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?

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.

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.

PS “regale us with”…or…”revel in”?

And older fans might regale in stories of Ollie Campbell……

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.

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!

At the Hawkesbury Ag B & S recovery…past out and didn’t see the game…I will blame Muzza

Robbie

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!

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.

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.

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.

Sums up perfectly all that’s good about rugby…