Shaun of the Dead...

It's all the motivation you'll ever need...

The Boys and the Black Stuff

In 1916 they took the rubble from the shattered O'Connell Street Post Office and used it to build a new stand at Croke Park, the spiritual home of the Gealic games. No wonder the hapless English got such a scare there last time out.
On the 8th March, 2008, Wales reduced the Irish game plan to rubble, too, as O’Sullivan’s conservative tactics backfired. Although there was only one score in the game (how much would Shane Williams be worth in a football style transfer system right now ?), in truth Wales outplayed the home team.

We travelled - in hope and no little expectation - to seek a win that would give us a most unlikely (and completely unexpected) Triple Crown. The pain of that World Cup exit seemed a long away as we gathered in the maze of bars in downtown Dublin. The Guinness was supped, the Jones/Hook debate debated, then there was more Guinness.

The atmosphere at the ground itself was superb – the huge Welsh faction raised the roof, but was initially quietened by the powerful early Irish drives. We waited for O’Driscoll to be let loose, but still the forwards drove on, clearly out to blow the Welsh away in those early exchanges.

But that was about it from the men in green. As brave as they were in the tackle, O’Sullivan’s men offered little in the way of an attacking threat. Horgan was a fingernail away from scoring in the first half, and the forwards continued to battle, but the influence of Shaun Edwards’ defensive preparations were there for us all to see. It was perhaps epitomised by Ian Gough. In the second half, the pain from a “stinger” to the shoulder brought him to his knees, but then he got up and scrambled back in to the line. Presumably further damage to the shoulder was preferable to facing Edwards in the dressing room afterwards.

In attack we always looked dangerous, the sharp movement of the ball giving the Irish defence plenty of problems. Shane Williams’ try was beautifully created, the play patiently built up with the sort of confidence we so lacked at the World Cup.

And after it all – on the TV screen England’s sad struggle in the rain ended as a bar full of Welshmen sang “Flower of Scotland”.

Oh – and there was more Guinness