Your rugby highlight of 2011

justsomebloke

So what was your highlight of 2011. Was is it the win over England, the second half of the HC final, the win over oz or the heartbreak of the loss to Wales.

For me it was the HC final. Wasn't meant to go but decided to head over and what a second half it was.

ThePower11

Definitely the win over the Aussies.

ormond lad

Brian O Driscoll breaking Ian Smiths championship try scoring record

MyKeyG

justsomebloke wrote: »

So what was your highlight of 2011. Was is it the win over England, the second half of the HC final, the win over oz or the heartbreak of the loss to Wales.

For me it was the HC final. Wasn't meant to go but decided to head over and what a second half it was.

I'm Munster through and through but for me it was sitting in the Millennium Stadium and watching the best team in the NH come back to make a spirited Northampton Saints look like amateurs.

mfceiling

Ferris carrying genia down the pitch like a child being lifted up for bed!!

Morf

Nathan Hines try in the Heineken Cup final. I could relax a bit then.

Superbus

H Cup win, easily.

naughtysmurf

mfceiling wrote: »

Ferris carrying genia down the pitch like a child being lifted up for bed!!

That was impressive along with Cian Healy dumping the aussie No.10, can't think of his name at the mo, I'm pissed

ThePower11

naughtysmurf wrote: »

That was impressive along with Cian Healy dumping the aussie No.10, can't think of his name at the mo, I'm pissed

James O' Connor

naughtysmurf

ThePower11 wrote: »

James O' Connor

Not that pissed, think he was No.15, NZ born guy getting all the grief from home fans?

durkadurka

Cooper

naughtysmurf

durkadurka wrote: »

Cooper

That be him, thanks

durkadurka

porterbelly

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQT9YGvyZ48&feature=fvsr

totallegend

Scrum in second half of hc final when Leinster minced the nh front row, the reaction of Ross, Strauss and Healy was brilliant.

matthew8

So many to choose from, gotta pick one of the 3 knockout HC games though. The Toulouse game was perhaps the highest quality rugby I've ever seen, but the best highlight of 2011 was when Tuilagi was knocked into touch on the tryline by a Leinster player (was it Heaslip), great effort and determination to get back, I was in that corner and the consensus in the stadium was that it was a try but I instantly reacted when seeing it and said "no try".

If I'm being honest it's the big comeback, but for a single highlight it has to be that tackle, though Tuilagi seems vulnerable to those tackles, like when Hernandez tackled him into touch in a QF a long time ago.

Kristopherus

The Fitzy try at the start of the 2nd half of HC final.

naughtysmurf

Was in TP for The Bulls last game, brutal game but glad I was there to say thanks.

Quint2010

matthew8 wrote: »

So many to choose from, gotta pick one of the 3 knockout HC games though. The Toulouse game was perhaps the highest quality rugby I've ever seen, but the best highlight of 2011 was when Tuilagi was knocked into touch on the tryline by a Leinster player (was it Heaslip), great effort and determination to get back, I was in that corner and the consensus in the stadium was that it was a try but I instantly reacted when seeing it and said "no try".

It was Sean O'Brien..

Kristopherus wrote: »

The Fitzy try at the start of the 2nd half of HC final.

Sexton?...

Heineken Cup Final for me.

matthew8

Quint2010 wrote: »

It was Sean O'Brien..



Sexton?...

Thanks. Knew it was a backrower as I was impressed by the speed they had to get back. Anyone got a video of it?

thomond2006

27 February 2011, Scotland vs Ireland, RBS Six Nations

Ronan O'Gara handing off Ross Ford 5 metres out and then sidestepping Chris Paterson in the in-goal area to touchdown under the posts.

The bloody cheek of it! Only ROG would dare to do it.

Quint2010

thomond2006 wrote: »

27 February 2011, Scotland vs Ireland, RBS Six Nations

Ronan O'Gara handing off Ross Ford 5 metres out and then sidestepping Chris Paterson in the in-goal area to touchdown under the posts.

The bloody cheek of it! Only ROG would dare to do it.

Really? You would put that above Munster beating the best team in Europe in the Magners League final?

RebelBOK

Leinster`s comeback was pretty special i must admit, was at the Ireland Ozzie match in the WC and the atmosphere was unbelievable very special aswell but for me as a Munster man it has to be the 41 phases and ROG`s drop goal against Northampton.

RebelBOK

Ohhhh and ROG wheeling Paul Derbyshire out onto the pitch after beating Leinster in the magners final was a special moment aswell. Very very special as a matter of fact considering he left us a few short weeks later. RIP.

freyners

Provincal: Connachts first heineken cup match, not the result we had hoped for but proved to alot of doubters that the province is well able to compete at this level, the feeling when TOH put us ahead was fantastic



International: ferris playing dwarf conkers at the WC

Kristopherus

Quint2010 wrote: »

It was Sean O'Brien..



Sexton?...

Heineken Cup Final for me.

Oh, Heck, the Guinness is getting to me.:D. Anyway whoever scored it, that run from their own 22 that was the highlight for me.

ScrubsfanChris

It's close between the Magners league final and RWC match against Australia.

Magners Final just gets the no.1 spot as Aus got further than us the the RWC anyway.

Flincher

ROG's dropgoal against Northampton. We were all over the shop. The ball was nearly knocked on a few times, O'Mahony got driven back past halfway at one stage. Sheer determination to work the position for the drop goal, and then a beaut of a kick into a tricky breeze. The place went ape****.

cgpg5

Don't mind the Heineken cup my highlight is Italy beating France in the 6n and S Parisses's performance that day

danthefan

Easily the HEC. Unfortunately Ireland gave us few highlights.

thebaz

great players rise to great occassions - doesnt get greater than a WC final - so Richie McCaw for sheer determination - followed by Sam Warburtton for again rising to the occassion of the WC

OldRio

Heineken Final.
Incredible second half.

Teferi

The Heineken Cup final without a doubt.

Special mention to the Australia match and the running rampant against England in the 6N.

ktulu123

Heineken Cup final for me. What a day!

wixfjord

HEC Final obviously, don't think we'll see one like that for a while!

Though my favourite moment of the year was the quick tap and go by Sexton against England leading up to Bowe's try. A real statement of intent by us. If only we played like that for the full year. :rolleyes: Funny the way we played that well with Reddan, Sexton and Trimble on the pitch and yet the three barely got a look in together after that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBBMTvmzG6o

By the way, that video is a great snapshot of that day isn't it?! Flood ballsing up, POC and DOC rampaging like wild giraffes and the try.

Who could forget this too?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIyQTGbSfEc

Micky Dolenz

Loads of highlights.

Munster man myself, but the HC win was absolutely superb. Even at HT you could sense it wasn't over. Men possessed came back onto the field. Only very few teams could have done what Leinster did that day.

finatron

Australia match i was there and the Aus fans and New Zealand press did not give us chance .

Heineken Cup final, best final so far

leauge final, great day in thomond park (and let all us Munster fans have a day out in what was a poor year)

Brendan97

for ireland - ferris lifting and carrying genia
- win against england (always great)
- win against australia

i also liked the 30 or 40 something phases for munster against northampton

Clareman

Munster Highlight
For me has to be the Magners Final this year, I know Leinster had a massive hangover from the HEC, but after failing to make the Quarter finals as well as lose a home European game, it was important for us to get something from the season.

Other Provinces
Leinster's turn around in the HEC final was the stuff of legend, fantastic display, personally it was great to watch the final in my local pub (in Ennis) with everyone cheering for Leinster.
Connacht playing their first match in the HEC was brilliant, but their semi final in the Challenge Cup last year was as close as a close thing.
Ulster making the play offs in the HEC as well as blooding so many new players.

International
A couple of "papering over the cracks" displays against England and Australia were great, but I do think that last season was 1 of missed opportunities, the main highlights for me for the international scene would be the emergence of Sean O'Brien and Mike Ross as international standard players.

.ak

Being in the millennium stadium for the h cup final. Don't know if there'll ever be an experience like that again

MungBean

Heineken cup final followed by beating the Aussies.

tolosenc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNkSWLNKKCY

The passage of play from about 3:50 in the video above.

tolosenc

Still think the ref got the call wrong though. Should have been two yellows and a penalty try... Didn't matter in the end!

Lapsed Catholic

Garryowen winning the Munster Senior Cup (again)

jasper11

wixfjord wrote: »

HEC Final obviously, don't think we'll see one like that for a while!

Though my favourite moment of the year was the quick tap and go by Sexton against England leading up to Bowe's try. A real statement of intent by us. If only we played like that for the full year. :rolleyes: Funny the way we played that well with Reddan, Sexton and Trimble on the pitch and yet the three barely got a look in together after that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBBMTvmzG6o

By the way, that video is a great snapshot of that day isn't it?! Flood ballsing up, POC and DOC rampaging like wild giraffes and the try.

Who could forget this too?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIyQTGbSfEc

as brian moore says after that scrum that 1st scrum gave us huge psychological advantage. we normally rely on other aspects to win these games. please god healy n ross will be fit for all of 6 nations. some buzz i got that day pushin england back in 1st scrum.

LeeroyJones

Sexton's second try in the HCup final.

Looking around the stadium at that moment and all you could see were faces of elation and despair in equal measure.

Internationally the England 6 Nations match and the Aussie WC match were superb but they are both tinted with 'what could have been' for me unfortunately.

Zico

Cian Healy's charge up field against Toulouse 2nd half of the HEC semi-final and subsequent scrum where, his surprising replacement, Van der Merve destroyed Census Johnston. It changed the momentum of the game and I think the belief from that turnaround carried through to the final.

twinytwo

Moment for munster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iau_zmBXAvE

Moment for ireland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQp-7fHbxb4

Overall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGxoL15lbL0

durkadurka

tolosenc wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNkSWLNKKCY

The passage of play from about 3:50 in the video above.

Completely outstanding passage of play. I knew it was all over then

wixfjord

.ak wrote: »

Being in the millennium stadium for the h cup final. Don't know if there'll ever be an experience like that again

I don't think any sporting event I'll ever be at can come close to that tbh.
Will never forget the feeling of pure dejection at half time. Waiting for the game to end and with the thoughts of a long sea crossing the next morning with a ship full of sad Leinster fans.

I still actually think what followed was impossible. A real miracle game. I think my favourite part was that scrum, Shaggy coming in to congratulate Church I think it was, seeing himself on the big screen and having to compose himself!

This sums up the day I think.

its_phil

Two moments:

1. The win over the Aussies

2. Toulouse in the Sportsground. Dont care about the result it was the aristocrats of HC rugby in Connacht which has never seen HC rugby before. Great night