IRELAND ON THE RWC STAGE
Ireland’s failure to reach the Rugby World Cup semi-finals is one of the few regrets that World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Brian O’Driscoll has from his stellar 15-year international career.
Despite a halcyon period of success in the Six Nations and at provincial level in European club rugby with the likes of O’Driscoll to the fore, Ireland have failed to deliver on the Rugby World Cup stage with a record of six quarter-final defeats from eight tournaments.
In fact it says a lot about how the tournament has consistently been a graveyard for Irish hopes when so many people nominate Ireland’s dramatic quarter-final loss to Australia in 1991 as their stand-out Rugby World Cup moment.
Ireland’s Rugby World Cup odyssey began against all too familiar opponents in Wales. Wellington lived up to its windy reputation on the day and Ireland chose to play with a strong gale at their backs in the first half. Two Michael Kiernan penalties was all they could muster, however, and with Jonathan Davies pulling the strings Wales put 13 unanswered points on them after the break to take the spoils of victory.
Ireland did recover to beat Canada and Tonga but the defeat to Wales meant a quarter-final showdown with co-hosts Australia. The Wallabies were three tries up inside the first 25 minutes and went on to win 33-15.
Four years later Ireland fell at the same stage and to the same opponents, on home turf in Dublin. Having comfortably seen off Zimbabwe and Japan, defeat to another Home Nations rival, this time Scotland, ensured Ireland had the tougher last eight draw as Pool B runners-up.
A cacophony of noise greeted Gordon Hamilton’s breath-taking try against the Wallabies at the old Lansdowne Road, but the capacity crowd soon fell silent once Michael Lynagh squeezed over in the corner for a match-winning score right at the death.
Ireland were the first nation to feel the full force of Jonah Lomu at RWC 1995 as their campaign began with a brave 43-19 defeat. They then put 50 points on Japan to set up another top-of-the-table decider against Wales. This time, they came out on top, 24-23. However, a 36-12 loss to France in Durban signalled the end of the road for Ireland that year.
Quarter-final play-off matches involving the five pool runners-up and the best ranked third-placed team were introduced for the first Rugby World Cup of the professional era in 1999.
Ireland had finished second to Australia in Pool E after wins over USA and Romania and a home tie at Lansdowne Road in the quarter-finals proper lay in wait. However, Argentina had other ideas and, after a second-half comeback, the Pumas won through 28-24.
History repeated itself in the 2003 tournament after Ireland finished second best to Australia in the pool stages. But, in the process, they did gain revenge for their defeat to Argentina with a one-point win at the Adelaide Oval. A 43-21 loss to a superior France ended Ireland’s interest for another four years.
Buoyed by the deeds of Munster and then Leinster, on the European stage, Ireland went to France in 2007 and New Zealand four years later better placed than ever to make a serious challenge for the Webb Ellis Cup. But they came up well short on both occasions, leaving the feeling that the Rugby World Cup is nothing but an Irish saga of ifs, buts and maybes.
Ireland were nearly on the wrong end of what would have been the biggest upset in Rugby World Cup history had a Girvan Dempsey try not spared their blushes against Georgia in 2007. As it was, the nerve-jangling win only served to paper over the cracks and Ireland returned home from France prematurely after Argentina ended their interest in the final pool match.
After breaking new ground and finishing top of their pool for the first time, a feat made possible by a memorable win over Australia, 2011 was set to be Ireland’s year. Instead of facing one of the southern hemisphere’s ‘big three’, Ireland were paired with Wales in the knockout stages in a game that was admittedly too close to call.
Following a shaky start Ireland evened the match up at 10-10 five minutes into the second half and the momentum appeared with them. But the scores remained level for only five minutes as Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips stole away on the blindside after an Alun Wyn Jones’ drive to give his side an advantage they would not surrender. Wales closed out a 22-10 win to continue Ireland’s wretched record at the last eight stage.
RWC 2015 came too late for Ireland’s golden generation – the likes O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara and Gordon D’Arcy, all members of the Grand Slam-winning class of 2009. With such key members of the team now retired, it was left to a new generation of players to right the wrongs of the past.
For the second tournament in a row Ireland went through the pool stages with a perfect record, following up routine wins over Canada, Romania and Italy with a 24-9 victory over France. However, the victory did not come without a cost with key players, including talisman and captain Paul O’Connell, ruled out of their must-win game against Argentina through injury.
Drawn against a Los Pumas side ranked three places lower than them, Ireland were slight favourites to end their quarter-final hoodoo. Los Pumas, though, had proved formidable opponents in the past and they blew Ireland away with their high-tempo brand of rugby to win 43-20 in Cardiff.
RECORD BREAKER
Brian Robinson and Keith Wood hold the distinction of being the only forwards to score four tries in a Rugby World Cup match. Number eight Robinson became the first player to score four tries in a game for Ireland in the 1991 match against Zimbabwe, while Wood’s quartet of scores came against the USA in Dublin eight years later.
HIGH POINT
With five minutes left on the clock and Ireland losing 15-12 to Australia in the quarter-final of RWC 1991, a break by the home side resulted in the ball being popped into the hands of the charging Gordon Hamilton. Never before – or since – had the flanker shown such a turn of pace. Roared on by the packed house Hamilton had just enough gas left in the tank to outstrip the Wallabies’ covering defence and score a try that sparked off some of the most jubilant scenes the old Lansdowne Road had ever seen. Unfortunately for them, Michael Lynagh was to have the final say and break Irish hearts.
LOW POINT
Conceding 17 unanswered inside the first 13 minutes to Argentina as their semi-final hopes went up in smoke in Cardiff at RWC 2015.
QUOTE, UNQUOTE
“It’s hard to believe there's going to be another chapter in the Ireland versus Argentina story. We have had good and bad against them.” – former Ireland winger Denis Hickie after victory over France set up another RWC quarter-final showdown with Argentina.
STATS-AMAZING
Paul O’Connell equalled Brian O’Driscoll’s Rugby World Cup caps record for Ireland (17) when he led the team out against France at RWC 2015. Sadly, the second-row suffered a career-ending injury in the game.
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