On this notable day...........

[BaggyTrousers]

On this day, 14th March in 1970 Ireland beat Wales who were playing for a Grand Slam, a team of stars including the greatest player of all time, Gareth Edwards with Barry John, John Dawes, Mervyn Davies and many more, 14-0.

Some notable things. It was the last game Ken Goodall played before going to rugby league because he was broke. In a short career of only 19 caps for Ireland and the Lions tour in 1968 those who saw him never doubted he was a magnificent player and probably the biggest loss to Irish rugby before or since as he was only 23 when he went to RL and of course in those days, that was his rugby career finished.

Tom Kieran drew level with Jack Kyle as the most capped Ireland player on 47 that day and went on to play 54, ironically scoring his first international try in his last game v Scotland, much as Willie-John scored in his last match v France.

The most glorious thing about that day was that what isn't mentioned in the following video is that Wales basically assaulted Ireland in the first half in 1969 when both teams were playing for the Triple crown and championship in the final weekend, before playing us off the pitch in the 2nd half. The bitterness was still there the following year.

To keep that Welsh side scoreless was Ireland's finest achievement that I have seen before or since, for they were an awesome team. It was also Ireland's last win for a decade against Wales the next coming in 1980 when I concluded by honeymoon in Dublin having been to the France match in Paris two weeks before.

I was not quite 16 and I was there on 14/3/1970 and every year when the 14th March comes around I never fail to recall that match. The only other match I can remember the exact date when it was played was much more recent, 5/4/2014, day of infamy at Spanners.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAY1AOuIB7Q

[rumncoke]

The year before was the year Murphy got dropped by Price who was allowed to stay on the field . No vidoe replays in those days granted Ken Kennedy had put a telling blow into Price before his retaliation .

Home advantage played apart in the result of both games, those were the days of the touchline seats I can't actually remember if I was at that game if so Iwould have spent the morning in Davy Burns and post match at Slatery's till closing time .

Not fit for that anymore

[Dublin4]

I was there too, Baggy, aged 14 in the schoolboy section near Wanderers pavilion. Noel Murphy had been clobbered the year before in Cardiff and we had been ruthlessly deprived of the Triple Crown.
Ken Goodall's try lived in the memory for years after especially when he defected to league so young.
Ireland did not beat Wales again for I think 10 years.
To put rugby in perspective then, there were 2 5N matches at home and possibly a visiting overseas international in the autumn. Provinces played each other before the Big 5 selectors and got audiences of 1,000 if they were lucky. In Leinster the clubs only played friendlies until the Cup after St Patrick's Day. There was opposition to having any kind of league as being the slippery slope to professionalism. I think they had just allowed advertising to be placed in Lansdowne Road, again the slippery slope.... There were no replacements or subs allowed and they had just brought in the law stopping you kicking out on the full anywhere and getting the lineout there. Up to then rugby was a succession of lineouts up and down the pitch.

it's a better game these days but way more physical.

[BaggyTrousers]

The kicking the ball out on the full rule was the best thing to improve the game ever. There was a Scotland v England game where I thing there were around 100 lineouts.

I think that was the 3-3 game in 1962 but if you think that is a low score bore in that year Ireland scored 9 points in 4 matches finished bottom, however Wales also scored 9 points, good enough for a win & 2 draws having played a 0-0 at Twickenham.

I remember in the days before RTE were allowed to broadcast home games - genuinely in case nobody paid to watch live, God bless the progressive IRFU - listening to a 0-0 draw on the wireless, I think it was England & maybe 1963 or 64 .

Yes it's a better game today, though I think sport in general and certainly rugby peaked in 1999.

[Dublin4]

I remember watching on the telly as Alan "Dixie" Duggan scored a try in Cardiff in 1967 to enable Ireland win 3 nil against Wales.
The pitch was in the middle of a building site as the stadium that existed before they built the present one was being built at the time on the old Arms Park. Cranes were working and cement mixers grinding away as Alan glided down his wing.

[Spiffsson]

I was there too, Baggy, aged 14 in the schoolboy section near Wanderers pavilion. Noel Murphy had been clobbered the year before in Cardiff and we had been ruthlessly deprived of the Triple Crown.
Ken Goodall's try lived in the memory for years after especially when he defected to league so young.
Ireland did not beat Wales again for I think 10 years.
To put rugby in perspective then, there were 2 5N matches at home and possibly a visiting overseas international in the autumn. Provinces played each other before the Big 5 selectors and got audiences of 1,000 if they were lucky. In Leinster the clubs only played friendlies until the Cup after St Patrick's Day. There was opposition to having any kind of league as being the slippery slope to professionalism. I think they had just allowed advertising to be placed in Lansdowne Road, again the slippery slope.... There were no replacements or subs allowed and they had just brought in the law stopping you kicking out on the full anywhere and getting the lineout there. Up to then rugby was a succession of lineouts up and down the pitch.

it's a better game these days but way more physical.

Saw that game myself. Goodall outsprinted the Wales backs, who had a head start, to score from his own chip ahead. He had vast potential and in my mind was Ireland' best ever 8 (Mervyn Davies acknowledged that Goodall was the better player). Tremendously athletic and he'd be at least 30 lb heavier these days with training and diet. Saw him once playing 7s at Ravers where he scored any time he wanted and was faster than any back on show.
Interesting that he went on to play RL for the GB team in the centre.

[BaggyTrousers]

I remember watching on the telly as Alan "Dixie" Duggan scored a try in Cardiff in 1967 to enable Ireland win 3 nil against Wales.
The pitch was in the middle of a building site as the stadium that existed before they built the present one was being built at the time on the old Arms Park. Cranes were working and cement mixers grinding away as Alan glided down his wing.

Cross kick from Roger Young for is try as I recall.

I was a fan of Duggan, met him briefly in a bar in Paris after a match, it was 1978 the weekend of the La Mon bomb I'm afraid. We just about got to the game, there was a big freeze and our flight from Dublin didn't take off on the Friday evening. We were taken direct from the airport to the Parc des Princes & got there with not too much to spare.

That from memory was Michael Cameron Henderson Gibson's last game for Ireland and he was in the 14 shirt. We lost 10-9, one of two games I was at at the venue where we had the agony of the 1 point loss, the 2nd just 2 years later 19-18 during my honeymoon, specially arranged by the FFR & IRFU. Mrs T was a regular attendee in those days.

[BR]

I remember watching on the telly as Alan "Dixie" Duggan scored a try in Cardiff in 1967 to enable Ireland win 3 nil against Wales.
The pitch was in the middle of a building site as the stadium that existed before they built the present one was being built at the time on the old Arms Park. Cranes were working and cement mixers grinding away as Alan glided down his wing.

Cross kick from Roger Young for is try as I recall.

I was a fan of Duggan, met him briefly in a bar in Paris after a match, it was 1978 the weekend of the La Mon bomb I'm afraid. We just about got to the game, there was a big freeze and our flight from Dublin didn't take off on the Friday evening. We were taken direct from the airport to the Parc des Princes & got there with not too much to spare.

That from memory was Michael Cameron Henderson Gibson's last game for Ireland and he was in the 14 shirt. We lost 10-9, one of two games I was at at the venue where we had the agony of the 1 point loss, the 2nd just 2 years later 19-18 during my honeymoon, specially arranged by the FFR & IRFU. Mrs T was a regular attendee in those days.

Almost certain Gibson played after that.

[Marco]

Great post, was only 10 but fond memories of watching it on a grainy black & white TV in rural Fermanagh where green and red looked basically identical, with my late Dad, good memories...

[BaggyTrousers]

I remember watching on the telly as Alan "Dixie" Duggan scored a try in Cardiff in 1967 to enable Ireland win 3 nil against Wales.
The pitch was in the middle of a building site as the stadium that existed before they built the present one was being built at the time on the old Arms Park. Cranes were working and cement mixers grinding away as Alan glided down his wing.

Cross kick from Roger Young for is try as I recall.

I was a fan of Duggan, met him briefly in a bar in Paris after a match, it was 1978 the weekend of the La Mon bomb I'm afraid. We just about got to the game, there was a big freeze and our flight from Dublin didn't take off on the Friday evening. We were taken direct from the airport to the Parc des Princes & got there with not too much to spare.

That from memory was Michael Cameron Henderson Gibson's last game for Ireland and he was in the 14 shirt. We lost 10-9, one of two games I was at at the venue where we had the agony of the 1 point loss, the 2nd just 2 years later 19-18 during my honeymoon, specially arranged by the FFR & IRFU. Mrs T was a regular attendee in those days.

Almost certain Gibson played after that.

I could be wrong, I'm just working from memory, some very happy ones mainly.

EDIT: aye you are right, he went on the successful tour of Australia where Ollie Campbell played them off the pitch for a 2-0 series win.

Colin Patterson & Ollie Campbell, now there was a great pair of half backs. Wee Colin's early career ending injury near enough on a par with losing Ken Goodall when I think about it and Rodney O'Donnell was another bad one on the same Lions tour as Colin - again, from memory.

[big mervyn]

MCHG played his last test at 13 against Australia 16 June 1979.

Ireland won 9-3

[BaggyTrousers]

MCHG played his last test at 13 against Australia 16 June 1979.

Ireland won 9-3

My memory may have led you astray Merv, CMH Gibson of course.

[Russ]

MCHG played his last test at 13 against Australia 16 June 1979.

Ireland won 9-3

My memory may have led you astray Merv, CMH Gibson of course.

Did he get a big send off with balloons and his picture everywhere?

[BaggyTrousers]

MCHG played his last test at 13 against Australia 16 June 1979.

Ireland won 9-3

My memory may have led you astray Merv, CMH Gibson of course.

Did he get a big send off with balloons and his picture everywhere?

Nope, he returned to work on the following Monday, t'was the Gibson way.

Actually it's more than that, he would have been embarrassed by the sort of send off that only the crooked baked snide wee Jackeen ballix has ever received, I believe you may have coined les bon mots yourself, that was pure Leinstertainment ................. and wholly inappropriate, though I have to confess to a dislike of the said, Ulster hating wee shyte.

Talent isn't everything as indeed he may be held up as the proof of said pudding.

[BR]

I could be wrong, I'm just working from memory, some very happy ones mainly.

EDIT: aye you are right, he went on the successful tour of Australia where Ollie Campbell played them off the pitch for a 2-0 series win.

Colin Patterson & Ollie Campbell, now there was a great pair of half backs. Wee Colin's early career ending injury near enough on a par with losing Ken Goodall when I think about it and Rodney O'Donnell was another bad one on the same Lions tour as Colin - again, from memory.

Aye, I mind seeing him v the 8th All Blacks. But I'd forgot he went to Aus too.