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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Failing to live up to expectations
By Tommie Kenoy
Ireland v New Zealand in Croke Park was a special occasion.
The only pity was that Ireland failed to live up to expectations. Croker was full and this was mainly due to a belief that Ireland might, at last, break their long losing sequence against the southerners.
It wasn’t to be and nobody could complain. Ireland were well beaten by a team that operate at a different level. However, while they may be popular in their native land, that is probably the only place such admiration exists.
From Ireland’s perspective it was shocking to find Keven Mealamu in the visiting scrum. This guy was a principle in the spear tackle on Ireland’s captain during the Lions tour. He has never accepted he did wrong, has never apologised and indeed is seen as something of a hero in New Zealand.
Kiwis coach Graham Henry, during an interview last week, described O’Driscoll’s assailant as “a special All Black in the way he conducts himself both on and off the field. He’s a great role model for the other guys.” If that’s the case then who needs role models.
The real story is that Mealamu nearly brought an end to Brian O’Driscoll’s career, might well have left him crippled and got away with it.
O’Driscoll was out of the game for a year but it must be said that he was the real role model in this. He called it as it was, but did so with great grace and dignity.
Unfortunately neither Mealanmu nor his coach seems to know the difference between right and wrong. Thankfully many New Zealanders do and are deeply embarrassed at the treatment of Brian O’Driscoll. And they have many amongst their ranks who deserve to be seen as role models.
Amongst them is the great Jonah Lomu. His career was halted by ill health that required a kidney transplant. This gentle giant recently broke up a fight between two drunken louts by diplomatically telling them that their fight was stupid and they should just stop, which they very quickly did.
On Monday last he turned on the Christmas lights in Limerick as he visits the city for the New Zealand v Munster game. Let’s hope that he gives the same advice to Limerick’s murderous gangs during his stay. It’s doubtful if they’ll listen however.
Thugs who masquerade as sportsmen
For the first time in the GAA’s modern history one of its members was jailed for assault on the field of play.
I write “modern history” because while this is not the first time, it is over 100 years ago and that was during the final era of faction fighting.
Many cases for on field assault have been prosecuted before the courts. Indeed I found myself in the less than palatable position as the prosecuting Garda in two such cases. But this is the first time that a jail sentence has been handed down.
There is an attitude in GAA circles that such matters should be dealt with within the GAA Pale and should not be brought to the courts. Indeed GAA rule (utterly unconstitutional) exists banning such action.
Arising from the jailing of Tomas Keane it was shocking to find a statement from his club, Fethard, that said: “The GAA would not have survived a century and a half if people went running to the courts.”
Sadly this typifies attitudes within the Association. Judge William Early, who handed down the sentence, captured the reality well when he said: “striking without legal justification is a crime whether it takes place on the street, in the family home or the football pitch or elsewhere.”
Hopefully some of the thugs in our society who masquerade as “sportsmen” will take note.
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