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 
Am very slowly working through the (leaked) report on “The work of the LabourParty’s Governance and Legal Unit in relation to antisemitism”. Truly dreadful.
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Also reading Alexander Zevon’s history of the UK/US boss classes through analysis of The Economist. It’s good.
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Hotshot Hamish was a great player.
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Interesting interview with Ian McKinlay in the Graun
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/apr/13/ian-mckinley-rugby-union-ireland-italy-benetton-treviso-coronavirus-lockdown
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Hope you can see this.
When the mascot thing hadn’t quite been perfected
https://facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1904335653030913&id=313768305420997
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Saw it. That mascot is scary as hell. Nae wonder the dug took off.
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Tom,
“Am very slowly working through the (leaked) report on “The work of the LabourParty’s Governance and Legal Unit in relation to antisemitism”. Truly dreadful.”
Can you give a quick run down as to what is dreadful in or about the report?
I’m really interested in the outcome of this affair
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Deliberately slowing down the process of investigating anti-semitism in the party is part of it.
The GLU not having any decent systems, guidance or training arranged in 2015.
Members of the GLU not working to investigate accusations of anti-semitism.
Members of the GLU briefing journalists against Labour leadership – one example is contacting Michael Crick to tell him Diane Abbott had been crying in the toilet.
Actively fearing Labour might win the 2017 election. Horror that Labour stopped the Tories gaining a parliamentary majority.
Not sure if you know the work of Rod Liddle but here’s an extract from page 173 of the report:
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Sounds a lot like politics, TomP!
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Quite, Deebee. Doesn’t mean I should just roll my eyes and make a cynical remark about it.
Sometimes, though, you hope for better and then find out that a bunch of stupid vicious cunts who think The Thick of It is a how-to manual were in positions of power within an organisation and were hoping that that organisation wouldn’t win an election (2017). At least in SA the ANC ensure they win national elections and the DA ensure they win in the WC.
And this sort of stuff is awful:
* Cook was head of political strategy, Greening was international affairs advisor
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There are some people who were in the Labour Party (probably some that still are) and who are anti-semites. The problem this report shows is that the GLU did the square root of fuck all in getting them out of the party because the longer they let things run the worse it would be for the leader of the party, which also meant for the party.
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So it’s all pretty much as those of us who quite like Corbyn suspected, then.
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Oh, and this:
Who was leader in 2015? Oh right, Ed Miliband. A Jewish man.
I’m not blaming him for this in any way; it’s that in 2015 it seemed glaringly obvious that the Labour Party had, per population, a much, much smaller population of anti-Semites than almost any other group. And I don’t think that changed when Corbyn was elected.
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Some of them didn’t like Milliband either, thaum.
page 39
page 45
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Ha, actually I’ve always thought that ‘Red’ Ed was probably a lot more left-wing than his policies would have suggested, but that he was listening to the right wing of the Party on ‘electability’.
If those arseholes hadn’t been briefing against Corbyn (and possibly Ed), things would be very different now.
As for Owen, well – can’t argue with that opinion.
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TomP, my comment was far from flippant. It’s politics: kick the can down the road, don’t offend those who butter your bread, sweep the uncomfortable shit under the carpet where possible and maintain the facade. It’s pretty universal.
It’s shit for us, but it happens everywhere that you have political parties, until you reach tipping points – maybe this is one? Maybe not.
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Thank for the reply, Tom.
I really don’t know what to say, except that this from Thaum, “it’s that in 2015 it seemed glaringly obvious that the Labour Party had, per population, a much, much smaller population of anti-Semites than almost any other group. And I don’t think that changed when Corbyn was elected.”
is almost certainly the case.
It’s all so depressing.
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This was first on my playlist when I went for my allotted walk today.
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Hey all, happy easter etc.
Tomp/Thaum/Ticht/anyone else – just catching up. What do you think this report means long term? If the factions in Labour hate each other to that degree can Kier Starmer* unify the party?
Oh, and Rod Liddle is a piece of shit.
* he seems to be pretty sensible tbh. I can’t say I disagree with anything he has said yet.
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Keir Starmer describes himself as a Zionist, but his work as a human rights lawyer and his appointment of Lisa Nandy , a ” staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause” ( according to the Times of Israel ) suggests that his definition of zionism is the right of Jews to live in Israel, NOT the right for Jews, exclusively, to live in Israel. His wife is Jewish, and his kids are raised as Jewish. Gonna be hard to accuse him personally of anti-semitism. Lets hope he continues to show support for Palestinian freedom and the right for a Palestinian to live in Palestine too.
Could be just the man to sort it out. I look on with bated breath.
Shalom/Salaam
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Anyone need some books to read? From a slightly unusual source.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/52231033
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Interesting comment near the end where he says he was told he wouldn’t be considered for England if he was still at Sarries in the C hampionship, yet there’s Eddie saying that Sarries players (probably Farrell and Itoje, as I think they’re staying?) should be considered for the Lions!
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@refit
Ben Earl recommends a load of books. Very nice. In the same series Sam Tomlin’s says:
– “There’s no panic buying – toilet rolls everywhere”
– “It’s easy to forget to have breakfast”
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Cheers, refit.
‘
The link underneath is intriguing: “Ian Holloway: ‘I’m working on a portrait of Stevie Wonder'”
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craigs, fuck knows. I was a member a long long time ago and met some people through student activities. Wasn’t my cup of cha.
In a way he’s under no pressure but there’s this stuff about “not politicising the virus” coming from the press and some Tories. He’s certainly not doing that.
As with every Labour leader since early Blair he’ll get it and more some time and probably sooner rather than later. All the talk about”forensic questioning” and “holding the government to account” is hot air at the moment.
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I’ve managed to get my oldest to watch and enjoy Dad’s Army.
What have YOU done?
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The Sam Tomkins one is ok. Not sure he shou;d’ve admitted to robbing, though.
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That lad got what the young people called ratioed.
I’ve lost weight and all. And taken a lot of pictures of war memorials in north-east Prague.
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Every county should have this. As ever, Kent leads the way:
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Tomp – I hope he can. A party split to that degree cannot function as effective opposition or hope to be elected imo.
Agree that it’s hot air but he’s making the right noises.
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OT – been to all the best wanking spots in Kent, that’s what.
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Just been on that dude’s website :
That’s why I started Order of Man – to give men a community and resource to become better. Better at what you ask? All facets of life, from self-mastery to family, from money to contribution, and everywhere in between.
If you’re looking to learn what it takes to become more of the man you were meant to be, you’ve come to the right place.
Someone tell CJ, he’s got a new alpha papa to idolise.
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He’s got the Board of Deputies onside and is in favour of giving nurses medals. Not many other noises.
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Craigs, I’m old enough to remember the money-spinner (in the States) that was Robert Bly’s “Iron John”. However, not even Bly got 7 killer guests for his podcast, the loser.
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It has come to something awful when Piers Morgan is one of the very few journalists not letting government ministers get away with spin
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Like a Bristolian Pablo Picasso.
I have a joke about that picture but I think it’s in bad taste.
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Quite a wide definition of the word ‘journalist’ there Ticht. If you had used the word ‘synt’ it would have been far more specific.
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Tomp – I bet Bly couldn’t lose 11bls inna lockdown either.
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Wow:
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Kent, eh?
*shakes head*
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Jealous llama.
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Pfft.
Maybe I’m just living in blissful ignorance of public wanking spots round here.
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Ryan sounds a charming chap.
Bet he’s got open air self-pleasuring locations in his neighbourhood totally nailed.
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The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and his lady wife at home:
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Ah, the good old days when he was a mere bumbling fuckwit rather than the bumbling fuckwit who personifies the nation he is now.
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OT – Boris won the long game though.
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I really shouldn’t read The Telegraph.
And if I have to, I should read it more carefully. That should be “the bumbling fuckwit who personifies the nation and has risen from his death bed, like a cross between Winston Churchill and Jesus Christ, that he is now”.
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Karl:
“Man accidentally ejects himself from fighter jet during surprise flight”
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