Irish seven in lift let-off Roman traffic can be a bit hazardous given the aggressive nature of car drivers in the Italian capital, but seven members of the Ireland team and management received an unexpected scare just making their way from the fourth floor of their hotel to the lobby.
The incident occurred just two hours prior to the kick off of Saturday's Six Nations Championship match against Italy.
The group were travelling down in the lift when there was an almighty bang and the lift shuddered to a halt. The travelling party was trapped for an anxious 10 minutes before hotel staff managed to get the lift working again, much to the relief of those incarcerated.
Hardly the ideal preparation for the match but it just goes to show it's not only travelling in the streets of Rome that can be an unforgettable experience.
Irish duo swap tops with Totti
Look closely next time you're watching Roma's Italian soccer superstar Francesco Totti warming up for a Serie A game because he could just be wearing a familiar jersey. The player likes to collect jerseys and he sent a friend to see if he could manage to get his hands on a couple of Ireland rugby shirts.
Denis Hickie and Leo Cullen were approached after Saturday's game at Stadio Flaminio by his representative, the latter bearing two of Totti's Roma jerseys. An exchange was made with the Irish players adding to Totti's collection while at the same time providing Hickie and Cullen with an item that would be prized by at least half of the inhabitants of the Roman capital, and further afield. It left many of the Irish pair's team-mates green with envy.
Women make it clean sweep
Ireland managed a clean sweep this weekend, winning the senior, A, under-21 and - for the first time in their equivalent Six Nations - women's matches. The Ireland women's rugby team celebrated their first victory in the competition with a 16-0 win over Spain.
And proving that good rugby genes do really run in a family, the team contained three sisters of well known senior players. Rosie Foley, sister of Ireland number eight Anthony, Lesley Coulter, sister of Ulster centre-cum-wing Sheldon, and Joy Neville, sister of former Ireland under-21 international and Connacht and Garryowen flanker Paul, were members of the squad that managed this landmark victory.
Ireland's points came from a penalty try and the rest from the boot of Sarah Jane Belton.
Ireland won the A international 28-11 and the under-21 game 30-19, all the more laudable when one considers both teams' preparations were seriously hampered by a six-and-a-half-hour delay in travelling to Bologna on Thursday.
The teams, using a chartered aircraft, were due into the Italian city in the early afternoon before splitting up to head to Rovigo and Viadana but did not arrive into their respective hotels until 10.30 p.m. They then had to postpone the captain's run to the following morning.
Leading from the grave
According to the television guide of the English newspaper the Observeryesterday week, Ireland had sensationally replaced Brian O'Driscoll as captain for the Six Nations game against Italy in Rome. The Observer pointed out that Keith Moon would be leading Ireland in Rome as Eddie O'Sullivan's men hoped to build on their promising start to the competition.
Whatever about Harlequins and Ireland hooker Keith Wood currently fighting his way back to fitness after injury, it's doubtful whether the late Keith Moon, drummer with the band The Who, could have made the right calls under pressure. His choice of interval drink might have been interesting, though.
There is no truth in the suggestion that Jimmy Hendrix is due to lead Ireland against France at Lansdowne Road on Saturday week.
Black belter
Ireland's masseur, Australian born Shaun Gilmore, won't have too many problems guaranteeing the players do exactly as he requests when he says so. A black belt in tae kwon do, he gave the players a little demonstration of his prowess during the week using a pen and Alan Quinlan as his props.
Another question of sport
Once again we received a terrific response to our Leinster competition, despite the fact we didn't put an e-mail address at the end to which you can send your entries, so we'll do it early this time. All entries for this week's competition should be e-mailed to josullivan@irish-times.ie.
Congratulations to last week's winner, Noel McGowan, from Blackrock, who correctly identified that the Leinster player who won his 100th cap for the province during the present Heineken European Cup campaign was hooker Shane Byrne.
McGowan wins a family ticket (two adults, two children) for the quarter-final clash with Biarritz at Lansdowne Road, the same prize that is once again on offer this week. To be in with a chance to win, answer the following question correctly and e-mail it to the above address.
Q: Donnybrook, Leinster's traditional venue for all matches, is home to which two All-Ireland League clubs?
Boyne RFC on the ball
One of the country's most productive rugby nurseries, Boyne RFC, is taking another step in its efforts to develop top quality rugby players.
The Drogheda club, an amalgam of two former clubs, Delvin and Drogheda, are embarking on a programme that will see their players coached to the highest standards, under the best available coaches.
The programme has been carefully designed and put together, primarily by the club's director of rugby, John Sheridan, enlisting the help of the IRFU's director of rugby, Eddie Wigglesworth. The sponsor of the venture is Panda Waste Services. The School of Excellence will cover four main areas of rugby development.
Former members of the club such as Shane Horgan, Mark McHugh, Niall Ronan (Ireland under-21), Martin McPhail (Ireland Schools, Connacht), Andy Tallon, Declan Quinn and Mark Buckley will look to put something back by assisting when possible in the development of young players.
It is an impressive initiative and one that suggests Boyne RFC will enjoy a very healthy future in the modern rugby firmament.
