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The 42
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The 42
Munster crash out of URC after penalty shootout loss to Sharks
Sharks 24 Munster 24 Sharks win 6-4 on penalties THERE WERE scenes of mad celebrations at Kings Park on Saturday night when the Sharks prevailed over Munster in a United Rugby Championship quarter-final thanks to a successful penalty shoot-out following 20 minutes of extra time. It was heartbreak for a Munster side that once more showed the character that is the hallmark of one of Europe's great teams. Rugby is not accustomed to soccer-style shootouts and there was an unlikely hero for the Sharks in a fairly unknown replacement scrumhalf, Bradley Davids, who held his nerve after the Munster kicker, Rory Scannell, had earlier missed a kick. The Sharks are through to a semi-final against the Bulls, and they are there by the skin of their teeth after the match finished at 24-24, and the extra time of 20 minutes produced no score. Munster were returning to a ground where seven months ago, they got a 41-24 mauling, a result that cost coach Graham Rowntree his job. The Shark Tank is the one South African venue where Munster have never won a match, although they came close two years ago when they drew 22-22 en route to eventually winning the title in Cape Town. Munster are at their most unpredictable when they are pinning their colours to a mast. This was the case with a collective of more than 600 caps about to retire in the form of warriors Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray and Stephen Archer. Munster have proved they are a team never afraid of delivering on foreign soil — they won a succession of away playoffs to win the title in Cape Town, against the Stormers. On paper, the Sharks were favourites. They boasted eight double World Cup-winning Springboks, mostly in a pack containing Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche and Vincent Koch. They also had a former Munster lock in Jason Jenkins, plus fellow Springboks in Jaden and Jordan Hendrikse, Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi, Andre Esterhuizen and Aphelele Fassi in the backline. By the same token, Munster coach Ian Costello had picked the same starting team for three games in a row. The last time Munster had managed that feat was in 2018. Advertisement The visitors scored the first points of the game when the Sharks kicked badly into the space and the counter-attacking Irishmen swept upfield. Jack Crowley kicked astutely to the corner for winger Calvin Nash to scorch into the corner and superbly ground the ball in the ninth minute. Crowley missed a sitter of a penalty shortly after in an opening quarter that was all Munster red and very little black of the home side. The best attacking moment the Sharks could muster in the first half was a hopeful and unsuccessful long-range penalty effort by Jaden Hendrikse. The 28,000 Kings Park crowd was on the point of despair but five minutes into the second half right wing Ethan Hooker stepped several opponents to score. Hendrikse's conversion levelled the scores at 7-7. Munster fought straight back and replacement prop Josh Wycherley charged over. The conversion by Crowley made it 14-10 with just over a quarter of the match to play. The Munster men accelerated into a 21-10 lead when left wing Diarmuid Kilgallen raced up on a speculative kick that had Sharks fullback Aphelele Fassi slip on his backside in the heavy dew, and Kilgallen capitalised in gathering and scoring. A prolonged period of set scum pressure from the Sharks in the Munster 22 paid dividends when a ball worked quickly out wide from an advancing scrum saw fullback Aphelele Fassi saunter over. The score was 21-17 with just over 10 minutes to go. The Sharks took the lead for the first time with six minutes remaining when a penalty kicked to the corner saw replacement hooker Fez Mbatha smash over. The Kings Park crowd raised the rafters, but they were rendered silent when Conor Murray — that wonderful warrior for Munster and Ireland — came off the bench and landed a cool penalty to level the score at 24-24 and take the game into extra time. Neither side could score in the first 10 minutes, although the Sharks applied most of the pressure. The arm wrestle continued in the second half to send the game to a penalty shoot-out. The Sharks' kickers kept their nerve, and it was the unfortunate Rory Scannell who missed first. Sharks scorers: Tries: Tries: Ethan Hooker, Aphelele Fassi, Fez Mbatha Conversions :Jaden Hendrikse [3] Penalty: Jaden Hendrikse Munster scorers: Tries: Calvin Nash, Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Kilgallen Conversions :Jack Crowley [3] Penalty: Conor Murray. Munster: Thaakir Abrahams [Mike Haley, '65], Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell [Rory Scannbell, '65], Alex Nankivell , Duirmuid Kilgallen; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey [Conor Murray, '65]; Michael Milne, Niall Scannell [Diarmuid Barron, '50] , Stephen Archer [Josh Wycherley, '48], Jean Kleyn, Tadheg Beirne (captain), Peter O'Mahony, John Hodnett [Alex Kendellen, '65], Gavin Coombes. Sharks: Aphelele Fassi, Ethan Hooker, Lukhanyo Am [Francois Venter, '75], Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi; Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse; Ox Nche [Ntuthuko Mchunu, '68], Bongi Mbonambi [Fez Mbatha, '62], Vincent Koch, Jason Jenkins [Emile van Heerden, '13], Eben Etzebeth, James Venter, Vincent Tshituka, Siya Kolisi [Phepsi Buthelezi, '55]. Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland).
Extra.ie
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Leinster are damned if they do win URC... and damned if they don't
One of the staples of the entertaining 'Offload' podcast every Friday is Donncha O'Callaghan's rants against Leinster and what he sees as their 'blue media' cheerleaders. It has been a hot topic all season, revolving around the central theme of O'Callaghan believing Leinster enjoy unfair advantages over the other provinces, and it ramped up big time in the wake of the province's shock departure from the European Cup. The good-cop, bad-cop approach alongside Tommy Bowe works well on an entertainment basis over a number of topics, but especially when the former Munster and Ireland stalwart is ripping into his old rivals — as he was last week with the URC up for debate. Former Munster star Donncha O'Callaghan has questioned Leinster this season. Pic: Inpho 'The URC is not the prize Leinster were going for. Andrew Porter has said they are all about Europe. Who gives a s**t if Leinster win the URC?' said O'Callaghan, adding that he would prefer if Leinster's Lions were rested so they could be fresh for the summer tour to Australia. Controversial opinions are the bedrock of popular podcasts but this was still a particularly extreme position to take. Since the Champions Cup defeat by Northampton, a giant heat lamp has been trained on Leo Cullen, Jacques Nienaber and the Leinster squad — and it demands a reaction. Since the Champions Cup defeat by Northampton, a giant heat lamp has been trained on Leo Cullen, Jacques Nienaber and the Leinster squad — and it demands a reaction. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile The immediate response to 'who gives a s**t if Leinster win the URC?' is: Leinster do. Indeed, given how this season has panned out (on the back of a trophy drought extending to 2021 and a Champions Cup void going back to 2018) you could say winning the URC title is now non-negotiable for Leinster. Put it this way, picture a scenario where Leinster lose in the next few weeks and imagine the fallout then. Ending yet another season empty-handed, despite having access to Jordie Barrett, RG Snyman and Rabah Slimani (after an initial IRFU ruling on no overseas prop signings), not to mention two-time World Cup-winning coach Jacques Nienaber, would create a toxic fallout — one where there would be intense pressure for heads to roll. Put it this way, picture a scenario where Leinster lose in the next few weeks and imagine the fallout then. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile As the chief decision-makers, on and off the pitch, Cullen and Nienaber are most vulnerable but URC capitulation on the back of another Champions Cup flop would put pressure for change on the entire backroom staff. So, rather than be dismissed as an irrelevance, the URC has now assumed monumental importance for Leinster — with dire consequences for failure. And, although Leinster are overwhelming favourites to claim the URC trophy, it is far from a done deal. If they get past the Scarlets tomorrow (which they should do at home with relative ease), Leinster will face the winners of tonight's Glasgow-Stormers quarter-final. Glasgow are reigning champions, with a squad laced with internationals and should see off the South Africans at home but either side is capable of upsetting Leinster on their day. Then if they do make it to the final, Leinster will face either Munster, the Sharks or the Bulls (it is pretty safe to assume Edinburgh will not make it to the decider). Munster have shown their capacity for pulling out massive performances in knockout matches and if they make it past the Sharks tomorrow at a sold-out Kings Park, they will be fuelled by the same levels of confidence and verve that took them all the way a couple of years ago. The Sharks have not been equal to the sum of their parts so far, but their squad is jammed with elite Springboks and, if they click, they can take anyone out. Meanwhile the Bulls, while not carting the same levels of South African stardust as the Sharks, still possess plenty of potency and have an impressive collective spirit — finishing second only to Leinster in the URC table, with 14 wins from 18 outings. Key to all of this is the attitude of the South African sides. Unlike the apathy they reserve for the Champions Cup (South African sides competing in the European Cup has always seemed an ill-fit), they are all-in when it comes to the URC and it makes them extremely dangerous. Lots of pitfalls then for Leinster as they seek to justify their 4/9 favouritism. There is no question that Cullen has the tools at his disposal to reel off three knockout victories to end their trophyless hell. However, if the litany of near-misses over the last few seasons has taught us anything, it is that Leinster's mental fortitude is questionable on the big stage. The nature of their Northampton defeat could have sent them one of two ways. Either, it has instilled a ruthless determination to put things right that will narrow focus all the way to glory, or it has riddled the squad and coaches with self-doubt that will kick in whenever pressure comes on. We will not know which until the situation presents itself again but there is no questioning the desire to put things right. This is a rock and hard place situation for Cullen and crew. Win the title and the likes of O'Callaghan and a host of others dismiss it as the least that should be expected from this Leinster operation — fail to win the title, and you get absolutely rinsed with calls for change probably impossible to stave off in the fallout. However, there is one final aspect to all of this that people have overlooked. In 2007-08, Leinster had the same type of 'nearly men' tag that the current side labours under after years of coming up short. But under the radar, Michael Cheika was steadily introducing steel to the squad and, after a long tough campaign, they landed the league title. It got lost in the wash of Munster landing their second European Cup around the same time and Leinster's achievement was not seen as a significant step towards closing the gap on their southern rivals. But that is just what it was. Brian O'Driscoll has spoken many times about how that 2008 league win gave Leinster the belief they could go on to bigger and better things — and the following season they established a dominance in Irish rugby they have yet to relinquish. Cullen was part of that journey as a player and he will see similar opportunities now also. Win this title and it could be just the springboard this team is so desperately seeking — whatever others may think of it.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Former Mumbai pace bowling stalwart Abdul Ismail passes away
Abdul Ismail passed away at the age of 79 due to cardiac arrest (Image via X/@nairobikar) Abdul Ismail passed away at the age of 79 due to cardiac arrest (Image via X/@nairobikar & RSingh6969a) Abdul Ismail passed away at the age of 79 due to cardiac arrest (Image via X/@nairobikar) Abdul Ismail passed away at the age of 79 due to cardiac arrest (Image via X/@nairobikar & RSingh6969a) Abdul Ismail passed away at the age of 79 due to cardiac arrest (Image via X/@nairobikar) 1 2 Mumbai: Former Mumbai pacer Abdul Ismail, known as the 'king of swing bowling' in his heydays, and was a part of Mumbai's 'golden generation' of cricketers who won the Ranji Trophy title for 15 consecutive seasons in the 60s & 70s, passed away at the age of 79 due to cardiac arrest on Friday. Son of a taxi driver, Ismail, who was born in 1945, was an Oshiwara resident. He bagged 244 wickets in 75 first-class games at a fantastic average of 18.04. Though he didn't play for the national team, his son Asif went on to play Davis Cup for India. "His contribution to Mumbai cricket and the famed Shivaji Park Gymkhana was wonderful," former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar told TOI. Speaking to TOI, Sandeep Patil, India's 1983 World Cup-winning team, mourned the fact that three of Mumbai cricket and the famed Shivaji Park Gymkhana stalwarts - former Mumbai captain Milind Rege, domestic left-arm spin legend Paddy Shivalkar and Ismail have passed away within a short period this year. Rege passed away on Feb 19, while Shivalkar expired on March 3. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "It's so, so sad that the golden trio of Mumbai cricket-Abdul Ismail, Paddy Shivalkar and Milind Rege has passed away in such a short time - within a period of the last two months. I started my career with all these three and I remember bowling 44.4 overs in my first match (for Mumbai) against Hyderabad with Abdul being there to guide me. I played as a bowler. It's very sad to hear about his demise," Patil said. According to the old-timers Ismail came close to being picked for India after starring in Mumbai's thrilling 48-run triumph in the 1970-71 Ranji Trophy final against Maharashtra at the Brabourne Stadium in the Cricket Club Of India, taking seven wickets for 58 runs-four for 41 & three for 17), but sadly missed out on the 1971 tour of England, before missing out. "You talk about all those great swing bowlers-Bob Massie, Jimmy Anderson, Manoj Prabhakar, Balwinder Singh Sandhu. Abdul Ismail was, I think above all those guys," Patil praised. Mahela Jayawardene on Rohit Sharma: 'You cannot replace the experience' During his childhood, Ismail had no means to play even tennis-ball cricket, but looking at his passion, a Maharashtrian Kerkar family provided him everything so he could play at Mazgaon's Hasanabag ground. 'What I am today is because of the Kerkar family. They really took care of me. We had no money. My father was the only earning member and he used to get annoyed seeing me on the ground. Every day I would go to banks and offices and beg for a job,' Ismail had told veteran journalist Makarand Waingankar who wrote a feature on him for the 'Bombay Boys' series for TOI in January 2013. Speaking about his action, Ismail remembered, 'For one year I was in Ruia College. When our coach Mohini Amladi watched me for the first time, he told me to correct my action in 8 days but I just couldn't change anything. He allowed me to bowl with the same action.' In that article, Former India batsman Brijesh Patel recalled, 'Ismail was a very good bowler, deceptive with his weird action. With both swings, he made batsmen play. The quality of balls used was poor those days and the ball would lose its shine, but Abdul would be at you all the time. He should have played for India.' Poll What do you think was Abdul Ismail's greatest contribution to Mumbai cricket? His swing bowling technique Mentoring younger players Consistency in domestic matches Inspiration to aspiring cricketers In 1974, when Karnataka ended Bombay's streak of winning the Ranji Trophy 15 times in a row in the semifinal at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy stadium, it was an umpiring decision involving Ismail that hurt them. After having elected to bat, Karnataka lost Vijay Kumar off the first ball to a lovely outswinger from Ismail that he edged to Sunil Gavaskar at first slip. Karnataka would have been 0 for 2 when Ismail trapped local hero Gundappa Viswanath plumb in front of the wicket with an in-swinger, but was denied by the umpire. Viswanath went on to score 162 and in the company of Brijesh Patel (105) tore the Bombay attack. Eventually, Bombay, chasing Karnataka's 385, lost the match. It was just Ismail's wretched luck that both cricketers were denied the chance to play for India.
RTÉ News
15 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Season comes full circle as Munster return to Durban
Seven months on, Munster return to the ground where their season, and future, changed dramatically. When the province were heavily beaten, 41-24, by the Sharks in Durban at the end of October, it marked the end of a miserable South African tour, and left them with just two wins from their opening six games. It was a bad start to the season, but it was still a major shock when the province confirmed they had parted company with head coach Graham Rowntree just a couple of days after returning home from that trip. With an early-season coaching change, and a further shake-up of the backroom team when forwards coach Andi Kyriacou was let go a few weeks later, it's naturally been a season of peaks and valleys for the province. Big wins, inexplicable defeats and everything in between. There's rarely a quiet week at Thomond Park. Munster are never more dangerous than when they are rallying around a cause, and the pending departures of Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray and Stephen Archer have been a real motivating factor in the last month. You could argue they never should have let themselves get into a position where they needed to win their remaining two regular season games to secure a play-off spot, and more crucially Champions Cup rugby for next season. But after finding themselves in must-win territory, there is no doubting they delivered, and arguably played their best rugby of the season in each of those second halves. Their reward for making it into the play-offs is another trip to South Africa, against a Sharks side that blew them apart back in October (above). On paper, the Sharks should be overwhelming favourites. Their teamsheet boasts multiple World Cup-winning Springboks, notably in the pack where they start Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche and Vincent Koch, as well as former Munster and Leinster lock Jason Jenkins. If you can deal with them, you still need to worry about Jaden and Jordan Hendrikse, Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi, Andre Esterhuizen and Aphelele Fassi out in the backline. The Sharks are the most fascinating team in the URC. Laden with superstars, they have consistently failed to play as a sum of their parts, and finished fourteenth last season with just four wins from 18 games. They did, however, secure Champions Cup qualification through winning the Challenge Cup. They have been more consistent this season in the URC, and are the third seed for these play-offs, although there is still a question mark around their consistency, as their 10-7 home defeat to an understrength Leinster illustrated in March. "We obviously know that the quality is there," Munster interim head coach Ian Costello said of the Sharks improvements this season. "What we've seen over the last few weeks is how good they are off the ball; a team that's highly motivated, that scramble well, they're off the ground quickly. There's a good spirit and I think that enhances the quality that they have, where maybe in the past it mightn't have appeared they were as connected as that. "They look like a very connected group and it comes out really in the work-rate moments or the non-talent moments. They're very, very physical but what we've probably observed over the last few weeks if you make a line break it takes a lot of finishing before you score. "So, there's going to be really important battles off the ball in what we would call our catch-up in defence in our scramble or in our push-through in attack. If we bend them or if we break them we have to stay on top of them. "That's one of the key differences that we've picked up. Their work off the ball and their non-talent stuff is in a really good place in the last six to eight games anyway." The must-win element of the last couple of games, and the motivation of giving O'Mahony (above), Murray and Archer a fitting send-off has obviously played a part in Munster's return to form, but other, more obvious factors are at play. The end of the Women's Six Nations has allowed interim forwards coach Alex Codling return full-time with the province for the time being, and their lineout has started to function better as a result. The signings of Michael Milne and Lee Barron have also added some heft to the pack, but the most crucial element has been the injury list which has eased up, giving Costello more and more players back on deck. That good run of luck has now allowed Costello pick the same starting team for three games in a row. The last time Munster had previously named an unchanged team was in January 2018, a remarkable run of 188 games with at least one change in the side. Craig Casey and Jack Crowley are playing some of their best rugby, while the return of Diarmuid Kilgallen and Thaakir Abrahams from injury has seen them gain real speed in the back three. Defensively, there are still issues which were exposed by Benetton and Ulster in recent weeks, but after scrapping their way into the play-offs, they are a side that nobody will be comfortable facing, particularly with their unlikely run to the 2023 title still fresh in the memory. One of the big results on that title run came at this afternoon's venue, Kings Park in Durban, where they fought back for a 22-22 draw against the Sharks in the final round of the regular season, a result which altered their play-off path, and denied the Sharks a place in the Champions Cup. While they drew that afternoon, Kings Park remains the only South African ground Munster are yet to win at in the URC era. If they can channel the emotional energy of recent weeks, they have an outside chance of completing that South African set this evening.
Extra.ie
a day ago
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Why URC failure has huge consequences for Leinster
One of the staples of the entertaining 'Offload' podcast every Friday is Donncha O'Callaghan's rants against Leinster and what he sees as their 'blue media' cheerleaders. It has been a hot topic all season, revolving around the central theme of O'Callaghan believing Leinster enjoy unfair advantages over the other provinces, and it ramped up big time in the wake of the province's shock departure from the European Cup. The good-cop, bad-cop approach alongside Tommy Bowe works well on an entertainment basis over a number of topics, but especially when the former Munster and Ireland stalwart is ripping into his old rivals — as he was last week with the URC up for debate. Leinster head coach Leo Cullen. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher 'The URC is not the prize Leinster were going for. Andrew Porter has said they are all about Europe. Who gives a s**t if Leinster win the URC?' said O'Callaghan, adding that he would prefer if Leinster's Lions were rested so they could be fresh for the summer tour to Australia. Controversial opinions are the bedrock of popular podcasts but this was still a particularly extreme position to take. Since the Champions Cup defeat by Northampton, a giant heat lamp has been trained on Leo Cullen, Jacques Nienaber and the Leinster squad — and it demands a reaction. Andrew Porter has said they are all about Europe. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile The immediate response to 'who gives a s**t if Leinster win the URC?' is: Leinster do. Indeed, given how this season has panned out (on the back of a trophy drought extending to 2021 and a Champions Cup void going back to 2018) you could say winning the URC title is now non-negotiable for Leinster. Put it this way, picture a scenario where Leinster lose in the next few weeks and imagine the fallout then. Ending yet another season empty-handed, despite having access to Jordie Barrett, RG Snyman and Rabah Slimani (after an initial IRFU ruling on no overseas prop signings), not to mention two-time World Cup-winning coach Jacques Nienaber, would create a toxic fallout — one where there would be intense pressure for heads to roll. Jordie Barrett after Leinster crashed out of the Champions Cup. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile As the chief decision-makers, on and off the pitch, Cullen and Nienaber are most vulnerable but URC capitulation on the back of another Champions Cup flop would put pressure for change on the entire backroom staff. So, rather than be dismissed as an irrelevance, the URC has now assumed monumental importance for Leinster — with dire consequences for failure. And, although Leinster are overwhelming favourites to claim the URC trophy, it is far from a done deal. If they get past the Scarlets tomorrow (which they should do at home with relative ease), Leinster will face the winners of tonight's Glasgow-Stormers quarter-final. Leinster head coach Leo Cullen (right) with senior coach Jacques Nienaber. Pic: INPHO/Morgan Treacy Glasgow are reigning champions, with a squad laced with internationals and should see off the South Africans at home but either side is capable of upsetting Leinster on their day. Then if they do make it to the final, Leinster will face either Munster, the Sharks or the Bulls (it is pretty safe to assume Edinburgh will not make it to the decider). Munster have shown their capacity for pulling out massive performances in knockout matches and if they make it past the Sharks tomorrow at a soldout Kings Park, they will be fuelled by the same levels of confidence and verve that took them all the way a couple of years ago. The Sharks have not been equal to the sum of their parts so far, but their squad is jammed with elite Springboks and, if they click, they can take anyone out. Meanwhile the Bulls, while not carting the same levels of South African stardust as the Sharks, still possess plenty of potency and have an impressive collective spirit — finishing second only to Leinster in the URC table, with 14 wins from 18 outings. Sharks stars Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth. Pic: Steve Haag Sports/REX/Shutterstock Key to all of this is the attitude of the South African sides. Unlike the apathy they reserve for the Champions Cup (South African sides competing in the European Cup has always seemed an ill-fit), they are all-in when it comes to the URC and it makes them extremely dangerous. Lots of pitfalls then for Leinster as they seek to justify their 4/9 favouritism. There is no question that Cullen has the tools at his disposal to reel off three knockout victories to end their trophyless hell. However, if the litany of nearmisses over the last few seasons has taught us anything, it is that Leinster's mental fortitude is questionable on the big stage. The nature of their Northampton defeat could have sent them one of two ways. Either, it has instilled a ruthless determination to put things right that will narrow focus all the way to glory, or it has riddled the squad and coaches with selfdoubt that will kick in whenever pressure comes on. We will not know which until the situation presents itself again but there is no questioning the desire to put things right. This is a rock and hard place situation for Cullen and crew. Win the title and the likes of O'Callaghan and a host of others dismiss it as the least that should be expected from this Leinster operation — fail to win the title, and you get absolutely rinsed with calls for change probably impossible to stave off in the fallout. However, there is one final aspect to all of this that people have overlooked. In 2007-08, Leinster had the same type of 'nearly men' tag that the current side labours under after years of coming up short. Leinster's 2008 league victory proved a springboard to sustained success. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile But under the radar, Michael Cheika was steadily introducing steel to the squad and, after a long tough campaign, they landed the league title. It got lost in the wash of Munster landing their second European Cup around the same time and Leinster's achievement was not seen as a significant step towards closing the gap on their southern rivals. But that is just what it was. Brian O'Driscoll has spoken many times about how that 2008 league win gave Leinster the belief they could go on to bigger and better things — and the following season they established a dominance in Irish rugby they have yet to relinquish. Cullen was part of that journey as a player and he will see similar opportunities now also. Win this title and it could be just the springboard this team is so desperately seeking — whatever others may think of it.
