Ireland’s last chance
At the minute France are punishing Georgia for daring to think they might have a had a chance at an upset, although the Georgians have had only 4 days since their previous game. Adds France win 64 – 7. Oh, and Ireland are getting ready [hopefully - Ed] to face those Pumas. Kick-off 4pm at the Parc des Princes. As I may have mentioned, a win by 8 points and at least 4 tries are required against Argentina for Ireland to go through to join England and Scotland in the quarter-finals.. against a side that has yet to concede a try.. But here’s some, probably misplaced, optimism. And the Guardian’s Scott Murray, who’s less optimistic, predicts “Argentinian fly half Juani Hernandez is going to hoof Garryowen after Garryowen towards his opposite number Ronan O’Gara..” Half-time Ireland 10 – 18 Argentina. Ireland have 1 try.. but Argentina have 2.. Full-time Ireland 15 – 30 Argentina. A better performance from Ireland, but too many turnovers and just not good enough. The Pumas, deservedly, go through to play Scotland in the quarter-final in Paris. Leaving France to play the All-Blacks.. in Cardiff. Ireland, deservedly, go home.
More good news for you Dewi… Cardiff won away at Munster as well…
Been great in Cardiff tonight – piles of french and kiwis – wonderful – should be a great game tomorrow….I got a feeling that France might do it…but as I have been wrong about everything I’ll keep my mouth shut.
“I can’t help but notice the animosity from contributers toward the Ireland rugby team. One can hear the huge sigh of relief now that it is all over from the staunch Unionist type folk who were in despair at the thoughts of the 32 county Irish rugby team do well in the World Cup. For deep down they were desperately wishing and willing the team to do badly because happy scenes of an all-Ireland team winning a trophy in sport is the stuff of nightmares to them.”
OK Greg there’s an element of truth in that. Though anyone who thinks there’s any chance of an Irish team winning a trophy is not a follower of sport. Sometimes- and usually when they play England- even Unionists are Irish supporters- just as we’re virtually all for Scotland in the Calcutta cup. It’s partly the underdog thing.
In my experience there’s no antipathy to those few Ulstermen who O’Sullivan picks because he mistakenly thinks they’re from North-east Connacht. Though would you have called Davy Tweed a Lundy to his face?
Older generations generally support Ireland, in the way that they supported Ireland the football team (the one that played at Windsor park)and had no issue with self-describing as Irish. One effect of the polarisation of the past 40 years made that less likely, but perhaps our recent history is changing that back.
Without wanting to start this whole thing up again, we know the GSTQ issue was handled hypocritically by the IRFU, and brought to the fore other feelings of grievance in many northern rugby fans like me. So you bet I laughed when their team got stuffed- as did very many of my circle of acquaintances, who included one former under 21 Ireland player, and who are almost entirely of the north Down garden centre post-Protestant professional middle class.
Perhaps they’re being a bit too precious- not a unique flaw when we see people wanting memorials to the victims of the Enniskillen bombing being taken down to avoid causing offence, or councillors not wanting the perpetrators of the Omagh bomb being identified as republicans, or squandering thousands on futile attempts to change the name of our second city.
But the reason isn’t the one you advance. It’s because nationalists touch the same old raw nerve- the total lack of respect for another vision of Irishness-and as people who have in the past occasionally had legitimate grounds for a mirror complaint ( which most Unionists recognise) you ought to recognise it as a concern to be addressed, not to be dismissed.
What are you supposed to do between England v Australia and All Blacks v France ???
Piles of Irish over here..amonsgt the stunning French beauties and burly New Zealanders…. .are they lost ???
Leave them have their 6 county rugby team with a union jack and the mrs von hohenzollern saxe-coburg gotha’s head superimposed on it and let them sing the sash for the 80 minutes and have king billy as the official mascot. Like football, any catholic (or prod, if he wants)from the north can play for the team called Ireland.
Small tiny little island still squabbling and fighting like rabid dogs (look at the crap posted here, full of barely concealed loathing for anything different). Pathetic sad creatures we all are. A plague on all our houses, let the two islands sink to the bottom of the sea and do the world a favour.
What a depressing country/island. And the whole notion of 60% of a province trying to call itself a nation, when 40% of the people of six tenths of a province have zero interest in that place calling itself a nation. Sad, sad.
The whinging on her has been monumental. Over representation under representation no representation.
Chantelle Houghton had to leave here champange and clubbing lifestyle behind when she married ordinary boy Preston and moved to ordinary Brighton where they went out to ordinary pubs which served ordinary drinks like lager. Think of how far Brighton is from Essex.
Surely Chantelle Houghton is the
Most
Oppressed
Person
Ever
and you people do not realise that you are born.
Willowfield, sorry but the play on words doesn’t work. Why not use the Republic of Ireland soccer team there, as well and anything associated with Ireland which is always the case with hardline hardnosed Unionists. You are obviously very ignorant of the fact that many people from the south supported Northern Ireland in their last World Cup outing in Spain in 1982 and were happy for their tremendous success. And sorry to disappoint but Irish folk particularly from the south would’nt hold the same belligerent attitude toward the NI soccer team as those Unionists of the north toward the south’s. (The antics at Windsor Park over a decade ago when the 2 teams played, springs to mind, and I’m sure you remember well Alan McLoughlin’s goal).
Regarding the rugby world cup, even the First Minister Big Ian (as well as the Deputy) managed to wish the Ireland rugby team well against the Argies. But you probably missed that on TV.
Just as well Ulster wasn’t planted with vineyards for the vines would yield a very sour wine!
Dear me, Greg
Willowfield, sorry but the play on words doesn’t work.
The whole point of my throwing in the suggestion of separate rugby teams after Ireland’s poor performance on the field, was in response to the continuing suggestions of an all-Ireland football team after NI’s (and/or ROI’s) poor performances on the field. That was obviously lost on you.
And I’m not ignorant of the fact that many Southerners supported NI in 1982 (although you’re obviously ignorant of the fact that NI’s last World Cup outing was not 1982 – check your facts). Nor am I ignorant of the fact that most northerners (myself included) support the Ireland rugby team.
Ironically, given your sweeping generalisations, I – and the vast majority of unionists – are happy for all-Ireland sporting structures in rugby to continue – it is the whingeing nationalists who want them changed. Funny, though, how we don’t see you commenting in disparaging tones about anti-NI sentiment on football threads! Your post served my purposes very well, thanks very much.
So you reckon an Northern Ireland rugby team would do better all round….well fair play to ye!
BTW I’m well aware of Northern Ireland’s 1986 World Cup outing in Mexico, pardon me for overlooking this and boiling your blood a little bit more.
I have commented many a time on the Northern Ireland soccer threads and I strongly advocate that all Irish Nationalists living in Northern Ireland should support the Northern Ireland soccer team wholeheartedly. After all, with such fine players as Jennings, O’Neill and Lennon playing their hearts out over the years for their country, it is only right that they get 100% support from everyone. And with this support it is only right that the Northern Ireland flag and GSTQ anthem should be changed. Anyhow, the Northern Ireland soccer team just doesn’t belong solely to the Unionist community and after all the population ratio of Unionist/Nationalist in Northen Ireland is not that much really, so lets have both communities represented and no one offended!
Sure maybe the FAI will join ranks again with the IFA, who knows what the future will bring. No doubt you will be very vexed!
I have commented many a time on the Northern Ireland soccer threads and I strongly advocate that all Irish Nationalists living in Northern Ireland should support the Northern Ireland soccer team wholeheartedly.
But did you attack nationalists for their animosity and belligerent ill-will? For considering NI success to be the stuff of nightmares? For cutting off their noses to spite their faces? For barking “incredible” demands like an all-Ireland team?