By Andrew Logan
November 13th 2009 @ 4:03am
Ireland Vs Australia, the greatest moment
Last year, some friends and I settled in at the Oaks in Neutral Bay preparing to watch a Tri-Nations match over a few lagers. There we sat, the repartee flowing back and forth, and the schooners of sponsors product lubricating the collective tonsils to monumental feats of rugby recall.
Every second story began with “Remember when…” or “What about…” in the same way that a family does, sitting around a dinner table at home after the grown-up kids have been away a while. Everyone just enjoying being together, and sharing good old times.
After a schooner which could have been the third or the sixth, a young Irish tourist approached the table, dressed in the uniform of a 3 Minute Angel. (For the uninitiated, the Angels give short massages right where you sit.
Mostly corporate gigs, but sometimes they turn up in pubs when they suspect that the patrons might have had a hard day.)
One of my mates took the opportunity to triple his pleasure and add a 5 minute massage to his beer and rugger natter, so the Irish Angel began kneading away as the nostalgia broke into the 1990s.
As you’d expect, the first story that sprang to life was the iconic image of Gordon Hamilton scoring against Australia in the 1991 Rugby World Cup.
At the words “Remember Gordon Hamilton?”, a beatific smile crept across the Irish Angel’s face and she listened quietly as the story was recounted.
The Australians were leading 15-12 courtesy of two David Campese four-point tries, as they packed into a scrum thirty metres out from the Irish line. Ireland won their own feed.
The ball went from half Bradley to flyhalf Keyes, whose kicking display had kept his team in the match. Keyes shifted to Mullin who in turn passed to fullback Jim Staples. Staples looked as though he would be shepherded towards touch by the defence, before he put through a beautifully weighted grubber kick for his winger Jack Clarke to chase.
As Clarke jostled with David Campese and the clock ticked down, Gordon Hamilton had left the scrum and run forward in front of his backline on a diagonal, forward line towards where Australian fullback Marty Roebuck was patrolling the wide open spaces at the rear of the field.
In the scuffle with Clarke, Campese lost his footing and Clarke scooped up the ball only to be grabbed in a desperate tackle around one ankle by Roebuck. Clarke stood in Roebuck’s grasp, frantically looking for support, when his openside flanker Hamilton roared into view.
In a second the flow of the game changed.
The Australians had propped when Roebuck tackled Clarke, but then Hamilton forced the match into top gear once more as he sprinted into space. Campese desperately threw himself up from the ground to give chase, but Hamilton’s initial burst carried him into the clear on the Australian ten metre line.
Campese, to his credit, was up and charging from the blocks like an Olympic sprinter in the second that Hamilton was handed the ball by Clarke, who put it into his hands like a postman delivering a parcel.
But Hamilton was sprinting for all of Ireland and even Campese couldn’t make an impression in the footrace.
Australia’s last desperate chance of saving the try came through winger Bob Egerton, who had started his chase from a position only metres behind the initial scrum.
As the scrum packed, Egerton could be seen walking up level with Peter Slattery to defend the blindside – Slattery had earlier replaced the injured Nick Farr-Jones.
As the move unfolded, Egerton started corner flagging. “Almost lazily at first” he says now, “but it got more urgent as the move unfolded, and when Hamilton broke I realised I’d have to do some work if I was going to catch him”.
About halfway across, as Staples kicked and then was swept up the tackle of Little, Egerton skipped slightly, perhaps expecting the move to break down and Campese or Roebuck to clean up. “There was a moment” says Egerton “Where I hesitated. I’m not sure why, perhaps just one of those moments when I thought the game was going to unfold differently”.
After Egerton’s stutter, Hamilton roared into the clear and Egerton, on the 10 metre line, put the hammer down and chased to save the match for Australia. At that point there were only three players left in the match – Campese, Hamilton and Egerton.
Egerton dashed past referee Jim Fleming. Hamilton crossed the Australian 22-metre line, racing on, head forward, arms pumping impossibly hard towards certain glory. Campese chased to the 22-metre mark, but then, seeing he was making no ground, left the chase to Egerton.
And then there were two.
Hamilton, like the 54,000 in the stands, held his breath and tracked the last metres to the tryline. Egerton arrived five metres out and hit the big flanker hard, grabbing at his legs and hauling backwards like a man hauling a piano up a cliff on a rope.
As his legs were chopped sideways, Hamilton fell forward, and his momentum did the rest. Egerton rolled and spun on the wet grass, finishing face down near the corner post. Try to Ireland, and the lead, 16-15.
A snapshot of the moment shows the two exhausted Australians, Campese and Egerton, in shock. Campese has his back to the scene, bending over, with his hands on his thighs.
Egerton is still down, on his hands and knees, and is unaware that he is being berated by a pudgy Irish spectator in a bright red jacket, who is on the field, standing over him and roaring in triumph. Irish backs Clarke and Brendan Mullin have arrived and are embracing Hamilton – Clarke takes the ball and tosses it gaily in the air like a handful of confetti.
Egerton remembers now “I’ve seen on the footage, this guy giving it to me. This spectator who was standing over me having a few words to say.
But in the moment, I don’t remember it at all.
I was still down and looking at the ground, getting my breath, and he was only there a moment anyway. But also the noise was phenomenal, you couldn’t hear a thing. The crowd had gone ballistic, they just couldn’t believe it”
“I’ve never really listened to captains speak much, and even then after that try I was just walking around at the back, getting my head back on the job. We heard Noddy ask the ref how much time, and when he said 6 or 7 minutes, we knew we had time, that it wasn’t just one more play type of thing’.
“But the pressure was on. We had to make some split second decisions and get them absolutely right. We had to decide how much we wanted to be there too, because if we lost, it was a plane home the very next day”.
“In the end, the move we used for Noddy’s try to win it, was a move we had already used that day for Campo to score. Bob Dwyer had told us before the game that this move would work against Ireland, and it did. There was a bit of obstruction, but we got over, and the amazing thing was the silence. The crowd just went from euphoria to total misery in seconds. It was just so quiet”.
Did people remember Egerton as part of the try? Had ever met Hamilton again? He hadn’t ever met Hamilton, but he said several people remember the try. “I’m a teacher” he says, “so the kids don’t mind reminding me about it. Hey you missed that guy who scored in the 1991 World Cup!”.
“A few years ago I had dinner with a mate in Dublin, and he took me out the back of the pub we were in and there was a big photo of Hamilton going over for the try with me clutching at his legs. Apparently there is an even bigger one on the wall of the jacks in a pub down in Donnybrook somewhere, so yeah” he laughs, “I’m big in Ireland!”.
It’s doubtful that there will ever be another moment like it in Australia Ireland test matches, and despite it taking place almost twenty years ago, it is remembered all over the rugby world.
Even just last year it was being remembered by a nondescript group of rugby followers in a pub on the North Shore in Sydney, as one of them had his daily worries smoothed away by a delightful young Irish 3-Minute Angel with a knowing smile on her lips.
“Of course you love that story” said one of the lads. “You’re Irish”. The smile grew wider. “Well its true, I am Irish” she said “But it’s important to me personally too”. “Important to you personally?” asked the massage recipient. “Why’s that?”.
“Well” she answered “Gordon Hamilton’s my uncle. My mother’s brother”.
Our collective roar turned heads the length of the bar. “Noooo waaaaayyy!!!!! Really????”, but it soon became clear that she was telling the truth. Eventually we settled down and I asked “So, do people still remember your uncle Gordon in Ireland?”.
“Oh yes” she said proudly.
“They still cross the road to shake his hand some of them”
Andrew Logan is proud to be associated with Kukri Rugby Gear and Cruiseco. You can join the Cruiseco party as Andrew and former Wallaby prop Richard Harry host a team of Test rugby greats from several countries on board the Rhapsody Of The Seas during Rugby World Cup 2011. You can also order the latest Kukri gear worn by some of the world's leading clubs and provincial teams. To have Andrew Logan appear at, or host, your rugby function, click here.
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Frank O'Keeffe said | November 13th 2009 @ 2:23am | Report comment
Good article Andrew.
It’s interesting how people still remember the Gordon Hamilton try. Surely that had to be one of the most heartbreaking games for the Irish ever. It’s as if Hamilton did something that would be remembered forever, Ireland would be remembered in one of the great underdog upsets, and then it was over in a few instances. Donal Lenihan said in the ABC documentary that it was as if somebody had pressed a pause button on a video when Lynagh scored. One instant there was euphoria, and then in the next nothing.
What your article almost demonstrates it that it was such a potent memory that it’s almost as if Australia didn’t win the game. It was one of sports great moments gone in an instant. Hamilton’s try thus holds a unique place in rugby history. In fact I can’t think of many ‘what if’ moments that are still relevant years after they’ve happened.
The Lynagh try has some special significance when I think of Mark Ella’s legacy. That cut-two-loop was a variation of Ella’s favourite move, ‘Leaguey’, where the five eighth takes the ball back off a loop, cuts out the outside centre with a pass behind him to the fullback. Ella invariably could get himself in the position where he could take the pass off the winger or fullback to keep the play alive. Lynagh supporting Campese was vintage Mark Ella.
Harry said | November 13th 2009 @ 6:14am | Report comment
Great read. I was actually at the ground that day, and then stayed on a week for the semi. Greatest (spectating) rugby expereince of my life (Effectively cost me my job in London but 18 years later there’s no doubt to me it was worth it!).
Anyway the Irish were absolutely fantastic about things … terrific supporters, no bitterness afterwards, just a great party. And believe me, they all rolled up the next week and supported Australia in the semi. From my point of view and its strange, the final a week later in London was anti-climatic. Good of course, but the real exhileration had been in Dublin.
My honest thoughts about that game was that Australia should have been out of sight before Angel’s Uncles famous run. They were superior in all facets yet couldn’t put the Irish away… pretty exciting though! I confess to yelling at Lynagh in that buildup (I was up the other end) to take the field goal option – how they kept cool is beyond me to score that try. And yes Lynagh really did rally the troops behind the goal line to address them when the kick was being lined up.
Andrew Logan said | November 13th 2009 @ 6:29am | Report comment
Harry….Bob Egerton said the same thing when I asked him about it yesterday. He said that they really felt that they had the measure of the Irish all game, but just couldn’t quite put them away. But he also said they were a side who knew how to win tight games, and after losing a close one to the All Blacks earlier in the year that they should have won, they became very confident in closing out tight matches, like that one.
Interesting to contemplate the relative value of a try in those days. Australia scored 3 tries to one and yet only managed to win by a point.
Harry said | November 13th 2009 @ 8:12am | Report comment
Yep, and my hysterical yelling for the field goal – if it had been successfully executed – would only have taken the game into extra time (Ireland kicked the conversion) but I was confident the Wallabies would have prevailed if that had happened, as they always looked the better side.
Jason Cave said | November 13th 2009 @ 6:45am | Report comment
When Gordon Hamilton scored that memorable try for Ireland that put the Irish in front in the 1991 RWC quarter-final (for a brief period) the whole of Lansdowne Road went totally crazy. The ABC TV commentary team calling the game (Gordon Bray, Gary Pearse & Chris Handy) were so shocked by the Hamilton try they didn’t say a word for 31 long seconds.
Bring back ameteuer rugby said | November 13th 2009 @ 7:06am | Report comment
Remember sitting in stunned silence with my brothers after Ireland scored that try, then jumping for joy when we returned the favour. Shook Marty Roebucks hand in Eastwood shopping center one day not long after.
Jason Cave said | November 13th 2009 @ 8:15am | Report comment
It is a credit to the Irish that after getting over the disappointment of seeing their team lose, the Irish got totally behind the Wallabies in their semi-final against the NZ All Blacks. And Lansdowne Road was completely full for the Trans-Tasman match-up in the 1991 RWC.
formeropenside said | November 13th 2009 @ 8:15am | Report comment
I remember sitting in front of the TV at 2 in the morning, or some ungodly hour, watching that try being scored and then Lynagh’s response. Strangely, I always had faith we’d come back from it.
sheek said | November 13th 2009 @ 1:04pm | Report comment
formeropenside,
I’m glad you were confident. I nearly had a meltdown! I couldn’t believe how such a talented team was about to exit the world cup. And when the Wallabies scored soon after, I wasn’t aware of the silence at the ground, since I was making enough noise myself (I was watching alone) for about 20 people.
My wife, who doesn’t care for any sport, was woken up by my yelling & told me to grow up, but I still kept whoopeeing!
katzilla said | November 13th 2009 @ 8:22am | Report comment
Lol good read,
Those 3 minute Angels can spot a table full of suckers from a mile away.
Andrew Logan said | November 13th 2009 @ 8:26am | Report comment
True. But hey, she was cute, Irish and a rugby fan…..what’s not to like?
katzilla said | November 13th 2009 @ 9:41am | Report comment
True that. I’ve parted with my cash on a couple of occasions. The fact they’re all pretty certainly helps……………or was that the beer?
Eljay said | November 13th 2009 @ 8:22am | Report comment
What a lovely piece, Andrew. That 3-Minute Angel take interstate gigs?
fox said | November 13th 2009 @ 8:26am | Report comment
These were the moments and the game that, witnessed as a very young buck, was forever to align me with this great sport. Great article.
Wilso said | November 13th 2009 @ 8:34am | Report comment
Loges, goosebump-city sitting here reading that.
I was flatting with a cousin and his missus at 11/25 Wharf Road, Gladesville. We were Austudy stalwarts. Our furniture was made of milk crates and building materials we progressively flogged each week from building site down the road. Our pride and joy was a home-made bar in the living room, together with our Nana’s old pooh-brown & orange lounge (a real ‘70s icon).
We had finished building the bar that afternoon (a brand new, as-yet-unhung door being the main slab) and were wetting it. It was cocktail city (as my cousin and I both did a lot of bar work in those days). I was tossing an empty Bacardi bottle around like it was a fireworks and yo-yo show. [OK, Tom Cruise was good but he was still in the amateur league...]
We were glued to our other pride and joy – a 34cm black and white TV (remember them???) which showed the picture on a slight angle and had a few stray white lines across the centre of the screen. We had ‘borrowed’ this one from out the front of someone’s house – obviously left out in anticipation of the monthly Council collection service.
Hamilton’s try stunned me such that I missed the bottle on its downward descent.
It bounced on the edge of the bar, snapped the base clean off and neatly sliced the top of my left ring finger. I still have what is known as “Gordo’s Scar” and no nerves at the tip of that finger.
So, yeah, I remember when….
[I also remember watching that dodgy TV days later, tears of pride streaming down my face as Farr held Bill aloft.]
Andrew Logan said | November 13th 2009 @ 9:18am | Report comment
The brown couch and the second hand teev – share-house essentials!!
Brett McKay said | November 13th 2009 @ 8:46am | Report comment
Great read Loges, thoroughly enjoyable. I’m going to have to hunt this down on YouTube – in 1991, I was at mostly League, League only, League is what we play boarding school, but I do have vague memories of Bob Edgerton (why are fullbacks against pulling their socks up – Edgerton, Latham, O’Connor??) making the long but ultimately unsucessful diagonal run…
Andrew Logan said | November 13th 2009 @ 9:05am | Report comment
Brett – this is the best Youtube version. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh6bErVpArs&feature=related
Watch for where Egerton is when the scrum packs, and then also look at Hamilton set off across field when the Irish backs are passing the ball. It gives you a great understanding of where the two players were at the beginning, and how much ground they both covered to get to the line at the same time.
Pippinu said | November 13th 2009 @ 9:31am | Report comment
Andrew
Terrific article, and thanks for the link – it was good watching that again.
I remember that game quite well, watching it with my father-in-law to be (that never was) – it was an exciting game and an all time great sporting moment.
Brett McKay said | November 13th 2009 @ 9:50am | Report comment
cheers Andrew, thanks very much for that…
mickeym said | November 13th 2009 @ 8:55am | Report comment
Awesome article.
Sums up perfectly all that’s good about rugby…
MyGeneration said | November 13th 2009 @ 9:45am | Report comment
‘Twas a great game, and a worthy reminiscence, Andrew.
AGO74 said | November 13th 2009 @ 10:39am | Report comment
Ok, I admit I’m no rugby fan and I rarely read rugby pieces on this site but this piqued my interest as the one written (very well by the way) here is definitely one of those moments you remember. The other peculiar thing I remember watching that night was the Irish crowd going “Sshhhhhh!” whenever the home goal kicker was lining up a shot at goal so that he could kick in silence!
Andrew Logan said | November 13th 2009 @ 11:14am | Report comment
AGO….you’re dead right about the silence. If you watch the youtube footage (see link above), it is very apparent when Keyes kicks the conversion after the try. Even the commentator is whispering like a Pot Black caller.
Farmer said | November 13th 2009 @ 11:13am | Report comment
Andrew,
Thanks. great article.
Like Harry, I was there that day.
Pre game we had been at a little pub near the ground, Kitty O’Shea’s. The Irish supporters were looking forward to the game but knowing it would take a big upset to get up.
When Hamilton scored, the crowd went beserk. All the Irish around us leapt out of their seats, threw their small ( empty) whisky bottles, programmes and newspapers in the air, danced up and down the aisles and proceeded to put a thousand slaps on our backs as they saw the the biggest day in Irish RWC history come into view.
It took a minute to get the spectators off the ground and back behind the fence down in the corner near the little house.
When Lynagh scored, there was total silence. You could hear a pin drop. I can still remember the sound of a pidgeon taking flight was as clear as anything.
We were sitting just above where the final lineout was set and the move just unfolded across the field.
The Irish were fantastic after the game, lots of “well done Aussie” and “we are following the Wallabies next week”. No whinging, or what if’s, just an acceptance that they had come so close to the biggest upset and an acceptance that that’s life.
After the game, we were back to Kitty O’Shea’s, and caught up with John Connolly (Assistant Coach at that time) and had a couple more Guinness ! He offered to get us tickets to the Semi the following week against the All Blacks but the flight home was already booked.
Andrew Logan said | November 13th 2009 @ 11:20am | Report comment
Farmer…..it must have been a wonderful experience. So many things different about that era….spectators flooding the field, beers with coaches afterwards….all things that wouldn’t happen now.
Bob Egerton also mentioned that he went to Oxford with Brendan Mullin a couple of years before this World Cup, and then during the week of this game actually went around to Mullins house in Dublin for dinner! Imagine, a Wednesday night before a World Cup quarter final, and you’re in the opposition centre’s kitchen having dinner and a Guinness!
Pippinu said | November 13th 2009 @ 11:24am | Report comment
Sounds pretty good to me!!
Robbie said | November 13th 2009 @ 12:38pm | Report comment
Loges,
At the Hawkesbury Ag B & S recovery…past out and didn’t see the game…I will blame Muzza
Robbie
Andrew Logan said | November 13th 2009 @ 3:34pm | Report comment
Roberto…I thought of you the other day watching Brian Mannix on Spicks and Specks…..
Clanscout said | November 13th 2009 @ 2:22pm | Report comment
Ahh, the memories, I was also at that game. Hard to believe that it was twenty eight years ago. I remember being on the East Terrace of Lansdowne Road and being in the company of many of Gordon Hamiltons then clubmates. Having the craic during the game, I was giving Hamilton an awful time of it . Bagging him out at any opportunity and then he pops up with one of the best Irish trys ever. The end of the game was heartbreaking but despite that, I skipped my cousins wedding, and fronted up at Lansdowne the next week to support my newly adopted favourite team humble the All Blacks. I think I decided that weekend that Aus was the place for me and haven’t looked back since. Here’s to another classic Ireland Australia encounter this weekend.
Andrew Logan said | November 13th 2009 @ 3:32pm | Report comment
I’ve got good news for you Clanscout – you’re 10 years younger than you think you are!
Cattledog said | November 13th 2009 @ 5:21pm | Report comment
Nice one Andrew…I remember having my first beer in the Oaks, Neutral Bay…I think I was about 14!! Wouldn’t happen today!! Anyway, certainly no ‘angels’ back then. What a great coincidence the angel being a niece!! Who would have thought…anyway, here’s hoping for a similar result Sunday!
Bay35Pablo said | November 13th 2009 @ 7:07pm | Report comment
Great story.
I was in a pub next to the Dublin Post office in 1998 while backpacking. Took 2 Yank birds down there I had never met before that I met at my hostel, who turned out to be boring as bat sh!t, because I needed a beer. End up meeting some Irish colts, and drinking with them instead (until the Yank birds tried to leave, and the Irish blokes charmed them into staying, which led to a long night, but anyway …). The first bloke I started talking to ended up having his old man being a mate of Bob Dwyer’s (or the driver of the team bus or something), and having gone to all the games on tickets from him as a kid, and met the team. Immensely jealous!!!! The international brotherhood of the ruck. Great blokes. Great night.
Although I must say, when Ireland lost to Australia in 2003 they weren’t happy about it, and didn’t take it as well as 1991. They didn’t fire up, but you could tell they were steamed. Their team had come a long way in 12 years, and they had higher expectations. So when they looked like winning and then lost, they were p!ssed. I was there with all my mates that go to the Tahs games, and my brother in law to be (several years later). But we were in separate seats (long story). My maniac bro in law was taunting the Irish saying “Irish jerseys going cheap”. I’m like “Do not get us killed. Shut up.” it was the first time I had seen Irish fans so p!ssed at losing. Usually they took it in good grace. Not that time.
westy said | November 13th 2009 @ 9:51pm | Report comment
Andrew the picture of David Campese prompts me to announce that he is the backline coach for the Parramatta Two Blues for next year. He is teaming up with former wallaby prop Mark Hartill as the first grade coacing team. One season does not make asummer but it is good news. Now to hold and attract players.
Andrew Logan said | November 14th 2009 @ 11:27pm | Report comment
Gee Westy that’s good news. Campo is a unique character, but he has had some success at the coaching gig so he could be a good pickup for the Two Blues. Who engineered that one? How? I’m amazed that he would take a gig out west. Not disappointed at all….but surprised certainly.
Lindommer said | November 14th 2009 @ 12:05am | Report comment
That’s fantastic news, Westy. Go the TBs.
TommyM said | November 14th 2009 @ 8:34am | Report comment
Wow, that was a piss-poor effort from Campese to give up chasing at the 22!
OldManEmu said | November 14th 2009 @ 8:35pm | Report comment
Hate to rain on the parade of good feelings but my favourite Wallabies v ireland moment is Totai Kefu punching out some Paddy at RWC 99 who thought he was a tough guy – albeit Kefu had to cool his heels for a week for the privilege.
And older fans might regale in stories of Ollie Campbell……
Andrew Logan said | November 15th 2009 @ 7:34pm | Report comment
OME – that would be Trevor Brennan. Definitely came off second-best.
PS “regale us with”…or…”revel in”?
Brett McKay said | November 15th 2009 @ 8:26pm | Report comment
Loges, have finally got around to watching the YouTube clip – wow, what a run, what a try!!
DaniE said | November 16th 2009 @ 1:08am | Report comment
One of the most amazing moments ever in international rugby. I was only 11 at the time but stayed up to watch, and got addicted to rugby during that game.
OldManEmu, speaking of which, that game also had another Tongan throwing punches at an Irishman… when the Irish captain decided to punch Willie O on the side of the head before the ball even touched the ground from the kick-off, and Willie O retaliated. Very wierd. And then to have NFJ come off after 15 minutes! And yet still for the Wallabies to prevail showed that they had the mettle to win.
RollingMaul said | November 24th 2009 @ 8:29am | Report comment
Gave me goosebumps – still remember watching it live! Both my parents are Irish.. I’ve got duel citizenship with both Irish and Aussie passport so I can never really loose in that situation but when it comes to a WC I have be an Aussie.
I was 18yo during the 91 world cup and was leaving school and choosing which club to play for. I was invited to a dinner at Eastwood Rugby the day before they flew out and they sat me next to Marty Roebuck for the function and he was an absolute gentleman.. what a great guy! He signed a world cup touring program for me and the club gave me $50 to spend on drinks.. a big thing back then when the most you could hope for was a free beer at the end of a match.
I guess its my age but I still remember this WC as my favourite and this as the best match of the tournament.
Dublin Dave said | December 1st 2009 @ 10:38pm | Report comment
How come I missed this post when it first came out?
I have bitter sweet memories from that match. Living in exile at the time I watched it on TV at my home in England. I remember the match started with a major fist fight right at the kick off when it seemed that Phil Matthews the one time Irish skipper introduced himself to Willie Ofahengaue with a sharp right hook, an event that sparked a 15 on 15 brawl.
Not to be condoned of course, but I also seem to remember that having let off steam right at the word go, the game was impeccably clean from then on.
Australia looked to be running away with it but could never pull clear. It wasn’t only Ralph Keyes’ kicking. My memory is that Ireland had a lot of the ball and tried to use their backs but sadly we were missing our usual left winger Keith Crossan who had a serious turn of pace and so he was replaced by Jack Clarke who, to paraphase Captain Blackadder, had all the pace of an asthmatic ant with some heavy shopping. Several times he was put into space but just didn’t have the pace to capitalise.
The only good thing he ever did in an Irish shirt was follow up that kick from Staples and then pop the pass up to Hamilton for that try. My memory, which might be flawed by the violent mood swings engendered by that game, is that I performed a backward somersault out of my sofa when Hamilton scored and I am not, nor have ever been, any sort of gymnast.
Sadly it all went to pot a few minutes later when Clarke again showed his inadequacies (clearly visible on the Youtube clip cited) by first of all missing a tackle on Campese and then trying to stop Lynagh by tickling him under the armpits instead of driving him backwards. Wycliff Palu he sure wasn’t!
Couple of things:
1) That match was the high point of the 1990s for Irish rugby (yes it was only 1991 but things went down rapidly after that) and I suspect it was partly responsible. A TV documentary made many years later showed clearly the desperate effect it had on leading Irish players such as Neil Francis who still hadn’t got over it many years later. In fact I heard from a friend who played golf with Phil Matthews about a decade after the match that when asked for his most enduring rugby memory said “I’ll never forgive Rob Saunders” a reference to the Irish scrum half who failed to make touch from the restart thus gifting Australia field position in the Irish 22 from which they worked Lynagh’s try.
2) What is it with the nieces of Irish rugby legends and bloody Australians? Sheek has mentioned elsewhere the legendary uncle of the Irish girl his brother married and now Gordon Hamilton’s niece is massaging Australian press men for a living???? What is the world coming to?