SIX NATIONS BLOG

How Ireland stood tall

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• Jim Stokes - BBC Northern Ireland Sport
• 26 Feb 07, 09:42 AM

Belfast – Wow. What a beautiful day Sunday was. It was only after I had finished my weekly jog around the green pastures of the Stormont Estate that I was able to take it all in. Like Saturday, it needed a sharp intake of breath.

I have been attending international matches since 1961, but none have matched the power, passion and emotion that emanated from Croke Park on Saturday.

I had to pinch myself, to realise Ireland had stuffed England out of sight. Okay, okay it was a very poor England team, but there again, who cares...

Some say that it is only a game, but we all know that rugby is more than a game. It is an occasion whether you are in Edinburgh, Rome, Cardiff, Paris or London. But as any rugby follower of whatever hue will tell you there is something special about Dublin.

With the history of Ireland as a country and the GAA intrinsically linked, Saturday was always going to be an occasion dripping with a fair amount of soul searching. Irish history will always remain, but the future was plain for all to see.

Those expecting some trouble outside the ground were to be disappointed, particularly the lone television cameraman perched on a hydraulic crane at a nearby cark park opposite the Jones’s Road entrance to the stadium.

Then, for some, we had the main event. After Ireland President Mary McAleese’s eloquent gait enabled her to pass along the protoagonists with due haste, an eerie silence fell around the stadium as we awaited the national anthems.

There was a worrying pregnant pause before laughter broke out in the crowd when the giant television screens showed Mrs McAleese scurrying back to her seat in the stands. Then the drum roll started.

I was surrounded by England fans in the lower Hogan Stand who proudly bellowed out the national anthem with a throaty roar. From where I was, the words echoed around the stadium with no interruptions, no cat-calls, no whistling. Perfect. Irish sport was unsullied.

The noise was only bettered when Amhrán na bhFiann was sung with such gusto the goalposts swayed in the windless atmosphere. My English neighbours stood ramrod straight acknowledging what they were hearing.

So on with the game. The reams of pre-match hype could not hold a candle to the match itself. Nobody could have written the script. Not even Hans Christian Andersen!

The game fairly crackled along and was very competitive…until the 25th minute when Ireland put the bulldog on a lead. Or to be honest, Paul O’Connell shackled the visiting behemoth with the type of performance that had been dormant for the opening two games.

For one awful moment I thought O’Connell was going to play another bit part when he failed to gather a high ball in the opening minutes.

But that moment of indecision just acted as a kick up the rear for the big Munsterman who for the rest of the game, tortured England at restarts, line-outs, rucks, mauls and with the odd gallop or two upfield.

He was simply immense. He has never played better in a green jersey, like his provincial colleague John Hayes.

Hayes had a phenomenal game. He was immense in the tight; never lifted O’Connell higher, and was a stubborn defender at the post position. Both should now be wrapped in cotton wool and preserved for the World Cup!

But it would be unfair to just pick these two players out of a very dominant pack who all did their jobs to perfection. It was the platform to gouge out the victory from what was a very poor England outfit.

Their forwards were completely outclassed with Perry Freshwater and Mangus Lund pulled ashore early before the boat sank.

Phil Vickery did not inspire as a leader while I felt for Jonny Wilkinson, and Josh Lewsey who looked frustrated on the wing. Brian Ashton should now pick him at full-back, end of story.

The big midfield duo of Mike Tindall and Andy Farrell looked ill at ease in the flanker-like grasp of Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy. Farrell, in particular, looked very sluggish, and it is evident that he is lacking at the top table.

Debutant David Strettle did score a good try just in front of where I was standing. But my son, never shake a gloating fist at Shane Horgan.

Horgan, one of the many stars in the Irish side, got his own back when he jumped the highest to collect Ronan O’Gara’s precision crossfield hoof for Ireland's game-defining try.

I was also impressed with the Irish backs who showed great skill in the very wet conditions. They were not afraid to toss the ball about and showed great confidence in their own ability, unlike their opposite numbers. Irish skills coach Brian McLaughlin must be a very happy camper.

And, of course, Ireland had Ronan O’Gara who has now elevated himself to one of the best number 10s in the world. Due to the work of his forwards, he overshadowed his opposite number.

Eddie O’Sullivan took quite a bit of stick when he left Geordan Murphy off the squad, but Girvan Dempsey repaid the coach in spades.

It must have been a gold-star performance by Ireland as the usually sombre and even-tempered O’Sullivan traipsed on to the pitch with a smile as wide as the Grand Canal at the end.

So there you have it. Shades of 1973 when England skipper John Pullin famously said: “England may not be a very good team, but at least we showed up”.

Ireland 43 England 13 says it all 2007-style.

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