I only got into rugby coaching when my eldest was in the U11s and his head coach appealed for help. Standing on the touchline and watching, I figured “ah – he means me…”. Initially, I just put out cones, held tackle bags and blew a whistle (lots!) [Ed: the Karl is strong in this one.]
A few years on, I’m part of a group of four coaching 30-40 U14s that combines the two age groups of U13 and U14.
Kerry is very much GAA – especially Gaelic football – country. But rugby has a history here, and actually pre-dates the GAA. The 1880s to 1920s were a time of huge turbulence in Ireland, and part of that led to the abandonment of rugby as a ‘foreign sport’ in favour of the new ‘Irish’ game (soccer, cricket and hockey were also regarded as ‘foreign’). Historically, a football game called ‘caíd’ was played in Kerry, but there’s very little evidence of how it was played: we can surmise it might be closer to the Shrove Tuesday games played in England than any modern code of football. There are theories that it might have been akin to Aussie Rules, as that seemed to spring up on the gold fields in the 1850s, where many Irish had headed off to make their fortune.
Rugby in Killarney goes back to the 1880s, and the club notes an official founding of 1929 – but it’s been re-founded on at least 3 other occasions: 1937, 1953 and 1983. With our own field and two decent pitches (and a third … well, it needs work…), we’re in a position to grow rather than just survive. In September 2019, we even hosted a Munster pre-season training session.
As a club at U14 level, which is the first competitive level (full-sized pitch, fifteen a side – hopefully), we compete in what is termed West Munster – essentially this is the other clubs in Kerry plus one other. We only get to play clubs from Cork and Limerick in friendlies or challenges slotted in between regular fixtures. In an ideal world we’d break out of this, as we end up playing the same local rivals three or four times in a season. In September, it’s all healthy competition; by March they hate each other’s guts. Doesn’t help that same group of lads also run into each in schools and club football and soccer over the same period.
Our season breaks into two parts. Before Christmas, there is a local league decided by a premiership-style knockout format (1 v 4 and 2 v 3) to eliminate the vagaries of no home-and-away. After Christmas, the West Munster teams split into an upper and lower section, with a home and away format. We took this opportunity to split our squad in two. The competition rules initially were that you could name an extended panel, and play all the subs in a non-competitive ‘3rd half’.
However, several clubs were struggling to make fifteen, so the rules reverted to two halves and a maximum squad of 23. That left us with ten not getting any game at all, plus subs only playing five to ten minutes at the end. The three-thirds is well-intentioned, but it’s really aimed at clubs with maybe 23-25 players to ensure everyone plays. It’s well-nigh impossible to play 15+ subs: you end up trying to replace the whole team without giving them adequate time to ‘gel’ as a unit.
We bit the bullet, knowing that we’d be stretched for numbers at times, but also knowing that we had the option to start with as few as twelve if numbers got sticky. The real restriction was having to separate the two squads: that meant a few hard decisions.
We wanted a ‘Black’ team to have a chance at winning their competition, but we didn’t want a ‘Red’ team comprised only of inexperienced – and in many cases smaller – 12-13 year olds who’d have to face up to teams made up mainly from the age grade above. A couple of the older lads were asked to step down to the junior squad to help provide some experience and sheer size.
The smaller size of clubs down here means that we don’t have a dedicated U13 competition, which means our younger players can be faced with bigger and more experienced U14s at a time when they’re really just learning to play the ‘adult’ game. It was a risk, but the alternative was standing on the sideline getting cold or not playing at all.
In our first Black game, we lost away to what was regarded as the best U14 in our region, but the seeds were there. 38-14 was final score, but we were beginning to see our strengths (and weaknesses) and to start to recognise the opposition’s.
Strengths: good scrum (if not a lot of use at U14 as limited pushing is allowed), strong, fast ball-carriers, good kicking game.
Weaknesses: looking for contact, over-carrying, weak support running.
Red started off badly, run ragged by a combined club with a couple of gifted individuals. Their second match, a return fixture, was much the same until we persuaded the opposition to ‘retire’ their No.8. Thereafter it was much more even, and you could see the inexperienced players beginning to develop their teamwork and understanding: where should I be? who’s my man? Attack the ruck or stay out?
Their remaining two games were close – a one-score difference in each game – and unlucky not to win one or both of them. But overall, despite the disappointment of losing, they all got to play an hour’s rugby in four games, and there’s a development in actually playing that you can’t get from all the training sessions in the world.
Meanwhile, in Black world we had 2 good wins: 26-17 and 28-7, the first win from 12-0 down and for much of the game playing 13 v 15 when the opposition conveniently ‘forgot’ that all clubs had agreed to match numbers. There’s a bit of thrill when you comprehensively defeat a team whose mentors are trying to pull a fast one. The second win was against a club we’d lost to twice earlier in the first half of the season by 5 and 3 points – basically losing both games from a place where we should have won.
In both wins, there was a pleasing degree of – dare I say it – ‘T-CUP’. Carrying the ball against the wind, and in the second half kicking long and chasing like demons. Then came a defeat: 12-5 and a wake-up call that we’re weren’t going to bulldoze everyone. Our final – not that we knew that at the time – game was a return versus the Tralee team who’d handed out two thorough beatings to us before. Tables were turned this time as we defeated them 36-5.
So it looks like we went out on a high. The lads themselves were recognising their strengths and trying not to play to those of the opposition. We helped them by moving our usual 8 (quick, strong but not excessively big) into 10 and letting him get into the face of the opposition 10 … who didn’t get the armchair ride he was used to.
For me, the main takeaway or ‘learning’ (as my international work colleagues might say) is that we need to get lads playing. We can train them with drills to develop the skills, but they need to play, and play together, to build up their knowledge. Five, ten or fifteen minutes as a sub doesn’t help that development. It’s certainly a bugbear of mine to see a visiting club arrive with 23 or 24 players, knowing that numbers 16-23 will get a few token minutes when the game is already won or lost. We’d be better off to play 12 v 12, and adjust the rules slightly.
I get irritated by coaches for whom winning is obviously the priority. Winning is great, but the long-term view is to have as many as possible playing – and enjoying playing – our game. Hopefully, some of them will be standing on a touchline in 30 years’ time, having replaced me….
Courtesy of Triskaidekaphobia.
Ovally Balls 
TomP, I’d take what that blustering buffoon says with a bag of salt. Given the lack of transparency in reporting and releasing crime data, he can say what he likes – and much of it is in a drive to ban alcohol sales permanently. Worked well in the States from memory.
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“a drive to ban alcohol sales permanently”
No wonder you’re worried.
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The Stormers performing an iconic South African song. Johnny Clegg’s ‘The Crossing’ which has become an anthem here in our troubled times. The primary message is the crossing or journey we’ve taken as a nation and individually from a divided past to a united nation. But it’s also about individual ‘crossings’ and overcoming challenges. It’s beautiful. Watch Johnny doing it too.
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I’ve actually got plenty of wine from when Mrs Deebee and I made our own about 10 years ago. But man cannot live on wine alone.
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Maybe not, but I could give it a damn good try. I could also have whisky just to shake the diet up a bit…
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I’m giving it a bloody good go though.
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To my eternal shame, I have more bottles of whiskey than whisky in the bar.
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To my eternal credit, it’s because the whisky gets consumed.
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The horror! I would turn to crime.
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Apologies for calling you Trauma in one of my posts lasts night. Autocorrect on the phone. I also seem to have been a little disparaging about Irish whiskey.
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Happy Easter everyone! May it be a wonderful day filled with lots of chocolate.
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“I’ve actually got plenty of wine from when Mrs Deebee and I made our own about 10 years ago.”
Good luck, Deebee.
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DeeBee, dear boy, I admire your spirit – always enjoy to hear from you……………
………..and a happy day to everyone, keep safe – and if you have children, don’t hog all the eggs!
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I suppose van der Merwe has to ask himself how far down the pecking order he’d be for the Boks. Mapimpi, Nkosi, Kolbe are nailed on, with Dyantyi still fighting his doping ban too. Rosko Specman and Cornal Hendricks would also fancy their chances, the former more than the latter I’d suspect. Seabelo Senatla and Seargal Petersen surely also have Bok ambitions too. I’d love to see the big lad in a Bok jersey but don’t think he’s likely to get a crack in the next season or so – with Scotland being the obvious beneficiaries.
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Thanks Slade! And a happy Easter to you too! Love this place!
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I’ve also ignored the jibe about the home nations not being able to develop their own talent. Needless and, in fact, not true.
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TomP – 3 consecutive years of making Shiraz at a farm in McGregor, just outside Robertson in the Western Cape. When Mrs Deebs and I were still in the courting stage. We got to go to the Cape 4 times a year to prune and sucker the vines, pick the grapes, stomp them, and bottle them. Did it with friends of ours down there and produced about 700 bottles over the 3 years. Learned a lot about winemaking and had huge fun to boot! Amazing how different each vintage is too, as we had the same row of vines each year.
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Rosco’s 30 now. Much as I love watching him play he’s unlikely. Cornal is 32 next week. Just pleased he got over his medical problems.
There is a good case that Duhan vdMerwe wouldn’t be a first choice at Super Rugby if he’d stayed in SA but he left when he was so young so it’s not certain.
I’d quite like it if the Boks called both him and Pierre Schoeman up just to see what would happen.
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Thank goodness. Was worried you’d gone for Chateau Neuf du Gauteng, which would’ve been interesting.
“produced about 700 bottles over the 3 years”
At your claimed rate of consumption I hope the lockdown in SA doesn’t last beyond May.
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– You’ve got a astrologer advising you on foreign affairs?
– First of all, he’s a renegade astrologer and he doubles up on domestic policy so you’re twice wrong.
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Would be very interesting to see what they’d do if called up. The Lions series is a major drawcard and I suppose the next World Cup is only 2 seasons on from that, so if both were given a decent shot, I’m sure they’d be very tempted. The reaction of their clubs would be interesting!
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Both play for Embra. Never mind their club’s reaction, just think what Ticht’s reaction would be!
(I know Chimpie’s also an Embra fan, but he’ll just go ‘Pfft’)
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Nope, I’d be enraged
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The South Africans who come to play in Scotland all seem to love life in Edinburgh or Glasgow, Strauss enjoyed it all a bit too much, hence his falling out with Toonie over the drinking.
Nel has made no secret of how much safer he feels his family is in Scotland and that is an allure for the older players. There is a group of Afrikaans-speaking players at Edinburgh in particular, I don’t know if that serves to alleviate or exacerbate any home sickness
I could never begrudge any player playing for the country of their birth, but I would resent someone being called up and then dropped, just so Scotland couldn’t offer them a long international career, that would petty in the extreme.
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du Preez wanted to stay at Edinburgh, Cockers wanted to keep hm be there just wasn’t the money there, but him moving on allowed first Jamie Ritchie to come through and then Luke Crosbie,
Crosbie could be something quite special
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Deebee, as far as Edinburgh goes, I think any club would miss Schoeman and vdM, but as a club we have Sutherland back from injury and looking like the player we all hoped he become, Schoeman isn’t necessarily first choice at club level now.
Big Duhan is a point of difference, we don’t have anyone else in his mould, Darcy Graham is as effective, if not more so, but he is a different type of player
I hope they both stay on and gain 50+ caps each for Scotland
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Today’s rugby fix:
Finn getting Carter…
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Tim Brooke-Taylor RIP
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Very sad. I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue has been a favourite since I was a kid.
BBC headline is this: “Goodies star Brooke-Taylor dies with coronavirus”
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Not just country of their birth, ticht. Both played 2 years of SA Schools, both played SA Under 20, Kolbe has shown how it’s possible to make a career in the NH and prosper so much that the Boks come calling.
I think they’d turn down the chance of playing for the Boks. Doesn’t bother me which side they turned out for but it would be interesting to see what’d happen.
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This is TBT’s most famous, most quoted sketch and most people don’t even know he was in it:
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@tomp
It makes me happy that John Cleese’s Yorkshire accent is by far the worst of the four.
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Not sure either is nailed on to make the broader Bok squad at the moment, never mind the match day 23, so would probably be better off financially opting for Scotland. Pretty sure they’d make a lot more with 50+ match day fees for Scotland than a handful of cameos or dirt tracker performances for the Boks.
That said, a couple of injuries in SA or loss of form of those currently in the mix and everything changes. I’d obviously like both to be available if we needed them, but that’s life.
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That is so sad re TBT. I call him that because loved the Goodies and I remember laughing hard when the set up was they were going to be cool advertising execs or something and started calling each other by their initials. TBT calling Bill Oddie BO was funny
Ekky Thump, The Cornish Cream Mines, the George Best stuff, just brilliant. Then later the Radio 4 appearances made me just as happy as an adult.
This is just really sad news
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OT, what was that terrible sitcom TBT was in? 1990s probably.
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Yup, with you there, Ticht. The prime Goodies stuff was probably my most looked forward to show of the week. Always a bit underrated I think, Unfairly so, compared to the Pythons and Milligan. Different.
I still hold a serious grudge against Chris Packham for being mean on occasion to Bill Oddie on Springwatch.
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Peter Bonetti died today as well.
Only person to keep goal in a World Cup quarter-final before going on to be a postman on the Isle of Mull.
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Bill Oddie used to have his weekend breakfasts in the canteen at my college.
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He was Bill Oddie so no one really wondered if he should be there or not.
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@tomp
TBT was one of those people who was on loads of things in the 80s and 90s so I had to check. It could be any of these:
– Me & My Girl with Richard O’Sullivan. That was one of those dreadful ones that I can just about remember.
– You Must Be The Husband – “Tom and Alice Hammond are a happily married couple who become extremely wealthy when Alice suddenly becomes a best-selling author. The basic plot was based on, and expanded upon, the earlier play “…And I’m The Husband”, which Brooke-Taylor and Keen had toured in, in 1981–2.” I remember that one vaguely.
I bet it’s the first one you remember.
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The first one I do remember and it was rubbish but Dick Turpin was cheeky. Can’t remember TBT’s performance.
I think it’s the second one. Diane Keen and Sheila Steafel but still just shit.
They’re both high concept and hope the laughs will come. (Narrator: The laughs never came).
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I came across a 1970s sitcom recently. It:
– starred David Jason as one of two brothers
– was set in a SE London council flat
– had David Jason driving a 3 wheel car.
No not the one you are thinking of. It was called Lucky Feller:
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Da bruvva in that is a lot more Brockley than Rodders was Peckham, I do have to say. I wonder if the pub he picked up his posh bird in was the Jack ? Rodneys mate Mickey Pearce used to work in the cab office at Brockley station.
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The writer of Lucky Feller was Terence Friday. His son has written this about it:
https://dominicfrisby.com/news/lucky-feller-the-unknown-sitcom
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*Frisby
Damned auto correct
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“Only person to keep goal in a World Cup quarter-final before going on to be a postman on the Isle of Mull.”
Remarkable. Especially when you think that nobody at all has played in a World Cup quarter-final after having been a postman on the Isle of Mull. Always time though I suppose.
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I think I remember reading in The Big Book of Inner Hebrides Football that Tiree was always the island with the tradition of producing fine shot-stoppers.
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That’s because Hot-Shot Hamish was a local(-ish) lad, so they had to be good.
https://comicvine.gamespot.com/images/1300-2473392
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