Amidst the collective joy that hammering England at the end of the Six Nations generated, there was still a nagging doubt that that victory had more to do with Eddie Jones’ side playing poorly in that tournament than any progress on Ireland’s part. It was a Championship that brought more bad than good for Ireland, … Continue reading Statement Win
Category: New Zealand
Barometer
When Ireland toppled the All Blacks in 2018, no one could have envisaged their spectacular collapse against the same opponent the following year. Two years on from that sobering defeat, they are in a strange semi-limbo state where they are trying to change, but don't yet have a clear idea of where they stand, having … Continue reading Barometer
Ground Zero
“There’s two kinds of pain in this world. Pain that hurts. Pain that alters.” Robert McCall, The Equalizer 2 (2018) You would think that Irish supporters would be used to World Cup quarter-final defeats by now, but every time that they happen, the wound cuts just as deep. In fact, this one is … Continue reading Ground Zero
Everest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM0dx0h2xsw It’s been more than 20 years since Jim Telfer delivered that speech, but the reason that it’s still enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up is that it doesn’t have any of the passionate shouting or roaring that usually characterise pre-match talks. Instead, the revered Scottish … Continue reading Everest
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