Awash With Greatness!
24/05/08 20:36 Filed in: Sport
Well, what can I say
after that? Me nerves!!!
After a pulsating, nerve-wracking, tightly-fought contest, Munster prevailed over the might of Stade Toulousain to claim their second Heineken Cup title in three years, and can now truly be known as one of the world's greatest rugby teams. Whatever critics may say of their style, they know how to win, and that's what counts.
After an opening period of Toulouse domination, Munster were on the back foot, but managed to keep the damage down to a single drop goal. The fact that Ellisalde chose to take on the role of sniper possibly showed that Tououlse realised from early on that they were going to get little change from the Munster defence. Once Munster managed to get hold of the ball, they made ground and started to control the game, and after a sustained ten-minute period of pressure were 10-3 to the good. They conceded a penalty on the stroke of half time, which allowed the French to get back to within four.
The turning point in the second half was Fabien Pelous getting sin-binned. ROG slotted the penalty, but in the ten minute period when they had numerical advantage, they conceded a try. It was a work of genius conceived by full-back Heymans, who ran like a train down the left touchline, and slotted the ball in-field .Jauzion ran on to it to give it another poke, allowing wing Donguy to fall onto it.
Minutes beforehand, we were treated to the genius of Doug Howlett, who ran onto a pass from fellow Kiwi Rui Tipoki and then shredded the Toulouse defence. Sadly, the pass from Tipoki was adjudged to be forward and it didn't count.
A further penalty from O'Gara nudged Munster in front again, and they controlled the ball through the forwards for most of the last quarter to run down the clock and keep the French on the back foot. In the end, Toulouse ran out of time and Munster prevailed.
There were some
immense performances from the Munster men,
particualrly in the pack. Alan Quinlan rightly won
Man of the Match for a barnstorming performance in
the back row. He made a menace of himself all day
and was instrumental in several turnovers. Captain
Paul O'Connell kept the line-out ship steady and
even managed to nick a few off the French. He was
off for a blood injury for a short period in the
second half, and in that time Munster shipped two
line outs. Donncha O'Callaghan was superb, driving,
tackling, and assisting, especially when he added
his muscle to Denis Leamy's lunge for the line for
Munster's try. Similarly Jerry Flannery, who picked
and drove magnificently. And never forget John
Hayes, who's scrummaging was magnificent.
A nice touch came at the presentation of the trophy. Instead of just hoisting it over his own head, Paul O'Connell shared the lifting duty with Ronan O'Gara, who captained the side throughout the treacherous pool campaign.
There can be no doubt now as to Munster's standing at the top of the pile of European rugby. To get to where they are tonight, they had to get past last year's champions, last year's Challenge Cup champions, the side that knocked them out last season, two of the top sides in the English Premiership (both away), and then today overcome the aristocrats of French and European rugby.
Declan Kidney now goes on to the national set up. Two things he has brought to Munster which he hopefully will bring to Ireland will be: always winning tight games, and knowing how to beat French teams.
After a pulsating, nerve-wracking, tightly-fought contest, Munster prevailed over the might of Stade Toulousain to claim their second Heineken Cup title in three years, and can now truly be known as one of the world's greatest rugby teams. Whatever critics may say of their style, they know how to win, and that's what counts.
After an opening period of Toulouse domination, Munster were on the back foot, but managed to keep the damage down to a single drop goal. The fact that Ellisalde chose to take on the role of sniper possibly showed that Tououlse realised from early on that they were going to get little change from the Munster defence. Once Munster managed to get hold of the ball, they made ground and started to control the game, and after a sustained ten-minute period of pressure were 10-3 to the good. They conceded a penalty on the stroke of half time, which allowed the French to get back to within four.
The turning point in the second half was Fabien Pelous getting sin-binned. ROG slotted the penalty, but in the ten minute period when they had numerical advantage, they conceded a try. It was a work of genius conceived by full-back Heymans, who ran like a train down the left touchline, and slotted the ball in-field .Jauzion ran on to it to give it another poke, allowing wing Donguy to fall onto it.
Minutes beforehand, we were treated to the genius of Doug Howlett, who ran onto a pass from fellow Kiwi Rui Tipoki and then shredded the Toulouse defence. Sadly, the pass from Tipoki was adjudged to be forward and it didn't count.
A further penalty from O'Gara nudged Munster in front again, and they controlled the ball through the forwards for most of the last quarter to run down the clock and keep the French on the back foot. In the end, Toulouse ran out of time and Munster prevailed.
A nice touch came at the presentation of the trophy. Instead of just hoisting it over his own head, Paul O'Connell shared the lifting duty with Ronan O'Gara, who captained the side throughout the treacherous pool campaign.
There can be no doubt now as to Munster's standing at the top of the pile of European rugby. To get to where they are tonight, they had to get past last year's champions, last year's Challenge Cup champions, the side that knocked them out last season, two of the top sides in the English Premiership (both away), and then today overcome the aristocrats of French and European rugby.
Declan Kidney now goes on to the national set up. Two things he has brought to Munster which he hopefully will bring to Ireland will be: always winning tight games, and knowing how to beat French teams.
|
Here We Go Again
22/05/08 22:07 Filed in: Sport
I missed the Heineken
Cup Final in 2006. You know, the one that Munster
won. As in Munster, the team I regularly write
about. Here's what happened.
Back in January of that year, I was asked to take a group of customers to Jerez de la Frontera in southern Spain on a wine trip in the middle of May. Not wearing a rugby hat that day, I agreed. As the season panned out, it became apparent that I was going to miss the final due to the trip, but by that stage it was too late to back out.
We arrived on the Tuesday and were due to leave on Saturday afternoon. We were flying out of Seville, so we had an hour's bus journey to the airport, and that hour was right splat in the middle of the match. I had my laptop with me, and managed to get the first 20 minutes in the lobby of the hotel, listening to the great Michael Corcoran on RTE's streaming web coverage. Back home, my wife, six months pregnant, was watching the match live and sending me updates by text. Being a proud Cork woman and Munster supporter, she naturally got caught up in the emotions of the day, and as the match wore on, her missives to me on the bus between Jerez and Seville became more cryptic.
But then one came through loud and clear. "STRNGR TRY!!!!!!!"
When we got to the airport, she rang me. It was all over. She was speechless, but eventually managed to squeak out "We won!" between sobs of joy. She still maintains that if she had been a few weeks further along the pregnancy that day, she would have been in The Coombe that night.
So here we are again. Munster stand on the cusp of glory once more, and if they make it to the top of the hill this time, it will be even better than '06. (Apologies for the mixed metaphors.) Two years ago, they had a home quarter final and to all intents and purposes, a home quarter final against Leinster. This time, they had to practically tunnel out of the worst possible pool draw, and then face two away knock-out draws. And once that was over, face the only side that has contested more Heineken Cup Finals than they have, a side who have won three so far. As Sheryl Crow sang, no-one said it would be easy.
On the plus side, this is a more complete Munster side than in 2006. Alongside the well-established pack, there is a back line that any opposition would fear. The two Kiwi centres, Mafi and Tipoki have been awesome for Munster this season. Once Trevor Halstead left, I was afraid that our back line would miss that line-smashing element he brought to the game. Thankfully Tipoki has it, and his partnership with his fellow New Zealander means that we have a mean centre partnership. Plus the fact that these guys can run. I remember Mafi's first appearance in a Munster shirt. Can't remember the opposition, but I think it was a Welsh team in the Celtic League. He got hold of the ball, saw a gap, slid through it and put on the afterburners. He didn't score, but he really showed that he had pace.
Then we have Doug Howlett on the wing. Everyone thinks that Decaln Kidney signed him just for his try-scoring ability, but it's his defensive work that has more than repaid the fee laid out for him. On the other wing, Ian Dowling is maturing into a fine player, with a keen eye on the break and also on keeping his channel secure. Likewise, Denis Hurley will most likely secure the full-back berth, having done well in the position in recent matches.
So, how's it going to go? I'm not as confident going into this final as I was back in 2006, but I still think Munster can win it. There will be no more than a score between the teams, and it will either be won by an act of genius or lost by a cruel mistake.
The cake would be a Munster win. The icing would be seeing the "Man of the Match" award going to Munster's most faithful servant. The man the commentators never see securing the rucks, steadying the scrum and launching Paul O'Connell single-handedly into the sky at the line-out. The man known as "The Bull". Munster's unsung hero, John Hayes.
Back in January of that year, I was asked to take a group of customers to Jerez de la Frontera in southern Spain on a wine trip in the middle of May. Not wearing a rugby hat that day, I agreed. As the season panned out, it became apparent that I was going to miss the final due to the trip, but by that stage it was too late to back out.
We arrived on the Tuesday and were due to leave on Saturday afternoon. We were flying out of Seville, so we had an hour's bus journey to the airport, and that hour was right splat in the middle of the match. I had my laptop with me, and managed to get the first 20 minutes in the lobby of the hotel, listening to the great Michael Corcoran on RTE's streaming web coverage. Back home, my wife, six months pregnant, was watching the match live and sending me updates by text. Being a proud Cork woman and Munster supporter, she naturally got caught up in the emotions of the day, and as the match wore on, her missives to me on the bus between Jerez and Seville became more cryptic.
But then one came through loud and clear. "STRNGR TRY!!!!!!!"
When we got to the airport, she rang me. It was all over. She was speechless, but eventually managed to squeak out "We won!" between sobs of joy. She still maintains that if she had been a few weeks further along the pregnancy that day, she would have been in The Coombe that night.
So here we are again. Munster stand on the cusp of glory once more, and if they make it to the top of the hill this time, it will be even better than '06. (Apologies for the mixed metaphors.) Two years ago, they had a home quarter final and to all intents and purposes, a home quarter final against Leinster. This time, they had to practically tunnel out of the worst possible pool draw, and then face two away knock-out draws. And once that was over, face the only side that has contested more Heineken Cup Finals than they have, a side who have won three so far. As Sheryl Crow sang, no-one said it would be easy.
On the plus side, this is a more complete Munster side than in 2006. Alongside the well-established pack, there is a back line that any opposition would fear. The two Kiwi centres, Mafi and Tipoki have been awesome for Munster this season. Once Trevor Halstead left, I was afraid that our back line would miss that line-smashing element he brought to the game. Thankfully Tipoki has it, and his partnership with his fellow New Zealander means that we have a mean centre partnership. Plus the fact that these guys can run. I remember Mafi's first appearance in a Munster shirt. Can't remember the opposition, but I think it was a Welsh team in the Celtic League. He got hold of the ball, saw a gap, slid through it and put on the afterburners. He didn't score, but he really showed that he had pace.
Then we have Doug Howlett on the wing. Everyone thinks that Decaln Kidney signed him just for his try-scoring ability, but it's his defensive work that has more than repaid the fee laid out for him. On the other wing, Ian Dowling is maturing into a fine player, with a keen eye on the break and also on keeping his channel secure. Likewise, Denis Hurley will most likely secure the full-back berth, having done well in the position in recent matches.
So, how's it going to go? I'm not as confident going into this final as I was back in 2006, but I still think Munster can win it. There will be no more than a score between the teams, and it will either be won by an act of genius or lost by a cruel mistake.
The cake would be a Munster win. The icing would be seeing the "Man of the Match" award going to Munster's most faithful servant. The man the commentators never see securing the rucks, steadying the scrum and launching Paul O'Connell single-handedly into the sky at the line-out. The man known as "The Bull". Munster's unsung hero, John Hayes.
Another Jammy Champions League Win For Man Yoo
21/05/08 23:43 Filed in: Sport
Like in 1999, Man Yoo
had to rely on luck to win the Champions League
trophy tonight. Chelsea equalised on the stroke of
half time through Frank Lampard and controlled the
game from then on. They struck the woodwork twice
(as did Bayern Munich in the '99 final), but
eventually lost on penalties.
Naturally the Glory Glories will be filling their scrapbooks from tomorrow on, but this victory is a hollow one. At least nine years ago they managed to win in normal time. This time their win came about as a result of John Terry's misfortune in losing his footing as he took his penalty.
Just in case anyone thinks that I am an embittered Chelski fan, think otherwise. I can't stand either of them. It's just that my dislike of United has deeper roots.
There were two highlights for me, though: Drogba's sending-off and Ronaldo missing the penalty. If Ronaldo's miss had cost them the title, that would have been the icing on the cake, but, hey, you can't have it all.
(Unless you're a United fan, that is.)
Naturally the Glory Glories will be filling their scrapbooks from tomorrow on, but this victory is a hollow one. At least nine years ago they managed to win in normal time. This time their win came about as a result of John Terry's misfortune in losing his footing as he took his penalty.
Just in case anyone thinks that I am an embittered Chelski fan, think otherwise. I can't stand either of them. It's just that my dislike of United has deeper roots.
There were two highlights for me, though: Drogba's sending-off and Ronaldo missing the penalty. If Ronaldo's miss had cost them the title, that would have been the icing on the cake, but, hey, you can't have it all.
(Unless you're a United fan, that is.)
Robert Mondavi Dies
16/05/08 22:02 Filed in: Food &
Drink
Robert Mondavi, one
of the wine industry's legendary figures, has died
aged 94. As well as building up his own eponymous
empire in the Napa Valley, he also collaborated
with the Rothschild dynasty of Bordeaux to create
the iconic Opus One.
Decanter have an obituary here.
Decanter have an obituary here.
Incoming FUD
15/05/08 22:47 Filed in: Politics
| Lisbon
Treaty
The current Lisbon
Treaty referendum campaign is turning out to be one
of the dirtiest in years. On the one side we have
all of the mainstream political parties, IBEC,
Alliance for Europe, etc. On the other side we have
all the perennial anti-EU treaty stalwarts like
Sinn Féin, the Socialist Party, various trade
unions; alongside newer and slicker organisations
such as Libertas.
Whichever side of the argument you are on, it's going to be a hard sell. Few people are going to go to the trouble of actually reading the treaty itself, and those that attempt to do so will probably give up after page 2 or 3. It's not a page turner, it's a complex legal text, that is also an amending treaty to other already established treaties.
Now that the campaign proper has gotten underway, it would appear that both sides are trying to use FUD as a tactic to get their message
across. The Yes
campaign is trying to frighten us into believing
that a No vote will isolate us from the EU beltway.
their themes include threats to jobs and
investment. All utter crap. If we reject it, the
worst we will face is having to vote on it again, à
la Nice.
The No side are tripping over themselves to paint the Doomsday scenario of an Ireland at the heel of a Euro superstate. There are posters and leaflets out there that are frankly disgraceful. Here's a selection, collated by blogging solicitor Simon McGarr. (The one used to illustrate this page is from that stream, published under a Cretive Commons licence.) Why bother trying to argue against what's in the treaty, when it's so much easier to spread the FUD with what's not in the treaty?
It's going to be a long few weeks, I think.
Whichever side of the argument you are on, it's going to be a hard sell. Few people are going to go to the trouble of actually reading the treaty itself, and those that attempt to do so will probably give up after page 2 or 3. It's not a page turner, it's a complex legal text, that is also an amending treaty to other already established treaties.
Now that the campaign proper has gotten underway, it would appear that both sides are trying to use FUD as a tactic to get their message
The No side are tripping over themselves to paint the Doomsday scenario of an Ireland at the heel of a Euro superstate. There are posters and leaflets out there that are frankly disgraceful. Here's a selection, collated by blogging solicitor Simon McGarr. (The one used to illustrate this page is from that stream, published under a Cretive Commons licence.) Why bother trying to argue against what's in the treaty, when it's so much easier to spread the FUD with what's not in the treaty?
It's going to be a long few weeks, I think.
Abusing Democracy
13/05/08 22:09 Filed in: Politics
| Lisbon
Treaty
It had to
happen. A local protest group has hitched
their trailer to the anti-Lisbon Treaty
wagon.
Activists in Roscommon campaigning for the
retention of hospital services in the county
town have urged their supporters to reject the
Lisbon Treaty as a way of getting the
government's attention.
Now I am glad that Ireland has a written constitution, even when it means holding a referendum on something or other almost every year. However, it does leave us vulnerable to political gobshitery such as this. We are the only electorate in the 27-member EU who will have the privilege of voting on whether or not we approve of the Lisbon Treaty. Therefore we should cast our vote based on our opinion of the treaty, and that alone. Using it as a proxy to highlight a completely separate issue is immature and an abuse of the democratic right we are privileged to possess.
Now I am glad that Ireland has a written constitution, even when it means holding a referendum on something or other almost every year. However, it does leave us vulnerable to political gobshitery such as this. We are the only electorate in the 27-member EU who will have the privilege of voting on whether or not we approve of the Lisbon Treaty. Therefore we should cast our vote based on our opinion of the treaty, and that alone. Using it as a proxy to highlight a completely separate issue is immature and an abuse of the democratic right we are privileged to possess.
DK Has A Pop At DK
13/05/08 07:53 Filed in: Sport
From today's
Indo:
David Knox, The Goys' backs coach is perplexed by Declan Kidney's appointment as Irish national coach.
"The Irish international team badly needed a foreign coach."
Like an Aussie, maybe? One with blond hair?
"Kidney's methods, like making the team train in the away strip they'd be wearing at Gloucester in the Heineken Cup and playing them a tape of the crowd noise at Kingsholm to get them used to the conditions, are bizarre. I would be embarrassed as a coach for people to know that."
Lemme see, who won that quarter-final? Oh yes, it was Munster, wasn't it?
Knox was also heavily critical of Munster's playing style under Kidney. He acknowledges their successes in the Heineken Cup but maintains they have achieved glory in that competition at the expense of any style or flair.
In a straight choice between "glory" and "style or flair", I think I'll pick…hmmm…tough one this…
He also has a go at Ronan O'Gara:
"I have been here, coaching in Ireland for three years, and I have never seen that guy create space for anybody. I've never seen him put anyone into a hole."
And that's the be-all and end-all of everything, is it? Controlling the pace and tempo of the game, gaining field position, etc., means nothing?
"Munster's record is fantastic but you can't tell me they play anything but 10- man rugby."
Come on Dave! Admit it. You're going for the Munster job, aren't you?
"Munster get 30 points on the board by grinding away and when the other team is shot, they try and throw the ball around a bit. Then people say, what a great team. It's rubbish."
Eh, which Irish team is in the final of the Heineken Cup? The only one to get out of their pool this season?
"If Doug Howlett had played for Leinster this season, he would have ended up scoring 30 tries."
And if your Auntie had bollocks, she'd be your uncle. What about your own Galacticos? Any of them score 30 tries this season?
"He's seen as the greatest buy of the year but how often has he touched the ball? Maybe 10 times in a real attacking sense? I'm talking about serious attacking play, not chasing kick-aheads. Yet this is one of the world's premier wings. They have no idea how to use him."
If anything, Howlett's defensive work alone has more than justified what it cost to sign him.
"And the two other guys they brought in from the southern hemisphere, Rua Tipoki and Lifeimi Mafi, hardly ever played Super 14 rugby I think Tipoki made a couple of appearances off the bench. They are both steppers, they never pass the ball."
But they're playing Heineken Cup Rugby at the highest level and will start in the final on Sunday week, while your charges will be sitting on their orses in Kiely's, roysh, necking the Heinos and watching the game.
He goes on to rail against "the paranoid world of Irish [international] rugby", and I actually agree with most of what he says there.
David Knox, The Goys' backs coach is perplexed by Declan Kidney's appointment as Irish national coach.
"The Irish international team badly needed a foreign coach."
Like an Aussie, maybe? One with blond hair?
"Kidney's methods, like making the team train in the away strip they'd be wearing at Gloucester in the Heineken Cup and playing them a tape of the crowd noise at Kingsholm to get them used to the conditions, are bizarre. I would be embarrassed as a coach for people to know that."
Lemme see, who won that quarter-final? Oh yes, it was Munster, wasn't it?
Knox was also heavily critical of Munster's playing style under Kidney. He acknowledges their successes in the Heineken Cup but maintains they have achieved glory in that competition at the expense of any style or flair.
In a straight choice between "glory" and "style or flair", I think I'll pick…hmmm…tough one this…
He also has a go at Ronan O'Gara:
"I have been here, coaching in Ireland for three years, and I have never seen that guy create space for anybody. I've never seen him put anyone into a hole."
And that's the be-all and end-all of everything, is it? Controlling the pace and tempo of the game, gaining field position, etc., means nothing?
"Munster's record is fantastic but you can't tell me they play anything but 10- man rugby."
Come on Dave! Admit it. You're going for the Munster job, aren't you?
"Munster get 30 points on the board by grinding away and when the other team is shot, they try and throw the ball around a bit. Then people say, what a great team. It's rubbish."
Eh, which Irish team is in the final of the Heineken Cup? The only one to get out of their pool this season?
"If Doug Howlett had played for Leinster this season, he would have ended up scoring 30 tries."
And if your Auntie had bollocks, she'd be your uncle. What about your own Galacticos? Any of them score 30 tries this season?
"He's seen as the greatest buy of the year but how often has he touched the ball? Maybe 10 times in a real attacking sense? I'm talking about serious attacking play, not chasing kick-aheads. Yet this is one of the world's premier wings. They have no idea how to use him."
If anything, Howlett's defensive work alone has more than justified what it cost to sign him.
"And the two other guys they brought in from the southern hemisphere, Rua Tipoki and Lifeimi Mafi, hardly ever played Super 14 rugby I think Tipoki made a couple of appearances off the bench. They are both steppers, they never pass the ball."
But they're playing Heineken Cup Rugby at the highest level and will start in the final on Sunday week, while your charges will be sitting on their orses in Kiely's, roysh, necking the Heinos and watching the game.
He goes on to rail against "the paranoid world of Irish [international] rugby", and I actually agree with most of what he says there.
Excuse Me While I Stifle A Yawn
12/05/08 21:45 Filed in: Sport
So
yesterday, one obscenely wealthy
football club managed to beat another obscenely
wealthy football club to the Premiership title.
And if that wasn't enough, next week the same
two obscenely wealthy football clubs will battle
it out for the Champions' League title in
Moscow.
I have noticed over the last month or so, a sudden reappearance of replica Manchester United shirts in the cities, towns and villages of our fair isle. They had been conspicuously absent for the last couple of years, but now that Man Yoo are back in their pomp, it's time to break the piggy bank and splash out on the merchandise again.
The Glory Glory days are back with a vengeance.
I have noticed over the last month or so, a sudden reappearance of replica Manchester United shirts in the cities, towns and villages of our fair isle. They had been conspicuously absent for the last couple of years, but now that Man Yoo are back in their pomp, it's time to break the piggy bank and splash out on the merchandise again.
The Glory Glory days are back with a vengeance.
Aoife Gardener
08/05/08 22:13 Filed in: Dadage
| General
Nonsense
Peak Profit
07/05/08 22:20 Filed in: General
Nonsense
Another good 'un from
The Joy of Tech (click for the full cartoon)
Average price at the pumps today for a litre of unleaded, according to Pumps.ie, is €1.22
Average price at the pumps today for a litre of unleaded, according to Pumps.ie, is €1.22
All Hail The New Leader
07/05/08 21:45 Filed in: General
Nonsense
Today will go down in
history as an historic day for Ireland. A new
leader has been chosen and a new era dawns. An era
of hope and opportunity, one where Ireland
potential will be realised. This era will see
Ireland become a power across Europe and hopefully
across the world.
Yes, people, Wednesday, 7 May will go down in history as the day that Declan Kidney was officially announced as the new coach of the Irish national rugby team.
Oh, yeah. This guy from Clara started a new job today too.
Yes, people, Wednesday, 7 May will go down in history as the day that Declan Kidney was officially announced as the new coach of the Irish national rugby team.
Oh, yeah. This guy from Clara started a new job today too.