Our Pumas?

Yes indeed. Those are our Pumas! Or at least they will be. From next year(thats 2010, foo!) our Six Nations champions will defend their title wearing in Puma gear. No national team that I know of is currently supplied by Ze Germanz but French club Biarritz are and they look alright. This is good on several fronts. The ugly template(Us, Scots, Sprinboks, Aussies) Canterbury use to will be a thing of the past and secondly if you liked it.....it will be cheap CHEAP. Saw them in Maher's of Cork for only 35 sheets. Get in there!
This is a positive move on the IRFU's part who, like Munster, are awaking to the possiblities offered by a sportswear brand thats doing good things right now. Canterbury need a serious shake up after their failed attempt at 'edginess'. Its pretty pathetic for Canterbury Of New Zealand to not be able to have their national team wear their tat.

Return to form

The few readers of this blog(thank you) have asked me on nights out where have I gone and where is Spurting Ireland going? Well........I'm back and subsequently is Spurting Ireland. Lots to catch up on :D
2009 has so far been an excellent year for Irish spurt with, in case you hadn't noticed, a GRAND-FREAKING SLAM in the Six Nations. Quite the title. Still talking pigskin, Munster continue to rampage in the Heineken Cup with, yesterday, a 43-9 curbstomping of the Ospreys. This sets up a dream(for Munster fans) tie with eternal women *ahem* rivals Leinster at Croke Park. I laughed when Brent Pope, usually correct bless him, said that there would be no Munster Fans getting tickets at Leinster fans expense. Munster fans are the masters at ticket nabbing and most hardcore fans are registered fans of other teams in the Heineken Cup in a bid to get a ticket. I would also put it out there that there are more Munster fans then real Leinster fans registered at their fan club. My bid to get tickets for this clash has begun and I would loove if some helped :D

Soccer is........not so fun to talk about right now with Trapp's men stumbling over Bulgaria and leaving our chances of going to South Africa in further doubt.

Also, the Cork GAA scandal bullshit is over and good riddance. The player's should be wearing Minor Level sized jerseys to reflect their mental age.

Love life, love Spurt Ireland!

2009: A year of spurting goodness?

Its been a while, and even I continue to blog to myself essentially I will persevere, lest I begin mumbling to myself in the corner instead.


WARNING: SPOILER PICTURE FOR 2009 SPURTING SUCCESS

Rugby.......So far in 2009 I have questioned my pride in Munster after they were turned into paté by Ulster at Thomond no less(not to mention losing to Connacht) :( Then we beat the hilarious welsh, almost as satisfying as beating Leinster :) So Munster's hangover appears to be on the way out and a solid victory over Sale will banish it forever.
Looking further, the Six Nations is fast approaching and while Declan Kidney has done alright in the Autumn, he needs to work the same wonders he did down here in Munster. A runners up or 3rd place would be something.
HOPES for 2009: Heineken and Magnier's(Yummy!) league double for Munster, Felipe Contepomi stops being such a bastard, Rob Kearney defects to Munster. Ireland beat Wales, Shane Williams forced to retire.

Football......Jeez I don't know what to make of Ireland anymore. Are we good, are we bad? Giovanni seems extraordinarily blinkered in his squad selection and it could be an issue with 'useful' players like Andy Ried(who I now resemble after an indulgent Chrismuss) being not called up at all. The jury on Steven Ireland is still out with commoner newspapers regularly reporting that their hero and bad taste guru is wanting in to the Ireland squad again. I am all for it so long as he doesn't speak. Ever. One more premiership player will boost the profile of the team a bit. Alarmingly, qualification for South Africa2010 has got off to a good start with 7 points from 3 games. A clean sheet against Italy best we can hope for and I will support a 10-man back line exclusively for that game. The others are do-able provided Trap keeps things steady.
HOPES for 2009: Qualification for SA2010 at all costs, most likely a play off but we'll take it and by God we'll be on the plane!

NOT FAKE: REAL

Motorsport......YES motorsport! Not one of you may know this but an Irish team and an Irish driver go into 2009 ON TOP of the A1GP world championship. For those who don't know, A1GP is a poor man's Formula One and is growing in popularity as its a bit more normal than the pantomime that F1 is fast becoming. The cars are quick, look ok depending on your country's colours and the championship is quite competitive. You've never heard of our driver, his name is Adam Carroll and he is Portadown which in Rugby terms is still Ireland. Not a guy to be sniffed at either. Been around and well thought of. After six races(out of 20), Team Ireland are on top and long may it continue.
HOPES for 2009: A1GP Team Ireland keep doing well. Team Munster established with a David Wallace as a propulsion source.

ANOTHER 2009 SPOILER:


GAA........oh God. I admit I know little about GAA so I'll scrounge off others here and pretend to have an opinion(unlike every other blogger in the world). Starting with ladies GAA I will quote from the much admir'd PRC and say: "Ladies sports in Cork don't get enough press but its hard when the camogie and football victors become so predictable: Cork and Cork. " Lovely :)
For the mens....Kilkenny for the Hurling is a no brainer what with the Cork Hurling team being whiney bitches and for the Football it can only be Kerry. Kerry........
HOPES for 2009: Cork Hurling debacle finishes, Cork women win both Football and Camogie.

Anyway, whatever makes you spurt, may your 2009 be a mighty fine one.