Planet Rugby

This column was intrigued when it noted that to the winners of the recent match between France and New Zealand would go the Dave Gallaher trophy.

Gallaher's Donegal roots

Gallaher, we learned, was an Irishman who captained the legendary All Black team simply known as the "Invincibles" on a winning tour of Ireland, Britain and Europe.

New Zealand duly won the recent game at Stade de France and as we pointed out last week got to keep the trophy. This column provided sketchy information about the fact that the Irish-born Kiwi legend had fought and died in the first World War and that a previous New Zealand team had gone to visit his grave in Belgium a few years back.

We asked for a little more information and this was duly supplied courtesy of "The Rucker" from Emerald Rugby Magazine. He wrote: "Although I have seen it in print that Dave Gallaher was born in Belfast he was born and bred in Ramelton, Co Donegal. We don't get too many rugby internationals in Donegal and we must claim them whenever we get a chance.

"Dave was born on October 30th, 1873, in Ramelton to James Gallaher, a shopkeeper, and his wife Maria McCloskie, a teacher. In May 1878, they emigrated to New Zealand. Dave, as you say, led the New Zealand team on their first tour in 1905-06.

"A firm at La Rochelle in western France decided to build a fleet of trawlers and name them after famous rugby players. The first trawler was named 'Yves du Manoir' after the French outhalf who was killed flying a military plane in 1928.

"There used to be a statue to him at the old Stade des Colombes. The second trawler was called 'Le Sergeant Gallaher,' named after Dave and apparently it was a small 119 tons craft. Incidentally Dave resigned as captain before the first tour as he felt the players were having a captain foisted on them.

"He was promptly re-elected. Dave was also an All Black selector. He was chosen for New Zealand in both the hooker and wing forward positions although it is in the wing forward position that he is best remembered.

"Incidentally he only joined up in the first World War after his younger brother was killed. He was survived by his wife and daughter who remember him as a jolly man."

This column is grateful to all those other readers who provided information.

Kaino takes honour

The fraught issue of bringing on young rugby players and ensuring they are physically and mentally capable of playing rugby at senior international level is always troublesome for any national coach.

New Zealand's Graham Henry had no such qualms when introducing young Jerome Kaino on the All Blacks recent tour; but then he is an exceptional young prospect.

Kaino recently won the IRB World under-21 Player of the Year award from a shortlist of five that included Ireland's Jamie Heaslip. Kaino and Heaslip opposed each other last summer in the under-21 World Cup final, a match won by New Zealand.

Heaslip compared very favourably and had an outstanding tournament. His progress is manifest in the call-up he has received this season into a few of Leinster's Celtic League squads. He is a player of outstanding promise.

Kaino has beaten him to a first cap and was moved to remark about his senior debut that "I didn't know whether to cry or be really amped for it."

In this writer's humble opinion the award should have gone to young New Zealand centre Luke McAlister, who also made the All Blacks recent trip to Europe.

Lions ticket news

Almost 75 per cent of the tickets made available to the public have been sold for the Lions' opening game against the Bay of Plenty for next summer's tour to New Zealand: 21,427 of the 28,550 tickets have already gone for the match in the Rotorua International stadium on June 4th. The NZRFU is using a public ballot to sell 150,000 tickets for Lions matches. The registration period closes on December 24th.

Brothers in battle

There's no doubt about it: some brothers do have them.

In a recent Munster Junior Challenge Cup quarter-final with Cashel edging Clanwilliam 19-16, it brought into opposition two prominent families, the Leamys and the Quinlans. Ten minutes into the second half with the game tied at 9-9, Edmund Leamy (brother of Denis) was sin binned for slowing the ball down in the ruck.

While he was off the pitch, Ian Quinlan (Alan's brother) stole over for the game's opening try. When Leamy came back on the pitch, Quinlan was sin binned for what transgression this column is not aware of nor were many present at the time and while he was off the pitch, Edmund Leamy scored the match-winning try. A case surely of the younger generations replicating the actions of older siblings.

Both elder brothers, Denis Leamy and Alan Quinlan, played a major part in Munster's win over Castres at Thomond Park at the weekend with Leamy in particular having an outstanding game and unlucky not to win man of the match for his efforts. (Thanks to Ronan Quirke.)

Referees fail to act

It certainly wasn't a fantastic weekend for some of the Heineken European Cup match officials who officiated at some of the matches televised on television. One incident stood out from an Irish perspective and that involved Ulster second row Gary Longwell and Stade Francais flanker Remy Martin in the game at Ravenhill. At a ruck near the Ulster line Longwell was awaiting the next ball carrier when Martin lunged, bringing his head careering into the Ulster player's face.

Referee Nigel Williams was no more than a couple of feet from the incident yet amazingly failed to act at all. The ball was nowhere near Longwell and there could have been no excuse for what transpired.

This comes on a weekend when Connacht were furious over alleged gouging and other acts of foul play in the European Challenge Cup game against Montpellier. It'll be interesting to note what ERC do about these incidents.