The larger-than-life number eight was at the core of the Irish rugby renaissance
It’s hard to credit that Axel passed away eight years ago last Wednesday, that at this point eight years ago Irish rugby and most of all Anthony Foley’s family and friends were in collective shock and morning. The stunned Red Army in Paris, the vigil outside Thomond Park, Noel “Buddha” Healy leading Thee Is An Isle, the funeral in Killaloe, Olive’s extraordinary tribute, Munster beating Glasgow with 14 men.
Undoubtedly it was also because of Axel’s profound impact in such a tragically short life as both a player and coach. This reporter can only remember covering one Munster Schools Senior Cup final when St Munchin’s lost to PBC in 1992 in Thomond Park despite the tireless efforts of a young bull of a boy at number eight bursting a gut when seemingly man-marked by all 15 opponents, having captained them to the Junior Cup three years earlier.
The following morning, he and Olive were sitting down at breakfast in the Clarion Hotel, the Cup standing proudly on the ground alongside them. He said the celebrations would last for days, that they had to be memorable too because that would make everyone them want to relive them again. And they did, two years later.
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