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TRINITY NEWS TRINITY NEWS
SPORT
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 November 11, 2008
COLOURS PREVIEW
14 NOVEMBER, 18:30: TWO TITANS OF VARSITY SPORT CLASH AT DONNYBROOK STADIUM Our prediction:
Man to watch: Eddie Hamilton With the Trinity backline not posing much of a threat, Hamilton’s recent good form at scrum-half is timely. Provides good service and adds a sniping threat.
Trinity chase up during their draw against Bective in College Park last month. Photo: Jessica Pakenham-Money
T
HE COLOURS game between UCD and Trinity is always a more fascinating encounter than the rather lopsided results of recent years might suggest. Pitted against a UCD side used to the Division 1 rugby, Trinity have won the fixture only once in the last ten years, and went down by 50-20 when the sides last met. Yet, despite the advantages the Belfield boys enjoy in terms of training facilities, AIL ranking and the sheer confidence that comes from such an extended winning streak, Colours is generally closer than it should be. Last year’s whitewash aside, UCD’s winning margin has rarely been by more than a score in the games played this century. The 2004/05 game was drawn, 20 all. And in 2006, Trinity famously won their first Colours title in a decade, when Johnny Watt kicked Trinity to a 16-13 victory. The beaten UCD outfit boasted a half-back combo of Cillian Willis and Ian Keatley, both of whom are now making waves at provincial level, but also Michael Hastings at centre, who happened to be the twin brother of DUFC captain Brian. While the 57th edition probably can’t live up to such unlikely drama, it certainly promises to be a livelier contest than last year. Most of the Trinity pack has played in a Colours match before, although Brian Coyle may not start pending the results of a fitness test (Colin McDonnell is scheduled to come into the side if needs be). By contrast, none of the starting backline played in last season’s fixture. The perennial divisional mismatch still exists, but UCD have managed only one
win in the league so far this season, and are running 14th out of 16 in Division One of the AIL. Trinity have enjoyed a much brighter start in Division Two, giving the lie to predictions that they faced another relegation struggle by losing only one match out of the four played thus far. Although the scrum looks far from solid, the lineout – with Mark Murdoch and Scott LaValla the key architects – provides a good attacking platform. From any such possession close in, look for the Trinity pack to throw to the second man and roll out the rolling maul. Although the UCD half backs aren’t particularly exciting, their backline overall is stronger. Any of Lett, McFadden or Hastings in the centre will form an experienced and pacy unit, and watch out for the strong running of former Blackrock College man Vasya Artimiev on the left wing. Young will have to be at his dynamic best in providing cover for an inexperienced back line – in particular young Conor Colclough, at 13 for Trinity, may find his opposite number a handful. This game, rugby fans will be unsurprised to learn, will be won or lost in the forwards. The pack has performed well so far this season – the backline in particular looks dynamic – but the tight five isn’t particularly big. Damage limitation is the name of the game in the scrum, and if Trinity cannot be more assertive at the breakdown than they have been so far this season, it could be a long night. Conor James McKinney is College Sport Editor of Trinity News
I
THE TEAM
T WAS a miserable, cold, dark and wet Tuesday evening towards the end of October 1975 as I walked up the long corridor in Belfield Arts Block to have a look at the rugby notice board. It was two weeks to the Colours match with one more friendly game to go beforehand and I was quietly confident that I would be selected. Having played on the firsts for most of the earlier matches and being in the middle of a long term relationship (of at least 7 weeks) with someone who would be impressed by my selection, I had every reason to be hopeful and confident. I turned the corner at the end of the corridor, went up to the rugby notice board (brown mahogany surround and the word “rugby” in gold leaf on top) and looked at it. My name wasn’t there. I was dropped! This meant I wouldn’t be picked for the Colours match. I was gutted. I am still gutted and only in recent years have stopped taking out this disaster on my own children. There was only one thing to do. I headed off to the Belfield Bar for long term counselling and medication to help me through this difficult time (well, as long as my money lasted). Back in the 1970s and 1980s the annual Colours match was the biggest event in the rugby year. In those days there were no leagues and most matches were simply friendlies. The Colours match therefore, because of the natural hatred each University had for the other, was the most fiercely fought encounter of the season and attracted very large crowds of boisterous students, many of
15. PAUL GILLESPIE 14. CHRIS JEBB 13. CONOR COLCLOUGH 12. RICHARD BRADY 11. COLIN MURPHY 10. ANDY WALLACE 9. EDDIE HAMILTON 1. TRISTAN GOODBODY 2. MARK MURDOCK 3. JAMES GETHINGS 4. PAT DANAHY 5. SCOTT LAVALLA 6. MAX CANTRELL 7. SHANE YOUNG (C) 8. BRIAN COYLE SUBSTITUTES:
A. MATHEWS, P. MCCABE, C. MCDONNELL, J. BYRNE, J.ILIFF, S. HANRATTY, B. JOHNSTON
AIL DIVISION 2
LEINSTER DIVISION 2
14/11/08
P 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
W 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0
DUFC
v
D 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
L 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4
F 113 68 52 50 93 89 79 66 64 51 39 44 64 36 40 45
A 33 38 38 47 56 62 66 58 59 53 64 46 72 89 87 125
TB 2 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
LB 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 1 1 1 2 0
Pts 18 14 13 13 12 12 12 11 10 9 8 6 6 5 2 0
UCD
P 4 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 4
W 4 3 3 2 1 1 1 0 0
D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 3 4
F 21 14 11 15 13 6 3 1 3
A 8 3 3 8 11 7 11 16 20
Pts 12 9 9 6 3 3 3 0 0
Skerries maintain their top ranking with a hardfought win over Suttonians, who slip to fourth. DUHC stay in fifth by virtue of their superior points difference over Weston and Avoca. 08/11/08
Clontarf
4
1
23/11/08 Trinity
v
Malahide
MEN’S SQUASH
LADIES’ SQUASH
PREMIER DIVISION
1ST DIVISION
P 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3
Pts 57 56 50 42 36 29 20 6
12/11/08 Malahide A v Trinity A 18/11/08 Trinity A v Belvedere A
Pos 2. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Team Trinity A Aer Lingus A Total Fitness MH Fitzwilliam B Westwood B Mt. Pleasant B
P 3 3 3 3 3 3
Pts 33 29 27 20 18 13
12/11/08 Trinity A v Aer Lingus A 19/11/08 Fitzwillam B v Trinity A
Pos 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Team Railway Union Loreto Hermes UCD Pembroke Glenanne Old Alexandra Bray Corinthian Trinity College
Old Alexandra Glennane 3 Trinity College
Team Swords Celtic DUAFC Brendanville FC Templeogue United Clonee United Confey FC Dunboyne AFC Garda FC Verona FC Greenhills AFC Boyne Rovers Loughshinny United Rush Athletic Rathcoole Boys
P 9 7 8 8 5 10 9 7 9 10 8 8 9 7
Clonee United
W 8 6 6 5 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1 0
D 1 1 1 2 0 3 2 1 1 4 3 3 2 2
5
L 0 0 1 1 1 4 4 3 6 5 4 4 6 5
1
F 32 28 21 25 14 10 22 13 20 19 13 10 20 8
A 12 6 12 9 9 11 20 20 32 31 20 21 30 22
Pts 25 19 19 17 12 12 11 10 7 7 6 6 5 2
DUAFC
ULTIMATE FRISBEE
CORK OPEN
P 5 5 5 5 5 6 5 6 6 6
W 5 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 0 0
D 0 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 0
L 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 3 5 6
F 14 15 17 9 8 8 10 2 3 5
A 0 2 7 3 8 11 8 13 20 22
Pts 15 11 10 10 8 8 7 5 1 0
Trinity are rock bottom with no points from their opening six games. They do however have a prime opportunity to remedy this on Saturday when they face Corinthians, who are also without a win, at Santry. 01/11/08 08/11/08 15/11/08
Pos 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
01/11/08
DUHC
LEINSTER DIVISION 1
LEINSTER WOMEN’S LEAGUE
Team Sutton A Fitzwilliam B Westwood A Fitzwilliam A Curragh A Mt. Pleasant A Old Belvedere A Trinity A
Team Skerries Clontarf Bray Suttonians Dublin University Avoca Weston Naas Navan
SAT MAJOR 1D
LADIES HOCKEY
LADIESWWW RUGBY
Pos 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Pos 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
whom knew nothing at all about rugby but nevertheless enjoyed themselves tremendously. These days the players of both UCD and Trinity have numerous competitive matches in leagues and cups, as well as representative games for which there now seem to be fixtures at Leinster or Irish level for nearly every age group. However, there is still no doubt that for many of the players actually participating in the Colours match at all is a huge achievement and winning it an even greater one. For many players it is the summit of their career and something to boast about in one’s dotage. The very first Colours match took place in 1951 and since then has been played every year without fail. Many wonderful players have taken part and various International players regularly refer to the Colours match as one of the highlights of their career. Of the present bunch of Irish players the likes of Brian O’Driscoll, Rob Kearney and Jamie Heaslip have all played Colours and have fond memories of the occasion. Originally the matches took place in Lansdowne Road and were later moved to Donnybrook. This move was a result of some over-exuberant egg and flour throwing which for some reason led the Lansdowne hierarchy to suggest that perhaps their stadium wasn’t best suited for such events. However, these happenings took place way back in the last century (i.e. the mid 1990s) and there is always a chance the game might return to Lansdowne Road when it is eventually completed. Interestingly, up until about 10 years
MEN’S SOCCER
MEN’S HOCKEY
Team Ballynahinch Bruff Malone Belfast Harlequins Lansdowne UCC Bective Rangers Dublin University Greystones Old Crescent Highfield Clonakilty DLSP Wanderers Thomond Instonians
The No. 8 has a full Leinster contract, and although he has yet to make his mark at provincial level, his physicality will be a revelation for a Trinity side more used to Division 2 opposition.
Matt Nagle of UCD in action at the last Colours match in March. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/SPORTSFILE
MEN’S RUGBY
Pos 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
Man to watch: Kevin McLaughlin
UCD TO WIN BY 10 TO 20 POINTS
5 3
v
0 1
Trinity College Trinity College Corinthian
ago each team provided a touch judge for the Colours match. This arrangement eventually ended as, depending on which side of the field they were on, each touch judge suffered 40 minutes of sustained abuse which often had long term negative psychological effects. Now it is all much more refined. In every Colours match I have seen over the years both sides play running rugby right from the kick-off. Most years one or two previously unheralded players shine in the game and often go on to greater things. You may well ask “what exactly is a ‘Colour’?” Once you have played in a Colours match you are given the huge honour of being allowed to buy a Colours scarf. On occasion the Club itself actually pays for them. This scarf can then be proudly worn for the next 40 years, even when it becomes tattered and dirty. The Trinity scarf is a bright positive shiny pink one. The UCD scarf on the other hand is a more muted, mature effort containing varying shades of blue. The differing scarves obviously say a huge amount about each College and their ethos but sadly there is insufficient time to go into all of that now. The Colours match is always played in the early evening, the weather is usually excellent and it is a great excuse for a wonderful day out to feast on running rugby and copious pints thereafter. Everyone should go! David Bergin is a practising solicitor. He was President of UCD RFC for the 2007/08 season.
Tennis victory TRINITY’S KELLIE O’Flynn represented the College at the National University Tennis Championships, held in Westwood during the first weekend in November. Despite facing off against firm favourites Niamh Coveney and Laura Milner in the final of the Women’s Doubles competition. O’Flynn and her partner Marion Hanley of NUIG ran out comfortable winners in the end, taking the title 6-2, 6-3. It was a good measure of consolation for O’Flynn, who was knocked out of the sinlges in the round of 16. In the men’s singles, Will Wilshere also lost in the opening round, while Simon Clarke went out in the quarter finals to Simon Wrafter of DCU.
DUUFC 1: Placed 6th of 22 - see back page. DUUFC 2: T. Brennan, G. Hogan, C. Hosp (c), J. Kwan, T. McFadden, T. Monaghan, G. Ó Fearghail (vc), N. Sherry, S. Smith, J. Sutton, D. Teeling. Placed 22nd of 22. 15/11/08: Open indoor intervarsities GAELIC FOOTBALL
INTERVARSITY LEAGUE 12/11/08
The Law School
v
Trinity
HURLING
INTERVARSITY LEAGUE 04/11/08: Trinity (2-8) (2-18) Carlow IT
Kellie O’Flynn and Marion Hanley