Tag Archives: England

This afternoon.

Meanwhile…

No one likes them.

They don’t care.

teampic

For the month that will be in it.

Sunday, June 12, 1988.

The year the lotto went loive, Paddy Power was born and the ‘.ie’ domain was registerd.

In Stuttgart, the Irish football team, ranked 8th among the eight teams at the championship faced Bobby Robson’s star-stuffed, mullet-heavy English side.

Joxer dreamt.

Willie Clingan writing in the following day’s Irish Times said:

Somebody said that Dublin yesterday evening reminded them of Rome the day Italy won the World Cup in 1982 – a hot summer’s day with a crowded city centre in high spirits, spilling onto the streets to celebrate a great football victory. The blaring car horns added the continental flourish to Dublin’s celebrations

Mmf.

Meanwhile..

Euro 2016 Republic of Ireland Squad (RTÉ Sport)


For the weekend that’s in it.

Saturday, February 16, 1974.

When the quarterback style toss into the line-out was the done thing.

Edmund Van Esbeck, writing in the Irish Times said:

Ireland’s total of 26 points was the highest yet recoded against England at any venue by an Irish side.

John Pullin was warm in his tribute to Ireland after the game: “the Irish pack is definitely in the veteran class and tired a little towards the end, but they are still a formidable proposition for any opposition.”

Previously: Cabbage Patch Kids

Retro Rugby on Broadsheet.ie

Video: Associated Press

 

ireland1985

For the weekend that’s nearly in it.

Saturday, 19 January 30 March 1985.

Wee’ Barry McGuigan, Live Aid, and Optimus Prime dominated our thoughts.

When many young people were forced to roll up their sleeves. And go sockless. Such was the pernickety fashion of the time.

And Ireland’s second ‘Tripler’ of the ’80s was within kicking distance.

The earlier fixture, postponed by a flurry of snow, led to this Ireland team famously decamping to O’Donoghue’s of Merrion Row, Dublin for a session  St George-busting strategical think tank and wedgies.

It worked.

Irish coach Mick Doyle (top sitting far right) said:

“The lads were plucky, they wanted to win and it showed in the last 15 minutes, particularly in the way they tried to avoid doing the the expected things…”

Meanwhile, in the following Monday’s irish Times.

Rugby sage Edmund Van Esbeck was beside himself.

The strife is done now and the battle won: the tumult and the shouting have died away, the carnival is over but the memories will linger on.
Illustrious players and memorable matches have graced Lansdowne Road turf for well over a century now, but the happenings at this aristocratic among rugby grounds last Saturday will be indelibly etched into the history of the game and the minds of all 50,000 people who saw Ireland beat England by 13 points to 10. The prize for that victory is the Triple Crown and International Championship…

He’s no McGurk in fairness.

RUCK!

Previously: Cabbage Patch Kids 

Comin’ For To Carry Me Home

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..But not too much.

A recent Ulster Bank Rugby survey revealed:

Some of you think England are the next best side in the 6 Nations Championship after Ireland.

Some of you would even like to see England’s Mike Brown in green.

Alan Quinlan, commenting on the Ulster Bank rugby survey said:

Once again the Ulster Bank Rugby Survey has thrown up some very interesting results from fans across the country. Most interestingly for me is our backing of England in this year’s World Cup but no doubt that will be forgotten during this weekend’s contest

Maul!

Full Survey: Ulster Bank Rugby