Rugby Flyer

by Gerard Siggins

  ‘However Nick had gone to Ireland by the time Olga arrived and they never did meet up. Olga’s injuries were worse than she thought and she passed away soon after reaching London,’ added Alex.

  ‘But why didn’t Nick have the piece sent to him in Tipperary?’ asked Eoin.

  ‘I think he wanted to forget about everything to do with Russia,’ replied Alex. ‘He rarely talked about the old country to me, and he never mentioned that he had the other piece. Olga had left hers with my father and he gave it to me one day not long before I died. It didn’t mean very much to me, and I too didn’t have very long left…’

  ‘And just what is the treasure?’ asked Eoin.

  ‘It is one of the Imperial Easter Eggs made by the court jeweller, Peter Carl Fabergé. The Tsar had one made almost every year of his reign. They were exquisite designs and are highly prized by collectors.

  ‘Last year I picked up a newspaper thrown away by a rugby spectator in the stadium which told all about the collection and the handful that had been lost. It described one of the missing ones, the Empire Nephrite egg, and I knew that was the one I had part of. I found my half in a box in the attic of my old home in London, but I have been searching for the other half ever since.’

  ‘How valuable is it?’ asked Eoin.

  ‘Well,’ replied Alex, ‘according to the newspaper it could be worth around twenty million pounds.’

  CHAPTER 29

  Eoin gulped and wished Alex luck in his quest, and offered to help him look when they got back to Tipperary.

  ‘Perhaps,’ said Alex. ‘That would be great. I don’t want the egg, or the money, but I do want to reunite this beautiful work of art, just as my father’s friend and his sister had planned to do so very long ago. Good luck in your own hunt for treasure tomorrow. I will be watching from the room in the grandstand that bears my name.’

  Eoin raised his hand in salute as Alex walked away, disappearing as he reached the gate of the pavilion. With the sun starting to set, Eoin headed back to the dorm, kicked his trainers off and lay on top of his bed. He hadn’t planned to sleep, but was so drained by the action and excitement of the day that he was out cold in seconds. He woke again, still wearing his shirt, shorts and socks from the day before, when the sun appeared at the windows at dawn.

  ‘Yuk,’ he said, as he changed out of his match kit and grabbed a shower before anyone else woke up. He skipped down the staircase in a great mood and set off on a run around the school grounds. He was particularly delighted that he had got a full night’s sleep as he had often failed to do so before a big game.

  After a ten-minute jog he practised a few short burst runs, then headed in for breakfast. On their way out of the dining hall were Sam and Paddy who seemed a bit nervous about the game ahead, but they all parted on friendly terms.

  Eoin joined Charlie, Killian and Seán Nolan at one bench. Charlie had kept his sausage intake to his personal minimum – three – in view of the big match, but had upped his egg count to four for extra protein. The others ribbed the big No.8 about his enormous appetite, but they were glad of his power at the back of the scrum for Leinster.

  ‘Right, boys, we’re going to have a run around on the school grounds today, as the sacred turf is being cut just in time for the final,’ said Ted. ‘It won’t be anything too strenuous, but I want all thirty-three members of the party togged out ready for action at half past ten. We’ll go through a few things and I’ll name the team. But we need to be back in this room here for twelve o’clock as we have some very special guests coming to see the game.’

  The players looked at each other and began speculating who the guests might be. ‘Joe Schmidt?’ ‘Johnny Sexton?’ ‘Justin Bieber?’ were just three of the names Eoin overheard as the volume in the hall rose.

  He ducked outside and asked the school secretary could he make a local call, and got through immediately to the hospital. ‘Your friend had a comfortable night,’ reported the nurse, ‘and he said to wish you well in the final.’ That cheered up Eoin even more. He was glad Dylan was on the mend, and that they had made up their stupid row.

  He went back upstairs and packed all his bags, keeping everything he would need for the final in his Leinster kitbag and piling the rest – mostly ready for the laundry – into the holdall. He carried them both downstairs and left them inside the main door of the school where one of the Leinster coaches was ticking them off on a list.

  Charlie dropped his bags off too, and Eoin could see he was really nervous.

  ‘It’s alright for you, Eoin,’ said the big No.8. ‘You’ve played in Lansdowne Road and you’ll probably grow up to play rugby all over the world. World Cup finals, the lot. But I’m not nearly as good as you and I keep thinking they’re going to drop me. I’ll probably give up rugby once the Leaving Cert is over. I can’t imagine playing for anyone else besides Castlerock. This is probably the only chance I’ll get to play in a stadium this enormous, even if it is nearly empty. I’m terrified I’ll make a mess of it.’

  Eoin put his hand on Charlie’s shoulder. ‘Listen, Charlie, don’t put yourself down, and certainly don’t do it on this day of all days. You’ve played a huge part in getting us here and if you want to play for Leinster in future I’m certain that the only person who’ll stand in your way is yourself. You haven’t made a single mistake this week so there’s no need to be scared of anything. Get out there and play just as you usually play and we’ll win this game.’

  Charlie brightened and clasped Eoin around the back of his neck. ‘Thanks, mate, that’s such a nice thing to say.’

  ‘But it’s true!’ said Eoin.

  Charlie nodded and puffed out his chest. ‘Let’s roll!’ he called and charged off down to the training pitch with Eoin trotting on behind, laughing heartily.

  CHAPTER 30

  Ted made a couple of changes to the team that had won the semi-final, and Seán was delighted that he would now have both his brothers at his side in an all-Nolan front row. Killian, too, would be in the starting fifteen. Eoin was going to be captain, and John Young shook his hand after the team had been announced.

  ‘The best man for the job, no doubt,’ he smiled. ‘But if you want to dash off to the cinema at half-time I’ll be ready to take over.’

  Eoin laughed and thanked John. He was so used to nasty little scraps for his position back in school that it was nice to be up against a good sportsman. The training session was short and sweet, and Eoin spent most of it practising his kicks from the touchline, with John and a couple of his friends helping collect the balls.

  When it was over and they strolled into the canteen building, they found the doors closed and Ted standing in front of them with his arms folded. He waited until everyone had arrived and then announced that he wanted them to enter the room slowly and carefully, before he threw the doors open wide.

  The players walked into the room to the sound of cheers and clapping from a crowd of more than a hundred people. The boys were puzzled but soon one or two heard their names being called and recognised who had done so. ‘Mum!’ ‘Dad!’ ‘Gran!’ ‘Brud!’ were the calls as they all realised their parents and families had gathered in the canteen.

  ‘You’re all very welcome to Twickenham!’ shouted Ted above the racket. He waved his arms and the crowd was silenced.

  ‘First of all, many thanks to our airline partners for bringing you all here today as our guests. We are very grateful to you for lending us your sons, and you can be very proud of how they have played and conducted themselves this week. I’m sure your support will be crucial in the game this afternoon. Now I’m afraid you only have forty-five minutes to spend together because we have to start the preparations for the big game shortly. So enjoy yourselves, and everyone enjoy the game.’

  Eoin had spotted his parents and picked his way around several hugs and handshakes to reach them. He took several seconds to find his way around a particularly enormous group hug involving the Nolan triplets and their family.

  �
��Congratulations, Eoin, we’ve been following the tournament on the website,’ said his mum. ‘You’re a big star back home. It was even on the sports news on the radio this morning.’

  ‘We’ve been up since early morning – we had to drive to Dublin for a seven o’clock flight, imagine,’ laughed his dad. ‘And we had to pick up an extra passenger too…’

  Dixie stepped out from behind the stage curtain where he had been hiding.

  ‘Boo!’ he chuckled. ‘You know they couldn’t keep me away from a game like this. Would you believe the Leinster official said there were only two guests allowed per player? But I brought along my Leinster cap from 1967, and the pilot was so impressed when I showed it to him that he put me in first class. He even let me sit up the front with him for a few minutes.’

  Eoin smiled at his grandfather, from whom he had got his knack for getting into adventures. ‘Ah, that’s brilliant, I’m so glad you could come. We never lose when you come to watch. I’d say you’ll have your pick of the seats today.’

  He chatted with his family about what had gone on during the week, and explained about Dylan’s injury and the trip to the emergency room. His mum made note of the directions to the hospital and said they would visit him before the game.

  Eoin turned to Dixie. ‘You should try to check out the museum at the stadium, Grandad, it’s really excellent. There’s photos and videos of some of those old players you’re always talking about.’

  ‘Oh, really? Then I must do that. I won’t go to the hospital – I try to avoid them unless I’m the patient these days,’ he chuckled.

  When time was up, Eoin said his goodbyes and accepted all their good luck wishes. He always enjoyed having his family watching his big games – and this was going to be the biggest he had ever played.

  CHAPTER 31

  Ted sat on a table in the middle of the changing room and said nothing at all. He just smiled as he looked around the room at his match-day squad.

  ‘Are you all right, Ted?’ asked Charlie, eventually.

  ‘I am, Charlie,’ the coach laughed. ‘I can safely say that in the eight or nine years since I gave up playing I have never felt so happy. I’ve been coaching lads your age, or around it, for five years, and I’ve never worked with a more talented bunch – in fact I can safety say we’ve never even played against a more talented group of players.

  ‘I think the future of Leinster rugby is safe if even twenty per cent of this team makes it through to the academy, and I’m certain it will be a much higher percentage. And I wouldn’t be telling you that if I thought that any of you would be impressed by what I’ve just said. There’s no danger of swelling your heads!’

  The team laughed, and Charlie patted himself on the head.

  ‘But… today we have a job to do, and no one remembers the great schoolboy teams who didn’t win trophies. Do you remember what I told you right back at the start of the week?’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Ultan. ‘You said, “Whether you win this tournament or not is irrelevant to me.’’’

  Ultan delivered the line in Ted’s deep voice, which got him a laugh from the boys and a wagging finger from the coach.

  ‘Yes, I said that, I admit it,’ said Ted. ‘But I also gave you a list of things I did want you to go home from Twickenham with, such as learning about rugby and different cultures, and making friends and team-mates. You already have them in the bag, so go out there today and bring home the thing I said was irrelevant. Bring home that trophy.’

  And he got up and walked out of the room.

  Eoin stared at the boys, and decided to take the lead. ‘OK, you heard the coach, let’s go,’ and he headed for the tunnel that led onto the famous turf.

  The Ulster boys were already in their warm-up when Eoin reached the pitch. He nodded to Sam, but this wasn’t the time to exchange words with the opposition. Eoin looked around the ground and was a bit taken aback by how tall the stands looked compared to Aviva Stadium. Then he remembered that they could fit 30,000 more people into Twickenham.

  Not that there was any need for that sort of capacity today. A few of the other teams had come along to watch the final, and were identifiable by their brightly coloured tracksuits. The Connacht boys were already singing songs, and had prepared banners for each of their fellow Irish teams. Just around the halfway line Eoin spotted the Leinster parents, all dressed in blue and waving the scarves they had been given on the flight over. He couldn’t see his mum and dad yet, but Dixie gave him a thumbs-up as he passed.

  Eoin tossed the coin with Paddy O’Hare, who was captaining Ulster, and opted to kick off. He liked to get an early feel of the ball. His kick fell right into the hands of Charlie Johnston, who fed the ball straight to Páidí. Eoin raced to catch up with the action, and signalled to his scrum-half to pass it to one of the forwards, who put his head down and charged at the Ulster boys. Eoin wanted to test out the opposition early and see how ready they were for action. The second row turned and passed to his partner, who did the same. Leinster were inside the Ulster twenty-two and looking unstoppable. The defence panicked and conceded a penalty, which Eoin smashed high over the bar into the second deck of the enormous stands. Less than two minutes were gone and it was 3-0 to Leinster.

  But Ulster fought back, and the rest of the half wasn’t nearly as straightforward for Leinster. Their scrum was struggling as Ulster’s powerful forwards began to take control and just before half-time they overwhelmed the Leinster defence with a series of drives ending with a try near the posts and a 7-3 lead.

  Ted was still smiling at half-time, and didn’t seem at all concerned at the scoreline. He stood at the table in the dressing room, took three eggs out of his pocket and started to juggle. The eggs were painted yellow, blue and white, the Leinster colours, and he was quite slick in the way he tossed them in the air and caught them. After half a minute he stopped and began to speak.

  ‘Did you see that?’ he asked. ‘That’s the handling I saw from you guys earlier in this competition. You were fantastic. Remember the first try against Bath, and when we demolished Racing, and Killian’s try against Cardiff? You juggled the egg like it was red-hot and you moved it at speed. Now let’s see that again. Any questions?’ Nobody spoke up, and Ted moved away to talk to the front-row.

  Eoin stared at Ted’s back, puzzled by something he had said. He had called the rugby ball ‘the egg’, which was bugging him for some reason. He walked over to the table and picked up the eggs. He examined the blue one, rolling it in his hand, before he had a sudden flash.

  ‘Oh no, oh no, oh no,’ he said to himself, turning quickly to find his kitbag. He tore it open and rummaged about inside. It took a minute but he found what he was looking for tucked inside one of his spare boots. He pulled out the crumpled blue sock and stood up.

  ‘Sorry, Ted,’ he called across the room. ‘I have to go somewhere urgently. But I promise I’ll be back for the second half – this time.’

  Before Ted could object Eoin was gone, charging along the corridor and taking the stairs two at a time. He didn’t even stop for breath as he climbed all the way up to the third level of the East Stand. He barrelled down another corridor until he came to a door with the name of the restaurant painted upon it. The restaurant named after a man who had scored just two tries in his international career.

  He pushed the door and entered an empty room, the bars shuttered and tables stacked along the wall. ‘Alex,’ he called, ‘are you here?’

  Out from behind a pillar stepped Alex, with a puzzled look on his face.

  ‘Aren’t you supposed to be playing down there?’ he asked. ‘The Ulster boys have just started to come out.’

  ‘I am, I am,’ rushed Eoin. ‘But I had to give you this in case it got lost again. I only realised a minute ago what it was and I was terrified to leave it in the dressing room – and I couldn’t bring it out on the field.’

  ‘But what are you talking about – that’s just a smelly old sock,’ said Alex, pointing at Eoin’s outstr
etched hand.

  ‘It’s not,’ said Eoin, ‘Look, look what’s inside.’ And he peeled back the sock to reveal the missing half of Alex’s priceless Fabergé Easter egg.

  CHAPTER 32

  ‘I have to go,’ said Eoin. ‘See you after the game.’

  He turned and dashed off as fast as he could back to ground level. He hadn’t even stopped to check Alex’s reaction to completing his family treasure.

  Eoin found the first door he could that would take him out to the pitch and vaulted an advertising hoarding just in time to see the referee signal that he was fed up waiting for Leinster’s missing out-half.

  ‘I’m here, ref, sorry,’ called Eoin as he raced into position. ‘Bit of an emergency.’

  ‘Where did you go?’ hissed Páidí. ‘Ted was going mad on the touch-line a minute ago. He had Johnny Young ready to go on.’

  Eoin said nothing and prepared to see what the Ulster kicker would do with the ball. As he awaited his kick he glanced into the grandstand and saw his mum and dad had arrived. But he was confused by the person standing between them – was he wearing a red shirt and a blue scarf?

  Ulster kicked off and Eoin could see that they had got a new confidence in their step from being ahead on the scoreboard. Sam gave him a wink as they waited for the next scrum to form, but Eoin kept his eyes focused on Páidí.

  Both sets of teams flagged as the second half went on. Many of the players had played four games in a week, in warmer conditions than they were used to, and their stamina was being tested. Eoin recognised this and took a swig out of a water bottle at the next break in play, close to the ten-metre line inside the Leinster half.