Blacks on their unbeaten tour of ’08.
Others are leaving, like Niva Ta’auso, Troy Nathan, Bernie Upton and Liam Bibo at Connacht; Shaun Beirne, unlucky with injuries too, Stan Wright and Nathan Hines at Leinster; and, at Munster, Sam Tuitupou, who had his moments but whose straight up the middle style is more suited to much of the crash-bang-wallop rugby of the Premiership, and Tony Buckley, along with Paul Warwick and Stan Wright to Stade Francais.
The engaging, always good-humoured Wright, pilloried on arrival, became a cult hero with Leinster, while Warwick was one of the outstanding overseas’ success stories, scoring 913 points in his 167 games for Connacht and Munster. Quite why Munster are letting a goalkicking utility back who is always available go remains a curious one.
Hines, arguably Michael Cheika’s signature signing, even more so than Rocky Elsom, will also take some replacing, while hopefully Niall Morris will flourish at Leicester and maybe return one day.
And, of course, the mighty Quinny is retiring too. A natural-born footballer if ever there was one, he suffered along the way with injuries, suspensions and personal disappointment, but always did so with his inestimable good humour and charm. Occasionally he fought the law and the law won, but perhaps that was always going to be his lot, for to play well he had to play on the edge.
A product of Clanwilliam and the Youths system, and polished by Shannon’s winning ethic, there was always something slightly unstructured about Quinny. Quick taps, kick-aheads, storming surges, playing in the opposition’s faces, particularly the scrumhalf, he went off the playbook and sensed the moment to come up with the big play.
You wonder if the modern game could produce such a one-off, especially through the schools/academy structure. There really won’t ever be another Alan Quinlan, for as a player he truly was a one-off.
Best of luck to him especially, and to all of them.
