Retracing old steps

Up until last year I used go home much more regularly. Each time I would return, I would still plan my time around being able to go up to the field to hurling or football training. Now though, I go home less and a lot of the lads I’d have been closer to have moved away. They've naturally been replaced by the next generation. I'd have trained a lot of them as U-16s but wouldn't have known them as friends.

That fact and also the feeling that you are just getting in the way meant that I didn’t go up training since Christmas 2009. I was home at the weekend and heard they had a session Sunday morning. Gearoid, who trains the team, was in Malaga but assured me it would be all ball. That appealed but I still needed a fair bit of convincing to go up. I started to realise how the likes of Emmett and Co felt here, after they had been out injured or on family duty for a prolonged period. The group in which you were once an insider, turns over, and suddenly you become the outsider.

You can't beat going back to your club though. You might have driven in the gates of the field a thousand times but it is a rarity nowadays and that makes you savour even just an hour training all the more. Familiar faces were scattered around the place; Seany and Brian Murphy Town talking tickets no doubt and selector Ollie floating around greeting fellas. The only blip was that Gearoid O'Leary and Ger Callaghan were sitting in my corner of the dressing room. I quickly separated them.

It was a cracking day; sun beating down on top of a nice grassy pitch (a novelty compared to Parc50). Tony Griffin was laying out cones, none of which looked close enough to involve the ball. I began to regret the decision and quickly surveyed the group to see how badly my fitness would be exposed!

I'd have huge respect for Tony. He only joined us in his mid-thirties after a very successful career with Nemo but I'd have learned a load off him when playing alongside him in the full back line. He had unreal composure and distribution. He could talk you through a game too and any time he talked to the group in general, he was very precise in his instruction. One thing that has always stuck in my head was when he was talking to the backs down by the bottom goal one night. His comment was so simply obvious; 'race your man to the ball'. Why wouldn't you get to the ball first was the jist of it. It sounds obvious but for a back, that should be your frame of mind all the time. Don’t play your man from behind.

Anyway, it seems ridiculous that his presence alone would provide me such motivation to burst my balls at the session. Other lads didn't appear equally motivated though. Maybe that just reflects the fact that the generation gap is too great and Tony is just another retired footballer in their eyes. The young fellas were surprisingly sluggish in the early runs. There is no way that the likes of myself and Regan are fitter than them but that appeared the case. It's not fair to judge on one poorly enough attended session but you would hope the obsessive drive required for them to be successful is not far from the surface.

When you move away from home there are things you badly miss at first; your gaa club, your friends/girlfriends, family etc. In the case of some of those things, you can learn to live without them and when you are away, you stop missing them. However, when you return home and are around them again, you start to realise how much you do actually miss them. Kinsale G.A.A. would be like that for me. In one sense I've moved on and when I am here I don't feel like I'm missing out. But when I get back out on the field amongst the lads, I wouldn’t wish for anything more than to be part of it all again, whatever the frustrations that would accompany it.

Giddy Up - Men get going on fundraising

The sliotars, balls and cones are in short supply these days and the club treasurer won't release any funds for the lads until they do some fundraising. Conan even had to buy cones himself a couple of weeks ago! Aside from that, the club will fork out more than €5000 in pitch rental this year as it goes about improving training facilities.

Collie B is organising a fundraiser for the men's football and we would all greatly appreciate your support.

As you will read below, even if you can't attend on the night you can contribute by buying a horse or sponsoring a race. So family, friends etc at home and elsewhere can easily support. All money raised will go towards buying equipment and pitch rental costs.

Please read below for further details.
_______________________________________


Night at the Races in DeValera's Irish Pub (Place Flagey) – Wednesday 13th July
 
Here's how it works:
1.        Come early and study the form guide from 18.30 - this is your chance to get your research in… and get a head start on the other unsuspecting punters!! Have some food in Devs, down a drink and get your bet in early!
2.        First race 7.30, last race 11.30
3.        Bet before the race, then watch to see if you win  
4.        Collect your cash winnings
 
How does the Betting actually work?
We're using a tote system. We will keep 50% of takings and the other 50% will be paid out in winnings.
 
Every horse is also available to 'buy' – as an owner, if your horse wins the race, you will take the special prize donated by one of our 8 special race sponsors. You can become an owner for as little as €10 for a 1 in 8 chance to take a prize.
 
Race 8, the grand finale will feature a cash prize of €250, kindly donated by KTL and Niall Byrne. Ownership of the runners in the last race will be auctioned on the night. However, if you want to get in early, you can buy a horse for €50 in advance.  
 
We need you to:
Spread the word – send this email and the poster to as many people as you can so we can get as much interest as possible in advance.
 
Book a VIB table – great if you are bringing work colleagues. Get free champagne, free food and your own personal betting service (no need to queue) for €60 for a 6 person table. Limited availability so book early!!
 
Get sponsorship. Do you know someone who might sponsor a race – either yourself or a friend, relative or company? Prizes can be cash or in kind, no prize too big or too small.
 
Buy a horse – or even better, get family/friends/colleagues to buy two – click on this link THIS LINK to pick your horse, email football.belgium@gmail.com to confirm and transfer the money to club account (details below).
 
Get a 1/8 chance to win €250 by snapping up a horse for the final race for €50 – sure to cost more on the night!! Email us to confirm purchase. 
Most importantly - Show up and bet – bring colleagues, neighbours, friends, enemies or anyone else you can find on the way…
 
Any money collected in advance should be lodged to our club account, with your name and 'Race Night' in the subject line.
 
The bank account number is 363-0292739-33
For those making an international transfer
IBAN: BE79 3630 2927 3933
BIC: BBRUBEBB
 
All enquiries to football.belgium@gmail.com
 
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133118500102515 

Dad's Army On March

There was a moment down in Budapest when, aggrieved by some decisions that didn't go our way, we vented our frustrations. It wasn't the way we want to conduct ourselves and we quickly retreated and regrouped to discuss that very point. I'm sure there is no shortage of people who felt we had become arrogant during our run of success. The truth is that was never the case. Some may have got complacent but we were never arrogant. It's a natural and easy accusation to make though.

Saturday is a great example of what we are about as a club and it should quieten the doubters. Zurich is one of the most difficult places for us to get to and one of the most expensive places to be. Over the years, many teams have opted out of the trip when the Championship has been decided but we always travelled. That attitude defines you as a club more than what individuals perceive. We understand the importance of supporting each club’s home tournament because it is a big day in each of our years to showcase yourself locally. Fergal and Bull demonstrate it perfectly as they will fly in specifically from business trips elsewhere to play on the day.

We need a huge slice of luck to catapult us above The Hague to win the Championship this year. We would have to win the two remaining tournaments and hope that they got a third and fourth. Zurich are better placed with two final defeats under their belt. If they were to win both tournaments and The Hague missed one of the two finals, Zurich could be champions. However, given the strength of The Hague this year, it is unlikely that they will be bettered overall.

With that scenario facing us and considering we only had 11 for Budapest when it was still in the mixer, it's a credit to the lads that they travel again this weekend. We currently have 12, including the injured Crusher and with one 'maybe' that would make it 13. Adrian made a comment to me during the week about the age profile of the group. We have three over forty and five floating around the mid-thirty mark. He wondered was this some reflection on the state of hurling i.e. the youthful stickmen are more scarce. In Brussels this is the case at the moment but The Hague counter that with their young charges.

After Budapest, the remaining two goals for the year would have been to 1) field a team in Zurich and 2) win our home tournament. With the weekend approaching you will naturally upgrade the first objective and the lads will be going down there to win. We may be missing a few regulars but you never know what other teams will show up with. The worst thing that can happen is for you to arrive in the wrong frame of mind, under perform and depart knowing that you left a massive opportunity behind you.
Despite my patting everyone on the back about travelling, I won't actually be there myself!! It's Dad's 60th so I’m back in Cork. My mind won't be far from the action on Saturday though.

The Lost Team

It isn't just at home that there is a player drain at the moment. Even if we exclude the winter exodus, we've lost a whole football team in the last couple of months. All the lads on this team were regulars so replacing them won't be easy. Such is life though and we wish all the lads well.

Goalkeeper - Brendan Lynch, Louth
Bob, as he became known, landed in Brussels shortly before the Belgium tournament last year. We had an embarrassment of riches in terms of keepers at the time so he slotted into the C team. He turned heads on the day making a number of excellent saves. By the Championship he was holding fort for the A's and continued to impress between the sticks. Gained notoriety for being the bus driver in Munich last year. He had to wait until his final tournament in Amsterdam in May to get his hands on some silverware and it capped a good year for him in the club. He returned home with his family at the end of May.

Full Back - Andrew Shorten, Cork
Along with Ricky and Mike, he was one of three lads over from Shannon on a years work experience. He gets named at full back but his versatility meant he played all over the place. That and bad timing went against him while he was here and so he never got a crack off the A's. When the opportunities were opening up, he was stuck with awkward hours but the fact he never established himself as an 'A' player was more down to circumstance than ability. Not a man to be intimidated by age either!!! He returns to complete his studies in Shannon.

Full Back - David Collins, Limerick/Offaly
Full back was the only place this man should have ever been allowed play and he should have paid more attention to the no kicking rule. Left for the outback in Oz.

Half Back - David Burke, Meath
Burkey arrived in time for the Rennes tournament in 2009 but had to slot into a team in disarray. He was a great addition to the backs as he defended strongly and distributed accurately. A quiet man off the pitch but on the away days you could knock a fair bit of craic out of him. He has returned home with his girlfriend.

Half Back - Killian O'Sullivan, Kerry
One of Sean Kelly and Kevin Keary's protégé’s. I didn't think we'd see him again after his first session when he was collapsed in a heap. The next couple were a struggle too but he stuck at it manfully. Became an ever present on the football and social scene and bowed out with a good performance down in Frankfurt. He returns to his studies at home.

Midfield - Johnny O'Riordan, Dublin
One of the true characters of the club. Was in Brussels on and off over the last ten years. Started out playing with the girls in 2009 and quickly got promoted to training with the lads. Led the march through the Ardennes last year and was lucky to survive it after getting the army lost. Always fifteen minutes late, no matter what time training was at (or any other event). He'd arrive, tog out and then start complaining we hadn't warmed up properly. If you let him onto the field without proper instruction, he could be a disaster. Give him a job and he could be masterful. He had an infuriating habit of shooting from crazy angles and equally annoying, when they went over, he would shout 'well done Johnny'. He heads to Nuremburg to work for Puma with his Cork girlfriend in tow. At least he is in safe hands.

Midfield - Alec Elliott, Dublin
I got to know Alec well when I was training FC Irlande as he was first team captain at the time. We'd have communicated regularly as trainer/captain and also played together a bit in defence for the firsts. He'd have been one of the key guys early on in terms of getting the FC Irlande lads on board with the G.A.A. and promoting it positively. Whether it be at half-back, midfield or half-forward you were always guaranteed 100% from the man. He leaves now on an adventure in the Southern Hemisphere with his fellow club mate Rosine. They are on a surprisingly short list of lasting Belgium G.A.A. relationships.

Half Forward - Ruairi Duffy, Mayo
Mayo are second only to the Dubs for garnering unrealistically lofty expectations. When they get knocked out of the Championship each year you nearly fell bad for them but you know in your heart that is better to put them out of their misery. Still, that eternal hope and optimism was crucial in the early life of the B team, which Ruairi and Johnny P worked so hard to establish. He leaves with that as his legacy and a nice little highlight reel of point shooting. Duffer moves back to Poland with his wife Ewelina.

Half Forward - Ricky Collins, Clare
Tall and rangy and able to take his points from afar. Great attitude to training. . Keep him out of the heat though. And bring plenty of massage balm for his cramping hamstrings. Didn't court controversy on or off the pitch so difficult to elaborate more. He just did the business. A natural forward and a loss all round. He returns to complete his studies in Shannon.

Full Forward - Eoin Sheanon, Dublin
A few simple lines wouldn't do the story justice. More to follow.

Full Forward - Mike Lucey, Kerry
From where I was standing, Mike was just another typical Kerryman; a bit surly and fond of throwing shapes. Because he was on nights, we didn't see as much of him as we did Ricky and Andrew so it took time to get to know him. He played on the C team in his sole appearance of 2010 in Maastricht and was off the pace. It was frustrating because he had obvious talent. 2011 was a complete turnaround though. A change of working schedule meant he has rarely missed training and he went straight into the A team from the start. He would have been a contender for the player of the tournament down in Frankfurt. Can take a score, pick a pass and track back. Good man for a session too, but don't expect more than the first verse in a sing-song.

Not just another weekend

Tournament away days in places like The Hague, Lux, Amsterdam and Maastricht don’t have so much appeal anymore. It’s an easy drive up and down in the one day so it doesn’t do much for the imagination.

Throw in a bus or a train and it gets fellas’ heads up to listen straight away. We’ve had the infamous fun bus to Munich and the epic train journeys to Rennes and Zurich. There’s something about those modes of transport that even a plane can’t match. Usually it involves cans.

But an away day is about much more than that. Spending long hours on a train, bus or in a car means you get plenty of time to get to know each other. You don’t have much choice. You might also end up rooming with a lad you wouldn’t know that well. These factors naturally bring guys together which of course helps slowly build the spirit of a team and club.

Sometimes you learn things you didn’t want to know or didn’t want to remember. Take Johnny O for instance. Normally he will depend on someone else to drive him to a tournament. He will always be late but he will always get there. On Saturday he was coming from Nuremburg off his own bat. Johnny was three hours late. There are actually two Frankfurts in Germany. The other one is by the Polish border. Now it hasn’t been confirmed but Johnny’s GPS may well have pointed him to the wrong one.

There’s obviously drink involved at some point and of course the subject of girls will come up from time to time. Discussing which feature he found most attractive in a lady, Johnny O informed us his favourite is the collarbone.

That’s a fairly moderate admission. When Eoin Sheanon started to discuss the enjoyment he got out of a recent pedicure, the lads fell silent. That had a shock factor far greater than the story of him turning up to his driving test without a car.

On the subject of pedicures and the like, poor Colm MacEoin revealed some pink toenails on Saturday. Never a good start with the lads.

Of course the journey home is always a little shaky after the night before. You can rely on Darragh Cotter and Crusher to calm the nerves though. In Budapest a few weeks ago, they told us of the most important things to do to save yourself from a plane crash. Sit at the back and don’t be on the inside of an old lady apparently.

The return from Frankfurt was no different from the great bus and train trips of the past. It was planned to perfection. 14h30 departure, not too early, not too late. A party in Timmy’s and a bank holiday Monday.

Oh how we tried so hard to contain ourselves. It was only at the half way point that we noticed the signs which said we were in the ‘quiet’ carriage. We respected them until we got to Gare Nord and only then did Ross break into song. One stop latter and we were in Midi.

As in most cities, you will have people playing music and collecting money on the metro. We joined forces on Sunday and helped the gentlemen with his efforts. Well, some of the lads anyway. I spotted Ricky engaging two lovely blonde ladies. It turns out they had enquired did we know Paddy Cassidy (no idea how they linked us). Even if we didn’t, we did now. Slovakian girls. Big fan.

On to Timmy’s we went, stopping briefly for photos outside the European Commission and a burger in The Oak. What happened thereafter was like any other bank holiday party. There was drinking and singing and devilment in plentiful supply. The only one who seemed to get left out was the trophy, which was found upright on in the garden on Monday morning, with rain rolling down it.

Time For Some Common Sense

Saturday highlighted some of the most daft rules floating around European G.A.A. and we didn't escape their grasp.

Apparently there was a complaint about some over-zealous tackling at recent tournaments and the referees decided to crackdown early in the day on Saturday. Personally, I have rarely seen a dirty stroke being pulled in my five years playing here. There have been injuries, two particularly bad ones in Budapest which I commented on already. There is hardly a discipline problem though bar the few eruptions between ourselves and The Hague last year and a few other teams have had the red mist too I’m sure. But such heated exchanges are part of the game and are indicative of the competitive nature of European G.A.A., which is so important to keep us all interested.

Anyway, on Saturday Conor Mul received two yellow cards in the first half of the first game, which meant he was sent off. At home that would mean he would be suspended for the rest of the match. Not in Europe though where we have a ridiculous rule that means you are suspended for two games!!! The impact on Conor Mul was that unless the B's made the final, he would not play again that day. The B's didn't get that far so Conor Mul could not play again.

How right is that? A guy leaves Brussels at 05h30 on a bus and his day is over after ten minutes. Were they frees? For sure, but yellow cards were very harsh. Imagine if he had forked out +/- €300 for flights/hotel? Of course, the rules must be applied but they should be applied consistently (in terms of referees judgement) and with common sense.

Even more ridiculous was a rule I discovered just before the throw-in at the final. Pearce was informed that because he received a yellow card in the semi, if he were to receive one yellow card in the final, he would be sent off i.e. the yellow card carries!! How crazy is that?! Even the Amsterdam lads were saying it shouldn't be applied. Now, in fairness to Mick Cryan, the refereee, he had to follow the rule so there was no point in remonstrating with him. Pearce wasn't sent off and we managed to win thankfully.

Now let me get on my high horse. It was last year when the two yellows equals a two game suspension came to my attention after Conor received a 'ban'. When it was time to submit motions for the County Convention, I sent our committee a mail outlining a couple of suggested motions, one of which related to this rule. I never received a reply and the club submitted some very technical motions which even if changed would have no meaningful impact on our players. I'm sure Conor Mul will push a bit harder this year.

Another rule which came under the spotlight on Saturday was one concerning A and B teams. I'm open to correction but my understanding of the rule is that you must name your A and B panel at the start of the day. You can only bring a B player up for emergency cover i.e. you are down to ten players due to injuries. That is the jist of it anyway. We were fairly p1ssed off when this rule was pushed through in the last couple of years as we were the only team consistently fielding two teams and felt it was somewhat 'anti-participation' in nature and a direct hit on us.

On Saturday, Amsterdam brought up players from their B's for the final. They were good players too, one a weekend player I think. Colin Byrne was dual assigned as player and CCO on the day which meant he should make a decision on whether it was ok or not. Mick Cryan highlighted the issue before throw-in. We had already decided not to make an issue out of it, partly as a matter of principle but also because Colin's position was compromised. If he were not to allow Amsterdam bring the players up, it would look like a conflict of interest, even if it was not. I'm not sure were Amsterdam even aware that they were breaking a rule.

The third issue which arose on Saturday was score keeping. Lux lost a semi to Amsterdam when they were adamant that they had outscored their opponents. It's happened us twice before. Our B's lost a game to Amsterdam B's in Amsterdam last month when a goal was wrongly assigned. Two years ago, we believed we won a semi in Maastricht by a goal. The ref had it as a draw. We lost in extra-time.

I'm not sure of the solution to this. The refs are out on the field for the entire day, often in very hot conditions. To maintain concentration can't be easy. They usually have umpires who are far from focused and many scores are contested. As I said when I picked up the cup and thanked the refs on Saturday, whether you are in Croke Park or Frankfurt, players will contest decisions. On occasion, in both places, the ref may make a mistake. That's understandable but it is very difficult for a team to accept defeat in those circumstances.

Anyway, the G.A.A. is a democracy so we will have our time to speak, assuming we can get through internal club democracy first of course!!

Victory For Departing Friends

33 of us, at the last count, travelled to Frankfurt by train, car and bus last weekend. Some arrived Friday night whilst others hit the road at 05h30 on Saturday morning. In that group we had Conan and Eoin, trainers/mentors/managers or whatever title you feel befits their role. Crusher and Paul Hagan were injured but came to play the less glamorous roles of money collectors and water carriers.

The groupings pitted both Belgium teams against each other and we were also joined in the group by Amsterdam. Den Hague, Lux, Frankfurt and Amsterdam B were in the other group.

Our B’s started at a canter against Amsterdam A and were in a good position at half-time. However they had lost their workhorse Conor Mul to two yellow cards. Harsh is an understatement. In the outrageous world of crazy European GAA rules, that means a two game suspension. More to follow on this later in the week.

Amsterdam were a strong side and they powered on in the second half, aided handsomely by their fortune of having a spare man. The lads had to pick themselves up fast as they faced into a local derby against the A’s. Again it was a close first half but again the B’s seemed to fade in the second. The lads had put in similar first half displays up in Amsterdam, especially against Lux, but faded in the second half. It’s hard to put your finger on why. Maybe it’s just a case of getting a couple of wins under the belt and kicking on with the confidence that brings. In any case, the team is in much better shape than it was this time last year and if that problem can be solved, the Shield can become a realistic ambition.

The A’s then faced Amsterdam to decide the group winners. For the first time they had travelled with two full teams and having watched how strong their B’s were, I knew we were in for a battle. We led 0-4 0-3 at half-time and weren’t to concede again. Mike Lucey goaled and another four points were spread across the forwards. It wasn’t all smooth sailing though. The backs looked shaky at times and needed Timmy’s class in goal with two point blank saves.

On we went to face our old sparring partners Den Hague in the semi. It was a tricky fixture. They weren’t looking too impressive on the day but they are also the masters at grinding out victories when they are on their knees. I can’t remember ever facing them in a semi before. Every game I can remember was a final (or a group game). In a final, you can completely empty yourself, physically and ‘emotionally’. In a semi though, you have to keep something in the tank, hoping you get to the final.

It was another ding dong battle. They relied primarily on frees early on whilst we blew chance after chance down the other end. It was either level or we led by a point at half time. A tense finish was in store. We couldn’t shake them but our defence, led by Ross and a far from fully fit Colm, was holding firm. We pointed with two or three minutes left and managed to hold out for a 0-7 0-6 win. Tight.

James O Dowd is a relatively quiet man and more often than not gives off an impression that he doesn’t care. He was quite animated after the game though and if there was any complacency creeping in before the final, he put it to rest.

Amsterdam A won a very controversial semi against Lux. Lux were adamant they had won the game with a couple of points to spare but the referee’s notebook didn’t agree. If there was an error, it’s the cruelest way to depart.

Our opponents had called up some of their B players for the final which strengthened them considerably as they were quality players, omitted originally for lack of training apparently. We wouldn’t shake them off so easily this time and again; we went in level at the interval. Eoin made two big switches at half time. The first was to bring Timmy to wing-forward from goal. With his first possession he soloed through their defence only to be denied by a great save. Still, it sent them a message that he needed watching and it gave us a boost as we knew we had fresh legs to pick up some of the slack.

The second move came when Paddy returned to the fray. We have a load of backs who were going well and he found himself on the outside looking in for a share of the day. Still, when his chance came he proved why Eoin and Conan had him in the squad. He won the first ball that came into his corner when we were just a point up. The ball was transferred up the pitch and ended with a white flag being raised. We never looked back and added a third and fourth point to our lead to seal the win.

It gave us a second Benelux victory. Now, the lads (Eoin and Conan) have been clear from the off that we wouldn’t get worked up about Benelux this year and instead use it to test out as many guys as possible. However, we also realise the importance a win has on the group. This was sparticularily sweet as some great lads will pack their packs in the coming weeks. Duffer, Alec, Johnny, Andrew, Mike, Ricky and Killian will all move on. They’ve all played big roles in the development of the team and it’s spirit and we’ll miss them. Saturday may well have been their final act and if it was then it was a fitting goodbye.

Note; A more ‘social type commentary’ of the weekends activities will follow later in the week.

Lessons from Liege

Normally I wouldn’t cross the road to watch a soccer or rugby match. However, Ireland away days make for a good bit of craic so since moving to Belgium I’ve gone to see the ruggers in Paris and Rome while Stuttgart and Paris were visited to follow the soccer team and last night Liege was added to the list.

With the next tournament in Frankfurt just four days away you might consider cancelling training so we could all head south to watch the soccer match as a little bit careless. Or maybe a visit to see Traps charges would provide some unexpected lessons?

The man himself says that if you want to see a show then go to the theatre. The enjoyment derived from watching the current team’s style of play is reflected in the derisory attendances at the Aviva. However, when a defence containing O’Dea, McShane, the wonderfully named St. Ledger and Ward stand firm against a barrage of Italian attacks, orchestrated by the Milan magician Pirlo, you must stand back and wonder what it’s all about.

Trap get’s a ferocious amount of abuse because of the defensive nature of the team’s play but in sport, results are all that matters. Italy created barely any clear cut chances. The defence moved in unison. Andrews was pointing and talking throughout. For anyone who appreciates good defending, there was plenty to take in.

That said, there was a moment in the second half when Ireland won possession just inside our half and the player burst forward towards the open spaces before turning sharply and playing the ball all the way back to the defence. Even though it goes against some of their natural instincts, they’ve bought into Traps systems and are beginning to reap the reward.

That was the collective but in Stephen Hunt you had the individual lesson. Hunt was a journeyman footballer earlier in his career but now he is an established Premiership footballer. The man is an irritating bundle of energy and shows all the qualities I’d like to try bring to a G.A.A. pitch. His running and harrowing was relentless.

So if the sizeable Belgium G.A.A. contingent was paying attention then it may have been as valuable as any training session. Timely lessons as we head to Frankfurt down two of our defensive lynchpins. Keeper Brendan has returned to Ireland. Crusher can walk again after the incident in Budapest but is a while away from playing. In addition to that, Olof will have to wait another month to build on his player of the tournament performance in Amsterdam.

It gives Eoin a few headaches but also solves a couple of problems. Despite a stream of lads moving on, we are still maintaining big numbers. There’ll be over 30 fellas heading by car, bus and train at the weekend.

The likes of Ross and Paddy Power, who did well on the first day out, come back into selection contention, as does Andrew Shorten.

Competition is certain to be tough. Amsterdam travel with two teams for the first time while The Hague will be eager to join ourselves and Luxembourg by getting their first win of the year. That combined with the fact it’s our first time going to Frankfurt should make it a great weekend. Hopefully it will be a joint celebration; victory in Frankfurt and Conan and Aine’s recent engagement.

And fingers crossed the ladies will make it a hat-trick by winning in Barca. They too are down a few players but should have enough strength in depth to be knocking around towards the end of the day. Good luck to them.

That's just mental

When I first started work at Toyota, the smallest things would cause me stress. I'd be unable to switch off when I left the office and I'd regularily be visited by Matsumoto san or Chiba san or one of their counterparts in my dreams. You'd worry about the consequences of getting something wrong, not having it prepared in time etc etc. Of course, over time, you realise the consequences are never as severe as you imagine and life indeed goes on.

With that time comes experience. You learn that there is always another day and another way if you find yourself blocked. I've realised this and become better able to detach myself from stress. Of course, you can't live exclusively apart and indeed a certain amount of it is necessary to keep the 'tension'. Being able to recognise it, take a step back and analyse it more objectively helps to relieve it. You can't always control it but you can get it to a place where it is managable.

Of course it is important to note that my job does not create an undue amount of stress on a regular basis but like any job, it has a certain amount. I can manage it much better now than when I first started.

In a sporting context, confidence is a little bit similiar. When it's down, you know it's down but you have to figure out how to manage it and restore it. The impact a lack of it can have on your game is that you will stop communicating, calling for balls, attacking the ball, start misjudging the ball, picking the wrong options etc etc.

I don't remember suffering from this too much but at the moment, I find myself in a mini-crisis. The perception may be that I did fine in the football in Amsterdam but there were a few signs that all was not well. I've mentioned in both hurling reviews that I felt my own performance was way off.

Often, when someone doesn't play will they will first look elsewhere for the problem. Maybe they will isolate incidents where they made errors and find someone else to blame. Rarely will they look at themselves first. I was thinking about the hurling in the last few weeks and what has changed this year v's last year. I changed from a 36" hurley to a 35". Furthermore, I went away from the ash hurley to the cul tech hurleys. I also changed my helmut to one of the new mycro ones. Their bars are more condensed than the older version and thus impact your view more. However, I walked around the kitchen with my old one on last night and in reality there is not a whole lot of difference. Plus, if it doesn't effect others, why would it effect me.

It's difficult to cast any judgement on the real impact of these factors. It's true that my striking and judgement of balls is down a bit but actually when I replay different incidents over the last two tournaments, the issue was more with timing than anything. For example, on Saturday, I was in position and reach to make a number of blockdowns. There is no way I'd have missed them last year but I did on Saturday. As a result, i was taken for scores from play in each of the three games I played outfield.

I may think the problem is confidence but that example about the blockdowns is a case of timing and the relationship between the two is not that strong. Timing is more linked to preparation and there in lies the problem. I simply have not trained enough over the past few months to expect to achieve any higher level than I have. In fact, this is the case with too many of the hurlers. They may not recognise it as a confidence issue (and they may be right) but they don't recognise it as a preparation issue either. None of us are gifted enough to bluff it and we have learned the hard way.

In any task you take on in life, you must prepare properly. In hurling or football, you must have the fitness work and the skill work done. Each scenario you face in a match must be fresh in your mind from training. You must have been there and seen it on the training field. Then your body is ready. Your mind is ready too and the combination brings your confidence. It's no coincidence people will tell you they were at their best when they were at their fittest. It's a simple formula.

To say it's a crisis in confidence is too vague and difficult to find a magic potion to solve. Poor (personal) preparation. Now that can be solved.