Hint, hint
It is still me...
Hint, hint
By Billy Hamilton
August 29 2006
There is an old saying “What goes on tour stays on tour” but here are a few more – “Before going to the airport check that your passport hasn’t expired months ago” and “He who doesn’t go on tour stays at home”.
Hint, hint
August 29 2006
There is an old saying “What goes on tour stays on tour” but here are a few more – “Before going to the airport check that your passport hasn’t expired months ago” and “He who doesn’t go on tour stays at home”.
So it was how the London Irish squad was cut down at Gatwick airport. But another old saying is “No names no pack drill” so I will leave the grapevine to fill in the gaps.
The supporters had no similar problems and congregated in various locations in Dublin on Thursday and Friday by plane, train (the Donaghadee Branch) and by car where opportunities had taken to visit other parts of the country prior to the game.
Can I say that Friday night games are no good for “Craic” tours. Neither are large cities with no obvious focal points and with serious traffic gridlocks. So the camaraderie of the “World Tour of Greystones 2002”, our last excursion to Leinster, was not replicated here.
The journey to the ground in rush hour traffic took around 45 minutes whereas the return took only 15. But eventually we made it to Kielys a large pub within spitting distance of the ground. Here acquaintances were met but the crush made it difficult to circulate and adequately socialise with the friendly locals. I wonder if on non-match days the establishment is frequented by one man and a dog, or as they say in Ulster – “two men and a wee lad”.
Our opponents obviously lacked their Irish stars still on their IRFU-imposed break. They paraded new Australian imports Owen Finnegan and Chris Whittaker along side such regulars as Reggie Corrigan and Guy Easterby and a number of youngsters making their senior debut. Our opening 15 was:
Delon Armitage, Topsy Ojo, Dominic Feaunati, Shane Geraghty, Dominic Shabb, Riki Flutey, Paul Hodgson (capt.); Tonga Lae’eatoa, Danie Coetzee, Tom Warren, Nick Kennedy, James Hudson, Kieran Roche, Olivier Magne, Juan Leguizamon.
The first thirty minutes probably had the most die-hard LI supporter worrying about what the season was hold. We were certainly on the back foot and perhaps our display brought one word to mind and that was “uninspiring”. Dominic Shabbo, Danie Coetzee, Delon Armitage and Juan Legizamon did give some hope but our incursions into the opposition 22 were infrequent. It was the home side who were first on the scoreboard with an early try by Stephen Keogh. It was shortly before the first interval before Juan Leguizamon made the decisive break to enable Dominic Shabbo to take his pass and complete the 20 metres to the line to equalise..
As some wag has already said this was a game of three halves and after Magne had been given a yellow card for persisting fouling on his own goal line there was a mass London Irish substitution with our “2nd XV” looking like this:
Michael Horak, Nick Canty, Gonzalo Tiezi, Shane Geraghty, Domibic Shabbo, Barry Everett, Ben Willis; Tom Stanfield, Robbie Russell, Alex Corbisiero, Gary Johnson, Bob Casey, Declan Danaher, Steffon Armitage, Phil Murphy.
(By the way my Spell Check is working overtime with these team lists**)
Suddenly there was a new hunger in the Irish side. They were putting together some lovely attacking moves and the defence was excellent. Now it was the home side who were on the back foot, Tries by Russell, Tiesi and a second by Shabbo with one conversion and a penalty (“what in a pre-season friendly”? I hear you ask) by Barry Everitt gave us a well deserved 25-10 victory.
It all became a little confusing the next morning. The “Irish Independent” reported that Leinster had a”….comfortable 25-10 victory over London Irish” later adding that “..even thought (sic) the Exiles equalised shortly before the break Leinster had the platform they needed”. I thought I hadn’t had that much to drink but luckly I was assured that it was the normally august newspaper that was wrong this time.
So an altogether better last two-thirds performance from a young side. To beat a strong Leinster side on their own ground gives some optimism for the future.
What of the “Craic” – I estimate that there were about 100 there but in various groups. No great bunching in Donnybrook so we were not a vociferous as usual. Nevertheless it was nice to see friends old and new and I look forward to Belfast in December.
(**I reproduce the teams courtesy of the Spell Check –
Delong Arbitrage, Tipsy Oyo, Dominic Fanatic, Shame Geraghty, Dominic Shabby, Rica Fluty, Paul Hodgson (capt.); Tonga Lae’eatoa, Daniel Colette, Tom Warren, Nick Kennedy, James Hudson, Kieran Roche, Olivier Mange, Juan Leguizamon
Michael Horace, Nick Candy, Gonzalo Ties, Shane Geraghty, Dominic Shabby, Barry Everett, Ben Willis; Tom Stanfield, Robbie Russell, Alex Crispier, Gary Johnson, Bob Casey, Declan Danaher, Steffen Arbitrage, Phil Murphy.
Geraghty, Lae’eatoa and Leguizamon – have all defeated the Spell Check, which can offer no alternatives.)
The supporters had no similar problems and congregated in various locations in Dublin on Thursday and Friday by plane, train (the Donaghadee Branch) and by car where opportunities had taken to visit other parts of the country prior to the game.
Can I say that Friday night games are no good for “Craic” tours. Neither are large cities with no obvious focal points and with serious traffic gridlocks. So the camaraderie of the “World Tour of Greystones 2002”, our last excursion to Leinster, was not replicated here.
The journey to the ground in rush hour traffic took around 45 minutes whereas the return took only 15. But eventually we made it to Kielys a large pub within spitting distance of the ground. Here acquaintances were met but the crush made it difficult to circulate and adequately socialise with the friendly locals. I wonder if on non-match days the establishment is frequented by one man and a dog, or as they say in Ulster – “two men and a wee lad”.
Our opponents obviously lacked their Irish stars still on their IRFU-imposed break. They paraded new Australian imports Owen Finnegan and Chris Whittaker along side such regulars as Reggie Corrigan and Guy Easterby and a number of youngsters making their senior debut. Our opening 15 was:
Delon Armitage, Topsy Ojo, Dominic Feaunati, Shane Geraghty, Dominic Shabb, Riki Flutey, Paul Hodgson (capt.); Tonga Lae’eatoa, Danie Coetzee, Tom Warren, Nick Kennedy, James Hudson, Kieran Roche, Olivier Magne, Juan Leguizamon.
The first thirty minutes probably had the most die-hard LI supporter worrying about what the season was hold. We were certainly on the back foot and perhaps our display brought one word to mind and that was “uninspiring”. Dominic Shabbo, Danie Coetzee, Delon Armitage and Juan Legizamon did give some hope but our incursions into the opposition 22 were infrequent. It was the home side who were first on the scoreboard with an early try by Stephen Keogh. It was shortly before the first interval before Juan Leguizamon made the decisive break to enable Dominic Shabbo to take his pass and complete the 20 metres to the line to equalise..
As some wag has already said this was a game of three halves and after Magne had been given a yellow card for persisting fouling on his own goal line there was a mass London Irish substitution with our “2nd XV” looking like this:
Michael Horak, Nick Canty, Gonzalo Tiezi, Shane Geraghty, Domibic Shabbo, Barry Everett, Ben Willis; Tom Stanfield, Robbie Russell, Alex Corbisiero, Gary Johnson, Bob Casey, Declan Danaher, Steffon Armitage, Phil Murphy.
(By the way my Spell Check is working overtime with these team lists**)
Suddenly there was a new hunger in the Irish side. They were putting together some lovely attacking moves and the defence was excellent. Now it was the home side who were on the back foot, Tries by Russell, Tiesi and a second by Shabbo with one conversion and a penalty (“what in a pre-season friendly”? I hear you ask) by Barry Everitt gave us a well deserved 25-10 victory.
It all became a little confusing the next morning. The “Irish Independent” reported that Leinster had a”….comfortable 25-10 victory over London Irish” later adding that “..even thought (sic) the Exiles equalised shortly before the break Leinster had the platform they needed”. I thought I hadn’t had that much to drink but luckly I was assured that it was the normally august newspaper that was wrong this time.
So an altogether better last two-thirds performance from a young side. To beat a strong Leinster side on their own ground gives some optimism for the future.
What of the “Craic” – I estimate that there were about 100 there but in various groups. No great bunching in Donnybrook so we were not a vociferous as usual. Nevertheless it was nice to see friends old and new and I look forward to Belfast in December.
(**I reproduce the teams courtesy of the Spell Check –
Delong Arbitrage, Tipsy Oyo, Dominic Fanatic, Shame Geraghty, Dominic Shabby, Rica Fluty, Paul Hodgson (capt.); Tonga Lae’eatoa, Daniel Colette, Tom Warren, Nick Kennedy, James Hudson, Kieran Roche, Olivier Mange, Juan Leguizamon
Michael Horace, Nick Candy, Gonzalo Ties, Shane Geraghty, Dominic Shabby, Barry Everett, Ben Willis; Tom Stanfield, Robbie Russell, Alex Crispier, Gary Johnson, Bob Casey, Declan Danaher, Steffen Arbitrage, Phil Murphy.
Geraghty, Lae’eatoa and Leguizamon – have all defeated the Spell Check, which can offer no alternatives.)
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