Scrum problems
There were further examples over the weekend that the scrum remains an overly intrusive part of the modern game, albeit that props, hookers and some extended members of the pack might consider that statement as well, heresy.
For the majority of spectators though, unless you’re looking to nip out for a comfort break, few think that watching 16 players take several minutes to prepare to collide in a semi-orderly fashion just to restart the game is time well spent. That’s not to advocate depowering the set-piece but a plea to expedite the process.
The first sequence of play in France’s win over Scotland went along the lines of, kick-off out on the full, scrum, reset, four seconds of play, knock-on, scrum, reset, free-kick and scrum. That swallowed up four minutes on the match clock, all pretty much for about four seconds of rugby content. It wasn’t the only elongated process in that match.
The England-Wales match also offered examples one of which took three minutes and 48 seconds to complete a scrum, a sequence that incorporated three resets, a free-kick and a penalty. For all the tweaks, it remains a bugbear.
Brilliant advertisement
The Women’s All Ireland league came to a conclusion at the weekend with a series of matches to decide the finishing positions, three of which were played at Energia Park, while two others saw victories for Cooke over Malone (33-5, ninth and 10th place) and Wicklow over Ballincollig (31-0, seventh and eighth place).
Suttonians beat Galwegians 26-0 in the Conference final, UL Bohemian edged Old Belvedere 19-17 in the third and fourth place playoff but arguably the best game of the day was the final, between defending champions Railway Union and Blackrock College with the Sandymount club retaining a title that was last contested in 2019.
It was a cracking contest, full of enterprising rugby and no little skill, as both sides moved the ball through the hands where feasible while maintaining a high tempo to the proceedings. It made for a great spectacle on a day when the weather conditions would have been considered challenging.
Both sides contained some of their international players, Sevens and 15s, but there were plenty outside of that contingent who excelled. Railway won 24-18 in a game where momentum seesawed backwards and forwards, the outcome in doubt right up until the final play of the game.
Centre Eve Higgins won the player of the match award but she was just one of several players who turned in eye catching performances; Aoife McDermott had a brilliant game while scrumhalf Ailsa Hughes chipped in with a brace of tries in what was a fine performance all round.
Blackrock number eight Hannah O’Connor was superb, Meabh Deely’s place-kicking noteworthy, so too scrumhalf Aoibheann Reilly’s passing; quick and accurate. The game was an absolute treat and a brilliant advertisement for women’s club rugby.
Numbers game
100: The number of matches that Italy have lost in the Six Nations Championship since they joined the tournament in 2000.
Quote of the week
“I think that red cards like that do games no favours. I don’t think there was any intention there (in terms of the high tackle). Credit to Italy (for the way they fought). The stopping and starting took some of the tempo out of the game but there were positives (from our perspective).” Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony.
Untimely death of a great
The untimely death of the great New Zealand and Samoan wing Va’aiga Tuigamala (52) brought back a couple of personal memories, the first of which was marvelling at his talent when watching him play for the All Blacks as they beat Leinster at Lansdowne Road in 1989.
For such a physically powerful man he possessed sublime footwork, thereby boasting the ability to go through or around defenders. The game will perhaps be remembered for an unfortunate collision in which he was chasing a high ball and clattered into Fergus Dunlea, knocking the Leinster fullback out cold.
New Zealand won 36-9 with the home side scoring a try through this year’s president of Trinity rugby club, ‘the original’ Johnny Sexton.
The second involves former Dungannon and Ulster flyer Ronnie Carey and how the five foot eight inch wing coped brilliantly when facing ‘Inga the winger,’ as Tuigamala was affectionately known. Carey won just two caps - it would have been more but for injuries - both against the All Blacks on Ireland’s summer tour to New Zealand in 1992.
An Irish team, containing five new caps in Carey, Neville Furlong, Kelvin Leahy, Mark McCall and Paul McCarthy came within a whisker of winning the first test with tries from Vinny Cunningham (2) and Jim Staples before going down 24-21.
Carey was brilliant on both sides of the ball beating Tuigamala on several occasions and also demonstrating that it was always necessary to meet the All Black wing head on in the tackle. On a couple of occasions he ran Tuigamala down from behind to make important, try saving interventions, to such an extent that the Inga wasn’t selected for the second test.
