Hansen To Continue All Black Reign Until 2019

Steve Hansen has signed a new deal to continue as All Black coach until the 2019 World Cup in Japan. He has an incredible record as coach winning 52 of his 57 tests in charge losing only 3 and drawing 2.

He was assistant to Graham Henry who took over as All Black coach in 2004 and served his apprenticeship before being handed the big job and since he has taken over he has overseen a second World Cup win while also introducing a new breed of All Black player.

They are just getting better and better as the years move on and outside of current 6 Nations Champions England I can’t honestly see anybody getting anywhere close to them before 2019 comes around.

Ireland will of course be monitoring this situation very closely given that Joe Schmidt has revealed he will make a decision on his long term future in the next few weeks. The talk of Schmidt joining a Super Rugby side as head coach has also intensified with the Chiefs and the Highlanders being tipped as likely destinations if he decides to leave his role as Ireland Head Coach.

Back to Steve Hansen, he will now have the job of keeping his coaching team together right through to 2019. The next few targets are the Rugby Championship, then the Northern Hemisphere tour in November. The big challenge in 2017 will of course be The Lions tour, 12 years after a Dan Carter inspired All Black team destroyed the Lions in three tests although there were a number of other incidents on that ill-fated tour including the Spear tackle involving Brian O Driscoll , Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu.

In spite of that The Lions were totally outclassed in the three tests that saw them whitewasked. The only Series win in New Zealand came in 1971 when a John Dawes captained side won down in New Zealand.

Steve Hansen has signed up to continue the work he started and he now has two new targets, beat The Lions next year and claim a third straight World Cup in Japan in 3 years’ time. For now he can plan for this year’s Rugby Championship and continue the wonderful legacy he has already achieved....

By

Cian Mc Gibney

25/07/2016

Smart Phones, Are we Slaves to Them??

Smart Phone , be they android or I phone’s or any other type smart phone. We as a nation have become linked to them , if we need to know something , we don’t use our brains anymore , no we just reach straight for the phone to solve all ours troubles.

When was the last time you had a conversation with anybody that didn’t include a phone being at there fingertips. The art of conversing is dying slowly and we need to make sure it doesn’t disappear forever.

Last week , I saw a very interesting  video put together by the Galway Ladies Football team , where there captain Edel Concannon was saying that the younger members of the squad found it very hard to be away from their phones for a sustained period of time. They were also just saying that there is a link between over use of the phone and mental health issues.

To occupy the mind before , you chatted , played cards , read books or in the last 50 years you watched TV. But now if you’re bored you just reach for the phone and look up Facebook , Twitter and other sites to stay in touch with the outside world.

When I saw the video that the Galway ladies put together it immediately set me thinking , how hard would people find it if they couldn’t use their phones for a short period. The Galway girls gave up there Smart Phones for one month and went back to the bog standard phone with just calls and text. They did all of this in the name of Charity.

I am issuing a similar challenge to family , friends and acquaintances , can you do similar or better than the Galway Ladies  and give up the smart phone for a period of two weeks ?? All of us have an old phone at home we can use for the two weeks so we won’t miss out on too much.

Thanks a million to Edel Concannon for taking the time out to talk to me about it and congratulations to all the team for giving up there phones for one month and raising money for charity.

By

Cian Mc Gibney

18/07/2016

Euro 2016 Review

So Wales will face Portugal and France will take on Germany in the European Championship Semi Finals later this week. All fours teams that have made it to this stage deserve to be there and can now plan accordingly. Some sides like Wales are in bonus  territory and will be strong favourites to make it past Cristiano Ronaldo and Renato Sanches and their Portuguese team mates.

Gareth Bale has led his side with help from men like Ashley Williams , Aaron Ramsey and the recently released Hal Robson-Kanu , something tells me that lad will be playing Premier League football next season. They alongside Iceland have added value to the knock out phase of these Championships. Let’s face it bar the two squads concerned who had these two teams down to make the last 16 then the quarter finals.

The teams in the Semi Finals are teams that have been very consistent at recent Championships getting to knock out stages regularly. Germany will of course now be unbackable favourites with host nation France.

 Wales and Portugal will of course have plenty to say about that but given the way Germany have performed so far they will know need to up the ante and kick on during the Semi Final even though they could be missing up to four key men for the Semi Final through injury and suspension but that’s why there are large squads brought to the Tournaments.

France will be so glad to be just a game away from the fInal given the fact they have been under all sorts of pressure and with a lack of competitive football in the last two years since the World Cup in Brazil. They have only played friendlies in that time and Deschamp have left out a number of big players out of his 23 in favour of a number of others.

 The players and coach have been under immense pressure and up to last night they had only conceded two goals both from the penalty spot with Robbie Brady being one of those scorers.  I think will all is said and done the two teams that will contest the Final in Paris this Sunday will be Wales and Germany.

France won’t be able to live with German efficiency even without up to 4 key men for the Semi but let’s remember this side won the World Cup two years ago I realise some of that squad have retired but they know how to win tight games and for Wales I feel that even without Ben Davies and Aaron Ramsey they can keep the feel good factor going and reach a first ever major Final.

By

Cian Mc Gibney

04/07/2016

Ben Betts

 The Ireland under 20s have just finished their campaign in England where they faced some of the World’s best sides in there Pool and then in the knock out phase also. A local boy by the name of Ben Betts was part of the 28 man squad that travelled in the hope of a good finish. In the first minute of the opening game against Wales Ben was summoned to take the place of the unfortunate Conor Kenny in the Tight Head spot in the Irish front row with Adam Mc Burney and Andrew Porter.

There he would stay for the rest of the tournament and keep the number 3 shirt while beating some of the World’s best teams at Under 20 level. They defeated Wales the Grand Slam winners from earlier this year, then the mighty Junior All Blacks in a fantastic performance built on strong defence and some real quality attacking play.

Ben has a key job in rugby terms as a Tight Head prop , he has to lock out a scrum and give the scrum half an opportunity to get the ball to his back division , that’s a very dumbed down description of his job but he also has a big role to play in defence.

Ben of course plays his club rugby with Young Munster after learning his craft with Estuary Rugby Club. He is also part of the Munster sub academy where his receives weekly tutelage on different aspects of the game along with strength and conditioning sessions.

His parents Noel and Yvonne can take huge credit for bringing up such a wonderful young man that has now got the world at his feet in sporting terms. He is a high quality tight head prop and there aren’t too many of them around Ireland at the minute.

He was given a reception in his home place , Ballyhahill last evening where hundreds of locals turned out to welcome home the local hero. He had plenty of family at the homecoming aswell. He has now managed to be capped at under 18 , 19 and 20s level for Munster along with a first Munster A cap to go with his caps at 18s , 19s and 20s level for Ireland. He was in the Young Munster squad that made this season’s Munster Senior and Junior Cup Finals.

Having watched Ben from the age of 16 when he played alongside my younger brother with the Munster Under 18s , you could see strength and quality beginning to come to the surface. He is a strong boy with the skill to go with it. He is in the mould of All Black tight Owen Franks who is now the most capped All Black tight head of all time taking over from Carl Hayman another good operator. I can’t pay him much more of a tribute than that.

Well done Ben , you have shown over the past few weeks and earlier in the season that with hard work and dedication anything is possible. You have done West Limerick and North Kerry proud. To Yvonne and Noel , you have done a great job bringing up such a grounded young man. He is a credit to you both.

Big things await this young man and a World Championship Runners up medal isn’t a bad start.

By

Cian Mc Gibney

01/07/2016

That Sporting Weekend

What a weekend that was, wall to wall sport !! Unfortunately results didn’t go as planned and a weekend that promised so much delivered few memorable moments although the Ireland Women 7s did secure a spot on next year’s World Series they were beaten by Russia in the Cup Semi Final yesterday and with that defeat went there chance to compete in Rio in August. Instead of thinking what might have been , they tore into Kazakhstan and beat them 17-5 to make sure of 3^rd spot. For that they must be commended.

They will be bitterly disappointed with the 19-10 defeat in that Semi Final though and will need to make some improvements if they are to make more strides forward in the next 12 months. The future of 7s in bright and this group can lead the charge.

Looking to France , It was a case of what might have been in the aftermath of the 2-1 defeat to France. Pride and honour has been restored to the green shirt in the last week or so and we can at least take so comfort from that and also players like Hendrick , Brady , Mc Clean , Duffy and Coleman came of age , will Seamus Coleman hold the armband beyond the Euro’s one wonders , I have a sneaking suspicion he may just do that. All we ever ask in this country of our sports hero’s is an honest effort and determination in what they do and the last few weeks has proven that theory right and for that this author is very happy.

I was very much in the camp we would struggle in getting anything from Italy and progress to the last 16 but let me tell you I was more than happy to eat humble pie when they secured a 1-0 win and a passage to take on France yesterday. A terrific start to yesterday’s game with Mr Rizzoli giving a penalty after 2 minutes.

Shane Long going over in the box just as he was about to pull the trigger. As Ireland showed vs Italy when they do hold onto the ball they look like a side will create chances. Daryl Murphy and Shane Long look like a pairing that will create chances when the ball is played to them like Quinn and Keane did for many year’s.

Yesterday I think we got a glimpse of a future Ireland 11 and it looked good a composed. Whether the likes of Hoolahan , Whelan , Keane and O Shea will be around again remains to be seen but over the last two game others answered the call to arms. Roll on qualification for Russia in 2018.

To the Under 20s who faced old enemy England in Manchester on Saturday and were beaten by a far more physical England side. This team wasn’t expected this far after some mixed performances in the Six Nations although they defeated England away from home , they beat both Scotland and Italy in Donnybrook to finish the campaign on a high.

Players like James Ryan , Andrew Porter , Jacob Stockdale , Bill Johnson , Max Deegan and Stephen Kerins have bright futures ahead , plenty to look forward to in the next few years. Full credit to Nigel Carolan who looked after the Connacht academy before taking on the 20s job has done a great job and has a bright coaching future.

The Senior rugby team last there series in South Africa 2-1 and will have a few regrets coming home from the tour along with some with questions surrounding belief given that they pounded the South African line in the final 5 minutes but didn’t manage to break the door down in the 3^rd test. A lack of scoring in the 2^nd half of games has also begun to become an issue. 3 points on Saturday , No score in the second test and only 6points in the 1^st test , that an issue that needs urgent attention alongside the mental side of the game , I feel we still after 3 years under Joe Schmidt we still a mentally fragile at crucial stages of games and this needs to change , that said a test win in South Africa can’t be sneezed at given it took New Zealand over 50 years to win a Test series there until 1996.

Finally, Supporters need to be thanked for all they do to source tickets for games in any code because again in recent times they have been commended for the way they followed Ireland in France.

 Irish fans do likewise in all sports not just football or rugby and that must be remembered as well. We must also remember we aren’t the only ones who follow our teams with passion and never ending belief , other nations do likewise.  It’s great to read about it and see all the footage and it gives all back home and abroad a real lift to see it but never forget we aren’t the only ones and we don’t own the patent on following teams.

By

Cian Mc Gibney

27/06/2016