What was the best irish victory?

sydthebeat

To balance out the misery of that other thread, what do you think has been Ireland's greatest ever victory?

I'm not going too add a poll as I feel there are a few to choose from and posters may prefer one over others for different reasons.

Off the top of my head you could include Wales 09, Australia rwc 11, England in Crokers, France rwc 2015, BOD v France 01, England 01, the ladies doing what the men haven't, maybe even jaco pines for those halcyon days of '48 and the victory over France?

Morgans

Think it would have taken a world class performance from a world class team to beat the Irish team that turned up against France in the world cup last year.

Hard to believe they went behind in the England Croke Park game, but pretty much a complete performance after that.

Clareman

From an Irish point of view it has to be the Croke Park game against England, from a rugby point of view I'd go for either of the world cup victories against France or Australia

bilston

The most satisfying win was the victory over England at Croke Park in 2007 (NINE years ago!!!)

The best win from a rugby POV was probably over Australia in 2011. Although I always remember the 1st half performance against Australia in 2006 in the freezing rain at Lansdowne Rd being of the highest quality I have seen from an Irish team. Geordan Murphy and Denis Hickie scored tries, it was an awesome performance which received a standing ovation as the players left the pitch for their half time oranges, but given it was an Autumn International as opposed to a 6Ns match or WC match it probably has to rank a bit lower than the two above.

former total

My favourite is still probably beating England in 2004.

errlloyd

England Croke Park was very special.

The Pheasant2

England at Croker for me - the thought of Shaggy going over in the corner still puts a smile on my face

Bret Hart

For me it'd have to be Wales in 09.

phog

Winning the Grand Slam in Wales 09.

Beating England in Croke Park a close second.

Thankfully I was at both games.

corny

Has to be the GS game against Wales in 09.

England 6N's game in 06 was good too. Shaggy finishing in the corner from a move started inside our 22 in the last minute at Twickenham. Epic stuff.

wp_rathead

Think Scotland in Landsdowne in 2000, real turning point in Irish rugby when 5 lads made debut: Easterby, Stringer, Horgan, O'Gara and Hayes..
The fact it came after two of our worst defeats, Argentina in Lens in 1999 World Cup and then week before were slaughtered by England in Twickenham...

jacothelad

I tend to think in milestones of seasons . In 99/2000 we got demolished by England by 50 - 18 and things looked bleak. Then Ireland scored 44 v Scotland, 60 v. Italy, beat France in Paris courtesy of BOD's hatrick and then managed to blow it against Wales but the signs were there of something stirring.

I think the 2000/ 2001 season - where we blew a GS by staying in bed v. Scotland and this 2002 season was the confirmation of the arrival of a more competitive Ireland and we've enjoyed it ever since.

The stirring produced results as Ireland 54 - Wales 10 is a red letter day for me....but two weeks later we got back scuttled and table ended again by England 44 - 11, who were pretty much heading towards being the best team in the world in 02 and 03. We then went on to put 43 points on Scotland and 32 on Italy before once again being given a colonoscopy of epic proportions - 44 - 5 by GS winners France.

I've enjoyed many victories over the years since seeing my first one in 1955 v. Wales. An 11 - 3 victory with Robin Thompson, Cecil Pedlow, Tony O'Reilly and Jack Kyle playing. I remember the tortuous drive down - no motorways or dual carriage ways and the road from Belfast to Dublin crammed with cars heading towards the game. It seemed to take forever and the crowd was frightening at first for a 6 year old boy. Once the game started I was hooked forever. So, for me there isn't one that is less important but some have been certainly more uplifting.

The 71 / 72 season is one that I remember for different reasons. Scotland and Wales refused to play and we had beaten France and England away so a GS was achievable. France came in a wonderful gesture of support and played an extra game and at the same time gave two fingered salute to Scotland and Wales and terrorism. In 73, England, to their everlasting honour came to Dublin despite the threats and the troubled times and got a huge and thoroughly deserved, prolonged standing ovation for doing so - and then got well beaten. As John Pullen their skipper said after the game "We may not have been very good but at least we came."...or words to that effect. In many ways, that was one of the best rugby days of my life and one I shall always cherish. Sometimes it's other things in rugby in this island that are more important to me than just the victory.

RuggieBear

Beating France in 2000 bod hatrick game or England in 1993 (MICK GALWAY!) for me.

This is why I don't really care about the rwc...much prefer the championship and beating our neighbours.

bilston

RuggieBear wrote: »

Beating France in 2000 bod hatrick game or England in 1993 (MICK GALWAY!) for me.

This is why I don't really care about the rwc...much prefer the championship and beating our neighbours.

I was at that game in '93, definitely a highlight.

Actually I've only been to three Ireland v England games in my life...

1993
2001
2007

There is a common theme there, and bearing that in mind it is clearly in the interests of Irish rugby for the IRFU to provide me tickets and accomodation for all future Ireland England games...

Losty Dublin

One of the most important victory's was the 23-21 test win for Ireland Schools tour over Australia in Canberra in 1996. Ireland were the first ever tourists tour that went undefeated. It was a big deal at the time, especially for those involved in schools and youths rugby, and it showed that we had a future and a bright one at that.

RuggieBear

Losty Dublin wrote: »

One of the most important victory was the 23-21 test win Ireland Schools tour over Australia in Canberra in 1996. Ireland were the first ever tourists tour undefeated. It was a big deal at the time, especially for those involved in schools and youths rugby, and it showed that we had a future and a bright one at that.

Gibneys black rock dream team made up the bulk of that irish side

thomond2006

The Australia win last November was really enjoyable.

PTH2009

Australia 2011 Rwc- expected to lose even the Aussie pundits were laughing at the prospect of them losing

England 2007 6n and England 2015 6n

Wales 2009 was special

South Africa 2009- beat them to end the season unbeaten

France 2014

Snickers Man

Most memorable victories, in no particular order and from a deeply personal point of view.

First Test v Australia 1979.
Ireland on tour in Australia sensationally dropped star out half Tony Ward, European player of the year, in favour of Ollie Campbell who had earned one cap in an injury crisis four years previously and had never figured since.
Turned out to be an inspired choice as we marmalised Australia in the first test, playing controlled ten man rugby but nevertheless managing to score a few tries as well. Won the second test too the following week but that was a tighter dourer tryless affair.
It was Ireland's third victory over Australia on Australian soil. I don't think any other "home nation" has matched that.

Wales in 1980.
Needs a bit of perspective for the modern reader. Wales were THE team of the 1970s. Ireland hadn't beaten them anywhere for 10 years. We had been thumped in our first game against England, beat Scotland at home then lost narrowly in Paris. Last game of the season in Lansdowne Road, took on Wales with no great expectation of victory.
Played them off the park and won 21-7. Moss Keane had one of his memorable Ball-tucked-under-the-arm-charging-into-the-opposition-at-every-opportunity games.

Beating Australia and South Africa on consecutive weekends in 2006

Allowed us to believe we were up there with the big boys and would be contenders in the World Cup in 07. Didn't turn out that way but those two performances were special. In rugby terms, probably the peak of Ireland's rugby so far in the 21st century

Grand Slam in Cardiff 2009
Can't diminish the magnitude of this performance and achievement. The berserk celebrations in front of the TV at the final whistle are still recorded on film somewhere.

England in Croker 2007
For sheer emotion, and for the fact that it is and will likely remain our record winning margin over the Sassanaigh, this can't be topped. At least in my lifetime.

Wales in the 2014 6 Nations springs to mind. Its probably not the best but its up there for me.

I was incredibly nervous as Ireland constantly got hyped up just to shatter expectations. As much as I saw Schmidt doing what he did for Leinster, I was still nervous if he could recreate that with Ireland. The past two Irish coaches built me up to enormous let downs multiple times, so I was afraid to believe in Ireland, just have my hopes shattered again. Then we trounce a full strength Welsh team 26-3. I had the biggest smile on my face for the rest of the weekend and got incredibly drunk (2:30pm kick off helped that). I have believed in Schmidt ever since.

molloyjh

England 2004, England 2007 and England 2011. There might be a pattern there.

I also think the France game in 2009 was an enjoyable one. Australia in 2011 was good, as was France last year. France in the 2014 6 Nations was pretty epic as well.