think i might take on a few of the " did you see the match" brigade later with my extensive knowledge of 5 nations rugby ,
[QUOTE=âmickee321, post: 1107573, member: 367â]one of my favourite games of the era was a 6-6 draw with Scotland in 1994, 2 eric elwood penalties sealing the tie.
@Sidney , who replaced Jim Davidson on the coaching ticket after the 1989 5 Nations?
was it Ciaran Fitzgerald?, this brought in a wonderfully unsuccessful era the high point being the wooden spoon in 1992, never forget my oud lad call the team a bunch of girls after Chris Oti scored a hat trick in Twickers in 1988, this was the same team that a few months earlier stood for The Rose of Tralee as a national anthem at the inaugural rugby world cup, Doyler had a heart attack there iirc , at the opening dinner[/QUOTE]
Fitzgerald took over at the end of 1990. He had Ireland playing terrific stuff in the 1991 Championship. Brought is Rob Saunders, the much maligned Brian Smith at out half and Simon Geoghegan and Jim Staples into the back line.
Rob Saunders captained the team on his debut if I recall correctly.
what happened then in 92?
i remember David Macaleese been drafted in for his debut in Paris after an impressive kicking performance for Ballymena the pevious Saturday at Cork Constitution
[QUOTE=âmickee321, post: 1107578, member: 367â]what happened then in 92?
i remember David Macaleese been drafted in for his debut in Paris after an impressive kicking performance for Ballymena the pevious Saturday at Cork Constitution[/QUOTE]
We were meant to win the Grand Slam in 1992 after leaving the World Cup behind us losing to Australia. First game we met Wales (at their lowest ever ebb having not won a championship games since 1989 & knocked out of the World Cup in the pool stages by Western Samoa) and as has been well chronicled, Tony Copsey sent Franno for an early shower. Wales won and Ireland went on to be whitewashed.
Went to New Zealand on a 2 test tour at the end of 1992 with a much depleted touring party. Lost every provincial game. Fielded a team in the first test against New Zealand which included Ronnie Carey and Neville Furlong (of UCG) on the wings, Peter Russell at out half, a back row featuring Mick Fitzgibhon and Kelvin Leahy. Ireland took an 18-0 first half lead, lost out 24-21 and nearly won it at the death with Ronnie Carey just failing to hold onto an intercept.
1 Like
I think it may have been Jim Davidson who gave Brian Smith his big break with Ireland in 1990.
Ireland played tremendously open rugby in 1991 with 10 tries in four matches and some of them were exceptional scores, particularly in the away matches in Cardiff and Edinburgh.
Smith left for Rugby League after the 1991 Five Nations championship. Keith Crossan who ran in one of the best Irish tries Iâve ever seen against Scotland in 1991 was also gone by the World Cup, replaced by the pedestrian Jack Clarke.
There was a great turnover of players in those days and no team was complete without at least one ânew capâ, which is a wonderful proper rugby term, like âwooden spoonâ and âwhitewashâ.
Derek McAleese, not David.
[QUOTE=âSidney, post: 1107592, member: 183â]I think it may have been Jim Davidson who gave Brian Smith his big break with Ireland in 1990.
[/QUOTE]
From recollection, Peter Russell was the starting out half at the start of the 1990 campaign. After a 23-0 hiding first day out at Twickenham, Davidson brought Brian Smith in. Smith was a wonderful running out half. It was only when Fitzgerald took over in the summer of 1990 that he got Smith to run the ball and brought in the likes of Staples, Geoghegan and David Curtis outside him.
Wonderful article by Neil Francis in todayâs Sindo about Japanese rugby and how a kamikaze pilot who cheated his planned death due to World War II ending became the pivotal figure in growing the game there.
I can think of few things Iâd prefer to do than discussing World War II , specifically the war in the Pacific, over a pinty with Frano.
Another splendid three decade-old anecdote from the great man today. If anybody else wrote it, it would fall flat. But because itâs Frano, itâs loltastic. Itâs the way he tells 'em.
Bloke goes down to the Slug & Lettuce pub on the Kings Road, walks in, sits down at the bar and says nothing. Barman comes over, yer man points at the beer tap.
âDo you want a pint,â asks the Barman. Man nods and as the barman pulls the pint he notices a huge scar across the manâs throat.
âJesus where did you get that,â he asks. The man manages to croak out a reply: âFalklandsâ.
âJesus, we have a real hero in this pub,â says the barman to everyone in the bar before handing the guy a pint âThis one is on the house mate 'cos you boys did a great job over there.â
âMuchas gracias, senor.â
5 Likes
Frano has a rather critical magnum opus about various aspects of US sport and society today.
I just found it on the dinner table.
this is phenomenal
I went to hospital for an x-ray on my cheekbone. It wasnât broken so I went back to the Berkeley Court and moped about in my room. The phone was hopping and I took it off the hook. Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door. That will be the ice I ordered. I opened the door. No ice, just a small man who is hopping mad. If he could have, Kimmage would have boxed me on the other side of my face. Telling him to calm down only made it worse. Vincent Browne was waiting in Baggot Street looking for 1,000 words by 8.0pm. I was up in my room feeling sorry for myself and it was 7.45. Kimmage sat down on the couch in the room â his tape recorder wouldnât work. The bathroom door opened and my girlfriend came out in a towelling robe. Kimmage looked at her and then looked at me.
âIâm getting the interview first.â
3 Likes
There was bad blood between the late Mick Doyle and Franno in the early nineties . Doyler maintained Franno lacked a bit of balls , it got nasty . Have you any recollections ???
The thought of Kimmage hassling Franco & in turn Vincent Browne hassling Kimmage is funny .
Ciaran Fitzgerald was a great character, pure thick and no nonsense
Hadnât a brain cell at all. Was a pure lamb when the lions toured New Zealand I remember
Doyle wrote an article in the Sindo on Franno the week before the Ireland v England game in 1991 that Franno took exception to. From recollection, solicitors may have had to intervene.
1 Like
One of the great Wikipedia edits
2 Likes
Something for everyone here, a cut off Italian football, criticism of Munster and a go at all the South Africans involved.