Irish infantry cover the country in glory
Not alone are the Tier 2 sides getting a raw deal on the match scheduling front at this World Cup, but poor old Russia were billeted at the Holiday Inn on the entrance to the town where the smell akin to rotten eggs is at its worst. Ireland, meanwhile, were conveniently placed on the lakeside end where the odours were less intoxicating.
On week three away from home with the laundry bag packed to the brim, one’s initial suspicions were which one of the all-male travelling party had hygiene issues.
Thankfully it was traced to Mother Nature and now that we are safely relocated in downtown Dunedin, everything seems back to normal.
At least that should be the case until the Green Army descends on the university city later in the week. The numbers following Ireland’s exploits seems to be swelling by the day as anyone with the slightest hint of Irish ancestry here in New Zealand has forsaken the All Blacks — temporarily at least — and joined the movement.
In all my time involved with Irish rugby I have never witnessed scenes like those on show in the foyer of the team’s headquarters at the Novotel last Sunday night. There must have been in excess of 50 camper vans, all bedecked with tricolours, parked on the open green adjacent to the hotel and all the occupants along with several hundreds of other Irish fans jammed the area immediately outside the Irish team room. Any sighting of an Irish player was greeted with screams and histrionics that would have done justice to The Beatles in their heyday.
The players signed autographs, stood for photos and chatted away to all and sundry. They fully appreciate the sacrifices many have made and are also aware of the fact that having a piece of home within touching distance for so many who would prefer not to be here in the first place has added an even greater significance to the team’s journey.
One of the few drawbacks on this trip so far has been the very poor quality of wi-fi and broadband. Even when you manage to find it, it operates at a snail’s pace. Unable to send my copy from the hotel bedroom after the Russian game, I found myself in the midst of the Irish fans in the hotel foyer trying to avail of the only hotspot available, which just happened to be where a large contingent of the travelling army were sitting, in order to get my article for Monday morning’s paper off in time.
Suffice to say I had no shortage of advisors, requests for a mention or claims that I knew their mothers — or even more worrying in some cases, their grandmothers. It was great craic.
Better still was a conversation I had with a local police officer on Monday morning on my way to the airport. With the experience of 20 years of service to call on, he claimed last Saturday night in Rotorua was his most enjoyable night in the force. The interaction and banter with the massive contingent of Irish fans was something he had never experienced and despite the fact that every available bar, restaurant and coffee shop was jammed to the rafters there wasn’t even a hint of trouble. In fact they were so well behaved that when there was the inevitable shortage of taxis late on Saturday night, the police had no problem in shuttling fans to where ever they were staying. For those of us who experienced Italia 90, there was a definite sense of déjà vu.
It really is sad to see so many of our brightest young talent spread out all over New Zealand and on the basis of conversations that I have had, Australia and even South America, from where many of the supporters have travelled. It does the heart good to witness the manner in which they conduct themselves, come up for a chat about things back home, what’s happening on the GAA scene, a photo or just a bit of craic. The team aren’t the only one’s covering themselves in glory here at the moment. But back to the rugby then....
The one sobering thought in the midst of all this joviality is that despite everything Ireland have achieved on the field in New Zealand to date, on the back of Italy’s bonus point win over the USA in Nelson last night, defeat against the Azzurri on Sunday and Ireland will be on their way home. When you consider just how close Ireland were to that happening back in the Stadio Flaminio last February, then a period of reflection is required.
Italy should not and will not be taken for granted, even if they did look decidedly one-dimensional last night. To desecrate that outstanding win against Australia by not completing the job here in Dunedin would be tragic especially when one considers the rewards on offer for a win — a quarter-final against Wales and a potential semi-final most likely against either England or France. Speculation is mounting on the ground here as to whether Declan Kidney will make any alterations to the side that accounted for the Wallabies, with Ronan O’Gara and Andrew Trimble both putting their hands up for selection in the game against Russia. If there is to be a change, then O’Gara looks to be the one in pole position. Either way all will be revealed on Friday.
THE other thing that has become more noticeable since the tournament started is a grudging respect for the northern hemisphere sides. Both Ireland and Wales have captured the imagination while England’s width, lines of running and ball-handling skills against Romania have also attracted comment now that the focus has shifted, for the time being anyway, from the New Zealand media’s obsession with Mike Tindall and Zara Phillips.
History and available evidence has finally convinced the local rugby fanatics there is more than one way to win a rugby match and that the drop goal in now an accepted part of the game. Four years ago the thought of beating France in that epic quarter final in Cardiff with a drop gaol was anathema to New Zealanders, despite the fact that both South Africa’s Joel Stransky and Jonny Wilkinson had captured the Webb Ellis trophy with spectacular three pointers at the death in the 1995 and 2003 finals.
The message finally seem to have got home with the revelation that half-backs Dan Carter, Colin Slade and Piri Weepu are regularly practising the art in training. Carter even succumbed to dropping one against the French in Eden Park last Saturday night — four years too late, in my view — which incredibly was only his fourth drop goal in 85 tests. South Africa’s Jannie de Beer kicked one more than that in one game alone when the Springboks beat England 44-21 in the 1999 quarter-final while Wilkinson has already accumulated 35 in his outstanding test career.
At long last for the beleaguered All Blacks, the penny is literally beginning to drop.
