This Day in History

[BaggyTrousers]

On 14th March every year, my mind goes back to 1970, a mere 48 years ago when I was a young gossoon. At Lansdowne Road that day, Ireland played a Welsh team with many of their all-time greatest players, Edwards, John, Merv the Swerve etc. The score was 14-0 and as the old saying goes, Wales were lucky to get nil.

Alan "Dixie" Duggan scored in the right corner at the LR end, McGann dropped a goal, Kiernan kicked a couple & it was topped off by Ken Goodall scoring from the halfway line in his last game before lack of a job drove him to RL, what a waste.

It was 10 years before Ireland next beat Wales. I came back from my honeymoon in Paris to go to Dublin for a long-awaited win, 21-7 with tries from Ciaran Fitzgerald, Dr.Davy Irwin & Dr.John O'Driscoll.

Of course, that was all back in the days when I didn't despise the FIRFUCs and supported Ireland. Now I don't give a toss about their Grand Slam game, albeit I'd be happy for Rory Best, the other bogtrotters can kiss the rosy red cheeks of my manky ould hole.

#FROFIRFUCs

[Deraless]

That 21-7 match was my first ever time at Lansdowne.

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[mid ulster maestro]

I too was at that game with my dad. For you viewing pleasure Baggy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAY1AOuIB7Q

[Dublin4]

I was also at that game in the schoolboy section near the old Wanderers pavilion.
We absolutely stuffed the Taffies and rammed their leeks down their throats that day but we didn't win again for ten years such was the imperious nature of 1970s Welsh rugby.
Ken Goodall's try was one of the classics of the amateur era. What a tragedy that he had to turn pro and was blackballed by the rugby union but that was the way things were in those days. Once you crossed over to league you became a non-person, you didn't exist anymore.

1970 was revenge for Wales depriving us of the Triple Crown in 69 when Brian Price (?) knocked out Noel Murphy and ended our challenge.

[solidarity]

I too was at that game with my dad. For you viewing pleasure Baggy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAY1AOuIB7Q

I had a wee look at the clip following that one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr4gL2YtWY8
There's a nice wee moment near the start where Barry John attempts a drop goal and Mike Gibson raises hand to signal that the kick went over. Fine sportsmanship from a fine man.

[Dave]

Probably fixed

[BaggyTrousers]

I too was at that game with my dad. For you viewing pleasure Baggy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAY1AOuIB7Q

Cheers MUM , I actually have that DVD .....or is it video ............ from which that clip is taken. Great viewing for the more mature poster.

[Shan]

What a pity this forum doesn't have a golden oldies section.

[BaggyTrousers]

I too was at that game with my dad. For you viewing pleasure Baggy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAY1AOuIB7Q

I had a wee look at the clip following that one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr4gL2YtWY8
There's a nice wee moment near the start where Barry John attempts a drop goal and Mike Gibson raises hand to signal that the kick went over. Fine sportsmanship from a fine man.

Those were the days' Solids when the home team often wore black shorts to help the vast majority who still watched on Black & White TV - more realistically several hundred shades of grey.

Remains me of whispering Ted Lowe's snooker commentary: for those of you watching in B&W, the pink ball is next to the green.

Your comments on Gibson don't need my confirmation, Syd Millar said it best "a man who epitomised the very ethos of the Game and its values". Mike Gibson was a true gent on & off the field and by a distance, the best Irish player ever an accomplished & Ireland's established 10, but had no ego to throw his toys about when asked to play centre to accommodate Barry McGann at 10, Gibson, of course, took to it like a duck to water and if anything became an even greater player.

In NZ in 1971, even miserable kiwis took to many of the Lions with Edwards & John JPR and the rest, but none were held in higher regard than the two Ulstermen, Gibson & McBride. Great days when a Lions tour was worth watching and following for 2-3 months, mainly through as many papers as you could get a look at.

[BaggyTrousers]

What a pity this forum doesn't have a golden oldies section.

The whole thing is the Wrinklies section, yes there are a few wee lads like yourself in their 40s but wrinklies rile ........... no, I don't mean rule.

Now g'wan, run on home sonny, away an ride yer haun.

[rumncoke]

Being just on the low side of 75 puts me in the aged bracket .

With a first Ireland match at Ravenhill sitting in the front row of the touch line seats watching Jackie Kyle .


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[lw7]

Ken Goodall's try was one of the classics of the amateur era. What a tragedy that he had to turn pro and was blackballed by the rugby union but that was the way things were in those days. Once you crossed over to league you became a non-person, you didn't exist anymore.

The St Helens board spent years in back channel conversations courting Cliff Morgan and then both Barry John & Gareth Edwards according to Club archives in the Codebreakers documentary aired last Sunday.
They were all from working class families and like Goodall, offered life changing sums. After agreeing terms with the Saints, Cliff caught a train to go and tell his dad. The train had to change at Crewe Station. He got off the train, went for a cup of tea and within minutes he lost his nerve, changed his mind and caught the train back down to Cardiff.
Such was the pressure of the secret advances and offers from the League money men - Gareth Edwards described it "as a noose around my neck".

[BaggyTrousers]

Changed days when decent league players look at trying union. Of course league is a nonsense and the transition does work for many of them.

[rumncoke]

While hits are similar in Union and league because of the nature of the breakdown in Union it requires a level of stamina lacking in the League Rugby .

Similarly kicking is rather scheduled in league with set defences employed by both teams - set defence by the team being kick at or to with the kicking team advancing in a formatted defence .

Kicks in union are not scheduled and more varied thus at times a formatted defence is lacking and the kick return has a greater opportunity to attack if they allowed the freedom to attack .

A really good player can adapt to both but the unpredictable nature of Union is too great for most coming for league .


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