EIGHT DAYS AGO in Navan, Brian McMahon thought of his father Eugene.
The trainer journeyed to the Meath racing track that morning, chasing a breakthrough.
At Christmas he had moved operations into the small yard he had purchased in the parish of Beagh, hard on the Clare-Galway border. Previously he had been renting a base off Noel Glynn at Spancilhill, just outside Ennis.
In the process of establishing his new home, he wanted a winner to mark it.
The two horses running carried their trainer’s hope and yet reality found a way to surpass that.
Seskinane won a handicap hurdle, over an hour later Sé Mo Laoch entered the winners’ enclosure as well. The double came in 149-1. New ground was broken.
The first success was tinged with emotion. Eugene passed away in the spring of 2015. He had bought Seskinane, his wife Anne now the owner of the 14-year-old.
“It’s probably totally coincidental but I suppose we’d be trying to put a narrative to it. I’d often look to the heavens and say, ‘Give us a bit of a dig out here Dad if you can’. It happened on Sunday and I’m happy to attribute some of it to that.
“After my Dad bought him, he got sick, he got a brain tumour. He’d one really good year after he bought him, he had an operation.
“So he spent a lot of time with Seskinane. Even though he didn’t ride himself, he used to hop up on Seskinane. You’d normally start off if you wanted to learn to ride you’d start off on a pony but I suppose his thinking was what was the worst that was going to happen given he was sick.
“The horse had such a good empathy with him. I was training on the beach in Sligo at the time and he’d walk him through the water, he’d walk him down the road and onto the sand and just give him a wee canter. For a man who’d never ridden a racehorse, the horse looked after him. He just had a bond with my Dad and the rest of the family knew it.
“My nephews Liam, Eoin, Daithi and Tadhg, there’s four of them from six down to four, there’s a pair of twins in it. They’d take turns riding Seskinane around at home, a couple of them or all four together. He’s a special horse.”
It was easy to illustrate the significance of the afternoon. McMahon currently has eight horses in training. He pointed out afterwards that for him a few winners over the course of a year would be a routine return, let alone a double from one meeting.
Then again his sporting background is not rooted in racing. Eugene McMahon was a retired principal in the village of Connolly. He was president of local hurling club Kilmaley and helped found the camogie section. That created a GAA environment at home with Brian and his four siblings – Clare, Conor, Diarmuid and Helen- all representing Clare county sides at various levels.
“It was all hurling from when we were kids,” says Brian.
“The five of us would be out the front lawn, pucking around. We went through St Flannan’s, playing hurling with Kilmaley then and the two girls camogie with the county as well.
“Diarmuid had a long career with the county seniors, Conor played a couple of championship games with Clare. We were just a hurling family, like most people in the parish. We kind of didn’t know any different.”
In 1997 Brian had a front-row view for Clare’s colourful and pulsating hurling summer. He filled the role of minor corner-forward. His cousin Seanie was the senior defensive pillar. Their stories were interwoven in Croke Park that September. A pair of All-Ireland wins, Brian shooting home Clare’s solitary goal in the curtain-raiser.
“The county was on the crest of a wave all summer. I remember going to matches like the ’93 Munster final, getting hammered out the gate. Going into Flannan’s then, you’d the Tipp boarders and Galway boarders, you’d have your head down, getting an awful ribbing from them.
“Then you’d the senior and minor together, there was a fierce buzz around the county. Just a confident vibe, I remember distinctly feeling that. With the seniors you just felt they couldn’t get beaten with Lohan and Seanie and Colin Lynch and Jamesie and those.”
If the wider McMahon family were united in celebration then, they were on opposing sides on Clare county final day seven years later. Seanie wore number six for St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield. On the Kilmaley side, Conor was full-back, Diarmuid midfield and Brian full-forward.
19 years after Eugene McMahon played a starring role in Kilmaley’s maiden Clare senior triumph, his three sons were centrally involved as they lifted the Canon Hamilton Cup again.
“It was absolutely all consuming at the time. We hadn’t won one since ’85, my Dad was playing then and I was the mascot. We’d been to semi-finals and a final in ’98. I was in college in Dublin and travelling down weekends and one day during the week in the knockout stages.
“They’re hard won in any county especially when you wouldn’t have a massive tradition like Kilmaley. We’d a real good team. Conor Clancy and Colin Lynch, Diarmuid and Alan Markham. There was a great relief amongst us all, it was brilliant”
By then racing was competing with hurling for Brian’s sporting affections. In college in Galway, he fell in with a group that mixed watching races with a few pints and bets around Wood Quay.
“I’d have been friendly with Paudie Hassett, the son of Donie Hassett a trainer in Clare. I said I’d love to get into it a bit more, not just be a punter. I went down to their yard and sat up on just a quiet yoke going up the gallop. I’d no riding experience and it felt like I was in a Ferrari going a million miles an hour. It was some buzz. From then on, I was absolutely hooked.”
His pursuit of biochemistry qualifications kept him studying for eight years. He was still trying to learn as much as he could on weekends about the world of racing. Then came the sliding doors moment, when he was nudged towards it on a full-time basis.
“I came back from Dublin in ’07 and said I’d better earn a few quid. I got a job and it was grand. We were actually made redundant in ’09. I’d a chance then and I wasn’t going to let it bypass me. I’d no experience, just about managing to ride out myself. I wrote off to Paul Nicholls and Alan King and Jonjo O’Neill and Nicky Henderson, I said I’d write to the best of them in England.
“And Nicky Henderson got back to me, probably the most stuck of all for staff. I headed over there in the autumn of ’09 after we got knocked out of the hurling.”
The famed Seven Barrows yard in Lambourn was a melting pot of racing personalities and expertise.
“I said I’d just wing it as best I could until I was found out. I managed to hang on long enough. I remember the first fortnight in Nicky’s, I’d say he wanted to fire me every day. But I struck up a good relationship with the head lad, Corky Browne. He kept telling the Governor, ‘Ah give him another chance, he’s coming along’. By degrees then you’d be learning the ropes and you wouldn’t stand out for being terrible.
“Sure I ended up having a brilliant two years. The best of horses in England were there. You’d Sprinter Sacre, Binocular, Bob’s Worth (2013 Gold Cup winner) – he was my ride – Long Run, Punjabi. You’d be hitting for Ascot or Cheltenham on a Saturday with seven in the lorry and coming home with two winners, thinking it was a so-so kind of a day. That was the expectation in the place and indicative of the quality that was there.”
The level of talent extended to the jockeys as well.
“I started the same week as Jerry McGrath and Nico De Boinville, Dave Bass. Barry Geraghty had just started as stable jockey. Mick Fitz had just retired, he was still knocking about the place. It was the best of riders, just a centre of excellence really.
“I’d speak to Jerry a couple of times a week even still, go over and stay in his house, I’d be good mates with Nico and Conor Murphy, who was the assistant head lad at the time. From Cork, a mad horse racing and GAA man, he’d the five-timer in Cheltenham (in 2012) and pulled a million out of it. He hit for America then and set up training in Louisville in Kentucky. He actually has a leg in a horse of mine, Powersbomb that is hopefully heading to Cheltenham.”
If he was always aware of the capacity for hurling to forge friendships, he’s grown to view racing in the same light.
“It really sticks out to me about racing, the camaraderie that’s in it. I think people realise that it’s tough and everyone is in the same boat together. I finished 6th in the Dan Moore in January at Fairyhouse. Hosing down the horse and Ted Walsh was beside me. The hose was kind of going everywhere, he said to pull him in here and Ted held the horse down for me.
“He was chatting away for ten minutes and was in no rush. I thought that was a measure of the man. He had just finished fourth in the same race. He didn’t care who you were, he gave of his time. It’s not every industry that you’d get that.”
On the lower rungs of the ladder, all that support is appreciated. Noel Glynn provided his first yard to help him start out, he’s now indebted to his neighbour John Staunton as a reliable sounding board and a companion to race meetings. Eoin Mahon is the other critical component to ensure the yard functions.
His father Steve shone during Galway’s golden hurling spell in the 80s and he plays himself for Beagh on the club senior stage.
“Eoin started coming into Noel Glynn’s, helping me out in the evenings. He was very inexperienced. But I said if this fella is hardy enough and tough enough to be playing Galway senior championship, he’s tough enough to go down to a fence at 30 miles an hour.
“There hasn’t been a cross word between us since we started. I remember reading in Mick Fitz’s book that he was in Henderson’s as stable jockey for 15 years and there was never a single falling out out of all the winners and losers he rode. I think it’s a good way to have it.
“You’re delighted to have a winner any day of the week with anyone riding it. To me it’s more important in the overall scheme of things that Eoin is riding because it’s healthier for the business. In my position you can’t be paying the bigger wages. I’d rather give Eoin the ride as he’s part of the team.”
He needs all those pitching in. Training only takes up part of his time, having to fit in with his role at Beckman Coulter in Tulla in East Clare. It makes for long and hectic days, there’s some business trips to China to be factored in as well but his employers are good to him and he makes it work.
“At the time I came back (from England) to work as a biochemist, I said I’d give it six months in the job, get a few quid together and then I’m gone again. It was just out of necessity that I took a job again. I couldn’t make it pay training full-time. I was stone wall broke most of the time.
“Funnily I found even the interaction with the people nearly the most important thing. You’d be at home in the yard all day near enough on your own and nothing to talk to only horses. You’d be going halfway around the bend.
“It was good to come in to work with graduates out of college. You’d hear the lingo of the younger guys. Start buying a pair of skinny jeans and that sort of craic, sure otherwise you wouldn’t have a notion.”
Brian likes moving between these two lives. All the graft can pay off for nights like last Sunday in Whelan’s Bar in Shanaglish. His brothers Conor and Diarmuid came up to celebrate the Navan double. A good crew of locals joined them as well, including Derek O’Connor, the amateur jockey trail-blazer.
Now Cheltenham looms on the horizon next month. Sé Mo Laoch has been entered in the Kim Muir and Powersbomb in the Grand Annual. The latter came home fourth in the Close Brothers Chase in 2017.
“People might say you’re tilting at windmills going over there. Would you not find far handier races to have a go at? But when you’re in the stable yard at Cheltenham and the roar goes up from the grandstand, it sends a shiver down your spine, it’s akin to being nearly in Croke Park, that roar. It’s very hard to get a horse good enough to go there and I think when you have, it’s worth it to even just have a small chance.”
From hurling to racing, he’ll keep working and keep chasing breakthroughs.
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How on earth is Ben Whitehouse a professional referee
@Jon Walters: He’s a seriously bad ref unfortunately he doesn’t realize how bad he is. The compete lack of consistency and sheer bloody disrespect for players and paying public is maddening. He certainly can’t stand Munster it’s not the first time he’s ridden them bare back.
@Jon Walters: Ben Shitehouse aside, Munster are one good away win from hitting great form. Leinster, like all great teams took their chances and are the yardstick for allcomers.
Is Ross Byrne the most underrated Irish player? Surely Joe Schmidt has him firmly on the radar. Let’s make Exeter the place to break the duck.
@Etherman: great point, Ross is top class, Munster were unlucky with decisions but Ben White House thinks the game is about him and not the two teams playing.
A lot of 50/50 decisions went against Munster and there absolutely wasnt a knock-on before Earl’s break, which caused a 14pt swing (decision resulted in 27-12 instead of 20-19). However, it wasn’t 100% in favour of Leinster. James Cronin cheated in 3/4 of the scrums that eventually led to a try. One he collapsed and 2 of the others he drove completely to the side to the point that his body was 90° sideways compared to every other player…. As I said though, Munster definitely got the worst of his decisions, but he’s so bad it effects everyone.
@Jon Walters: if you go past archer for the reason you lost that game your just fooling yourself.
@Etherman:Like that Shitehouse ,thats good so it is.
@Chris Mc: Goodman ya
@Rudiger McMonihan: he was offside
@Martin Brennan: Sounds like a load of sour grapes to me. Bad decisions go both ways and they did tonight…We were a better team tonight and to start cutting at some kind of bias on the refs part is well beneath 99% of Munster fans I know…
@Martin Brennan: He allowed Munster’s maul to stand like a statue for 30 seconds in the run up to the first try, and seemed to allow Cronin about 45 degrees of leeway for his driving angle at the scrum.
The questionable calls went both ways.
I really fail to see how there was a yellow card for Earls and nothing for any of the Leinster front row!! Someone enlighten me!! Whitehouse is not able for this level!!
@Rugby Junkie: Bitter much?
@Ricky Spanish: nah Ricky …not this time. I hate the ref excuses when a team plays poorly but Whitehouse / touch judge and tmo were absolutely sh8t…….Munster were on the very wrong end of them. Don’t know if they’d have won but to get nothing is robbery
@Ricky Spanish: Best you have??
@Ricky Spanish: he is right tho. And I’m Connacht
@Rugby Junkie: in fairness there’s nobody better than Munster fans for moaning about the referee. Considering some of the poorest ones in the league are from your province it says a lot.
@Ricky Spanish: I think Stevie Wonder could have done a better job tonight!!
As for Munster refs, that’s another conversation for another night!!
We badly need a backs coach.
And Nigel Owens to replace Ben Nuthouse.
@Martin Quinn: not sure I’d call it ‘up and down’ considering he got the first 4 decisions of the game wrong. Never mind it descending into a farce 5mins from the Leinster try line in the 2nd half.
Very happy with that performance. No point in talking about the ref. Munster scrum dominant throughout and some great performances from some key players. I was pleasantly surprised by goggin. Kleyn as well was the pick of the second rows out there. Thought he did really well. Lowe is a beast. Should have been man of the match.
@Jim Demps: 3 defeats on the road, how many do you need not to be happy?
@Jason Killian: no shame in losing to Leinster like that. Another day and Munster win that game.
@Jim Demps: I get that Munster fans want to take the positives and in fairness you guys fronted up. But considering the amount of possession you had and the fact that Leinster were coasting at the end should be worrying.
In the flip side Leinster need to look at why they allowed a team to dominate possession to such an extent.
@Ricky Spanish: OP is right to look at the positives. Crying about the referee is entirely justifiable today, but gets us nowhere. 14 point swing on that “intentional knock on” at the start of the second half was a huge blow. Think Archers silly penalty at the end was the real killer though, 1 score game would have been manageable but that killed us.
@No: How was it a 14 point swing? Whether it was intentional or not is debateable but it was a knock on. Jesus you people used to be able to lose gracefully.
@Jim Demps: the Munster scrum was dominant but was there not more than a hint of not driving straight..on two of the scrums in the lead up to the Munster 2nd Half try the prop went straight in at a crazy angle. It reminded me of a tactic wales used and got away with against Ireland a few years ago… fool the ref
@Ricky Spanish: I agree…the deliberate bit is debatable but it was a knock on!!
@Jim Demps: Had Lowe for man of the match at 10/1 nearly got sick when Byrne got it
@Sham C: that’s unlucky. I couldn’t believe Byrne got it over him. He kicked well but I would have put Ruddock, Lowe and Mathewson ahead of him.
@BMJF: it’s hard to drive straight when bent and porter are going either back or down at a rate of knots.
@Jim Demps: and with a bit of luck that day will be next week. Leinster probably gave you a taste of what Exeter will bring in defence…. not sure that they will give Munster 70+% of the ball though so Munster will need to be more accurate to win.
Re: Lowe…. it will be hard to leave him out of an Ireland team in 2020 even if he is prone to the odd crazy offload. He has even improved his defensive efforts and there is nobody quite like him playing in Ireland at the moment.
@Ricky Spanish: looking at the replay I think the ball hit his head in the tackle, not a knock on
@Jim Demps: jim really? Marler would have embarrassed at those angles
@Jim Demps: Yeah he wasn’t involved much but those two tries we quality. I’m a Leinster man but I was very impressed with Munster tonight I must say and the referee was a joke even a blind man could see that.
@Sham C: there seems to be plenty of blind men on here tonight sham. Congrats with the win but unlucky with the bet
@Chris Mc: how did sob play at 8? I told u this was coming mate
@Ricky Spanish: cos it wasn’t a fuc&king knock on…
That 14 Point Swing lost the game for Munster. Embarrassing from the linesman.
@Ewan Scott: it wasn’t a penalty but he did knock it on so it would’ve been a scrum no try
@Bob Joe: it was a penalty as earls was in front of the ball after his team mate knocked it on. It was not a deliberate knock on but always a penalty, if Earls was on side he wouldn’t have been clean away – not sure how any one watching could claim a 14 point swing on such an obvious offside
@Garrett Kelly: he didn’t knock on. Ffs. Watch it again.
@Garrett Kelly: goggin didn’t touch the ball, watch it again. Totally legal try
Obviously as a Leinster man I am happy with the result but the level of referring has to analyzed in the pro 14. Whitehouse was v poor for both sides but we should’ve gotten a yellow card when giving away all those scrum pens. Not going to get into a debate regarding his other decisions as it would just go around in roundabouts on that topic.
In terms of the players, I think munster had the lions share of possession and territory but a major pat on the back to Hugh Hogan who’s made Leinsters defence a mighty weapon. Byrne was class tonight and won that 10 battle. Happy to see no major injuries and it was a great game.
The scrum was a great battle and I think the likes of Jack, Tracy and Rory played well. Josh made a major impact off the bench he’s on fire.Bring on Europe for both sides.
@Ian Verdon: I think it’s just one of those games where it’s not even worth discussing the referee other than by saying that he is clearly sub-standard.
Leinster’s defence was the winning of the game for me but I have to say that I really enjoyed the quality of the loosehead scrummaging from both teams.
@Ian Verdon: A’s a munster man I’m not happy with the result but I’m quite happy with the performance. Porters refusal to scrummage and the refs refusal to give him yellow made a big difference. Cronin had his number and I counted another two times he flopped to the ground outside of the scrums under the post.
On the positive i thought o mahony and stander were excellent as were both second rows. On the Leinster side Lowe is super. Great player. Ruddock surely is leinsters best 6 at this stage.
@Jim Demps: I was impressed by all the Lh‘s. Cronin destroyed porter in the scrum but I think jack held his own in the scrum and his work rate is second to none. Em tbh I think br’s evened each other out and none for me took the game by the scruff of the neck but when josh came on he was a standout, he’s incredible.
Tbh as an Irish rugby fan i am very happy. Not only did the usual guys play well but the likes of Cronin, Rhys, Goggin, Arnold, Rory and Byrne were very impressive and I would love these guys along with Sob(Connacht),beahlam and Tom Farrell get a look in in November.
@Ian Verdon: I think McGrath is under severe pressure for his shirt come November. If schmidt is honest about picking on form then he should be looking at one of the two munster lads. Killer was dominant in the scrum and carried unbelievably well while cronin embarrassed porter.
@Jim Demps: I think all 3 played great especially Cronin, always been a big fan of his. Jack got a big to, tackled very well and his ruck stats along with toner are as high as ever. I for one think he answered his doubters re his own from. Plus I think he played v well down under this summer. But Cronin is playing the rugby of his career and for me should at least get a start or two in November but having said that my number 1 is Cian and 17 is jack. Again incredible to have have the competition and also Buckley cannot be ignored imo he’s having another great season.
@Jim Demps: Considering it was McGrath’s first game of the season, I thought he was outstanding. He was killing Archer in the scrum all first-half but it wasn’t always rewarded because Kilcoyne was also killing Bent on the other side and the scrum wheeled as a result.
@Ian Verdon: it’s only competition if schmidt gives the others a chance. Otherwise it’s just a closed shop.
@Jim Demps: ah Jim, McGrath and Healy are still irelands 2 loose heads. Killer’s discipline let’s him down too much and is just not as good as the 2 Leinster lads. Good player but just not as good as the other 2
@Jim Demps: Ah come on Jim, not back to the McGrath stuff again! You made the same ‘McGrath was poor, shouldn’t be playing for Ireland’ comment after nearly every match he played in last year. Including many matches where he played well. It’s not a big conspiracy that coaches keep picking him. He did well today coming back from an injury.
@Jim Demps: That’s fair but going on this performance tonight I don’t think Jack merits to be dropped I thought for his first game back since June and playing in a high intensity match such as tonight he was very impressive. Fair enough if he came back and was all over the shop but that wasn’t the case one bit tonight he’s Mr reliable and his work rate and ruck stats are why he’s he should be Ireland’s 17 in Ireland’s big games. Now that’s just my opinion and what values one persons opinion over another persons…nothing but I was delighted with his performances and James’s.
@Ian Verdon: yeah that’s fair enough. What did you think of the penalty try? There’s two issues as I see it. 1. Was it a tackle? There was contact but it’s not like he dragged him to the ground. In fact lowe kept his feet and 2. Would lowe have scored? It was a bad pass and i don’t think he would have held it. He may have but its certainly debatable. I’d have had less of an issue with whitehouse if he’d been as quick to card porter under the posts. Porter soaked up another 4 minutes of time with his inability to scrimmage at the end when he should have been off the park.
@Jim Demps: If going off the rule books I believe the right decision was made, which was made by the tmo not Whitehouse. I do think that particular rule has too much leeway in terms of how individual refs or reffing teams judge it but that can be said for a lot of the rules. As I said above I am not willing to get into a debate re the reffing decisions as even tho I try to be as neutral as possible but I would be slightly biased as would you Jim which is understandable. Would love to hear a Connacht’s fan or Ulsters fan opinion.
@Jim Demps: Porter should’ve been carded a 100%. His scrummaging has been a little worrying at the start of this season. His TO game is incredible, he sends people back in the tackle and is a monstrous carrier but his scrummaging does need to be addressed otherwise Joe would be looking at other options.
@Jim Demps: porter didn’t ‘refuse’ to scrum… his opposite number was scrummaging illegally, making no attempt to drive straight and take on Porter… how he got away with the angle he drove in at was bizarre
@Ian Verdon: it’s not possible for the tighthead to scrimmage if the ref allows the loosehead to drive in at a 45 degree angle.
@Ian Verdon: it’s hard to hide behind the rule books when he did the exact opposite in the second half. Even luke Fitzgerald who’s as one eyed as they come said that the referee was atrocious.
@Chris Mc: Yeah there was some questionable angles but porters scrummaging has been a little week in his other performances this season but I am too worried its more a technical thing which is v fixable otherwise he’s an exceptional talent and will accumulate a considerable amount of international caps.
@Jim Demps: I have said what I have to say re Ben’s performance. I understand why you feel hard done by but I am not going continue this to and fro re the refs performance, I have already said it was abysmal. At the the end of the day the result is the result but if I was a munster fan I would’ve been over the moon with that away performance and with no more injuries heading into next week you should feel confident enough. Now Exeter are in fantastic form but I’ll be cheering ye on all the way.
@Ian Verdon: era ya you’re right. I said to you earlier in the week that I hoped he wouldn’t have an impact as a ref and yet here we are. I’m not in the least bit annoyed at Munsters performance. Thought they were very good and dominant up front. Just need to get a little bit sharper and that will come. I’m annoyed that the same ref has affected the results in two out of three of our losses this season.
@Martin Quinn: Genuine question are you strictly nocturnal? Every time you comment on a thread it’s after midnight… after watching the match again and focusing on all the main points people for both sides have brought up it has just cemented my opinion on whitehouse. Yes Leinster got some very iffy calls for them but Cronin’s scrummaging was illegal, now not saying he wouldn’t of dominated porter if he did scrummage legally. Cronin’s a great scrummager. The scrum is a free for all tho when it comes to the refs interpretations. None are singing off the same hymn sheet and it is causing havoc. Be interesting to compare and contrast the standard in referring in the European matches.
@Ian Verdon: Yea he’s some man for the late night comments. I live in the US and he often comments as I’m heading to bed which could be 3 or 4am Irish time. Maybe he works late night shifts or something
@Eddie Hekenui: Maybe he’s Batman!!! Ah yeah I like Martin his wording always makes me chuckle but he certainly knows his stuff.
@Jim Demps: Jim, Cronin was boring in all the time thats why porter was all at sea. The issue I have is the ref failed to ping Cronin. Next week the far more experienced Jerome Garces will ref the Munster game and any of that messing in the scrum will be penalised.
Agree the Munster performance overall was good but the scrummaging antics were way over the top. All the skullduggery was in evidence if you want to look for it. POM’s binding / non binding in the scrum that led to Standers try. Cronin (boring) and POM (bind / non bind) in the first of the three under the posts. The second was a fair penalty as Porter was binding and pulling on the arm. Third scrum, Cronin again.
All of these calls could go either way depending on the ref. Dont think Garces will be fooled as easy as Whitehouse was.
I think even the most bias Leinster fan, and there is an awful lot on the site, has to concede that Whitehouse was the difference in this game. I think Munster were the better side by some margin and were frankly, screwed out of a chance of winning this game. Shocking display, not just from Whitehouse, but all of the officials.
@Dave Barry: You’re some man to preach on bias.
Anyway, that’s twice in a row Leinster have put a second string out against Munster and won comfortably – it’s nothing but excuses. And excuses don’t win trophies.
@Camroc: when you have billionaires backing your set up just like Dubs in gaa – the playing field is seriously lob sided
@Dave Barry: Rather than complain about the “Leinster biased” fans you could have said well done Leinster on your win.
@Camroc: Please explain, in detail if you don’t mind, how I am wrong? Give specific examples were I am being unfair.
@Gary: That wasn’t a win Gary. You were gifted that “victory” plain and simple and I can’t see how any reasonable person can say differently.
@Dave Barry: Sorry but the scoreline suggests it was a win. Jesus you people are a dangerous mixture of biased and delusional. Get a grip your team lost! It happens stop trying to blame everybody else.
@Ricky Spanish: If you were to go back and look at all my comments on here, you would see that I am not one to toss blame. However this time, it is totally justifiable.
@Dave Barry: archer and his brain fart was the reason you lost any chance of wining the game but it’s easier to blame the ref or anyone else rather than look at your own short comings
@Chris Mc: I have you muted on my phone but since I can’t mute you on my PC I’ll respond. Archer’s penalty at the end of the game, when all the damage from Whitehouse and co. had been done did not lose Munster this game. The Earls yellow that wasn’t really a yellow did. The countless scrums that were clearly Munster penalties but were called as resets or free kicks did. The countless times Munster had clear hands on the ball at ruck time did. The Earls try that was call as a knock on in the tackle did. The point in the game when Whitehouse gave three penalties against Leinster on their 5 meter line and didn’t give a penalty try and a yellow card did. Shall I go on?
@Dave Barry: The impact of that yellow card was nullified by Munster’s two-try response in the first half, so unpleasant as it was from Munster’s viewpoint, it didn’t't define the game.
@Martin Brennan: hee hee. “Lob sided”……. it’s “lop”!! Small point but important I feel.
Even as a Leinster fan I felt we got every 50/50 decision going.
But still a great performance. Quietly confident about the first European game. Wasps were well beaten tonight. Danny Cips ran them ragged.
@Dave Barry: I didn’t say anything about “wrong” or “unfair”. I merely pointed out your obvious bias.
Toughen up princess.
@Martin Brennan: You mean all those Leinster developed players? If Leinster don’t keep them, Ireland don’t win Grand Slams. Speaking of “the playing field”, how many foreign players are in the Munster set up? The field is indeed seriously lob sided.
Good game to watch for the neutral and I saw something tonight that I haven’t seen for many a year.
In minute 30 rob Kearney beat a defender.
Miracles will never cease
As for Liam Tooland, give me strength, he is a joke of a commentator
@Mark Smith: “Peter mahony just phenomenal’
@Mark Smith:
Now who is going to be the first person to name the best team compiled from both provinces.
Over to you Jim or Martin
@Kendo90:
Yes, is he Liam’s brother.
What a bromance he seemed to have for him
@Mark Smith: Just shows you know f€uk all about rugby. If Leinster and Ireland’s first choice 15 is bad, what must the rest of the countries 15s be like.
@Gary:
Oh touchy are we !!!
Well I am glad I have met you and you can tell me all about rugby that you know, high appears to be everything.
Think one calls it a ‘ know All’
Are you one of those
Ross Byrne was great.
@Ricky Spanish: Riveting comment…
@Margate: Glad you liked it.
@Ricky Spanish: 2nd MOTM performance in two games. I reckon an Ireland debut against Italy is just around the corner.
@Conor Alexander Lynott: And justifiably so. For all the chatter about the other lad, Ross calmly went about his business.
@Ricky Spanish: carbery has always been the better attacker but byrne had always been the better all round 10
@Darren Byrne: Carbery was good in fairness. Feel sorry for him being on the loosing side. But ultimately he made his bed now he has to live with the consequences of that decision.
@Ricky Spanish: you’re a gas man….and by gas I mean a complete numpty.
@Al Madzer: i would have called him a dick head but hey that’s my drunken observation
@Munster4ever: Yeah drunken insults are great. I’ve a few choice names for you but I have enough dignity not to lower to your level.
No shame in losing a game like that, fair play to Leinster they have some serious strength in depth and are a well drilled unit defensively. It will take a special team to break them down. From a Munster perspective this was the perfect game to build to Exeter away.
James Lowe top top player
I’d say Tadgh beirne is considering getting back into the pizza delivery game as he seemingly couldn’t but a turnover penalty , no matter how long he contested.
Any other ref/game and beirne walks way with at minimum 4 turnover penalties like he did on several occasions last year.
Ruddock and Sean O’Brien (Connacht) have been putting in some shifts from the 6 jersey this season , POM was out ahead for his particular contributions but Ireland’s depth at 6 is getting like Ireland’s depth at 7.
Hopefully the depth in 8 will get there over the next 10months
@baw baw: I don’t think SOB will add depth at 8 as he looked uneasy there tonight and had a pretty ineffective performance.If he wants his Ireland place back he would want to get the 7 shirt at Leinster as POM, Ruddock and Beirne have the 6 jersey accounted for between them at the moment.
For all the complaining that’s going to come from Munster fans about Whitehouse, that last penalty from the kick off was Munster’s own fault and killed a legit chance of Munster victory.
@Conor Alexander Lynott: dead right! Archer should get a right going over for that. Cost us a bonus point on the road. Whitehouse was just awful again though! Still waiting to see him have a good game!
@Conor Alexander Lynott: Yes, you’re absolutely correct but no ones complaining about that. It’s probably the only decision Whitehouse and his officials got correct tonight. Sad thing was he missed Archer doing the exact same thing on McFadden the previous restart. An embarrassment of a referee. He was pathetic for both teams and done nothing for tonight’s game.
@Conor Alexander Lynott: and they got away with same thing a little earlier too
@Conor Alexander Lynott: Are you for real? Taking about a penalty that came so late in the game when Munster were screwed out of so much clear and obvious calls. The officiating lost Munster this game, end of story.
@Dave Barry: Lowe and Byrne probably had more to do with it tbf. The constant whinging does you no favours at all.
@Cian Nolan: It’s not whinging if it’s justified pal.
@Dave Barry: For that to be ostensibly true, the major Leinster scores, the tries, must been all been due to direct referee intervention. One of the tries came from quick thinking to rip the ball off Beirne and a brilliant skip pass. Nothing to do with a ref decision. To forestall objections, perceived lack of ref intervention doesn’t matter, only what ref decisions were actually made. You’re really covering the munster fans in glory with the sore loser behaviour. Insult me more if you want, but if I were you, I’d worry more about Exeter next week. Much bigger fish to fry.
The “major Leinster scores” came from direct referee intervention and lack there of yes, look back on the game and you’ll see that to be true.
@Frank Reilly: Ya cheers bud, make it snappy.
@Dave Barry: I’ve looked at it enough, thanks, and conclusion’s still the same. I’d advise you to look at it again yourself, kid
@Conor Alexander Lynott: Clearly not kid, talk to ya in a while.
@Dave Barry: Good luck with getting the number to talk.
@Dave Barry: yeah, the penalty try was a joke. Lowe was not catching that ball. Fair enough Earl’s getting a yellow though
Honestly 3 penalty counts in a scrum same tackle like earls and not a yellow for Leinster even though we got a try the decisions by Ben were bizarre and thats being kind
Return leg in Thomond in Dec Munster did themselves proud today..
@Sportmad: the same happened last night between Connacht and Ulster before he eventually gave the penalty try
Few harsh referee calls from a Munster perspective but Leinster were just more clinical! To lose having had over 70% of possession says it all really. There have been some big leaps forward from Munster this season but we have to find a way to be more ruthless when in the opposition 22.
@Brian Brian: would you think felix J will be taken to task with all that possession but very little penetration? Even the tries Munster got were forwards-earned.
Another whopping on the road again, well done Leinster, excellent as usual
I would echo all the comments made on here about Ben Whitehouse. he was really very poor. Some have argued that disallowing the Earls’ “try” made no difference as he was offside when he picked uyp the “knocked-on” ball and therefore it should have been a pen against him anyway. Maybe, and I am not going to argue that but … with leinster on Munster’s tryline, how many times did Tadhg Beirne get his hands on the ball for a legit turnover and Whitehouse gave him nothing?
On Leinster’s performance, I didn’t see all the game, but I would be concerned about their complete reliance on Jamesd Lowe for try-scoring. None of the others in their backline looked remotely like scoring.
@Olive Barnes: Other backline players to score tries so far this season include Larmour, McFadden, Sexton, Ringrose, Gibson-Park…hardly reliant on Lowe
you can complain about the ref all you like (and to be fair, i wouldnt neccesarily blame you) but so far munster have lost every away game this season. need to start questioning why that keeps happening because they’ve looked sensational and racked up massive scores at home.
Brilliant game to watch played at a very high level. Some very good performances on both sides. James Cronin, Kilcoyne, Jack McGrath, Beirne, Leavy, Matthewson, Ross Byrne, Van der Flier and Lowe all had standout performances for me.
@EK: I thought jack McGrath was poor. Looked unfit too
@Kendo90: Thought his scrummaging was excellent. I think it was his first game back from a leg injury this season.
@EK: what?? He was eaten without salt.
Byrne being man of the match was just Leinster propaganda to turn Joe Schmidt’s head. Lowe was man of the match by a mile.
Liam Toland get your red glasses off.
@Anton Phelan: Toland is an ex Leinster captain. Ref had to be really bad for him to critisise him
@Anton Phelan: I was listening to rte radio one’s commentary. Shane Byrne was nothing short of perplexed by some of Shitehouse’ s calls against Munster. You might know who he played for?
Not talking about the referee but the munster Front row schooled the leinster front row and we destroyed them in the maul! So a lot to take from tonight!
I’m sure we can all agree on one thing..Murray Kinsella was looking very well!
Both teams deserve a standing ovation. Great advert for Irish rugby, Leinster pride. Not at the game but atmosphere in the pub was electric.
Sad that most comments concern the referee
But it’s justified. The referees in both interproventials were totally incompetent and it’s the same every week. These officials don’t seem to know the rules or are collectively blind?
If I relied on this match report, I would be left labouring under the misapprehension that Munster were not screwed by the officials… In other words, poor work.
It’s harsh to say that the “14 point swing” cost Munster the game. Earls was ahead it so he was offside. The real issue Munster had was they could have the ball all day but they kept running out of ideas. Going through huge periods of possession and then kicking it away aimlessly. Munster need Murray back stat to help Carbery out. He was standing far too deep and all the Munster dummy runners never looked like thy were getting the ball. Leinster defence is absolutely immense and most teams will struggle to really break it down. They took their point and ground out a hard fought win in a good raw inter pro.
@Mark Hearne: it wasn’t a knock on. Watch it again.
JGP James Lowe and Seanie … delighted ye are there
Bring back Marshall ryan, both a, Murray, farrell and taute and munster will be a force to reckon with.
Ross Byrne or Joey Carbery!??
If I relied on this match report, I would be left under the misapprehension that Munster were not screwed by the officials…
If I relied on this match report, I would be left under the misapprehension that Munster were not screwed by the officials… Funny thing.
If I relied on this match report, I would be left under the misapprehension that Munster were not screwed by the officials… In other words, poor work.
Carver
@Mark Hearne: stupid app
Bullf*cking sh*t of a headline. Someone saw the score and never watched the game.