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Six Nations: Ireland awaits, England expects

Roar Guru
5th February, 2013
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Does England have a realistic chance in the 2015 World Cup? (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Roar Guru
5th February, 2013
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Next weekend the destination of the Six Nations Championship could be decided. With Ireland and England emerging as the victors from the weekend, the number of likely Grand Slam teams has reduced to two.

They meet next Sunday in Dublin to duke it out for the Millennium Trophy, created in 2000 to celebrate’s Dublin’s millennial birthday.

Already the noisy neighbours next door are getting uppity about themselves coming over and winning the Grand Slam an’ all in week two.

It’s the last game of the weekend next Sunday afternoon, and Lansdowne Road is going to be heaving after thousands of sweaty Irishmen and Englishmen have drunk themselves silly on Friday and Saturday night, watching the other matches on any available TV – as long as it’s in a pub.

Of all the Six Nation fans the English ones are the best – no moaning, no whinging, no shrugging, or hand-waving.

They just take it on the chin and buy you a beer. And they’ve had to buy a few of those since 2003 in the Six Nations.

A decade of matches that have been sometimes close and fierce, and others wild, triumphant, rampant victories.

2003: Ten years ago, Woodward’s team arrived at Lansdowne Road, and wiped the floor with Ireland, winning 42-6.

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In truth, Ireland were lucky to get the six from the soon to be Rugby World Cup champions.

Wilkinson in his pomp, Greenwood, Tindall, Luger and Dallaglio put Ireland to the sword with a thumping five-try victory.

2004: Ireland arrived into Twickenham to take on the Rugby World Cup champions for their first game at HQ after the World Cup final.

England had already put 50 points on Italy and a mere 35 on Scotland. Another Grand Slam was their for collecting, due to Johnson and co.

Ireland forgot the script, though, and walked away with the Millennium Trophy 19-13, defeating the Rugby World Cup champions at first time of asking.

2005: The venue switched to Dublin and Lansdowne Road, but the scoreline stayed the same with Ireland winning again 19-13.

2006: Back over to Twickenham on St Patrick’s weekend, and a cracking match that England thought they had won in the final minutes.

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But it finished with that Shane Horgan try, where he grew telescopic arms to touch down in the corner and win it 28-24.

2007: saw England arrive in Croke Park for the first time since 1920 where 82,000 bawled out ‘God Save The Queen’ and ‘Amhrain na bhFiann’ in equal good measure.

There was only ever going to be one winner that day.

Jerry Guscott on hearing the crowd give an almighty roar for the kick-off turned to Keith Wood in the TV box and said, “Oh God, we’re going to get hammered, aren’t we?”

They were – Ireland ran riot finishing 43-13.

2008: The Year of the Welsh again.

And a Twickenham revenge. Ronan O’Gara got introduced to the boy wonder, Danny Cipriani, who ran the game from start to finish.

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England walked off with their first victory in five years, winning handsomely 33-10.

2009: Ireland’s first Grand Slam in 60 odd years. Their toughest game in week three as 80,000 odd chewed their nails to the bone, before O’Driscoll got the hammer blow try over the line.

Ireland squeaked home 14-13.

2010: Still in their Croke Park temporary home, Ireland kept the Millennium Trophy for another year with a 20-6 win, running in three tries to one.

2011: England’s Grand Slam (nearly). Along with Scotland, Ireland have a habit of ruining English Grand Slam attempts, their last being in 2002.

Ireland were already out of the running, England had four victories under the belt.

A victory would give them their first Grand Slam since 2003. Paul O’Connell spent the week haranguing his troops, daring them to give in or give up.

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When Saturday came around, England didn’t know what hit them as they walked out onto the new Lansdowne Road stadium.

Their first scrum, England went backwards, and then downhill after that with Sexton running the show as superbly as Cipriani had done, four years previously. It finished 24-8.

2012: England forwards’ revenge. Ireland are known for their lack of depth, no more so in the the propping department.

As soon as Mike Ross left the field, there was only ever going to be one result.

England’s pack shunted the Irish around Twickenham like some latter-day human Massey Ferguson tractor, with the Irish studs ploughing furrows in the field.

Scrum humiliation, a penalty try and the laser-accurate boot of Owen Farrell wowed the crowd as the England team left the field 30-9 winners, taking the Millennium Trophy with them.

2013: Who knows, but it’s going to be a cracker.

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