THE MAN CHARGED with making sure Ireland’s swimmers perform on the biggest stage they’ll learn from their disappointing London Olympics meet.
Grainne Murphy cut her Olympics short due to the effects of a viral infection, Melanie Nocher yesterday cited a stomach bug as the reason for a poor showing in her event, the 200m backstroke, while Barry Murphy performed below his best earlier in the week.
“We set a high standard to get here with the four A standards and we set ourselves some goals when we got here to try and make a top 16 or even a top eight,” Swim Ireland performance chief Peter Banks told TheScore today.
“Looking at where the results are, what made the top 16 and what made top eight, we certainly had the atheltes who could have done those things. But unfortunately, whether you want to put it down to luck or just where we are at the moment it just didn’t hit it right on the week. It’s disappointing, especially when you know you have the athletes that can get there.
“And I’m sorry we didn’t make it work but I think we’ve learned a lot and looking at how we plan the next four years is going to helps us look to the future and help the young swimmers coming up and obviously the ones that are here at the moment it’ll helps those in the futre as well.
“I don’t think there’s a blame thing here; I just think it’s just one of those things. On your day, this is what sport is. I mean you get to the Games and sometimes it doesn’t happen at the right time. We put a lot of emphasis on getting to the Games and that’s an achievement but we have to make sure we perform when we do get to the Games. And that’s always been my motto, we want to be at the Games and actually performing.
“And we didn’t perform this time and that’s disappointing for me as a performance director because I know what our athletes are capable of. But we have to take the learnings from it and move forward.”
Grainne Murphy is widely considered our most talented swimmer and Banks insists she could have impressed in different circumstances.
“You saw a swimmer that desperately wanted to try and compete,” he told Will Downing in London. “We felt that she would have been a little bit better than that and obviously it wasn’t quite where we wanted her to be. And when she swam the 4.19 we felt that it wasn’t in her best interests to put her into that race and look at the 800. Looking at what made the 800 final and knowing she went 8.29 three or four months ago is bitterly disappointing because we know we had the athlete that could have made a final here at his Olympics. and that’s just unfortunate. We have to take solace in the fact that we have a great athlete there.”
Really going to miss Isa, always gave 110% and was such a lovely guy, going to be big shoes to fill.
@Sam Harms: Always enjoyed watching him during those Magners League/Pro 12 games during the international break. Nacewa would regularly find himseld at 15 with 2 young wingers either side of him. He’d guide them though the game, defensively. Where to stand, how far from the centre, when to push in, when to push up etc That’s why I was really hoping he’d stay around and do some coaching. He looks like a coach already.
Leo didn’t exactly give a vote of confidence to Carbery on Saturday, Sexton was goosed, couldn’t kick and could barely run, Nacewa had taken over kicking duties and yet he still kept him on the bench. A move away is badly needed for him. I wouldn’t expect Sexton to be fit for this weekend so it’ll be telling to see who Cullen goes for.
On another note I really enjoyed the game on Saturday. Real tough game and Leinster ground out the result. I was delighted for them.
@Jim Demps: there was no way anyone was coming on to replace Sexton, unless he literally couldnt walk, when it was that close
@Sam Harms: yeh good point Sam,I’m sure he kept him on for a potential drop goal! he was limping and still made the one against France.
@Sam Harms: yeah you’re prob right but he should have come off. He was obviously struggling. It worked out though thankfully.
@Sam Harms: without getting too tribal and with my Irish hat on, Carbery can’t afford to have another season like he has just had if he has any aspirations on playing in the ten jersey for Ireland. I take your point on learning from Sexton but he also needs game time at club level, be it with Ulster or munster.
@Jim Demps: look at it this way, would Munster take Murray off in that situation unless they 100% had to?
@Jim Demps: Or Leinster.
@Sam Harms: Ireland wouldn’t take off Murray either. He’s absolutely vital, like Sexton.
@Sam Harms: I’m not criticizing the decision. I’m saying that Carbery needs to get game time in meaningful games, at ten , before the World Cup.
@Jim Demps: which he can, at Leinster. Munster have 3 flyhalfs already so if he does have to go anywhere it should be Ulster.
@Sam Harms: I get your point of view but neither Duncan Williams or James hart aren’t the back up 9 in the Irish squad so it’s not like for like –
If carbery is back up ten for his country he needs minutes or to be trusted as deputy for the club when the first choice is struggling , although I take no part in the debate as it’s a tricky situation , the Murrays value to Munster comparison just doesnt work
@Sam Harms: I think it’s all been decided anyway Sam. Once the season is over we will find out what the story with Carbery is. If I had to bet I’d say a season long loan to Ulster. If I had to decide myself I’d say a permanent switch to munster with Keatley going to Ulster.
While the game wasn’t the prettiest, it was an important win for Leinster in the grand scheme of things.
Something that popped into my head after the game was the 2011 World Cup final that New Zealand won 8-7 against France. New Zealand were obviously a quality team but hadn’t won in so long, much like Leinster. Much like Leinster, there was an argument for the French team outperforming their counterparts despite the odds.
For sure, this game was not a classic for the purists but in the grand scheme of things with an eye to future finals, I think Leinster will be happy to get the pressure of winning it again off their backs and play better as a result in the future.
@EK: totally agree. It should also be boted that while the highlights reel of their campaign won’t feature much more from Saturday’s match than the relief of a missed drop goal, it will still be a pretty glorious highlights reel featuring great attacking play against exclusively top class teams. The final itself was ground out, but it was raining and there were two teams with incredible defensive systems and a pernickety ref. We don’t have to worry about the quality of rugby Leinster are able to play.
@Conor Paddington: that’s very true Conor the official highlights vid is a joke , just the place kicks , not even how they happened . Nothing about possible yellows etc . I was at the game and Barnes was very frustrating , slow at blowing the whistle , lenient for card situations .. but he at least didn’t have any game changing errors . I’ll have to watch the game in full a couple of times on YouTube now . Overall Leinster looked quite comfortable and I was always confident they’d get the chances near the end . Let not forget Tales was dropping for a draw, I think Leinster would have had too much for Racing if it had gone into extra time