The Gaelic Gear Euro League Round 7 was held in Copenhagen on August 13th 2005
Congratulations to the Netherlands Ladies team who won Round 7 of the European league in Copenhagen and now lead with the most points:
Back Row (L to R): Barbara Wynne, Lenora Reville, Liz Hilton (vice captain), Marie Sheehan, Andrea O'Brien, Helen O'Loughlin & Sunniva Smith
Front Row (L to R): Andrea Aherne, Maaike Boerkamp, Michaela Duffy, Seppy Mc Ardle, Helen Hagan (Player of the Tournament) & Maria Murtagh (Captain)
Report of the Paris Tournament
The Den Haag Mean's team that made its way to Paris was short of seven regulars because of injury and holidays. Fortunately our old friends from Amsterdam were on hand to join us and we were more than happy to welcome four of them into the Den Haag fold. Given the numbers of players unavailable expectations were not high but the third place achieved by the rag-tag team was an unexpected bonus.
Indeed it could have been so much better had Den Haag made a better start against Luxembourg however with so many unfamiliar faces it was no surprise that there was a distinct lack of fluency. Things did get a lot better as the day went on. Willie and Orson were the strongest midfield pairing on show while the defence of Declan, Matt Morris, Andy Napper and Graham conceded very little.
Comfortable wins over Maastricht and Paris follow with Amsterdamers Tadgh, Jonathon, Pat & Tom all making contributions. Sean made his debut for the Den Haag A Team in Paris and so managed to half the average age of the team and double the number of people actually able to speak Dutch.
Paris, as expected, were the team to beat but there was little to choose between the other sides. Stand-in captain Des Breen was the difference between the teams as his two goals gave Den Haag a narrow win over a very competitive Rennes side and it took a late point from Orson to beat Barcelona. Four wins in row meant that a victory over Paris would be enough to secure an unlikely place in the final.
As had been the case a few weeks earlier Paris were again too strong but there was no shortage of effort and commitment from Den Haag. In the end it was Rennes who qualified for their second final of the year but only by virtue of having a better points difference than Den Haag who came third ahead of Luxembourg. Again there were many positives to be taken from the day. The team spirit that was so evident in Amsterdam was again present and some players clearly relished the responsibility they were given due to the absence of so many regulars. With injuries clearing up and players coming into form there is real reason for optimism in the build up to the Brendan Moloney Tournament. If all goes to plan it should also be a weekend of celebration for the Netherlands Ladies whose comprehensive success in Paris leaves them on the brink of a first European title.
