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Rugby Club hails Grand Slam
victory
25.03.09
Butler Shield
by Simon McGeady, Inishowen
Independent
AFTER GETTING caught up in the euphoria of Ireland’s
Grand Slam win in Wales at the weekend, minds at
Inishowen Rugby Club will now refocus on the climax
to the club's season, starting with the second’s
trip to Ravenhill this Saturday to face Malone’s
fourth team in the final of the Butler Shield.
Malone, who sit atop Division One of the Minor
League East, will be an unknown quantity for
Inishowen, and second team vice-captain James
McColgan is sure his side will have it tough on
Saturday.
“Malone are an experienced pack of old hands. Their
youngest player would be 29. Their team are only
just around the corner from Ravenhill, so it will be
nothing new to them compared to our boys, the most
of them are in Ravenhill for the first time.”
Inishowen’s second team have had an excellent
season. They are currently 3rd in the North West
Minor League. This is the side’s third year in
existence, in the previous two seasons they exited
the Butler Shield in the first round.
The local side clinched the final berth with a 20–0
Moss Road victory over Rainey Old Boys fourth string
two weeks ago.
“We have a panel of 20 that played in the previous
three rounds and we more or less have that panel
available for this Saturday’s final,” added McColgan.
For those wishing to cheer on Inishowen’s seconds at
the home of rugby in Ulster, there is a supporters’
bus leaving Carn at 9:45am. Booking is advised,
contact 0866033660. |
Meanwhile, the
peninsula’s rugby fraternity have been speaking to
the Inishowen Independent about Ireland’s historic
win in Cardiff on Saturday.
Senior Inishowen team manager Kevin Gallagher, a
Welshman, said Saturday’s game was up there with the
best matches he’d ever seen.
Gallagher was jumping up and down when Stephen
Jones’ drop goal gave Wales a 15-14 lead with five
minutes to go, but when the same player gave Ireland
a line out he feared the worst.
“I thought ‘Oh No,’ I knew Paul O’Connell was going
to win the line out and |
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then the Ireland drop
goal was going to happen. When Jones stepped up to
take that last kick I thought, it’s out of his
range, and the hushed Millennium Stadium crowd told
me it was dropping short,” said Gallagher, “but
Ireland deserved the win, not just for how they
played against Wales but the whole championship.”
Inishowen first 15 out-half Mark McLaughlin said
Ireland’s achievement will help attract more young
people into the sport here.
“Myself and Brian Harkin have coached the minors
this year. There are 40 to 50 kids out regularly. It
will be interesting to see how many are at the next
training session next Saturday.”
Munster trainer Joey Gallinagh, who watched the game
at the Strand Hotel in Limerick alongside a large
group of Munster players and coaching staff, said he
was proud of what his Thomond Park club mates had
done in the green shirt.
“Limerick was a sea of green shirts on Saturday,
there was such a buzz about the place. The Ireland
boys will be back in training with us on Tuesday so
they will have to filter out the Grand Slam. We’ve
got some massive games coming up in the next few
weeks against Leinster in the Magners League and
Ospreys in the Heineken Cup.” |
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