Jerry Flannery

Jerry Flannery
Birth name Jeremiah Paul Flannery
Date of birth (1978-10-17) 17 October 1978
Place of birth Galway, Ireland
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 100 kg (16 st; 220 lb)
School St. Munchin's College
University University College Cork
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2001–03
2003–12		 Connacht
Munster		 6
93		 (0)
(40)
Correct as of 18 June 2011
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2005–11
2009		 Ireland
Lions		 41
0		 (15)
(0)
Correct as of 12 September 2011

Jeremiah Paul Flannery (born 17 October 1978 in Galway, Republic of Ireland) is a former Irish rugby union player who played for Munster and Ireland. He played as a Hooker. Flannery retired in March 2012 due to injury problems and now works as Munster's Forwards Coach.

Early career

Although capped at Ireland Schools level while attending St Munchin's College (Limerick), and with a fine underage pedigree, Flannery had to wait patiently for his opportunities, but made the most of those that eventually came his way. He began his professional career with Connacht, where he spent two seasons vying for the hooker's jersey with Marnus Uijs.

Munster

Flannery then moved to Munster, where he initially found his opportunities severely restricted by the consistent form of Frankie Sheahan, a regular Ireland international. He did, however, make his Heineken Cup debut as a replacement against Stade Français at Thomond Park in the quarter final in April 2004, which Munster won 37–32.

Following a serious neck injury to Sheahan in 2005, Flannery made the Munster Number 2 jersey his own. Voted Man-of-the-Match on his first try-scoring Heineken Cup start against Castres, Flannery's outstanding form and obvious ability to compete at the highest level meant that he was promptly called into the Ireland squad, and made his international debut against Romania in November 2005 where he came on as a replacement. He played a key part in Munster's Heineken Cup winning teams of 2005/06 and 2007/08.

He missed the majority of the 2009/10 season through injury, playing only 6 matches, and also missed much of the 2010/11 season, again through injury, featuring only against Toulon in October and Ulster in January. His most recent injury occurred during the Ulster game.

His last game for Munster was the above-mentioned fixture against Ulster in January 2011, a game which Munster won 35–10 in front of the Thomond Park crowd.

Ireland

By January 2006, Flannery was installed as Ireland's first-choice hooker, and played his first full international game against Italy in the RBS 6 Nations. He retained his place in the side that claimed the Triple crown in 2006, and was unanimously chosen as the Six Nations' best hooker of that season. In the 2006 mid year test series Flannery played all the matches against New Zealand and Australia scoring one try. Bedevilled by injury in late 2006, Flannery briefly lost his place in the Ireland side to Ulster's Rory Best. Flannery did, however, appear as a replacement in each of Ireland's Six Nations fixtures in 2007.

Having toured Argentina with the shadow squad, he was also a try-scoring member of Ireland's 2007 Rugby World Cup squad in France, starting the games against France and Argentina. He was a member of the victorious Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship and Grand Slam.[1] Flannery was suspended for 8 weeks in 2008 for stamping on Julien Bonnaire; the penalty was subsequently reduced to 4 weeks, which allowed him to play in the 6 Nations tournament.[2][3]

In February 2010, Flannery was cited for "an alleged kick" on France wing Alexis Palisson during the 2010 Six Nations Championship defeat in Paris.[4] He received a six-week ban which ruled him out of the remainder of the 2010 Six Nations.[5]

Flannery missed the 2010 June Tests, the 2010 November Tests and the 2011 Six Nations through injury, but was selected in Ireland's preliminary squad for the 2011 World Cup warms-ups in August. He made his comeback against Scotland in the 2011 Rugby World Cup warm-up in August, and was selected in Ireland's 30-man squad for the World Cup. Despite coming through Ireland's four warm-up Tests in August and the first pool game against US Eagles in September, Flannery suffered a recurrence of the troublesome calf injury in training and was forced to withdraw from Ireland's World Cup squad, being replaced by Damien Varley.[6]

He stayed in New Zealand for the second pool game a week later against Australia, handing out the match jerseys to the players before the fixture, an occasion described as 'emotional' by the Irish players and staff. The opening game against the USA turned out to be Flannery's last for Ireland, as injury ruled him out of the 2012 Six Nations Championship and forced him to retire in March 2012.

British and Irish Lions

On 21 April 2009, Flannery was named as a member of the British and Irish Lions for the 2009 tour to South Africa.[7] One month later, however, on 21 May, he sustained an elbow injury during training which ruled him out of the tour.[8]

Retirement

On 21 March 2012 Flannery, who had battled against a series of long-term injuries, announced his retirement.[9]

Sports Performance

His career after rugby will be focussed on the pub his family owns in Catherine Street, Limerick, "Jerry Flannery's bar". He has also started a master's degree in Sports Performance at the University of Limerick.[10]

In July 2013, Flannery joined Premier League Football team Arsenal on a work placement as a strength and conditioning coach.[11]

Media

Flannery owns a stake in MaximumMedia, the parent company of websites Joe.ie and Her.ie.[12]

Coaching

Flannery returned to Munster as Scrum Coach when Anthony Foley's backroom staff were announced on 20 May 2014.[13] In June 2017, Flannery signed a two-year contract extension with Munster, with his role expanding from Scrum coach to Forwards coach.[14]

Statistics

International analysis by opposition

Against Played Won Lost Drawn Tries Points % Won
 Argentina31200033.33
 Australia3021000
 Canada110000100
 England43100075
 Fiji110000100
 France71600014.29
 Georgia110000100
 Italy550015100
 Namibia110015100
 New Zealand4040150
 Romania110000100
 Scotland53200060
 South Africa110000100
 United States110000100
 Wales330000100
Total412317131556.1

Correct as of 5 July 2017[15]

Honours

Munster

Ireland

References

  1. ↑ Roberts, Gareth (22 March 2009). "2009 Six Nations". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
  2. ↑ Drabble, Joe (5 February 2008). "Flannery to appeal charge". Sky Sports. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  3. ↑ "Flannery Has Suspension Reduced". 6 February 2008. Archived from the original on 15 April 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  4. ↑ "Jerry Flannery cited over incident with Alexis Palisson". BBC Sport. 15 February 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  5. ↑ "Ireland's Jerry Flannery to appeal against six-week ban". BBC Sport. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  6. ↑ "Rugby World Cup 2011: Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery out of World Cup". BBC Sport. 14 September 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  7. ↑ "British & Irish Lions tour squad announced". The British and Irish Lions official website. 21 April 2009. Archived from the original on 24 April 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
  8. ↑ Thornley, Gerry (21 May 2009). "Flannery out of Lions tour". Irish Times. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  9. ↑ "Flannery retires from rugby, O'Leary set to move to London Irish at end of season". RTÉ Sport. 22 March 2012. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  10. ↑ "Master of his own destiny". irishexaminer.com. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  11. ↑ "Munster legend Jerry Flannery lands Arsenal coaching role". independent.ie. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "Tackling sales - The Sunday Times". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  13. ↑ "Foley's Backroom Team Confirmed". munsterrugby.ie. 20 May 2014. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  14. ↑ "Contract Extensions for Backroom Team". munsterrugby.ie. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  15. ↑ Jerry Flannery, ESPN Scrum, 5 July 2017
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