St. Thomas’ 2-25                   

Sarsfields 3-19

By Kevin Egan at Kenny Park

IN the lead up to the 2003 Rugby World Cup, South African coach Rudolf Straeuli authorised a quite unusual method of preparation for his players, who were unfancied but had a proud reputation to protect.

Kamp Staaldraad (translated as Camp Barbed Wire) was a military-style boot camp organized as a team building exercise. It soon emerged that the object of the exercise was to galvanise the group through methods that were little short of torture, with players talking of being ordered to go through certain exercises at gunpoint.

Another story from the camp was that the panel was ordered to climb into a foxhole naked, where ice-cold water were being poured over their heads. During their time in the hole, recordings of God Save the Queen and the Haka were played at full volume, ostensibly to build up resentment against the competition favourites.

As the dust settled on a remarkable, thrilling and high-quality senior hurling championship clash between Sarsfields and St. Thomas’ on Sunday, one wonders if the players from both camps were subjected to similar treatment, except their torture was national GAA commentators talking about how the hurling season was “over” once Limerick beat Kilkenny.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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