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 
Ventilator Challenge UK consortium ventilator gets MHRA approval:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/15/coronavirus-ventilator-uk-approval-nhs-penlon-regulator
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Non-plussed by Bruce. Some nice songs, but much of a muchness imo.
Best gig for me was Green Day’s* set at Reading circa 2002. Just fucking immense, they didn’t stop playing it seemed and the crowd was heaving.
*yeah yeah, I know Green Day is for kids and skateboards or bmxs but what happens to those kids when they “grow up”?
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Posted this before but it needs repeating
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Ticht, it is of it’s time, but I can listen to Springsteen for hours. Especially on long road trips. I also have a soft spot for Steinman’s music at a theatrical level, so maybe I’m more forgiving of Springsteen’s excesses.
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Mentioned before that my best rock gig was without a doubt ZZ Top. 3 hours unbroken that flashed by in the blink of an eye. Best concert ever would be the 3 tenors at the magnificent setting of the Union Building in Pretoria. TomP will know them well – the concert was outdoors, in the beautiful gardens, late afternoon around this time of the year, so autumn which is lovely in Pretoria – warm, not too hot, still some lingering light at the end of the day. My boss’s mum sang in the choir, so we got absolutely prime seats. Pavarotti was simply immense: he had an effortlessly powerful voice that drowned blew the other two away at times; Jose Carreras is brilliant on his own but was overshadowed by the other two. Placido Domingo doesn’t (didn’t) have the same power as Pavarotti, but had a far broader vocal range. It was simply stunning.
@Ticht – maybe because I love opera I’m more accepting of Steinmann’s over the top arrangements?
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* Union Buildings
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I’ve seen Springsteen several times – best gig? Hard to say but probably Thomond Park in 2013 (?) – as I may have mentioned before we (and about 200 others) caught him playing a pre-concert warm up on his own about 5.15-ish
His best stuff (IMO) is the run – Born to Run, Darkness, The River. You can pretty much play those end-to-end….
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Rage Against The Machine, Glasgow Barrowlands 1993 and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Brighton Corn Exchange 2003 – very difficult to choose which was better.
Martin Carthy in a pub in Lewes was a close one, he had all the power of Marshall stacks in his acoustic guitar and voice.
Queen Ida at Cambridge Folk Festival in 1983 was great too, it was the first time I’d heard Cajun/Zydeco music and I fell in love with it.
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I don;t know who you are but what have you done with Deebee, you monster.
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Van Morrison at Stirling Castle
Kid Creole in Glasgow
Led Zep in Sheffield students union + Wings a zillion others ditto (from Incredible String Band to Free)
Yehudi Menuhin at Carcassonne
Joni Mitchell life story on a motel TV (quite unexpected) whilst touring USA
……………………satisfaction for me was/is a blend of timing, mood, quality of performance, location.
Now that I am on the subject lots and lots more of concerts attended come to mind…….Captain Beefheart, Jethro Tull, Little Feat, Fairports, etc etc
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Another of the best was The Royal Ballet in Exhibition Hall 5 (I think) on Anderson Quay in Glasgow.
All very temporary – the Ballet was on tour whilst their headquarters was being renovated.
Scaffolding seating and bare walls with blank grey moveable screens; all the audience in jeans and t-shirts etc.
The dancers laughing all over their faces as they danced the Sugar Plum Fairy……………………..
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That’s some list, Slade.
Was the Menhuin concert in the old city in Carcasonne?
I love that place, though it was forty degrees when I was last there
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Carcassonne, even
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https://ibb.co/s3stF9J
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This is going well today
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I’ll have another go, and hope I don’t break the blog
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oh well.
Does that count as a steal, at least?
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@Ticht
1972 , I think – I was hitching around France and Spain – arrived at Carcassonne the evening of a very hot, dusty, windy day and the concert was being staged just outside the walls as the sun was going down. Lovely.
Can’t remember what he played, ‘though.
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The violin, Slade.
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Love stuff like this, 760 hours to make a wool tunic 1700 years ago. Kind of puts things into perspective.
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Bands live, off the top of my head, Jethro Tull at Wembley Arena, Broadsword Tour, nice acousticy first half, and the place exploded at the first chords of Aqualung.
Ramones, Too Tough to Die , Lyceum ballroom, mayhem in a regency theatre with plaster mouldings falling from the ceiling.
New Model Army, No Rest, Leeds University, just as wild.
Lots of early Motorhead, culminating in 10th anniversary gig at Hammy Odeon.
Burning Spear at a small club in Wellington. Definately outside my comfort zone, Mesmeric.
Steve Earle and the Dukes, The Revolution Starts Now , Auckland. Steve was upset with his government, and it showed.
Rarely go to big concerts nowadays, prefer to catch something quiet in a small venue.
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Carter USM Queen Elizabeth Hall, Oldham
Stone Roses, Apollo Theatre, Manchester
Patto Banton, Mountford Hall, Liverpool
Half Man Half Biscuit, Hammersmith Apollo
Lee Hazlewood, Royal Festival Hall
Morcheeba, Royal Festival Hall
Billy Bragg, Theatre Royal, Brighton
Billy Bragg, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
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Great gigs are all very well, what about the really bad ones?
Worst I’ve seen were probably Utah Saints (remember them?) as a warm up for U2 back in’t early 90s. Proper bad. U2 did a good gig mind.
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Worst gig is Morcheeba by far.
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Pentangle with McShee and Jansch at the Ark in Ann Arbor in the 90s.
Richard Thompson every damn time I’ve seen him, solo or with a band.
Santana every year on or near my birthday in the outdoor venue.
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@ticht
hope this works
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Not worst gig, but one of the support bands for AC/DC at Hampden were bloody awful. They were filling in for someone else, so I suppose it might have been at short notice, but they were truly crap.
Most disappointing – Yes on the Fly From Here tour. The Benoit David era. Average album, lacklustre gig.
Bands I wished I’d seen? Loads – Stones, Zeppelin, Floyd (but seen Waters on one of his ‘Wall’ tours), Gabriel-era Genesis (but seen them both separately), Motorhead (Lemmy, Philthy, Eddie years), although my ears might have been glad of that, Maiden, probably lots more that I can’t think of just now.
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Megadeth, Hammersmith. Walked out halfway thru, so did most everyone else.Sound was terrible, and I think they were all so stoned they could barely stand up, let alone play.
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Take That. Mrs Craig’s birthday. Horrible crowd too.
*shudders*
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Anyone remember this classic?
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Leftover Crack in a shitty pub in Southampton was a truly fantastic experience tempered slightly by the loss of a jumper.
See also Catch 22 in the same shitty pub (The Joiners).
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I also saw King Prawn and Capdown in The Peel in Kingston. That was a belter.
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Screw your arenas!!!
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Karl
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Waterboys in Glasgow were very good……………………..
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……..around 2oo5……………Celtic Connections
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When I was a dj on the University radio station my mate and I would interview a few bands and try to give them cheese at the end (like the fucking twats we were). The guy from a band called 100 Reasons wouldn’t accept our cheese so I threw it at him half way through the set.
My friend told me that it was the best thing he’d ever seen.
Ahhhhh, it’s all coming back now. Such glorious times.
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Worst gig: Rolling Stones Steel Wheels tour. Mostly because the sound was so bad that all you could hear was the bass and drums. Oddly, I was standing just in front of the sound board.
Most surprisingly enjoyable gig: Gloria Estafan and the Miami Sound Machine. Got dragged to it under protest as all I knew of it was the godawful pop (1, 2, 3, 4), but it turned out that most of it was great Cuban music.
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@thaum
Same here only with Patto Banton. It was a great gig.
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Shaggy in the BVI was a great gig too.
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Estefan, even!
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Craigs , love those small venues. Grey Horse in Kingston, Bobs Blues Bar, The Underground and the Cartoon in Croyden, Half Moons in Herne Hill and Putney. Glory days.
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I don;t know who you are but what have you done with Deebee, you monster.
Think I have the dreaded lurgy. It won’t happen again. Although it took the three greatest tenors of the modern era to paint Mordor in a positive light.
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Take That. Mrs Craig’s birthday. Horrible crowd too.
Mrs Craig’s birthday should never, ever be included in the same sentence as the rest of that. Shame on you!
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When I was at uni, in Manchester, I saw:
Rammstein
Staind
Korn
Levellers
Roots
DJ Shadow (twice)
Divine Comedy (intimate album launch gig)
Moby
Best was probably Rammstein – just over the top mental German industrial metal. With an impressive pyro display. Worst was Korn. New album tour and no-one wanted to hear it, 2nd half was better when they did the ‘classics’.
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Funniest gig I’ve been to was Rodriguez, in Cape Town. I’d seen him on his first tour in Jo’burg – his first gig in front of a large crowd in decades – and he was spectacular. In Cape Gown, on his second tour, he had an ersatz band, largely recruited by Kenny G on steroids, who simply had no idea of his music. He got on stage absolutely legless and the band hit their brass straps at 100mph which had the crowd stunned.
Rodriguez was way behind them (because he was playing his music at the correct pace, not jazz on steroids), and they threw a fit, called him unprofessional and stormed off the stage. He sat on the floor (couldn’t stand) and started playing unplugged – the crowd went ballistic, because it’s what they ‘d come to see. The band reappeared and were booed off stage. Loved it.
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The Dubliners at the Mean Fiddler in Harlesden
John Cale at the Roxy in Prague
Flowered Up secret gig at the Camden Palais
British Sea Power at the Czech Embassy, London
The Pogues in various places
Doves at Reading was very very good as well.
Worst gig was The Pogues at The Fleash in 1991. Shane was way beyond gone.
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jimi hendrix in Stockport………………………….
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A sentence I never really thought I’d read.
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