Monivea man Blade answers Ireland’s call

By David Connors

THE first memory Monivea Rugby chairman Padraic McGann holds of the club’s prize pupil Caolin Blade donning the club’s red and black stripes is of him picking up the ball up in his own 22 and jinking and jiving past would-be tackles, bursting up the entire length of the field, before diving over the line for another try from as young as 12.
McGann, one of the founding fathers of the North Galway club back in October 8, 1972, wasn’t one bit surprised to hear last week's announcement that Blade, on the back of some fantastic club form with Connacht, had been drafted into the Ireland set-up for the first time as part of Joe Schmidt’s 36-strong Six Nations squad.
24-year-old Blade, even before his international call-up, has had a season to remember and was chosen to captain his province for the first time in October of last year.

Read the full story in this week's edition of The Tuam Herald