The LISC World Tour of Dublin August 2002
LI get stuck in
By Donaghadee
August 23 2002
Disclaimer: The LISC would like to point out that this is a true story. Some names have been suppressed to protect the guilty. An resemblance to any persons living or dead, or in an alcohol-induced intermediate state, is their own fault and it serves them right anyway.
The advance party arrived in Dublin on Tuesday. After having consumed 7 pints at the airport they made their way to the hotel to put away another three pints. "Then we decided to go out for a drink", a spokesman added. In spite of intense interrogation no one could remember much about the following hours. They eventually resurfaced on the afternoon of Wednesday in time to welcome the arriving delegates.
As we all assembled the round in the bar of Jury’s Inn got bigger and bigger until our Supply Officer was heard to order " 12 and one half pints of your finest Guinness, my good man". "A half?" a cry went up from the assembled throng. Eventually the culprit, a lady delegate was traced. After the barman scoured Dublin for a half-pint glass it was suggested that she should consume the offending article in a corner to avoid embarrassment. The next round was 13 pints! Isn’t education, and peer pressure, a grand thing?
Eventually it was pointed out that we had a rugby game to go to so we got on to the bus that Murph had so kindly arranged and made our way to Greystones.
Dr.Hickey Park is a bit like the old Sunbury with one stand and the bar upstairs. As has been already put on the MB there was only one pump for Guinness and the Supply Officer caused consternation with his requests for "20 pints of Guinness". Later on the record single round came to 109 euros, almost £70.
A crowd of about 3,000 assembled for the game and our numbers must have been approaching 100. We certainly won the singing and shouting stakes and the local supporters seemed to enjoy our banter. The referee was from Ulster so yours truly came in for some good-natured sectarian jibes when the decisions did not go our way.
We did not make a good start to the game and after 20 mins were 9-0 down from 3 penalties. We did have three kickable penalties awarded but we elected to kick for touch or have scrums instead. Obviously the orders were to keep the ball moving rather then kick for points. Paul Sackey had some good opportunities down the right wing but crucial tackles kept him from scoring. Eventually one minute before the interval we got the breakthrough we needed. A move set up by Barry Everitt sent Ryan Strudwick on a 15-metre run to score in the corner. Everitt’s conversion rebounded off the bar and we had to be content with going into the break trailing 5-9.
Leinster extended their lead with another penalty before Mike Worsley went over from a 5-metre lineout to score our second try. With ten minutes to go Geoff Appleford scored a third and Barry added the conversion. James Cockle added the fourth try, which Mark Mapletoft converted to give us a more healthy 24-12 lead. Leinster scored a converted try with two minutes to go but were unable to break our defences to bring off a surprise win and we recorded a 24-19 victory.
We played a total of 21 players against a side missing about 14 of their regulars through Ireland commitments. While the forwards impressed with Ryan, Sheasby and James Cockle having very good games. We seemed to be lacking some cohesion in the backs. Apparently our performance was poorer than that in the Bracknell game. I feel that against a side like Leicester or Gloucester we would have been down about 30 points before we picked up our game in the second half.
During and after the game our Supply Officer and his nominated deputies kept us well supplied with AG. Every time we looked round another tray full of glasses, and plastics, were to hand.
We stayed at the ground until around 12.30hrs having a good rapport with the locals and our players and officials.
After returning to the hotel many of us retired wounded while the more foolhardy ventured out to the streets of Dublin to saviour the nightlife. No reports, none that we can publish any way, are available.
Once again another successful "Craic on Tour". Thanks to everyone who made it so memorable especially Murph for arranging the coach which made our trip to Greystones so much easier.