Now this column certainly does not condone gloating in the wake of what was a hugely distressing weekend for England rugby nine days ago following their defeat at Lansdowne Road that ruptured Grand Slam ambitions. After all this was Ireland's first victory over the English since 1994. But while this column may have impeccable scruples the same can not be said of the originator(s) of a very popular e-mail doing the rounds in Ireland this week.
In celebration of what was a great victory this column decided to offer the e-mail for general consumption. If you haven't seen it already then you are mixing with the wrong kind of people.
ENGLISH MEN CHOKE THEN CRY IN FRONT OF LARGE CROWD IN DUBLIN: 50,000 spectators watched helplessly on Saturday as 15 sportsmen choked in front of them, apparently after being force-fed a large slice of humble pie. A doctor attending the scene said that the men had a medical history of this sort of thing: apparently it also happened last year, the year before and in 1990.
Interviewed afterwards, Princess Anne said "Does anyone want this *#%"*! trophy?"
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS - FOR SALE: One chariot, (low-swinging sweet type), in urgent need of repair (wheels have come off). One careless owner, details from Clive, Tel. Twickenham 19-13. 100,000 Grand Slam tee-shirts, ties & scarves - unused (choice of 1998/99 or 1999/2000 and now 2000/2001) Contact : RFU, Twickenham.
LOST: One rugby match, believed lost in Landsdowne Rd area. Of great personal significance, reward to finder. Call Lawrence or Phil on speed-dial, inj-600.
LOST (on way home from Dublin): (i) Plan B. (ii) Graciousness. (iii) Bottle. Please contact : G Archer, C Woodward, L Dallaglio (Twickenham).
IN MEMORIAM SLAM, G: Passed away, 20th Oct 2001. Sorely missed by captain Matt and the boys. Will never forget you, when will we see your like again?
It's an ill wind that blows down Blackrock way
Playing for Blackrock College can be seriously damaging to your health. Brian O'Driscoll's post-England game injuries are quite trivial in comparison to some of his old schoolmates. Barry Gibney, one of the finest schools players of any generation, will never play professional rugby following confirmation he requires another knee operation. Emmet Farrell, recently returned from cruciate surgery on his knee, tore the medial ligament in the same knee while playing for the club against Lansdowne in a league match: he has played just two games and 15 minutes in 14 months.
Tom Keating is getting a shoulder operation for Christmas after a year out with a serious knee injury.
David Quinlan is out for six weeks after picking up a second concussion in a few weeks in Leinster's friendly against Ulster while Paul Wallace is now troubled by a calf injury, following his extended period on the sidelines. Bob Casey will be in the Leinster squad for the Newport game at the weekend but is then being given a month off to rest a knee that has not fully recovered from a recent operation .
Former international scrumhalf Ciarβn Scally had to tragically cut short his career following knee trouble while Brian Carey damaged his other knee and now looks unlikely to play again. There is no truth in the rumour that O'Driscoll is looking to leave Blackrock for safety reasons.
End of an era in Australia
Randwick, the famous Australian rugby club and nursery to hundreds of Wallabies past and present, has brought down the curtain on the old amateur era by agreeing to pay their players. The club is to be run on a professional footing, a decision that did not received unanimous approval from a few former players.
Australian and Randwick legend David Campese told the www.news.com.au website: "They've got to pay their players to keep up with the other clubs who have been paying for years. But it is sad the traditions of the game have really changed."
Russell Fairfax, another former Wallaby from Randwick, was more upset. "Frankly I'm not happy," he said. "But I'm from a different era. If they have to train four nights a week to play in this new competition they deserve recompense if it affects their work."
No danger then that these boys wouldn't have looked for a few bob if they had still been playing. However, club president Jeff Sayle vowed: "We have to accept the days of amateur rugby are dead and the dollar will have to be dolled out."
Bridgend play perfect hosts
Bridgend proved generous hosts - and not just on the pitch - in terms of the facilities laid on for Munster supporters last weekend. To accommodate any desire to drink they succeeded in getting bar extensions for the Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights until 2 a.m. to welcome the visitors. Unfortunately a problem with the ferries meant that the majority of Munster supporters did not arrive until the Friday and so the previous night was something of a wash-out.
Speaking of the weekend in question, the Shannon contingent who didn't start, Marcus Horan, James Blaney, Alan Quinlan and Colm McMahon as well as Killian Keane, were early risers the following morning to catch the 8.30 a.m. flight from Cardiff to Dublin, whereupon they joined up with their clubmates at Finnstown House to travel and play in the AIB League match against DLSP in Kilternan. Keane drove from Dublin to Limerick and played at full back in Garryowen's draw with Clontarf.
Batman's new crusade
It's hardly surprising Australia are the standard bearers in world rugby when one considers their latest initiative. The Australian Rugby Union, not content with luring Wendell Sailor, Andrew Walker and Matt Tynan from rugby league, has now looked towards athletics. They have enticed Olympic sprinter Daniel Batman to join the ACT Brumbies Academy in Canberra.
The 200and 400-metre runner will train with the ACT Brumbies until Christmas. After that he will sign up at the Brumbies' Academy for 2002, and will be under the guidance of coach Laurie Fisher.
While athletics is where Batman made his mark, he played rugby union for the Australian under-16 side. As an athlete he competed in the 400 metres at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, but unfortunately tore his hamstring 150 metres into his heat. He boasts a personal best of 45.60 seconds for the 400 metres and 20.78 seconds for 200 metres.
The notion of top class athletes switching to rugby is nothing new. Welsh sprinter Nigel Walker reached the semi-finals of the 1984 Olympics and won bronze medals at the World Indoor Championships and the European Indoor Championships in 1987, before making his Wales debut in 1993 and going on to win 18 caps.
Another athlete who found success in rugby union is the Commonwealth Games sprinter JJ Williams who went on to forge a glittering career with Llanelli, Wales and the Lions in the 1970s.
Fisher said the arrival of Batman at the academy is a "huge boost" for rugby union and will also assist the players who will be training around him. "Daniel is obviously a highly professional athlete, and while his speed and running technique will be extremely sound, we'll look to further his skills on the rugby side of things," said Fisher. "It will be exciting to have someone like Daniel in the programme for 2002."
Now that the Australians have Batman they'll surely step up their quest for Robin!
