Fighting fit for Six Nations clash The day after we arrived back from France, it came to the notice of our management that many of the squad had developed an illness. A large number of the travelling party had caught the winter vomiting bug, and it affected them very badly. Thankfully it didn’t affect me really – I just didn’t feel 100 per cent. And luckily we didn’t have an international the following weekend.
But last weekend we were cleared to play for our club, once we had no injuries or weren’t still sick from the bug. As UL Bohs had a cup game, I made myself available to play. The match was a home game against Galwegians, another Division 1 side. I really enjoy playing club rugby as you get your hands on the ball more often, and you also have more time.
We generally use the cup competition to blood all out new recruits, while at the same time hoping to remain competitive in the competition. It was a great team performance in the first half, but we got a bit disjointed in the second half as there were a few more changes made. We finished the game with a win, however, which was well deserved.
Last week I didn’t do too much as I was feeling very tired; I just did one weights session and an endurance session. The squad then met up again last Thursday afternoon for a training session in St Mary’s. We didn’t get to train on the main pitch, but the floodlights were being tested and they were very impressive.
We were back in the Green Isle Hotel that evening for dinner and a meeting. As the national anthems were performed so badly the last time, two singers were brought in to sing them for the next match, and that night we met them to see what they could do.
The following morning we had a nice lie-in, as the game against Scotland wasn’t kicking off until 6pm. Our pre-match routine is always the same, but this week it was spaced out a little bit more. I really like the later game, as it gives you more time to relax through the day but it also gives you more time for the nerves to build.
We left our hotel at 4.15pm so we were heading straight into rush-hour traffic – thankfully there are bus lanes. When we got there, we found the conditions at St Mary’s were very blustery; the wind was swirling at both ends. As we were warming up there were very few people there, but as we went out to sing the anthems there was a sizeable crowd in full voice.
The match was very similar to the Italy game, where we had much of the possession in the first half but failed to score. In fairness, we were playing into the wind, but we didn’t take the chances that we had created, either. At half time the score was 3–0 to Scotland.
There was no panic in the dressing room, just a realisation that we had to convert possession into points. So in the second half we lifted our game, and it wasn’t long before Jo O’Sullivan had cut her way through the defence to touch down. After that we scored another try through our full back Sarah-Jane Belton.
The final score was 13–3, and it was our first win on home soil against Scotland. Right after the game I was asked to do an interview for RTÉ Two’s Against The Head and I immediately said yes, but if I’d realised the state my hair was in, there’s no way I would have agreed! No doubt I will get some slagging over it when it’s aired.
Later that night, in order to mark the first game under floodlights in St Mary’s, the club put on a great night for us, the Scots and all the supporters. Afterwards we again spent the night at the Green Isle as we had video analysis the next morning.
As we watched the video, it was evident where we were going wrong – although we were creating chan-ces to score, the final pass would be knocked on or we would lose the ball in contact. If we are to beat Wales in two weeks time, we need to get rid or these simple errors. In the other Six Nations games, England beat France 31–0, so they look set to retain the championship in impressive style, and Wales beat Italy 27–5.
The next day it was great to see the future of Irish women’s rugby in good shape, as there was an U-18 blitz held down at Wicklow RFC. I have no doubt that if these girls receive the correct training, a number of them will wear the green jersey in the future with distinction.
And of course I made it back up to Dublin to see the men’s team in fine form at Croke Park – hopefully this means their Six Nations ambitions are back on course.
Fiona Coghlan is an Irish International rugby player. Her column appears every fortnight in Metro Eireann
