IN THE FIRST-HALF of the 2021 All-Ireland final against Cork, Peter Casey was in electric form.
The corner forward was leading the Rebels defence on a merry dance, having scored five points from play when a knee injury forced him off just before half-time.
It turned out to be the dreaded cruciate curse and the Na Piarsaigh man was left facing into a lengthy recovery process.
But recover he did. When Limerick and Galway played out a titanic tussle in the All-Ireland semi-final in July, Casey was the first substitute used by John Kiely. He was the first man introduced once again in the final against Kilkenny.
It took Casey some time before he felt back to his best.
He went scoreless in his those two appearances for the Treaty and arrived fully motivated into the club championship. Determined to make up for lost time.
“I suppose even just talking to the brother after the All-Ireland final, they were all hoping for a bit of a break but sure I was only mad to get back at the club hurling because I’d missed the majority of the year,” reflected Casey.
“The club is where you start, it’s where you finish. I love playing with Na Piarsaigh.
“I felt fine the second I did a training session with Limerick here. That was kind of the main thing. I trusted the physios and the medical team inside in Limerick, did my nine months’ rehab and thankfully got back just in time for an All-Ireland semi-final, it was great.
“It takes a while to get back up to the speed of it, especially at inter-county level, it’s a small bit harder. But, listen, I’m delighted to get a few minutes with Limerick towards the end of the year and to come back in with Na Piarsaigh has just been brilliant and to get over the line has been the icing on the cake.”
Na Piarsaigh were on a mission too. They surrendered their county title last year in the semi-final against Patrickswell. Casey looked back to his best, contributing a seven-point haul and assist for their second goal in an 11-point win over holders Kilmallock.
“It’s absolutely fantastic to get over the line,” said Casey.
“I suppose last year, getting knocked out in the semi-final was obviously a bitter disappointment so it’s great to go one step further and then obviously get over the line today, just unbelievable.”
Casey wore number 11 but played most of the game in the full-forward line. He was particularly dangerous in the third quarter when he reeled off four scores in a devastating 10-minute spell which put the game beyond Kilmallock.
“The lads on the line give you a bit of freedom,” he said of his role. “In terms of playing in the forwards you could find yourself in any position in the six forwards. It’s that licence to trust your ability and just go after it and see where it takes you so thankfully a few of them came off today.”
Na Piarsaigh advance to the Munster club semi-final where they’ll face the winners of Ballygunner and Kilruane MacDonagh’s.
All-Ireland champions Ballygunner are the only team to have ever beaten Na Piarsaigh in the provincial championship, having done so in the 2018 Munster final.
Only founded in 1968, the Limerick city club have enjoyed an incredible run of success since their maiden county title in 2011.
“It’s obviously an ambition but nobody talks about Munster championships or All-Ireland championships. I hate to be boring but it’s literally game by game. That’s how we’re driven as a team.
“I suppose we’ve kicked on and there’s a good cohort of people there that give back to the club in terms of coaching the kids and and things like that inside in the club so there’s a great ethos and a great culture in Na Piarsaigh these days.
“It’s just kicking on again now and take it game by game and take a Munster semi-final now on its own merit.”
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Great move for Arnold who’ll be coming out of his 3 year contract with Brive at only 28.
Hopefully he can build up an impressive reputation and shine for a wayward Brive side similarly to Farrell in Grenoble.
The first of many players across the four provinces who will be making this call in the coming months. With the fewer games in the URC and none in international windows game time has got more and more precious. Connacht are well served at centre with Aki, Daly, Farrell, Robb, and Bolton remaining. Other Irish players I could see similarly on their way to pastures new include Gallagher, any one or two of Healy, Crowley, and Flannery and Loughman at Munster and Ed Byrne, Josh Murphy, Penny, and the two O’Brien’s at Leinster.
@David Finn: i wouldnt include Robb here…hes never fit to play. I cant see Connacht holding on to him to be honest
@David Finn: ….you may not have all the names exactly right but your point is well made. Revive the 5th Province Meath, base it in Navan and develope the facilities to match in what is already a very progressive and ambitious club with a proven track record of growing the game to cater for diversity and an impressive record of progress on the field.
@Michael Murray: There is no need for another province what we need in Ireland is a draft system from schools rugby so players go where they are needed most. No use in IRFU shelling out money to keep 8 top class Irish back rows at leinster and then other provinces having to shell out big money for NIQ back rows makes no sense at all. Worst performing province gets first pick of the talent pool each year. We should also move the provincial schools tournament to a national level.
@Punts & Race Discussion: this is an interesting idea, but Leinster can only signup x amount of players each year to academy contracts.
There are still dozens of players who leave school in Leinster who aren’t signed by Leinster but aren’t picked up by other provinces at this early stage.
Also because of the amount of positions, it would take years before a drafts benefits would kick in.
And Leinster only add 4 or 5 players into the academy each year. So that’s 1 round of picks between the 4 provinces. Either way it still means theres talent coming out of schools in Leinster that provinces are ignoring currently.
@Billy Keenan: Leinster sign them to the sub academy so they stay and play their club rugby in Leinster rather than chance a trip to another province
@john joe brady: yeah that’s a good point and there was an article in the indo a few years ago saying something like 20 players were involved in sub academy.
But surely you’d have to say that an Academy contract would outweigh a sub academy one ?
Think Connachts of Illo from the U20s would be an interesting case study. ATightehad (not a position of typical leinster depth with salanoa, angier bent and McGrath leaving recently) who played underage rugby with Leinster. Could be good to dive deeper into what went on there and how he was brought west, a great talent.
@Billy Keenan: and Leinster took on 7 into the academy this year, which in fairness is much more than the 4 I said they did earlier ^^
@Punts & Race Discussion: absolutely no sense in changing Schools comp to national level. For a start you could have Bandon Grammar/PBC/CBC Cork/Newtown Grammar playing up the top of the country. The local rivalries are what drives the Schools Cups, and kids spending hours sitting on coaches to and from games against Schools they have no inbuilt rivalry with will detract from their enjoyment..
Also Connacht, (Garbally apart) doesn’t have schools where Rugby is the main (or only) Sport with male enrollments big enough to compete with other provinces. There are barely a handful of Boys only schools left in the province and fewer against with enrollments near 500 or more…
Anyway the underage Interpro’s pretty do the job pretty well anyway….
@Punts & Race Discussion: so basically force kids to play for teams even if they have no interest in playing for them? Move to a provience where thsy have no connections?
So say a lad from west cork was picked by ulster and said no i dont want to go there do se ban him from playing for his local club?