In sport we talk about legacies, records, championships, caps and silverware, the trinkets of a successful career that inspire a kaleidoscope of memories to make us cheer, or occasionally when faced with a setback on that journey to the peak, to cry in frustration or disappointment.
For those of us lucky enough to have a great coach, mentor or influence to guide us on our sporting pathway, our lives are enriched far beyond the numbers on a scoreboard. They help to shape the person as much as the player and that lasts a lifetime.
Dave Fagan was laid to rest on Monday, my first strength and conditioning coach in adult rugby. An integral part of Irish rugby folklore from the very beginning of professionalism, he wore many hats for different teams and in doing so brought his personality to bear whatever the role. The huge turnout in Edenderry, Co Offaly highlighted the esteem in which he was held.
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I think it would be fair to say that nearly everyone that has represented Leinster rugby came under Dave Fagan’s tutelage at some point, something that struck me quite forcibly while watching players, coaches, friends and family come together to honour someone who had added value to each and every path he crossed.
It also got me thinking about the selfless dedication of those that offer their services in a variety of ways in professional and amateur sport, where volunteerism is the bedrock. Success can cloud perspective or distract sometimes, as if it’s the only thing that matters. It can lead to unrealistic expectations that wrongly overshadow the honesty of effort. Not everything has to turn to gold to be a worthwhile exercise.
Winning is never easy. I have plenty of scars from my Leinster days to show for it. The province has endured disappointment in recent times too. But every season there is fresh hope. A whole stratum of dedicated people exist below the senior teams in all the provinces, people like Dave, who help to create and nurture the next generation of players. They tune the engine that drives success.
Watching the Champions and Challenge Cup action over the weekend, you can see the green shoots in personnel terms peeping through across the four provinces, with more to follow. It can be a tough and steep learning curve, something that Ulster came to appreciate from the opening whistle in the home of the defending champions, Toulouse.
Antoine Dupont cajoled and inspired his team-mates, the net result of which was a torrid afternoon for the visitors. Competing on two fronts in the URC and Champions Cup was always going to be a tough ask for Richie Murphy’s Ulster given the current injury profile.
Momentum and confidence need to be prioritised, where the focus is on hitting reasonable performance levels, regardless of the result. The next benchmark is Saturday’s clash with Bordeaux-Bègles in Belfast: learn lessons, be better.
Munster dusted themselves off literally and figuratively against a bizarrely ill-disciplined Stade Français. Peter O’Mahony led by example and found plenty of willing acolytes among his team-mates.
Halfbacks Craig Casey and Jack Crowley provided mature, intelligent direction en route to a bonus-point win that set them up nicely for a trip to Castres on Friday night. On paper it’ll be a much tougher assignment.
In the Challenge Cup, a Connacht side underpinned by some promising young players included debutant Chay Mullins who crossed for a hat-trick of tries in their win over Zebre. Consistency of performance is something that eluded the western province last season and something they need to improve as they head to Perpignan this weekend.
Victory would facilitate their hopes of making the knock-out stage of the tournament down the road but it’s not pivotal. What Pete Wilkins will want to see is another strong display in executing a game plan.
On paper Leinster’s trip to Ashton Gate looked tricky as they faced the all-singing, all-dancing Bristol Bears, who had averaged 35 points and five tries per game in the Premiership this season. In contrast Leinster had to juggle the heavy workload of a substantial group of players who had formed the core of the Ireland team across four Tests in November.
Injuries were another factor. In the end it worked out quite nicely. Young loosehead prop Jack Boyle will be all the better for the hit-out, albeit maybe scratching his head as to exactly what happened at scrum time.
Leinster will have to look at whether they got lost or sidetracked in the scrum contest rather than showing better pictures to referee Pierre Brousset. Sometimes you have to cut your cloth and just get the ball in and out, rather than chase dominance.
The bench rescued Leinster. Jordie Barrett was first to arrive and was quickly followed by RG Snyman, Caelan Doris, Andrew Porter and Thomas Clarkson. That quality was evident from the get-go.
Barrett offered a fulcrum for Sam Prendergast’s first try, the small punch pass behind Robbie Henshaw was timed perfectly for Prendergast to run on to, the New Zealander’s straight line and physical presence getting the defence to sit down. Barrett also made a perfect read for his try.
Snyman showed his athleticism in haring down the pitch before setting Prendergast free to run in a second try. There is a lot of road to run in the season ahead, but I can’t help but be excited about the impact that Barrett and Snyman bring to Leinster.
It feels a little bit like the old recipe for successful Irish teams in Europe, a strong fundamental base of home-grown talent, augmented by a sprinkling of top-end international quality that adds spice to the flavour.
In my experience the overseas player brought a different perspective and freshness to the culture. They know how to play with a freedom that positively impacts those around them and changes the dynamic for the better. All four provinces have the capacity to make the knock-out stage of the respective European tournaments.
The strength of Irish rugby lies not just in the talent on display but also in the people who support, guide, and inspire it. From the grassroots to the professional level, figures such as Dave Fagan remind us that rugby is more than a game; it’s a community, a shared pursuit of excellence, and a testament to the power of collective effort. It is important that we stop to remember that every now and again.
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