Heineken Cup Final Preview

This is my Heineken Cup final preview; Toulon will face Saracens in Cardiff on May 24^th. Both teams will fancy their chances of turning the other side over and will go hell for leather to win this one. Toulon will want to defend the title they won back in May 2013. Both sides are littered with International stars of the World game. On the Saracens side you have Brits, Farrell, Ashton and both the Vunipola’s Mako and Billy. On the Toulon side you have real quality with Wilkinson, Botha , Rossouw , Smith , Habana and the Armitage brothers Steffon and Delon.

Both sides are well coached by Bernard Laporte and Mark Mc Call , Mc Call has already won this competition as a head coach back in 1999 with Ulster so he will have no fears about facing Toulon. His Saracens side will be well prepared for this one as this is their first European final and that may also play into Toulon hands because of their previous final experience in both the Amlin and Heineken Cup finals of 2010 and 2013.

I just feel after both sides respective semi-finals where Munster ran Toulon so close and Saracens dispatched Clermont with such ruthless aggression that this final is set up to be a classic and a fitting way to bring the curtain down on this competition as we know it. Can Toulon do what Leicester Tigers did back in 2001 and 2002 and win back to back titles or will Saracens and there wolfpack defence led by Jacques Burger seize the day and win a first European crown for Saracens.

Owen Farrell and Jonny Wilkinson will have major roles to play in their team’s quest for victory. As it stands Wilkinson leads the one on one match ups 1-0 after handing Farrell a lesson in the 2013 semi final. Can Farrell redress the balance and make it 1-1 before Wilkinson hangs up his boots.

For me I just think Toulon may just have too much for Saracens on the day and could do the double and win a 2^nd European crown in a row. I am going to but my neck on the line and say Toulon will win this won by 30-18. Toulon’s experience in European final to be the difference.

By

Cian Mc Gibney.

14/05/2014.

Connacht – Level playing field or poor relation??

Connacht have shown some real intent for next season by signing Bundee Aki and Mils Muliana. Both of these signing have to be good for Irish rugby, one can argue that the Aki signing as a project player could leave more of a sour taste than the Muliana Signing. After all he has signed for one season to play and also for player development.  It won’t be a bad thing for the likes of Kieran Marmion and Robbie Henshaw just to name two young players who will benefit from this experience in the long term.

 People may feel that the Aki signing may be a step too far as it may block the route to the first XV for some young Irish centre. They have let Eoin Griffin move on to be replaced by Aki. The idea behind the Aki signing it to have him here for three years and then when he is Irish qualified bring him into the Irish set up, lovely in theory but as we have learned not so good in practice, prime example for this being the Michael Bent experiment, he won two Irish caps after coming off a plane from New Zealand and since November 2012 has struggled to get into the Leinster A team let alone the Senior team.

Muliana on the other hand has been brought in to help develop the young talent at Connacht along with trying to add another experienced head into a relatively young squad that really does step up and be counted before it is too late. Far too often Connacht have flattered to deceive and have come up short in the big games bar one off performances against the likes of Munster , Leinster and in Europe Toulouse.

Maybe now as we head into season 2014/2015, Connacht with their new recruits   along with some young Irish talent may finally make the break through that they have so often threatened to do. They will be backboned by winners from New Zealand. Having Muliana at 15 will give Robbie Henshaw more time in the 13 jersey and also his presence will bring on the likes of Darragh Leader on leaps and bounds.

He will help also to bring other young players on in his one season with Connacht. He will help with the players skill sets aswell. As we have learned in the last few weeks Connacht don’t have any player recruitment restrictions placed on them by the IRFU and could sign from elsewhere in the future. This may not happen as Connacht would not want to damage the good work they have done at academy level and it would also stifle the number of young players breaking into the first XV.

 So the Muliana signing may not be a bad thing for Irish rugby after all. We didn’t hear too may dissenting voices from out West when the other provinces were making their big name signings like Howlett , Thorn and Ruan Pienaar to name just three. So lets be fair to Connacht and let them have their moment in the sun.

By

Cian Mc Gibney

12/05/2014.

Letter Of Thanks

I am writing again this time to thank everyone for their support and kind words since last Thursday  when I put my open letter out there. Since I did it I feel much better and at ease with myself. The level of support I have received amazed me and touched me deeply. I hope my openness can help anyone that may find themselves in a similar situation in the future.

 I have done a lot of thinking in the last few days and after speaking to both close friends and family I now realise that I have a lot to live for. I made a massive mistake last February by not asking for help but I now feel strong enough to open my mouth and say something. Also after reading a book on Donal Walsh I realise the true meaning of his message to” live life”.

So now as we head into summer 2014 I just hope I can put the last 6 months behind me and now focus on the here and now. To Anyone who offered me help if I ever got into bother again I will be on the phone ASAP. Thank you all so much , I am so grateful to have people who care for me.

Regards

Cian.

Irish Provinces Pro 12 Run In

So the Pro 12 is on the home straight after 20 rounds we know 3 of the 4 teams that will make the play offs , Leinster , Glasgow , Munster and one other team which could be Ulster depending on their next two results against Leinster and next week against Munster. So after Irish disappointment in Europe it is back to domestic matters this week, where Munster in particular will want to keep their hopes of a home semi alive after being beaten in Marseilles by Toulon.

Ulster will also want to put their best foot forward after the manner of their defeat in Europe at the hands of Saracens. With Leinster already assured of a home Semi it is up to the other teams to put themselves in with a shout of the other home Semi Final.

 Munster will be driven by fear of failing at another semi final this year after not making the place offs last season. The players will also want to make their mark on the season and also Rob Penney will want at least one trophy to show for his time at Munster before he moves to pastures new for the coming season.  With a number of players leaving Munster at the end of the season , they will want to help the Province to at least make the Grand Final.

Leinster will of course also want a trophy after being beaten in the Heineken Cup quarter finals by Toulon. They will want to give Brian O Driscoll to perfect send off and home final and a win in that final.

So it is all to play for at the sharpe end of the season for 3 of the Irish Provinces and lets hope they take a leaf from the national teams book and never say die in their quest for honours in The Pro 12. My Finalists at this point would be Munster and Leinster not to rule Glasgow out or the team that grabs 4^th spot but you just feel after their respective seasons that Munster and Leinster are destined to meet in this decider and who wouldn’t want those two sides back in a major final after 2011!!

By

Cian Mc Gibney

02/05/2014.

An open letter to my friends

I am just writing this letter to tell the people closet to me what I have been going through over the last few months , I have expressed my feelings to a few people which has elevated some of my pain. On the night Ireland played England I was at my lowest point and I came to a place I find helps me relax my grandparents home.

Then I began what I thought was the last few moments of my life. I began to write a number of goodbye letters to the people that I am now writing this letter too. I just felt on that day that I couldn’t go on. This is not the first time this has happened to me, in fact it is the 3rd time I have thought about suicide.

Not an easy thing for me to admit but now that I have I find things are much better and I thank one person in particular because if he did not phone this house on that night , I may not be here now writing this letter. Thanks to a number of close friends who I am truly grateful to. They know who they are I don’t need to name check them.

 But everyday since that night I thank my lucky stars that I let them know how I was feeling and they were a great help to me. To my friends I am grateful that you are such a good bunch and also that you have always been there for me at every turn. I am feeling much better since that night and I am trying my best never to end up in that place again.

To you all I thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart.

Regards

Cian.