QuoteTotally agree.Originally Posted by finlma
Italy will test us more than England and we are going to have to improve our performance hugely to beat Argentina and France in the World Cup.
quality game-even for those who were only watching on tv. what an atmosphere! and what a result! roll on the world cup!
"....until Ray Houghton got the ball and stuck it in the net!!"
Totally agree.
Italy will test us more than England and we are going to have to improve our performance hugely to beat Argentina and France in the World Cup.
National Anthems.
I was sitting on my sofa at 2.30 last night, just begging that nobody do anything silly....I was terrified that there would be some protest or jeering during the anthems. How wrong I was.
My dad was describing this moment as one of the days that Ireland grew up - no petty quabbles or silly shouts, total respect for God Save the Queen, and then a magnificent reply.
Just look at John Hayes' face.
I was very proud to watch the anthems being played. Was expecting a bit of hostility but was very happy to see the anthems being played with respect. History unfolded before my very eyes. We have grown up.
'Fascists dress in black and go round telling people what to do, where as priests.....'
I really don't understand why people thought the anthems wouldn't be respected, unless they are unfamiliar with international rugby and particularly the fans that attend matches.
The media have been fairly shameful in the coverage over the past few weeks, whipping the whole anthems thing up into a frenzy when their was never an issue. GSTQ has been played before and was respected then so there was no reason why moving 3 miles would make it any different.
It certainly would've been different had it been a football match at Croker between England and Ireland, but rugby supporters, from all countries, are a respectful bunch by and large.
Of course their was an issue. While I agree that the media blew the whole thing out of proportion, their was still some risk of people booing it. Sure Sinn Fein were openly talking about staging a protest. GAA fans wouldn't have been happy about it either given all the history, so of course their was a risk.
Although their was arrests after the game, the genuine fans in side the ground treated GSTQ with respect so fair play to them!
Life without Rovers, it makes no sense...it's a heartache...nothing but a fools game. S.R.F.C.
Tickets for 6 nations games don't go on open sale, they are distributed through clubs.
Therefore the crowd consists overwhelmingly of rugby fans (who go year in year out, like myself), supplemented by the usual corporates and a small number of people wealthy enough to pay 4 figure sums for tickets from touts.
The vast majority of GAA members who attended are on the premium level and I suspect are not the type of people who boo anthems.
There was a protest outside involving 50-60 people (I saw 2) and there were 81,650 inside.
So now that I've established there was zero risk of people inside the ground booing, can you tell me where exactly was the risk (other than in the head of lazy hacks)?
Or maybe the shinners had an elaborate plan to use the Northern Bank robbery funds to buy thousands of tickets from touts to launch a undercover booing from inside the ground?
I disagree. I don't remember GstQ being booed when England played at Lansdowne in the soccer games or indeed in Stuttgart or Sardinia. Some Irish plum mouthed historian whom Sky wheeled out said the same thing as you but Irish soccer fans have always respected the opponent's anthem, including GstQ.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
Tickets for 6 nations games don't go on open sale, they are distributed through clubs.
Therefore the crowd consists overwhelmingly of rugby fans (who go year in year out, like myself), supplemented by the usual corporates and a small number of people wealthy enough to pay 4 figure sums for tickets from touts.
The vast majority of GAA members who attended are on the premium level and I suspect are not the type of people who boo anthems.
There was a protest outside involving 50-60 people (I saw 2) and there were 81,650 inside.
So now that I've established there was zero risk of people inside the ground booing, can you tell me where exactly was the risk (other than in the head of lazy hacks)?
Or maybe the shinners had an elaborate plan to use the Northern Bank robbery funds to buy thousands of tickets from touts to launch a undercover booing from inside the ground?
Was it not Republican Sinn Féin rather than just Sinn Féin. Not that I am a supporter of either.
In Trap we trust
I think the performance against England showed clear evidence of improvement in the fields of play which were lacking against France.
In comparison to the French at home I think the Irish display was so much more commanding.
The Welsh had 3 very kickable penalties missed, who knows how much closer they could have gotten.
It looks to me that's its about 50/50 between us and France.
Two games running it's been left to the crowd to sing, not some numpties on the pitch to "lead"/ruin the anthems. I hope this policy continues, as it's one my irritants of the last few years.
On the game, great performance from the pack, especially the front row. If they can scrummage like that in the World Cup we could be in with a real chance - Italy will tell us a lot on that score.
I'd be slightly concerned that BOD and Darcy are just about passing fitness tests, and whether they'll be long term implications given they are muscle injuries. Every game so far they've both pulled up at around 65 minutes. btw Geordan who?
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Agreed. I think that listening to one person sing the anthem, with the crowd mikes turned down, is much worse than listening to the entire crowd belt it out. A much deeper, richer, more emotional sound.
Point taken on the Irish side, but the Engerland football fans certainly would've boo'ed Amhrán na bhFiann, as they do every other nations anthem.
Yes, it was RSF (supplemented by the hoodie brigade and the lad in the Celtic shirt, who is now learning the meaning of irony the hard way).
I think I remember GStQ being booed and whistled the last time we played them, the abandoned game at Lansdowne..
Gimme dat
yeah you could barely hear the anthem that night such was the volume of booes and whistles
Life isn't all beer and football...some of us haven't touched a football in months
Maybe this is because GAA isn't an international game, hence supporters will just mouth along quietly with the words. There is no one to impress, it is the anthem of both teams and both sets of supporters
.I really hate the GAA habit of cheering before the anthem is finished.
Does this not happen in soccer too? I personally don't mind it anyway. I think it is a passionate anthem and as it builds to its peak just before the last line the juices are flowing and people let out a roar of defiance in support of their team. Not unlike the anthem itself.
The vast, vast majority of GAA fans were positive about the opening of Croke Park. The sweeping statements made about the GAA on this site are as out of touch as the views they are accused of holding.
The dude abides....
Bottle of Tonic? More like 2 bottles of the bucky....
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Not that I've ever noticed.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
Never noticed it for Ireland football Internationals. I would have thought GAA people would hate this habit too & strive to have it cut out.
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