ALL IN THE SCRUM:A rugby miscellany
IT didn't take a lip reader to understand what Tomás O'Leary was saying when he kicked to touch in the dying seconds of Munster's match against Leinster on Saturday and the referee immediately blew up for full-time.
O'Leary was clearly under the impression that there was more time left to play while the French referee Garces had other ideas.
He blew on the button for the end of the first half too although Gordon D'Arcy had spent quite some time on the deck after a high tackle.
O'Leary was thinking that there was one last play in the game and that Munster could at least try and set up an attack in Leinster territory for a final fling. He was in possession. He kicked it out instead of keeping it alive and all he heard was the high shrill peep of the whistle.
O'Leary turned to the referee, glared at him and uttered "For **** sake".
That just about said it all.
"It is emotional all round and a pity it didn't end in a different way, but fairytales aren't made in rugby league, they are made in storybooks."
- Retiring St Helens legend Keiron Cunningham after the Saints were crushed 22-10 by Wigan in his last match - the Super Rugby League Grand Final on Saturday night.
Kidney has his hands full
DECLAN KIDNEY will have his hands full in November when Ireland play four international matches against South Africa, Samoa, New Zealand and Argentina. But his focus may not totally fall on what is taking place in Dublin.
The tier two nations are also in action during the November window and as Ireland share their World Cup Pool C with the USA and Russia, interest will also fall on how those sides perform next month.
The recent IRB November list shows that Russia face the Jaguars in Slava Stadium, Moscow, in two Test matches, while the USA play against Scotland in Glashiels, Portugal in Lisbon and Georgia in the National Stadium, Tbilisi.
Ireland open their World Cup account against the Americans next September in New Plymouth, face Australia in the second match in Auckland and then play the pesky Russians in the third match in Rotorua before meeting Italy in the final pool game.
Let's not think the unthinkable.
Seapointrugby club learned this weekend for the first time just what it is like to play in the All- Ireland League - and how they have quickly found their feet.
The south Dublin club kicked off their first match in Division Three on Saturday with an away game against Rainy Old Boys in the aptly named Hatrick Park. Next Saturday, however, promises to be more memorable as well as an historic day for the club as they play their first home game in the competition, when they entertain Wanderers at their Killiney ground. Seapoint promise a party atmosphere with marquee and live music in the grounds to mark the occasion for the club. The 15-40 win up north in the first game should guarantee some optimism.
Tone it down please
THE Marvellous Aviva Stadium illuminated Ballsbridge on Saturday evening. But surely there were some bleeding ears after the match between Leinster and Munster. Yes, we know that there are teething problems with every event of this size in a new stadium but a public address system that drowned out all noise including singing from both sets of fans is surely unhelpful for both atmosphere and spectator comfort.
Spinal Tap used turn their speakers up to 11 because it was one more than 10 but rugby isn't heavy metal. A notch down please or its ear muffs for the November Series. And while we are on the topic, lose the fireworks folks. For the first 10 minutes the match was played in a Jack The Ripper-like 19th century fog because the smoke from the pyrotechnics simply refused to blow away.
That said, it did give the start a strange old-fashioned appeal.
Aussies pay penalty for confronting the haka
MESSING with the haka is now officially illegal and you have to ask whether things are getting out of hand? If Ireland wish to try to defuse the pre-match ceremony at the Aviva next month with some action, they may think again.
The Australia Rugby Union (ARU) was recently forced to pay a £1,000 fine to Rugby World Cup Limited after the Wallaroos, Australia's women's rugby team, advanced on the Black Ferns mid-haka before their recent World Cup pool match in England. New Zealand won the match 32-5, but soon after the ARU received a letter from the Women's World Cup tournament director from IRB headquarters in Dublin, explaining that the Wallaroos had broken tournament rules.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, the Australian players were found guilty of moving several metres towards the haka. IRB tournament rules dictated that the team facing the haka must stay at least 10 metres on its own side of the halfway line, but the Wallaroos committed the cardinal sin of walking beyond that line. There was also a warning that if the fine wasn't paid, or if there were any repetition of such behaviour while the haka was being conducted, the ARU could face a misconduct case. Was the whole point of the haka not to ask for a reply from the persons they are greeting?
Dungannon continuing to produce the goods
DUNGANNON may have lost their match on the opening day of the All-Ireland League away to UCC but their contribution to Ulster rugby continues unabated. Five of their young players have been identified by the province as potential professional players. Patrick Jackson, Chris Cochrane, Ali Birch, Craig Gilroy and Conor Gaston are part of the Phoenix Ulster Rugby Academy for the 2010-11 season and all are from Dungannon.
