Day 5 – Final Day. 7th/8th place playoff & celebrations
vs. France – Part Deux. The last game in the blazing sun.
Know thine enemy. Get close to him.
We were 6-3 down with five minutes to go and we came roaring back. I actually thought it was 5-5 at the end. So as usual I was lepping around the field like an eejit celebrating when we scored that last try. I was ready to go straight into a drop off (when the game is a tie, each team drops a player every 2 minutes until both teams are down to 3 players. The first team to score is the winner.)
As it turned out we just missed out 6-5.
Iconic image of Bobby Moore and Pele swapping shirts at the 1970 World Cup
So, you remember the lad I mentioned I was trying to ‘psyche’ in the first game we played against the French. Here’s another beautiful sporting image from the end of the second French game to match the one above.
Yeah, lovely… I know. 🙂
There were so many stories among the three other Irish teams at these Euros, the Mens Open, Senior Mixed and Over 40s. You are barely able to register them because you are so caught up with your own team. The 40s won the Bronze Medal and expected much more. They were so disappointed. There are some proper Touch legends on that team.
The moment the 40s aspirations ended vs England in the Semi Final
Moving forward, there will be so much to think about over the next weeks and months. The Home Nations will be in Ireland next June and are only 9 months away.
Team Manager, Her Awesomeness Miss Fiona, prepares me for a game by providing the vital touches of green nail varnish. She told me everyone on the team was doing it… eh Fiona?!
So much work to do and I’m excited about it. But that’s for when we get back.
For now though. The Euros 2012. What an experience.
Thank you to all who supported us. My family who came across, our Italian students who came.
Celebrating with me Mammy!
My nephew Keelan, brother Shane, Martina and Silvia
And what a beautiful team of people I played with. Besides the mad intense competition, we had fun and we took care of each other.
Final night, Kangaroo Court session
On the Party Bus with Dev
I hope I get the chance to play with these people again.
And finally, a big thanks to anyone reading the blog or who posted supportive comments or sent texts. It was all appreciated. I feel very lucky to have lived this experience and been able to share it.
And I look forward to boring many of you to tears with long-winded, you-had-to-be-there stories of the Euros over the coming months.
Ian
MALLEYMAN 