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Post by kerrygold on Mar 5, 2007 10:52:03 GMT
Very few things delight me as much as Man u scoring a last minute winner against Liverpool. usually I dont want soccer but I love when this happens.......... and from an Irish man too. Mind u ..........John O Shea l;ooked more stunned than anyone Remember Cantona in the cup final and then two from Solskier in the cup a few years later. Joyful I wonder was that championship saturday at anfield on saturday,they only need 4 more wins from seven games if they beat chelsea or five if chelsea beat them.
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Post by admin on Mar 8, 2007 19:35:57 GMT
We were courteous, welcoming and respectful; and then we beat the daylights out of them ADVERTISEMENT
The scoreboard tells the story of the historic RBS Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and England in Croke Park on Saturday, February 24.
THERE are special occasions when you say to say yourself, ‘thanks be to God I’m around for this’, and Croke Park last Saturday was definitely one of them. As a spectacle it was magnificent; and one which was crowned by as good an Irish performance as we’ve seen for years.
All in all, the first visit of an English side to the famous old ground couldn’t have gone better. We were courteous, welcoming and respectful; and then we beat the daylights out of them.
I have rarely seen an Irish side as pumped up for a game. One look at them during the national anthems and you knew that something special was in the offing.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard Amhrán Na bhFiann belted out with as much passion, while the silence for God Save The Queen cut the ground from under all those who predicted that there would be trouble at the game. With the world watching, it was a great advert both for sport and for Ireland.
Eddie O’Sullivan must have been delighted with the display. It was as comprehensive a victory as Ireland have ever recorded over England.
Brian Ashton’s men never got a toe-hold in the game, not to mind a foot-hold. They were literally blown away.
It’s hard not to have a bit of sympathy for a coach when you see a side being taken apart like that but there was also an element of justice in the former Irish coach being on the receiving end of last weekend’s drubbing.
In his last game in charge of Ireland, Ashton distanced himself from his players when he claimed that he didn’t know whose game plan the Irish had followed but it wasn’t his.
I’d say similar thoughts were going through his head about both sides last Saturday. England weren’t let play to the plan they had in mind and Ireland were a hell of a lot better than anyone expected.
England’s approach was based on they being able to slow matters down at every opportunity and provide the platform for Jonny Wilkinson to control proceedings.
However, to do this they needed to win the battle up front but that was never going to happen. And that was clear from the first 15 minutes of the game when the Irish pack rattled the visitors.
Paul O’Connell set the tone early on. He was the man who was taking the big lineouts and kick-offs, and he was hitting rucks like a man possessed. O’Connell was clearly back to his best, making the calls and leading by example. He was by far and away the best player on the field.
Although Martin Corry had a good enough outing, Magnus Lund and Joe Worsley were not at the races. In contrast, Simon Easterby, David Wallace and Denis Leamy had massive games.
Easterby is just about edging Neil Best in the competition for the No 6 jersey but he had some game on Saturday. He’s a decent lineout option and his break in the first half eventually led to Girvan Dempsey’s try, albeit with the help of some great hands from Gordon
D’Arcy. David Wallace was also on fire. He was easily Ireland’s best player against the French and had another fine outing the last day. His try was a powerful effort, but he’s almost impossible to stop when he gets that close to the line.
The front five were equally impressive. O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan put Louis Deacon and Danny Grewcock under all sorts of pressure. Indeed, the Irish lineout was better than it has been since the autumn internationals.
Rory Best’s throwing was right on the money. As a result we lost just one of our own lineouts, while we managed to steal three of England’s. The Ulster hooker had a fine game overall, both in the tight and around the pitch.
His front row partners were equally impressive. Once again the assertion that John Hayes and Marcus Horan would be under pressure in the scrum failed to hold water.
The boys were caught the day against Leicester in Thomond Park but players of their calibre will never be caught twice. This time around it was the English eight’s turn to do a bit of back peddling.
Hayes also put in some massive hits on Corry around the fringes. It was like the man from Cappamore was doing a man-marking job in the English No. 8.
With their pack in reverse, Wilkinson and his half-back partner Harry Ellis were unable to control the pace of the game; it was their opposite numbers Peter Stringer and Ronan O’Gara who were really running the show.
I know it sounds simplistic but when Ronan O’Gara is on song Munster and Ireland really click. And he was definitely in the groove on Saturday.
His goal kicking was right out of the top drawer, while he gave a master class display of kicking out of hand. There are few players in the game who could have placed the cross-field effort for Shane Horgan’s try. It was pure class.
Overall, the backline appeared more balanced than it did against France. With Stringer and Brian O’Driscoll back in action, and D’Arcy and Horgan moving to their regular spots at inside centre and wing respectively, Ireland looked dangerous every time they had ball in hand.
I said last week that Ireland would have a definite advantage in the midfield and the visitors’ limitations in that department were always likely to be exposed if the Irish pair got enough ball. And as things worked out, D’Arcy and O’Driscoll were way too crafty for Mike Tindall and Andy Farrell.
Ireland’s back three were also very solid. Girvan Dempsey was safe out under the high ball and he came into the line with real purpose when he needed to.
Shane Horgan is definitely at his best on the wing and he showed the benefit of having played Gaelic football as a youngster when he snapped the ball over Josh Lewsey’s head for that cracking third try. It was the sort of fielding that Mick O’Connell would have been proud of in his heyday.
You could see in the first half that Horgan was up for the game when young David Strettle tried to obstruct the Meath man after he had been caught by a clever chip.
He probably thought Horgan was going to bounce off him and claim a penalty but he didn’t try the stunt again after the big Irish winger just ran right through him.
Denis Hickie put in some amount of work as well. When you see a winger coming in as the first receiver from rucks then you can be sure he’s looking for work.
As we have said already, from start to finish this was a brilliant and ruthless Irish display. It is no exaggeration to say that when the team play like this anything is possible.
Our year is back on track, and the signs are that it could be a very good year.
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Post by mickmack on Mar 14, 2007 14:26:44 GMT
Was Eddie o Sullivan right to say whatt he said about the o gara incident...........
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Post by kerrygold on Mar 14, 2007 21:38:49 GMT
he must have had good reason to say so
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Post by topcat on Mar 19, 2007 23:29:10 GMT
Poor ole Ireland, They got far too greedy going for that last try but thats life i guess.
The grand slam is the one they really want though, maybe its just me but winning the championship on points difference isnt the same thing as winning every game....
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Post by kerrygold on Mar 20, 2007 13:23:09 GMT
i see the EU have made a directive concerning tax free activities in relation to the bloodstock industry by demanding that the government put an end to CJ's little piece of artistic work in 1969 by granting tax exemptions to the thoroughbred industry.
Anyone think this is will harm the horse racing industry in ireland?.
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Post by kerrygold on Mar 20, 2007 13:30:07 GMT
Poor ole Ireland, They got far too greedy going for that last try but thats life i guess. The grand slam is the one they really want though, maybe its just me but winning the championship on points difference isnt the same thing as winning every game.... they blew it in croke park v france and they blew in rome in the last few minutes v italy,thats the bottom line,questions will remain on how good this irish team really are till we see how they perform in the world cup. If they are a world class team they will beat argentina and france to top their group and quailify to play new zealand in the final. Some how i feel their are too dependent on a few players.
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Post by kerrygold on Mar 20, 2007 13:35:06 GMT
The irish soccer team are having their first training session in croker to-day,it wil be interesting to see how themselves and the gaa officials in croker get on together.I wonder will there be an invitation for a cup of tea and kimberly biscuits on the sixth floor.Ah sure come up for a cuppa lads.
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Post by seamus on Mar 20, 2007 14:47:29 GMT
Will there be trouble at the game? Talks of a few hooligans coming over with the Welsh crowd.
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Post by austinstacksabu on Mar 22, 2007 2:05:56 GMT
Off with them. They won't get far outside the gates of Croke Park unlike the English who came up against our more sheepskinned brethern in Lansdowne Road in 1994!!
The soccer pitch in Croke Park looks tiny!!
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Post by kerrygold on Mar 22, 2007 16:57:04 GMT
let them tear up the buckets seats on the hill.
i know a member of the gardi who still is greatly troubled with back pains from that night in d.4
the rugby and soccer pitches are tiny,it makes you appeciate the genius of men like m.fitz all the more,mick galwey in his article in the kerryman recently asked the question,is johnny wilkinsons as good as matt connor and m.fitz.? Imagine the gifted tactical kicker and penalty kicker maurice would be on the smaller rubgy pitch as an outhalf. The size of the pitch certainly for me takes away some of perceived skill involved in kicking sideline conversions and half way penalty kicks.
question?,is ronan o gara a world class kicker?,he missed four conversions in rome,his team narrowly lost out on points to win the championship.His missed scoreable penalty to win the heiniken cup springs to mind also.
i'd imagine players like jack o shea,pat spillane,brian dooher,brian mcguigan,who covered huge millage in games would laugh at the size of the rugby and soccer pitches.
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Post by mrtierneyesq on Mar 22, 2007 22:40:50 GMT
Poor ole Ireland, They got far too greedy going for that last try but thats life i guess. The grand slam is the one they really want though, maybe its just me but winning the championship on points difference isnt the same thing as winning every game.... they blew it in croke park v france and they blew in rome in the last few minutes v italy,thats the bottom line,questions will remain on how good this irish team really are till we see how they perform in the world cup. If they are a world class team they will beat argentina and france to top their group and quailify to play new zealand in the final. Some how i feel their are too dependent on a few players. Good call, my thoughts exactly. Always pulling up just short, 4 times second in 5 seasons. How many chances did they need? They will go backwards from here on I feel, because they are vulnerable, other teams can see they are not true winners. Shame, because its a very talented team. They will always be dangerous and able to score out of nothing, so maybe the World Cup will suit them. As for the soccer mob, a complete sham of an organisation, and the team too lately I'm sorry to say. It actually sickens me seeing them play in Croker. Any trouble-makers, Welsh or Irish, send them down to Ballybough and we'll throw them off Luke Kelly bridge into the Tolka
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Post by mickmack on Mar 23, 2007 10:24:56 GMT
Apparently a high ranking FAI official was heard to mutter within earshot of GAA officials in relation to Croker.........."Croke Park was built on prejudice". Relations are frosty at best between GAA and FAI. Much better between GAA and IRFU I'd say.
I wont be one bit surprised if some of our home grown soccer fans deface or damage areas of Croke Park given their twisted mentality in relation to what they call "bogball".
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Post by mickmack on Mar 23, 2007 10:27:53 GMT
Paidi rightly called us "rough f**kin animals" for our attitude to losing all irelands. I wonder what he makes of the Pakistani Cricket supporters
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Post by kerrygold on Mar 26, 2007 11:06:07 GMT
the only sheep i like to gaze at mickmack is a nicely crisped leg or rack of lamb on the plate with a little piece of rosemary carelessly tossed on top to nibble on.
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