Yes, I remembered that. They’re probably the furthest north in Co Dublin that there’s a club. One of the Leinster players is from there but he’s assigned to one of the city clubs now.
Greystones is the last stop southbound on the DART train but is in Wicklow. Could be a commuter town I suppose.
I don’t have numbers to hand but the general feeling in Ireland is that the game is expanding geographically. I’d guess traditional clubs are putting out fewer teams (and as was mentioned need for replacement front rows partly drives that).
But game is healthier in rural areas that were once GAA only. Partly that is because the rugby “hatred” (garrison games etc) has died away. Allowing 6N matches at Croker was the final nail.
Girls and women’s rugby is expanding fairly quickly too – we’ve gone quite quickly from only having girls at minis to having U14, U16, and probably a U18 team. One of our U18s has gone from GiaT (Give it a Try) to Munster U18 squad in 12 months!
What we need badly is a pathway for over 18s into the adult game w/o throwing them into 1st team rugby. Second team or J2 rugby (as its called in Munster) has evolved into “Friday night lights” – mainly played in and around Cork city at clubs with floodlights. That doesn’t work for Kerry clubs (either don’t have lights up to spec or just too distant to play after work on Friday).
So we have to work on finding ways to provide players with a form of the game they can consume – one size fits all 15 man game can’t be the only offering. We trialled a framework called Game On (captains can agree on min 12 a side, make scrums/lineouts uncontested etc etc) – only downside was that refs didn’t seem to be on board.
Sight of lads like Coombes and Wycherley playing for Ireland out of Skibbereen and Bantry gives hope to all junior clubs (although both are notionally attached to senior clubs).
But main thing- at youth level – is to provide regular games and for that we need the numbers.
Old Belvedere and Old Wesley get down to J4 and J5 I think.
Is there much Under 20 rugby in Munster, trisk? There’s 30-odd clubs in Leinster that take part in their Under 20 leagues. Took part, I suppose, for now as we’ll see what happens after Covid.
Nice to see I am missed / people enjoy the prospect of me being miserable about a rugby game.
That result doesn’t bother me in the slightest. In fact I didn’t eve watch it. First time in 7 months that Mrs ‘Pro and I could go out for a drink, so we sat on a jetty above the Aegean sea in 29 degrees at 2200.
The US were poor. That was not an acceptable performance.
In defence:
Missing Tito Lamositele, AJ McGinty, Marcel Brache and Will Hooley through injury.
Some of the guys playing were very inexperienced. Winger Dyer hasn’t played a game of XVs since university.
All the US based players played round 13 of MLR the weekend before the England game in sweltering heat, before flying to England with limited time to prepare. They then had a 6 day turnaround before playing Ireland. That’s a tough schedule for guys who have jobs in the offseason (or even during the season).
The red card was absolute nonsense.
Ireland were very, very good. Clinical and ruthless. Lots of depth there. Nailed on for the QFs in 2023.
I’ll support Italy, I like the way they play but I won’t begrudge England if they win, 55 years is a long wait. Besides, Raheem Sterling is a joy to watch, can’t wait to see him vs Chiellini.
Flair, I like this Italian side, no doubt, but I don’t think my relatives would forgive me if I didn’t send pics of me screaming for England. And deep in my bones, I have a great affinity for England and the UK more broadly, so tonight I’m a Londoner* through and through.
* Mum’s heritage; sorry Dad but it’s better than Birmingham.
What a start! Maguire gives away a corner and England break from the clearance, Shaw on the end of a tantalizing cross and hammers it home! 1-0 England inside 3 minutes!
It’s really impressive, Deebs. They’re Italianing Italy at the moment. And the pace they’ve got to bring off the bench must be a worry for Italy. Only one likely looking winner.
Well, that was terrible. Italy clawed their way back into the game, England seemed to back off (or get played off) and then the penalties. There’s gonna be some howling at Rashford for his elaborate cock up, but penalties are a lottery. Spare a thought for Pickford, who was immense in that last five minutes.
Lots of young players in the England ranks and they can surely only get better. Kane – stop looking for the dive; Sterling got the disease too. But this side can do a lot, lot more. Feel for the boys but we’ll played Italy after looking completely outgunned in the first 30 minutes or so.
Deebee, I said to my wife that when Italy were pressing with all the possession and playing in the last third of the park, if Italy score then England will find it difficult to get back into the game as they had been in a defensive mindset for so long.
Good tournament though a little disappointing that two of the last three games were decided by penalty shootouts, really any of three or more sides could easily have won it.
The Middle One is in bits, life lessons and all that….
Commiseration England fans, that was close but England after a great start went back into their shell after 60 minutes. Only one outcome from there.
First time I have ever seen an England team comfortable when in possession. Bodes well for the future.
I thought England’s 55 years wait for glory was long. Just learnt that Italy had to wait 53 years to be European champs.
My unfullfilled hunch was based on the following set of events: first Switzerland beat France on penalties, then Spain beat Switzerland on penalties, after that Italy beat Spain on penalties therefore England will beat Italy on penalties. Close but no cigar. Ach…
55 years in all major tournaments for England, flair. Italy have won a couple of World Cups in that time. Failed even to qualify in 2018, though, and didn’t get out of the group in 2010 or 2014 in the World Cup so haven’t done too well there.
The England song is part wistful regret about chances missed and part entitlement that they should win cos they invented the game and all that.
Ovally Balls 
Skerries is the club that we have the annual fixture with, it started in 1952
https://www.skerriesrfc.ie/skerries-v-dunbar-60th-history/
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Yes, I remembered that. They’re probably the furthest north in Co Dublin that there’s a club. One of the Leinster players is from there but he’s assigned to one of the city clubs now.
Greystones is the last stop southbound on the DART train but is in Wicklow. Could be a commuter town I suppose.
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Ciaran Frawley’s the player. His club is now UCD.
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I don’t have numbers to hand but the general feeling in Ireland is that the game is expanding geographically. I’d guess traditional clubs are putting out fewer teams (and as was mentioned need for replacement front rows partly drives that).
But game is healthier in rural areas that were once GAA only. Partly that is because the rugby “hatred” (garrison games etc) has died away. Allowing 6N matches at Croker was the final nail.
Girls and women’s rugby is expanding fairly quickly too – we’ve gone quite quickly from only having girls at minis to having U14, U16, and probably a U18 team. One of our U18s has gone from GiaT (Give it a Try) to Munster U18 squad in 12 months!
What we need badly is a pathway for over 18s into the adult game w/o throwing them into 1st team rugby. Second team or J2 rugby (as its called in Munster) has evolved into “Friday night lights” – mainly played in and around Cork city at clubs with floodlights. That doesn’t work for Kerry clubs (either don’t have lights up to spec or just too distant to play after work on Friday).
So we have to work on finding ways to provide players with a form of the game they can consume – one size fits all 15 man game can’t be the only offering. We trialled a framework called Game On (captains can agree on min 12 a side, make scrums/lineouts uncontested etc etc) – only downside was that refs didn’t seem to be on board.
Sight of lads like Coombes and Wycherley playing for Ireland out of Skibbereen and Bantry gives hope to all junior clubs (although both are notionally attached to senior clubs).
But main thing- at youth level – is to provide regular games and for that we need the numbers.
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Yep – Skerries and Greystones are commuter towns….
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Old Belvedere and Old Wesley get down to J4 and J5 I think.
Is there much Under 20 rugby in Munster, trisk? There’s 30-odd clubs in Leinster that take part in their Under 20 leagues. Took part, I suppose, for now as we’ll see what happens after Covid.
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Squidge has a theory as to why Kwagga Smith is in the Boks side and why he might actually start for them, from about 2:40:
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Nice to see I am missed / people enjoy the prospect of me being miserable about a rugby game.
That result doesn’t bother me in the slightest. In fact I didn’t eve watch it. First time in 7 months that Mrs ‘Pro and I could go out for a drink, so we sat on a jetty above the Aegean sea in 29 degrees at 2200.
The US were poor. That was not an acceptable performance.
In defence:
Missing Tito Lamositele, AJ McGinty, Marcel Brache and Will Hooley through injury.
Some of the guys playing were very inexperienced. Winger Dyer hasn’t played a game of XVs since university.
All the US based players played round 13 of MLR the weekend before the England game in sweltering heat, before flying to England with limited time to prepare. They then had a 6 day turnaround before playing Ireland. That’s a tough schedule for guys who have jobs in the offseason (or even during the season).
The red card was absolute nonsense.
Ireland were very, very good. Clinical and ruthless. Lots of depth there. Nailed on for the QFs in 2023.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Did Italy play this weekend? And if Berettini wins Wimbledon, does that mean their football team are stuffed? Asking for a feline friend.
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Berrettini lost, so England need to step it up at Wembley. Think I’ll get some sausages, crisps and beer in support of the lads.
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I’ll support Italy, I like the way they play but I won’t begrudge England if they win, 55 years is a long wait. Besides, Raheem Sterling is a joy to watch, can’t wait to see him vs Chiellini.
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Flair, I like this Italian side, no doubt, but I don’t think my relatives would forgive me if I didn’t send pics of me screaming for England. And deep in my bones, I have a great affinity for England and the UK more broadly, so tonight I’m a Londoner* through and through.
* Mum’s heritage; sorry Dad but it’s better than Birmingham.
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Opening and closing ceremonies should be tossed. I wanna watch football now, not this dross. Bah, humbug, blah blah blah.
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Forza Azzuri!
( I was reminded the other day by a well meaning pedant that Forza Italia was M ussolini’s rallying cry!)
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What a start! Maguire gives away a corner and England break from the clearance, Shaw on the end of a tantalizing cross and hammers it home! 1-0 England inside 3 minutes!
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Pretty sure England will need more than one to lift the jug.
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England making some good early inroads down the right flank. Italy still finding their feet. Thought Pickford knocked on there, but ref gave nothing.
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The Italian defence really don’t fancy defending Sterling.
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England creating a lot down the flanks. Italy looking ropey in defence.
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Merkel and the ECB don’t fancy defending Sterling either.
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Rice + Phillips are playing very well together, very disciplined.
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A couple of feisty exchanges as Italy are getting a bit frustrated.
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TomP, I can’t recall an England side that has looked so comfortable on the ball before. And composed in both attack and defence.
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Deebee – I can’t remember the last time, before this team, that I wasn’t nervous when the ball was in our half.
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It’s really impressive, Deebs. They’re Italianing Italy at the moment. And the pace they’ve got to bring off the bench must be a worry for Italy. Only one likely looking winner.
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Immobile’s not harming anyone in this form, mind. Chiesa looks a lot better,
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Immobile. Love that name
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England have gone so passive. Don’t even have an out ball so Italy just get it back. And there we go.
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Bugger.
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Yes!
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His sister Donna is a lovely woman, Chimpie.
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The pizzeria owners of England are getting nervous.
The replacement window installers of England are rubbing their hands.
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Chiesa was possibly the best player on either side, shame about the injury.
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A fan invades the pitch.
Normally that helps England in major finals.
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Lineker’s line after 90 minutes will be: “Nobody said it would be easier”
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Chiellini does what Chiellini does.
You. Shall. Not. Pass!
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Aaagh! So near yet so far.
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I hope Jorginho doesn’t score a penalty. That should be a red card.
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BB, I’d have liked to have seen Chiellini sent off for that.
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Yes! Well done Italy! Hard luck England, they did brilliantly in the first half but Italy were the stronger side after.
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Bringing players on just to take a penalty could have been a masterstroke…
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Italy were just about the better side over the course, but there wasn’t much in it.
Well done Italy.
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Really like Emma Hayes as a pundit.
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Well, that was terrible. Italy clawed their way back into the game, England seemed to back off (or get played off) and then the penalties. There’s gonna be some howling at Rashford for his elaborate cock up, but penalties are a lottery. Spare a thought for Pickford, who was immense in that last five minutes.
Lots of young players in the England ranks and they can surely only get better. Kane – stop looking for the dive; Sterling got the disease too. But this side can do a lot, lot more. Feel for the boys but we’ll played Italy after looking completely outgunned in the first 30 minutes or so.
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Deebee, I said to my wife that when Italy were pressing with all the possession and playing in the last third of the park, if Italy score then England will find it difficult to get back into the game as they had been in a defensive mindset for so long.
She just continued to look at her phone.
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Penalties are horrible. Italy did really well, beating Belgium, Spain and England back-to-back.
Gonna be hearing that Lightning Seeds song for a few more years, unfortunately.
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Well chuffed for Italy and for my Italian colleague.
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Good tournament though a little disappointing that two of the last three games were decided by penalty shootouts, really any of three or more sides could easily have won it.
The Middle One is in bits, life lessons and all that….
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Commiseration England fans, that was close but England after a great start went back into their shell after 60 minutes. Only one outcome from there.
First time I have ever seen an England team comfortable when in possession. Bodes well for the future.
I thought England’s 55 years wait for glory was long. Just learnt that Italy had to wait 53 years to be European champs.
My unfullfilled hunch was based on the following set of events: first Switzerland beat France on penalties, then Spain beat Switzerland on penalties, after that Italy beat Spain on penalties therefore England will beat Italy on penalties. Close but no cigar. Ach…
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55 years in all major tournaments for England, flair. Italy have won a couple of World Cups in that time. Failed even to qualify in 2018, though, and didn’t get out of the group in 2010 or 2014 in the World Cup so haven’t done too well there.
The England song is part wistful regret about chances missed and part entitlement that they should win cos they invented the game and all that.
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