For the last time...
I went to Croke Park today to watch the last rugby match I'll ever see there. There is one more game still to be played at Croker, but I'm not going down next week to watch Ireland complete the Triple Crown by spanking Scotland.
Ireland were excellent today, they moved the ball well, they controlled the game and they shut down Wales, and especially Shane Williams, completely. Every time Williams got the ball and tried to dance around he got completely levelled. Tommy Bowe laid some murderous hits on his Ospreys team-mate, and he was ably backed up by Rob Kearney, Geordan Murphy and Stephen Ferris on different occasions.
When Ireland had the ball they looked dangerous, even when starting from their own 22, and Earles, Bowe, Kearney and Murphy ran the Welsh defense ragged, ably prompted and provided with great ball by O'Leary, Sexton and O'Driscoll. Adding to the occasion was the fact that it was Drico's 100th appearance in an Ireland jersey, only the second player to ever achieve that (John Hayes was first, two weeks ago against England), and he got a huge roar as he ran out onto the field.
As far as the game went, Wales started well, went 3-0 up and then Ireland simply took over. Sexton scored 2 penalties and missed one to make it 6-3, and then Lee Byrne was sin-binned and Ireland took over. One try from Keith Earles and one from Tomas O'Leary put Ireland 16-3 ahead, and even though Jones kicked a penalty to bring it back to 16-6 at the break, Ireland were never likely to let the lead slip.
In the second half Sexton kicked another penalty to take the score to 19-6, Jones brought it back to 19-9, Earles went over in the corner for 24-9, Jones knocked over another penalty for 24-12 and a Sexton droppy sealed the victory at 27-12.
About half-way through the second half there was a singing contest which we won convincingly, Land of My Fathers was thoroughly drowned out by The Fields of Athenry.
I'll miss games at Croke, although the pitch is too big, which leads to lots of empty grass round the edge of the field during rugby and football games (because the GAA use bigger pitches) I'm really looking forward to rugby going home to Lansdowne. The walk from Stephen's Green to Lansdowne, calling in at O'Donoghue's for a pint and the Lansdowne Hotel for a pint, a burger and a bit of live music and craic with the opposition fans is as much a part of international rugby in Ireland as the game itself, and it will be good to be back.
Ireland were excellent today, they moved the ball well, they controlled the game and they shut down Wales, and especially Shane Williams, completely. Every time Williams got the ball and tried to dance around he got completely levelled. Tommy Bowe laid some murderous hits on his Ospreys team-mate, and he was ably backed up by Rob Kearney, Geordan Murphy and Stephen Ferris on different occasions.
When Ireland had the ball they looked dangerous, even when starting from their own 22, and Earles, Bowe, Kearney and Murphy ran the Welsh defense ragged, ably prompted and provided with great ball by O'Leary, Sexton and O'Driscoll. Adding to the occasion was the fact that it was Drico's 100th appearance in an Ireland jersey, only the second player to ever achieve that (John Hayes was first, two weeks ago against England), and he got a huge roar as he ran out onto the field.
As far as the game went, Wales started well, went 3-0 up and then Ireland simply took over. Sexton scored 2 penalties and missed one to make it 6-3, and then Lee Byrne was sin-binned and Ireland took over. One try from Keith Earles and one from Tomas O'Leary put Ireland 16-3 ahead, and even though Jones kicked a penalty to bring it back to 16-6 at the break, Ireland were never likely to let the lead slip.
In the second half Sexton kicked another penalty to take the score to 19-6, Jones brought it back to 19-9, Earles went over in the corner for 24-9, Jones knocked over another penalty for 24-12 and a Sexton droppy sealed the victory at 27-12.
About half-way through the second half there was a singing contest which we won convincingly, Land of My Fathers was thoroughly drowned out by The Fields of Athenry.
I'll miss games at Croke, although the pitch is too big, which leads to lots of empty grass round the edge of the field during rugby and football games (because the GAA use bigger pitches) I'm really looking forward to rugby going home to Lansdowne. The walk from Stephen's Green to Lansdowne, calling in at O'Donoghue's for a pint and the Lansdowne Hotel for a pint, a burger and a bit of live music and craic with the opposition fans is as much a part of international rugby in Ireland as the game itself, and it will be good to be back.