David Wallace, Colin Patterson, John Muldoon and Des Fitzgerald recall their schoolboy rugby memories
Four legends of the game tell Tony Ward about their Senior Cup campaign memories
WHAT SCHOOL DID YOU ATTEND?
JOHN MULDOON: Portumna Community School.
DES FITZGERALD: De La Salle, Churchtown. DAVID WALLACE: Crescent College Comprehensive.
COLIN PATTERSON: Royal Belfast Academical Institution (RBAI or Inst for short).
EARLIEST MEMORIES OF SCHOOLS RUGBY?
JM: Watching my brother play Junior Cup then training for a few weeks and wanting to play a game, trying to convince the coach that the pitch was playable when it was covered in snow and frost.
DF: Watching DLS get beaten 33-3 by Blackrock in my first year at secondary school. Just couldn’t believe the speed with which the ball was transferred from collision right across the back line to their flying winger, Joe Rekab.
DW: Watching my brother Paul win the Senior Cup with Crescent in 1988. The first of two in a row that he never lets me forget!
CP: Being cold and wet, then cold showers after a muddy pitch.
MOST MEMORABLE SCHOOLS MATCHES PLAYED IN?
JM: Three-game trilogy against Sligo Grammar School in the semifinal of the Schools Senior Cup 1998/99; 0-0 then 9-9 but 12-8 (I think) to them in the second replay. We lost anyway and they went on to win the cup, beating the Bish [St Joseph’s College, Galway] 24-5 in the Final.
DF: Semi-final against Belvedere and final against Blackrock in 1975 – enjoyed the semi more than the final! We beat Belvedere by introducing a three-man scrum to negate their weight advantage (Aidan Kenna’s brainchild) and crucially an intercept on our own 25 by Adrian O’Connor, who couldn’t see the posts at the far end of the field until he made their 25. No contact lenses in DLS back then! Blackrock beat us in the final (11-7) – we were leading at half time because it was a fast and open game but at half time Rock changed tactics and took us on up front, with their stronger forwards carrying the day. Different tactics from the Rekab days.
DW: Senior Cup final win over Pres (PBC) at Thomond Park in 1994.
CP: Semi-final of Schools Senior Cup in 1973 against Ballymena Academy. We won.
MOST TALENTED SCHOOLBOY OPPONENT?
JM: Conor O’Loughlin (Marist College and Ferbane School). DF: Job Langbroek as a prop, but as an all-round forward and player, it has to be Harry Harbison (Captain of Rock in ’75). DW: Ronan O’Gara (PBC) and Denis Hickie (St Mary’s College).
CP: Adrian Goodrich, out-half Ballymena Academy and Ulster Schools.
SCHOOLBOY HEROES IN YOUR OWN SCHOOL?
JM: My brother Ivan. He introduced me to rugby and would drag me along when I didn’t know how to play or understand the rules. He captained the Junior Cup-winning team in 1996/97.
DF: Kevin Brophy (dropped a goal in his stocking feet, having lost his boot) and Stephen Harte, sadly no longer with us.
DW: There were eight Munster schoolboys on our SCT when I was in first year and they were all heroes: Mike O’Meara, Shane Leahy, Alan Reddan, Fergal Downes, Stephen Tuohy, Philip Madigan, Gareth Dineen and Paul Wallace.
CP: Politically incorrect I know, and an invalid answer, but it was George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton.
DO THE SCHOOLS STILL HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY?
JM: Yes. They are the future who are going to keep the game alive by growing it further and pushing fitness and skills to a new level. It also gives a sense of purpose, discipline, control, competitiveness, friendship etc, etc. All these skills are going to help kids develop and become role models and more responsible adults.
DF: I think anyone watching Leinster right now knows the answer to that one. However, it is critical that the pool of available talent is expanded through mini rugby and the clubs as there aren’t enough schools playing the game currently to sustain the supply. DW: Schools are and always have been the most important component in developing the next generation of players. Learning the skills to maximise your talent starts at school and in those do-or-die cup games.
CP: Most certainly. They should, however, be more geared to producing good players for the provinces rather than winning schools cups.
ONE WORD TO SUM UP THE GAME IN THE SCHOOLS?
JM: Talent.
DF: Physical. DW: Tribal.
CP: Enthusiasm.
AND THE SENIOR CUP WINNER THIS YEAR IN YOUR PROVINCE WILL BE?
JM: Jes (Colaiste Iognaid).
DF: St Michael’s. DW: Crescent College.
CP: Inst (RBAI) or Wallace High.