Slam Dunk
Ireland’s last-gasp Grand Slam win over Wales will go down as one of this nation’s greatest sporting achievements. It was both a much needed shot of good news for a country gripped by economic despair, and vindication for a group of players who had been tagged the ‘nearly-men’ of world rugby.
Craig Fitzsimons, 26 Mar 2009
The delirium might take months to subside. There’s no doubt that the Irish have a highly developed capacity for the ecstatic mood, and never need much of an excuse for riotous celebrations. But anyone daft enough to dismiss the euphoria which engulfed the land in the wake of last weekend’s monumental rugby Grand Slam as mere mass hysteria doesn’t know anything about the extent to which this team’s epic quest for something a bit more substantial than Triple Crowns has gripped this sport-crazed nation over the last few years.
Still, nobody could have foreseen that Grand Slam fever would strike quite so deep, or manifest itself so dramatically. Complete strangers were possessed to hug or high-five one another while walking down the street. Old dears who probably hadn’t watched a rugby match in decades struck up random conversations at bus stops, the gist of which was that their hearts were about to explode with pride.
It would be misleading to suggest that Ireland had always conducted an unconditional love affair with Rugby Union, historically perceived (certainly in Dublin and Cork) as an exclusively upper-middle-class pursuit.
But since round about 2000 when Brian O’Driscoll’s hat-trick in Paris provided the first glimpse of what the future could promise, the sport has wormed its way into an increasing number of Irish hearts, with interest reaching a critical mass in ‘03 and ‘07 as the Grand Slam began to seem a live possibility. It remained elusive on both occasions, and the public’s adoration was sorely tested 18 months ago, when a catastrophic World Cup led to an ugly media backlash which stopped just short of calling for the public beheading of the then manager, Eddie O’Sullivan.
This was cruel in the extreme, since O’Sullivan’s record was infinitely superior to that of any of his predecessors, and he had laid the foundations for what was to follow. Still, his regime had passed its sell-by date, and a fresh approach was required.
Enter Declan Kidney, whose impact has been immediate and profound. The players have spoken of his willingness to encourage debate, and his immediate declaration upon taking charge that all issues were to be aired among the group, that feedback and constructive suggestions were to be actively encouraged. The results this spring speak for themselves.
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