ON Friday Jenny and I went to see the Welsh singer Gruff Rhys perform in Manchester.
Just a few hours later – 5.45am on Saturday to be precise – I got up to watch what I assumed would be an easy victory for my country over the lead singer of the Super Furry Animals’ nation in the Rugby World Cup.
Unfortunately it wasn’t to be. Wales were better than Ireland from first kick to last. If anything the score of 22-10 flattered the men in green, as I thought our try looked a bit dodgy.
It was all over so quickly, the high hopes which followed our win over Australia in the group stage were blown away in just 80 minutes.
A golden generation of Irish players – Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Paul O’Connell – are all the wrong side of 30. They won’t see another World Cup.
It’s a shame for them, and for Ireland. In seven World Cups, we’ve never made it to the semi-finals, a very poor record for one of the bigger rugby union nations.
It’s a pity, because Ireland’s relative strength is the reason I find the international game interesting. Rugby union is the only world sport at which Ireland can claim to be among the leading countries.
Our football teams aren’t up to much – not least because there are two of them – and our cricket side isn’t good enough to play test matches (yet).
But our rugby team – representing all parts of Ireland and including players from both main religious backgrounds – can take on the best in the world on equal terms. That, for me, is the attraction of watching international rugby union.
So it was sad to watch our dreams of World Cup glory being crushed on Saturday morning. And somehow the defeat was made even worse by the fact it was inflicted by a country with an even smaller population than Ireland.
But fair play to the Welsh, they were the better side and I hope they – as the plucky underdogs – go on to win the cup.
