RRP €4.75 (inc VAT)/£3.50 Irelandʼs Leading Rugby Magazine JUNE 2014 - Vol 11 issue 5 MULLER Bids Farewell DAVE FOLEY Ready For Takeoff LEINSTER RUGBY 2014 Champions ISSN 1740-1879 The protein you need to raise your game. 05 There are moments in a match when you need to dig deep. During this kind of hard exercise, breakdown happens deep inside your muscle fibres. Cyclone from MaxiNutrition provides creatine to give you the explosive power to go that extra yard, plus the protein your muscles need to recover and rebuild. 9 771740 187009 Leinster Souvenir Poster KINSALE 7’s JONO GIBBES HEINEKEN CUP FINAL CLUB RUGBY CONTRACT NEWS WWW.MAXINUTRITION.COM Protein supports healthy muscles. WWW.MAXINUTRITION.COM MAXINUTRITION, CYCLONE and theStar Device are registered trade marks of the GSK group of companies. www.EmeraldRugby.com Concussion Recognise & Remove Convulsive Unsteady Headache Confused Knocked out Dazed Nauseous Dizzy Any of these - get them off NOW irbplayerwelfare.com/concussion CONTENTS www.emeraldrugby.com JUNE 2014 P16 Dave Foley Set for takeoff P10 Johann Muller bids Ulster farewell LEINSTER RUGBY 2014 Champions P30 Leinster Souvenir Poster P20 Jono Gibbes A Lasting Leinster Legacy P24 Toulon Double Champions of Europe Awards 2014 P48 OTHER FEATURES P36 TEST RUGBY P40 RABODIRECT PRO12 P46 Club & School P28 REFLECTION It’s not always about picking What’s not to love? Notes... Solly talks about his return to the best players northern climes P44 IRELAND RWC BID P38 KINSALE SEVENS Why Ireland need to win the bid P32 BRISTOL REBORN We look back at the action to host the Rugby World Cup Sean Holley on the rebirth of from the 2014 Heineken and should pull out all the stops a great rugby club Kinsale 7’s JUNE 2014 EMERALD RUGBY 1 EDITORIAL: GENERAL NEWS Editors Note What a way for Leinster to finish the season with a fantastic CORRESPONDENCE 34-12 win over Glasgow in the final of the RaboDirect 32 The Slopes, Craigavon, County Armagh, N.Ireland PRO12. In truth the scoreline probably flattered Leinster BT63 5NT a little as Glasgow proved formidable opponents, in the Tel (ROI) 048 3834 4333 final however it was the superior power of Leinster who Tel +44 (0)28 3834 4333 Twitter: @Emeraldrugby pulled clear of the Scots in the closing fifteen minutes Facebook: facebook.com/emeraldrugby to seal a very convincing win. Leinster became only the second team to win back to back league titles since the EDITORIAL Scarlets back in 04/05. Editor: Manus Lappin You can read the full match-report and video highlights on our website. Email: [email protected] Tweets: twitter.com/Emeraldrugby It was a pretty successful season for Leinster ‘A’ who also went on to secure back to back the British & Irish cup titles under the direction of Girvan Dempsey. The Leinster ADVERTISING Sales and Marketing Director: Emma Lappin conveyor belt of talent is continuing to produce top talent and the next generation of Tel (ROI) 048 3834 4333 Leinster players are certainly developing a winning habit. Tel (NI) 028 3834 4333 Email: [email protected] The PRO12 final in the RDS saw two Irish legends play their final game. In a fantastic Advertising Sales: Frank Quinn gesture, skipper Jamie Heaslip stood aside to let the retiring Brian O’Driscoll and Leo Advertising Design: Cormac Doyle Cullen lift the trophy in a fitting finale for both players. Cullen has already taken up a role on the Leinster coaching team whereas O’Driscoll has indicated he may return in DESIGN & LAYOUT some capacity to Leinster, but not before he takes a well earned rest from the game. Creative Director: Malachy McDaid GrafXpress Email: [email protected] I was lucky to be in Cardiff to see Jonny Wilkinson claim back to back Heineken Cup titles with Toulon at the end of last month. The England world cup winner, went on the SUBSCRIPTIONS following week to lead his side to the French Top14 title and bring down the curtain Subscribe online at www.emeraldrugby.com on another illustrious career. A rugby world without O’Driscoll and Wilkinson is a little Email: [email protected] surreal at this stage, but their retirement presents huge opportunities and I’m looking forward to seeing who emerges from their shadows over the coming seasons. CONTRIBUTORS Alan Solomons Conor Kelly Frank Quinn Trevor Johnston All too often we hear about players being forced to retire through injury so to see Aidan McCullen Adam Redmond three legends like Cullen, O’Driscoll and Wilkinson retire on their own terms does the Kate Rowan Dermot Keyes heart some good. No doubt there is some luck mixed in, but you will not find three John Dickson Bernard Jackman more dedicated professionals who at huge personal sacrifice, have really looked after themselves to ensure their bodies can stand the massive pressure of playing top flight professional rugby. Perhaps there is a SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS lesson in there for young players... Matt Geraghty Pauline McFerran perhaps there is a lesson in there for us Barney McGonigle Conor Keown Maeve Clarke Cliona Quaid all! Wendy Hickey Yours in rugby PHOTOGRAPHY Sportsfile (www.sportsfile.com) Manus Dickson Digital Jim Stitt Inpho John Plumtree returns to New Zealand DISTRIBUTION The Irish Rugby Football Union has confirmed that National Team Forwards Coach John Newspread, WNS, Direct Distribution. Plumtree is to leave his role with the national team following the Tour of Argentina. Plumtree will link up with his former Sharks coaching partner Chris Boyd to lead the PUBLISHER Extreme Publications Ltd. Hurricanes in the 2015 Super Rugby campaign. Current Rioch Wellington Lions coach, Boyd will take up the head coach role, with Plumtree as his assistant All rights reserved. No part of this publication The New Zealander joined the Ireland national coaching team in September 2013 and may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any shape or form or by any means worked with the national team during the 2013 Guinness Series and the 2014 RBS 6 Nations electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise Championship. without the written permission of the publishers, John Plumtree, said, “I have really enjoyed working with Joe, Les and the players over the Extreme Publications Ltd. Whilst every care is taken of submitted MSS, photographs, drawings and content, no last few months. But at the end of the day family must come first and we must do what we responsibility can be accepted for their loss or damage. think is best for the Plumtree family. I would like to thank the IRFU for their understanding Extreme Publications Ltd do not accept responsibility for and wish everyone involved in Irish rugby the best of luck for the future.” the quality or content of advertisements supplied by, or compiled under instruction from a third party. Ireland Team Manager, Michael Kearney commented, “The Ireland National Rugby Team and Management would like to thank John for his contribution to the team’s success over the Copyright Extreme Publications Ltd past season. We are sad to see him go but our best wishes are with John and his family on their return to New Zealand.” 2 EMERALD RUGBY JUNE 2014 GENERAL NEWS GENERAL NEWS Andrew Trimble Voted Hibernia College IRUPA Players’ Player Of The Year 2014 Leinster’s Shane Jennings Omar Hassanein, CEO of IRUPA was awarded the Hibernia said: “I am really pleased for College Medal for Excellence, Andrew, he has forced his way which rewards on field effort back in to the national team combined with off field with a bang, and this award is commitment to the game. a superb reflection of the stellar Nominees were voted by their season he has enjoyed with peers but were also judged Ireland and Ulster Rugby. on their contribution to the Winning an IRUPA award is the Ulster and Ireland winger to Rob Kearney for his intercept sport through community highest honour a player can Andrew Trimble was last night try against New Zealand during involvement, education, work receive in this country, Andrew voted the Hibernia College Ireland’s heartbreaking defeat to and charitable initiatives. and all the winners and IRUPA Players’ Player of the Year the Rugby Championship holders nominees should be 2014 by his fellow players at the in the Autumn International Series. Three new awards were congratulated for the high 12th annual awards ceremony. presented this year; the recognition they have received Andrew has had stand out Andrew was delighted to receive Boardmatch Contribution to amongst their peers.” season for both Ireland and the award saying: “It is an honour Society, was presented to Ulster. He started all of Ireland’s to be recognised with this award, Donncha O’Callaghan in Dr. Sean Rowland, President and 6 Nations games, scoring especially as it’s voted for by the recognition of the significant founder of Hibernia College said: three tries along the way. The players. It’s been a great season impact made to society through ‘Hibernia College have formed prestigious award counts as and this really tops it all off”. As his work with Unicef. The a very strong relationship with Andrew’s third IRUPA Award well as the honour of being Player inaugural BNY Mellon Women’s IRUPA, providing scholarship overall, winning the Young Player of the Year, Andrew and all the Sevens Player of the Year 2014 opportunities to players through of the Year in 2006 and Try of the winners receive a Tissot watch as voted by members of the a combination of flexible online Year in 2010. The Award comes kindly provided by Tissot and Sevens squad was presented to learning approaches and only days after Trimble was Fields Jewelers.