| 'Try' to make it in 2010 |
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‘Try’ to make it in 2010  Ireland won the 2009 Six nations by some distance from England France and Wales. Five wins out of five left Ireland champions, grand slam and Triple Crown winners. Ireland start the defence of their titles on 6 February against Italy. One change this year is the first ever Friday night game when Wales play France in Cardiff on 26 February. With the World Cup in New Zealand just over a year away, it is vital for all the countries to have a good tournament as they seek to develop a settled and successful team for the World Cup. Two players who will be looking to make a big impact on the tournament are Andrew Trimble of Ireland and Euan Murray of Scotland. Trimble has played over 20 times for Ireland as a wing and centre, gaining his first cap in 2005. The Six Nations website describes him as ‘rangy rather than robust but his lack of bulk belies a powerful runner capable of breaking the gainline’. The 2005-6 season rather took him by surprise. ‘At the beginning of the season, my aim was just to be a regular in the Ulster team. Getting picked for Ireland and scoring 3 tries was a real bonus.’ His first cap for Ireland was against Australia in autumn 2005. The following week he played against Romania, scoring twice. By the end of the season he had gone on to collect six caps and three international tries during the season. As a Christian, Andrew sees rugby as an important part of his Christian life, ‘He has given me the gift of rugby and I want to give it back to him. I have to live for something that will last, not something temporary. It is God who has given me my talent so it is not something I can boast about.’ Players prepare for games in different ways. Some are loud and need to psyche themselves up. Trimble prefers to sit quietly. He will often read the Bible in preparation for a game – for example Psalm 84. Words like ‘Better is one day in your courts than 1000 elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than dwell in the tents of the wicked’ help keep rugby in perspective. Scotland’s Euan Murray experienced the excitement of being selected for the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa, only to be injured and have to return early. He has played 28 times for Scotland, scoring two tries. When a tackle in a game against Munster in 2005 left him unconscious, he had a deep sense of being spared by God. He returned to his neglected childhood faith. As he put it, ‘I realized that the only way forward was to sacrifice my whole being to Jesus Christ and give Him my life. I prayed to Jesus to forgive me and give me a new start.’ Scottish Rugby has been underachieving. Perhaps Euan will be the man to kick-start a revival. Key dates 2010 SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES Saturday, 6 February 1430 Ireland v Italy – Croke Park 1700 England v Wales – Twickenham Saturday, 13 February 1630 France v Ireland – Stade de France Friday, 26 February 2000 Wales v France – Millennium Stadium Saturday, 27 February 1600 England v Ireland – Twickenham Saturday, 13 March 1430 Ireland v Wales – Croke Park 1700 Scotland v England – Murrayfield Saturday, 20 March 1945 France v England – Stade de France |
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