Paying the penalty for not finding touch in ‘The Local’

Country Living with Francis Farragher

A good few years back, a young fella came into the Connacht Tribune on a week’s placement from one of the local schools. He was a good sturdy lad who told me that he played at prop forward for his school and over the course of the following few days, he did his best to explain to me the essential differences between a tighthead and loosehead prop.

By the time his week’s placement I had a good idea of the technicalities of the front-row but I’m afraid most of it has been forgotten since, apart from the fact that the tighthead wears no. 3 and is the absolute cornerstone of the scrum, while opposite him, the loosehead, no. 1, does his best to rise him (mentally as well as physically!) and disrupt him.

The nearest I ever came to a loosehead was with the O’Neill’s ball where the no. 1 position involved that sometimes lonesome role between the posts on good days and not so good ones, depending on the fortunes of the local club.

A week or two back, I read a letter in one of the Sunday newspapers from a rather irate reader who vowed never to visit his local pub during the course of a rugby match given all the technical jargon that was being shared – very loudly – between the customers.

I’m inclined to disagree with him, as I can only sit back in wonder and awe at guys beside  me who have never kicked or pucked a ball in their lives, analyse in some detail where Ireland’s problems are in the scrums, mauls, rucks, lineouts and open play. Far from being annoying, I find it quite entertaining.

This is not any source of annoyance to me but instead it provides a well of humour and amazement that wants me to return again and just soak up the variety of analyses coming from the high stools. (Yes, we can use them again!).

There is a great reassurance in knowing that your friend sitting beside you sipping his fourth or fifth Guinness can state with absolute certainty whether Johnny Sexton should ‘go down the line’ or ‘go for the posts’ with his 50-50 penalty.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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