Anyone can lead a pack!

Skerries 1st XV v Suttonians, 11th January, 2003 at Holmpatrick

Skerries 10
Suttonians 9

As befits a game which came into existence by infringing the rules of another game, rugby has had a long history of habit-breaking. For years scrums were formed on a first-up-first-down basis. Then someone invented a hooker and gave him a pair of card-carrying props. Watch any rugby footage on Nostalgia TV and you will see that in the old days the wing-threequarters had the job of throwing the ball into the line-out.

Subsequently, almost overnight, they were relieved of their throwing duties, without as much as a bleat from the shop-steward. Since leadership became fashionable, a pack-leader has predictably been located somewhere in the pack. But as and from last Saturday, such a cosy logic will be optional rather than implacable. KEANE the Skerries left-wing, irked by the inefficiency of his contracted suppliers, took it upon himself to galvanise them. Anyone can lead a pack! ……. I can do that! ….these are the tenets of KEANE’S ground-breaking philosophy and Holmpatrick patrons were treated, at no extra charge, to the world première of a subversive idea.

KEANE’S revolution was opportune for, once again, his forwards were initially in lethargic mode, offering an open invitation to Sutton to take control of the match The invitation was not accepted with any alacrity. Two penalties by MOLLOY was the visitors reward for early pressure but by and large the Goats were allowed to idle with impunity.

Suttonians reluctance to trouble the scoreboard operator was patent – hands of even average adhesion would have provided them with one or more tries. Their regrets will have been made all the more acute by events on the run-up to the interval. DUFF’S legendary diplomacy for once failed him. His instinctive knowledge of the limits on the referees field of vision faltered and he was despatched to the bin. But his forwards had become progressively animated and, with the oranges imminent, they produced a text-book proof of the value of the rolling maul. The point of departure was a line-out at half-way and the set down stop was on the visiting 22. The home backs at last had the benefit of a sparsely populated open field. EARLY eliminated the cover with a meticulously precise pass to CONNOLLY and the winger scored sweetly.

Ten minutes into the second moiety the Goats had the lead. This time the line-out was driven across the border to the promised land and the redoubtable DOWLING took the score. To protect for half an hour a lead of anorexic proportion requires well-defined qualities of will and resolution. Skerries produced these in abundance in putting a hermetic seal on their try-line. KEANE, C is coming to terms with his fast-track ascension to senior rugby and his tactical kicking frequently fed the morale of his forwards. The visitors were allowed no more than the doubtful consolation of a late penalty goad.

The day was ultimately one of distinct promise for the Goats. GREY and BUTLER are rapidly regaining the form that scintillated in their pre-safari days and WALSH is a remarkably assured forward for one of his tender years. Most significantly, the Skerries bench is beginning to look as if it could accommodate a genuine rota system instead of being a hostel for long term tenants. HORAN had hoped to begin his apprenticeship as an eminence grise this season but he has recently been anointing himself with embrocation and vaseline to help the cause. Taking a mere four points from a possible twenty-five in the first five matches was not a auspicious beginning. But eleven out of fifteen in the last three is a decent rehabilitation. And KEANE for pack leader? There is a definite case for it – anything that helps to maintain his interest at its present high pitch is good for the team. When the two digits on his jersey number begin to resemble fingers it will be time to start worrying.