AFTER MISSING OUT on the first two matches in Ireland’s Six Nations campaign this year, Mike Ross admits he struggled through the Test in Twickenham against England.
“I felt like I was sucking in passing seagulls at one point,” he jokes with a jet engine chest rising as he breathes in.
Another half in Leinster blue last weekend has taken him a little further along the road to full match fitness and you sense a definite tinge of relief in his voice as he looks forward to testing himself against the nuances of Italian scrummaging having huddled in a corner of his house to watch the loss to France.
“My wife scheduled my son’s birthday party for the same time,” the Corkman explains before admitting a retreat to technology and rugby.
“I don’t know what she expected to happen, but I kind of ended up on my phone watching the game and being of no help whatsoever. But I’d had a few dads around me so it wasn’t so bad.”
Even though he was ‘one of the dads’ that day, the flow of the game ensured he wouldn’t be swept away by euphoria. Ross was a frustrated spectator like the rest of us, and was attempting to pin-point the errors in real time.
I think we were all frustrated. We (players) are all fans of rugby too first and foremost too. That’s why we got involved in it. We were pretty gutted by the result.
“Not really much you can do about it. You are probably watching it a bit more analytically than most people.
“You kinda know yourself what is supposed to be happening. You would be like: ‘is he doing his role here?’ ‘Is he going where he is supposed to be?’ ‘What play is this? ‘ ‘What are they doing here?’ You would have a bit more of an idea what’s coming next than you average punter.”
He knows what’s coming from Italy too, though getting the upper hand against them is ordinarily much easier said than done, especially in Ross’ area of expertise – the scrum.
“They don’t tend to hook the ball. There is only one thing they can do which his walk over it. That means they have to go forward.
“This is putting a lot of pressure on themselves to go forward and it is a challenge for us to stop them dong that. You might see the ball sitting there for 15-20 seconds.”
Even though the Azzurri come to Dublin without Martin Castrogiovanni or Matias Aguero, whether you’re crouched and bound with a ton weight on your shoulders or watching from the stand with a cold beer, that length of time scrummaging is a tough period to get through. And Ross knows the pressure won’t end at the set-piece.
“They have a good pack. You know that Italy is going to be a street fight.
It is probably one of the toughest games you will face as a forward because they will attack you there all day long. You have to be on top of your game to keep them out.”
The seagulls of south Dublin would be well-advised to steer clear of the Aviva Stadium from 13.30 on Saturday.
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Its very hard to judge players who played in the 30s when there is no footage of them. Mackay and lory meagher everyone knows about as being legends of the game. Mackay being one of the all time greats.
But other than these 2 there is probably too many players from that era.
I would definitely bring in dj, nicky rackard and Brian lohan. For nick o’donnell, ray cummins and jim langton.
@Gareth Ward: what are you on about? You take out the only player in the team who played for the whole of the 70s and replace him with a player from “that era”. You are as bitter as Griffin, who seems to think a Wexford team who won 6 all Ireland’s in the century deserve more players that Cork, who won 24.
@John Buckley: ray cummins wouldn’t look out of place in today’s game.
@John Buckley: Hahaha how am i bitter? I gave my opinion on it. Nicky rackard played in the 40s and 50s anyway. From what ive heard he was a phenomenal goalscorer, records prove that. Not knocking ray cummins at all, having seen him play i know how good he was. But i would just edge rackard ahead of him for his undoubted credentials.
@Gareth Ward: how can you make a judgement between the two when you have never seen Rackard play. His playing career overlapped 11 of the team.
@John Buckley: Its a team of the millennium, ive literally only seen brian whelehan and cummins from the actual team. So i can only do what anyone else is doing and give wn opinion based on previous opinions and stats etc.
Now rather than criticise my opinion, why dont you tell us what if any changes you would make to the team?
@Gareth Ward: who cares about your opinion; you have only seen 2 of the 15 play so you don’t have the knowledge to change that team. The people who picked the team have seen both Cummins and Rackard play so are a lot more qualified to give their selection. Who am I to change their team.
@John Buckley: You are ridiculous. Im giving my opinion same as everyone else and you come along just to pick holes without actually giving your own take on it. My opinion is as valid as anyone else who wants to comment on the subject, as its an interesting topic. If you dont have an opinion why even bother commenting?
@Gareth Ward: you are not the same as everyone else because no one else gave an opinion. Everyone else had the humility to know the people who selected the team were more qualified to pick the team. Seeing only 2 of the 15 players play means any team you pick can be ignored.
@John Buckley: So what you’re saying is only someone who is 145 years old can comment because they would be the only person who would be old enough to have seen every player. That would make for a very interesting debate wouldnt it?
I am not old enough to go back beyond the mid 80′s but having seen many of the recent re-runs of old matches on TG4 and Eir the best hurlers are from the 2000′s onwards, especially that great Kilkenny team who would have at least 4 definites on it, Delaney, Walsh, Shefflin, Reid.
@padraig whelton: team of the next millennium nominees so maybe!
@Joe Kennedy:
@Joe Kennedy: LOL
@Joe Kennedy: Everyone knows the team of the next millennium will be dominated by the hurling powerhouses of Samoa, Leitrim and Uzbekistan.
John Connolly what a player, had the pleasure of seeing him play. Only guy I seen play on the team that was picked was Brian Whelahan he was fine hurler. Nice spread of counties on the team that was picked.
Players gained reputations in different generations. Just watched the ’73 final on TG4 and it was a tough day for hurling but only 3 or 4 players looked like they could hold their own today.
Imagine going back to the 30s or 40s and how different the game would have been.
These teams are selected on reputation only.
Loughnane denigrated DJ for his own ends, he damaged his reputation and done in his chances.
It’s all the more surprising that Rackard was omitted because by reputation he was up there with Ring and Mackey and the Doyles.
You’d have to conclude that there was a ‘home town’ agenda at play.
If that team was picked again, what changes would be made? Well obviously the full foward would be Johnny Maher.