13 December 2023
Hello Everyone,
Bad day at Blackrock or indeed Templeville Road or Anglesea Road! The Women’s First XV suffered a heaving defeat at the hands of Old Belvedere while the Men’s First XV went down against top of the table St. Mary's. On the evidence of last Saturday I see why St. Mary’s are unbeaten – they have a fighting spirit, as solid a defence as we’ve encountered, and they were good for the win. However, we were the first team to stop them getting a bonus point which reflects our fight until the end and our resolve to try and get as much as possible from the fixture. This is a good St. Mary’s side but watch this space carefully for the return leg in Stradbrook. Our guys won’t fear them and I think we’ll enter that fixture with plenty of ambition – home and away means it’s only half time!
The J1s and the U20s had two fantastic results again – these teams are critically important to the club as they will help us build out fuller squads and have home-grown talent coming through to complement the great contribution from the players joining us from other clubs. Both teams are topping their tables and head into Christmas in as strong a position as they can be – well done to all players, coaching team and management – enjoy your well-deserved break.
So, onto this weekend and the prospect of Buccaneers rolling into town with much improved form over the past few games. We are carrying a number of heavy injuries, we have players involved in Ireland U20s and Connacht squads so we have a smaller pool to call on, but there is huge talent waiting to get their shot on AIL day, and the commitment I’ve seen from these players when they get a chance is extraordinary. These are guys worthy of their place and I have full confidence in them and their fight for the battle that this match promises to be. To quote Vince Lombardi:
’the measure of who we are is what we do with what we have’
We need everyone to get behind the Women and Men’s teams to ensure we get back on a winning track. The club this weekend promises to be magic – we have a sold out lunch and some very familiar faces from the past showing up for a Christmas drink. Let's turn Stradbrook into a celebration this Saturday.
The object is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules – but to win.
See you out there.
Paul
Paul Flavin
President 2023-24
Blackrock College RFC
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