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Ireland's lock Paul O'Connell (2nd R) and other players react next to Australian players including fly-half Quade Cooper (R) and Australia's scrum-half Will Genia (L) during the 2011 Rugby World Cup pool C match Australia vs Ireland AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS
Sporting dreams of an epic, world title nature don’t come true too often for us Irish. The few victories that we do have are etched on all Irish minds from childhoods of a bygone era, and many are individual feats of greatness.
Think Barry McGuigan in boxing, Sonia O’Sullivan and Eamon Coughlin in athletics or Stephen Roche winning a Tour de France.
When it comes to team sports of international significance, I can’t seem to recall any world titles.
Yes, there have been great efforts, immortalized forever in Irish history and culture. Jackie Charlton’s Irish football (or soccer if that’s your preference) team reaching the quarter-final at the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
I was 20 then. Two decades ago. But the memories are as strong as if the whole event took place last year. Ireland defied the odds and reached the quarter-final where we were dispatched by a single goal from Italy.
Schillaci – the Italian goal scorer – is a name that will never leave my mind.
When Ireland beat Romania in a penalty shootout to reach that quarter-final I remember the amazing scenes of cars driving up and down streets with horns blaring and flags flying – and this in rural villages in Ireland like my own!
The towns and cities went completely mad. We never saw the likes of this again.
Fast-forward 21 years. If the Irish can overcome the Welsh this Saturday I predict the same euphoria in Ireland.
Six words: this means so much to us.
Of course it does to every other nation left in the Rugby World Cup too, but framed against the Irish psyche, this is enormous.
Being a resident of Australia for the past 15 years, I am amazed by the nation’s sporting prowess, its achievements internationally on so many sporting grounds and its determination for victory backed by dogged determination, professionalism and government funding.
But winning and expectation can couple to give birth to some strange occurrences.
I’ve listened to commentators on Australian television speak with tones of disappointment as their country folk pick up a mere silver medal in the Olympics, especially in swimming.
Apparently an abundance of victory can bring with it a lack of appreciation in effort in valiant second or defeat, whereas in Ireland, bronze medallists enters Irish folklore, and a gallant fourth can be spoken about for lifetimes!
The wins, on the other hand, become written into history as legends.
An Irish win against Wales this Saturday will ignite an international fever of gigantic proportions. Irish folk from Brisbane to New York, Buenos Aires to Auckland will unite like never before in a cry of astonishing celebration. Ireland in a world cup semi final!
For those of you who are familiar with your nation reaching these heights of sporting prowess, the implications for a nation cannot be fully understood – for Ireland, this is massive.
Four million people will get out of bed on a Saturday morning and dare to dream the unthinkable.
If Wales deny that dream they won’t turn bitter, or blame the ref! Instead they will change their jerseys to red, and become dragons in their support for their fellow Celts.
In the 1990 football world cup Irishman David O Leary was given the responsibility of putting Ireland through to the last eight with his kick in the penalty shoot out with Romania.
As he approached the ball, George Hamilton the Irish TV commentator spoke for Ireland when he said, “A nation holds its breath.”
Ireland has reached the quarter final of the Rugby World Cup before, the farthest we have travailed.
But this time, things feel different. There is a feeling that historic greatness awaits.
Since the defeat of Italy a nation has been holding its breath. It will only exhale after the end of this weekend’s Match. And I suspect it may have to hold it again a few times.
A nation and its people, spread wide across the world, is about to go delirious.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.