Annual Banquet 17 November

The time has come for our annual end of year Banquet, and being how this is our 50th year we are hoping for a great turn-out.

The Banquet will be held at "La Plaza" Holiday Inn on Sherbrooke.The date is November 17th. The Banquet will begin at 19:00 and finish at 01:00. This will be a three course meal followed by an open bar (Open bar is on all alcohol and begins after the last course is served) The meal is Chicken and there is a vegetarian substitute.

At arrival and during the meal it will be a PAY Bar.

The cost per person is $65.00.please email Scott O'Flaherty if you wish to attend as there will not be tickets at the door!!as well let me know if you would like the vegetarian substitute as your meal.Replies are final as we get charged whether or not you show up, so if you give a yes and then something comes up and your a no show, sorry but you will still be charged.

RSVP no later then November 09.Thank you & Look forward to seeing everyone there

scott_oflaherty@hotmail.com

Dinner and drinks at Molson Brewery

Just a reminder to all those interested in attending the dinner at the Molson tap room at 19:30 on Saturday 22 September: please let Eric Hough ( ejhough@sympatico.ca ) or myself (martin.buckle@alcan.com or by phone onon 514 971 2777) know as soon as possible so that we can finalise arrangements.

The tickets are $50 each and cheques should be made payable to MIRFC. A raffle will be held during the evening with prizes including a player's jersey from the London Irish, autographed by the squad, as well as MIRFC memorabilia.

The evening at Molsons will follow a day of live Quarter Finals rugby at Ste Julie.

I would also like to remind you that Hurleys will be the meeting place for Friday night, 21 September. For those from out of town who will be looking to watch the World Cup Hurleys will be screening all the games during the competition

50th Anniversary Fall Classic Golf Tournament

Montreal Irish R.F.C. 50th Anniversary
Fall Classic Golf Tournament
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Caughnawaga Golf Club

Click here for the registration form.

50th Anniversary Dinner/Dance Tickets

Visit the following link, http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd8xrcp9_26hdc8j4, to get tickets for the 50th Anniversary Dinner/Dance

Saturday, 29 September Black Tie event

Please find below a reminder of this year's summer golf tournament which will be held in its traditional New York State location.

This year's Canton Open is also part of the MIRFC's 50th Anniversary year celebration, so a great time for a reunion if you haven't been for a few years. You don't have to play golf if you don't want, just laze around the pool, catch some rays & have a cool drink. This tournament is not restricted to Old Boys so anybody who's interested should sign up and come along.

Dates: Friday June 29th thru Monday July 2nd (for those that can last that long)

Friday .. Ist round of 36 hole Low Nett Aitken/Robertson Trophy (please remember to hand your card in to Gordie O'R or Mike The Moroney)
.. Evening in the bar

Saturday AM .. Canton Open (which includes the 2nd round of the 36 hole Low Nett trophy)
PM .. 9 hole 3 club 'Rum N Coke' Open ...... Putting Contest.
Evening .. Dinner & prize giving

Sunday AM .. Vegas Team Tornament .... Teams based on scores from Saturday's rounds

Monday ...Golf & home.

Please see below some comments from Jimmy Heaslip:-

Yes it would be great to see lots of our members as well as other teams plus we have an inter-club trophy for other clubs
The hotel-dining rm.- Bar -swimming pool-and golf course are the same place--no driving required

The cost per night per room is 77$ US at the Best Western tel:315 386-8522

We try to gather Friday to play in the after-noon.
We do the draw on Friday Night when we know who wants to be in the tournament
Prizes are presented at banquet Saturday night everybody expected to attend
Draw for Vegas game is made Saturday.
This tournament has been running for about 35 years and is a wonderful week-end

We hope to see as many members, friends and old boys as possible - book now and let's see a great turn out.

You can book the hotel direct. If you have any further questions feel free to contact Jimmy Heaslip, Gordon Robertson or Gaston Bruneau

Regards



Martin Buckle

MIRFC Treasurer

London Irish RFC

Our friends at London Irish RFC, who play in the English Premier League, have very kindly donated a (XL) jersey, signed by the team, to help us raise funds during our anniversary year. I recognise the signature of Mike Catt and will work on deciphering the rest (bear in mind the players are not selected on their caligraphy skills).



The jersey comes complete with a certificate of authenticity and a match programme from the 15th April game between the Exiles and the Worcester Warriors - a game the Irish won handsomely.



The programme features Justin Bishop who has just retired as a player at the end of this season, having started with London Irish during the amateur years and only ever played top flight rugby with the club (and Ireland!). Only two other premier league players can match that loyalty - Lawrence Dallaglio at Wasps and Richard Hill at Saracens.



We will send out details on how you can get hold of this jersey and raise money for the club later in the year.

Bermuda Police RFC 5 - Montreal Irish RFC 31

The score is as I remember it, though there are numerous reasons why my memory is not what it might be. Suffice it to say, this was another great visit from our friends in Bermuda who always bring the party with them.

The game was a good solid performance with some hard drives and crunching tackles but always in the best of spirits. It was also the first time most of our supporters will have seen the new-look, skin-tight jerseys which may have led to a few of the fainter hearted swooning in admiration for the hot physiques that were on display. Massimo made it out as well, though I have no comment to make about his physique...

The game ended 31-5 in favour of the MIRFC but if this implies a one sided game I can assure you that the events on the field were a lot closer than the score would imply.

It is possible that Bermuda's failure to dominate the Irish during the game was the result of a shortage of players and an excess of beer the night before but the result of the boat race after the match also went the MIRFCs way and is now captured for ever on YouTube.

A big thank you to all the lads from Bermuda (even the ones with the wrong kind of Antipodean accent) and especially Ken O'Shea for his contribution in Gaelic. I know the bar tenders of Montreal will remember them for a while to come.

Open Invitation to Canada Senior Women's Sevens Squad

Check it out here.

Important Message from Quebec Refs Association (AARQ)

2007 Game Procedures, http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd8xrcp9_17cwwdh4
2007 Referee Gas Reimbursement, http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd8xrcp9_16c6d4fn
2007 regulation 17 changes, http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd8xrcp9_10gkfvk6
Match confirmation - 2007, http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd8xrcp9_7fc2r6t
Reducing stress on referees and coaches, http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd8xrcp9_5chfwtz
Résumé de la réunion préparatoire pour la saison 2007, http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd8xrcp9_0fskm5m

MIRFC 50TH ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM CALENDAR 2007 IN A NUTSHELL

January
Program Preparation
Frank Rooney 514-341-4454

February

• Training Begins ( Black Watch Armoury )

March

• St. Patrick’s Parade Unit Sunday Mar 18 th.

April

• Old Boys Dinner Friday Apr. 20 th.
• Toronto Irish Canadian RC Men and Women at Ste Julie Saturday 28 April.

May

• Start of season for men and women
• May 19, Visit of Bermuda Police RFC
• Blood Donor’s Clinic (postponed till Fall to combine with RHR BlackWatch- details to follow).

June

• Canada Day 35 th. Annual Golf Tournament Canton N.Y.
• Friday June 29 th.- Sunday July 1 st (or even Monday if you need the extra recovery time).

July

• Canada Day 35 th. Annual Golf Tournament Canton N.Y. Contact Jim Heaslip 514 737-8337
• Friday June 29 th.- Sunday July 1 st (or even Monday if you need the extra recovery time).

August

• 28 th. Labor Day Invitational Tournament. ( Ste Julie Grounds )
• Friday August 31 st.-Sunday September 2^nd. Contact Mike Magee 514-938-1088

September

• Teams (Men- Women ) Overseas Tour September 9 th - 19 th.

"HOME COMING ANNIVERSARY EVENTS"

• 21 st Friday : Welcome Pub Night, Hurley’s, 1225 Crescent Street, Complimentary hors d’oeuvre
  
• 22nd Saturday Game Day Ste. Julie then there is a Cocktail Reception followed by Dinner, at Molson’s, Contact person: Martin Buckle (514) 482-2493
  
• 23 rd Sunday
  
  1. 1:30 Intersquad Old Boy’s game: Massimo Pacetti XV Vs Craig McDevitt XV
  2. 3:30 Over 60s MIRFC vs Rest of Canada
     
     Captains: Paul Loftus (MIRFC) and Bob Henzel (ROC)
     Officials: Dave Hardy, Roy Harvey, Richard Clegg
     
     
• 24 th Monday Free Day
• 25 th Tuesday Lunch @ Capri Tavern, 2174 Saint Patrick Street, Pointe St. Charles
• 26 th Wednesday Free Day: Options: City Tour, Boat Trip on Saint Lawrence River, visit to Laurentians, Trip to Vermont, etc.
• 27 th Thursday Fall Classic Golf Tournament, Contact person: John Dennett (514) 626-7346
  
• 28 th Friday Free Day. Options: Lunch on Prince Arthur Street BYOB/W, Golf, Shopping
• 29 th Saturday 50th Anniversary Dinner Dance Banquet (Black Tie or dark suit), Contact person: Jerry Brennan (514) 783-1198
• 30 th Sunday Farewell Brunch. Trip to President’s Golf Tournament

October

• Men's Finals Quebec league (details to follow)

November

• 17th November Annual Banquet at La Plaza
• New York 7's (details to follow)

December

• AGM (details to follow)
  

Opening Ste Julie 21 April

Our fearless President has stopped by the clubhouse and noted that the fields and driveway are still covered in snow therefore we will be postponing the opening until Saturday, 21 April.

This won't give us a lot of time to get the clubhouse in shape before our first home game of the season (on 28 April against the Irish Canadians of Toronto) so we will need as many people as possible out.

Please let Jamie Lockwood or Eric Hough know if you intend to help out.

Thanks
Jamie VP Grounds

It's all over... till the next time

St Patrick's Day 2007 will be famous forever in the annals of Irish sporting history... as the day Ireland beat Pakistan in the cricket World Cup. The subsequent mysterious demise of the English coach of the Pakistan team will surely be turned into a low quality whodunnitt with Gerry Adams as the lead detective partnered with Ian Paisley as the CSI boss - well less likely things have happened so who knows!

As for the rugby, I can barely think about it even now (and not just because I can barely remember it). Ireland pipped at the post yet again by a higher scoring French team. Scotland did a manful job of resisting Les Bleus and when the Scots held out for a try near the end I thought the French were sunk but it was not to be. Aided by a generous Irish TV referee France emerged winners by 27 points and took the championship, too.

A less generous person might point out that if Ireland hadn't eased up on the Italians and let them score in injury time then the Championship trophy would be sitting next to the Triple Crown. Of course if they hadn't fallen asleep in the last minutes against the French at Croke Park the tournament wouldn't have gone this far even, but I wouldn't dream of being so unkind.

But if the Irish and Scottish results were disappointing the English performance in Cardiff was woeful. Oh, the pain, the agony of defeat, the humiliation of sitting next to Dai and Myron as the Welsh hordes trampled over England's weakling army. Where's King Edward when you need him?

One commentator noted that the tournament may have been short on quality but it was certainly full of tension. Though this is true it wouldn't seem to be a very good omen for the World Cup which looks set to head back down south after a brief sojourn in the northern hemisphere. The petty bickering between the European clubs and their respective unions is not going to help either. The Scottish clubs can barely survive as it is and the impact on their national side was all too obvious this year. Without the money from the European leagues there will be even less chance of Scotland re-emerging from the doldrums.

In the meantime rugby resumes at Ste Julie on 28 April with the visit of the Toronto Canadians - see you there.

MIRFC Web Site

Folks,

Sorry for the outage on the mirfc.ca web site. I have been on vacation and only found out about it yesterday. For the tekkies out there, the domain name mirfc.ca expired. It has been renewed and will be up again within 24-48 hours.

Your friendly neighborhood webmaster,
NickyT

Ah yes, our green weekend has come and gone. Thanks to all who stood in the freezing temperatures and made the long sobering march down Ste.Catherine Street. We put a lot of smiles on people’s faces from tots to adults, which should make you fell good. Next year we are planning a float, which will make the day a little more comfortable. Special thank to James Acker for the 600 created and for the members passing them out along the parade. “Venez le Jeu” Hopefully we will get some more bodies to add some depth to some key positions. I was a little disappointed this year by the lack of presence by our team at Hurley’s on the weekend. It seems the same faces come out time and again. It would be nice if everyone showed up on the key dates such as this passed weekend. We should practice, play and party as a team if we want to be successful as a club.
Ah oui, notre week-end vert est venu et a disparu. Merci à ceux et celles qui ont survécu les températures, le vent et qui ont fait la longue marche de la rue Ste.Catherine. Nous avons mis beaucoup de sourires sur les visages des personnes de toutes ages. Un bon service de communauté. L'année prochaine nous projetons un flot, qui nous aidera à passé la journée un peut plus confortable. Un gros merci à James Acker des 600 environ pamphlets passés dehors le long du défilé. "Venez le Jeu". Si tout va bien nous obtiendrons encore plus de personnes pour des positions principales. J'étais déçu cette année par le manque de présence par notre équipe chez Hurley’s le week-end. Il semble que les mêmes visages sortent tous le temp. Il serait ‘’suuupaire’’ si le monde sortaient au dates principales de ce type de fin de semaine passé. Nous devrions pratiquer, jouer et célèbrer en équipe si nous voulons être un club portant beaucoup de succès.

MIRFC site

We are currently suffering a few problems with the main MIRFC site: hopefully this will be resolved soon

Forget the rugby, celebrate cricket

Those of you still crying into your Guinness after the Irish video ref gave France the Championship may take some solace in the fact that Ireland beat Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup on Saturday... there again, you may not.

Here's the BBC link if you're interested

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/6457689.stm

Hello Boys!

Paul O'Connell introduces himself to some new friends

Concussion to Phil Vickery

That's what a concussion looks like.

Phil Vickery was punched in an off the ball incident on 4 March by Bristol's Jason Hobson and is still not recovered enough to play for England

6 Nations Rugby @ Hurleys on St Patrick's Day

With just one day of rugby left in this year's 6 Nations Championship most people (well, I) thought that St Patrick's Day would be France's coronation day as champions of Europe as the last stepping stone to World Cup Glory. Instead they barely have their heads in front of a chasing pack led by Ireland with England just a length behind. Last week I predicted that Ireland would romp home past Scotland, Italy would beat Wales and France would put a cricket score past England - it seems I know more about Italian rugby than the English or Irish game.

Scotland 18 narrowly lost to Ireland 19 in a dour match at Murrayfield and although the victory is welcome the nature of it was uninspiring. Scotland squeezed all of the flare (and in ROG's case the air) out of the opposition and after the first 20 minutes Ireland never regained the happy confidence they showed against England a fortnight earlier. There were various brawls and off the ball incidents to keep hockey fans interested (including, allegedly, an attempt to throttle Ronan O'Gara) but Scotland finish another game without having scored a try. In the end ROG's boot dragged Ireland back in front but they really needed more than a one point victory to feel confident of beating France for the title.

Italy 23 beat Wales 20 to record two wins in the same tournament for the first time. Wales were leading by seven points with less than ten minutes to go but indiscipline from them and determined play from Italy saw the Azzurri take the lead with just three minutes left on the clock. Wales could have equalised with 10 seconds remaining but chose a high stakes gamble by going for the line-out only for the referee to blow his whistle. Whether that was fair or not, any Welshman who thinks his team was beaten in those last few confusing seconds is deluding himself. They were never better than the Italians in this game; the only thing that could have saved them was if the linesman had spotted Bergamasco lay out Stephen Jones which would have had him carded on the day and now has him banned for four weeks.

England 26 beat France 18 in an unlikely encounter that saw the English over-power the French in the pack and run rings round their backs. Evidently dropping eight players can do wonders for team morale. Mike Catt (brought back into the squad as Captain at 35) was involved in both England tries, feeding Toby Flood (1st replacement for Jonny W) for his first England try, then not catching a pass from Shane Geraghty (2nd replacement for Jonny W) which fell for Tindall to run in. The final score not only stopped France from having a chance to win the "Grand Chelem" but has pegged them back on points difference as well: with Ireland just four behind there's all to play for this week.

Super Saintly Saturday

Given that all the games take place one after the other the top of the table position could change three times during the day. Ireland go first and, assuming they win, may have to wait nearly six hours to find out if they are Champions or not. France currently have the advantage at the top but know that a poor performance could leave them open to challenge. England go last and will know what their target is before they start - whether it will help or just add to the nerves we'll see.

Ireland play in Italy at 9:30am. Before the tournament started the bookies would have said this was a definite two points for Ireland but Berbizier's side have proved that they should not be written off till the final whistle (Welsh joke, see). Italy lose Mauro Bergamasco for his thuggish attack on Stephen Jones whilst Ireland will be without Paul O'Connell and his broken thumb. Marcus Horan returns from injury and the rest of the side stays the same. What chance Ireland to win the 6 Nations championship for the first time? Someone told me it's been 22 years since Ireland won the old 5 Nations which seems hardly believable given how many great players they've had since then and their recent run of form in the Triple Crown.

Next up is Scotland in France at 11:30am. The Scots won this fixture last year and only narrowly lost the season before but they been pretty awful this time around and I really can't see them sneaking it for Ireland. France have swapped out some of their underperforming stars and replaced the injured Skrela. Chabal was totally anonymous against England, Yachvili's wayward kicking gave Geraghty the chance to set up Tindall's try and Dominici could do nothing much on the wing, so they've all been chopped though Dominici remains in the squad. Skrela's replacement is Lionel Beauxis.

Finally we have England in Wales at 13:30. England may go into this game tomorrow evening knowing if the Championship is theirs to grab or if it's already out of their reach. They start the weekend with a goal difference of just plus 13, 25 behind Ireland and a further four behind France (in 2001 they finished on plus 150 even though they lost 19-13 to Scotland that year). Wales on the other hand are wallowing in the shame of a winless season and will throw everything at England before conceding this match up. Mathew Tait is back in the opening line-up in place of try-scorer Tindall who is injured. The last time Tait started for England he was blown out of the game by Gavin Henson who went on to kick the winning points for Wales as they began their Grand Slam season. Since then Andy Robinson's shameful treatment of Tait has been swept away with the arrival of Brian Ashton and Henson's injured star is losing it's glitter.

In other news Trevor Brennan, who won 13 caps for Ireland, has been banned from playing rugby for life for entering the stands at Toulouse to beat up an Ulster fan. Brennan was also fined 25,000 Euro and ordered to pay 5,000 Euro compensation.

See you all Saturday
Martin Buckle

Schedule for Saint Patrick's Day at Hurleys

6 nations coming up this weekend

Well, the last round of games was very physically demanding (for my liver
at least). It's a good thing Bill gives us a discount on the beer as well
as the game or it would have been cheaper to fly to Dublin to watch the
match. Super Saturdays are a great idea but I don't remember much past the
first half of Wales v France so my report may be a little skimpy on that
front. Last thing I remember was Wales leading but apparently it didn't
quite end like that.

So, to recap: Ireland well and truly destroyed England, not only on the
pitch but in their hearts and minds, too. Brian Ashton has admitted his
team are "second division" in terms of world rugby (so there's a vote of
confidence in your players) and the English papers have been full of woe
wondering if this is a sign of a return to Andy Robinson type humiliations.
The bare facts are Ireland scored 4 tries, 4 conversions and 5 penalties
for a record victory (Ireland 43 -England 13) that also keeps them on track
to win the triple crown.

The day had started fantastically with Italy scoring their first try
against Scotland in something like 18 seconds. Within 6 minutes they had
scored another two converted tries and secured their first victory away
from home in the 6 Nations. A sweet result (Scotland 17 - Italy 37) in the
end, especially for Berbizier who never won here for France. Troncon was
again the man of the match and at this rate looks likely to get MVP for the
tournament. Scotland will still be competing with Wales for the wooden
spoon.

Now we come to the tricky bit: Wales in France. Wales managed to score two
early tries (having scored none against both Ireland and Scotland) and for
a minute it looked like an upset was on the cards. Before the end of the
first half, however, Roger Saulce was able to give Les Bleues enough vocal
encouragement to retake the lead. Wales never gave up so they do at least
take some pride away from this performance if not the victory laurels.
Final score: France 32 - Wales 21

Saturday, 10 March

And so on to this week with just two games on Saturday
First up is Scotland versus Ireland at 8:30am Montreal time. Scottish
fans who arrived late for the match against Italy would have been saved the
sight of three dreadful give-away tries so if you're planning to make it on
Saturday it may be worth the effort to arrive early and get ready for some
point scoring. Scotland have changed their fly-half and brought back Dan
Parks who last played against England. Ireland too make only one change -
prop Marcus Horan who has a leg injury. Ireland need to notch up as many
scores as possible in case the championship is decided on points difference
again this year. I sincerely hope that the Scottish guy who sits at the
front turns up again this weekend - that man knows how to take public
humiliation (I seem to remember he was backing England to win at Croke
Park, as well...)

Italy v Wales kicks off at 10:30am There can't have been much celebrating
on St David's Day last week after their third defeat in the tournament but
there's no reason for the Welsh to give up hope just yet - they should wait
until they've lost to Italy and then do it. The Italians stand to win
about $30,000 each if they beat Wales - hardly enough to get a soccer
player out of bed but a sign that the sport is taking off in Rome at last.
And with Italian soccer in such a mess at the moment this would be a great
opportunity for rugby to make its mark. Sorry Dai but I have to back the
Azzurri for this one.

Sunday, 11 March

Okay, I think I have this worked out now: with the clocks springing forward
England v France kicks of at 11am. France are clearly the form team of
European rugby and are starting to show the skills they'll need to have a
chance in the World Cup this autumn. With boos ringing in their ears two
weeks ago at the Stade de France they managed to maintain their composure
and re-assert themselves over a fired up Welsh team. In case they need a
helping hand France will also be facing an England team weakened by
injuries and doubt: eight players who lost to Ireland are out; Wilkinson,
Farrell, Morgan and Captain Vickery through injury; Grewcock, whose time in
the sin bin cost England 14 points against Ireland, is dropped for other
reasons... Three other players will be changing position, with Martin
Corry moving from the back row to the second. Much has been made in the
media about England not having time together but if you make this many
changes whose fault is it that players don't know what they're doing? Mike
Catt returns to the team at the age of 35 having apparently had a great
season so far at London Irish - two weeks ago he couldn't make the team,
this Sunday he'll be the Captain: go figure. France to win by 14 points
(God help us)

See you all on Saturday

Martin Buckle
Treasurer

United Irish Societies of Montreal

The organisers of the parade have invited members of the MIRFC to the Mass of Anticipation to be celebrated at St Gabriel's Parish on Sunday, March 11 at 11:30am. Anyone wishing to attend is invited to assemble at the Church Hall at 11am for the procession into the hall - bring your sashes

For those interested there is a reception in the Church Hall afterwards.

Details: Marlene Demers
www.montrealirishparade.com

Cine Gael Montreal 2007

I have received some details from Cine Gael Montreal which might interest any film buffs amongst you: Friday March 9th there will be an evening of short Irish films at Concordia's DeSeve cinema - $7 for non-members.

If you want more details about this or other films in their season check out www.cinegaelmontreal.com

6 Nations Rugby Championship @ Hurleys

It seems like an age since the last game of the 6 Nations so for those who
may have forgotten (perhaps on purpose) here's a quick round up as we get
ready for a packed Saturday programme:

England 20 Italy 7
Italy (clearly stung by my criticism the previous week) lived up to
pre-tournament expectations and rang rings round the English for much of
this game. Brian Moore, former England Hooker, gave the Man of the Match
award to Italian Scrum-Half Troncon and I don't think anyone would disagree
with that. All England's points were scored by the this season's returning
duo of Wilkinson and Robinson (who had scored 37 of 42 points the previous
week).

Scotland 21 Wales 9
Wales and Scotland were as disappointing as only they can be. Feeble ball
handling skills and an inability to finish any move without screwing up
typified the afternoon. All the points were scored with the boot. Wales
now look to be heading for a last place play-off against Italy. They also
match Italy for shockingly bad haircuts - get a trim boys, you never know,
it might help.

Ireland 17 France 20
This was nail-biting, lip-smacking and ultimately heart-breaking stuff as
Ireland conceded a converted try in the last minute of the match. It was
so disappointing that a team that fought so hard all game should have let
its attention wander at such a crucial stage. France had the upper hand
for long periods of the game but until the 80th minute the Irish had fought
hard and well. O'Gara's try was a silky move which should have been the
most memorable effort of the day but for Vincent Clerc's late winner. I
don't like Ref bashing but you have to ask what Steve Walsh was thinking of
when he blew up for a French knock-on with Geordan Murphy half way up the
field, alone, heading towards the try-line. Bah!

Finally a big thank you to Jerry O'Regan who popped in to fix the TV even
at the risk of having the constabulary give him a ticket.

Saturday, 24 February
And so on to this week with all three games on Saturday
First up is Scotland versus Italy at 10am Montreal time. Both these teams
scored tries against England and hopefully this bodes well for our opening
game. The kick-a-thon (or cock-up-a-thon) against Wales may have got
Scotland the points they so desperately sought but it was not good rugby.
In their last three tournament matches at Murrayfield Scotland have beaten
Wales, France and England whilst Italy have a dreadful record away from
home. Apparently Berbizier has never won in Edinburgh - what are the
chances that will change on Saturday?

Next up is the little matter of Ireland against England at 12:30. Those of
you who do not intend to watch the Scotland game should plan to get to your
seats early for this match as turn out is bound to be huge. I had expected
this to be the Championship decider but the defeat against France means
Ireland have some catching up to do. Remember what I said earlier about
Robinson and Wilko scoring 57 of England's 62 points so far this year?
Both have sustained injuries in training and there are doubts about their
appearance on Saturday. Meanwhile Ireland should have O'Driscoll and
Stringer back. Geordan Murphy, who caved in to Ibanez for France's first
try, is out.

Finally we have France v Wales at 15:00. The French have a habit of losing
to bad teams especially when coming off a strong victory: they lost to
Scotland last year and to Wales at the Stade de France two years ago.
Both sides have made a hat-full of changes for this game and Wales
especially will be hoping that fresh blood will lead to fresh inspiration.
At least Charvis won't be there with his muppet hair style.

Laws of the game
There's been a bit of a kerfuffle about one of the moves the Italians have
been making this season. Habitually teams catching the ball at the
line-out instantly form a maul and try steaming up the other end of the
field for a try. Someone on the Italian coaching has spotted this and
turned it into this year's "how did the referee not see that" moment. The
Italian forwards don't tackle the jumper so the maul is not legally formed;
instead the Italians come round the back and tackle the ball carrier thus
giving the impression of being off-side when in fact the other team is
illegally blocking. It worked against France and England but they may need
a few more tricks than that before they get their next win.

If anybody prefers to read their nonsense in French I have added a link to
a French blog below:
http://www.mondialdurugby.com/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=26

See you all on Saturday
Martin Buckle
Treasurer

Having only just made it out of the 19th century I've fast-forwarded to the 21st and bought myself an ipod. Somehow the first "tune" I managed to load onto it is the Ian Robertson commentary for the last few seconds from the 2003 World Cup Finals. It sent shivers down my spine and has me more eager than ever to start the new season.

If you haven't heard it you can check it out on the BBC website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/sport/bestcommentary/day1.shtml

The version I have is slightly longer but you'll get the idea (shame about the girlie screaming from Rob Andrew in the background)

Last Saturday's results in the opening weekend of the 6 Nations Championship may have gone the way most pundits expected but the action on the field threw up plenty of surprises..
Many people had expected the Italians (tutored by former France coach Pierre Berbizier) to show their strongest form to date in this year's tournament but there was precious little in this display to suggest they have made any progress in the last five years. Men against boys would be an apt description but for Chabal - more Sasquatch than man in this metaphor.

That game was followed by Scotland getting a drubbing from the English. It's difficult to say what was the biggest shock of the game: the fact that Jonny Wilkinson could score a record number of points on his first international match in four years; the fact that an Irish referee could award JW a try when he had both feet, his bed, his pet seal and garden shed firmly planted in touch; or the fact that JW could play almost an entire match without being crippled (14 stitches to the face excluded).

Then on to Sunday and a scrappy match that could have gone either way but the Welsh gave up too many errors and the referee missed Easterby tripping Czekaj (thus giving the Welsh whining rights for years to come). Once O'Gara found his boot and D'Arcy and O'Driscoll got going the game was always heading Ireland's way.

So, onto this weekend:
Saturday, 10 February 8:30am
These early mornings are going to kill me. England host Italy and should be able to notch up an easy win: how is the fixture list arranged so that England get the two weakest teams first and at home so that the new coach can settle his team down before facing a real challenge? Jonny Wilkinson apparently believes in Karma, in which case Italy will be comfortable winners; others may place more faith in JW's left foot, in which case the point scoring machine may notch up another record tally.

Saturday, 10 February 10:30am
Two of last week's losers get a chance to put some points on the board as Wales travel to Scotland for the second match of the day. Wales will have to make fewer mistakes this week if they want to score some tries rather than gift them to the opposition. Scotland did score tries last week and have the added benefit of having the Edinburgh crowd behind them. The loser of this match could be fighting Italy for the wooden spoon at the end of the tournament. so expect plenty of heart and soul behind the ball.

Sunday, 11 February 2007 10am
For those of you who won't be in Dublin for the match the next Ireland game is on Sunday at 10am when they host France at... Croke Park. As somebody remarked this is literally going to be a whole new ball game. Even after its renovation Landsdowne Road isn't going to be this impressive and we can only hope the team will get an incredible boost from their temporary home. France snatched the title from Ireland on points difference last year so this really is going to be a huge game. The only thing bigger would be if England were playing here... Saturday, 24 February 12:30pm

As before Bill Hurley has offered us the use of the upstairs bar and the price is $10 for MIRFC members (which includes breakfast) and $5 to watch each additional match (on days when there is more than one game). Non-members will be charged twice as much and don't even get breakfast.
I will be there both days to collect membership fees and the Executive will be meeting after the Wales match for those of you that are interested in that kind of thing.
Regards
Martin Buckle
Treasurer

6 Nations Rugby Championship @ Hurleys

Just a reminder if you're looking for somewhere to watch the 6 Nations Rugby Championship this winter:

Bill Hurley has offered the Montreal Irish RFC the use of the upstairs bar at Hurleys Pub on Crescent and has bought the screening rights from Setanta so that we can watch the cream of northern hemisphere rugby surrounded by friends, team-mates and good quality beer. Nothing comes for free in this life but this is as close to it as you can find: $10 for MIRFC members (which includes breakfast) and $5 to watch each additional match (on days when there is more than one game). Non-members will be charged twice as much and don't even get breakfast.

Membership cards

Paid up members who want to get their MIRFC ID card should contact Scott O'Flaherty. He will need a small photo and proof that you have paid your subscription for 2007.

The MIRFC ID card will get you into Hurleys to watch the 6 Nations Championship at a reduced rate and get you a discount on beer.

As a reminder, Social memberships cost $100 (voting) or $50 non-voting and can be paid over to Martin Buckle (Treasurer) or Eric Hough (President).

Join MIRFC 50th Annivesary Mailing List

Send an e-mail to r.meunier@maestro.biz to be added to the MIRFC 50th Anniversary Mailing List.

Latest News

Dear all MIRFC members,

In 2007, the Montreal Irish Rugby Football Club will celebrate its 50th Anniversary. A 50th Anniversary Committee has been formed & so far we are:

We are looking to fill Secretary, Finance, Historian & Commorative Book, Publicity & Marketing and Events Coordinator & Fundraising Activities positions. If you have talents in a particular area that we are looking for and/or have experience and some time to volunteer: join us! It is a great opportunity to be part of a historical event too.

ALL ARE WELCOME: 50th Anniversary events are open to all MIRFC members, men side and women side, past and present players, young and the young at heart.Please send all Montreal Irish RFC 50th Anniversary suggestions, inquiries, contact information & requests to: mirfc.reunion@yahoo.ca

Photos

Below will be the list of photos from people's web sites. If you want to put photos on the Internet, visit http://rugbyinmontreal.blogspot.com/2007/02/wanna-send-us-photos.html.

Once you have a site, e-mail us so we can add it to the list below.

Photos:

• Anniversary Site Photos, http://www.flickr.com/photos/52601578@N00
• Photos from MIRFC site, http://mirfc.ca/english/images.asp
• More photos from MIRFC site, http://rugbyinmontreal.blogspot.com
  

Contacts

Dear all MIRFC members,

In 2007, the Montreal Irish Rugby Football Club will celebrate its 50th Anniversary. A 50th Anniversary Committee has been formed & so far we are:

• Chairman, Martin Buckle
• Vice-Chairman, Eric Hough
• Communications & PR, Marie Valderrama
• Anniversary Programme, Frank Rooney

If you have talents in a particular area that we are looking for and/or have experience and some time to volunteer: join us! It is a great opportunity to be part of a historical event too.

ALL ARE WELCOME: 50th Anniversary events are open to all MIRFC members, men side and women side, past and present players, young and the young at heart.Please send all Montreal Irish RFC 50th Anniversary suggestions, inquiries, contact information & requests to: mirfc.reunion@yahoo.ca

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