A chance to emulate ’70s heroes
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.
The 1973 Five Nations match set a precedent in terms of the mutual respect between both countries. On the day Willie John McBride held his team back under the West Stand to allow England run onto the field. Pullin’s men received a five-minute standing ovation, only to lose 18-9.
A year later Mick Quinn played out half on the Championship winning side, and the Dubliner has described the five-in-a-row as one of the great achievements in Irish sport. He was replacement out half to Barry McGann in ‘75 and ‘76 against England, but in ‘74 played a major role in a match described as one of Ireland’s greatest-ever victories, one in which Gibson scored two tries.
“We played so well on the day; it was certainly the best performance that we had in that era. It won us the Five Nations and we have only won it once since in 1985.”
Quinn himself got on the score-sheet. “I got a drop goal just on half time. I had to take it really quickly because Tony Neary, their flanker, was closing in on me.”
It was possibly Quinn’s finest hour in a green shirt. He also was instrumental in one of Gibson’s tries.
Gibson was central to all of Ireland’s wins over England . And according to Quinn, the Ulster man was the greatest to ever wear the shamrock. “He was brilliant. He was the best player I ever played with or against. Brian O’Driscoll would be a good player but I don’t think he’s in Gibson’s class yet.
“That day England would have been the favourites, they would have had a lot of the big names like Ripley and Neary, Fran Cotton, John Pullin, Steve Smith and David Duckham.”
Moss Keane earned his first Ireland cap in 1974 and played his part in completing the five-in-a-row two years later. He arrived on the scene at a time when Willie John McBride was coming to the end of his career. “We won the Championship by a minimum number of points because we lost to France and drew with Wales. It seems I was a kid in the first Dad’s Army when I made my debut, and Dad in the second Dad’s Army (1982 Triple Crown team)!”
For someone who grew up in Currow, learning of ritual beatings at the hands of England, Keane says, beating the Red Rose on the ‘76 team and completing the five-in-a-row is a special memory.
“I thought it brilliant because I have memories of listening to the radio. Course we had to use our imagination at that stage before television, when we were being turned over by cricket scores. It was nice to turn the tables on them a bit.”
Today Irish expectations are not as high as in the past, similar situation in which the class of ‘76 found themselves. Quinn however is confident that O’Gara possesses leadership qualities to carve out a fifth successive victory for the ‘Golden Generation’.
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