Green Army !
The Lansdowne Road clock showed forty seven minutes played, Brian O'Driscoll had just scored a record breaking try, Ireland were beating England 24-3 and the Irish crowd began singing The Fields of Athenry. Two days after St.Patricks Day, on the eve of the 'supermoon' England had been well and truly eclipsed by a rampant green army.
England had arrived in Dublin with the carrot of a first Grand Slam since 2003 dangling before them and whilst their performances this year haven't been all twinkling toes and expansive rugby the tactics were more right than wrong and the results were in the bank. What they hadn't done though was put themselves in the shoes of the Irish, you can often tell how players are feeling by looking at their eyes as the National Anthems are played, England were there with their chests puffed out, fists clenched but in the eyes of the players something was missing. Ireland sang their two national anthems with pride, the eyes smiling, the pride in need of rebuilding following the defeat against the Welsh.
Wherever the English hearts and minds were just twenty seconds into a pulsating match their bodies were being pushed back by a rampant Irish pack. Ireland played with an intensity of a wounded animal and England were the unfortunate side on the receiving end. From half way through the first half there was only going to be one winner and as the rain grew heavier, the pitch grew muddier and the control of the Irish grew stronger England were found wanting in almost every area of the pitch.
At the end of the match Irish eyes were smiling (you can't resist a cliche sometimes) and the revolving door of substitutions was more like a series of curtain calls as players were cheered on and of the field.
Rewind a month and every English fan would have taken four wins from five and one defeat doesn't dampen the enthusiasm and revived belief in this group of players, but sometimes in sport its the distance between a players ears that make all the difference between winning a losing, mental pressure can get to the best.
1 comment:
Agreew ith every word...especially the "something was missing" bit!! Completely outplayed in all departments...imagine had the ref not allowed the Welsh try and Ireland won last week then yesterday would have been very different: Irish nerves maybe and more England hunger? We'll never know. Ireland were fantastic and I doubt anyone begrudges them.
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