HOLD THE BACK PAGE:THE IRELAND Under-20 squad travels to the IRB Junior World Championships in South Africa next month with a pretty decent pedigree based on their performances in this season's underage Six Nations tournament.
Mike Ruddock’s charges managed four victories to set up a possible Grand Slam going into the final weekend before coming up short against an England team that eventually won the tournament. The English finished ahead of second-placed France on points differential with Ireland six points worse off in third.
The Irish team beat France on French soil for the first time while the latter upset the formbook in accounting for the English, leaving all three countries with four victories from five matches. Ireland’s record in the Six Nations has been pretty tidy since the age qualification mark was amended by the International Board (IRB) from under-21 to under-20.
This decision was taken in the 2006-2007 season, when Ireland won a Grand Slam in the Six Nations but unfortunately for a team that included players like Felix Jones, Darren Cave, Keith Earls and Cian Healy, there was no IRB Junior World Championship that summer.
The history of the most recent incarnation of the respective tournaments demonstrates that there is little correlation, success-wise, between how Ireland fares in the Six Nations and subsequently the IRB Junior World Championship.
In four attempts Ireland has fared no better than eighth (twice) – there are 12 teams in the event – and on the other two occasions finished ninth.
The greatest number of matches won by an Irish team is three out of five and the least, last year’s injury-ravaged team, who managed only a single victory.
This time Ruddock’s Irish squad travel to South Africa, facing into a very tough pool that includes games against the Springboks, Six Nations champions England and Italy. It’s instructive to note that no Ireland team has managed to overturn a defeat in a Six Nations (SN) match by winning against the same country in a World Cup (WC).
The reverse though has been the case. In 2009 Ireland beat Wales (SN) but lost 19-17 (WC). In 2010 they defeated England 25-10 at Kingsholm (SN) but lost 36-21 (WC) in a pool match that summer. Last year, they drew 26-26 with Wales away (SN) but lost 38-24 (WC) in a play-off for seventh and eight place.
In the latter case that was a Welsh side beaten 92-0 in the pool stages by the eventual champions, New Zealand. Indeed the baby Blacks have won all four World Championships and will be a chasing a fifth victory in South Africa with new Munster coach Rob Penney at the helm in a final act before joining the Irish province.
So for this year’s crop of young Irish players it’ll be about personal development and a chance to test themselves against their contemporaries in the elite global game. They might care to look for inspiration from Leinster’s Andrew Conway, who in two World Championships (2010, 2011), scored 10 tries, equalling the record set by New Zealand wing Zac Guilford.
Ireland do not and never have had the depth in terms of a squad to be able to play three pool matches in eight days against countries, in most cases, whose players are bigger, faster and stronger. Quite apart from the Southern Hemisphere trio of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, England and France place greater store in the World Championships than the Six Nations in terms of the way they gear their season.
Even Wales will be a great deal stronger in South Africa as coach Danny Wilson has been able to call in eight players who missed the Six Nations through club commitments and Sevens duty.
Ireland do have some exciting young players in a squad captained by Ulster’s Paddy Jackson but as the table above illustrates, an excellent Six Nations campaign guarantees nothing come summer-time.
Ireland in the Six Nations Under 20 Championship
2007-2008: Fourth – two wins.
2008-2009: Second – four wins (lost title on points difference) 2009-2010: First – four wins (won on points difference)
2010-2011: Fourth, two wins and a draw
2011-2012: Third, four wins (behind England and France on points difference)
Ireland in 12 team IRB Junior (U-20) World Championship
2008: Ninth – three wins and two defeats
2009: Eighth – two wins and three defeats
2010: Ninth – two wins and three defeats
2011: Eighth – one win and four defeats
2012: ????
Fiorentina show some fight
THE ITALIAN mamma is revered in the family structure so it’s perhaps no surprise Fiorentina coach Delio Rossi reacted so violently after a verbal confrontation that pre-empted a physical assault on one of his players, Serbian Adem Ljajic, during a recent Serie A match.
Rossi decided to substitute the midfielder after 32 minutes against Novara. As he climbed into the dugout, Ljajic appeared to sarcastically clap the decision while at the same time offering his thoughts on being replaced, whereupon his manager lunged at him, throwing punches before the two were separated.
Rossi was sacked by Fiorentina president Andrea Della Valle who admitted: “In a few seconds, months of stress came out. I am sorry because the coach has never committed acts of this kind. For his own good to make him understand he has made a mistake I had to take this decision. No provocation justifies this reaction.”
The 51-year-old claimed Rossi had insulted his mother, in the Serbian language, but wisely did not suggest his reaction was acceptable. “I don’t compromise on certain issues. I want respect for myself, for my work, for the team I coach and for my family. These issues were raised. My gesture was ugly, disgraceful and I am very saddened. I have never said I am a saint but you can ask the children and all the players that I have coached in the past what type of person I am. I have never allowed myself to hit anyone, not even my children.”
However another player, Swiss international Valon Behrami, maintained Ljajic had not said anything to his manager. Behrami explained: “Rossi said some things that weren’t true. Adem (Ljajic) swore to us he never said those things to Rossi, plus the people on the bench didn’t hear anything either.”
Ljajic wasn’t about to hold out an olive branch. “At this stage Id have no problem admitting it if I had said something like that. But I repeat, I made a mistake, but my provocation was limited to applause and the phrase ‘bravo maestro, really, you’re great’. I was wrong and I was angry but, despite my anger, I maintained enough of a clear head to avoid using insults . . . I don’t understand why he has to refer to falsehoods. I didn’t apologise to the coach and that was a mistake, but his reaction was too strong.”
Rossi, who had taken over from sacked Sinisa Mihajlovic in November, won just three of 11 matches, and after his dismissal, interim coach Vincenzo Guerini led the team to a 1-0 win over Lecce last Sunday to guarantee their Serie A survival.
Holloway remarks are worth a headline
The Final StrawWEST Ham take on Blackpool in the Championship final next Saturday with a place in next season's English Premier League at stake and I'll be cheering on Blackpool for no other reason than it will give their manager Ian Holloway the platform he deserves for his wonderful post-match observations.
They’re a real treat in a largely anodyne, cliché-riddled world.
Many of his thoughts have been collated into lists on various websites and the three chosen underneath are just an example of what makers him such an engaging character.
“In the first half we were like the Dog and Duck, in the second half we were like Real Madrid. We can’t go on like that. At full-time I was at them like an irritated Jack Russell.”
Reporter: “Ian, have you got any injury worries?”
Holloway: No, I’m fully fit, thank you.”
“If you’re a burglar, it’s no good poncing about outside somebody’s house, looking good with your swag bag ready. Just get in there, burgle them and come out. I don’t advocate that obviously, it’s just an analogy.”
Alliss and Jenkins have a chop at Woods
PETER ALLISS and Dan Jenkins, two of five 2012 inductees – the others are Phil Mickelson, Stacey Hollis and Sandy Lyle – in the World Golf Hall of Fame at St Augustine, Florida might have considered shouting “fore” before donning their spikes and playing through Tiger Woods and his current travails. Alliss, the voice of golf on BBC television, is noted for his candour in commentary, a refreshing attitude in an industry where too many fawn. He called upon that acerbic wit when the topic of Woods’ third swing change was raised, as Golf Digest (America) reported.
“I do not understand the thinking of Tiger Woods. I think his golfing brain, for some reason or other, is completely addled. Perhaps the good part of his brain for a period drained from here, down to here,” Alliss said, motioning from his head to his groin. “And that caused him great distress, probably a modicum of enjoyment at the time. But he’s gone.”
The commentating icon wasn’t finished, adding: “I’m not saying I’m a great teaching guru, but I’d love to have about a half an hour (with Woods). If he couldn’t be put right in an hour, I’d go home and stick my head in a bucket of ice water, because it’s so simple. You stand and you swing.”
Jenkins is regarded as one of the greatest ever American sportswriters. The 82-year-old worked for many publications including Sports Illustrated. When asked whether Woods could win another Major, he answered succinctly. “No, next question?” Ouch. In the past Woods turned down several requests from Jenkins for an interview. He certainly won’t be getting one on the basis of the cutting references to the former world number one that he made in his acceptance speech.
Notre Dame flag boot idea
ACCORDING to reports in America it seems Adidas have come up with the idea of producing a boot in the colours of the Irish flag for the Notre Dame players ahead of their game against the Navy at the Aviva stadium in Dublin on September 1st. The American College go under the sobriquet of "The Fighting Irish", hence the marketing manoeuvre.
Tacky? Anyone?
Still there should be plenty of enthusiasm for a match that marks the beginning of Notre Dame's season. It won't be the first time the teams met in Dublin, they've already done so in 1996.
