Quill hoping to pen new deal
John Quill has certainly benefited from the road less travelled after his journey to Boston to play rugby in the summer of 2012.
Having performed exceptionally in AIL Division 1A for Dolphin for a number of years and club player of the year in 2012 he is now an international rugby player.
Through his mother Eileen, a New York native, Quill qualified under IRB rules to declare for the USA and in summer 2012 played in the US domestic league with Boston RFC. His performances with Boston as well as videos of him playing for Dolphin John earned a place on a US clubs selection.
USA Eagles coach Mike Tolkin then called him up to their full international squad, having previously represented Ireland under-18 and Munster A. After spending time in camp with the Eagles he earned his international debut against Russia in November along with two subsequent caps.
The 22-year-old has just returned to play with Dolphin and is hoping to stake a claim for a professional contract here. London Irish have already offered him a trial.
Some comfort
Andrew Trimble feels peeved about being dropped from the Irish team for the relatively inexperienced wingers in place. If he had to take some crumbs of comfort yesterday he needed only look to the England team bench yesterday in Aviva, where Toby Flood and Dylan Hartley started. Leicester back flood has 54 caps, five more than the Ulster man, while Northampton hooker Hartley has 43 England caps.
It could hardly have escaped Flood’s attention that of all the England players in Dublin yesterday he was the most capped but wasn’t starting. The most caped English player who started was flanker James Haskell with 46 caps and he only started because of injury. Eleven of the starting England players had less than 15 caps.
All a buzz after stunning victory
Irish captain Fiona Coughlan must still be feeling the buzz after her side’s stunning 25-0 win in Ashbourne over the weekend. With Philip Doyle as head coach and St Michael’s teacher Greg McWilliams (who coached the school to their first SCT win in 2007) the attack coach, the Irish women’s team beat Grand Slam champions England.
So what? Well it is the first time since 2004 that the mighty England have been kept scoreless. Last week the best women’s team in the world beat Scotland 76-0, were on a winning streak of 13 matches and lost just one of their last 30 Six Nations matches.
Coughlan, Joy Neville and Lynn Cantwell have been involved for over 10 years and played in a match nine years ago when they lost by over 80pts to them.
Lions team of the weekend
After a weekend of some big results, pick of the crop this week must come from England who broke their 10-year duck in Dublin. Scotland also demolished an Italian team that had beaten France in the first game, while Wales came back and did the same in Paris.
Just second Row Richie Gray gets the call up from Scotland with Brian O’Driscoll the only Irish player to make it. Wales and England decorate this week’s pick.
LIONS TEAM: 15 Leigh Halfpenny (Wales); 14 Alex Cuthbert (Wales) 13 Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland), 12 Jamie Roberts (Wales), 11 Mike Brown (England); 10 Owen Farrell (England), 9 Ben Youngs (England); 1Gethin Jenkins (Wales), 2 Dylan Hartley (England), 3 Dan Cole (England), 4 Richie Gray (Scotland), 5 Geoff Parling (England); 6 Ryan Jones (Wales), 7 Chris Robshaw (England), 8 Tom Wood (England)
