Greatest Ireland Matches

[madridlion]

It was the first international rugby match I attended. Great stuff altogether.

It was my second and was there with my grandfather, the first was against Argentina in either 1973 or 1974.

[madridlion]

Sorry double post

[Oldschool]

Australia v Ireland 1979
Australia v Ireland 1979

In 1979, I think Ireland became the first 5 Nations team to win a series in the Southern Hemisphere.

[Mauler]

Ireland vs Italy 2007 - St. Patrick's Day in the Roman sun. We scored some wonderful tries but why, oh why didn't Leamy kick that damned ball off the pitch at the end!!

When Drico went off with 20 to go, I turned to the Current Mrs Mauler who accompanied me to Roma for that game and I said thats it, we'll do something to fcuk it up now! Two trys in last 5 mins - then watching the France v Scotland game in the Piazza del Popolo and the big screen going blank just as the TMO decision for the French try was about to be given.

[JohnB]

Yeah, we really should have won the 6N that year. In effect our fate was sealed when we let Vincent Clerc in for that try at the end of the French match in Croker. That try was an absolute sickener. We threw away a possible GS championship and thumping England that year never made up for that.

[johng]

Yeah, we really should have won the 6N that year. In effect our fate was sealed when we let Vincent Clerc in for that try at the end of the French match in Croker. That try was an absolute sickener. We threw away a possible GS championship and thumping England that year never made up for that.

Possibly not but it was the crack.

[JohnB]

JohnG,

Thumping England in a similar manner to the way they'd thumped us so often in the 1990's was very gratifying indeed but thumping England while winning a GS would have been gratifying to the power of 10!

JohnB

[jezzer]

A game that stands out for me is one we lost. Having endured so much shite rugby from the late 80s through the 90s the day we played South Africa In Nov 2000 under Gatty, when we played them off the park, was the day I began to hope again that we weren't doomed forever to be basket cases. It was the way we played that day that makes me positive we would have won more if we'd stuck with Gatland, 13 man lineouts and all.

[cormac]

A game that stands out for me is one we lost. Having endured so much shite rugby from the late 80s through the 90s the day we played South Africa In Nov 2000 under Gatty, when we played them off the park, was the day I began to hope again that we weren't doomed forever to be basket cases. It was the way we played that day that makes me positive we would have won more if we'd stuck with Gatland, 13 man lineouts and all.

Agreed, but we lost the game cos we couldn't cope with the physicality of the South Africans and that cost us dearly in the last few minutes. The game does, however, contain one of my favourite Ireland tries of all time. Scored by Tyrone Howe, it was created by a magical behind-his-back pass from Drico to Hickie who drew the final defender to put Howe in. Have never been able to find it on youtube.

[johng]

JohnG,

Thumping England in a similar manner to the way they'd thumped us so often in the 1990's was very gratifying indeed but thumping England while winning a GS would have been gratifying to the power of 10!

JohnB

Of course. But it was still the crack.

[jezzer]

A game that stands out for me is one we lost. Having endured so much shite rugby from the late 80s through the 90s the day we played South Africa In Nov 2000 under Gatty, when we played them off the park, was the day I began to hope again that we weren't doomed forever to be basket cases. It was the way we played that day that makes me positive we would have won more if we'd stuck with Gatland, 13 man lineouts and all.

Agreed, but we lost the game cos we couldn't cope with the physicality of the South Africans and that cost us dearly in the last few minutes. The game does, however, contain one of my favourite Ireland tries of all time. Scored by Tyrone Howe, it was created by a magical behind-his-back pass from Drico to Hickie who drew the final defender to put Howe in. Have never been able to find it on youtube.

There were two tries, I seem to remember and some great line breaks. I've seen it on youtube, I'm sure.

[cormac]

A game that stands out for me is one we lost. Having endured so much shite rugby from the late 80s through the 90s the day we played South Africa In Nov 2000 under Gatty, when we played them off the park, was the day I began to hope again that we weren't doomed forever to be basket cases. It was the way we played that day that makes me positive we would have won more if we'd stuck with Gatland, 13 man lineouts and all.

Agreed, but we lost the game cos we couldn't cope with the physicality of the South Africans and that cost us dearly in the last few minutes. The game does, however, contain one of my favourite Ireland tries of all time. Scored by Tyrone Howe, it was created by a magical behind-his-back pass from Drico to Hickie who drew the final defender to put Howe in. Have never been able to find it on youtube.

There were two tries, I seem to remember and some great line breaks. I've seen it on youtube, I'm sure.

Yep, Hickie scored the first with Humphreys being awarded the conversion despite the fact it clearly went wide.

edit: found a match report and it was actually a penalty from ROG that was awarded despite being clearly wide. It was also ROG that struck over the conversion for Hickie's try.

[nelly the elephant]

Ireland v England 1993 17-3

Final game in the 5 Nations We had lost badly to Scotland and France and just beaten a bad Welsh team. England had beaten us pretty handily over the previous 5 or 6 years. I vividly remember the Munster flanker Pat O'Hara encouraging the crowd to raise the noise and Mick Galwey's try. England went in as hot favourites and we were to give it the old cliche 'blood and guts' for 60mins and then fade away. Didnt turn out that way and England not only lost the match but also a few would be Lions and Carling who was a shoe in before hand (with the media anyway maybe not McGeechan) lost out on the captaincy to Gavin Hastings.

Also the 1991 RWC match against Aus was amazing only my 3rd time at an International and when Gordon Hamilton scored that try in the Havelock Square end it was the greatest feeling ive had at a rugby match (had to watch the 2009 Grand Slam win in a pub ) till Leinster in Edinburgh '09.....unfortunately it was short lived Rob Saunders missed a kick to touch and the rest is history 18-19....but what a match. We would have had All Blacks in lansdowne in the semi if memory serves me right!! What if!

Memorable game......was expecting a hiding. Had a game that afternoon at the same time(soccer ) so never saw it live. I knew one of the players on the team at the time and was looking forward to meeting him afterwards. Went back to our local sponsor(Fitzpatricks Castle Hotel) after our game and the English team were just arriving back there. The state of Peter Winterbottom in the bar is an image I'll never forget....his face looked like it had been attacked with a chainsaw! Also Jerry Guscott was walking around the place with a face like a bulldog lickin' p1ss off a nettle!

Magical...........There was one double tackle Elwood and Dennis McBride put in on an English back...Rob Andrew? during the game....hit him simultaneously from either side and absolutely mullered him! A real boot,bollock & bite performance.

[Barry]

still have the video of this game at home - watch it when I need cheering up.
Think that the state of Winterbottom's face had a lot to do with Pat O'Hara.

[jezzer]

Ireland v England 1993 17-3

Final game in the 5 Nations We had lost badly to Scotland and France and just beaten a bad Welsh team. England had beaten us pretty handily over the previous 5 or 6 years. I vividly remember the Munster flanker Pat O'Hara encouraging the crowd to raise the noise and Mick Galwey's try. England went in as hot favourites and we were to give it the old cliche 'blood and guts' for 60mins and then fade away. Didnt turn out that way and England not only lost the match but also a few would be Lions and Carling who was a shoe in before hand (with the media anyway maybe not McGeechan) lost out on the captaincy to Gavin Hastings.

Also the 1991 RWC match against Aus was amazing only my 3rd time at an International and when Gordon Hamilton scored that try in the Havelock Square end it was the greatest feeling ive had at a rugby match (had to watch the 2009 Grand Slam win in a pub ) till Leinster in Edinburgh '09.....unfortunately it was short lived Rob Saunders missed a kick to touch and the rest is history 18-19....but what a match. We would have had All Blacks in lansdowne in the semi if memory serves me right!! What if!

Memorable game......was expecting a hiding. Had a game that afternoon at the same time(soccer ) so never saw it live. I knew one of the players on the team at the time and was looking forward to meeting him afterwards. Went back to our local sponsor(Fitzpatricks Castle Hotel) after our game and the English team were just arriving back there. The state of Peter Winterbottom in the bar is an image I'll never forget....his face looked like it had been attacked with a chainsaw! Also Jerry Guscott was walking around the place with a face like a bulldog lickin' p1ss off a nettle!

Magical...........There was one double tackle Elwood and Dennis McBride put in on an English back...Rob Andrew? during the game....hit him simultaneously from either side and absolutely mullered him! A real boot,bollock & bite performance.

It was a great game and lifted the perennial gloomy mood around Irish rugby for a while. But it was a blip. We went straight back to mediocre and stayed there for the rest of the decade!

[Cianostays]

2 gems that haven't gotten a mention yet:

Ireland 44-22 Scotland in 2000, the game that kick started rugby's popularity in this country.

Wales 23-29 Ireland in 1999 @ Wembley. Keith Wood side stepping Scott Gibbs for his try and Claw panicing as he was put into space with no Welsh player to run into

[nelly the elephant]

2 gems that haven't gotten a mention yet:

Ireland 44-22 Scotland in 2000, the game that kick started rugby's popularity in this country.

Wales 23-29 Ireland in 1999 @ Wembley. Keith Wood side stepping Scott Gibbs for his try and Claw panicing as he was put into space with no Welsh player to run into

Was there....my first(and only) visit to the "old" Wembley......

[Twist]

All mine are recent enough too

vs England - 5N 1994. Someone finally passed it to Simon.

vs Scotland - 6N 2000. Just a liberating feeling to watch them finally cut loose

vs France - 6N 2000. See? That wasn't so hard

vs The Argies - RWC 2003. Rugby in a pressure cooker

vs England - 6N 2007. Laughing at the gobshites outside, knowing even before kick off that England hadn't got a prayer

vs Australia - RWC 2011. What's Australian for howyoulikeTHEMapples?

[Dave Cahill]

Ireland v England 1993 17-3

Final game in the 5 Nations We had lost badly to Scotland and France and just beaten a bad Welsh team.

That game in Wales was the significant one, Ireland hadn't won a 5N match for something like two years (I think it was Nicky Popplewells first win after 10 caps). We sometimes forget just how bad we were. We brought in Eric Elwood at outhalf for the Welsh and he had a massive impact. We were a complete rabble at this stage and he put shape on the team.