Ireland's Pro4
Thank God that summer is finally over.
Aside from the notable exception of Katie Taylor [la pugile irlandese che ha vinto la medaglia d'oro alle Olimpiadi nei pesi leggeri, ndt]: Irish sport has endured a long, hot, withering season of disappointment.
It all seemed to go downhill after the Heineken Cup was won. Sure, Leinster had kicked off the summer in style with the biggest prize they could attain, but that wasn’t so enjoyable for all us naïve and hopeful Ulstermen.
A week later the European champions came out on their home turf at the RDS to try and win league title at the third time of asking, but in the baking-hot sun of south Dublin it was Shane Williams who stole the show and the silverware.
Then came Euro 2012… but my therapist says it’s best not to talk about the Trapattoni tragedy in public.
The Olympics brought some glimmer of hope. Medals. Proof that under certain conditions we could stand shoulder to with the best in the world and not be completely embarrassed.
‘Embarrassed’. Now, why does that word rings a bell?
Ah yes. There was the small matter of an Irish rugby tour to New Zealand. We didn’t hold much hope for the boys in green against World Champion All Blacks, but Declan Kidney’s men assured us that a win was actually possible. They almost did it too.
After going down 42-10 in the first test, we caught New Zealand on the hop as they made an emotional return to earthquake-torn Christchurch. Typical that the boy Dan Carter, born just a few miles ups the road would bail the best team in the world out with a late drop-goal. 23-20.
Nobody could be disappointed with that result. Pride had been restored along with that most precious Irish commodity, the moral victory. Back in the north island, though, there was a lesson to be learned: ‘when you come at the king, you best not miss.’
60 – 0, a nice round figure. Easy to remember.
An impossible scoreboard to forget for anyone involved in Hamilton that day. Brian O’Driscoll was a broken man and afterwards admitted his embarrassment. Maybe it’s the black shirts in the crowd that make defeat in New Zealand all the more nightmarish.
Still, we always have the provinces: Munster, Ulster, Leinster and even Connacht.
These four teams are the reason expectation in Irish rugby now revolves around medals rather than just mauls. When the national team is a disappointment, players regroup in the warm hearth of home and come out to show what it means to represent your region.
Of course, the fact that Ireland’s smattering of top-class talent is framed at club level by some solid and astute stars from overseas doesn’t hurt either.
This Friday, we can shelve all talk of ‘almost’, ‘just getting there is an achievement’ and ‘Ah, sure; we’ll win the party!’ Professional rugby will be back on our screens.
Of all the provinces, it is Munster who promise to be the most intriguing beast of the new campaign. It’s a new era down south with Rob Penney coming in as the surprise choice to rejuvenate the two-time European Champions.
Penney appears to be a perfect fit for Munster. As a player, he was a tough-as-nails number eight. As a coach, he appears to be equally uncompromising. He won four consecutive NPC titles while in charge of Canterbury – a feat only matched by Sir Graham Henry – an achievement that gives credibility to rumours that his abrasive personality rubbed some NZRU politicians up the wrong way and kept him from being offered a role in Super Rugby.
The playing staff in Munster is interesting too. They’ve signed up two centres: James Downey from London Irish and Casey Laulala from the Cardiff Blues. So with everybody fit, in big games, Keith Earls may well be asked to operate on the wing or fullback – positions he has indicated he is no longer comfortable playing – despite delivering a superb midfield display during the Six Nations in the absence of BOD.
Connacht are Connacht. The fourth province. Jumping and waving their hands frantically just to get noticed by the IRFU. Undoubtedly their headline signing has been Dan Parks. While the Aussie/Scot has never been our favourite number 10, he will provide the western province with a skill-set they have perhaps not seen since current coach Eric Elwood was ambling out to play out-half.
Parks will be asked to direct a pack which has been strengthened by the addition of props Nathan White (from Leinster) and Jason Harris-Wright (Bristol) plus flanker Willie Faloon (Ulster).
Niall O’Connor, acquired from Ulster last year, will benefit greatly from working in close contact with Parks while Miah Nikora is likely to be allowed move away from out-half duties. Outside the former Scotland playmaker, the acquisition of the Stormers’ centre Danie Poolman seems a real coup, though probably a short-term one.
With some notable exceptions due to injury and the departure of Brad Thorn, there is no reason to think Leinster cannot re-affirm their authority this season. They will start off the Pro12 with a grand total of 19 players unavailable. 12 of those are down to IRFU policy, meaning those embroiled in the dark days down under were allowed take the same length of holiday as everyone else, but seven are long-term injuries.
The most concerning of that list is Sean O’Brien, who underwent a second operation on his hip this week, and is touch and go to play again in 2012. While an exciting backline could be made up of the absent trio: Luke Fitzgerald, Eoin O’Malley and David Kearney.
Still, the blues have players of the calibre of Isa Nacewa, Ian Madigan and Richardt Strauss to help keep the ship steady before BOD, Rob Kearney and Jonathan Sexton jump aboard in time for the Heineken Cup defence.
And finally, Ulster: The side who felt that a home-grown coach, loved by everyone and able enough to drive the team past the European quarter-finals (and onto the final) for the first time in 13 years needed to be replaced. Go figure.
There can be no doubt; Mark Anscombe has his work cut out. As if replacing Brian McLaughlin was not a difficult task in of itself, the Kiwi arrives with alarm bells still ringing from his disastrous spell in charge of the Auckland Blues which ended in a racist storm when ‘someone’ used his phone to send a text complaining that Gareth Anscombe (son of Mark and fly-half for the Blues) would be a better player if he didn’t have ‘so many n****rs’ alongside him in the team.
Anscombe won’t be helped by the loss of Pedrie Wannenburg and Stefan Terblanche, not to mention Ruan Pienaar’s commitment to South Africa during the Rugby Championship. The Springbok’s absence will hurt Ulster more at number 10 than at scrumhalf where Paul Marshall is a thrilling operator who really should be pushing Eoin Reddan and Conor Murray for a place on the Ireland team.
In Paddy Jackson, Ulster have a young out half faced who will be asked to grow up fast.
Jackson was nursed through last season’s Heineken Cup semi-final win, with Pienaar dictating almost every facet of the game. For the next five or six weeks, a giant leap forward is required from both him and Luke Marshall if Ulster are to control their early-season games.
Having said that, though, the great Tommy Bowe has returned. So control may well count for very little if Ulster can give our Bowser a sniff of the try-line.
Mentally, bouncing back from defeat at Twickenham is going to be a massive task for Ulster, one McLaughlin would have struggled with if he were still in charge. Perhaps a fresh approach from Anscombe will help refocus the minds to the task at hand.
After a summer of disappointment Ireland badly needs the refreshing autumn breeze of hope that only rugby and Katie Taylor seem capable of giving us.
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