Given the awful anti-climax of the Eddie O’Sullivan era, there’s been a understandable tendency to get a tiny bit carried away with our thrill-a-minute victory against France at Croke Park on Saturday.
Performance-wise Ireland’s was imperfect – epitomised, perhaps, by Tommy Bowe, the much-derided wing who missed a few tackles and made a couple of bad calls, sure, but whose aggressive gainline-breaking bursts so often set the tone.
As a game (comprehensively covered elsewhere this section) it was gripping from kick-off to that final kick for touch, with both teams going at it like fifteen free spirits; something for which Declan Kidney and his disciples deserve immense credit, not least given that the visitors were at their dynamic, daring best.
George Hook said: “John Lennon famously said that the Beatles were greater than God. I’m not sure where the Irish currently rank in that hierarchy but they are now certainly the biggest gig in town.”
Whatever about God, it’s good that ‘Bod’ and co are back.
