Gauling night for the 12th man

PERHAPS ‘Gauling’ is the way to describe the manner of Ireland’s defeat at Croke Park on Saturday night. A cold November evening that started with the highest of hopes for Ireland’s green army ended up with fans feeling frustrated and somewhat blue in the face.

Robbie Keane had appealed for a 12th man from the masses in the stands, and in fairness, the crowd answered the captain’s call.

France generously provided some pantomime villains for fans too; the brooding Nicolas Anelka and the scourge of Ireland’s class of 2005, Thierry Henry. If the boo-boys wanted targets, they got them.