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ANTHONY FOLEY 1973 - 2016
Les Kiss worked with Anthony Foley during
their respective backroom stints with the
Ireland squad and they formed a very close
friendship…
"It's a hard thing to sink in. Axel Foley, a legend
of Munster and Irish rugby. A good friend and
great coach. I loved working with him and to
think I'm not going to see him again is surreal. I
still can't believe it. He was absolutely capable of
having a future coaching in the Ireland set up, he
was in it for the long term and wanted to make a
fundamental difference to Irish rugby.
“He was a very talented coach, I worked with
him as a forwards and as a defence coach and
he knew the game
inside out. He
coached the game
like he played it, in
an uncompromising
manner and with
a demand on his
forwards - it was a
privilege working
with him.
“I was always aware
of his stature within
the game, but when
bad things happen,
people always
reflect and take a
closer look at someone. The service that he has
given to Munster Rugby in particular and to Irish
Rugby is without question, unbelievable. The
stature of the man was fantastic, you don’t win
Heineken Cups and lead from the front and not
have that special something about you.
“The fact that he was willing to invest further into
the game upon his retirement from playing, and
help the next generation of young men come
through the ranks, is an honourable quality. My
time coaching with him was special and I will miss
him.”
Les Kiss
Ulster Rugby Director of Rugby
Sports journalist Rod Nawn watched on along
with the rest of us when the devastating news
of Anthony Foley’s untimely passing came
through the airwaves…
“The epitome of Munster grit and heft, Anthony
Foley, passed away in Paris before his team
were due to face Racing 92 two weekends ago.
‘Axel’, who wore the red jersey of his Province
over 200 times, who captained the side to its
first Heineken Cup win in 2006, and who had
inevitably morphed into the Head Coach’s role at
Thomond Park.
“An unforgiving and formidable opponent, he
was the steel which bound the Irish pack for a
decade, on over
60 occasions,
but Foley was
respected in a
hugely deep way
across the rugby
and sporting world.
Tyrone Howe
was Sky Sports’
studio guest for
Ulster’s match and
suddenly it was to
him that the heart-
breaking task of
responding to the
news from Paris fell.
“They’d been team-mates in green, ferocious
opponents in white and red, but bound by
a mutual respect for each other and their
characters. Howe did many fabled things on
the wing for Ulster and Ireland but never has
he represented his Province and his sport
more splendidly than when, with such eloquent
humanity - and battling back tears - he told the
audience of the humorous, generous family man
who’d suddenly, senselessly been taken at just 42
years of age.
“On BBC Radio Ulster Jim Neilly broke the
devastating news from Paris, and then Gavin
Andrews and his studio guests paid their
respects with a wonderfully articulate conviction
RIP AXEL