so... I started playing rugby

LeopoldButters · 29-09-2009 12:11am

if you live near the green luas line you could alway come to Stillorgan or if you drive you could just drive up

Trojan · 29-09-2009 12:32am

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

Given how tough things were in the loose and that Clontarrf had a pretty big pack, looking back on it, we were surprised scrums were uncontested.

We'll be looking to go contested for the rest of the season, I think we've got a pretty big front row now.

At one point in our game against skinny students (Trinity) on Sat I think we had a front row of 20 stone loosehead, 17 stone hooker (me) and 23 stone tighthead. They went uncontested...

I am totally match-unfit, need to get to training more and more game time. Cycling has been good for general aerobic fitness, but I haven't noticed it helping me much around the park.

sickpuppy · 29-09-2009 1:51am

cronin_j wrote: »

Man flu aside i went on Tuesday last.

After my two weeks of eating and drinking myself to death on holidays i truly and utterly paid the price on Tuesday!

The warm up even killed me, I was feeling a bit ****e all day at work but normally the training perks me up and i feel great, this night i felt worse the longer the night went on. It seems Stillorgan have a run the legs off ya Tuesday night and a tackle and break you Thursday night.

Besides the running and running and running, we were doing some skills passing training, i managed to drop the ball once or twice, however trying to pass the ball and then run outside and back in to get the pass again confused me lol. I got it towards the end, much to the dismay of some of the more experienced lads namely the firsts captain. It pissed me off that he was cursing under his breath but these things happen, hes been playing for years, i: merely weeks. Ill work on anyway.

The Thursday as mike has pointed out i was dying so i didn't go at all, i was feeling bad about pissing the captain off on Tuesday and Thursday i barely made it to work so he prob would have had a go at me Thursday lol

Jaysus Johnny will ya grow a thicker skin in the heat of the moment people say things ive been known to curse my own players if they make a mistake its nothing personal.
The captain is under a lot of pressure and if he didnt give a **** about the new guys he wouldnt have been out watching and encouraging the j 5s on sunday.
A couple of week away and the onset of your illness didnt help see ya tommorow im sure youll be fine.

tHE vAGGABOND · 29-09-2009 9:01am

I am totally match-unfit, need to get to training more and more game time

Amen brother! Im focusing on keeping my job, and thus have to make an effort to make one training a week, and thats Thursday. But it means Im as unfit as one can be. So my future as a permanent rolling front row sub

mikedragon32 · 29-09-2009 11:48am

sickpuppy wrote: »

Jaysus Johnny will ya grow a thicker skin in the heat of the moment people say things ive been known to curse my own players if they make a mistake its nothing personal.
The captain is under a lot of pressure and if he didnt give a **** about the new guys he wouldnt have been out watching and encouraging the j 5s on sunday.
A couple of week away and the onset of your illness didnt help see ya tommorow im sure youll be fine.

Sensitive as ever Mick!

It's always harder coming back after a couple of weeks away due to holidays/illness/injury. It feels like everyone else has progressed a lot in your absence and the sense of playing catchup can be immense.

None of the captains are pi$$ed off if you haven't shown up for a while, but they have a vested interest in ensuring that the folks training and being selected are committed to the cause!

You'll be back to normal in a couple of sessions. Keep the head down and focus on your training. Let the captains worry about everyone else.

stephen_n · 29-09-2009 12:15pm

eposhea wrote: »

Hey cronin,

you are an inspiration to us all!!! well, me anyway!!

i know i am probably repeating the same question again, but i am looking for a definitive answer, and searching through the forums does get tedious!

i am looking to get involved with a rugby club. i have been playing tag rugby for a few months now, but would like to do some real rugby training and proper bruising!! i live in Dublin City Centre, am 27, would not be the fittest at the moment, but hoping to rectify that! As i said, sorry for the repetition, but any clybs in the lower leagues that are based in proximity to the city centre! is october too late to be even joining a club as the season started?

i am loving the blog cronin, very inspiring seeing/reading you getting into the thick of it!!:):):)

Which side of the city centre? are you on the dart line?
Northside the closest would be Clontarf
Southside probably closest would be probably Monkstown, Wesley/Bective, Lansdowne or maybe even Railway Union

Tefral · 29-09-2009 1:13pm

sickpuppy wrote: »

Jaysus Johnny will ya grow a thicker skin in the heat of the moment people say things ive been known to curse my own players if they make a mistake its nothing personal.
The captain is under a lot of pressure and if he didnt give a **** about the new guys he wouldnt have been out watching and encouraging the j 5s on sunday.
A couple of week away and the onset of your illness didnt help see ya tommorow im sure youll be fine.

Ha Ha dont worry the "**** sake" feeling didnt last too long, sure im down there for myself, no-one else.

Looking forward to tonight though, it should be good, the pitch is surviving the beating it is taking so far but as the darker nights loom in it should be interesting to keep the balance while running through the mud.

thebossanova · 29-09-2009 1:24pm

Trojan wrote: »

We'll be looking to go contested for the rest of the season, I think we've got a pretty big front row now.

At one point in our game against skinny students (Trinity) on Sat I think we had a front row of 20 stone loosehead, 17 stone hooker (me) and 23 stone tighthead. They went uncontested...

I am totally match-unfit, need to get to training more and more game time. Cycling has been good for general aerobic fitness, but I haven't noticed it helping me much around the park.

If we had props we would have contested. College only started Monday. Size isn't everything in scrummaging btw... Good game as well!

Trinity is a City Centre club, not just restricted to just the student population.

stephen_n · 29-09-2009 2:15pm

thebossanova wrote: »

If we had props we would have contested. College only started Monday. Size isn't everything in scrummaging btw... Good game as well!

Trinity is a City Centre club, not just restricted to just the student population.

Do you not play in Santry?

thebossanova · 29-09-2009 2:24pm

stephen_n wrote: »

Do you not play in Santry?

All training is in College Park in Trinity. Junior clubs games are in Santry yes, unfortunately

.

philipm · 29-09-2009 2:24pm

eposhea wrote: »

Hey cronin,

you are an inspiration to us all!!! well, me anyway!!

i know i am probably repeating the same question again, but i am looking for a definitive answer, and searching through the forums does get tedious!

i am looking to get involved with a rugby club. i have been playing tag rugby for a few months now, but would like to do some real rugby training and proper bruising!! i live in Dublin City Centre, am 27, would not be the fittest at the moment, but hoping to rectify that! As i said, sorry for the repetition, but any clybs in the lower leagues that are based in proximity to the city centre! is october too late to be even joining a club as the season started?

i am loving the blog cronin, very inspiring seeing/reading you getting into the thick of it!!:):):)

I joined Monkstown RFC and I really enjoy it. Very welcoming bunch! Based in Sydney Parade no distance from town.

http://www.monkstownfc.ie

remus808 · 03-10-2009 5:05pm

Kalashnikov_Kid wrote: »

Had a good laugh reading the UCD vs Stillorgan front row debate there - brings me back to the day!

Look, give a chance for students to get away with playing 8 flankers in the scrum, and they'll do it, irregardless of the moral implications

mikedragon32 wrote: »

you'd wonder why they can't get a front row together...

Well Mike - don't know if you were playing today but UCD shoved Stillorgan's heads up their arses in the scrums until your guys went uncontested after about 15 minutes - let the mocking of UCD's prowess in the front-row cease!

mikedragon32 · 03-10-2009 9:38pm

karmabass wrote: »

Well Mike - don't know if you were playing today but UCD shoved Stillorgan's heads up their arses in the scrums until your guys went uncontested after about 15 minutes - let the mocking of UCD's prowess in the front-row cease!

Wasn't there, can't say either way. I know the J4's two starting props got called up to J2 today, one of whom started that game...

Does this mean you'll be scrummaging when the league starts?

tHE vAGGABOND · 04-10-2009 10:43am

but UCD shoved Stillorgan's heads up their arses in the scrums until your guys went uncontested after about 15 minutes

I was playing that game, yes indeed we were under pressure. But you will find that in the last couple of contested scrums things were balancing up a bit. You will find that happens in [J4] games quite a lot, where one team is on top initially, and it just takes the other team a while to get to grips with them.

On a side note, what was a bit crap was that we lost our loose head for only about 5 minutes with an elbow injury. But once he came back on and the ref would not allow scrums to go contested again. I did not know that once you went uncontested, you cant go contested again [even for a temp injury].

Anyway, it was a good game open, and an enjoyable one to win

Luckycharm · 05-10-2009 1:59pm

karmabass wrote: »

Well Mike - don't know if you were playing today but UCD shoved Stillorgan's heads up their arses in the scrums until your guys went uncontested after about 15 minutes - let the mocking of UCD's prowess in the front-row cease!

They sure were - were one of the props? It was a bit messy game due to strong winds.

Trojan · 05-10-2009 3:30pm

thebossanova wrote: »

If we had props we would have contested. College only started Monday. Size isn't everything in scrummaging btw... Good game as well!

Size is definitely not everything in scrums, but it sure helps. One place you can do serious damage is when you have a really short front row against a bunch of tall guys - all else equal, the short guys should have a field day.

This weekend we were out at Lakeside vs Terenure. We had 2 teams there for friendlies, J4 and J5. I started the J4, got subbed off at half-time, so headed up to the J5 game to see if I could get back on the pitch. Manager was oblidging, so I managed to get amost a full 80mins despite being subbed. My match fitness has drastically improved from last week. After the J5 game finished I went back to the J4s to see could I get back on but the captain had subbed himself onto the pitch and wasn't having any of it from me. Ah well

Wind was a b!tch for throwing in out there on Sat, had quite a few lineouts go crooked. Terenure hookers must get well used to that.

Depp · 05-10-2009 4:59pm

front rows where its at, foo!

slingerz · 05-10-2009 6:11pm

right folks i started off with the intentions of playing rugby and even went training. however the GAA season is still going for me, with a championship game tomorrow and I'm wondering is it ok to go back in the middle of the season given that I'm a total newbie to rugby?!

Tefral · 07-10-2009 1:23pm

Sorry for the lack of update:

I have been attending training, as I said in my last update, I had to catch up after 2 weeks off.

Going on last nights training I think ive made up for it, I went for a couple of runs over the weekend to kinda get some fitness back to help with the training.

Last Tuesday night we were doing some scrum training with the scrum machine. Listening to the coach about keeping the back straight and engaging. Hit it a few times and went to the back of the queue. On my last run, I hit it but, Jesus I did something to my back. Looking back now it seems like I tried to move it with my back muscles rather than my leg muscles. I lost all my strength straight away and could barely breathe. I had to finish training a 15mins early because of it. Instead I opted to put on a jacket to keep warm and jump on the scrum machine to help load it with weight. Here I got a valuable birds-eye view of the other lads engaging and the correct positioning.

I went home, had a hot shower and put a load of deep heat on, when I woke the next morning I wasn’t able to move, I could barely put my socks on for work. I kept applying the deep heat and by Friday I was back to normal.

Last night Tuesday 06/10/09 I went down early to help bring out some gear and the game of tip duly started. I have gotten much more used to running on to the ball when calling for it now.

The cold air was burning my lungs once we got into the drills, after awhile there was steam rising off all of us into the night sky. The cold air helped keep the sweat from rolling off my head at least. We did some lineout and scrum training, I picked up a few hammer and pig balls and ran with them. I’m definitely becoming more comfortable with myself while playing now; I just need to stick with it.

Each week I look forward to training more and more, it’s a great way to blow off some steam from a hectic day at work!

slingerz · 07-10-2009 5:19pm

slingerz wrote: »

right folks i started off with the intentions of playing rugby and even went training. however the GAA season is still going for me, with a championship game tomorrow and I'm wondering is it ok to go back in the middle of the season given that I'm a total newbie to rugby?!

Any opinions?

Tefral · 07-10-2009 5:53pm

slingerz wrote: »

Any opinions?

youll always be welcome! it will take a little longer to get into the starting team however, if you give it 100% the coaches and players will take notice and give you a chance. in my opinion its never too late to start, we are seeing teams come up to us and they cant even field a full 15!

GiftofGab · 07-10-2009 6:23pm

slingerz wrote: »

Any opinions?

Yeah I wouldnt see a problem with it. Come down to Stillorgan, loads of newbies in Stillorgan and myself, I only started back playing this season after packing it in from my school days.

itsallaboutheL · 07-10-2009 7:09pm

cronin_j wrote: »

Sorry for the lack of update:

Last Tuesday night we were doing some scrum training with the scrum machine. Listening to the coach about keeping the back straight and engaging. Hit it a few times and went to the back of the queue. On my last run, I hit it but, Jesus I did something to my back. Looking back now it seems like I tried to move it with my back muscles rather than my leg muscles. I lost all my strength straight away and could barely breathe. I had to finish training a 15mins early because of it. Instead I opted to put on a jacket to keep warm and jump on the scrum machine to help load it with weight. Here I got a valuable birds-eye view of the other lads engaging and the correct positioning.

Can you explain this... it reads like each player is engaging directly regardless of position??

slingerz · 08-10-2009 9:33am

cronin_j wrote: »

youll always be welcome! it will take a little longer to get into the starting team however, if you give it 100% the coaches and players will take notice and give you a chance. in my opinion its never too late to start, we are seeing teams come up to us and they cant even field a full 15!

Well we've 2 teams so I'd imagine the 2nd string aint too hectic from what I remember. I think I just need to get into a routine of training and commiting to it and I'll be grand its just difficult with the GAA season still ongoing.

remus808 · 08-10-2009 11:41am

Stillorgan lads, how big is your J4 squad?

Last night at UCD we had 32 lads, seems like a massive number, we were able to have a 15v15 full trial match for the Trinity game on saturday.

tHE vAGGABOND · 08-10-2009 1:10pm

We have enough numbers to have formed a J5 side, and to be honest we are not far off having the numbers for a J6 side to be honest...

God bless this boom in irish rugby, as lots of people seem to have gone back playing which is good for us all

gaius c · 08-10-2009 7:09pm

See ye later in the season Stillorgan boyos.

2nd Row Donkey · 09-10-2009 1:48pm

Same here (tallaght RFC) we picked two starting XV's lastnight for saturdays games and still have 12-13 lads left over (plus other out injured).

And as if by magic, this article was just posted on the leinster rugby website.

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/domestic/3876.php

Luckycharm · 09-10-2009 3:05pm

2nd row Donkey I see you got promoted to Section A how does Tallaght feel about that?

shoutman · 09-10-2009 6:49pm

It's great that all these junior clubs are getting loads of players, do people think that senior clubs have a reputation that makes it harder for new players to join up?

At Clontarf we do get regular new players, but no where near the numbers of other clubs like Stillorgan, at J4/J5 I think we only have three new players, two of whom haven't played before.
We still struggle to get more then 25 at training.

so... I started playing rugby

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