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A SIX NATIONS break week usually means a change of pace for the Ireland squad. They will still have the usual tough days on the training pitch, but the week comes with more free time outside of camp, while the coaching team also make an attempt to freshen things up when everyone is in house.
Last week, Dublin football legend Brian Fenton paid the group a visit. They also had their traditional training session against the Ireland U20s, while Simon Easterby had also organised a sauna trip for his players.
Those little rewards feel well earned when you’ve made a strong start to the championship, with Ireland taking maximum points from their opening two games against England and Scotland.
“To be able to get so many lessons out of the two games, by no means were they perfect performances, so we’re continually trying,” says Garry Ringrose, fresh from that session with Neil Doak’s U20s squad.
“There was a good buzz and energy, certainly from them and the opportunity they have to train against the seniors, but then from us to keep trying to get better, improve and challenge ourselves.”
There’s been an edge to some of those sessions previously, with the younger cubs keen to make an impression against the senior stars, but this time all involved were reminded to be on their best behaviour.
“In the past I’ve been involved in a few intense sessions, but I think we were warned and they were warned to make sure nothing came to blows,” Ringrose says.
“But it’s brilliant, and I remember when I was U20s and getting the chance to train with the seniors and it’s class experience. And then even for us, when we’re training against ourselves sometimes we know the calls and stuff like that, it’s kind of good to play them against opposition that aren’t up to speed from that perspective and see what works and what doesn’t.”
That session came hot on the back of Fenton’s visit, with the seven-time All-Ireland winner clearly making a strong impression on the group.
It was cool having him in. He’s a pretty inspirational figure, certainly as a Dub but I think everyone in the room was admiring him for what he’s achieved as a player and with the team he’s involved in.
“There’s loads of crossover between high-performance environments so I was picking his brain a little bit and even on some of the aerial stuff – he’s some man to win a ball in the midfield and with the new rules, we were asking him for some tips and cues that he uses that helped him through his career.”
Fenton was one of the greatest high-fielders in the intercounty game, so it was no surprise to hear he came armed with a few pearls of wisdom.
“Right from the kick execution to the timing of the chase, the entry into the contest, trying to win the breaking ball, there’s loads of different aspects and it was just really cool hearing his perspective, what helped him through the years.
“I’m certainly a big fan of him and the Dubs and what they’ve managed to do. Everyone in the room yesterday, even outside of Dublin, would admire what he was a part of.
At no point did he mention the word ‘I’. He was very insistent on him being part of a great team and culture.
“And I get the chance to work with Dec D’Arcy at Leinster, and he was at Dublin, and Gary Keegan with us would have spent time with Dublin. Any environment that has achieved huge success for a prolonged period of time, all of us would be keen to know what they’re doing, what they’re thinking. From the game perspective, talking about the aerial battle, it was great getting his insights into how he approached it and how the team approached it.”
Like many areas of Ireland’s game, the team’s approach around the high ball still owes some gratitude to Joe Schmidt. Last year Paul O’Connell revealed how the team continue to use some of Schmidt’s language around how they coach the breakdown, and Ringrose explained it’s a similar story to their work around the high ball.
“I remember when I was first in the environment Joe Schmidt used to really drive it and had some principles that we still use and reference today and then I guess, when teams got a bit cuter, in terms of providing a block and stuff like that, I don’t think it ever got any easier because it’s not exactly and easy skill but it did give fellas – if you got that right – a cleaner approach or jump at the ball.
“Now that that’s been taken away I think it’s a massive challenge. There are loads of different aspects to it. It’s great, certainly the crowd get involved, the players, it can give us energy so it’s something we’re continually trying to review and get better at because it’s kind of ebbed and flowed from when I first started.
“But as I said a couple of the principles Joe spoke about are still being spoken about now.”
Ringrose started the second round win over Scotland on the bench, but continues to be an integral part of the squad – with his importance highlighted by the signing of a new three-year contract this week.
“It’s just a privilege to play with the club I grew up watching, and to continue to play or be involved and backed by Ireland.
“My motivation is to do anything I can to help any team I’m involved in, whether that’s starting on the bench, or not involved. That will be my motivation and driving force for the next three years.”
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Not a mortgage holder, and I’m not unbiased, but fair play to the Govt for staring them down
No vested interests either, but I’m even more shocked that at the stance they took in the first place.
Like It takes guts to do that when the bank is state owned! Give yourselves a salary increase for help with our spin.
The PTSB are the biggest gangsters in this and are gettin away with it. They increased the rates 3 times recently and although they will be reducing this .25% they are still by far the dearest.
I think you’ll find Ulster bank are the most expensive at 5.1%
AIB only exists because stupid taxpayers pay their bills.
I can not believe that they are getting away with this. The Bank has 3,000 employees it does not need and coupled with a host of branches that should be shut the cost to the tax payer is truly astronomical. recent salary increases on top of inflated salary levels add to the pension fund cost.
Why is the EBS rate 1.5% higher than AIB and they are merged institutions?
The EBS borrowers are being excessively penalised….
I think every aib or bank worker on the journal is giving the thumbs down
What recent salary increase would that be?
I started with EBS, some years ago when they were among the cheapest on the market, and I liked the whole idea of a mutual. Because of the race to the bottom, driven in part by Anglo, AIB were at one (later) point the second cheapest on the market for mortgages, and this received some publicity, with the IT publishing a comprehensive “scoresheet” as it were of the rates available at that time-late ’06 or very early ’07.
So I called into them, just before the whole thing went South, and, like the guy on the bus, I didn’t know what a tracker mortgage was, but they offered me one, as well as the (declined by me) chance to buy another investment property, or take an ‘oul holiday.
Happily I took it, and even happier, they took on board a ridiculously high valuation of my family home, giving me a loan to value that bore no relation to reality. I still have that-and am gladdened by the fact that those on variable rates are getting a bite of the cherry-I could still be there myself but by chance.
if every aib account holder withdrew their deposits and moved them elsewhere, they’d get a rude awakening!
The Dutch did this a fews years ago over bonuses to top staff. They gave them back More power to the people
They didn’t rise rates in the first place like all the other wanks. People should do some research before judging.
People are just looking for money for nothing, now they are getting a better rate than before the ECB increases.
The ESB is state owned but does not entitle people to free electricity, why should it be different with the banks.
Still doesnt stop them giving there staff a pay rise
I think it was quite reasonable that if AIB didn’t pass on the recent rises, they should not have to pass on the cut. This turn around seems totally illogical to me. Nice for those affected & good luck to them but nevertheless quite daft!
Wow great, lucky us – taxpayer to pay back reckless mortgage holders loans
This is a direct transfer of cash from depositors to mortgage holders
Is there anything stopping the banks from raising their rates in say a months time, irrespective of any change in the ECB rate? It never seems to stop PTSB as far as i can see.
Great stuff, with govt interference like this how do they hope to get private investment in order to get the NPRF’s investment in AIB back? Very short sighted decision, especially given AIB never passed on the last two increases.
You couldn’t make this stuff up
Yeah but if you raise interest rates it pushes more people into the cannot pay bracket and so we end up paying anyway, at least this makes repayments more affordable.
More likely it pushes them to restructure or sell. Banks should not be in the business of giving away money.
Why does it feel wrong that banks are passing on a saving to customers ?
Oh no, wait a second ……
News flash – Banks claim PR error and state that it should of read raise rates by 0.25%. The error is set to cost taxpayers a Further 10billion for some reason but banks have decided the double the rate increase to 0.5% because a senior exec was afraid they mightn’t be able to fund the regular replacement of the gold chairs that they use while at their weekly meetings in their ivory tower in the Bahamas.
Instead of posting the new rates in papers banks have simply setup a very easy system in every branch to accommodate these new costs. All customers of the branches should empty their pockets into barrels that are marked “slush funds”. An Taoiseach should simply sign a blank cheque (as they might need more the 10bil, you never know) and make it payable to cash or C#^?s , either way the ecb will know who it’s for!
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