A chance to emulate ’70s heroes

AMIDST talk of crisis and gloom in the Ireland camp and speculation surrounding the future of Eddie O’Sullivan, Ronan O’Gara’s side is on the cusp of equalling a record set by Irish teams in the ‘70s, who defeated England for five successive seasons in the then Five Nations Championship.

There is an all-pervasive feel-good factor on any occasion when Ireland defeat the ‘auld enemy’, particularly in their own back yard. From 1972 to 1976, with teams inspired by the peerless Mike Gibson, Ireland had the hex over their greatest rivals. Today at RFU headquarters, O’Gara and company are 80 minutes from replicating that record.

One of the more famous victories during the 1970s was a famous 26-21 triumph over England in Twickenham in 1974, a year after an emotional Five Nations game between the sides in Lansdowne Road, when the crowd rose to applaud John Pullin’s men who travelled to fulfil their fixture despite threats from paramilitary groups. The previous years Wales and Scotland refused to travel.