Day 5 - Fri 17th Oct 08

Another warm day, about 27 degrees and that´s at 6.30 am. Something different in training today, we took the lads to pitwater. We had a twelve man game on the local rugby field and following this the head conditioner Colin took us for a session on Narrabeen beach. This consisted of a run on the beach itself, and then power runs through thigh deep water as recovery. The hard work done we attended a corporate event orgnised by the blarney army at Mona Vale golf course. The event was superb with Pat Richards team coming out eventual winners in a 4 man scramble with a gross 63 and surprising net of 50 and five eights. The pro in the golf shop remarked he had never seen a score as low in this format.

Former Ireland Rugby League International and Sydney Rooster legend Luke Ricketson teamed up with current Ireland Manager Mike Callaghan, Brett Finch current Paramatta Eels scrumhalf and an ARL conditioner to form a competitive 4 ball but were unlucky in the final standings. Mark Coyle, an Australian based Scotsman competed with the team doctor Mick Molloy, conditioners Ed Daly and Colin Robertson and he won the closest to the pin on the 8th hole at this fantastic course. The prize was a crate of Magners kindly donated by Magners Australia.

On the day we had an auction co-ordinated by Stevie Gibbons for a signed Irish jersey which the gavel was eventually brought down for Brett Finch. One of the other prizes in the auction keenly contested was for a child to be the Mascot to walk the Irish team on to the pitch for the first game in the world cup. The meal at the golf club in Mona Vale was outstanding and after a few drinks we retired back again to Narrabeen for an early night as we had another early training session ahead of us.

Ni neart go cur le cheile