Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: Classic Encounters - Ireland thrash England

Monday, March 05, 2007

Classic Encounters - Ireland thrash England - 2007

After a heart breaking loss to France the previous week in the closing seconds of the match, Ireland had refocused themselves for their second home game of the Championship at Croke Park.

It was to be a game of huge physical intensity and high scoring. The French had survived, barely, but for the English there would be no escape. With Irish Rugby's home, Landsdowne Road having been closed for repairs, the union had looked to the Gaelic Athletic Association (G.A.A.) and Croke Park for a temporary venue.

To many fans around the world following the Six Nations, such a situation would seem rather ordinary but to the Irish and the English it was a subject of immense tension and deep passion.

It had been a bloody Sunday in the November of 1920 that 14 Irish civilians were massacred on this ground by British Security forces in pursuit of a suspected IRA sentry that took refuge in the ground.

The football match that was underway was interrupted as confusion broke out amidst the sounds of revolver fire coming from the British Security as they pursued the "IRA sentry" into the ground. Amidst the chaos, 14 civilians were shot dead which subsequently led to the banning of any foreign sports (football and rugby) at Croke Park.

In 2007, the doors to Croke Park were opened, once again to Irish Rugby in their 2007 Six Nations season. Emotions ran high amongst the Irish in the both the changing room and the stands as they prepared to deliver their long awaited vengeance unto England.

Final Score: 43-13 to Ireland
Time: 07:29

Come the day and come the hour
Come the power and the glory
We have come to answer
Our Country's call
From the four proud provinces of Ireland

Ireland, Ireland
Together standing tall
Shoulder to shoulder
We'll answer Ireland's call

From the mighty Glens of Antrim
From the rugged hills of Galway
From the walls of Limerick
And Dublin Bay
From the four proud provinces of Ireland

Ireland, Ireland
Together standing tall
Shoulder to shoulder
We'll answer Ireland's call

Hearts of steel
And heads unbowing
Vowing never to be broken
We will fight, until
We can fight no more
From the four proud provinces of Ireland

Ireland, Ireland
Together standing tall
Shoulder to shoulder
We'll answer Ireland's call

By Anonymous, at March 05, 2007 5:31 pm
well we showed them 80 minutes of rape, pillage and oppression

By Anonymous, at March 06, 2007 11:58 pm
yeh u irish have improved but wait till world cup the all blacks are guna kill u

By Anonymous, at March 31, 2007 1:23 am
I know mate. Youre right. But our goal is to beat france and avoid you guys til the final. Then all the pressure's on you guys. It has been known that the ABs crack in world cups. Anyway, may the best team win!

By RS, at April 05, 2007 6:41 pm
ha, don't write off the wallabies yet... but seriously NZ v SA is a shoe in.

By Anonymous, at May 15, 2007 9:23 am
Great match by the Irish, but they`ll have a tough task against us ARGENTINA, we kicke their ass twice this year. Anyway, against all odds, I`d say that France will be out in the first round. Argentina and Ireland will pass. I wonder why Argentina always gets the most difficult groups

By Anonymous, at June 23, 2007 9:39 am
I watched this game in an Irish bar in Sydney, was a terrible decision to sit in the front row surrounded by huge and slightly worse for wear Irish fans! ha

By Anonymous, at June 26, 2007 9:06 am
As long as ireland beat evryone in their group and nz do the same they wont face each other until later in the competitions, where im sorry to say nz are renowned for choking odds on with paddy power are for aus or SA world cup win

By Anonymous, at July 02, 2007 6:07 pm
that is what u deserve after u slave a nation for 800 years, thats what u get for selling OUR crops when our potatoes and our lives were rotting away,thats what u get for laying a finger on my great grandad and his buddies and that is what u get when u face the irish!u get slaughtered and slaughtered until we cant move for blood!never bowing, always rowing, showing all of our pride until we get to gods right hand side! those men represented ireland for ireland of today and of yesterday!

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2007 11:56 pm
Awesome win by Ireland there. But as for the previous comment: dude, relax - it's just a game! You want revenge? Live a long and happy life.

By fishboy, at July 23, 2007 8:27 am
Previous comment but one: I see the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process hasn't quite filtered down to the inbred hicks yet, still one day perhaps.

All the same a terrific performance by Ireland, and indeed the Irish crowd who showed respect for the anthems etc. The correct way to approach such an emotional spectacle, unlike the rather un-enlightened writer posting above.

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2007 12:37 am
It's all well and good keeping quiet for the anthem, being respectful and all that, but deep down in every Irishman's heart we agree with the last comment a little bit. We were baying for blood. Would it have felt quite so sweet if we had done it against the French? In Croke Park? Not a hope! Can't wait for the RWC - what a time to end our loosing track record against the ABs.

Worried about playing three pressure games in a row like the last RWC. Had no gas left in the tank after the Aus heart-breaker to put up a show against the French in 03. Cant afford to loose the French tie this time and face the ABs after playing two very tough games in the week before. There is a chance the Argies'll put one over on them though

By Anonymous, at August 21, 2007 5:50 pm
Ireland are at least the 2nd best team in the world!

England lack talent

Go on the Irish

World Cup Victory could be round the corner!

By Anonymous, at September 04, 2007 6:40 pm
whoever put up up that piece of sh1t, irelands call, isnt a true irishman!! in this world cup, argentina have been so passionate singing their anthem!!! how can the boys in green get passionate about what is basically a pop song!?

By Anonymous, at September 29, 2007 2:27 pm
im a proud irishman but the rugby anthem is fucking shite
get a gud anthem like argentinas or scotlands at least sumthing worth while
oh yeah, fuck the english and the french

By Anonymous, at November 05, 2007 6:01 pm
im a proud irishman but the irish rugby anthem is fucking shite
get a gud anthem like argentinas or scotlands at least sumthing worth while
oh yeah, fuck the english and the french

By Anonymous, at November 05, 2007 6:01 pm
Post RWC............As an Irishman all I can say in Thanks be to God for MUNSTER.............from WEB !

By Anonymous, at November 23, 2007 1:05 am
Last time does english came into Croke Park with guns Killing 13 spectators and the Tipperary Hurling captain Micheal Hogan! That time they came in with nothing which made it an even playing an we beat them cunts off the pitch! C'mon Ireland!

By Anonymous, at January 10, 2008 7:03 pm
after a disapointing rwc i think osullivan should go . i mean looking at the irish team i cant belive they arent winning grandslams and beating nz , sa i mean get an ozzy get a sprinboks but get osullivan out

By Anonymous, at April 21, 2008 4:31 pm
Amhran na bhfiann is the true irish anthem (by the way its a completely diferent song to irelands call its not just translated into irish)

By Anonymous, at May 06, 2008 2:50 pm
Common knowledge though, lads:

The only reason God invented alcohol, is to keep the paddies from ruling the world.

Ruck on!

By Anonymous, at May 31, 2008 1:22 am
that is what u deserve after u slave a nation for 800 years, thats what u get for selling OUR crops when our potatoes and our lives were rotting away,thats what u get for laying a finger on my great grandad and his buddies and that is what u get when u face the irish!u get slaughtered and slaughtered until we cant move for blood!never bowing, always rowing, showing all of our pride until we get to gods right hand side! those men represented ireland for ireland of today and of yesterday!

Jesus Christ man, chill out, that shit's in the past, I think it's about time you moved on, and I'm not just english, I'm half Irish too and fuck Ireland's call this is the real shit

Amhrán na bhFiann
Sinne Fianna Fáil
Atá fé gheall ag Éirinn
Buíon dár slua
Thar toinn do ráinig chugainn
Fé mhóid bheith saor
Seantír ár sinsear feasta
Ní fhágfar fén tíorán ná fén tráill
Anocht a théam sa bhearna bhaoil
Le gean ar Ghaeil, chun báis nó saoil
Le gunnascréach, fé lámhach na bpiléar
Seo libh canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann

By Anonymous, at June 06, 2008 8:43 pm
I don't know if any of you remember oliver cromwell? A bloody hero, and the founder of democracy.

By Anonymous, at September 16, 2008 12:06 am
not old enough to remember cromwell, sorry. I remember Ray Houghtons goal in euro 88 though...

By Anonymous, at September 25, 2008 8:18 pm
great match, shame ireland didn't perform at the RWC, but i'm sure they'll come back in 2011

By Anonymous, at October 28, 2008 4:20 pm
"that is what u deserve after u slave a nation for 800 years, thats what u get for selling OUR crops when our potatoes and our lives were rotting away,thats what u get for laying a finger on my great grandad and his buddies and that is what u get when u face the irish!u get slaughtered and slaughtered until we cant move for blood!never bowing, always rowing, showing all of our pride until we get to gods right hand side! those men represented ireland for ireland of today and of yesterday!"
i am not irish but i totally agree wuth you, stupid english comments below that trying to dismiss england's enslaving of so many countries around the world, telling us to relax obiviously have never lived under foreign rule. always love to see england getting thrashed in any sport, especially rugby.

By Anonymous, at November 07, 2009 11:23 am
Pistol fire? They drove an armoured car onto the pitch and opened fire into the crowd with machine guns.
Don't belittle such an incident with dulliing down the actual events.

By Anonymous, at December 02, 2009 5:44 pm
It is true that there were many massacres in Ireland over the years of occupation. But remember this: the patron saint of Ireland is a slave taken from the British mainland. This was at a time when the Irish clans were savagely running riot not only across large sections of the British mainland but into France as well. So we were doing it to them before they ever came to us. Lose the victim mentality please, we are a modern nation at the heart of Europe, with a peace agreement in NI which allowed Adams and McGuiness to sit in government with Paisley. If you didn't take part in the struggle, stop being a paper republican on the net. I've lived in the UK for 20 years and mostly they're good people. I go past the biggest mosque in Europe in Regents Park on my way to touch games with every colour skin in the rainbow.

By blogveritas, at December 24, 2009 11:04 pm
An armoured car wasnt driveen on to the pitch on Bloody Sunday, that was just how it was depicted in the film 'Michael Collins'. Still a terrible act. People fail to mention that the IRA murdered 14 British officers that morning so their blood was up. And can people stop with this up the 'RA crap, its a fuckin joke. Anyone who commented on this never experienced British rule during the famine, feudalism or Cromwell so shut up. Great win over England, more of the same hopefullt this saturday

By MCB, at February 25, 2010 12:29 pm
2.35 Horgan goin past strettle, Brilliant! Shows just how much more Ireland where up for that game.

By Anonymous, at May 14, 2010 10:39 pm
Dunno why people are putting down Ireland's Call. Watching the anthems, I'd say there was more emotion in Ireland's Call than Amhrán na bhFiann...but maybe that's just me. Both are great, but I like the implication behind Ireland's Call - that whether from the Republic or the North, you're Irish, and you're coming together as such.

One of the best matches I've ever seen - almost everything in it was perfect. Great stuff. This documentary makes it even better, thanks RD!

By keh, at December 01, 2010 8:43 pm